Policy instruments for curbing CO2 emissions: The case of the Netherlands

Taxes may seem to be the most attractive instrument for curbing the emissions of carbon dioxide. This paper, however, argues that environmental taxes involve a number of serious complications — especially in an open economy riddled with market imperfections like the Netherlands. Therefore, a wide-ranging policy mix is called for. As far as households and sheltered sectors are concerned, regulation can continue to play a major role. Within the context of unilateral policies aimed at exposed sectors, the combination of subsidies and voluntary agreements may be more cost effective than the tax instrument.This paper was prepared for a conference on Energy Taxation in Europe organized by the Stichting voor Economisch Onderzoek (SEO) and held on December 13, 1991 in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. The author would like to thank Sijbren Cnossen, Jarig van Sinderen and one anonymous referee for helpful comments on an earlier draft.     

Pollution Externalities in a Model of Endogenous Fertility and Growth

An endogenous growth model with human capital formation, pollution caused by production of consumption goods, and endogenous fertility decisions made by altruistic agents with infinite horizons is presented. Consequences for optimal policy of modelling fertility as an explicit decision variable are examined. Because ordinary lump-sum transfers to individuals are no longer neutral, either revenue from a pollution tax must be redistributed to dynasties (working as an implicit tax on child births), or lump-sum transfers must be supplemented with an explicit fertility tax. Alternatively, the government can avoid distortions of the fertility decisions by maintaining an appropriate public debt. When abatement is highly productive, it can be optimal to subsidize fertility in order to increase total production.     

我国固定资产投资宏观效益分析

固定资产投资的直接目的是增加固定资产 ,应考察投资和增加固定资产的关系 ,其宏观指标为固定资产交付使用率和项目建成投产率 ;固定资产投资的最终目的是促进经济增长 ,增加国民收入 ,应考察投资和增加国民收入的关系 ,其宏观指标为固定资产投资效益系数或投资系数。我国固定资产交付使用率“七五”时期比“六五”末不断提高 ,“八五”较为平稳 ,“九五”开始回升。我国固定资产投资效益系数“六五”以来较为平稳 ,“八五”较高 ,“九五”下滑幅度较大。应采取多种措施 ,不断提高投资效益。     

环境分析中沾污与损失的来源及相应对策

将环境污染分析的全过程中沾污的来源归纳为实验室空气、实验用容器、实验设备、实验试剂、实验用溶剂以及工作人员等 6个方面 ;将损失的来源归纳为容器吸附和挥发损失两方面 ,同时给出了减轻沾污与损失的对策     

Disclosure of Private Information and Reduction of Uncertainty: Environmental Liabilities in the Chemical Industry

We investigate the potential uncertainty-reducing role of accounting information in the context of contingent Superfund liability valuation. We first develop theoretical arguments for the way reduction of uncertainty regarding these contingent liabilities is expected to affect security prices. Empirical proxies are developed for two types of uncertainty surrounding contingent Superfund liabilities: site uncertainty and allocation uncertainty. In a valuation framework, we then investigate whether financial statement disclosures and accruals reduce uncertainty and thereby affect security valuation. Specifically, we analyze the interaction of private information contained in firm disclosures and accruals with inherent uncertainty surrounding contingent Superfund liabilities. Results suggest that in a regulatory environment allowing substantial reporting discretion, firm-provided financial statement information affects valuation of contingent Superfund liabilities by reducing uncertainty. Further, we find that information revealed through accruals versus disclosures is differentially effective at reducing site and allocation uncertainty.     

上市公司利用减值准备进行盈余管理的实证研究--以吉林省上市公司为例

上市公司于2001年1月1日起开始执行新的企业会计制度,新的会计制度与原会计制度相比最显著的变化就是在原来四项资产减值准备计提的基础上又增加四项减值准备。这八项减值准备的计提,充分体现了谨慎性原则对历史成本原则的修正,目的是为了挤出上市公司资产中的水分,保护所有者和债权人的利益,从而化解其投资风险。通过对吉林省上市公司八项资产减值准备计提情况的分析,可以反映出吉林省上市公司利用减值准备进行盈余管理的实际情况。     

Capitalized intangibles and financial analysts

We examine whether firms that capitalize a higher proportion of their underlying intangible assets have higher analyst following, lower dispersion of analysts’ earnings forecasts and more accurate earnings forecasts relative to firms that capitalize a lower proportion. Under Australian generally accepted accounting principles, capitalization of intangible assets has become increasingly ‘routine’ since the late 1980s. It is predicted that this experience leads Australian analysts to expect firms with relatively more certain intangible investments to signal this fact by capitalizing intangible assets. Our results are consistent with this. We find that capitalization of intangible assets is associated with higher analyst following and lower absolute earnings forecast error for firms with a stock of underlying intangible assets. Our tests suggest a weaker association between capitalization and lower earnings forecast dispersion. We conclude that there are benefits for analysts, for management to have the option to capitalize intangible assets. These findings suggest that IAS 38 Intangible Assets and AASB 138 Intangible Assets reduce the usefulness of financial statements.     

中国企业技术创新成功的环境条件分析

企业技术创新成功的环境条件分为四个不同的层次和五个不同的维度。由于我国企业环境建设不系统,因此我国企业没有成为技术创新的主体。正确认识我国企业技术创新环境问题是十分必要的。     

美国环境产权对我国的启示

环境产权是从制度角度界定自然环境和生态环境的权利束。包括物质经济、非物质经济和环境经济在内的"立体经济论"是其存在的理论基础。以环境产权促进环境经济,规制立体经济,美国很典型。美国环保体系的确立标志其环境产权体系形成,重视环境产权是其私有制、环境产权自身特点及经济运行的需要。中国经济发展应摒弃环境产权视角下产权学派的产权观。     

当代美国住宅的思考

美国2000年新建住宅投资4251亿美元，占固定资产投资的21．3％；住宅直接消费为9588亿美元，占GDP的9．71％；年存量住宅为1．16亿套(户)，空置率为5．9％。购买新房一般中值价为80美元／ft^2，一套住宅(2000ft^2)中值房价为16万美元；按中值计算贷款购房的支出与收入比为1：4．7；在美国仍有3500万户居民租用住宅。