TY  - JOUR
AU  - Stavins,Robert N.
TI  - Environmental Economics
JF  - National Bureau of Economic Research Working Paper Series
VL  - No. 13574
PY  - 2007
Y2  - November 2007
UR  - http://www.nber.org/papers/w13574
L1  - http://www.nber.org/papers/w13574.pdf
N1  - Author contact info:
Robert Stavins
JFK School of Government
Harvard University
79 JFK Street
Cambridge, MA 02138
Tel: 617/495-1820
Fax: 617/496-3783
E-Mail: robert_stavins@harvard.edu
AB  - This article provides an overview of the economics of environmental policy, including the setting of goals and targets, notably the Kaldor-Hicks criterion and the related method of assessment known as benefit-cost analysis.  Also reviewed are the means of environmental policy, that is, the choice of specific policy instruments, featuring an examination of potential criteria for assessing alternative instruments, with focus on cost-effectiveness.  The theoretical foundations and experiential highlights of individual instruments are reviewed, including conventional command-and-control mechanisms and market-based instruments.
ER  -