In: Economics
Firm A |
Firm B |
|||||
Emissions |
Total abatement costs |
Marginal abatement costs |
Emissions |
Total abatement costs |
Marginal abatement costs |
|
4 |
0 |
0 |
4 |
0 |
0 |
|
3 |
1 |
1 |
3 |
2 |
2 |
|
2 |
3 |
2 |
2 |
6 |
4 |
|
1 |
6 |
3 |
1 |
12 |
6 |
|
0 |
10 |
4 |
0 |
20 |
8 |
1. What are the total abatement costs for the firms and economy to reduce 50% of the emissions with command and control policies?
2. How will cap and trade improve the situation, if each firm will get 2 permits?
3. What is the range of the price per permit so that trade will take place?
1) Each firm's emissions are equal to 4 units today. A command and control policy to reduce 50% will require each firm to be at half of its current emission, i.e., at 2 units each
Firm A's total abatement cost would be $3 (the number in front of 2 units of emission)
Firm B's total abatement cost would be $6
Hence the total would be $3+$6 = $9
2) If each firm is given a permit for 2 units of emissions and they are able to trade the permits with each other, we can see that firm A will sell some of its permit to firm B. This means that firm A will end up with less emissions than 2 units and firm B with more than 2 units, since it is more expensive for firm B to reduce pollution
Firm A's total pollution after trade of 1 unit worth of permits will be 1 unit and its cost of abatement will be $6 (being at 0 units of emission doesn't make sense since the cost is $10 which is higher than the $9 we got in previous answer)
Firm B's total pollution after trade of 1 unit worth of permits will be 3 units and its cost of abatement will be $2
Hence the total cost will be $6+$2 =$8, which is $1 less than if they were to reduce 2 units of emissions each
3) We see that firm A has had to incur an additional $3 (marginal cost of 3rd unit of abatement) and firm B has saved $4 by trading this permit. Hence the range of price that firm B needs to pay firm A for this permit is $3 to $4