As Thomas Sterner points out, the economic 'toolkit' for dealing with environmental problems has become formidable. It includes taxes, charges, permits, deposit-refund systems, labeling, and other information disclosure mechanisms. Though not all these devices are widely used, empirical application has started within some sectors, and we are beginning to see the first systematic efforts at an advanced policy design that takes due account of market-based incentives. Sterner's book encourages more widespread and careful use of economic policy instruments. Intended primarily for application in developing and transitional countries, the book compares the accumulated experiences of the use of economic policy instruments in the U.S. and Europe, as well as in select rich and poor countries in Asia, Africa, and Latin America. Ambitious in scope, the book discusses the design of instruments that can be employed in a wide range of contexts, including transportation, industrial pollution, water pricing, waste, fisheries, forests, and agriculture. Policy Instruments for Environmental and Natural Resource Management is deeply rooted in economics but also informed by perspectives drawn from political, legal, ecological, and psychological research. Sterner notes that, in addition to meeting requirements for efficiency, the selection and design of policy instruments must satisfy criteria involving equity and political acceptability. He is careful to distinguish between the well-designed plans of policymakers and the resulting behavior of society. A copublication of Resources for the Future, the World Bank, and the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida).

About the Author
Thomas Sterner is professor of environmental economics at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden, and a university fellow at Resources for the Future. In March 2009, he will be awarded the Myrdal prize for the best article in the Swedish journal Ekonomisk Debatt.

Reviews

'This is a valuable guide to the problems of implementing environmental policy.'
Regulation

'This book not only details the economic principles behind environmental policy, but also presents a wide range of examples of practical policy design in areas such as road transportation, industrial pollution, and the management of natural resources and ecosystems. ...Put simply, a good source of inspiration.'
Journal of Forest Economics

'Thomas Sterner digs deep into the foundations of the subject and probes widely into practical matters of environmental policy. This book will be the starting point of rigorous environmental discourse for a long time to come.'
Sir Partha Dasgupta, University of Cambridge

Book Information
ISBN 9781891853128
Author Thomas Sterner
Format Paperback
Page Count 530
Imprint Resources for the Future Press (RFF Press)
Publisher Taylor & Francis Inc
Weight(grams) 657g