A Model of Consumption and Environmental Degradation: Making the case for sustainable consumer behaviour

Bahram Adrangi, K. Kathy Dhanda and Ronald Paul Hill

Journal of Human Development and Capabilities, 2004, vol. 5, issue 3, 417-432

Abstract: This paper develops and examines a model of the relationship between consumption and environmental degradation, using the per-capita Gross Domestic Product as the proxy for consumer behaviour and per-capita carbon dioxide emissions as the indicator of pollution. The time path of emissions and consumption are modelled within a dynamic framework, and the result is expressed as an optimization problem from which Hamiltonian conditions are derived. These conditions are analysed through the use of a phase diagram, and the empirical section of the paper reveals the relationship between carbon dioxide emissions and Gross Domestic Product values across nation-states as well as the United Nations classifications for development among countries. The paper closes with an examination of sustainable consumer behaviour that has global policy implications.

Keywords: Consumption; Pollution; Environment; Economic models (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2004
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

Downloads: (external link)
http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/1464988042000277279 (text/html)
Access to full text is restricted to subscribers.

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:taf:jhudca:v:5:y:2004:i:3:p:417-432

Ordering information: This journal article can be ordered from
http://www.tandfonline.com/pricing/journal/CJHD20

DOI: 10.1080/1464988042000277279

Access Statistics for this article

Journal of Human Development and Capabilities is currently edited by Kathryn Rosenblum

More articles in Journal of Human Development and Capabilities from Taylor & Francis Journals
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Chris Longhurst ().