Research
Peer-reviewed Publications
Ecological Economics, volume 203, March 2023.
This paper proposes a green consumption model under non-probabilized uncertainty surrounding the environmental benefits of green goods. We study the theoretical implications of the introduction of non-probabilized uncertainty (ambiguity) and attitudes towards uncertainty: confidence (belief about the veracity of the available information) and pessimism (consumer’s probability estimation of the realization of the worst possible outcome when consuming green goods). We analyze their respective impact on green consumption and consider individuals with heterogeneous beliefs. Pessimism has a negative impact on green demand; meanwhile, an increase in confidence does not always imply an increase in green demand, it depends on the level of pessimism. We determine the impact of uncertainty and beliefs on the equilibrium and the socially optimal level of private voluntary provision. We find that under uncertainty, the individual level of green consumption at the Nash equilibrium may be greater than the individual level at the social optimum.
Ongoing research
Ambiguity attitudes and pro-environmental behavior: An experiment
With Noémi Berlin
2023-8 EconomiX Working Papers (old version)
This experiment seeks to study the impact of uncertainty and attitudes towards uncertainty on charity donations. We use a modified dictator game, where the donations received by the beneficiaries (environmental NGOs) are exposed to different levels of uncertainty. We study the level of donations and elicit among the donors their attitudes towards uncertainty, risk aversion, ambiguity aversion, likelihood insensitivity, and pessimism. We aim to test if different levels of uncertainty at the receiver level (risk and ambiguity) impact altruistic behavior (i.e., increase donation amounts). We do not find any differences between levels of uncertainty compared to no uncertainty. However, we find that a "high" level of ambiguity has a significant and negative effect on altruistic behavior compared to a risk environment or a "low" ambiguity environment. We also find that the effect of attitudes toward risk and ambiguity depends on the level of ambiguity. We find no effect of ambiguity aversion, likelihood insensitivity, and pessimism under "low" ambiguity on altruistic behavior. Meanwhile, under "high" ambiguity, we find a negative effect of ambiguity aversion and pessimism on charitable giving. These results suggest that there is a threshold for which ambiguity and ambiguity attitudes have a negative impact on donations.
Correcting negative externalities: an experiment of the acceptability of taxes and regulatory standards
With Alexandre Cambo
This paper investigates the acceptability of public policies through a majority vote, seeking to mitigate negative externalities. We use an unframed laboratory experiment where participants face a negative externalities game, and we introduce public policies through taxation policies and bans with available alternatives. The participants are asked to vote for or against the policy implementation before and after experiencing the game and a policy trial. We explore the influences of policy trial experiences, cultural worldviews, and the support of bans and taxes on policy decisions. The results indicate that acceptability is marginally different between regulatory standards and taxes. We also find that experience from a policy trial affects tax-related acceptability exclusively. Moreover, the study demonstrates that hierarchical cultural worldviews decrease support for the studied public policies.
CAPABLE (ClimAte Policy AcceptaBiLity Economic framework) is a research project that has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon Europe research and innovation program.
The overall aim of CAPABLE is to develop and operationalize multi-objective decision-making frameworks to help evaluate effective, yet socially and politically feasible, climate and environmental policies in Europe.