Environmental Identity and Intergenerational Equity

摘要

In this paper we analyze how the consideration of non-strictly economic factors (such as the incorporation of a "green identity" into consumers' preferences) can modify intertemporal optimal allocation paths, making possible to achieve more equitableintergenerational societies. To show the aforementioned, we construct what we call "green" identity preferences. Likewise, to define intergenerational equity, this work takes the concepts and results obtained in Chichilnisky (1996; 1997; 2009) for the case of renewable resources as its fundamental point of reference. The basic idea underlying this work is the following: if we assume the existence of an environmental identity that agents take into account when making their choices, this can motivate a change in the behaviour of agents. And, as we show in the paper, under certain conditions, this change can generate more equitable intergenerational societies, even if all generations are not treated equally (i.e. we use a positive discount rate in the analysis).