Environmental Subsidies to Consumers How did they work in the Japanese market [Hardcover]

A typical consumer underestimates the benefits of future energy savings and underinvests in energy efficiency, relative to a description of the socially optimal level of energy efficiency. To alleviate this energy-efficiency gap problem, various programs have been implemented. In recent years, many governments have started providing consumers with subsidies on the purchases of eco-friendly products such as hybrid cars and energy efficient appliances. This book conducts a comprehensive analysis of the environmental subsidy programs conducted in Japan and examines their impacts on consumer product selection, consumer product use, and environmental outcome. The book also proposes recommendations for future environmental and industrial policies.

The book's empirical findings will be of interest to those who are researching on and policymakers of environmental and industrial policies.

Part I: Environmental Subsidies to Consumers: Conceptual issues 1. Environmental Subsidies to Consumers: Introduction, Shigeru Matsumoto 2. Environmental Subsidies to Consumers as Policy Instruments, Shigeru Matsumoto3. Environmental Tax and Subsidy in Japan: Past and present, Satoshi Sekiguchi  Part II: Rebate Program for Energy Efficient AppliancesJapanese Electronic Appliance Market, Minoru Morita 4. Effect of an Eco-Point Program on Consumer Digital TV Selection, Keiko Yamaguchi, Shigeru Matsumoto and Tomohiro Tasaki 5. A Policy Evaluation of the Eco-Point Program: The programs impact on CO2 reductions and the replacement of home appliances, Toshi H. Arimura and Minoru Morita 6. Did the Purchase Subsidy for Energy-Efficient Appliances Ease Electricity Shortage after Fukushima?, Kenichi Mizobuchi and Kenji Takeuchi7. Effect of the Eco-Point Program on Implicit Discount Rate: A hl&