Water is a basic necessity and its allocation and utilization, especially pricing policies, impose various social, economic, and ecological impacts on social groups. Increasing block tariffs (IBTs) has gained popularity because it is expected to incentivize water conservation while protecting poor people benefiting from the redistribution effects because of its nonlinear tariff structure. However, it results in price distortion under certain circumstances. Researchers have also proposed an alternative practical price system and a uniform tariff with rebate (UTR), with the price level set equal to the marginal social cost and a fixed rebate allocated to the poor groups. This study proceeds with a simulation of the two pricing systems, UTR and IBTs, and empirically explores their fundamental merits and limitations. The results confirm the theoretical perspective that a water price system, compared with an optimal tariff system, simultaneously achieves multiple goals to the greatest possible extent.

本文概述了环境经济学发展的历史以及理论渊源,总结和评析了环境经济学的研究现状、分析框架、主要研究领域以及所用的理论和方法。在澄清和分析相关误区的基础上,对环境经济学的理论体系及其拓展进行了讨论,并提出环境经济学的若干重大应用研究领域和问题。

2016年10月15日,在卢旺达首都基加利召开《关于消耗臭氧层物质的蒙特利尔议定书》第28次缔约方大会,以协商一致的方式,达成了历史性的限控温室气体氢氟碳化物(HFCs)修正案——基加利修正案。HFCs是强效温室气体,其全球变暖潜能值是二氧化碳的数千倍,因此该协议是继《巴黎气候协定》后又一里程碑式的重要环境文件,是2016年全球最重大的气候行动之一。

本文首先以经济的可持续发展是经济、社会、环境三大领域良性循环的关键为切入点,以梳理经济学理论中的可持续发展思想渊源为手段,总结提炼了不同时代围绕实现经济可持续发展的经济学观点;然后分析了经济学的可持续发展思想在中国的实践;最后对中国未来的可持续发展进行了简要的展望。