IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/p/eth/wpswif/05-36.html
   My bibliography  Save this paper

Innovative investments, natural resources, and intergenerational fairness : are pension funds good for sustainable development?

Author

Abstract

We analyse long-term consumption paths in a dynamic two-sector economy with overlapping generations. Each young generation saves for the retirement age, both with private savings and pension funds. The productivity of each sector can be raised by sector-specific research while the essential use of a non-renewable natural resource poses a threat to consumption possibilities in the long run. Bonds, the two types innovations, and resource stocks are the different investment opportunities. We show that pension funds have a positive impact on long-term development, provided that individuals have a preference for own investments. In this case, sustainability is more likely to be achieved due to pension fund savings.

Suggested Citation

  • Lucas Bretschger & Karen Pittel, 2005. "Innovative investments, natural resources, and intergenerational fairness : are pension funds good for sustainable development?," CER-ETH Economics working paper series 05/36, CER-ETH - Center of Economic Research (CER-ETH) at ETH Zurich.
    • Handle: RePEc:eth:wpswif:05-36
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.cer.ethz.ch/research/wp_05_36.pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    Other versions of this item:

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Axel Börsch‐Supan & Florian Heiss & Alexander Ludwig & Joachim Winter, 2003. "Pension Reform, Capital Markets and the Rate of Return," German Economic Review, Verein für Socialpolitik, vol. 4(2), pages 151-181, May.
    2. ûystein ThÛgersen, 1998. "A note on intergenerational risk sharing and the design of pay-as-you-go pension programs," Journal of Population Economics, Springer;European Society for Population Economics, vol. 11(3), pages 373-378.
    3. Agnani, Betty & Gutierrez, Maria-Jose & Iza, Amaia, 2005. "Growth in overlapping generation economies with non-renewable resources," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 50(2), pages 387-407, September.
    4. Andreas Wagener, 2003. "Equilibrium dynamics with different types of pay-as-you-go pension schemes," Economics Bulletin, AccessEcon, vol. 8(6), pages 1-12.
    5. John, A & Pecchenino, R, 1994. "An Overlapping Generations Model of Growth and the Environment," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 104(427), pages 1393-1410, November.
    6. Marini Giancarlo & Scaramozzino Pasquale, 1995. "Overlapping Generations and Environmental Control," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 29(1), pages 64-77, July.
    7. Doan Hong Quang & Neil Vousden, 2002. "Unionisation, Unemployment and Economic growth," International and Development Economics Working Papers idec02-10, International and Development Economics.
    8. Romer, Paul M, 1990. "Endogenous Technological Change," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 98(5), pages 71-102, October.
    9. Meijdam, Lex & Verbon, Harrie A A, 1996. "Aging and Political Decision Making on Public Pensions," Journal of Population Economics, Springer;European Society for Population Economics, vol. 9(2), pages 141-158, May.
    10. Orazio P. Attanasio & Susann Rohwedder, 2003. "Pension Wealth and Household Saving: Evidence from Pension Reforms in the United Kingdom," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 93(5), pages 1499-1521, December.
    11. Howarth, Richard B & Norgaard, Richard B, 1992. "Environmental Valuation under Sustainable Development," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 82(2), pages 473-477, May.
    12. Elissios Papyrakis & Reyer Gerlach, 2004. "Natural Resource, Investment and Long-Term Income," DEGIT Conference Papers c009_035, DEGIT, Dynamics, Economic Growth, and International Trade.
    13. Seegmuller, Thomas & Verchere, Alban, 2004. "Pollution as a source of endogenous fluctuations and periodic welfare inequality in OLG economies," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 84(3), pages 363-369, September.
    14. Lans Bovenberg, A. & Smulders, Sjak, 1995. "Environmental quality and pollution-augmenting technological change in a two-sector endogenous growth model," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 57(3), pages 369-391, July.
    15. Axel Börsch‐Supan & Florian Heiss & Alexander Ludwig & Joachim Winter, 2003. "Pension Reform, Capital Markets and the Rate of Return," German Economic Review, Verein für Socialpolitik, vol. 4(2), pages 151-181, May.
    16. Andreas Wagener, 2003. "Pensions as a portfolio problem: fixed contribution rates vs. fixed replacement rates reconsidered," Journal of Population Economics, Springer;European Society for Population Economics, vol. 16(1), pages 111-134, February.
    17. Jukka Lassila & Tarmo Valkonen, 2001. "Pension Prefunding, Ageing, and Demographic Uncertainty," International Tax and Public Finance, Springer;International Institute of Public Finance, vol. 8(4), pages 573-593, August.
    18. repec:ebl:ecbull:v:8:y:2003:i:6:p:1-12 is not listed on IDEAS
    19. Dlisraios Papyrakis & Reyer Gerlagh, 2004. "Natural Resources, Investment and Long-Term Income," Working Papers 2004.87, Fondazione Eni Enrico Mattei.
    20. Lucas Bretschger, 2004. "Natural resource scarcity and long-run development: central mechanisms when conditions are seemingly unfavourable," CER-ETH Economics working paper series 03/29, CER-ETH - Center of Economic Research (CER-ETH) at ETH Zurich.
    21. Stokey, Nancy L, 1998. "Are There Limits to Growth?," International Economic Review, Department of Economics, University of Pennsylvania and Osaka University Institute of Social and Economic Research Association, vol. 39(1), pages 1-31, February.
    22. Barbie, Martin & Hagedorn, Marcus & Kaul, Ashok, 2000. "Dynamic Efficiency and Pareto Optimality in a Stochastic OLG Model with Production and Social Security," IZA Discussion Papers 209, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    23. Antonio Rangel, 2003. "Forward and Backward Intergenerational Goods: Why Is Social Security Good for the Environment?," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 93(3), pages 813-834, June.
    24. Kotlikoff, Laurence J & Persson, Torsten & Svensson, Lars E O, 1988. "Social Contracts as Assets: A Possible Solution to the Time-Consistency Problem," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 78(4), pages 662-677, September.
    25. Karen Pittel, 2002. "Sustainability and Endogenous Growth," Books, Edward Elgar Publishing, number 2776.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Karen Pittel & Lucas Bretschger, 2008. "Sectoral Heterogeneity, Resource Depletion, and Directed Technical Change: Theory and Policy," CER-ETH Economics working paper series 08/96, CER-ETH - Center of Economic Research (CER-ETH) at ETH Zurich.
    2. Karen Pittel & Lucas Bretschger, 2010. "The implications of heterogeneous resource intensities on technical change and growth," Canadian Journal of Economics/Revue canadienne d'économique, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 43(4), pages 1173-1197, November.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Hyun Park & Apostolis Philippopoulos, 2016. "Environmental Ramsey Policy and Sustainable Balanced Growth," Review of Development Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 20(2), pages 488-501, May.
    2. repec:hal:pseose:insu-01105358 is not listed on IDEAS
    3. Mouez Fodha, 2015. "Nuclear waste storage and environmental intergenerational externalities," International Journal of Sustainable Development, Inderscience Enterprises Ltd, vol. 18(1/2), pages 94-114.
    4. John C. V. Pezzey, 2004. "Sustainability Policy and Environmental Policy," Scandinavian Journal of Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 106(2), pages 339-359, June.
    5. Dagmar Nelissen & Till Requate, 2007. "Pollution-reducing and resource-saving technological progress," International Journal of Agricultural Resources, Governance and Ecology, Inderscience Enterprises Ltd, vol. 6(1), pages 5-44.
    6. Alassane Drabo, 2010. "Environment Quality and Economic Convergence: Extending Environmental Kuznets Curve Hypothesis," Economics Bulletin, AccessEcon, vol. 30(2), pages 1617-1632.
    7. Alessio Emanuele BIONDO, 2010. "A Growth Rate for a Sustainable Economy," Journal of Applied Economic Sciences, Spiru Haret University, Faculty of Financial Management and Accounting Craiova, vol. 5(2(12)/Sum), pages 7-20.
    8. Tetsuo Ono, 2002. "The Effects of Emission Permits on Growth and the Environment," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 21(1), pages 75-87, January.
    9. Ikefuji, Masako & Horii, Ryo, 2012. "Natural disasters in a two-sector model of endogenous growth," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 96(9-10), pages 784-796.
    10. Evangelos V. Dioikitopoulos & Sugata Ghosh & Eugenia Vella, 2016. "Technological Progress, Time Perception and Environmental Sustainability," Working Papers 2016002, The University of Sheffield, Department of Economics.
    11. Daisuke Ikazaki, 2014. "A Human Capital Based Growth Model with Environment and Corruption," Journal of Economic Structures, Springer;Pan-Pacific Association of Input-Output Studies (PAPAIOS), vol. 3(1), pages 1-13, December.
    12. Laurence Kotlikoff & Felix Kubler & Andrey Polbin & Simon Scheidegger, 2021. "Pareto-improving carbon-risk taxation [The environment and directed technical change]," Economic Policy, CEPR, CESifo, Sciences Po;CES;MSH, vol. 36(107), pages 551-589.
    13. Karine Constant & Marion Davin, 2019. "Unequal Vulnerability to Climate Change and the Transmission of Adverse Effects Through International Trade," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 74(2), pages 727-759, October.
    14. Dao, Nguyen Thang & Edenhofer, Ottmar, 2018. "On the fiscal strategies of escaping poverty-environment traps towards sustainable growth," Journal of Macroeconomics, Elsevier, vol. 55(C), pages 253-273.
    15. Valente, Simone, 2008. "Intergenerational transfers, lifetime welfare, and resource preservation," Environment and Development Economics, Cambridge University Press, vol. 13(1), pages 53-78, February.
    16. Laurence J. Kotlikoff & Andrey V. ZUBAREV & Andrey POLBIN, 2021. "Will the Paris accord accelerate climate change [Ускоряет Ли Парижское Соглашение Изменение Климата?]," Ekonomicheskaya Politika / Economic Policy, Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration, vol. 1, pages 8-37, February.
    17. Valeria Costantini & Chiara Martini, 2010. "A Modified Environmental Kuznets Curve for sustainable development assessment using panel data," International Journal of Global Environmental Issues, Inderscience Enterprises Ltd, vol. 10(1/2), pages 84-122.
    18. Seegmuller, Thomas & Verchere, Alban, 2004. "Pollution as a source of endogenous fluctuations and periodic welfare inequality in OLG economies," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 84(3), pages 363-369, September.
    19. Marzio Galeotti, 2003. "Environment and Economic Growth: Is Technical Change the Key to Decoupling?," Working Papers 2003.90, Fondazione Eni Enrico Mattei.
    20. Wei Jin & ZhongXiang Zhang, 2016. "China's pursuit of environmentally sustainable development: Harnessing the new engine of technological innovation," CCEP Working Papers 1601, Centre for Climate & Energy Policy, Crawford School of Public Policy, The Australian National University.
    21. Byrne, Margaret M., 1997. "Is growth a dirty word? Pollution, abatement and endogenous growth," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 54(2), pages 261-284, December.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Pension funds; sustainable development; financial investments; overlapping generations;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • O4 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Growth and Aggregate Productivity
    • Q01 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - General - - - Sustainable Development
    • Q3 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Nonrenewable Resources and Conservation
    • G23 - Financial Economics - - Financial Institutions and Services - - - Non-bank Financial Institutions; Financial Instruments; Institutional Investors

    NEP fields

    This paper has been announced in the following NEP Reports:

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eth:wpswif:05-36. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: the person in charge (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/iwethch.html .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.