Why Is Pollution from US Manufacturing Declining? The Roles of Environmental Regulation, Productivity, and Trade

TLDR

Between 1990 and 2008, air pollution emissions from U.S. manufacturing fell by 60 percent despite a substantial increase in output. The study aims to develop and estimate a quantitative model linking trade with the environment to understand the economic forces driving emissions reductions. The authors build and estimate this model using data on trade and environmental outcomes. Emissions reductions are mainly driven by within‑product changes in emissions intensity, not output or product mix; the implicit pollution tax faced by manufacturers doubled between 1990 and 2008, and regulatory changes rather than productivity or trade account for most reductions.

Abstract

Between 1990 and 2008, air pollution emissions from US manufacturing fell by 60 percent despite a substantial increase in manufacturing output. We show that these emissions reductions are primarily driven by within-product changes in emissions intensity rather than changes in output or in the composition of products produced. We then develop and estimate a quantitative model linking trade with the environment to better understand the economic forces driving these changes. Our estimates suggest that the implicit pollution tax that manufacturers face doubled between 1990 and 2008. These changes in environmental regulation, rather than changes in productivity and trade, account for most of the emissions reductions. (JEL F18, H23, L60, Q52, Q53, Q56, Q58)