Trading off generations: Infinitely lived agent versus OLG

Arbeitspapier

The prevailing literature discusses intergenerational trade-offs in climate change predominantly in terms of the Ramsey equation relying on the infinitely lived agent model. We discuss these trade-offs in a continuous time OLG framework and relate our results to the infinitely lived agent setting. We identify three shortcomings of the latter: First, underlying normative assumptions about social preferences cannot be deduced unambiguously. Second, the distribution among generations living at the same time cannot be captured. Third, the optimal solution may not be implementable in overlapping generations market economies.

Object Details

• Language: Englisch

References and Relationships

• Bibliographic citation: Series: CESifo Working Paper ; No. 3743

Classification and Topics

• Classification: Wirtschaft ; Equity, Justice, Inequality, and Other Normative Criteria and Measurement ; Taxation and Subsidies: Externalities; Redistributive Effects; Environmental Taxes and Subsidies ; Climate; Natural Disasters and Their Management; Global Warming
• Subject: climate change ; discounting ; infinitely lived agents ; intergenerational equity ; overlapping generations ; time preference ; Klimaveränderung ; Generationenbeziehungen ; Zeitpräferenz ; Overlapping Generations ; Theorie

Contributors, Places and Time

• Event: Geistige Schöpfung
• (who): Schneider, Maik T. ; Traeger, Christian ; Winkler, Ralph
• Event: Veröffentlichung
• (who): Center for Economic Studies and ifo Institute (CESifo)
• (where): Munich
• (when): 2012

Further information

• Handle: http://hdl.handle.net/10419/55673
• Last update: 10.03.2025, 11:44 AM CET