Lin Zhang
An Energy & Sustainability Economist
Research on
Development of Economic Theory
My research interest in the area of theoretical economics is focused on extending the current theoretical framework by introducing elements from governance & management that contribute to urban and business sustainability. The success of the research will not only be appreciated in scientific communities but also bring us closer to the realization of a CLEANER and SUSTAINABLE society.
This paper examines the effects of knowledge diffusion on growth and the costs of climate policy. Knowledge diffusion depends on accessibility and absorptive capacity which we estimate econometrically using patent and citation data. Knowledge diffusion leads to a “greening” of economies boosting productivity of “clean” carbon-extensive sectors.
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We study theoretically and numerically the effects of an environmental tax reform using endogenous growth theory. We then apply the core theoretical model to a real growing economy and find that a boost in long-run economic growth following such a carbon policy is a possible outcome.
Avoiding dirty asset stranding matters for protecting wealth and employment in the economies that are rich in pollution-intensive fossil energy and resource assets. This paper analyses, empirically and theoretically, the mechanism for energy transition without dirty capital stranding.
This paper examines the environmental effect of political connections at the individual and organizational levels. We integrate political connections at both levels in a four-stage game-theoretic framework to study the political interplay between an entrepreneur, a bureaucrat and a government. Political connections become more appealing when the bureaucrat places a higher value on indirect non-monetary benefits.
There is widespread concern that a stringent international climate agreement will not be reached because it would imply too high costs for fast growing economies. We highlight that lower economic growth, faster energy technology development, and stronger induced innovation reduce welfare losses significantly. Increased urbanization raises the policy costs because urban households consume more energy and energy intensive goods.
This study provides a political economy explanation for the recently increased stringency of China's environmental policy. Specifically, we argue that prior to 2009, bribery from polluting firms was relatively successful in persuading local regulators to implement weak environmental policies. Our paper suggests that the current pro-environmental activities of Chinese firms have been triggered by the changing behaviors of local regulators.