Please e-mail Matt Cole if you would like a copy of any of the papers below.

Labour Markets and the Environment:

This research area examines the impact of environmental regulations on employment levels and assesses whether a 'jobs versus the environment' trade-off actually exists. Other work tries to identify whether workers receive a wage premium for working in a pollution-intensive working environment.

Cole, M.A., Elliott, R.J.R. and Lindley, J. (forthcoming). Dirty Money: Is there a Wage Premium for Working in a Pollution Intensive Industry? Journal of Risk and Uncertainty. [abstract]

Cole, M.A. and Elliott, R.J.R. (2007). Do Environmental Regulations Cost Jobs? An Industry Level Analysis of the UK. Topics in Economic Analyis and Policy, 7, 1. [FULL TEXT]

The Environmental Performance of Firms and Industries:

This research area examines the factors that influence the environmental performance of firms and industries. We examine the role played by trade openness and other aspects of globalisation, as well as the impact of firm size, productivity, factor intensity, R&D expenditure and other determinants. We distinguish between actual environmental performance (e.g. emissions intensity), which may often be largely determined by the inherent characteristics of the firm, and the notion of 'environmental responsibility' which relates specifically to the firm's management decisions and corporate governance. These issues are examined using previously unused firm and industry level data for a selection of countries.

Albornoz, F., Cole, M.A., Elliott, R.J.R. and Ercolani, M.G. (2009). In Search of Environmental Spillovers. The World Economy, 32, 1, pp. 136-63.

Cole, M.A., Elliott, R.J.R. and Wu, S. (2008). Industrial Activity and the Environment in China: An Industry-Level Analysis. China Economic Review, 19, 3, pp. 393-408.

Cole, M.A., Elliott, R.J.R. and Strobl, E. (2008). The Environmental Performance of Firms: The Role of Foreign Ownership, Training and Experience. Ecological Economics, 65, pp. 538-46.

Cole, M.A., Elliott, R.J.R. and Shimamoto, K. (2005). Industrial Characteristics, Environmental Regulations and Air Pollution: An Analysis of the UK Manufacturing Sector. Journal of Environmental Economics and Management , 50, 1, pp.121-43. Available as a University of Nottingham, Globalisation and Economic Policy Working Paper No. 2004/22 [FULL TEXT (PDF)]

Cole, M.A., Elliott, R.J.R. and Shimamoto, K. (2006). Globalisation, Firm-Level Characteristics and Environmental Management : A Study of Japan. Ecological Economics, 59, 3, pp. 312-23. [abstract]

The Linkages Between Environmental Regulations and International Trade Flows

This topic provides ongoing research on the pollution haven hypothesis and the impact of environmental regulations on industrial competitiveness with a focus on trade flows. Particular attention is paid to factors which may explain the relative dearth of pollution haven evidence.

Cole, M.A. (2006). Does Trade Liberalisation Increase National Energy Use? Economics Letters. , 92, pp.108-12. [abstract]

Cole, M.A., Elliott, R.J.R. and Shimamoto, K. (2005). Why the Grass is Not Always Greener: The Competing Effects of Environmental Regulations and Factor Intensities on US Specialization. Ecological Economics 54, 1, pp. 95-109. Available as a University of Nottingham, Globalisation and Economic Policy Working Paper No. 2004/21 [FULL TEXT (PDF)]

Cole, M.A. and Elliott, R.J.R. (2003). Determining the Trade-Environment Composition Effect: The Role of Capital, Labour and Environmental Regulations. Journal of Environmental Economics and Management , 46, 3, pp.363-83. [abstract]

Cole, M.A. (2004). Trade, the Pollution Haven Hypothesis and the Environmental Kuznets Curve: Examining the Linkages. Ecological Economics, 48, 1, pp. 71-81. [abstract]

Cole, M.A. and Elliott, R.J.R. (2003). Do Environmental Regulations Influence Trade Patterns? Testing Old and New Trade Theories. The World Economy , 26, 8, pp.1163-86. [FULL TEXT (PDF)]

The Linkages Between Environmental Regulations and Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) Flows

This topic examines the pollution haven hypothesis with a specific focus on investment flows. Again, particular attention is paid to factors which may explain the relative dearth of pollution haven evidence.

Cole, M.A., Elliott, R.J.R. and Zhang, J. (forthcoming). Corruption, Governance and FDI Location in China: A Province-Level Analysis. Journal of Development Studies.

Cole, M.A., Elliott, R.J.R. and Fredriksson, P. (2006). Endogenous Pollution Havens: Does FDI Influence Environmental Regulations? Scandinavian Journal of Economics 108, 1, pp. 157-78.

Cole, M.A. and Elliott, R.J.R. (2005). FDI and the Capital Intensity of 'Dirty' Sectors: A Missing Piece of the Pollution Haven Puzzle. Review of Development Economics, 9, 4, pp. 530-48. [FULL TEXT (PDF)]

General Linkages Between Trade/Growth and the Environment

Barassi, M.R., Cole, M.A. and Elliott, R.J.R. (2008). Stochastic Divergence or Convergence of Per Capita Carbon Dioxide Emissions: Re-examining the Evidence. Environmental and Resource Economics, 40, 1. [abstract]

Cole, M.A. (2007). Corruption, Income and the Environment: An Empirical Analysis. Ecological Economics, 62, pp.637-47.

Cole, M.A. (2004). US Environmental Load Displacement: Examining Consumption, Regulations and the Role of NAFTA. Ecological Economics 48, 4, pp. 439-50. [abstract]

Cole, M.A. (2003). Development, Trade and the Environment: How Robust is the Environmental Kuznets Curve? Environment and Development Economics , 8, 4, pp. 557-80. [abstract]

Cole, M.A. (2004). Economic Growth and Water Use. Applied Economics Letters , 11, 1, pp.1-4.

Cole, M.A. (2000). Air Pollution and 'Dirty' Industries: How and Why does the Composition of Manufacturing Output Change with Economic Development? Environmental and Resource Economics, 17, 1, pp. 109-123. [abstract]

Cole, M.A. (2000). Trade Liberalisation, Economic Growth and the Environment. Edward Elgar (New Horizons in Environmental Economics Series, Series Editors Wallace Oates and Henk Folmer)

Cole, M.A. and Rayner, A.J. (2000). The Uruguay Round and Air Pollution: Estimating the Composition, Scale and Technique Effects of Trade Liberalisation. Journal of International Trade and Economic Development, 9, 3, pp. 343-358.

Cole, M.A. (1999). Examining the Environmental Case Against Free Trade. Journal of World Trade, 33, 5, pp. 183-196.

Cole, M.A., Rayner, A.J. and Bates, J.M. (1998). Trade Liberalisation and the Environment: The Case of the Uruguay Round. The World Economy. 21, 3, pp. 337-347. [abstract]

Cole, M.A., Rayner, A.J. and Bates, J.M. (1997). The Environmental Kuznets Curve: An Empirical Analysis. Environment and Development Economics, 2, 4, pp. 401-416. [abstract]

Other Topics:

Cole, M.A., Elliott, R.J.R. and Shimamoto, K. (2005). A Note on Trends in European Industrial Pollution Intensities: A Divisia Index Approach. Energy Journal, 26, 3.[abstract]

Cole, M.A. and Neumayer, E. (2004). Examining the Impact of Demographic Factors on Air Pollution. Population and Environment , 26, 1. [abstract]

Cole, M.A. (2003). Environmental Optimists, Environmental Pessimists and the Real State of the World. Economic Journal, 113, 488, pp.362-81. [FULL TEXT (PDF)]