Are Foreign Investors Attracted to Weak Environmental Regulations?

Are Foreign Investors Attracted to Weak Environmental Regulations?
Author: Judith Myrle Dean
Publisher: World Bank Publications
Total Pages: 49
Release: 2005
Genre: Investments, Foreign
ISBN:

Results from 2,886 manufacturing joint venture projects from 1993--96 show that EJVs from all source countries go into provinces with high concentrations of foreign investment, relatively abundant stocks of skilled workers, concentrations of potential local suppliers, special incentives, and less state ownership. Environmental stringency does affect location choice, but not as expected. Low environmental levies are a significant attraction only for joint ventures in highly-polluting industries with partners from Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan (China). In contrast, joint ventures with partners from OECD sources are not attracted by low environmental levies, regardless of the pollution intensity of the industry. The authors discuss the likely role of technological differences in explaining these results"--Abstract.

Are Foreign Investors Attracted to Weak Environmental Regulations? Evaluating the Evidence from China

Are Foreign Investors Attracted to Weak Environmental Regulations? Evaluating the Evidence from China
Author: Judith M. Dean
Publisher:
Total Pages:
Release: 2012
Genre:
ISBN:

One of the most contentious debates today is whether pollution-intensive industries from rich countries relocate to poor countries with weaker environmental standards, turning them into pollution havens. Empirical studies to date show little evidence to support the pollution haven hypothesis, but suffer potentially from omitted variable bias, specification, and measurement errors. The authors estimate the strength of pollution-haven behavior by examining the location choices of equity joint venture (EJV) projects in China. They derive a location choice model from a theoretical framework that incorporates the firm's production and abatement decision, agglomeration, and factor abundance. The authors estimate conditional logit and nested logit models using new data sets containing information on a sample of EJV projects, effective environmental levies on water pollution, and estimates of Chinese pollution-intensity for 3-digit ISIC (International Standard Industrial Classification) industries. Results from 2,886 manufacturing joint venture projects from 1993-96 show that EJVs from all source countries go into provinces with high concentrations of foreign investment, relatively abundant stocks of skilled workers, concentrations of potential local suppliers, special incentives, and less state ownership. Environmental stringency does affect location choice, but not as expected. Low environmental levies are a significant attraction only for joint ventures in highly-polluting industries with partners from Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan (China). In contrast, joint ventures with partners from OECD sources are not attracted by low environmental levies, regardless of the pollution intensity of the industry. The authors discuss the likely role of technological differences in explaining these results.

Foreign Investment and the Environment in International Law

Foreign Investment and the Environment in International Law
Author: Jorge E. Viñuales
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Total Pages: 479
Release: 2012-09-13
Genre: Law
ISBN: 1139576739

Conflicts between foreign investment law and environmental law are becoming increasingly frequent. On the one hand, the rise of environmental regulation poses significant challenges to foreign investors in several industries. On the other, the surge in investment arbitration proceedings is making States aware of the important litigation risks that may result from the adoption of environmental regulation. This study of the relationship between these two areas of law adopts both a policy and a practical perspective. It identifies the major challenges facing States, foreign investors and their legal advisers as a result of the potential friction between investment law and environmental law and provides a detailed analysis of all the major legal issues on the basis of a comprehensive study of the jurisprudence from investment tribunals, human rights courts and bodies, the ICJ, the WTO, the ITLOS, the CJEU and other adjudication mechanisms.

Foreign Investment and the Environment in International Law

Foreign Investment and the Environment in International Law
Author: Jorge Viñuales
Publisher:
Total Pages: 423
Release: 2012
Genre: Environmental law, International
ISBN: 9781139573344

"Conflicts between foreign investment law and environmental law are becoming increasingly frequent. On the one hand, the rise of environmental regulation poses significant challenges to foreign investors in several industries. On the other, the surge in investment arbitration proceedings is making States aware of the important litigation risks that may result from the adoption of environmental regulation. This study of the relationship between these two areas of law adopts both a policy and a practical perspective. It identifies the major challenges facing States, foreign investors and their legal advisers as a result of the potential friction between investment law and environmental law and provides a detailed analysis of all the major legal issues on the basis of a comprehensive study of the jurisprudence from investment tribunals, human rights courts and bodies, the ICJ, the WTO, the ITLOS, the CJEU and other adjudication mechanisms"--

Pollution Havens and Foreign Direct Investment

Pollution Havens and Foreign Direct Investment
Author: Beata K. Smarzynska Javorcik
Publisher: World Bank Publications
Total Pages: 36
Release: 2001
Genre: Air quality management
ISBN:

The "pollution haven" hypothesis states that multinational firms, particularly those in highly polluting industries, relocate to countries with weak environmental standards. Despite the plausibility and popularity of this hypothesis, Smarzynska and Wei find only weak evidence in its favor.

The Effect of Environmental Regulation on the Locational Choice of Japanese Foreign Direct Investment

The Effect of Environmental Regulation on the Locational Choice of Japanese Foreign Direct Investment
Author: Colin Kirkpatrick
Publisher:
Total Pages:
Release: 2008
Genre:
ISBN:

Abstract: This paper assesses the impact of environmental regulation in host countries on Japanese foreign direct investment decision-making. It tests the pollution haven hypothesis using data on national environmental regulation standards and Japanese inward FDI in five dirty industries. The results do not support the pollution haven haven hypothesis. On the contrary, inward Japanese FDI appears to be attracted to countries which have committe themselves to a tranparent and stable environmental regulatory environment, suggesting that the quality of the regulatory framework in terms of its certainty and transparency has a greater influence on foreign investors' choice of location than the level of eht environmental regulation measures

New Voices in Investment

New Voices in Investment
Author: Maria Laura Gómez Mera
Publisher: World Bank Publications
Total Pages: 0
Release: 2014-12-03
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 9781464803710

This study analyzes the characteristics, motivations, strategies, and needs of FDI from emerging markets. It draws from a survey of investors and potential investors in Brazil, India, South Korea, and South Africa.

International Investment for Sustainable Development

International Investment for Sustainable Development
Author: Lyuba Zarsky
Publisher: Routledge
Total Pages: 241
Release: 2012-05-23
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 1136562737

International Investment for Sustainable Development critically examines the interface between sustainability, development, and the governance of international investment. It challenges the conventional view that foreign direct investment is a 'miracle drug' for developing countries and exposes serious shortcomings in the current international investment regime. Composed of norms, agreements, treaties and regulations, the emerging investment regime expands the rights of transnational corporations (TNCs) without commensurate rewards for the common good. Drawing on both research and engaged advocacy, the contributors ultimately map out a new way forward, towards the creation and implementation of international investment rules that will promote global sustainability and equity.

Moving to Greener Pastures?

Moving to Greener Pastures?
Author: Gunnar S. Eskeland
Publisher:
Total Pages: 52
Release: 2002
Genre: Air
ISBN:

This paper presents evidence on whether multinationals are flocking to developing country 'pollution havens'. Although we find some evidence that foreign investors locate in sectors with high levels of air pollution, the evidence is weak at best. We then examine whether foreign firms pollute less than their peers. We find that foreign plants are significantly more energy efficient and use cleaner types of energy. We conclude with an analysis of US outbound investment. Although the pattern of US foreign investment is skewed towards industries with high costs of pollution abatement, the results are not robust across specifications.