Title: When does eco-efficiency rebound or backfire? An analytical model

Abstract: 

It is known that an eco-efficiency strategy, which saves resources in the production process, may be offset by a rebound effect; it may even backfire. Less known are the exact conditions under which eco-efficiency rebounds or backfires. This article fills the gap by providing an analytical model of the rebound and backfire effects. We propose an optimal control framework of dynamic pricing and eco-efficiency investment, for which eco-efficiency reduces the unit production cost and boosts the demand of environmentally concerned consumers. Results, which hold with a general demand formulation, examine the analytic conditions for the rebound and backfire effects. They also highlight the possibility of a reverse rebound effect. Such results pave the way to sounder sustainability strategies.

Lecturer: Stanko Dimitrov

Date/Time: 9:00 – 10:00AM, 2 Nov, 2020

Online Platform: ZOOM：763 086 2328 Password：nuaacem

Brief introduction of the lecturer: 

Stanko Dimitrov is currently an associate professor in the Department of Management Sciences at the University of Waterloo, Canada. He received his BS in Computer Science in 2004, MS in Industrial and Operations Engineering in 2006, and his PhD in Industrial and Operations Engineering at the University of Michigan in 2010, respectively.Dr. Dimitrov’s research focuses on interface of operations research and information systems, information aggregation, telecommunications, operations management, and production analysis using non-linear and linear optimization, game theory, and statistics. Dr. Dimitrov has published over twenty research works in journals such as International Journal of Production Research, OMEGA, European Journal of Operational Research, The International Journal of Management Science, covering a wide range of topics including optimal inventory decisions when offering layaway, prediction markets, supply chains’ sustainability innovation, data envelopment analysis, P2P marketplaces and retailing in the presence of consumers' valuation uncertainty, etc.