Locational Dimensions of Utility for Transboundary Pollutants: An Empirical Investigation of Common Assumptions

Authors

Keila Meginnis, Thermo Fisher Scientific
Tobias Börger, Berlin School of Economics and Law
Frans P. De Vries, University of Aberdeen
Nick Hanley, University of Glasgow
Robert Johnston, Clark UniversityFollow
Tom Ndebele, Clark University
Ghamz E. Ali Siyal, University of Karachi

Document Type

Article

Abstract

Theoretical models of transboundary pollutants impose simplifying restrictions on the locational or spatial dimensions of utility, or both. This includes assumptions that citizens in each country care only about domestic environmental damages or that pollution is a pure public bad for which the location of damages is irrelevant to welfare impacts. This article empirically examines the applicability of such assumptions for a case study of marine plastic pollution. The data are from mirror-image, cross-country discrete choice experiments in the United Kingdom and the United States. Results suggest that common simplifying assumptions in the theoretical literature have questionable applicability to transboundary pollutants such as marine plastics. © 2026 by the Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System.

Publication Title

Land Economics

Publication Date

2026

Volume

102

Issue

1

First Page

137

Last Page

161

ISSN

0023-7639

DOI

10.3368/le.102.1.082924-0078R1

Keywords

discrete choice analysis, environmental impact, plastic waste, transboundary pollution, welfare impact

Repository Citation

Meginnis, Keila; Börger, Tobias; De Vries, Frans P.; Hanley, Nick; Johnston, Robert; Ndebele, Tom; and Ali Siyal, Ghamz E., "Locational Dimensions of Utility for Transboundary Pollutants: An Empirical Investigation of Common Assumptions" (2026). Economics. 240.
https://commons.clarku.edu/faculty_economics/240