In the first essay, I analyze a symmetric duopolistic market where each firm's choice regarding certain quality attributes such as the environmental friendliness of its product is its own private information. I find that the extent of horizontal differentiation between firms plays a crucial role...

The paper considersan industry where the effects of pollution can be off-set by investing in adaption as a private good. The focus is not on external effects, but on economies of scale that are introducted when the costs of adapting to pollution are independent from the quantity produced. The...