Profit-driven sustainability: The market forces behind ESG compliance

Politicians often forget that it is profit that drives firms in a society built upon the tangible benefits of capitalism, and that it is …

Nuclear power is not the enemy

Concerns over the damage caused by climate change have prompted a global push for increased investments in renewable energy. This has led to a …

The European Green Deal Is Not About the Environment

The Italian minister of economic affairs, Giancarlo Giorgetti, has warned that radicalisation of environmental policies could result in a political “crisis of rejection” of …

Emission Possible

This paper urges EU decision makers to include transportation and buildings into the already existing Emissions Trading System (ETS). The study found that consolidating …

Green Alert

This paper urges EU decision makers to avoid entering a tit-for-tat subsidy battle with the Unites States in response to the US Inflation Reduction …

Poland needs to tap into its wind power potential

Poland’s geographic potential for wind energy development is similar to that of industry leaders; yet, the interference of the Polish government continues to block …

The EU’s Hydrogen Ambitions: A New Gold Fever

As European economies aim to lessen their dependence on Russia, while also keeping with plans to reach carbon emission neutrality by 2050, EU member …

The EU gas buyers’ cartel: a reality check

Since its geopolitical turn, the European Commission has time and again reiterated the need for member states to level up the EU’s autonomous security …

The failure of windfall taxes

The energy sector is in dire need of investments. However, the new government-imposed taxes in Slovakia are instead adding to the financial burden already …

Let the price mechanism do the work!

The French government has introduced a policy that makes it mandatory for parking lots with over 80 parking slots to have a roof with …

Zero-emission cars by 2035? Zero sense planning!

The EU has legislated a zero-emissions sales mandate for new cars and vans from 2035, the first of an array of green laws the …

Poland goes nuclear

European countries aim to lessen their dependence on Russia after its invasion of Ukraine while pursuing their goal of realising carbon emissions neutrality in …

Should profits on electricity and gas be taxed?

At first glance, the EU Commission’s suggestion that above-normal returns in the energy sector be taxed may seem like a reasonable and timely initiative. …

The case against energy price caps

As energy prices soar this year, policymakers in the European Union and the United Kingdom have proposed various measures aimed at limiting energy inflation. …

Why demand-side support trumps energy price caps

Imagine you buy 10 cans of beer every week, at a price of €2.50 each.
Due to a shortage of hops, the price of …

EU Gas Security: A supply-side solution

In early September, Gazprom announced an indefinite shutdown of the key Nord Stream 1 pipeline, which normally accounts for one-third of Russian gas imports …

Nuclear Energy Is Not a Systemic Risk

President Macron announced in February 2022 that he wanted to ‘restart the construction of nuclear reactors’ with six new reactors after the definitive closure …

Nuclear energy, not an alternative, but a necessity

Humans are currently faced with an energy transition in response to a challenge of unprecedented magnitude. In order to combat global warming, nations have …

Is a common EU energy policy feasible?

After the Russian invasion of Ukraine began on 24 February 2022, questions about energy independence in the EU and the various ways this could …

Only a Sith deals in absolutes: how to nudge the Taxonomy towards Light Side

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has forced the European Union and its member states to substantially revise their energy policy in order to meet short-term …

Fracking: it’s now or never

In many states across Europe, fracking is banned due to nimbyism (reluctance to be the site of fracking themselves) and pressure from green groups, …

When market failure attracts rent-seekers

Market failures are not simply outcomes you do not like. They are institutional inefficiencies such as externalities (where a proportion of the cost or …

Energy price hikes: less moralising, more economics

The energy-price crisis is an economic problem.
It is not a moral problem. It is a matter of bringing supply and demand for various …

Market mechanisms are the silver lining of COP26

While COP26 seems to have had lukewarm effects on the global approach towards more sustainable policies, a key takeaway is the promotion of market …

Can the CBAM ensure a cost-efficient energy transition?

The Carbon Borders Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) is one of the key regulations to compliment the EU’s existing ETS scheme in tackling carbon leakages. As …

CBAM: The Devil is in the Detail

The EU Commission launched a public consultation on the adoption of a Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), i.e. a fee to be levied on …

A German Climate Presidency

On the 1st of July, Germany took over the rotating presidency of the Council of the EU. This presidency came at an important time …

Carbon tax – an idea whose time has come

I was sitting in a hot tub in Leningrad in the summer of 1990 when I realised the Soviet Union would fall.
There were …

What the EU can learn from Swiss and Scandinavian carbon tax policies

The EU has established a plan to cut greenhouse gas emissions through a €1tn European Green Deal. It aims to make the entire bloc …

What policy questions will be created by driverless cars?

The 2020s will see the introduction of one of the most profoundly transformative technologies for decades: the driverless car. In the world we have …

Decentralisation of the Climate Crisis: Introducing Green Visas

Neoliberals often criticise governments for overly centralising the decision making process . They argue that this makes it difficult for individual actors to intervene, …

Worst practices in reducing CO2

The Slovak government has been providing subsidies for electric cars. However, if it had bought emission permits instead and thrown them on the fire, …

Climate Crises: The myth of eco refugees

On 2nd December 2019, delegations from the United Nations convened in Madrid for COP25, the 25th annual Climate Change Conference. They gathered to discuss …

Achieving a carbon neutral economy by 2050

The new European Green Deal plans to make the EU carbon neutral by 2050 while opening up new possibilities for development and employment. The …

The Thunberg phenomenon, Extinction Rebellion, and the denial of trade-offs

When it comes to environmental problems in general and global warming in particular, I empathise with those who take the issue seriously. I like …

Flightless Birds

The Dutch government has recently drafted a bill in order to “charge consumers and businesses for environmentally polluting behaviors”– seeking to implement a €7 …

EU’s zero-sum carbon game

More than three years since the signing of the Paris Climate Agreement, most of the EU member states are on board for the newly …

Web of Gazprom: Will Europe escape?

Disputes between Russian Gas powerhouse Gazprom and Ukraine’s national gas company Naftogaz have sparked a firestorm of political and economic debate. The “biggest commercial …

The Impact of the Energy Taxation Directive

Instead of comprehensive re-examination of the Energy Taxation Directive, the European Commission is examining whether ETD should continue the exemptions and lower tariffs for …

Nord Stream 2 – What’s the fuss all about?

Nord Stream 2, the project set to double gas pipeline capacity between Russia and Germany via the Baltic Sea by 2019, has recently divided …

A freer energy market can power Europe’s security

Recent EC proposals fail to explain how alternative energy technologies such as fracking, a deeper energy trade relationship with Europe’s biggest trading partner – …

Future EU Financing: Energy policy in the Monti Report

Last month, a group of European politicians, headed by Mario Monti released a report titled “The Future Financing of the EU”. The report, which …

High-powered reforms to EU energy policy

The achievement of efficient and secure energy supply and a clean environment do not have to be conflicting objectives. However, meeting both goals will …

EU energy policy: let’s stop walking backwards

In order to harmonise and liberalise the EU’s internal energy market, three consecutive legislative packages of measures were adopted between 1996 and 2009, addressing …

Nord Stream 2: a pro-European business decision

Greta Gietz // 19.02.2016
In a time where the future of the European Idea and an ever-closer European Union are heavily debated, challenged by …

Searchers and planners in the climate change debate

Diego Zuluaga // 10.12 .2015
Earlier this week, I wrote about NYU Professor William Easterly’s notion of searchers vs. planners and how it is …

The Energy Union: why liberalisation matters

12 March 2015
 
The Energy Union can further the process of opening up and integrating energy markets within the European Union. However, there …

Failure to liberalise energy markets jeopardises Energy Union

Simona Benedettini and Carlo Stagnaro, 16 January 2015
 
The liberalisation and integration of European energy retail markets is still far from complete. Retail …

IBL Index of Liberalizations 2014

Carlo Stagnaro, November 2014
 
The new edition of Istituto Bruno Leoni’s Index of Liberalizations ranks the UK as the most liberalized country in …

Promoting competition and energy security in Europe

Žilvinas Šilėnas, October 2014
 
The success of the internal market for products can and should be repeated for energy. Natural barriers to market …

The Green Bubble: How good intentions led to giddy speculation

 
Per Wimmer, Timbro, June 2014
 
We need clean energy if we are to meet the world’s growing energy needs while avoiding an …

A Human Challenge: Environment, growth and the future of our planet

 
Niklas Elert, Timbro, May 2014
 
Economic growth is not necessarily bad for the environment. On the contrary, a richer world is in …

The energy bubble

 
Julio Pomes, Civismo, March 2014
 
It is regrettable that, as the United States achieves energy independence, Europe still lacks a strategy to …

IBL Memo: Policy framework for climate and energy in the period from 2020 to 2030

 
Istituto Bruno Leoni, March 2014
 
Current obligations by the EU to decrease GHG emissions by 20% by 2020 are the most ambitious …

Enemies of Free Trade

 
Francisco Cabrillo, Civismo, February 2014
 
The combination of ideological prejudice and direct economic interests may yet do a great deal of harm …

From nationalisation to state control – the return of centralised energy planning

 
Colin Robinson, IEA, December 2013
 
For a short period, around the turn of the millennium, the UK energy market was highly competitive, …

Liberal voices. A response to the EC public consultation on sustainable buildings

 
Lithuanian Free Market Institute, November 2013
 
The European Commission wants to gather views and additional information on the possible introduction of EU …

Liberal voices. A response to the EC public consultation on the 2030 framework for climate and energy policies

 
Lithuanian Free Market Institute, November 2013
 
The EU has a clear framework to steer its energy and climate policies up to 2020.The …

The energy revolution is already here… But it did not come from where it was expected

 
Civismo, March 2012
 
Hydraulic fracturing, or ‘fracking’, has revolutionised world energy markets, making the United States into a net exporter of natural …

Peak whale, peak oil: on oil and the role of private property in natural-resource conservation

 
Erik Lakomaa, Timbro, March 2012
 
There are no historical examples of a raw material running out. Even if the available amount of …

Germany says goodbye to nuclear energy… for the second time

 
Juergen Donges, Civismo, June 2011
 
The cost of Ms Merkel’s decision to close all nuclear power stations by 2022 will be paid …

LFMI response to Public Consultation Permit granting procedures for energy infrastructure projects

 
Lithuanian Free Market Institute, May 2011
 
It should be understood that even the best sounding initiatives can be bogged down by the …

Are Green Jobs Real Jobs? The Case of Italy.

 
Luciano Lavecchia and Carlo Stagnaro, May 2010
 
The European Union has committed itself to increase the share of renewable energy up to …