Policies that affect the cost of using fossil fuels in production have a complex impact on the economy. In this paper, we focus on the role of these policies for the pattern of comparative advantage through their effect on production costs in manufacturing industries. Using data on carbon prices and fossil fuel subsidies, we show that less stringent carbon pricing policies increase comparative advantage ...
Sweden is at the forefront of the transition of its energy sector to low-carbon technologies with profound consequences for both energy generation and its distribution. However, the impact of this transition on the performance of Electricity Distribution System Operators (DSOs) has not been thoroughly studied. The article addresses this gap by using a novel approach and detailed georeferenced firm-level, ...
In conventional proxy VAR analysis, the shocks of interest are identified by external instruments. This is typically accomplished by considering the covariance of the instruments and the reduced-form residuals. Alternatively, the instruments may be internalized by augmenting the VAR process by the instruments or proxies. These alternative identification methods are compared and it is shown that the ...
This paper explores the effect of COVID-19 infection rates on individuals’ risk preferences using the Socio-Economic Panel (SOEP). Findings show that the spread of COVID-19 does not significantly alter risk preferences. While we do find that individuals with prior cardiovascular diseases reduce their preference for risk-taking, this zero effect is remarkably stable across subgroups of the population. ...
Aligned with the war in Ukraine, Russia has significantly withheld natural gas exports to Europe since 2021. As there are no EU-wide sanctions on imports of Russian natural gas, the Ukraine transit as well as imports via Turkey and LNG have remained active during 2022–24. However, the Russian-Ukrainian transit agreement expires at the end of 2024 and discussions about new sanctions on natural gas as ...
How are the many Ukrainians who have come to Germany since the start of the Russian war of aggression on February 24, 2022, faring? An answer comes from the “Longitudinal Study on Refugees from Ukraine in Germany (SUARE),” which has published a research report on the topic on 3 March, 2025. The report, based on data collected between July 2023 and January 2024, is being published by the Institute for ...
The price of cryptocurrency Bitcoin has risen sharply over the past ten years, with many investors adding Bitcoin to their portfolios, benefitting from price increases and diversifying their investments. But is Bitcoin suitable for this purpose? This Weekly Report examines the extent to which Bitcoin, like gold, can contribute to the diversification of an investment portfolio. To achieve this, we have ...
