We show that imposition of a state-level environmental tax in a federation crowds out preexisting federal taxes. We explain how this vertical fiscal externality can lead unilateral statelevel environmental policy to generate a welfare gain in the implementing state, at the expense of other...

What are the conditions under which private, voluntary certification programs like the Rainforest Alliance or Fairtrade can successfully promote environmental and social standards? We propose that the efficacy of a certification program depends on three variables: its sustainability standards,...

Foreign firms entering emerging markets are usually assumed to be superior to the domestic competitors in the host country. Their superior firm specific advantages (FSAs) allow them to outcompete incumbent rivals and to internalize the gains from foreign direct investment (FDI) entirely. Most of...

This paper investigates whether relative corporate sustainability as measured by the Sustainable Asset Management (SAM) sustainability rating and sustainability reporting in terms of Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) application levels are associated with a higher market valuation. We conduct a...

Unilateral carbon policies are inefficient due to the fact that they generally involve emission reductions in countries with high marginal abatement costs and because they are subject to carbon leakage. In this paper, we ask whether the use of carbon tariffs—tariffs on the carbon embodied in...

We study the unfolding of the credit crisis until 2008, and the diversity of policy responses in Germany, Ireland, and the UK. We show that although the channels through which these three European states manifested financial distress were different, the crisis evoked similar reactions by...

We study the information content of about 3,300 global bank rating changes before and after the Lehman shock in September 2008 from an equity investor's perspective. Based on a multi-model event study approach, we find that while upgrades are not associated with significant abnormal bank stock...

Climate change ranks high on the policy agenda of the European Union (EU) which considers itself as a leading force in the battle against anthropogenic climate change. The EU is committed to the objective of limiting the rise in global average temperature to no more than 2°C above...