Italy promoted one of the most generous renewable support schemes worldwide which resulted in a high increase of solar power generation. We analyze the Italian day-ahead wholesale electricity market, finding empirical evidence of the merit-order effect. Over the period 2005–2013 an increase of...

This paper considers several policy options which have been proposed to improve the functioning of the ETS. These options require an intervention either on the ETS cap (−30% target, set-aside, carbon central bank, long-term target) or on the carbon price (European and national price floor). We...

Indicators are widely used tools to measure the sustainability of a nation. The definition of a concept conditions strictly its measurement. Therefore, the definition of sustainable development will determine the appropriateness of the variables selected for its measurement. The first part of...

How effective is the EU Emissions Trading Scheme (EU ETS) in promoting emissions reduction for compliance with the Kyoto Protocol commitment? A theoretical benchmark is determined in order to assess the stringency of the ETS cap and to evaluate whether emissions allowances have been...

Emissions trading is becoming increasingly popular in environmental law. Allowances to trade emissions can either be auctioned off or handed out free of charge by means of grandfathering. Although grandfathering is frequently used in emissions trading schemes, it is a popular view in the...

The new ETS Directive defines three different allocation rules, granting exemption from auctioning to those sectors exposed to the risk of Carbon Leakage. This article analyses the inconsistencies that characterize this new allocation rule and it concludes that the methodology designed to assess...