Social scientists have long argued that developed countries are more and more responsible for climate change because they externalise pollution to less developed countries. This paper offers a way to quantify climate responsibility by calculating carbon footprints and carbon balances between...

This volume was prepared by Rahel Aichele while she was working at the ifo Institute. It was completed in December 2012 and accepted as a doctoral thesis by the Department of Economics at the University of Munich. It includes five self-contained chapters. The chapters investigate how, in a...

The European Commission is planning a new regulation for mandatory human rights and environmental due diligence (Due Diligence Directive) as part of the Sustainable Corporate Governance initiative. The longawaited EU proposal is expected to have requirements that go far beyond the German Act on...

The effects of international trade on the planet's climate and environment are manifold and complex. This makes assessment of the impact of free trade agreements (FTAs) a delicate matter. This study provides an overview of the development of sustainability chapters in FTAs and discusses their...

Mit der Verabschiedung des Europäischen Grünen Deals rückten Klimaschutz und ökologische Nachhaltigkeit weiter in den Fokus der EU-Politik. Neben zahlreichen internen Maßnahmen sieht der Grüne Deal auch vor, dass die EU eine energische "Diplomatie des Grünen Deals" entwickelt, die darauf...

As the European carbon border adjustment (CBA) mechanism is high up on the European Commission's agenda and soon to be implemented, it is important to understand the economic and environmental implications of alternative designs of such a mechanism. To this end and with a view to informing the...

After the agreement of the European Parliament and the Council of the EU in December 2023, a few formal steps remain to introduce the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD). The legislation is intended to improve environmental and labor standards along the chain of...

In its “Fit for 55” program, the European Union (EU) integrates several instruments with the goal of achieving climate neutrality by 2050. One of the cornerstones of the program is the EU Emissions Trading System (EU-ETS), which imposes a levy on CO2 and other greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions,...

Geoeconomic concepts are gaining importance in EU trade policy. In this context new trade policy instruments are designed to protect the internal market against unfair trade practices, coercive actions as well as to ensure sustainable supply chains and the protection of human rights. The study...

In December 2019 the incoming European Commission announced the European Green Deal (EGD), which aims to turn the EU into a climate-neutral, circular economy. Although it is as yet not very specific in many areas, the EU's Green Deal sends the right signal and contains several promising...