The financial situation of households differs substantially across countries, but the implications of this heterogeneity are still vastly understudied. We examine the implications of this asymmetry for optimal monetary policy in a currency union. We build a two-country monetary union model with...

In this paper we analyze the extent to which the increased role of allowance auctions after 2012 will influence the effectiveness, efficiency and equity of the Emissions Trading Scheme in the European Union (EU ETS). We argue that more auctioning affects neither the effectiveness nor the...

In January 2007, first evidence of an asymmetric pass-through of CO2 emission allowance prices was reported for the German electricity spot market. This paper explores the theoretical basis for such an asymmetry in the context of a supply function bidding duopoly. It interprets fluctuating...