Firms in a Green Economy (FiGE) (EU MSCA)

This project addresses the increasing importance of stringent environmental regulations as instruments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve environmental performance.

Despite the widespread consensus on the need for decarbonisation, the economic impact and effectiveness of environmental protection measures remain controversial. Building on Nunez-Rocha & Silberberger (2021), this project develops indicators of environmental protection stringency based on FAOLEX and ECOLEX legal documents, with a focus on Germany and France. These countries with their different energy concepts - Germany favours renewable energy, France nuclear energy - provide a unique basis for comparative analysis as both countries operate under EU regulations.

The first objective is to develop indicators of the stringency of environmental regulations in these countries. This will allow an in-depth assessment of the different impacts of stricter environmental regulations. It will also analyse the effectiveness of environmental regulations and how stricter regulations improve the environmental performance of companies.

The second objective is to analyse the impact of environmental regulations on trade, focusing on how stricter measures affect imports, exports and the comparative advantage of companies and industries in both countries.