Arne Steinkraus

Large scale infrastructure investment and economic performance – a case study of Oresund

ABSTRACT We analyse the effect of a large scale infrastructure investment, namely the construction of the Oresund bridge, on the local and supra-regional economy. We employ the synthetic control method to construct counterfactual regions that mimic the trajectory of Malmo and Southern Sweden without treatment. Our results point to a positive effect. However, placebo tests in space and time only reveal statistical significance at a larger regional level. The results suggest that spillover effects are eminent.

A Synthetic Control Assessment of the Green Paradox: The Role of Climate Action Plans

Abstract This paper extends the green paradox literature by providing empirical insights into its existence. To check the green paradox theory, I analyse the production of coal in four major coal-producing US states that announced a greenhouse gas action plan. To form a statement on whether there is a treatment effect caused by the green policy, I employ Synthetic Control Methods to calculate counterfactual coal production trajectories. I find that Montana experienced a high and statistically significant increase in coal production that is supported by a set of validity indicators. However, there is no evidence for a paradox in Kentucky, Pennsylvania and Virginia.

Investigating the effect of carbon leakage on the environmental Kuznets curve using luminosity data

This paper studies the effect of carbon leakage on the environmental Kuznets curve (EKC) using satellite nighttime light data. It shows that nighttime lighting is an important variable for estimating carbon dioxide emissions that is superior to other existing indicators and covers all countries in the world, finding evidence of an inverted-U shaped relationship between light and, thus, greenhouse gas emissions and income, with a turning point at approximately US

Does Carbon Capture and Storage Lock People into Fossil Fuel Use? – A Cradle to Grave Analysis

50,000. However, the relationship is primarily driven by changes in the structure of international trade, implying strong carbon leakage effects. Consequently, environmental regulations that become operative in only one part of the world may fail without global coordination.