Publications of the Research Unit Environmental and Climate Economics

  1. ZEW Discussion Paper No. 25-041 // 2025

    Biodiversity Engel Curves: Estimating How Income and Inequality Shape Consumption- Driven Biodiversity Loss

    We examine the relationship between household incomes and the biodiversity footprints of consumption in the United States from 1996 to 2022. Combining detailed household expenditure surveys…

  2. ZEW Discussion Paper No. 25-021 // 2025

    The Welfare Effects of Explicit and Implicit Subsidies on Fossil Fuels

    We examine the welfare effects of removing explicit and implicit fossil fuel subsidies, the latter entailing Pigouvian pricing of local externalities from fossil energy consumption. We map a multi-region,…

  3. ZEW policy brief No. 25-06 // 2025

    Cheap Energy at What Cost? The Economic Case for Eliminating Fossil Fuel Subsidies

    Many governments still help to keep fossil fuels cheap – sometimes by directly paying part of the supply cost (explicit subsidies), and at other times by not including the hidden costs of pollution and health…

  4. ZEW Monthly // 2025

    06/2025 – Environment and Climate

    Sustainability is becoming increasingly important for the economy – in many areas it is emerging as a decisive factor. But how can the green transition succeed and how can environmental goals be implemented…

  5. ZEW Discussion Paper No. 25-018 // 2025

    How Cost-Effective Were Subsidies for Solar Energy in Germany?

    We study Germany’s photovoltaic (PV) subsidy program, estimating a dynamic model of new technology adoption which accounts for heterogeneity in residential ownership structures. We find that homeowner and…

  6. ZEW policy brief No. 25-05 // 2025

    Solar Installations in Private Homes: Upfront Subsidies Preferable to Feed-In Tariffs

    For investors, the decision to install photovoltaic (PV) systems largely depends on whether the investment proves worthwhile. Subsidies play an important role in this context. Currently, the German subsidy…

  7. Contributions to Edited Volumes and Conference Proceedings // 2025

    Commuting: The rise of urban air mobility?