The impact of carbon policy news on the national energy industry

Abstract

This paper explores the impact of unexpected changes in European carbon policy on Portugal’s energy sector, focusing on effects on sales, output prices, and labor market dynamics. Using a structural vector autoregression (SVAR) model, the study finds that news of tighter carbon regulations leads to a significant short-term increase in domestic sales. Output prices rise in both home and foreign markets, with a larger increase observed in the latter. The labor market responds positively, as evidenced by higher wages and hours worked. The study also reveals that these carbon policy changes have played a significant role in historical fluctuations within the energy sector, especially during the Great Financial Crisis and key policy changes. The findings highlight the importance of judicious policymaking concerning carbon regulations, as the escalation in energy prices wields significant economic effects, though not all of these effects are bad from the energy industry standpoint.