Research

The School carries out applied research with the purpose of developing economically, legally, and socially-sound regulation and policy, using a multidisciplinary approach.

Reflections on climate resilient tourism : evidence for the EU ETS-2 and voluntary carbon markets

The chapter discusses transition risk for tourism, addressing its relation with the Environmental Kuznets Curve and overtourism. Transition risk emerges when an economic model...

Authors
Matteo Mazzarano Simone Borghesi GG
Article
Research on the impact of urban rail transit on the financing constraints of enterprises from the perspective of sustainability
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Article
SPS and TBT measures through the lens of bilateral and GVC-related regulatory distance
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Executive Education

We offer different types of training: Online, Residential, Blended and Tailor-made courses in all levels of knowledge.

Policy Events

A wide range of events for open discussion and knowledge exchange. In Florence, Brussels, worldwide and online.

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Discover more initiatives, broader research, and featured reports.

Lights on Women

The Lights on Women initiative promotes, trains and advocates for women in energy, climate and sustainability, boosting their visibility, representation and careers.

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Online Event

EV revolution: a power sector view on coupling with mobility

16 April 2020

Watch the recording:

Dive in deeper in our new online course: Electric Vehicles: a power sector perspective!

This specialised 5-week online course is specifically designed for professionals who wish to address the power sector challenges posed by the ever-growing number of EVs on a global scale. Learn more and save your seat!

About the Online Event:

We are witnessing the beginning of the EV revolution that will greatly impact two key sectors: power and mobility.

Where do we go from here? Join us for the FSR online debate ‘EV revolution: a power sector view on coupling with mobility’ to find out!

In this online debate, we will discuss:

  1. How will the rapid uptake of Evs impact the power system in the near and long term future?
  2. What are the key challenges and opportunities?
  3. How is the global power sector preparing for these new challenges as well as make most of the opportunity it offers such as Vehicle-to-Everything (V2X)?

Engage key experts from academia, regulation and Industry on these questions, and your own during the Q&A session!

More from our knowledge hub:

In our February Topic of the Month series, FSR Global shared an overview of the current status Electric Vehicle’s (EV) sharing the Indian Perspective, insights from the Spanish EV observatory, a regulatory perspective on how the LAC power sector is gearing up for the EV revolution and early experiences with V2X (vehicle-to-everything) in practice.

You can also download a copy of our detailed report or policy brief “Charging up India’s electric vehicles: infrastructure deployment and power system integration” on the rapid growth in EV uptake in India and the challenges the country will have to address to meet its policy targets.

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Online Event, Seminar

Enabling ATM data services: a workshop on the legal, regulatory and economic aspects, benefits and impacts

18 March 2020

The Airspace Architecture Study (AAS), published in March 2019, set out a proposal for a future Single European Airspace System (SEAS) underpinned by optimised airspace organisation, progressively higher levels of automation and the establishment of common ATM data services, enabling seamless cross border air traffic service provision. The vision outlined in the AAS report (pictured in the figure below and proposed to be implemented by 2035) requires operational, technological, organisational and regulatory changes to the existing SES architecture.

Whilst the AAS focused on the operational and technical dimensions of the proposed future ATM architecture, a number of questions remain open in terms of regulatory aspects and service delivery arrangements (‘framework dimensions’).

The framework dimension, including the regulatory framework and the service delivery models, constitute the enablers without which the proposed future vision cannot be realised. Hence, the Commission has taken further action to explore and address the related aspects critical for the future SEAS, by launching a study in October 2019 on the legal, economic and regulatory aspects of ATM data services provision and capacity on demand as part of the future European air space architecture. Subsequently, a major stakeholder engagement workshop was held in Brussels in November 2019, to inform all stakeholders about the scope and timing of the study, and to allow for key stakeholder groups to provide initial inputs to the study. In addition to this, a dedicated civil-military workshop was also organised by the European Defense Agency, in involve military and defense dimensions from early on.

With the study work now well underway, this workshop aims at providing the experts from different stakeholder groups with an overview of the first findings and results, as well as generating valuable discussions regarding the most important aspects of ATM data services.

More specifically, the workshop would seek to explore the following topics:

  • Scoping and definitions of ATM data services;
  • Costs and benefits associated with ATM data services;
  • Future strategies of potential players of an ATM data services market;
  • Economic regulation and other regulatory aspects.

Please note that this event is an online workshop and by invitation only.

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Online Event

Hydrogen: the Fuel of Energy Transition?

19 February 2020

Electricity and synthetic fuels: partners in the energy transition

 

In this online talk, we will discuss with Ronnie Belmans and Pieter Vingerhoets their new article titled “Molecules: indispensable in the decarbonized energy chain“. Yves Vercammen from Fluxys will provide his opinion about the article.

The 45′ event moderated by Andris Piebalgs (FSR) will focus on decarbonisation challenges beyond electricity, outlining the role of molecules (Power2X, hydrogen/Synthetic fuels). What is the current situation, what could we achieve, what mistakes not to make and how to build the optimal strategy for transition in transport, heating/cooling, and industry sectors, including feedstock?

 

A Q&A session with the audience will follow the discussion.
Join the debate online!

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Online Event

How important should methane emissions be in the Green Deal Strategy?

25 February 2020

On December 11 2019, Ursula von der Leyen unveiled the European Green Deal – a proposal designed to put the European Union on track to become the world first climate-neutral economy by 2050.

Achieving the climate neutrality objective requires substantial reduction of all greenhouse gases (GHGs), beyond mere carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions mitigation.

Methane, the second most important GHG, contributes to 25% of the anthropogenic warming that the planet is experiencing today, which makes it a natural candidate to focus on when it comes to emissions reduction. This highly potent (but short-lived) greenhouse gas accounts for roughly 10% of total EU GHGs mainly originating from agriculture, the waste sector, and the energy sector.

However, methane is at the same time the major component of natural gas, which constitutes around one-quarter of the EU energy mix and is expected to retain its crucial role even in future, decarbonised scenarios. The unabated methane emissions occurring along the entire gas supply chain, also outside the borders of the EU Member States, could compromise the environmental case for gas.


As the EU plans to reduce methane footprint intensify, von der Leyen administration is faced with a bigger-than-ever challenge to cut both domestic emissions and the substantial embedded emissions associated with the EU natural gas imports.

 

This online debate aims at addressing pressing questions relating to EU strategies to deal with methane emissions expected in the early 2020s:
  • Should methane emissions reduction in the energy sector be a top priority for the Green Deal?
  • What could be the best instruments that the EU should employ to deliver sustainable results globally?
  • How to monitor the results achieved, and how to convince the public, regulators and investors about the efficiency and effectiveness of the approaches taken?

Moderator:

Andris Piebalgs, FSR

Panelists:

  • Poppy Kalesi , EDF
  • Monika Zsigri, European Commission, DG ENER
  • Maria Olczak, FSR
  • Tania Meixus Fernandez, Enagas

 

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Speakers

Online Event

Linking Emissions Trading Systems in the Paris Agreement era

19 December 2019

First online debate of the LIFE DICET project

Organised by FSR Climate

Linking Emissions Trading Systems in the Paris Agreement era: prospects, opportunities, challenges

 

  • Speakers: Jos Delbeke (EUI) and Robert Stavins (Harvard)
  • Moderator: Simone Borghesi (EUI)

Over the past few years, the number of operating or planned Emissions Trading Systems (ETSs) around the world has been increasing and relevant experience with some already well-established ETSs has been accumulated. This fact and the context laid out by Article 6 of the Paris Agreement suggests that in the near future the international carbon market might be reinvigorated  by new linkages between existing ETSs.

In this online debate, Jos Delbeke and Robert Stavins will discuss the current prospects for ETS linking as well as the opportunities and the challenges for the jurisdictions that do consider linking their ETSs.

Watch the recording

Join the discussion online!

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Online Event

Online talk: Economics of Electricity

17 December 2019

Economics of Electricity: Markets, Competition and Rules

FSR Online talk

In this online talk, we will discuss with Anna Creti and Fulvio Fontini their new book titled “Economics of Electricity: Markets, Competition and Rules”.

The 45′ event moderated by Leonardo Meeus (FSR) will focus on electricity markets, outlining the economic principles behind the exchange and supply of power to consumers and firms, how markets should be optimally designed to produce and deliver electricity effectively and efficiently and other key issues like decarbonization of the electricity sector.

Join the discussion online!

Watch the recording

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Speakers

Online Event

Charging up India’s Electric Vehicles

28 November 2019

FSR Online Talk with Pradyumna Bhagwat and Samson Hadush

Dive in deeper in our new online course: Electric Vehicles: a power sector perspective!

This specialised 5-week online course is specifically designed for professionals who wish to address the power sector challenges posed by the ever-growing number of EVs on a global scale. Learn more and save your seat!

About the Online Event:

The rapid growth in EV uptake required to reach India’s policy targets will have to address two major challenges. The first challenge is ensuring the deployment of the charging infrastructure required to serve the needs of the ever-growing number of EVs. This raises two questions:

  1. What policies and regulatory frameworks are required to enable the efficient deployment of charging infrastructure?
  2. What business models can reach sufficient coverage of charging infrastructure that meets the needs of the EV user?

The second challenge is the integration of the EVs into the power system securely and efficiently. This raises two questions:

  1. How can the potential impacts of the additional EV load in the power system be managed?
  2. How can the flexibility potential of Vehicle-to-X (V2X) be unlocked?

Join Pradyumna Bhagwat and Samson Hadush to explore the toolbox consisting of solution choices and recommendations to tackle these issues.

More from our knowledge hub:

In our February Topic of the Month series, FSR Global shared an overview of the current status Electric Vehicle’s (EV) sharing the Indian Perspective, insights from the Spanish EV observatory, a regulatory perspective on how the LAC power sector is gearing up for the EV revolution and early experiences with V2X (vehicle-to-everything) in practice.

You can also download a copy of our detailed report or policy brief “Charging up India’s electric vehicles: infrastructure deployment and power system integration” on the rapid growth in EV uptake in India and the challenges the country will have to address to meet its policy targets.

Don’t miss any update on our events

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Online Event

Baltic gas challenges and developments

03 October 2019

This FSR online debate will explore the Baltic gas challenges and developments. We will focus on EU policy targets implementation in the region, highlighting major issues of the energy transition and of penetration of new gases.

The Baltic region is making significant progress in developing a functioning regional natural gas market, expanding and integrating the related infrastructure, and ensuring the security of supply.

However, there are multiple factors—at the national, regional, European and even global levels—that prevent this from becoming an ideal market capable of delivering greater security at a reasonable cost. Liquidity of the market is low due to falling consumption; state aid and state participation in the energy enterprises discourage private investments and distort market conditions, while geopolitical tensions between the West and Russia add further complications.

In this online debate, Watch the recording

Moderator: Andris Piebalgs

Panel:

  • Margot Loudon  (Eurogas)
  • Andrei V Belyi  (University of Eastern Finland)
  • Juris Ozoliņš (Amber Grid)

Learn more on the topic:

‘Download the report: Stepping on the Gas’

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Online Event

Is gas infrastructure ready for sector coupling?

24 September 2019

The online debate “Is gas infrastructure ready for sector coupling?” will tackle regulatory and technical challenges related to the gas infrastructure, which are expected to arise with the increase in the use of renewable and decarbonised gases in Europe.

In the sector coupling vision, one of the most debated aspects is infrastructure: how to link electricity grids and existing gas pipelines, can the existing gas infrastructure be re-adapted to the flow of the new gases? If so, for which gases and at what cost? And what are the alternatives?

In particular, the debate will address the following topics:

    • Level playing field between gases – renewable, low-carbon, natural gas. Incentives for network operators, blending, regulation of different gases.
    • Gas regulation on the distribution level – injection, congestion management, flexibility
    • Smooth relationship between distribution and transmission networks.

Panellists:

      • Ignacio Asenjo (DG ENER)
      • Anne Boorsma (ENTSOG)
      • Markus Krug (E-Control)
      • Doug Wood (EFET)

Moderator: Andris Piebalgs (FSR)

This is the second online debate organised as a part of the FSR sector coupling platform project realised in cooperation with the European Commission (DG Energy). The first online debate took place on September 11th and was devoted to “A common terminology for gases”. For more information visit the FSR Sector Couling platform.

Register here

 

Preparatory materials:

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Online Event

A common terminology for gases

11 September 2019

This FSR online debate will provide participants with insights on the FSR’s proposal for a common terminology for gases.

Sector coupling is meant to accelerate the decarbonisation of the EU energy sector and gas sector will be playing a key role in the process. However, recent discussions, studies and existing pilot projects led us from a rather uniform world of one commodity (natural gas) to the uncharted territory of the heterogenous low-carbon and decarbonised gases. Biogas, biomethane, green, blue and grey hydrogen, synthetic methane could be produced through different processes and from different substrates, which rises the questions on their environmental and climate impact.

Panellists: Chelsea Baldino (ICCT), Eva Hennig (Eurogas), Augustijn Van Haasteren (DG ENER), Malcolm McDowell (DG ENER)

Moderator: Ilaria Conti (FSR)

That’s why one of the key debates at the latest Madrid Forum on 5-6th June 2019 was devoted to the identification of a common terminology for gases.

The recently adopted recast Renewable Energy Directive (RED II) takes up the matter, e.g. by extending the Guarantees of Origins to renewable gases and by introducing the provisions enabling the integration of gas from renewable sources in the existing gas network infrastructure. Yet, it does not introduce clear definitions or criteria (taxonomy) to classify the various types of gases that are currently being used in the system.

This is the first online debate organised as a part of the FSR sector coupling platform project realised in cooperation with the European Commission (DG Energy). For more information visit the FSR Sector Couling platform.

 

Preparatory materials:

ICCT presentation on Common terminology for gases from the research perspective

CEDEC presentation on Gas industry proposal to align gas terminology

 

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Online Event

Carbon Pricing in Europe

17 September 2019

This FSR Webinar will explore the economic framework for compensation for Carbon Pricing in Europe.

Speaker: Fabien Roques (FSR; Compass Lexecon; Université Paris Dauphine)

Under the 2030 Climate and Energy Framework, the European Union has committed to EU-wide targets for the period 2021-2030 in the context of a long-term strategy to achieve a climate-neutral economy by 2050. Among these targets is a 40% cut in greenhouse gas emissions. The EU emissions trading system (EU ETS) is the cornerstone of the EU’s policy to combat climate change. It is the world’s first major carbon market and remains it’s largest. To safeguard the competitiveness of industries covered by the EU ETS, the European Commission has developed a framework to provide compensation for the sectors and sub-sectors deemed to be exposed to a risk of carbon leakage.

Download the presentation

In this webinar, Fabien Roques will review the status of carbon pricing at global level and weigh the effectiveness of the EU ETS and its impact on competition across various industries before examining the theoretical framework established to deal with the risk of carbon leakage for the direct and indirect carbon costs that they face as a result of the EU ETS.

This webinar is part of the Energy Union Law Webinar Series. Find more from this series

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Online Event

Imperfect Markets and Imperfect Regulation

19 September 2019

FSR Online Talks

The power industry is essential in the fight against climate change. In this online talk, we will look at the microeconomics underlying power markets and the tensions between microeconomics and political economy, together with Thomas-Olivier Léautier (Toulouse School of Economics).

Thomas-Olivier is the author of Imperfect Markets and Imperfect Regulation, the first textbook to present a comprehensive and detailed economic analysis of electricity markets, analyzing the tensions between microeconomics and political economy.

The 45′ event moderated by Tim Schittekatte (Florence School of Regulation – Energy & Climate) will touch upon the key challenges in:

  • wholesale market structure;
  • retail market organisation;
  • transmission pricing (zonal vs nodal);
  • policy issues: the impact of renewables and generation adequacy

Join the discussion online!

Imperfect Markets and Imperfect Regulation.

An Introduction to the Microeconomics and Political Economy of Power Markets

To learn more about it, watch the book trailer

 

 

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