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This paper investigates the meaning of systemic risk in energy markets and proposes a methodology to measure it. Energy Systemic Risk is defined by the risk of an energy crisis raising the prices of all energy commodities with negative consequences for the real economy. Measures of the total cost (EnSysRISK) and the net impact (ΔMES) of an energy crisis on the rest of the economy are proposed. The measures are derived from the Marginal Expected Shortfall (MES) capturing the tail dependence between the asset and the energy market factor. The adapted MES accounts for causality and dynamic exposure to common latent factors. The methodology is applied to the European Energy Exchange and the DAX industrial index, where a minor decline in industrial productivity is observed from recent energy shocks.

Abstract This paper investigates the impact of urbanization on energy consumption by applying the Stochastic Impacts by Regression on Population, Affluence and Technology (STIRPAT) in case of Malaysia. The study covers the time period of 1970Q1–2011Q4. The unit root test and the ARDL bounds testing approach have been applied to examine integrating properties and long run relationship in the presence of structural breaks. Our results validated the existence of cointegration and exposed that urbanization is a major contributor in energy consumption. Affluence raises energy demand. Capital stock boosts energy consumption. Trade openness leads to affluence and hence increases energy consumption. The causality analysis finds that urbanization Granger causes energy consumption. The feedback effect is found between energy consumption and affluence and, energy consumption and capital. The bidirectional causality exists between trade openness and energy consumption.

Economists have confined the concept of 'sustainability' to intertemporal distributional equity. We propose a broader definition, combining dynamic efficiency and intergenerational equity, and relate it to two concepts from neoclassical economics: potential Pareto-improvements and inter-personal compensation.

In a January 2009 lecture on the financial crisis, Federal Reserve Chairman Bernanke advocated a new Fed policy of credit easing, defined as a combination of lending to financial institutions, providing liquidity directly to key credit markets, and buying of long term securities. We show that Bernanke's analysis and recommendations can be naturally considered in a model of "unstable banking," which relies on two mechanisms: 1) fire sales reduce asset prices below fundamental values, and 2) financial institutions prefer speculation to new lending when markets are dislocated. We analyze credit easing and compare it to alternative government interventions during the crisis.

Trade liberalisation has affected the flow of trade (goods and services) between developed and developing countries. The Heckscher-Ohlin trade theory reveals that under free trade, developing countries would specialise in the production of those goods that are produced by relatively abundant factors of production such as labour and natural resources. Developed countries would specialise in the production of those goods that are produced by human capital and manufactured in capital-intensive activities. Trade openness entails movement of goods produced in one country for either consumption or further processing to other country. Production of those goods is not possible without the effective use of energy. Trade openness affects energy demand via scale effect, technique effect and composite effect. Other things being same, trade openness increases economic activities, thus stimulates domestic production and hence economic growth. A surge in domestic production increases energy demand , which is commonly referred as scale effect. Such scale effect is caused by trade openness. Economic condition of the country and extent of relationship between economic growth and trade openness determine the impact of trade openness on energy consumption [Shahbaz, et al. (2013); Cole (2006)]. Trade openness enables developing economies to import advanced technologies from developed economies. The adoption of advanced technology lowers energy intensity. The use of advanced technologies result in less energy consumption and more output that is usually referred to as technique effect [Arrow (1962)]. Composite effect reveals the shift of production structure from agriculture to industry with the use of energy intensive production techniques. In initial stages of economic development economy is based largely on agriculture sector, thus the use of energy is relatively less. As economy starts shifting from agriculture to industry, the energy consumption increases.

Summary Using an original database of rating agencies, this paper gives empirical evidence on the impact of subsidy intensity on the efficiency of Microfinance Institutions (MFIs). We find that subsidies have had a positive impact on efficiency, in the sense that MFIs that received subsidies are more efficient than those that do not. However, we find also that subsidization beyond a certain threshold renders the marginal effect on efficiency negative. In our sample, 26% of MFIs receive levels of subsidization higher than that threshold, which implies that a marginal cut on subsidy intensity would increase their efficiency.

The popular discounted utilitarian criterion for infinite horizon social choice has been criticized on the ground that it treats successive generations unfairly. I propose to evaluate intergenerational welfare with a rank- discounted utilitarian (RDU) criterion instead. The criterion amounts to discounted utilitarianism on non-decreasing paths, but it treats all generations impartially: discounting becomes the mere expression of intergenerational inequality aversion. I show that more inequality averse RDU societies have higher social discount rates when future generations are better-off. I apply the RDU approach in two benchmark economic growth models and I prove that it promotes sustainable policies maximizing discounted utility.