Abstract:
In this paper we examine the nonlinear relation between the EUA price and its fundamentals, such as energy prices, macroeconomic risk factors and weather conditions. By estimating a Markov regime-switching model, we find that the relation between the EUA price and its fundamentals varies over time. In particular, we are able to identify a low and a high volatility regime, both showing a strong impact of the fundamentals on the EUA price. The high volatility regime is predominant during the recession of 2008 and 2009 - a time period in which the actual emissions sharply decreased due to the economic crisis.
