Environmental policy in open economies Differences in policy stringency and the effects on leakage and pollution havens

How do differences in environmental policy between open economies influence trade flows and the distribution of pollution across countries? This dissertation explores several factors that influence pollution patterns between economies. It hereby focusses on the unintended consequences of regulatory differences between countries within the EU and with the EU to the rest of the world. Using empirical and theoretical analysis, the dissertation studies in four individual chapters the impact of the EU enlargement on pollution intensities across new and old member states; the potential emergence of pollution havens for waste in Europe after China's waste import ban; the effects of the EU Emissions Trading System on Dutch firms’ economic performance; and the role of Border Carbon Adjustments in reducing carbon leakage. The questions and findings of this dissertation aim to contribute to our understanding of international linkages in the field of environmental economics and hope to contribute to evidence-based policy making in the future.