Announcements
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Winner of the Manchester Jean Monnet Centre of Excellence 2023 Master’s Dissertation Prize Announced
We are delighted to announce the winner of the inaugural MJMCE Master’s Dissertation Prize, which recognises and celebrates the excellent research produced by Master’s students in the area of European Studies. The winner of the prize is Marton Jasz for a project titled ‘Environmental Policy and Air Pollution Exposure in Europe’. Marton’s dissertation, which was completed as part of the MA degree in Political Economy at the University of Manchester, developed an empirical analysis of the effects of the EU Emissions Trading Scheme on pollution levels and environmental inequality across Europe.
In accepting the award, Marton Jasz said:
“I am honored to receive the MJMCE Master’s Dissertation Prize and my journey into the effects of the EU Emission Trading Scheme on air pollution and environmental inequality was fueled by a deep commitment to understanding and addressing pressing environmental challenges.
The impacts of the EU ETS on air pollution and environmental inequality is a very understudied topic in the economics and political economy literature and this is why I was especially motivated to dive into the subject area. However, this negligence is actually quite striking as the EU ETS is the largest carbon market in the world, and emission trading schemes are the most hegemonic policy solutions to curbing emissions.
It is for this reason that my dissertation explored the complex relationship between the EU’s most prominent climate policy initiative, fine particulate matter (PM2.5) concentrations as well as environmental inequality. In order to unravel these complexities, I utilised a panel data of 224 OECD regions from 2002 until 2018 and employed a difference-in-difference methodology. My findings provide some evidence to point towards the carbon market’s positive impact on air pollution reduction and negative effects on environmental inequality.
However, more research needs to be done. I believe that my research is important because it opens a large political and economic debate about the efficiency and morality of neoliberal environmental policies and argues that carbon markets do have the potential of exacerbating environmental inequality. I am grateful for the recognition of this research, and I hope it sparks continued discourse and action toward a cleaner, fairer environment for all.”
What is JMCE?
The Manchester Jean Monnet Centre of Excellence (JMCE) is an interdisciplinary forum for the promotion of research and teaching on Europe across The University of Manchester and Manchester Metropolitan University.
The JMCE aims to:
- Support research activities, mainly through the funding of conferences and workshops with a European focus.
- Organise events such as a regular seminar series and a high-profile Annual Lecture on Europe.
- Promote excellence in teaching and learning, through the funding of innovative teaching-related projects.
- Provide a platform for the interdisciplinary engagement of research students with an interest on Europe.
- Reach out to the practitioner community and the public at large on matters affecting Europe.
