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Friday, 24 April, 2026

Yervand Martirosyan: Essays in Environmental Economics

Dissertation Committee:

Vasily Korovkin (Pompeu Fabra University, chair)

Christian Ochsner (CERGE-EI, local chair)

Nikolas Mittag (CERGE-EI)

Sebastian Ottinger (CERGE-EI)

Defense Committee:

Michal Kejak (CERGE-EI, chair)

Daniel Münich (CERGE-EI)

Marek Hudík (VŠE)

Referees:

Maxim Ananyev (University of Melbourne)

Josef Montag (Charles University, Faculty of Law)

Meeting link: https://cerge-ei.webex.com/cerge-ei/j.php?MTID=m804a18bb1c476091ed44f27791ac3e5a

Meeting number: 2740 174 7498

Meeting password: 637521

Abstract:

This dissertation examines the long-term impacts of environmental and energy related factors on human development and wellbeing, focusing on academic performance, socioeconomic outcomes, and environmental impacts. Each chapter contributes to understanding of how environmental conditions and energy policy reforms shape individual and societal outcomes across different contexts.

The first chapter investigates the long-term impact of energy poverty and related policy interventions on academic performance in China. It uses the Huai River Policy, which provided free winter heating to northern regions but not to adjacent southern regions, to identify the causal effects of winter heating on individuals’ academic outcomes. The findings suggest that winter heating has a significant positive influence on academic performance, particularly for individuals born during colder months.

The second chapter explores the long-run impact of the energy crisis that followed the collapse of the Soviet Union on human wellbeing in Armenia. This period was characterized by severe infrastructural and economic disruptions. The study shows that early-life exposure to these adverse conditions negatively affected education and income, especially for those born in winter months. However, proximity to forests mitigated some of the negative effects, underscoring the importance of access to natural resources. The results offer valuable insights for designing policies aimed at enhancing educational and economic outcomes.

The third chapter evaluates the environmental implications of electricity market reforms, focusing on the 1990 Norwegian Energy Act. This policy introduced liberalization and dynamic electricity pricing with the goal of improving efficiency. Using the synthetic control method and a machine learning-based variant, the study compares Norway’s carbon dioxide emissions to a donor pool of similar countries that did not implement such reforms. The results indicate a notable reduction in emissions, highlighting both the environmental benefits of market-based electricity reforms and the utility of machine learning techniques in policy evaluation.

Together, these chapters contribute to the literature on environmental economics by highlighting the long-term effects of energy access, policy interventions, and market reforms on human and environmental outcomes.

Full Text: "Essays in Environmental Economics"