Risk measurement and application of the international carbon market in the era of global conflict: A data-driven study using FCM

The accurate measurement and effective estimation of carbon market risk are crucial for practitioners and policymakers to mobilize resources toward the transition to a climate-resilient economy, particularly in a new era of global conflict. However, existing studies that have explored factors contributing to carbon market risk primarily relied on experience or subjective judgment in selecting risk-related factors. Such approaches undermine the estimation accuracy while making it difficult to ascertain causal inferences related to the risk spillover. To fill the gap, we adopted a data-driven factor analysis strategy by introducing the Fuzzy Cognitive Maps (FCM) model to establish a carbon market network and identify risk-related factors. We then evaluate the carbon market's risk level and spillover effects using combined econometric methods and explore their application in portfolio management. We report three main findings. First, based on our sample of 3217 observations between 2008 and 2022, five factors influencing carbon market risk emerged from the FCM, including OIL, COAL, SP500ENERGY, SPCLEANENERGY, and GPR. Second, we find a notable rise in risk spillover from GPR to EUA during the Russia-Ukraine conflict and an escalation of total cross-market spillover during extreme events. Third, our study presents new evidence on the hedging effect for EUA of the SP500ENERGY before the Russia-Ukraine conflict and of the SPCLEANENERGY during the conflict. Finally, implications are discussed for policymakers and investors.

Automated summary

The accurate measurement and effective estimation of carbon market risk are crucial for the transition to a climate-resilient economy. Existing studies have relied on subjective judgment, which undermines accuracy and causal inferences. To fill this gap, we used the Fuzzy Cognitive Maps model to identify risk factors and evaluated risk levels and spillover effects. We found five factors influencing carbon market risk, observed risk spillover during conflict, and evidence of hedging effects. Implications are discussed for policymakers and investors.