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This study seeks to investigate how natural resources rents impact environmental sustainability measured by CO2 emissions and PM2.5 air pollution in Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa (BRICS) economies from 1995 to 2019. To enhance robust policy implications, natural resources are decomposed into disaggregated (coal, gas, oil, forest, and mineral rents) and aggregated (total natural resources rents) indicators. Besides, the intervening roles of affluence, urbanization, and green policies vectoring green technological innovation, green finance, green energy, and waste management within the theoretical underpinning of STIRPAT model are considered. The empirical verification is anchored on second-generation estimators entailing Common Correlated Effects Mean Group, Augmented Mean Group, and Panel Quantile Regression. Similarly, Fully Modified OLS is employed to gauge the country-specific effects amidst varying robustness analyses. The fallouts from the analyses reveal that natural resources rents inhibit the attainments of environmental sustainability in BRICS economies by positively driving CO2 emissions and PM2.5 air pollution. Conversely, green policies are observed to substantially drive environmental sustainability by mitigating both pollutants whereas affluence and urbanization escalate them. The distributional effects from Panel Quantile Regression and Fully Modified OLS corroborate the main findings divergently. Additionally, two channels of causality, including unidirectional and bidirectional nexuses, are apparent from the estimated models. Policy measures are suggested based on the empirical findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Application of the Water-Energy-Food Nexus system is essential for addressing Water-Energy-Food Security and Environmental Protection in urban agricultural areas. However, there is currently no standardized framework for measuring and comparing sustainability indicators in these areas using the WEF Nexus practices. This study proposes sustainability measurement indicators to evaluate the WEF Nexus sustainability. The Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) was employed to identify the most crucial indicators for policymakers. The WEF nexus sustainability indicators were selected based on three dimensions of sustainability: social, environmental, and economic. The study focused on Varamin, a semi-arid city in Tehran that serves as a center for urban agriculture. Research results indicate that water-related components are crucial in arid and semi-arid regions. Based on the environmental sustainability indicators, pollution prevention, with a priority of 52.8%, is a critical component of sustainability. Finally, several key indicators are recommended for decision-makers to address sustainability. Allocating national budgets to create environmental policies and increasing public education on environmental issues are two priorities for achieving sustainability goals. However, future studies should utilize the Analytic Network Process (ANP), which enables interdependencies among decision components, as the AHP approach has some limitations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the impact of geopolitical risk (GPR) on consumption-based carbon (CCO2) emissions as well as the moderating role of environmental policy stringency (EPS) on the above relationship. Based on data collected from 27 countries from 1990 to 2020, the basic results from the sample of the study indicate that GPR accelerates CCO2 emissions. Quantile regression results reveal that the effect of GPR is more pronounced in countries with higher CCO2 emissions. Moreover, EPS weakens the escalating effect of GPR on CCO2 emissions. The robust test results validate the findings reported in the basic regression model. The heterogeneity test indicates that the impact of GPR on CCO2 emissions is greater in developing countries compared in developed countries. The study also proposes these policy implications based on the findings: (1) countries should ensure a stable political environment, establish a robust legal system and promote energy transition; and (2) the scope of environmental taxes should be expanded where different tax rates should be imposed in order to be useful in reducing CCO2 emissions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Waste sorting in urban villages is a less developed while important issue in waste management and it is of great importance to environmental sustainability. China is now facing challenges of combating waste sorting while little attention has been paid to these challenges in urban villages. This article aims to add to this knowledge by examining how waste sorting has been implemented in urban villages via a case study of Shenzhen, China. A co-production theory perspective is adopted to explore how actors are engaged in the process of waste sorting and what are the results. The findings suggest coproduction approach is neither a top-down nor bottom-up approach. It is a much more complex process that involves intensive interactions between the government and residents. It concludes that the co-production approach to waste sorting exemplified by urban villages' sustainable development has great significance for general environmental management and policy making in the long term. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rapid environmental change, natural resource overconsumption and increasing concerns about ecological sustainability have led to the development of 'Essential Variables' (EVs). EVs are harmonized data products to inform policy and to enable effective management of natural resources by monitoring global changes. Recent years have seen the instigation of new EVs beyond those established for climate, oceans and biodiversity (ECVs, EOVs and EBVs), including Essential Geodiversity Variables (EGVs). EGVs aim to consistently quantify and monitor heterogeneity of Earth-surface and subsurface abiotic features, including geology, geomorphology, hydrology and pedology. Here we assess the status and future development of EGVs to better incorporate geodiversity into policy and sustainable management of natural resources. Getting EGVs operational requires better consensus on defining geodiversity, investments into a governance structure and open platform for curating the development of EGVs, advances in harmonizing in situ measurements and linking heterogeneous databases, and development of open and accessible computational workflows for global digital mapping using machine-learning techniques. Cross-disciplinary collaboration and partnerships with governmental and private organizations are needed to ensure the successful development and uptake of EGVs across science and policy. This article is part of the Theo Murphy meeting issue 'Geodiversity for science and society'. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The concept of circular economy (CE) is proposed to lead humanity toward a sustainable future. Public authorities increasingly build on CE narratives. The progress of private sector actors is key to enable more circular resource flows. Still, the world falls far short from becoming circular and large‐scale implementation of CE in actual problem–solution spaces is scarce. This study sheds light into the external strategies of circular start‐ups (CSUs) in building an adequate socio‐institutional embedding for circular business models (CBMs) and puts the findings in the context of CE and sustainability transformations research. CSUs are a distinct group of CE‐oriented actors that build and implement CBMs wholistically and from scratch. Thereby, they can directly and indirectly contribute to the creation of circular innovation systems. This study defines the common CE mission of CSUs, sets it in context of respective socio‐political CE missions, and scrutinizes the roles that CSUs adopt to drive systemic CE implementation. We observe that CSUs' strategic interventions go further than only novelty creation. This article proposes and elaborates on four roles that CSUs adopt: conveners, reinforcers, pioneers, and champions. The roles differ according to the CSU business models, stakeholders, the institutional elements that are addressed, as well as the directionalities that CSUs set. The findings are discussed considering the governance, policies, and strategic management of various directionalities in which CE innovation develops. It sheds light on inadequacies and limitations for bottom‐up CE innovation in existing norms and cognition, policy, and network governance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The escalating levels of CO2 emissions from the transportation sector have been observed to exert deleterious effects on human well‐being and environmental sustainability. To mitigate these emissions, it is imperative to consider the potential contributions of environmental policies and financial innovation. Thus, this study examines the effects of financial innovation and environmental policy (environmental tax–environmental technology) on transport‐related CO2 emission (TCO2E) for BICS (i.e., Brazil, India, China and South Africa), which are characterized by substantial industrialization, rising TCO2E and growing environmental concerns. The analysis is complemented by including control variables, notably economic growth and the transition to cleaner energy, to offer a nuanced and holistic perspective on the dynamics governing this critical subject matter. The research adopts a novel econometric approach cross‐sectionally augmented auto‐regressive distributed lags for benchmark estimation and fully modified ordinary least squares–dynamic ordinary least squares for robustness analysis from 2000/Q1‐2018/Q4. The findings revealed that financial innovation and economic growth bolster TCO2E and decrease environmental quality in the region. In contrast, environmental tax, environmental innovation and energy transition decrease TCO2E. Based on findings, policy suggestions relating to implementing a carbon tax, promoting green financial innovation and others are discussed to decrease TCO2E. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explains the importance of environmental care for the growth and development of the global world and how One Belt One Road Initiative (OBOR) can help to connect Asia, Europe, and Africa for economic cooperation and long-term sustainability. Paper, based on bibliometric analysis and utilizing Web of Science Core Collection database for calculation, summarizes total OBOR publications in terms of quantity, citations, regions, disciplines, institutes and explains about the most productive countries. Results reveal that total OBOR papers indexed in Web of Science was found 2508 where there were 1335 articles and 854 proceedings papers marking 87.3% of total OBOR research. We find the most productive direction of environmental science and global climate change and work related to environmental policies. Results show that China has contributed 73.3% (1755 publications) to global OBOR publication and have received 69.3% of all citations to "One Belt One Road" publications. Highest average citation level was from Canada, Portugal, and Spain while China's average citations were quite low though very close to average world level. Internationally collaborated publications had more citations than the publications prepared by authors of one country. The paper concludes that environmental concerns should be kept in mind while focusing on the growth and development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the impact of macroprudential policies on ecological footprint (EF) in the top 11 largest countries. This study uses country-level panel data from these countries, covering the period from 1992 to 2020. Findings indicate that macroprudential policies alleviates ecological footprint in the sample. Macroprudential policies primarily reduce the ecological footprint before medium quantile (50%) while the environmental benefits of the policies end in the later quantiles. Moreover, environmental policy stringency (EPS) amplifies the positive influence of macroprudential policies on environmental sustainability. Estimate results stay the same with basic regression results in the post-global financial crisis (GFC) period while the impact is positive in the pre-GFC period. Finally, other robust tests validate the findings reported in basic regression model. This study suggests that governments should customize various types of macroprudential policies while also considering environmental concerns. The achievement of a sustainable environment can be facilitated by the combined effects of macroprudential policies and EPS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to get an insight into the major sectors with a green job potential in Delta State and to further analyze the argument that job creation is one of the important benefits of green growth policies - that is, policies to foster economic growth and development while ensuring that natural assets continue to provide the resources and environmental services on which our well-being relies (Bowen and Kuralbayeva, 2015). The claims that the greening of economies is a net generator of decent jobs - good jobs that offer adequate wages, safe working conditions, job security, reasonable career prospects and worker rights (UNEP (2011). There is a great need to promote and create lots of green jobs to make Delta State a better place for future generations. The potential areas of green jobs in Delta State has revealed by the studies include among others: Rubber plantations, cassava (manioc), fish, palm oil and kernels, yams, and plantains, flour-milling plant, sawmilling, solar, wind, geothermal, biomass and water, tourism, building sectors, forestry activities, waste management, railways, health sector, government bodies, education sector, Escravos Gas-to-Liquids (EGTL) plant, an integrated steel plant in Aladja, small enterprises and the market within SMEs. The study recommends that for green jobs to thrive in Delta State, there needs to be an increased appreciation for green and sustainable practices; Individualistic efforts from different agents, like governmental agencies, private sector, policymakers, employers, and employees are very important towards the creation of a Green Economy; better integration of employment needs and research programs; and a specific regulatory framework to promote green businesses, and a competitive ecosystem that creates green jobs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Environmental sustainability has been a key policy goal of the European Union (EU), particularly under recent EU Cohesion Policy strategic frameworks. This paper contributes to the analysis of the relevance of EU Cohesion Policy-related environmental sustainability investments, by assessing the impacts of the Operational Programme for Sustainability and Use of Resources (POSEUR 2014–2020), in the Portuguese North NUTS II. In detail, the impact scores of the following five analytical dimensions related to this programme were obtained: (i) low-emissions economy, (ii) adaptation to climate change, (iii) risk prevention and management, (iv) environmental protection and (v) resource efficiency. The analysis was supported by a territorial impact assessment methodology (TARGET_TIA) which was complemented by an online analytic geographic information system (GIS) policy evaluation platform (Impact-WEB_GIS). The results showed that the POSEUR's regional implementation efficiency fell short of the stakeholders' expectations. This can be explained by factors such as the obstacles posed by the prior underdeveloped infrastructural conditions, coupled with the panorama created by the Covid-19 outbreak. Nonetheless, the risk prevention and management dimension had a solid positive impact score that reflected the efficacy of POSEUR in tackling environmental threats, mostly in rural ecosystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article studies individual-level attitudes towards long-term investment policies using novel survey data for the case of Germany. Building on a budding literature on the relationship between environmental and social policy attitudes, our first contribution to research is to show that citizens, when prompted to think about their support for long-term investment policies, support welfare state related policies such as investments in education and pensions to a greater degree than non-welfare state issues such as public infrastructure investment or renewable energy. Citizens are most supportive of using present-day redistributive policies – in our case: increasing income taxes on the rich – in order to finance long-term investment. We also find evidence that political trust is positively associated with support for long-term investment policies, but in particular investments in education and renewables. Furthermore, our analysis reveals the importance of individual political ideology. These findings have implications for public demand for tackling the long-term issues faced by society today. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Germany has set an ambitious goal of meeting the recommendations of COP‐26 and reducing its carbon intensity to zero by 2045. Germany is a leader in environmental patents after the United States, Japan, and South Korea, and the environmental implications of Germany's leadership in eco‐innovation hold important clues for achieving net zero goals. In particular, the European Union is one of the global communities making the greatest efforts to combat emissions, and the success of the leading role of environmental patents in this Union in reducing CO2 emissions is an important research topic for scholars. Therefore, this study investigates the impact of environmental patents on CO2 emissions under the environmental Kuznets curve (EKC) hypothesis in Germany. To this end, the study applies Bayer–Hanck and Fourier ADL approaches from 1970 to 2019. The main findings do not confirm the EKC hypothesis, while environmental patents play an active role in CO2 reduction. Based on these outcomes, Germany should consider a long‐term green policy to decouple economic growth and emissions. At the same time, German policy should promote the development and application of environmental patents to achieve the net zero targets for 2045. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Affordable housing that incorporates sustainability goals into its design has the potential to address both health and economic disparities via enhanced energy‐efficiency, structural durability and indoor environmental quality. Despite the potential for these win‐win advances, survey data of U.S. local governments indicate these types of equity investments remain rare. This study explores barriers and pathways to distributional equity via energy‐efficient housing. Using archival city sustainability survey data collected during a period of heightened U.S. federal investment in local government energy‐efficiency programs, we combine machine learning (ML) and process‐tracing approaches for modeling the complex drivers and barriers underlying these decisions. First, we ask, how do characteristics of a city's organizational learning methods—its administrative structure, past experience with housing programs, resources, stakeholder engagement and planning—predict policy commitments to green affordable housing? Using ensemble ML methods, we find that three specific modes of organizational learning—past experience with affordable housing programs, seeking assistance from neighborhood groups and the technical expertise of professional green organizations—are the most impactful features in determining city commitments to constructing green affordable housing. Our second stage uses process‐tracing within a specific case identified by the ML models to determine the ordering of these factors and to provide more nuance on green‐housing policy implementation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To analyze the development of environmental sustainability practices at the Federal University of Cariri from the perspective of the UI GreenMetric World University Ranking. Methodology: It is a case study with a mixed approach, of an applied and descriptive nature. The qualitative approach was applied with a survey of the official documents of the HEI related to sustainability and the realization of a focus group with members of the sustainability management coordination. The quantitative approach aimed to measure the institution's degree of sustainability by completing the UI GreenMetric questionnaire. Originality/Relevance: A detailed technical analysis is carried out on the institution's sustainable actions, identifying its weaknesses and potential in its sustainable management, contributing with reflections on the subject and proposing improvements to the practices currently developed. Main Results: It was evidenced that the HEI has already carried out and are in course several actions related to sustainability and that the theme has been strengthened in the organization. However, there is still no fully institutionalized environmental sustainability policy, which still lacks greater involvement on the part of the university's units and servers. Contributions: The main challenges to be overcome were identified, especially with regard to the involvement of the units and servers, as well as the systematization of information and the need for greater incentives for research in the area, and suggestions for improvements were made in order to offer the university alternatives to advance. in the institutionalization of the theme and in the adoption of good environmentally sustainable practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The "Sustainabilities" salons, organized by the Fellows of the American Folklore Society, drew together folklorists from the United States, Europe, and Asia, who were interested in frameworks for the study and stewardship of culture at the nexus of economy, ecology, nature, and the multi-species ethnographic and ontological turn. Conversations highlighted the continuing friction between public environmental policies grounded in Western instrumental, anthropocentric attitudes toward nature, and deeply relational values espoused by Indigenous and environmental justice communities, and by the growing numbers of climate refugees and host communities—urban and rural—with whom folklorists and heritage scholars are increasingly engaged. Exploring what is most needed from folklorists in a time of global environmental instability, participants identified ways to build on solid foundations developed over decades of public folklore's place-based community engagement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

From a folklife perspective, I address consequences of thinking of the environment as natural capital that provides ecosystem services to people: services that include heritage, both cultural and natural. I examine contemporary environmental policy to reveal advantages and limitations in thinking of folklife and heritage as ecosystem services, and a need to think beyond ecosystem services to ways that folklore studies may contribute to ecojustice. Natural capital and ecosystem services deem the environment to be a commodity, but ecojustice conceives of nature as a community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent times, when environmental pollution has increased and climate change has accelerated, the impact of these changes and transformations on social life and welfare levels has become undeniable. This study aims to understand the determinants of green social policy. This new concept emerged in the context of social policy and the environment in conditions where the effects of environmental destruction on sustainable development are increasingly visible. In this stud, The importance of sustainable development in terms of the climate crisis, the place of social justice and ecological justice approach in social policy discussions, and discussions in the national and international literature on environmental ethics in sustainable development are included. This article is a compilation study prepared with the contribution of rich national and international literature to increase the visibility of “green social policy”, a relatively new concept in the literature and offers a unique perspective on sustainable development and social justice in the climate crisis. One of the main inferences of the study is that poverty and environmental problems take place in a nurturing cycle, that the policies to be developed are sustainable and that it is inevitable to move to a “green” understanding in the field of social policy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

From a cultural political psychology perspective, Carriere (2022) emphasises the role of the individual and their meaning-making processes in the psychology of policy and politics (including the role of values and power dynamics). I propose a 'complex' semiotic cultural political psychology (SCPP) framework that reflects on and extends Carriere (2022). My complexity perspective involves 'self-organising' relations within persons (a sense of 'I') and within cultures (a sense of 'We') and 'socio-culturally organising' relations between persons (a sense of 'Me') and between cultures (a sense of 'Us'). I apply the SCPP framework to the issue of environmental sustainability policy. I contend there are intra- and inter-personal and intra-and inter-cultural values on the issue/s of environmental sustainability policy. International research supports Carriere's focus on personal ('I am' versus 'We are') values in environmental policy but this effect may be most prevalent in the US context. On social power in personal and cultural sustainability, empirical research points to 'power struggles' and 'vested interests' as the main problems for people. Also, from research it is deduced that (complex) environmental sustainability policy and governance need to empower people (individuals and groups) and avert unintended power dynamics, appreciating the co-occurring cultural nuances at work. It is concluded that my semiotic cultural political psychology reflections on Carriere introduces a potentially integrative 'complexity' perspective to psychological and behavioural science. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The human impact on nature has now reached a level at which the well-being of future human society is at risk. Therefore, transformative change in society is needed. Environmental assessments contribute to shaping environmental policy, potentially leveraging transformative change. Red Lists are a key information source on the state of biodiversity. Our aim was to study the Red List authors' perceptions of how Red Lists contribute to leveraging sustainability changes. We interviewed 15 of the authors of the forest and peatland sections of the Finnish Red List of Ecosystems 2018. We used the framework of sustainability leverage points to locate sustainability changes that Red Lists have leveraged in the social part of the Finnish social-ecological system. Our results show how the assessors perceived the influence of the Red Lists at most of the leverage points, including the deepest ones, and how these influences simultaneously co-exist in several leverage points. The most prominent sustainability changes were linked with legislation and information flows, whereas current paradigms, system goals and legislation appeared to prevent Red Lists from leveraging sustainability changes in Finland. We conclude that the production and dissemination processes of Red List knowledge can make an important contribution to sustainability changes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This document is an editorial introducing a special issue of the journal "Environmental Economics & Policy Studies" that focuses on the relationship between environmental sustainability and smart city development. The editor highlights the urgent need for transformative approaches to address environmental challenges in urban areas and emphasizes the potential of smart technologies to optimize resource utilization and catalyze sustainable urban transformations. The collection of research articles in this special issue offers diverse perspectives on the topic, examining the interconnectedness of technological innovation, policy interventions, socio-economic dynamics, and environmental outcomes. The editor hopes that this collection will inspire collaborative efforts to build smarter, more sustainable, and equitable cities. [Extracted from the article]

This paper examines India's environmental policies and budget allocations from 2016–2024, revealing a focus on infrastructure that may overshadow environmental conservation. Significant discrepancies between policy rhetoric and budgetary commitments suggest that there is a need for realignment. Advocating an 'environment-centric' approach, the study calls for increased budgetary commitments to environmental protection, a strategic shift away from fossil fuels, and stringent regulatory oversight, all essential to ensure sustainable development in India. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Action to pursue the circular economy (CE) transition is burgeoning in the government and the private sector. Does this action signal that CE is a distinct field of research with a unique disciplinary identity? This article argues that CE has reached field status, through its own epistemic communities characterized by increasingly shared methodological perspectives and normative ideals, and through institutionalized knowledge development through research journals and authority structures. The recent growth of CE research points toward more contextualized and nuanced operationalizations of the concept, evidence that the field is approaching a threshold state of maturity. Drawing on observations from academic literature and discussions with researchers and experts, we trace the process by which CE has arrived at the status of a field. The article concludes with reflections on research directions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alongside production and consumption, bio-waste management is central to the food systems debate. To achieve sustainable food systems—an essential component of the Sustainable Development Goals and the world they envision—public authorities must address the shortage of current bio-waste-management policies and strive towards a new paradigm of bio-waste management, where environmental justice primarily informs policy design and decision making. In order to achieve fair environmental policies, particularly in the context of food systems and bio-waste management, it is essential to understand what drives public policy in these matters. In the present review, we seek to contribute by closing a gap in the literature by proposing a set of bio-waste-management drivers in the European context. Moreover, we focus on the "policy and legislation" driver, hoping to examine its main components and understand both their limitations and the opportunities they provide. Finally, we explore the role that co-creation can play as a facilitator of a public-governance paradigm that promotes sustainable development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The urgency and threats of climate change have elevated the issue to a prominent – albeit often contested – position within the policy process. Resultantly, climate politics and climate change governance have received enhanced attention in both the academic literature and in real-life discourse. Yet, except regarding certain empirical contexts, there has been a lack of conceptualization or analysis of intermediating actors in climate politics – what we term "climate intermediaries" – that bridge between different types of actors and different levels of governance. This Special Issue sought to reduce this research gap by analyzing the strategies, interactions, and impacts in the policy process of these "go-betweens", across three continents. In this concluding article, we take stock of the insights provided by the individual contributions and offer answers to the three research questions that guided the Special Issue. In addition, we provide some suggestions for future research avenues and concluding reflections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, China has embarked on a remarkable journey toward greater environmental sustainability, investing in a vast protected area system, ecocompensation programs, and a more protectionist regulatory framework. The result is a model program in the making, with progress and future prospects for China's environmental health that few could have foreseen a few short decades ago. Paralleling and sometimes preceding this environmental revolution, much of China's environmental attention focused on its "national treasure"—the giant panda. We explore developments, progress, and shortcomings in the emerging protections and environmental ethos alongside the rich history of giant panda conservation, culminating in the recent downlisting of the panda from Endangered to Vulnerable. We make the case that recent advancements in environmental progress, such as the development of a more harmonious relationship between humans and nature (termed ecocivilization) have been, in part, underpinned and inspired by efforts to conserve the panda. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urban environments are key to mitigating the effects of climate change, contributing to sustainability and improving people's lives. A significant part of the commitment to sustainable development is made by assuming the vital role played by local governments as the administrations closest to citizens and responsible for providing most of the essential services for the community. Therefore, knowing local governments' levels of spending efficiency in urban environments, as well as the exogenous factors that explain these levels, will allow us to analyse the management carried out in this area and propose improvements to achieve the commitments made (Agenda 2030, the Green Deal, Fit for 55). One of the novelties of our research is considering climate as an exogenous variable in explaining efficiency levels. We find that cities with more extreme climates are more efficient in managing environmental expenditure, and densely populated municipalities are less efficient. We also conclude that local governments with more revenues or where tourism is one of the main economic activities improve efficiency, while the gender of the mayor (in our case, women) and political fragmentation reduce it. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the non-linear effect of education level on ecological footprint considering changes in population structure and per capita income. The results show an inhibitory effect for the level of education on increases in ecological footprint. In high-income countries, this inhibitory effect is non-linear. The inhibitory effect of education level on ecological footprint increases with increases in education level. In addition, population structure also has an inhibitory effect on the increase in ecological footprint. In both high-income and low-income countries, the inhibitory effect of population structure on the ecological footprint decreases when the population structure exceeds the threshold. However, there is a promotional effect of GDP per capita on the increase in ecological footprint. And the threshold regression results show that this promotional effect is linear in all income groups. Finally, this study suggests that countries should develop environmental sustainability policies according to the threshold range in which their education level, population structure, and per capita income are located. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is crucial to observe how international policy initiatives are implemented in each country's environmental policies to ensure global environmental conservation and sustainable development. This study aims to comprehensively analyze the trend of environmental policy in Korea over time. To this aim, we use semantic network analysis to explore the main keywords and to identify the characteristics of the key themes in each period based on the national environmental comprehensive plan. Our results show that the value of economic growth and technological development are regarded as priorities in Korean environmental policy because the economy and technology are closely related to the environment. Similarly, when it comes to the fundamental concept of environmental policy, the concept of "green growth" is applied in preference to the concept of "sustainability." The results contribute to expanding the approach of existing policy research by providing the potential for semantic network analysis based on policy documents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One topic of growing interest in the debate on intergenerational justice is the duty to respect the freedom of future generations. One consideration in favor of such a duty is that the decisions of present generations will affect the range of decisions that will be available to future people. As a consequence, future generations' freedom to direct their lives may be importantly restricted such that present generations can be seen as taking future people's lives into their hands and disempowering them. This article defends the idea that present generations have an obligation to sustain a certain threshold of freedom for members of present and future generations alike. It argues that we should regard sustainability policies as a way to redistribute freedom across members of different generations. It starts by explaining the centrality of social freedom to the way we conceive of moral persons, then explains how freedom can be understood as an object of redistribution. It then argues that by imposing some risks—such as that of resource depletion or destruction of the ecosystem—on future generations, present generations push future generations' freedom below an acceptable threshold. The paper concludes with examples of how this focus on freedom can offer guidance in selecting and justifying sustainability policies—for example, measures for conserving biodiverse environments—even when it is not clear how they will directly contribute to the well-being of future persons. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) is the European Union's main instrument for agricultural planning, with a new reform approved for 2023–2027. The CAP intends to align with the European Green Deal (EGD), a set of policy initiatives underpinning sustainable development and climate neutrality in the European Union (EU), but several flaws cast doubts about the compatibility of the objectives of these 2 policies. We reviewed recent literature on the potential of CAP environmental objectives for integration with the EGD: protection of biodiversity, climate change mitigation and adaptation, and sustainable management of natural resources. The CAP lacks appropriate planning measures, furthering instead risks to biodiversity and ecosystem services driven by landscape and biotic homogenization. Funding allocation mechanisms are not tailored to mitigate agricultural emissions, decreasing the efficiency of climate mitigation actions. The legislation subsidies farmers making extensive use of synthetic inputs without adequately supporting organic production, hindering the transition toward sustainable practices. We recommend proper control mechanisms be introduced in CAP Strategic Plans from each member state to ensure the EU is set on a sustainable production and consumption path. These include proportional assignment of funds to each CAP objective, quantitative targets to set goals and evidence‐based interventions, and relevant indicators to facilitate effective monitoring of environmental performance. Both the CAP and the EGD should maintain ambitious environmental commitments in the face of crisis to avoid further degradation of the natural resources on which production systems stand. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The sustainable development goals (SDGs) constitute an ambitious comprehensive global framework including monitoring mechanisms and indicators to evaluate progress towards precise targets of sustainable development. Most European countries have adapted their national sustainability indicator systems to conform to the UN Agenda 2030 for sustainable development, introducing new indicators and monitoring frameworks and governance processes in which these are embedded. What do we know about the political processes and struggles of implementing this important global framework? How does the politics of indicators differ in national contexts? We propose a classification of national indicator systems along dimensions of indicator selection, appraisal landscape, participatory nature, and political communication. We empirically explore these dimensions for four European national sustainability indicator systems through a comparative analysis based on national policy documents, indicator databases, and web portals as well as inputs from workshops and expert interviews. Given the considerable variation with respect to the trajectory of national sustainability indicator systems, we posit that these differences correspond to different national interpretations of sustainability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Implementation of environmental education is an important policy to preserve the environment. The authors believe that stakeholders' involvement is significant for the long-term sustainability of ecological and conservation efforts. The purpose of the study was to discuss the commitment of environmentally sound education policymakers to preserve the environment. We have searched and analyzed data from many published books, environmental journals, and environmental education documents from international ecological journals that actively discuss the issue, including Elsevier Publications, ERIC, Sagepub, Google Books, and websites. The data we collected was then analyzed under a phenomenological approach, an effort to understand the issues as much data as possible. We involve data coding, evaluation, interpretation, and conclusion to answer research problems with high validity and reliability principles. We searched our data electronically by embedding keywords for the theme of this study. We also visited some schools to collect data about educational policy regarding environmental framework policy. Based on available data and discussion of research results, there is a very close relevance between environmental education policies in schools, individual attitudes, community behavior, and industrial behavior to preserve a sustainable healthy environment. These findings will be essential for developing a healthy environment for future studies, academic studies, policy-making, and environmental implementation in protecting the environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Contributing a new South American case study, this paper seeks to advance the research agenda on processes of policy integration by developing a better understanding of how nascent subsystems become integrated into mature ones and the role that changing beliefs of advocacy coalitions play in fostering policy integration. The paper examines environmental policy integration in Uruguay's forestry sector since the 1990s and is based on an inductive qualitative analysis of policy documents, sector reports, parliament hearings and semi-structured interviews with key stakeholders. This demonstrates that environmental policy integration has increased continuously since the 1990s, accelerating particularly during the 2000s. We can derive three insights that specifically address this path of integration: a change in the policy beliefs of the dominant advocacy coalition, international salience of the minority coalition's beliefs and participatory policy processes that foster interactions between opposing coalitions. Despite this, the two advocacy coalitions have crystallized with fundamentally different deep core beliefs about what a sustainable forestry sector should be. While one coalition argues that commercial tree plantations are sufficiently regulated in environmental terms, the other coalition maintains that the way that the pulp industry has developed in Uruguay is fundamentally unsustainable and therefore seeks to change the forestry sector as a whole. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article a literature review is carried out with the aim of analysing the current state of research on public policies on eco-innovation in tourism, to provide a knowledge base on the potential and nature of this object of study. A content analysis of the publications in the Web of Science database was carried out. Starting from open-access articles under a structured search equation, 182 articles from the period between 1991 and 2021 were identified; these were subsequently analysed and classified under the Cloud of Science and Tree of Science software. The results show that the study of eco-innovation and its relationship with public policies in tourism contexts is most advanced in Asian countries, and the literature in Latin American contexts is still at an incipient stage. Research on policies that promote environmental care and regulatory policies that improve ecological processes is identified, highlighting the importance of practices and operational factors. It is concluded that studies on remedial, punitive, and macro-regulatory policies for environmental science and technology are absent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wholesale conversion of natural Amazonian ecosystems has been encouraged by Brazil's extreme antienvironmental government, and historical forest loss explains municipal-scale voting prevalence. Embracing a new administration would strengthen local-to-regional governance, suppress illegal land grabbing, deforestation, logging, and gold mining, thereby protecting the world's most species-rich forest domain and ensuring global sustainability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper my thought experiment leads me to posit that South Africa's environmental governance often results in what I term "hollow environmentalism". This term describes the inevitable long-term outcome of promulgating laws and policies that are idealistic and seem symbolic and that at times fail to achieve their intended objectives or environmental promise. On a narrower scale, hollow environmentalism can also manifest when such symbolic environmental laws and policies lead to judicial decisions that lack substantive ecological justifications, perhaps even resembling symbolic judgments. I substantiate this argument through four key considerations. I commence with a reality check on environmental governance, emphasising that the state is not a neutral actor, necessitating closer scrutiny of state decisions. This leads me to the conclusion that governance stands at a critical juncture. I argue that the symbolic nature of our environmental laws, broadly speaking, often makes it challenging for the state to fully meet the lofty ideals it presents, thereby also complicating court decisions in these matters. Next, I align my thoughts with recent literature on adjudication in the context of the climate crisis. This literature stresses the need for courts to be bold and innovative in their judicial roles, given the precarious nature of stabilising environmental disputes. In the penultimate section I bring the discussion to a close by suggesting two interconnected possibilities to address hollowness in the face of climate change: "sunsetting" and "substitution". [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coral reefs need strong management and protection efforts. However, public awareness and legal instruments concerning coral reefs are still insufficient. An ecosystem service model perspective is needed for the optimum management of that ecosystem. This study examined the relationship between ecosystem services management in international, national and local environmental laws and the coral reef ecosystem. An analytical descriptive qualitative method with the environmental services model and statutory regulation approaches was used. The researcher found a good relationship between the ecosystem services management in the international, national and local environmental laws and the policy planning concerning the sustainable development of the coral reef ecosystem. However, not all of the existing regulations support the environmental services model. It is because the regulatory framework is not complete, and existing norms do not support the efforts to improve people's welfare. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, using ethnographic field data from three indigenous Akan communities, we show that Akan religious ontology about the natural world provides a formidable resource and framework for managing the environmentally destructive tendencies of the human being. We further prove that while these ontologies about the natural world emerge from the intense religiosity of the Akan and the metaphysical worldview of the indigenous Akan, they contain strong environmental ethical norms and values worth resourcing for environmental sustainability in Ghana. We, consequently, argue that significant attention ought to be paid to these religious ontologies—beliefs, norms and practices—of the indigenous Akan, as an effective means of achieving environmental sustainability. We, therefore, propose the resourcing and adoption of indigenous religious ontologies on the natural world that have the potential of informing and enhancing environmental policies and initiatives towards environmental sustainability in Ghana. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study aims to discover the impact of political risk, globalization and technological innovation on the ecological footprint in the BRICS economies by employing a dataset covering the period between 1990 and 2017 and incorporating non-renewable energy utilization and economic growth as other regressors through the utilization of panel quantile regression. The outcomes established that economic growth, non-renewable energy usage, political risk and technological innovation increase ecological footprint. Conversely, globalization significantly decreases the ecological footprint. The panel ordinary least squares approach serves as a sensitivity test for the robustness of the analysis. Furthermore, the Dumitrescu-Hurlin panel causality test confirmed that a bidirectional causal interaction exists between ecological footprint and the regressors of technological innovation, globalization, non-renewable energy and economic growth, while a one-way causal interconnection runs from ecological footprint to political risk. Notably, the general policy suggestion indicates the need for policymakers to intensively coordinate efforts to combat the serious environmental deterioration in the BRICS economies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The distribution of energy sources is regarded to be an act of compassion in many of the Sustainable Development Goals outlined by the United Nations. In order to build a firm foundation for competitiveness and prosperity, nations should maintain equilibrium with the three key aspects of the global energy trilemma, which are energy affordability, energy access, and ecological balance. In light of this, the purpose of this research was to investigate the impact that nuclear energy, technological advancements, renewable energy, non-renewable energy, and natural resources have had on carbon footprints. We selected the top five nuclear energy countries by consumption in the Asia Pacific region, including China, India, Japan, Pakistan, and South Korea. We devised an exhaustive and all-encompassing empirical inquiry and used contemporary econometric methods. The second-generation panel's long-run cointegration promotes the idea of long-term relationships between the series. According to the data, using nuclear and renewable sources of energy significantly contributes to an improvement in environmental quality. On the other hand, advancements in technology and the use of energy sources that do not replenish themselves considerably decrease environmental sustainability. In addition, natural resources end up playing a negative role in the long term. The results of the panel's investigation into the chain of events that led to the development of nuclear power showed that the chain of events was unidirectional. In addition, there is causality that runs in both directions between technological innovation, renewable energy sources, non-renewable energy sources, and natural resources that have a carbon footprint. In light of this, it is recommended that these countries should combine energy policy actions and build energy strategy consistency by harmonizing the essential features of global nuclear energy in order to aid in the development of a well-calibrated energy structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Water resources are essential for life on earth. It has already been proven that although it is a resource renewable, water is a limited natural resource. Countries like Brazil, Angola and the United States of America, despite being on different continents and having economic development indices very different, are privileged in this regard, and that is why they were chosen to be objects of this search. But the lack of preservation of this natural resource in all of them, combined with poor water distribution, triggered important warnings in these nations. Consequently, it was necessary to implement regulation for water protection and its correct distribution. From this delimitation, the object of this article is to investigate the main foundations and instruments existing in the Water Laws edited in the Brazil, Angola and the United States. With the use of the deductive method and from research bibliographical and legislative of each of the countries, it is concluded by the need of adequate use of the water resources from the principle of sustainability and the constitutional principles governing the environmental and urban policy, as it is a limited and fundamental resource for the survival of humanity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Brazil and China share important vantage points in environmental fora, actively coordinating their positions within Brazil, South Africa, India, and China (BASIC) and Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa (BRICS). Both countries have incorporated sustainability concerns in their multilateral stances, but their bilateral strategic partnership lacks a clear environmental orientation. This study analyses the discrepancy between multilateral commitments and the realities of their bilateral interactions. The low degree of priority of, or outright non-attendance to, environmental concerns on the operational level of Sino–Brazilian diplomatic relations illustrates the detachment of official rhetoric from effective engagements. We explore these contradictions and their repercussions for the commodity-centric governance of the telecoupled Sino–Brazilian relations, focusing on the soy sector and on its environmental impacts within Brazil. We caution against the trend of exclusively paying attention to private regulatory initiatives, and highlight the importance of bringing states back into the analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the role of solar energy, environmental policy stringency (EPS), and climate technology in realizing environmental sustainability in OECD economies from 2001 to 2018. The preliminary findings confirm the issues of slope heterogeneity and cross-sectional dependency; thus, we apply the cross-sectional augmented autoregressive distributed lags (CS-ARDL) model. The overall results indicate that solar energy, EPS, and climate technologies are playing a positive and significant role in encountering environmental issues and ensuring environmental sustainability in the long run, while economic growth is the key driver of environmental degradation. A similar insight is observed in the short run; however, their coefficient size and significance substantially vary. Moreover, the Error Correction Term is significantly negative, implying the convergence towards long-run equilibrium in case of any shock in the short-run. These results are consistent with alternative estimators and suggest the promotion of solar energy, implementation of stringent ecological policies, and climate technologies to achieve inclusive and sustainable growth. • Cross-sectional dependence, Slope heterogeneity and cointegration properties exist. • Energy is reducing the environmental pollution like CO2 for OECD economies. • Economic growth is a direct contributor towards sustainability issues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Given the alarming rate of ecological corrosion, countries around the globe are seeking ways of curtailing environmental deficits to attain future sustainability. In this quest for green development, economies are motivated to adopt eco-friendly practices that can assist in the fulfilment of resource conservation and efficiency to achieve green eco-systems. Keeping the importance of the concept in mind, the current study analyzed the influence of renewable energy transition, ecological innovation and environmental policy stringency on the ecological footprint of OECD economies from 1990 to 2017 under the theoretical concepts of the Environmental Kuznets Curve. Applying the advanced Method of Moment Quantile-Regression (MM-QR), the empirical findings reported the negative association of the studied green variables with the ecological footprint across all quantiles while also validating the Kuznets curve in the sampled sample economies. Moreover, the outcomes of heterogeneous panel causality revealed the uni-directional causal link from ecological innovation and renewable energy transition to ecological footprint. On the other hand, economic growth and policy stringency have been found to have feedback causal association with the ecological footprint. The study recommended the formulation of policies to syndicate countries' economic and financial tools with environmental and technological incentives to promote sustainable business operations and country-wide green awareness. • Increase in energy transition, eco-innovation and environmental policy reduce the levels of ecological footprint. • Environmental Kuznets Curve is validated in OECD economies. • Eco-innovation and energy transition cause environmental sustainability. • Economic growth and policy stringency have bidirectional causal link with ecological footprint. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, there has been rising global concern regarding the importance of achieving environmental sustainability. Consequently, researchers and policymakers have focused on identifying and evaluating the various elements that contribute to an individual's ecological footprint and environmental consequences. Therefore, this study provides an in-depth understanding of the roles of green technology, research and development (R&D), and environmental policies that help attain environmental sustainability in Ghana. The present study utilized both the nonlinear autoregressive distributed lag (NARDL) and autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) techniques to evaluate the long and short-run relationships between explanatory variables from 1990 to 2022. The study compares the results of NARDL and ARDL techniques. The findings reveal that the NARDL (0.999) analysis had a greater impact on the ecological footprint in Ghana than the ARDL (0.996) analysis. Under the ARDL technique, green technology has a negative impact on ECF in both the short and long run, and R&D also decreases ecological footprint (ECF) in the long run. Environmental policies had a negative impact on ECF in both the short and long run. Based on the NARDL approach, an adverse change in GT had a negative impact (0.004) on the ECF in both the short and long run. In contrast, a negative change in R&D has a negative impact (0.007) on the ECF in the short run, and a positive change in R&D negatively affects the ecological footprint in the long run. Notably, a positive change in environmental policies had a significant negative impact (0.040) on the ECF in the short and long run. This study suggests that policymakers should encourage and support the adoption and application of green technology and the development of robust environmental policies, as these measures can significantly contribute to decreasing the ecological footprint and fostering environmental sustainability. • This research assesses factors for attaining environmental sustainability in Ghana. • This study utilizes the ARDL and NARDL methodologies. • Research and development decrease ecological footprint. • Green technology can contribute to reducing ecological footprint in the long run. • Environmental policies decrease ecological footprint in the short run. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the context of global climate change and increasing population, transitioning to resource-efficient, environmentally friendly agricultural technologies is essential for sustainability. In this context, the present study is anchored in the theories of information asymmetry and bounded rationality. It constructs a tripartite evolutionary game model under market mechanisms and government guidance, facing the challenges of promoting green agricultural technologies among multiple actors. This model explores the strategic choices and dynamic evolution of these actors under economic incentives and risk perception. The objective of the research is to reveal the dynamic evolutionary trends of stakeholder behavior under different policy intervention conditions and how governments can propel the promotion of green agricultural production technologies through policy instruments. To encompass the impact of historical decisions on the evolutionary process of green technology dissemination, this study employs a Delay Differential Equations (DDE) algorithm that considers historical time lags in its numerical simulations. Through stability analysis and DDE numerical simulations, the research identifies factors influencing the promotion of green agricultural production technologies. The findings indicate that under market mechanisms, there is a risk of "market failure" in the dissemination model of green agricultural technologies. Government participation can provide external incentive support, effectively enhancing the stability and efficiency of the evolutionary game system for promoting green technologies. Simulation results further suggest that government intervention can significantly improve the stability and efficiency of technology promotion. Economies of scale, initial willingness, risk perception, and subsidy intensity are decisive factors in technology adoption. Consequently, policymakers are advised to formulate precise and multifaceted subsidy strategies based on the varying needs of different actors, to stimulate engagement, reduce risk, and encourage widespread adoption of green technologies. This study lays a theoretical groundwork for smallholders and family farms to overcome technology adoption barriers, crucial for sustainable agricultural development. It provides a framework for understanding and addressing these challenges, guiding policymakers in crafting effective green agriculture policies to improve farming efficiency and sustainability. [Display omitted] • This research investigates the impact of policy interventions on the adoption of green agricultural technologies. • We employ a tripartite game model and the DDE algorithm to analyze strategy evolution. • The study demonstrates that government involvement enhances the promotion of green technologies. • Implement a variety of subsidies to promote green technologies and support sustainable agriculture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metal halide perovskite materials have gained significant attention in recent years due to their potential energy and lighting applications. They are potentially vital materials for the current energy transition which aims to minimize the dependence on fossil fuels and limited land resources by the increased use of cost-effective and efficient renewable energy sources. The European Green Deal policy, which sets out its ambitions in the Chemicals Strategy for Sustainability, can help its transition to a Safe and Sustainable by Design (SSbD) development. In this context, we applied the SSbD approach to selected perovskite-based devices which are still in their development state, by assessing potential human health and environmental risks along their life cycle. We applied the SSbD approach in a tiered manner so that it aligns with successive Technology Readiness Levels (TRL) to help the innovators ensuring safety and sustainability aspects throughout the various stages of their product development. Thus, the SSbD assessment began right from the start of the development (TRL 1–2), when there can be (huge) gaps and uncertainty in the product knowledge, up to the later stages of higher TRL when the product knowledge is more abundant and certain. In our assessment, we mainly focused on the human health risk of the perovskite-based devices and considered the implications of environmental emissions of hazardous substances on the human health. We further bring attention to the alternatives which could help mitigate concerns over their safety and sustainability for a responsible technology development and deployment. Results of this study are important to understand the detailed sustainability assessment in which we look at multiple sustainability aspects and its potential future impacts due to technology scale-up in the future. • We assess human health and environmental risks of perovskites over their life cycle. • Application of perovskites in energy harvesting and lighting devices is assessed. • Assessment uses safe and sustainable by design approach in a tiered manner. • Flexibility in the use of available knowledge and data helps adoption by the industry. • Alternatives in material design can mitigate safety and sustainability concerns of the perovskites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]