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• This paper empirically investigates the relationship between Environmental, Social, and governance (ESG) controversies and bank profitability. • We analyze an unbalanced panel sample of european banks between 2015 and 2022, implementing the GMM-SYS version of the arellano-bond estimator for dynamic panels. • The study results indicate that banks featuring more ESG controversies perform better in terms of return on assets (ROA), return on equity (ROE), and net interest margin. • This sheds light on the potentially opportunistic behavior of credit institutions, which appear to prioritize profitability over ESG controversies. This paper empirically investigates the relationship between Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Controversies and bank profitability. We analyze an unbalanced panel sample of European banks between 2015 and 2022, implementing the GMM-SYS version of the Arellano-Bond estimator for dynamic panels. The study results indicate that banks featuring more ESG controversies perform better in terms of Return on Assets (ROA), Return on Equity (ROE), and Net Interest Margin. This sheds light on the potentially opportunistic behavior of credit institutions, which appear to prioritize profitability over ESG Controversies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Separate waste collection and landfilling represent two key outcomes of waste management. Italy recently observed major shifts in waste targets. Regional policymakers, in charge of devising waste management plans, have been required to review their strategies, in view of the transition towards circular economy. This work proposes a theoretical framework that outlines the policymaker's problem and estimates regional efficiency in waste management using Data Envelopment Analysis on time series data. We find that the target shifts reduced efficiency in the short run, but encouraged the circular economy transition over time. Current waste management regulations need to consider regional heterogeneity when setting targets and constraints. • Targets for Separate Waste Collection and landfilling have been introduced in Italy. • Simultaneous pursual of both targets fosters the transition towards circularity. • This work outlines and solves the environmental policymaker's problem. • Using DEA, we estimate efficiency in waste management for Italian regions. • The targets reduced efficiency in the short run but fostered circularity over time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pro-environmental behaviours have been studied extensively in the economic literature, with particular regard to the effects induced by unemployment. A key element that was little investigated in previous contributions consists in intrahousehold dynamics. This work provides a novel microeconomic framework describing the interaction between economic cycle and intrahousehold time allocation that is ultimately responsible for the adoption of pro-environmental behaviours. Intrahousehold differences in productivity represent a key assumption in this framework. The theoretical model is then tested empirically on recent Italian observations using Data Envelopment Analysis. Our results indicate that the most efficient allocations are attained in periods when joint drops in unemployment and female labour market participation (added worker effect) lead to intrahousehold specialisation. • We evaluate the relationship between PEBs and unemployment considering the intrahousehold dynamics. • We describe the PEBs by considering the interaction between economic cycle and intrahousehold time allocation. • The Intrahousehold differences in productivity represent a key assumption in proposed framework • We empirically test the theoretical model using time series techniques on recent Italian data and DEA • The results show that the most efficient allocations is linked to the intrahousehold specialisation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • We partition Italian municipalities into homogeneous groups with similar features. • To form the groups, we use the drivers of separate waste collection. • The quality of local institutions emerges a key variable in this procedure. • Morphology, cultural consumption and the income also play a major role. • The municipalities of Veneto, Campania and Sardinia achieve remarkable results. Abstract The European Commission identifies separate waste collection as a primary factor in its sustainable development strategy. The EU Member States are expected to achieve a separate waste collection rate of 50% by 2020. Although Italy is not very far from such target, it features wide regional variation in the extent of separate collection. Municipal administrations are the key managerial units for the implementation of the environmental policy. By means of the Classification and Regression Tree Analysis, this work assembles Italian municipalities (NUTS-4) into homogenous groups, that share common characteristics with respect to geographic, economic and socio-cultural covariates. Three benchmark regions are identified, i.e. Veneto, Sardinia and much of Campania. The results achieved in these areas depend on the joint action of citizens and institutions and may inspire local-level waste management policies in other areas of the country. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, LGBT + communities have obtained significant victories in terms of recognition and civil rights in Western countries. Nonetheless, various forms of discrimination are still common, and a wide extent of variation is observed in societal attitudes towards LGBT + people. Several reasons may explain this heterogeneity, including religion. This work proposes a novel measure of tolerance towards LGBT + people, i.e. the Queer Friendliness Index, based on microdata drawn from a survey of citizen perception in Italy. Subsequently, we analyse the effect of active religious participation on the degree of tolerance towards LGBT + communities. To address self-selection among parish members, we resort to the Heckman procedure. We find that religious participation, reinforcing traditional values and creating strong relational ties among parish members, distorts the marginal effects of the socio-economic determinants of tolerance, producing an adverse effect. This problem may explain the large territorial differences observed across Italian macro-areas. • We study the relation between religious participation and attitude towards LGBT + people. • To measure societal attitude towards LGBT + people, we build the Queer Friendliness Index. • Religious participation is a form of bonding social capital that decreases the Index in Italy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The region of Campania in Southern Italy features high levels of socio-economic deprivation and low levels of environmental quality. A vast strand of the scientific literature has tried to verify whether poor environmental quality and widespread socio-economic deprivation might explain the high cancer mortality rates (CMRs) observed, especially in the municipalities – infamously labelled as the 'Land of Fires' – that were hit most severely by the crisis. While some studies managed to identify links between these two confounding factors and cancer mortality, the evidence is overall mixed. Interesting information may be drawn from the observation of municipal data: in spite of previous claims, some municipalities featuring high environmental quality and low socio-economic deprivation also display high CMRs, while other Campanian municipalities facing disastrous environmental and socio-economic conditions are characterised by low CMRs. These figures, in contrast to common sentiment and previous studies, need to be investigated thoroughly in order to assess the exact role of the confounding factors. In this work, we aim to identify the municipalities where confounding factors act as driving forces in the determination of high CMRs through an original multi-step analysis based on frequentist and Bayesian analysis. Pinpointing these municipalities could allow policymakers to design targeted and effective policy measures aimed at reducing cancer mortality. • This work studies Cancer Mortality Rates (CMRs) at the municipal level in Campania. • We identify environmental quality and socio-economic deprivation as confounding factors. • A multistep analysis is proposed to assess the role of the Confounding Factors (CFs). • Using Bayesian methods, we find that the CFs drive municipal differences in CMRs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The European Regional Policy supports the most disadvantaged regions of the EU, aiming to foster a long-run convergence process. Between 2007 and 2013, the EU devoted substantial resources to low-income convergence regions, covering about one quarter of the EU population. Like other disadvantaged areas, Southern Italy received conspicuous funding. This work attempts to evaluate the effect of the intensive funding on local labour market participation across the convergence regions of Southern Italy, using a Diff-in-Diff identification strategy in a Dynamic Spatial Framework. An element of strength in this study is represented by the NUTS-3 dataset employed, drawn from official records. Controlling for socio-economic covariates, autoregressive components and spatial spillovers, the results obtained show a negative impact of the intensive EU funding on labour market participation. Many reasons may account for this phenomenon, ranging from poor targeting and monitoring, to the distortionary effects of the funds, to the strategic behaviour of the national government. • The EU Regional Policy granted intensive funding to convergence regions in Southern Italy. • We aim to identify the effect of the intensive funding on labour market participation. • Our strategy is a Diff-in-Diff approach in a Dynamic Spatial Framework on NUTS-3 data. • The funding has a negative effect, even controlling for time persistence and spatial spillovers. • A revision of the funding schemes is called for. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]