Economic Instruments Research Articles

Economic instruments for reducing the use of plastic bags in the state of Pará, Brazil

The state of Pará has prohibied the sale and distribution of conventional plastic bags to mitigate their socio-environmental impact. This article aims to suggest economic incentives to assist State Law 8902/2019 in diminishing plastic bag consumption. This study employed the SWOT Matrix analysis to develop two economic instruments based on the externality precepts defined by Arthur Pigou and Ronald Coase. The initial proposal, derived from Pigou, involved of a “tax exemption for plastic recycling enterprises”, whereas the subsequente proposal, based on Coase, stipulated “offering discounts to customers who refrain from utilising plastic bags”. Both instruments demonstrated potential for yielding favorable outcomes when integrated with Law 8902/2019; nevertheless, their efficacy relies on an effective selective collecting system and the advancement of environmental education.

Consumer Support for Climate Policies Driven by Political Ideologies

Consumer support for climate policies is essential for new sustainable consumption patterns, which may face challenges considering the left-right political spectrum. This study aims to understand how different types of climate policies receive different levels of support from Liberals (Left), Moderates (Center), and Conservatives (Right). We analyzed data from an online panel with 1000 Brazilians through linear (ANOVA, MANOVA, and Correspondence Analysis) and non-linear predictive (Artificial Neural Networks) methods. Although Liberals are more concerned about overall global warming and climate change than Conservatives, both groups are more prone to support than to oppose climate change public policies. Moreover, while Moderates and Conservatives are getting more concerned about climate change, Liberals are becoming more pessimistic about mitigation strategies. Policies based on opportunity-facilitating or constraining using regulatory or economic instruments are associated differently with Liberals, Moderates, and Conservatives, indicating specific preferences for each political ideology.

Соціальний захист: термінологічне визначення, основи та засоби управління

Changes in social and economic relations that are rapidly occurring under the influence of various types of risks are causing the emergence of new challenges in the relations of the population with state and public entities. The importance of social institutions that are designed to provide material and psychological assistance to segments of the population different in age, gender and professional level is increasing. In the conditions of partial or sometimes complete loss of income by the citizens of the country, narrowing of the sphere of employment and consumption of socially important services, considerable attention is paid to the social protection of the population. The main purpose of this institution is to promote the maximum possible support of the quality of life, especially for the least protected sections of the population. At the same time, from an economic point of view, the importance of social protection is inseparable from its role in achieving an effective balance between the social and economic components of society, which imposes a certain responsibility on its social obligations and, therefore, an adequate understanding of functional boundaries. However, in the economic literature and in practice, social protection appears to be very simplified and, as a rule, is characterized by parametric indicators of assistance to the population. At the same time, the functional content of social protection as a systemic category, its connection with other social categories, in particular with social security, as well as with the budgetary, financial and economic instruments of society, escape the attention of researchers. In this regard, it should be considered relevant to specify the system of functions of the modern multi-subject management model and its inherent implementation mechanisms. The purpose of the paper is to determine the categorical essence of social protection of the population, its functional features among other segments of state social policy; substantiating the feasibility of using a multi-subject form of managing social processes that are important for the life of citizens. Novelty of the article lies in the classical understanding of the concept of social protection of the population. Its connection with the category of social security and the general process of social development of the population is revealed. The concept of multisubject management is structured as a system of interrelated measures to determine “centers of influence” on priorities, goals and fulfillment of tasks of social development of the population in the face of the onset of corresponding risks.

Assessment of psychological resilience in a large cohort of the general population: Validation and norm values of the RS-5.

Psychological resilience is known as a protective factor against mental health disorders for which valid measures are indispensable. The present work aims to evaluate the Resilience Scale-5 (RS-5) psychometrically, and provide norm values. Data from the Gutenberg Health Study (GHS), encompassing 7,496 participants aged 25 to 86, spanning the years 2017 to 2022, was used. Selectivity, item difficulty, internal consistency, construct and factor validity, as well as factorial invariance were tested. Additionally, correlations and associations with depression, anxiety, and sociodemographic factors were determined. Furthermore, norm values were provided. The RS-5 displayed robust psychometric properties. Participants reported an average resilience score of 28.94 (SD = 5.53, median = 30, IQR = 6, range = 5-35), with those aged ≥75 exhibiting the highest resilience levels (M = 30.21, SD = 5.75, median = 32, IQR = 7). The RS-5 displayed a very good model fit, affirming measurement invariance across sex and age decades. Construct validity found support through anticipated intercorrelations with related psychological constructs. Significant correlations (p < .001) linked higher resilience with female gender, advanced age, higher education, elevated household income, and diminished psychological distress. The RS-5 emerged as a reliable and economic instrument for assessing psychological resilience in individuals aged 25 to 86. The study unraveled distinct sociodemographic characteristics significantly tied to resilience levels within this cohort. In contributing recent norm values tailored to the German population, this research enhances the practical applicability of the RS-5 across diverse contexts and enriches our comprehension of the demographic nuances associated with psychological resilience.

Government procurement interventions as an economic and legal instrument to ensure a balance of interests of agricultural market participants

The sustainability of the agricultural sector of the economy is traditionally associated with a set of government support measures, among which public procurement interventions occupy a significant place. The article focuses on the importance of government procurement interventions for price regulation in the agricultural products market, which helps to ensure a balance of interests of its participants.The mechanism of public procurement transactions is considered, the problems of legal regulation are identified, including the lack of transparency in the selection of a procurement agent to the state intervention fund, the lack of a regulatory period for the start of public procurement transactions, and the difficulty of access to stock trading. Proposals have been formulated to improve the legal regulation of this sphere of relations.

Linking Tourist Willingness to Pay and Beach Management: A Travel Cost Analysis for Balandra Marine Park, Mexico

Balandra, one of the most popular beaches in La Paz, Baja California Sur, was declared a flora and fauna protection area in 2012, and in 2019, the Mexican government chose it as the best beach in Mexico during the Tianguis Turistico celebrated on that year. Because of this latter distinction, this beach currently faces overcrowding. Formulating effective management policies depends, to a certain extent, on the knowledge of their recreational value and visitor characteristics. Recreational value allows us to know the benefits of the tradeoffs among the ecosystem services and society and exhibit the value of possible damages to marine ecosystems, like the one caused in 2022 by the fire of a tourist boat inside Balandra. Using the individual travel cost method and applying 159 questionnaires to site visitors, the individual willingness to pay to access Balandra Beach was estimated, resulting in USD 11.11/day/visitor. Recreational economic value (REV) for Balandra was estimated using two essential criteria: first, the total visitors registered in 2021, and second, the daily maximum carrying capacity. Welfare recreational loss was also calculated, derived from the site’s two-month closure, using REV as a proxy. Finally, beach management options and possible environmental and economic policy instruments that could be implemented are discussed.

Environmental Taxes as a Path to a Green Transition

The integration of sustainability elements into all spheres of human activities is one of the primary initiatives of policymakers in individual European countries, but also in a broader international perspective. The transition towards more sustainable production-consumption models is now becoming a challenge for European countries. This shift is an essential part of the commitments and goals that the European Union has set itself in the medium and the long-term horizon. The future economic orientations of European countries will depend not only on the willingness and effort to use classical tools in the process of creating a green future, but especially on the level of knowledge of their appropriate implementation in practice. The paper is focused on the issue of the evaluation of selected economic instruments of environmental policy (environmental taxes) in the European area in the context of the transition to a green economy. The aim of the paper is to evaluate the use of taxes with an environmental aspect across European countries and to analyse the similarities in the process of their application towards green transformation. The need for a deeper knowledge and understanding of this area is essential in the context of the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals in the countries involved in the 2030 Agenda. Keywords: environmental taxes, sustainability, energy, transport, green transition

New Normative Values for the German Short Version of the Resilience Scale (RS-13)

In a representative survey conducted in Germany, normative values for the German short version of the RS-13 resilience scale were updated and compared with the data from a previous representative survey conducted in 2001. In a representative study conducted by the social science research institute USUMA GmbH in 2021, people aged 16 to 95 years (N=2,505) were randomly selected and interviewed by telephone. Data were compared to representative data collected in 2001 (N=2,045), and the influence of demographic variables on resilience was examined. The internal consistency of the RS-13 was α=0.92. Current norm data of the RS-13, differentiated by gender and age, were generated. Access to these data is provided by an online tool, which can be used for the norm-oriented interpretation of individual resilience values (http://rs13.shinyapps.io/RS13). In the current 2021 sample, the mean resilience score was significantly higher than in 2001 (d=0.28, 95% CI [0.22-0.34]). Age was significantly negatively associated with resilience, education and net household income showed a significant negative correlation. The RS-13 has good psychometric properties. Providing updated normative values of the RS-13 is justified due to the significantly higher scores in 2021 compared to 2001. The updated normative values allow for the comparison of future data with those of the German general population. In addition, the online tool can be used for the norm-oriented interpretation of individual resilience scores as part of diagnostic procedures. The RS-13 is a reliable, valid and economical instrument for assessing resilience in its theoretical understanding of a stable personality trait. Future studies investigating resilience should consider age, education and income as relevant influencing variables.

Некоторые выводы из анализа теории и практики управления экономикой в условиях жесткой схватки с неолиберализмом

This article attempts to systematically study the pseudo-market economy of the neoliberal type, which was operating in the country and which was actually subordinated to the interests of globalists with the help of financial and foreign economic instruments. On the basis of institutional analysis of the results of practical implementation of theoretical postulates of economic theory, the real efficiency (or rather, inefficiency) of the country’s economy, built as a raw materials appendage, as a technological backyard of developed countries, is clarified, and the conclusion about the need to restructure the entire economic mechanism, focused on the unconditional priority of national interests in socio-economic development is substantiated. The authors prove that real progress in the Russian Federation is associated with the transition to strategic management of the national economy, strengthening of centralized processes that allow to concentrate available resources on the main directions of economic and social growth, as well as strengthening the defense capability of the state in the conditions of hybrid war of the collective West against Russia. This is what should be the focus of the emerging model of management of the national economy, capable not only to resist economic pressure, but also to really ensure the achievement of national goals.

The technological transformation of the Russian energy sector forced by carbon regulation

RELEVANCE of the study lies in the assessment of the impact that various carbon regulation instruments stimulating the achievement of national climate goals have on the development scale of different electricity and heat production technologies in Russia.THE PURPOSE. To consider the change in the optimal technological structure of the electric power industry and district heating in Russia by 2050 assuming the introduction of various carbon regulation instruments in 2030.METHODS. We used the developed at ERI RAS system technological model EPOS for the optimization of the energy technology structure in the Russian energy sector according to the criterion of the minimum total discounted costs for energy supply to the economy until 2050.RESULTS. The article provides an analysis of the scale of changes in installed capacity and electricity production of various types of power plants in the UES of Russia, as well as changes in heat production of different heat supply sources by 2050 for 16 carbon regulation options and business-as-usual scenario. Also it describes the optimal technological structure in the electric power industry and district heating under the conditions of certain administrative, fiscal and economic instruments of climate policy. Carbon regulation options based on the corresponding increases in the installed capacity of power plants in the UES of Russia by 2050 are compared.CONCLUSION. Decarbonization of the electric power industry in Russia will mainly occur by expansion of nuclear energy, heat production – by deployment of electric boilers, taking into account current forecasts of scientific and technological progress. At the same time, for carbon regulation options leading to a greenhouse gas emissions reduction by 30% relative to 2019 level, nuclear power plants could become the new dominant technology in the structure of electricity production instead of gas thermal power plants. The total increase in installed capacity of power plants in the UES of Russia by 2050 may differ by almost seven times for various carbon regulation options. Among the climate policy options considered, emission quotation and carbon taxes have the strongest impact on the technological structure of the electric power industry and district heating in Russia.

TOPICAL ISSUES OF DOCTRINE AND COURT PRACTICE ON THE INTERNATIONAL RESPONSIBILITY OF THE STATE FOR THE ACTIVITIES OF FOREIGN NON-STATE ARMED GROUPS

The article examines the topical issues of doctrine and international judicial practice regarding the determination of the State's responsibility for international wrongful acts, in particular, those related to the activities of foreign non-State armed groups. The authors analyse the international legal framework of State responsibility for international wrongful acts, as well as individual criminal liability of individuals. The paper substantiates a set of economic and legal instruments for the implementation of international responsibility (reparations, satisfaction, restitution, economic sanctions) as a mechanism for ensuring compliance with international law by States. The study identifies the legal positions of the International Court of Justice, the International Criminal Court, the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia, the European Court of Human Rights and other international judicial institutions on the application of the concepts of "effective control" and "overall control" in judicial practice, as well as problematic issues of law enforcement.

Интересы Саудовской Аравии в Центральной Азии в контексте внутренних и внешних реалий

The article analyzes the interests of Saudi Arabia in the Central Asian region taking into account the internal modernization processes in the Kingdom and in the context of global geopolitical turbulence. It is proved that at the present stage Saudi Arabia makes a lot of efforts to gain a foothold in Central Asia as an influential player using its religious authority along with financial and economic instruments of influence. The emphasis is placed on the fact that with the coming to power of the young reformer King Mohammed bin Salman Saudi Arabia’s foreign policy in the Central Asian direction changed from religious identity to a pragmatic approach to interaction with the countries of the region. In this context, the Kingdom positions itself as an attractive economic and investment partner. It is emphasized that the main ideological competitor of Saudi Arabia in Central Asia is Iran whose regional activity alarms the Saudis and encourages the Kingdom’s leadership to develop measures to contain it. It is concluded that Saudi Arabia actively joined the geopolitical processes in Central Asia symbolizing a new stage of the “Big Game” and confidently tries to integrate into regional energy and transport and communication projects through its generous investment injections.

The Practice of Changing the Status of Change of Waqf Property in the Islamic Social Economic View

The purpose of this study is to reveal and analyze the practice of changing the exchange status of waqf assets in the view of the Islamic social economy. This type of research is included in qualitative research, which is derived from interviews and data observation. The source of this research data consists of primary data sources, namely researchers directly conduct interviews with the parties concerned in the process of exchanging waqf property at the At-Taqwa mosque, researchers also use secondary data sources, namely books, articles, and other reference materials. The results of the study explained that in the case of exchanging waqf property at Masjid At-Taqwa by Government Regulation Number 28 of 1977 and Law Number 41 of 2004. As for the aspect of Islamic Law, in the opinion of Imam Hanafi, if the waqf property can no longer provide benefits, it can be exchanged or replaced. On the contrary, according to the Shafi'iyah and Maliki Schools, it forbids all forms of exchange and replacement of waqf property under any circumstances. And according to Hanafiyah any form of exchange or replacement of all waqf objects depends on the power of the wakif at the time the pledge is pronounced by the wakif. The originality/novelty of this study offers originality by examining how changes in the status of waqf assets can affect people's welfare, both in terms of economics and society. In Islam, waqf is not only seen as charity but also as an economic instrument that can empower the community. Thus, a change in the status of waqf assets, for example from waqf land to commercial property, can have a significant impact on local economic empowerment.

Increasing Mustahik Welfare: The Role of Capital and Mentoring

Public welfare is the main goal of economic development in every country. One of the Islamic economic instruments that can be used to realise welfare in society is zakat. This study analyses the effect of productive zakat utilization in the form of capital and mentoring on mustahik welfare. This research is a quantitative research with Partial Least Square Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) analysis technique, with SmartPlS 4 software. The object of research is mustahik beneficiaries of the lapak berkah program. The sample used in this study was the entire existing population, namely 80 mustahik beneficiaries of the blessing stall programme. The results showed that capital has no effect on mustahik welfare. Furthermore, the assistance provided by zakat institutions has no effect on the welfare of mustahiks. This study measures the welfare of mustahik using the maqashid sharia method.

Áreas prioritárias na implantação de esquemas de Pagamento por Serviços Ambientais: Uma análise cienciométrica

Payment for Environmental Services schemes and programs emerge as economic instruments that aim to complement command and control instruments in environmental management. Due to their relevance and the need for allocation in places that can have the best performance, because they have a counterpart in financial resources, which are also scarce, research for the selection of priority areas is extremely important. To support researchers who aim to explore the line of research related to payment for environmental services, scientometric analysis presents the state of research in the area with measurement and quantitative analysis of bibliometric data, guiding the main sources and authors of reference and geolocating the scientific productions related to the subject. In the present research, a scientometric analysis and literature review was carried out with data from the Scopus and Web of Science databases, unifying the databases and analyzing the bibliometric information through the R-bilbiometrix interface, resulting in images, graphs, tables and maps that allowed an analysis of the state of the art and scientific research on the proposed theme. With the results, it was possible to observe the need for further studies on methodologies for selecting priority areas for PES schemes, as it is a fundamental tool for sustainable development

Understanding the Residential Water Demand Response to Price Changes: Measuring Price Elasticity with Social Simulations

Water pricing is an economic instrument traditionally used to reduce water demand. However, its effective implementation requires knowledge of the extent to which users reduce water consumption with increasing water prices. The price elasticity of water demand has been estimated using econometric regression, which relies on cross-sectional and time-series water data. As an alternative, we propose the use of agent-based modelling, which does not require reliable historical data on water prices and consumption and enables the simulation of multiple scenarios with different consumer profiles, behaviour profiles and water price changes, thereby allowing comprehensive understanding of price elasticity estimates. To illustrate the potential use of agent-based modelling for the estimation of water demand price elasticity, we performed an empirical application to a residential area in Chile. Price elasticity estimates ranged from −0.0159 to −0.1036 (mean −0.0250), indicating that residential water consumption is inelastic to price changes. This result is consistent with previous findings. Agent-based modelling is an alternative for the ex-ante assessment of the potential effectiveness of water pricing policies intended to reduce residential water demand.

The Impact of Globalization on Sovereignty of Nation-States

The term refers, in particular, to increased worldwide integrated trading and the enormous spread of international relations in general. Nonetheless, although it became an underlying influence on world politics and the transformation of universal states, it also brought about economic control and policy instruments into which states could no longer reach. Economic success would not only determine political power on the international scene but also trans/domestic politics. Nation-states were too small to have any influence because they could only coordinate policies that they could not influence on the international scene. It is another element of theory and practice that we think should require re-examination. The term has ethnic origins and originally meant "weighs globally". It can roughly be defined as the intensification of cultural, social, economic, and political relations across territories that have been or are part of different political units. Such relations became easier, faster, cheaper, and more frequent as a result of technological innovation in media, transportation, and communication. The concept of globalization has become an all-embracing phenomenon of the modern world. Its impact on states has generated a detailed debate about its role and significance for the nation-state. To understand the implications of globalization for the theory and practice of the state, it first requires some definition and understanding of the term.

Integrated Energy Systems Modeling with Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis and Stakeholder Engagement for Identifying a Sustainable Energy Transition

The aim of this paper is to present a decision support system (DSS) to capture the complexity of the transition of a national energy system to net zero in the context of multiple sustainability themes. The paper proposes an integrated assessment framework that combines dynamic systems modeling, sustainability indicators, and multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) with direct stakeholder involvement. To illustrate the use of the DSS, the paper compares bundles of climate change policies that aim to decarbonize the road transport sector in Iceland. Eighteen scenarios and alternative development trajectories are defined for the Icelandic energy system based on a combination of three main driving forces. These are, firstly, economic development (three cases); secondly, changes in energy efficiency (two cases); and finally, three climate policy bundles aimed at increasing the share of electric vehicles. Based on the results from the integrated assessment framework, the performance scores of the climate policy bundles are compared across the following five sustainability themes: social impact; economic development; environmental impact; energy security; and technical aspects. The findings confirm that a different conclusion may be reached when multiple sustainability themes are applied in the selection of preferred policy bundles as compared to conventional techno-economic criteria. Banning the registration of fossil-fueled vehicles, combined with economic instruments, offers the best decarbonizing strategy to reach climate and energy policy goals simultaneously.

Dithiothreitol-functionalized perovskite-based visual sensing array capable of distinguishing food oils

At present, the combination of fingerprint recognition methods and environmentally friendly and economical analytical instruments is becoming increasingly important in the food industry. Herein, a dithiothreitol (DTT)-functionalized CsPbBr3-based colorimetric sensor array is developed for qualitatively differentiating multiple food oils. In this sensor array composition, two types of iodides (octadecylammonium iodide (ODAI) and ZnI2) are used as recognition elements, and CsPbBr3 is used as a signal probe for the sensor array. Different food oils oxidize iodides differently, resulting in different amounts of remaining iodides. Halogen ion exchange occurs between the remaining iodides and CsPbBr3, leading to different colors observed under ultraviolet light, enabling a unique fingerprint for each food oil. A total of five food oils exhibit their unique colorimetric array's response patterns and were successfully differentiated by linear discriminant analysis (LDA), realizing 100% classification accuracy.

Legal and admisnitrative-management conditions of the operation of polish spa resorts

The article shows that the spa, as a territorial part of the municipality, determines the status of the municipality, its leading spa function, to which most of the important matters are necessarily subordinated. This applies, for example, to land use plans, development plans, environmental protection, construction, business development of the entire municipality, not just the part on which the resort is located. The aim of the work is to try to answer the question of what legal, administrative and organizational solutions will stimulate the effective functioning and development of Polish spas, under conditions of strong competition in the European market for tourism and spa services. An additional objective of the study is to identify the factors stimulating competitiveness and quality of tourism and spa services of customers of Polish spas. The evaluation of laundry and economic-administrative solutions was limited to the assessment of economic instruments and legal regulations found in national and EU government documents, directives and legal acts. The evaluation of current and projected solutions and changes in legal regulations takes into account the short and long term.