Environmental Policy Instruments Research Articles

Textual Analysis of China’s Environmental Policies from the Perspective of Policy Instruments

Environmental governance cannot be separated from scientific and rational policy guidelines, and content analysis of environmental governance policy texts helps to understand the characteristics of existing policies and improve policy design. Using policy bibliometric and content analysis, this study analyses the environmental governance policy texts issued by China’s central government from 2018 to 2023, constructs an analytical framework that combines types of policy instruments and environmental governance cycles, and is devoted to exploring the key hotspots, design features, and development logics of the policy system. The study finds that China’s environmental governance policy instruments show characteristics of the synergistic development of diversified regulatory instruments, but focus on the use of environmentally based policy instruments, with relatively few supply-based and demand-based policy instruments. Furthermore, they focus on the prevention of environmental pollution in advance, with relatively little attention paid to post-pollution governance and the construction of the governance guarantee system, and the use of economic instruments remains limited. Accordingly, this paper puts forward relevant policy recommendations to provide valuable reference and guidance for the future development of China’s environmental governance.

Social-ecological system trajectories of peri-urban watersheds based on a spatial analysis of vulnerability components: A case study in Mexico City, 1999-2039.

Urban periphery watersheds play a crucial role in providing diverse ecosystem services, especially hydrological services (HES), for society at different temporal and spatial scales; moreover, local populations directly influence ecosystem functionality through their decisions and actions. The interactions between social and ecological factors create social-ecological systems (SESs), whose trajectories continuously change in response to internal factors such as land use cover change (LUCC) and external factors such as climate change (CC). This situation influences the vulnerability of SESs in terms of exposure, sensitivity and adaptation capacity. In this study, the social-ecological vulnerability (SEV) of the periphery of Mexico City was investigated based on the Collaborative Protocol for Ecosystem Services Assessment and Social-ecological Vulnerability Mapping (ECOSER) and a quantitative method approach. For this purpose, spatial analysis was performed using the ecological and social spatial data for LUCC tendencies calculated for 1999-2019 and projected for short-term CC scenarios and using LUCC calculated for 2039 in trend-based (TREND) and restrictive (REST) scenarios. The results reveal that increases in the SEV in 2039 will be related to important decreases in the HES; furthermore, the REST scenario suggests decreases in the SEV due to decreases in the HES, assuming that environmental public policy instruments will be preserved in this region. The present work aims to contribute to decision-making for HES preservation at local and regional scales and to help develop adaptation strategies under LUCC and CC scenarios.

Forest fates: Unraveling the peri-urban social-ecological trajectories in Mexico City's conservation land.

Peri-urban areas provide multiple ecosystem services, but face critical challenges, including deforestation, unplanned urban sprawl, and environmental pollution and degradation. To address these issues, environmental public policy instruments have been implemented. This paper aims to investigate the social ecological trajectories of a peri-urban area of Mexico City and the role of environmental public policy instruments in addressing land use change. Focusing on four watersheds of the southern periphery of the city, we analyze land use change drivers through neural networks and Markov chains, and we develop two land use scenarios for the next 20years: one characterized by business as usual and another with a more restrictive land use regime. Our findings show that infrastructure drivers are the most critical factor overall, when combined with the historical social ecological trajectory of the study area. The impact of environmental public policy instruments on future trajectories demonstrates their potential to decrease deforestation. The results provide insights for the integrated territorial planning of peri-urban areas with similar social ecological dynamics and developing context.

Strategy towards sustainable energy transition: The effect of policy uncertainty, environmental technology and natural resources rent in the OECD nations

The stupendous increase in environmental pollutants alongside climate alterations are calling for integrated tasks at the global level to meet the Paris Agreements. Energy conversion from fossil fuel to renewable energy sources is an important step to address the adverse effects of extreme climatic conditions. This study explores the key contributors of energy transition in the context of the OECD countries during the period 1991 to 2019. To this end the major determinants chosen include natural resources rents, policy uncertainty, environmental technologies, environmental policies, income and globalization. The quantile regression technique is used to explore heterogeneous role of the contributory factors of energy transition across its different levels. This study applies method of moments quantile regression (hereafter MM-QR) by Machado and Silva (2019) that provides evidence on how the covariates affect the integral conditional distributions of energy transition. The study documents interesting findings. (i) Natural resources rents reduce the pace of the progress of sustainable energy transition in OECD economies. (ii) An escalation in the world uncertainty index leads to an improvement in energy transition index. (iii) Environmental technologies support the transition concerning cleaner and more efficient energy sources. (iv) Finally, as natural resources, uncertainty, environmental technologies, and globalization impacts energy transition differently, their effects need to be rationalized with varying environmental policy instruments. The study concludes that energy transition process requires the task of upgrading the quality of implementation of policies related to energy technology.

Analysis of the influence and coupling effect of environmental regulation policy tools on industrial green and low-carbon transformation

Industrial green and low-carbon transformation plays a crucial role in China’s efforts to achieve its Carbon peaking and Carbon neutrality objectives. The implementation of environmental regulation policies is a key institutional framework that facilitates this transformation. Therefore, it is of great importance to explore the impact and interplay of these policies on industrial green and low-carbon transformation to foster high-quality economic development. This study categorizes environmental regulation policy instruments into three types: command-type, investment-type, and expense-type. Using industrial panel data from 30 provinces in China spanning the period from 1997 to 2021, both theoretical analysis and empirical testing are conducted to investigate the effects of these different policy instruments on industrial green and low-carbon transformation. The benchmark regression results show that the impact of command-type environmental regulation and investment-type environmental regulation on industrial green and low-carbon transformation shows an inverted U-shaped feature of rising first and then declining. The impact of cost-based environmental regulation on industrial green and low-carbon transformation shows a U-shaped feature of decreasing first and then increasing. The coupling of command-type environmental regulation and investment-type environmental regulation, command-type environmental regulation and expense-type environmental regulation, and the coupling of the three kinds of environmental regulation can promote industrial green and low-carbon transformation. The mechanism test results show that the impact of formal environmental regulation on industrial green and low-carbon transformation has a transmission mode of “formal environmental regulation–green technology innovation path–green and low-carbon transformation.”

ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY IN THE PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION SYSTEM: CHALLENGES OF SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

Sustainable development is a key topic on today's global agenda due to the threats posed by climate change, environmental pollution, and other ecological issues. Governments and international institutions aim to achieve a balance between economic growth, social welfare, and environmental protection. In this context, new technologies and support for green innovations, which have the potential to enhance environmental safety, play a particularly important role. Effective public administration must adapt to these challenges by actively implementing environmental policies and promoting sustainable development. International cooperation is also critical for integrating global commitments into national strategies. The purpose of this article is to demonstrate how environmental policy can support sustainable development through the improvement of the public administration system. The study provides a detailed analysis of international legal frameworks that regulate environmental policy and sustainability in public administration. Based on a systems approach, the complex interrelationships between government, society, business, and environmental factors are explored, allowing for a deeper understanding of how these elements interact. Using Switzerland as an example, one of the leading countries in environmental governance, the article identifies key elements for integrating environmental principles into public administration. This example demonstrates specific approaches and tools that other countries can adopt. Additionally, the statistics highlight not only global trends in plastic production and consumption but also the number of countries that have implemented environmental policy instruments between 2010 and 2023. This helps assess the scale of environmental initiatives at the global level. A SWOT analysis was conducted to assess the strengths and weaknesses of existing environmental policies, as well as to identify opportunities and threats for future development. This analysis helped outline the key directions for improving environmental policy to further support sustainable development. As a result, it was found that environmental policy within public administration has significant potential for growth, but its success depends on the establishment of an effective monitoring system, the intensification of international cooperation, the adoption of advanced technologies, and active public participation.

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

Fostering organizational performance through innovation: The roles of environmental policy instruments, organizational learning supports, and intellectual capital

This study aimed to examine the key factors that influence entrepreneurial innovation and organizational performance, specifically focusing on the impact of environmental policy instruments, intellectual capital, and organizational learning. In the context of the resource-based view and institutional theory, the authors developed a comprehensive research model to establish hypotheses about the relationships between these factors. Utilizing a survey-based technique with random sampling, this study analyzes the complex relationships between variables by employing structural equation modeling. Data were obtained from 323 members of management teams from Vietnamese firms. The results emphasize the significant advantage of accruing intellectual capital and fostering organizational learning in response to the impact of environmental policy instruments on entrepreneurial innovation. Furthermore, integrating intellectual capital, entrepreneurial innovation, and organizational learning is shown to improve organizational performance. Entrepreneurial innovation plays a role in connecting organizational performance with intellectual capital and organizational learning. The study’s findings provide valuable insights for scholars and professionals, enhancing comprehension of complex interactions among various elements. Entrepreneurs can utilize these observations to develop inventive tactics that harness both internal and external resources to effectively promote innovation and improve business performance.

Design of Socio-Environmental ICMS in Pernambuco: Analysis of Legislative Progression and Environmental Mitigation Perspectives

Objective: Investigate the evolution of environmental legislation and the Socio-Environmental ICMS, analyzing its design and how it fits into the process of environmental mitigation and combating climate change in Pernambuco. Theoretical Framework: It sought to discuss the topic of public environmental management, ICMS Socio-environmental, conservation units and solid waste, sufficient to understand the context of the investigation. Method: Exploratory, qualitative study, descriptive analysis of environmental legislation and Socio-Environmental ICMS of Pernambuco during the period from 2000 to 2022. Data collection was through information contained in the portals of the Court of Auditors of Pernambuco, the Pernambuco Environmental Agency, in addition to the federal and Pernambuco Legislative Assembly. Results and Discussion: We identified 19 records relating to the country's environmental management and 15 relating to the Socio-Environmental ICMS in the state of Pernambuco. Among the main ones, we note the National System of Conservation Units, the National Water and Basic Sanitation Agency and the National Solid Waste Policy. This data contributes to the process of environmental mitigation and combating climate change in the state. Research Implications: Provide updated data that can be applied to research in the areas of environmental management in Brazil and Ecological Fiscal Transfer, specifically the ICMS Socioambiental of Pernambuco. Originality/Value: This study contributes to the literature by updating and consolidating the legal instruments of environmental policy in Brazil and the distribution of ICMS Socioambiental in Pernambuco.

Market response to environmental policy via public procurement: An empirical analysis of bids and prices

This paper studies the effect of Green Public Procurement (GPP) on competition, bids, and winning bids under two different regulation periods where the latter include more explicitly expressed GPP ambitions. Based on detailed data from Swedish internal cleaning service procurements, our results imply that environmental considerations might not influence the bids as required for GPP to be considered an effective environmental policy instrument. Over time, lower degree of competition and increased bids are found. This phenomenon can be attributed, at least in part, to regulatory influences, signifying an escalating complexity in the process of submitting bids.

A critical evaluation of the 2022 greenhouse gas mitigation quota in Germany from an environmental economics and policy perspective

This study aims at identifying the strengths and weaknesses of the Greenhouse Gas Mitigation Quota trading as an alternative to allowance trading and carbon taxes. Information was gathered from the websites and publications of the responsible authorities and relevant legal texts. Moreover, literature on comparable environmental policy instruments was analyzed based on predefined criteria. Assumptions were made to create models for assessing cost effectiveness, Pareto efficiency, and dynamic incentive effects. The results show that the Greenhouse Gas Mitigation Quota trading only partially meets the basic criteria of environmental effectiveness, cost effectiveness, and Pareto efficiency, and has further weaknesses regarding legitimacy and practical feasibility. In order to reduce GHG emissions from fossil fuels as efficiently as possible, a key policy priority should therefore be to adapt the Greenhouse Gas Mitigation Quota and to combine it systematically with other environmental economics policies such as a carbon tax.

Escaping poverty: changing characteristics of China’s rural poverty reduction policy and future trends

Eliminating poverty is a shared aspiration of people worldwide. This article analyzes 762 rural poverty-related texts promulgated and implemented by the Chinese Government since 1984 using content analysis based on a three-dimensional framework encompassing the time of policy issuance, policy goals, and types of policy instruments. The study outlines the overall landscape and evolutionary context of the policy system. The results show that, during absolute poverty governance, China’s rural poverty governance can be broadly divided into three stages: regional development-oriented poverty alleviation, comprehensive poverty alleviation, and targeted poverty alleviation. Based on the production-oriented welfare model, economic development became the primary goal of poverty alleviation policies, while insufficient attention was given to service support and capacity-building goals. The alleviation of poverty mainly relied on the propulsive force generated by supply-side policy instruments led by the Government and the external driving force generated by environmental policy instruments, with a significant deficiency in the propulsive force produced by demand-side policy instruments. Entering the phase of relative poverty governance, optimizing poverty governance policy instruments requires breaking free from path dependence, following the evolutionary pattern of poverty governance. It involves ensuring that policy instruments support economic development while emphasizing addressing service support and capacity-building goals. It is crucial to increase the frequency of using demand-side policy instruments, stimulate their pulling force on poverty alleviation, and achieve a trend of evolutionary innovation and the collaborative governance of policy instruments.

What Have we Learnt so Far About The Extended Producer Responsibility – Results of Bibliographic Review

Nowadays, the environmental impact of the manufacturing sector, particularly in terms of waste management, is receiving increased attention. In this context, extended producer responsibility (EPR) has become an essential environmental policy instrument for all European Union (EU) Member States. This policy principle has also garnered interest from other countries around the world, which recognize its importance. The EU has acknowledged the effectiveness of this instrument and seeks to enhance the sustainability and waste management practices within its manufacturing sector. The operational principles of EPR are regulated at the EU level collectively, while also allowing for individual definition by each Member State. It's important to note that these principles encompass measures primarily aimed at promoting waste prevention, reuse, recycling and other forms of recovery.The aim of this paper is to provide an in-depth insight into the operational principles of the EPR in the EU Member States, its application to different product groups and identify the existing challenges related to assessing the effectiveness of the EPR system via bibliographic review of scientific papers published in “Web of Science” indexed journals.

Incorporating diverse values of nature in decision-making-theory and practice.

Values play a significant role in decision-making, especially regarding nature. Decisions impact people and nature in complex ways and understanding which values are prioritised, and which are left out is an important task for improving the equity and effectiveness of decision-making. Based on work done for the IPBES Values Assessment, this paper develops a framework to support analyses of how decision-making influences nature as well as whose values get prioritised. The framework is used to analyse key areas of environmental policy: a) the present model for nature protection in market economies, b) the role of valuation in bringing nature values into decisions, and c) values embedded in environmental policy instruments, exemplified by protected areas for nature conservation and payments for ecosystem services. The analyses show that environmental policies have been established as mere additions to decision-making structures that foster economic expansion, which undermines a wide range of nature's values. Moreover, environmental policies themselves are also focused on a limited set of nature's diverse values. This article is part of the theme issue 'Bringing nature into decision-making'.

Behavioural instruments in environmental law and policy: Potential and challenges

AbstractThe behavioural revolution in law and economics led to the insight that command‐and‐control and market‐based instruments have limitations in bringing about behavioural change. Environmental behavioural instruments use persuasive strategies or techniques rather than direct incentives to encourage environmentally responsible decision‐making. This article investigates the potential and challenges of behavioural instruments in environmental policy based on a survey of theories and examples concerning environmental behavioural instruments. Behavioural instruments can reduce the information costs of environmental regulation while increasing self‐efficacy for environmental compliance. More importantly, behavioural instruments can be cheap and effective by activating various norms in specific contexts. However, the behavioural approach, because of its focus on individual compliance, may not be well suited to address (transboundary) externalities. Behavioural instruments are especially important in generating positive externalities by appealing to social norms. Such mechanisms are, however, less suited to internalising negative externalities. The effects of behavioural instruments may not be easily guaranteed (in the long run), especially when the environmental goal of the behavioural approach clashes with private interests or fails to consider individual differences and contextual factors. We therefore argue that behavioural instruments should be included alongside standard regulatory tools, thus reaching an optimal mix between both.

Synergies between biodiversity conservation and drinking water protection in an agriculture dominated landscape – Case study of the Lower Savinja Valley in Slovenia

The growing world population and global market competition are putting pressure on high-yield food production, reducing the space available for low-intensity agricultural practices that support high biodiversity. In search of synergies between different environmental policy instruments, the potential of drinking water protection zones (WPZ) for high nature value (HNV) farmland conservation and connectivity in the Lower Savinja Valley in Slovenia was examined. In drinking water protection zones, restrictions of fertilizer and pesticide use are enforced, which have demonstrated beneficial effects on biodiversity. Overall, HNV farmland covered 25.8% of the area, of which 6% was protected in almost equal proportions by Natura 2000 sites and WPZ. Zonation prioritization assigned higher average scores to cells in WPZ compared to Natura sites and unprotected areas indicating high value of WPZ for HNV connectivity. The proportion of WPZ receiving the highest Zonation prioritization scores ranged from 23% to 70% depending on connectivity scale. Simulation of conversion of arable to HNV farmland on WPZ added 58.2 ha, and increased overall HNV farmland cover in the Lower Savinja Valley from 25.8% to 26.3%, further reinforcing the importance of WPZ for connectivity. Drinking water protection zones under different levels of protection cover approximately 20% of the territory of Slovenia. Given their large extent, we suggest that when planning for HNV farmland conservation and ecological networks within intensive agriculture dominated landscapes, WPZ should be evaluated for their potential and integrated into planning. Analysis focused on the spatial configuration of HNV farmland but lacked information on habitat quality, species presence and management practices in WPZ. Further studies of the effect of WPZ management restrictions on biodiversity are needed.

Public acceptability of policy instruments for reducing fossil fuel consumption in East Africa

ABSTRACT In recent decades, there has been increasing research interest in individuals’ support of and resistance to climate and environmental policy instruments. However, there is an empirical bias in the literature, as few studies have been conducted in low-income countries. Based on a survey with 4,766 respondents we identify the level of public acceptability for climate policy instruments and their determinants in East Africa (Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda). While our sample is not fully representative of the East-African population, we capture highly educated individuals in urban areas, who are likely to have a large influence on policy processes. In line with previous studies in other contexts, we find that higher education and climate change concern are linked to the acceptability of policies aimed at reducing fossil fuel consumption. Specifying how the revenue from a climate tax or subsidy removal would be used, almost doubled the support for these policy instruments. In contrast to earlier studies, we find that investments in social programmes, not environmental programmes, was the revenue specification that increased the acceptability the most. One possible explanation would be that in a context where poverty is more prevalent, social issues are more salient to people. We also find weak associations between trust in government and the acceptability of climate policy instruments in East Africa and large heterogeneity across the five focal East African countries. Besides establishing an empirical foundation for future research on climate policy support in East Africa, the study provides essential policy insights: Investing in education and improved information, contributing to increased awareness and understanding of climate concerns, can potentially increase support for climate policy proposals also in the East African context. Earmarking revenues from climate policy instruments for social programmes may also significantly boost support. However, as our study is not fully representative of the population in the five countries and relies on stated preferences, which may be subject to different biases, the results should be interpreted with caution.

The impact of green finance policy on green innovation performance: Evidence from Chinese heavily polluting enterprises

Green innovation (GI) is increasingly recognised as an effective strategy for tackling climate change, mitigating environmental issues, and promoting sustainable development. Using panel data of the Chinese listed firms from 2007 to 2019, this study adopts the difference-in-differences approach to assess the impact of the green finance policy (GFP) initiated by the Chinese government in 2012 on the green innovation performance of firms. The findings reveal that the GFP significantly boosts the green innovation performance of heavily polluting enterprises (HPEs). Notably, this effect is more pronounced in state-owned enterprises and firms with high dependence on external finance. Compared with penalty-based regulations, incentive-based and voluntary environmental regulations demonstrate more significant moderating effects on the relationship between the GFP and green innovation performance for HPEs. We also identify improved efficiency in the usage of green investments as a potential mechanism through which the GFP enhances the green innovation performance of HPEs. Further comparative analysis shows that green enterprises can achieve simultaneous improvement in both the quality and quantity of green innovation, whereas HPEs predominantly exhibit enhancements in innovation quantity. To maximise the GFP's positive effects, it is recommended to facilitate more targeted bank lending towards HPEs to support their structural transformation. Additionally, the coordinated deployment of diverse environmental policy instruments is advised to exploit their synergistic effects.

Revenues from Environmental Taxes, with Emphasis on Pollution Taxes during the Corona Crisis

Improving the quality of the environment and reducing its pollution should be a global priority. Many countries are developing their environmental policies and trying to achieve their objectives through a variety of instruments. This paper highlights the application of economic instruments of environmental policy. It focuses on the analysis of environmental tax revenues in the European Union and in Slovakia, with a focus on the period of the Covid-19 pandemic. It then focuses on the analysis of a specific pollution tax in Slovakia, highlighting the factors that influenced its level.