Environmental policy in vertically related markets with cross-ownership: emission taxes, standards, and permits

Microplastics (MPs) and nanoplastics (NPs) are emerging contaminants widely distributed across terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. This review synthesizes current understanding of their sources, environmental fate, transport pathways, and ecological effects, while critically evaluating existing risk assessment approaches and identifying key knowledge gaps. Terrestrial soils function as major sinks and secondary sources, transferring plastics to freshwater and marine systems via runoff, erosion, and atmospheric deposition. In aquatic environments, particle behavior is governed by size, density, aggregation, and biofouling, influencing vertical distribution and biological exposure. Evidence demonstrates ingestion, physiological stress, and trophic transfer across multiple taxa; however, environmentally realistic dose–response relationships remain uncertain. Major uncertainties concern nanoplastic detection, chronic and multigenerational impacts, and interactions with co-occurring stressors. Current ecological risk frameworks are limited by methodological heterogeneity and sparse nanoplastic data. Advancing harmonized monitoring methods, long-term field studies, and integrative risk models is essential for translating scientific knowledge into effective environmental management and policy.

Environmental health challenges in the twenty-first century increasingly arise from the interaction between atmospheric pollution, plastic contamination, and climate change. This study examines the impacts of air pollution and microplastic exposure on environmental health using a quantitative descriptive approach combined with a systematic literature review based on secondary data. Scientific articles were retrieved from PubMed, Scopus, and ScienceDirect, resulting in 156 initial publications, of which 38 studies met the inclusion criteria and were analyzed. The synthesis integrates global datasets from the World Health Organization, Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, OECD reports, and national environmental statistics. Findings indicate that ambient air pollution contributes to approximately 6.67 million premature deaths annually, with average PM₂.₅ exposure reaching 29 µg/m³, substantially exceeding the WHO recommended limit of 5 µg/m³. Global plastic production increased dramatically from 2 million tons in 1950 to 460 million tons in 2021, while only 9% of plastic waste is recycled, facilitating the formation of microplastics detected in human blood, lungs, and gastrointestinal samples. Plastic production also generates approximately 1.8 gigatons of CO₂ emissions annually, strengthening the linkage between pollution and climate change. The results highlight synergistic environmental health risks arising from combined exposure to particulate pollution and microplastics, emphasizing the importance of integrated environmental health policies and climate mitigation strategies..

Abstract Biodiversity indicators, such as temporal trends in relative species abundance, are essential to report on the status, pressures and responses of biodiversity and to guide environmental policies. These trends are often estimated from datasets collected from standardised, long‐term and large‐scale biodiversity monitoring schemes thanks to volunteer‐based citizen science including volunteers with a broad range of naturalist skills. However, the involvement of the general public, predominantly considered as non‐experts, in the observation and inventory of biodiversity raises questions about data quality and reliability. Here, we focused on three nationwide butterfly monitoring schemes involving volunteers with varied naturalist skills in France and the United Kingdom. For each scheme, the temporal trends and interannual variations in abundance of 20 common species/species groups were estimated. Then a detailed analysis was conducted to ascertain which features related to butterfly biology, ecology or the protocols' characteristics best explain the differences in species trends or interannual variations between schemes involving expert naturalists and those relying on the general public. Similar interannual variations between schemes were found for generalist, migratory and easily recognisable butterflies, but no variable explained differences in temporal trends. In addition, considering species groups when it is difficult to distinguish species reliably did not yield poorer results than considering individual species. The considerable amount of data collected by volunteers regardless of their naturalist expertise can be used to generate reliable and robust species biodiversity indicators, including hard‐to‐access locations such as private gardens, something that traditional methods or expert data cannot capture.

Global, industrialization-driven environmental bottlenecks push manufacturing enterprises toward green transitions; yet, the information asymmetry between central and local governments, and between enterprises and banks, hinders this process. Adopting a systemic–synergistic perspective integrating decentralized governance and green credit, in this study, we investigate the green transition decisions of manufacturing enterprises. We construct a quadrilateral evolutionary game model involving the central government, local governments, enterprises, and banks, employing MATLAB R2022b to simulate the effects of the key parameters. Subject to the model’s structural assumptions and parameter boundaries, three core findings emerge: first, we find that punitive environmental policies outperform incentive-based instruments in driving enterprise emission reduction; second, we find that the adaptive adjustments made by decentralized governance can effectively facilitate green practices among enterprises; third, within this framework, we find that green credit exerts a non-monotonic impact on enterprises’ green transition behaviors; meanwhile banks’ assessments of enterprises’ environmental risks can indirectly promote enterprise abatement by motivating local governments through signal transmission. This study underscores the systemic synergy of decentralized governance and green credit, offering insights for multistakeholder coordination and policy optimization to advance organizational sustainability transitions for the green economy.

This article examines the role of the Institute for Economic and Social Research (LPEM) at the University of Indonesia as a university-based think tank operating at the boundary between academic research and economic policy-making. Using a conceptual framework on think tanks and epistemic communities, and drawing on two case studies—fuel subsidy reform in 2005 and investment climate reform in the early 2000s—the article traces how LPEM has influenced policy debates and reform trajectories in Indonesia. We show that LPEM’s influence has not rested on formal authority or ideological advocacy, but on its capacity to translate empirical analysis into policy-relevant arguments, often through close engagement with state actors. The article argues that LPEM’s approach reflects a pragmatic ‘political economy of the possible’, shaped by institutional constraints and shifting policy environments rather than fixed doctrine. The findings contribute to the literature on think tanks by highlighting how university-based institutions in developing countries can shape policy through credibility, continuity and sustained engagement.

Private housing project failures in Malaysia have emerged as a significant concern with profound implications for industrial project management efficiency and economic stability. This study develops a comprehensive strategic framework aimed at enhancing industrial project management practices and strengthening policy resilience, drawing critical lessons from the systemic failures observed in Malaysia’s private housing sector. Using a mixed-methods approach that integrates quantitative insights from 195 industry stakeholders and qualitative findings from 13 expert interviews, the framework synthesizes principles from project management theory, stakeholder theory, and institutional governance. It addresses five interrelated dimensions: strategic planning, resource optimization, proactive risk governance, multi-stakeholder engagement, and regulatory modernization. The findings reveal that failures in private housing projects are underpinned by fragmented planning, financial vulnerabilities, weak regulatory enforcement, and inadequate stakeholder coordination, equally relevant to broader industrial and infrastructure contexts. By proposing integrative strategies such as the adoption of digital project monitoring systems, standardized compliance protocols, and collaborative stakeholder platforms, this study contributes to enhancing operational efficiencies and fostering a more resilient policy environment. Ultimately, the framework offers actionable pathways not only to mitigate project abandonment risks but also to advance sustainable industrial practices, safeguard economic interests, and support Malaysia’s transition towards a more robust and circular construction economy.

ABSTRACT Why does corporate greenwashing persist, even amid intensifying environmental regulation? This study addresses this paradox by examining the Vertical Reform of Environmental Agencies (VREA), a major institutional restructuring in China that centralized environmental regulatory authority and strengthened the independence of local environmental enforcement. Exploiting this reform as a quasi-natural experiment, we find that the VREA significantly curbs ESG-related greenwashing behaviour. We identify three mechanisms driving this effect: enhanced regulatory scrutiny, heightened reputational and compliance sensitivity among politically connected firms, and increased perceived risk among firms with prior violations. The reform’s impact is more pronounced among non-state-owned enterprises, financially constrained firms, and those operating in regions with a speculative culture; in contrast, larger firms and those led by environmentally experienced executives exhibit a muted response. Our findings highlight that beyond the design of environmental policy instruments, the institutional configuration of regulatory authority plays a critical role in shaping corporate disclosure incentives. By restructuring bureaucratic power and weakening local protectionism, vertically integrated governance can serve as an effective institutional constraint on opportunistic sustainability disclosures.

Strategic Emerging Industries (SEIs) are a critical driver of China’s green transition and high-quality development; however, the Ecological and Environmental Effects of Firm Entry and Exit remain insufficiently explored. Based on micro-level data of Chinese SEI enterprises from 2009 to 2023, this study employs kernel density estimation and a panel fixed-effects model to construct a five-dimensional ecological environment evaluation system under the PSDRP framework and to examine the spatio-temporal evolution characteristics of Firm Entry and Exit and their Ecological and Environmental Effects. The results indicate that SEI enterprises exhibit agglomeration in the Eastern Region and gradual diffusion toward the Western Region, with exit activities showing higher spatial concentration. Firm Entry generates stage-specific constraining effects on the ecological environment, whereas Firm Exit alleviates ecological Pressure and enhances Resilience. Significant regional heterogeneity is observed, forming a pattern of optimization in the Eastern Region, improvement in the Central and Western Regions, and greater adjustment challenges in the Northeast Region. This study provides empirical evidence for differentiated and coordinated industrial–environmental policy design.

Introduction The Mediterranean Sea is one of the world's most extensive biodiversity hotspots, yet its biodiversity is increasingly degraded due to environmental pressures and socio-economic activities, particularly fishing. Although a comprehensive policy framework exists to balance socio-economic needs with environmental protection, tensions persist due to limited integration among relevant policies and institutions. Mediterranean fisheries provide substantial socio-economic benefits, but overfishing remains a critical challenge. Against this background, this paper examines the integration of marine environmental and fisheries policies in the Mediterranean. Methods The study adopts a multi-scale case study approach, covering the full Mediterranean regional level and two national contexts: the Italian North Adriatic and the French Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region. It employs a mixed qualitative methodology combining literature and policy reviews with semi-structured interviews, focus groups, and ethnographic research. The analysis focuses on coherence between European Union and regional Mediterranean policies, as well as their implementation at the national level in French Mediterranean and Italian northern Adriatic waters. Results The analysis identifies key challenges in policy alignment and persistent tensions between biodiversity conservation and fisheries management at the policy level. Both the EU's Common Fisheries Policy and the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean incorporate environmental objectives and coordinate with environmental policies and institutions. However, this coherence at higher policy levels diminishes during implementation due to entrenched sectoral silos, power dynamics, varying levels of political will, and differences in available funding. Discussion These findings highlight ongoing difficulties in achieving effective marine policy coherence in the Mediterranean. The dilution of high-level policy alignment during implementation underscores the need for stronger enforcement, enhanced cross-sectoral coordination at both institutional and stakeholder levels, and more adaptive governance mechanisms. Addressing these issues is essential to better safeguard Mediterranean biodiversity while balancing socio-economic objectives.

ABSTRACT Strategies for solid waste management have been widely implemented to alleviate resource limitations and mitigate environmental harm; nevertheless, research on their efficacy and the mechanisms by which they influence urban land green-use efficiency is still limited. Utilizing China’s Zero-Waste City pilot program as a quasi-natural experiment, we assemble panel data for 284 prefecture-level and higher cities from 2010 to 2024 and assess policy impacts via a staggered difference-in-differences methodology. The pilots markedly improve the efficiency of green land use in urban areas, with estimates robust to placebo tests, various outcome measures, exclusion of the four centrally governed municipalities, propensity score-matched difference-in-differences, instrumental-variable specifications, and double machine learning techniques. Mechanism testing indicates three channels: increased green technological innovation, reduced per-capita municipal solid waste collection, and enhanced environmental regulatory intensity. The heterogeneity analysis reveals that the effects are more pronounced in cities with lower industrial development; regionally, the impact is most substantial and statistically significant in western China, positive yet weaker in the central region, and minimal and statistically insignificant in eastern cities. This research connects solid-waste governance to land-performance outcomes, enhancing the body of literature on environmental policy and land-focused green transformation.

Purpose This study aims to develop a theory-based framework for sustainable third-party logistics (3PL) provider selection by drawing on the resource-based view (RBV), transaction cost economics (TCE) and stakeholder theory. It addresses the research gap between sustainability theory and practical decision-making in logistics outsourcing, focusing on the Turkish machinery industry as an emerging-market setting. Design/methodology/approach An exploratory study was conducted using a theory-based framework and analytic hierarchy process (AHP) analysis based on expert evaluations. First, a conceptual framework was developed based on a comprehensive literature review. Then, the AHP was applied to prioritize sustainability-related 3PL selection criteria across economic, environmental and social dimensions. Data were collected from a panel of 10 experienced logistics decision-makers in Turkey's machinery sector using pairwise comparisons. Findings The study finds that economic criteria dominate the 3PL selection process, with cost, quality and reliability ranked as the most influential sub-criteria. Environmental and social dimensions followed, with environmental legal and policy frameworks, green packaging, and health and safety receiving relatively high priority. These results suggest that sustainability considerations are gaining attention, while cost efficiency remains the dominant concern in the studied context. Research limitations/implications The study is exploratory and limited by a small expert sample size and industry-specific focus. The use of AHP, while effective for preference structuring, does not incorporate empirical performance data. The proposed theoretical model requires further empirical validation across broader contexts. Practical implications The findings provide a structured basis for practitioners to integrate sustainability considerations into 3PL selection processes. The study offers insights for managers in emerging market settings aiming to balance cost efficiency with environmental and social performance when outsourcing logistics operations. Social implications The research draws attention to social sustainability elements – such as worker safety, community engagement and employee rights – which remain underexplored in logistics decisions. Promoting these factors can lead to stronger stakeholder alignment and improved corporate responsibility outcomes. Originality/value This study examines sustainable 3PL provider selection in the Turkish machinery industry by applying established theoretical lenses – RBV, TCE and stakeholder theory – to structure and interpret sustainability-related criteria. Rather than proposing a new theory, the study provides context-specific empirical evidence on how firms prioritize economic, environmental and social considerations when selecting 3PL providers in a capital-intensive manufacturing sector that is closely linked to European markets. By combining a theory-informed framework with AHP-based expert judgments, the study contributes exploratory insights into the trade-offs firms face between cost efficiency, regulatory compliance and workforce-related social concerns.

Ecosystem restoration is increasingly recognized as a sustainable climate change mitigation strategy, yet global estimates of its carbon sequestration potential widely vary. Modeling-based studies differ in assumptions over key restoration aspects, including restorable areas and restoration outcomes. Many assume recovery of carbon stocks to pristine levels, an expectation not supported by empirical evidence. They also focus primarily on forests and biomass, with limited attention to soil organic carbon (SOC). Here, we estimate the global SOC sequestration potential of forest and grassland restoration by combining current SOC levels on degraded land areas available for restoration with empirically derived SOC increase factors at the ecosystem scale. We provide spatially explicit estimates of SOC sequestration potential, absolute and per hectare. We also assess the carbon sequestration potential achievable under national forest restoration pledges across four major resolutions. With 1223 million hectares (Mha) of degraded land globally, the SOC sequestration potential is 38.5 GtC, of which 35.1 GtC (IQR 30.4–39.3 GtC) in forests and 3.4 GtC (IQR 2.6–4.2) in grasslands. National pledges cover 133 Mha, whose restoration could sequester 4–5.5 Gt of SOC. We show that there is a large unexplored theoretical climate mitigation potential of restoration globally. Environmental policies targeting Southeast Asia and South America, where potential is high and pledges are low, are particularly promising.

Correction: From data to decisions: a gap in screening-level decision support for pharmaceutical environmental policy

The Parkinson's pandemic: prioritizing environmental policy and biological resilience via the gut.

Financial volatility increasingly challenges firms to maintain operational sustainability; yet the mechanisms through which cash flow uncertainty (CFU) shapes environmental practices remain unclear. Based on an international unbalanced panel of 14,798 firm-year observations (2010–2021), this study analyzes how CFU affects waste generation and recycling. Panel regression models are employed, complemented by robustness checks using generalized method of moments (GMM) estimations to mitigate endogeneity concerns. The findings suggest that higher CFU is associated with lower waste generation at the source due to more disciplined resource allocation, alongside higher recycling levels, reflecting a strategic response to operational risk and stakeholder expectations. Moreover, these effects are amplified in contexts characterized by stricter environmental policy stringency, the existence of corporate social responsibility committees, and sustainable supply chain management, underscoring the importance of institutional and organizational settings in shaping environmental operational outcomes. Overall, the results indicate that financial uncertainty can act both as a constraint and a catalyst, encouraging more efficient and circular practices. This study offers novel empirical evidence on the operational implications of CFU, providing valuable insights for managers and policymakers aiming to align financial management with sustainable and resilient production strategies.

Combating natural disasters is an eternal challenge for human survival and development. As a manifestation of the integrated development of disaster management and social security, the soundness of core disaster relief policies profoundly impacts China's disaster prevention, mitigation, and response capabilities, as well as its public safety assurance capacity. Examining provincial-level core disaster relief policies in China can provide valuable insights for future policy adjustments and improvements. This study employs policy instruments as its analytical framework. Utilizing Nvivo software, it coded 42 provincial-level policy documents and constructed a two-dimensional analytical structure—environmental policy instruments and supply-oriented policy instruments. Findings reveal that while most provinces (municipalities) currently possess core policies in disaster relief, there exists uneven application of policy instruments and imbalanced allocation of resources. With the introduction of the comprehensive security and emergency response framework, China's public safety governance has entered a new developmental phase. Provincial (municipal) disaster relief policies should be updated accordingly, integrating information technology to achieve comprehensive enhancement of disaster prevention, mitigation, and relief capabilities..

Environmental intensities of consumption reveal synergy between welfare and environmental policies beyond income effect

Retirement without rest: A qualitative study of retired teachers' motivation from prestigious universities to support less prestigious universities in China.

Integrating multi-timescale energy storage into net-zero electricity systems under evolving technologies and policy environment: Insights from the United Kingdom’s case study