Implementation Of Policy Instruments Research Articles

Survival of biomass and waste power generation: A global overview

Biomass and waste power generation holds the promise to secure electricity supply for a growing population and mitigate global warming simultaneously. Along with the increasing commission and installation of biomass/waste power units (BWPUs) across the globe, some BWPUs failures have been observed, including the cancellation of planned/commissioned BWPUs and the termination of those in operation before reaching their natural retirement. While empirical evidence suggests that factors like feedstock accessibility and policy instruments might affect the feasibility and performance of BWPUs, there is a lack of comprehensive investigation about why some BWPUs failed at the global scale. To fill this knowledge gap, this study quantifies the hazard ratio of BWPUs via a parametric survival analysis using a panel dataset covering a total of 12,829 BWPUs (relying on woody, non-woody, and waste biomass as raw feedstocks) located in 164 countries/regions worldwide for the period of 2001–2021. The analytical results suggest that large unit size is conducive to BWPUs failure, while feedstock accessibility and the implementation of policy instruments (including Feed-in-Tariff and carbon pricing) could largely reduce the hazard ratio of BWPUs, with varying impacts on BWPUs at the planned/commissioned stage or the operation stage, located in developed or developing countries. Our findings not only shed additional light on the fate of BWPUs, which is crucial to enriching our understanding about the development of the bioenergy sector worldwide, but also provide salient empirical evidence for policy-making in terms of ensuring feedstock accessibility, overcoming diseconomies of scale, and making fiscal instruments available and transparent to boost the confidence of investors and entrepreneurs in support of BWPUs development.

Internet Healthcare Policy Analysis, Evaluation, and Improvement Path: Multidimensional Perspectives.

Internet healthcare is a crucial component of the healthcare industry's digital transformation and plays a vital role in achieving China's Healthy China strategy and promoting universal health. To ensure the development of internet healthcare is guided by scientifically sound policies, this study analyzes and assesses current policy texts, aiming to identify potential issues and inadequacies. By examining 134 national-level policy documents, utilizing multiple research methods, including policy bibliometrics, content analysis, and the PMC Index Model, the study investigates policy characteristics, distribution of policy instruments, and evaluation outcomes related to internet healthcare. The study findings reveal that internet healthcare policies place emphasis on enhancing service quality, driving technological innovation, and promoting management standardization. Although policy instruments align with the current stage of internet healthcare development in China, they are plagued by imbalances in implementation. While policies are generally well-formulated, there are discernible discrepancies among them, necessitating the reinforcement and refinement of certain provisions. Hence, it is imperative to strategically optimize the amalgamation and implementation of policy instruments while concurrently endeavoring to achieve a dynamic equilibrium in policy combinations. Furthermore, policymakers should diligently refine the policy content pertaining to its nature and effectiveness in order to fully maximize policy utility.

Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure Policy Analysis in China: A Framework of Policy Instrumentation and Industrial Chain

As a strategic guarantee for the rapid development of electric vehicles, the construction and development of electric vehicle charging infrastructure (EVCI) is closely related to the industrial policies formulated by the government. This paper takes policy texts relevant to EVCI in China since 2014 as the research materials, taking policy instruments and the industrial chain as analysis dimensions. Policy content analysis is conducted to explore the EVCI policy content, structure characteristics of policy instruments, and evolution characteristics of EVCI policy in China. Our research reveals that China’s EVCI policy system is relatively perfect, but the use of policy instruments is not balanced and, in particular, is not coordinated with the EVCI industrial chain they supported. In this regard, the government should pay more attention to the use of demand-side policy instrument to enhance the driving force for the development of the EVCI industry. With more scientific and reasonable arrangement of the distribution and implementation of policy instruments in the EVCI industrial chain, the benign development of China’s EVCI industry can be promoted. This research contributes to strengthening the management and policy instrumentation of the central Chinese government, in order to support the realization of good governance of EVCI and the new energy vehicle development.

The effect of psychological bias on public officials’ attitudes towards the implementation of policy instruments: evidence from survey experiments

AbstractAs implementers, public officials have historically enjoyed substantial influence in the public policy process, but little attention has been paid to the effect of psychological elements on their attitudes towards implementing policy instruments. The authors argue that from a behavioural public administration perspective, public officials’ attitudes towards implementing certain policy instruments are not rational, but instead biased. Using two survey experiments on 1,024 Chinese public officials, this study examines the cognitive and motivational bias of public officials’ attitudes towards implementing policy instruments. The findings indicate that when public officials are presented with risk information in a negative framing, they are more reluctant to implement indirect policy instruments than direct ones, and this phenomenon becomes more pronounced when their public interest orientation is activated, rather than their personal interest orientation. The findings contribute to the theoretical understanding of the effect of psychological biases on public officials’ attitudes towards policy implementation.

What is wrong between ecological science and policy?

Ecological research is highlighting different kinds of issues concerning biodiversity conservation policies. Based on a historical study on protected areas, we suggest that these issues are not caused by a lack of knowledge or technical tools but rather by a misuse of ecological knowledge during the implementation of policy instruments in part driven by a lack of understanding of the mechanisms underlying the policymaking process. We believe that determining the conditions under which ecological science can enlighten policy decisions is now necessary to address current biodiversity conservation issues. This can only be achieved through the promotion of interdisciplinary research.

Policy instruments for environmental public goods: Interdependencies and hybridity

The mixture of public goods that arise from rural land is shaped by multiple policy instruments, such as regulations and economic incentives. Whilst there is a vast literature focusing on categories of policy instruments, there remains the need for a deeper exploration of the interaction between these instruments and the consequences for managing public goods in agricultural and/or forested landscapes. Therefore, we explore how policy instruments influence the mix of public goods provided by Scottish agricultural and forested areas, drawing on desk based and empirical research. Our data suggest that whilst environmental policy instruments in Scotland are designed to coordinate – i.e. not to conflict – with each other, the design and implementation of instruments often go beyond this. We find that many instruments are hybrid and/or rely on interactions with other instrument types (interdependency) to achieve their objectives. This seems well understood by those involved in the implementation of policy instruments. In light of these results, we argue that the literature about types of policy instruments must evolve to explicitly acknowledge interdependency and hybridity: these concepts can become starting points for understanding how public goods can be governed in a more systemic way. Our work also draws attention to the need to study policy instruments ‘on the ground’ in order to understand their role and use in the wider debates about new environmental governance. Finally, while the idea of interdependency and hybridity brings challenges and even resistance by some who design policy, it may also help to overcome the existing policy implementation deficit between the aims and achievements of environmental policies.

Opinión pública y percepción sobre la conservación de la reserva ecológica estatal Estero San José del Cabo y su zona de influencia / Public opinion and perception on the conservation of Estero San José del Cabo state ecological reserve

El objetivo de esta investigación es conocer el grado de conocimiento de la población que vive y/o trabaja en la zona de influencia del Estero San José del Cabo sobre la conservación del área, así como su opinión y percepción sobre el desempeño y trabajo del gobierno sobre acciones para la conservación. Durante 2014 aplicó una encuesta cualitativa y cuantitativa. Los resultados muestran que 93% conoce lo que es un ANP, 77% percibe beneficios al vivir/trabajar cerca de un ANP, solo 38% conoce la existencia del programa de manejo, 36% percibe que sus actividades económicas y sociales fueron afectadas tras la creación del ANP, 23% percibe mejora en oportunidades de empleo; 74% opina que la vigilancia de los administradores es nula, 65% de ellos perciben que no se invierten recursos financieros, humanos e infraestructura para el manejo de la reserva. Finalmente 52% opinan que la aplicación de instrumentos normativos y sanciones administrativas es nula.

Causal dynamic effects in regional systems of technological activities: a SVAR approach

This paper analyzes the causal relationships in regional technological systems within a structural vector autoregression framework. Applying a data-driven independent component analysis, it shows how the regional dynamics of economic, research, innovation and educational activities affect each other instantaneously and over time. By matching differently classified data on employees, patents and graduates, the analysis is based on a unique database which embraces multi-dimensional aspects for five clearly separated industries. The findings on how industry specific growth processes unfold are explained by referring to the type of industry and its knowledge base. For instance, it is found that more engineering-oriented industries like machine tools show a success-driven pattern, whereas science-based industries show a stronger dependence on universities. Such knowledge on the causal relations is of utmost relevance to the design and implementation of policy instruments.

Theory-based policy evaluation of 20 energy efficiency instruments

Realizing a 20% energy efficiency improvement in Europe by 2020 requires the introduction of good new energy efficiency policies as well as strengthening and enforcing the existing policies. This raises the question: what characterizes good and effective energy efficiency policies and their implementation? Systematic ex post evaluation of energy efficiency policies can reveal factors determining not only what works and what does not but also explain why. Ex post evaluation of 20 energy efficiency policy instruments applied across different sectors and countries in Europe among others showed that ex post evaluation does not yet have a high priority among policy makers: Often, quantitative targets and clear timeframes are lacking, and monitoring information is not collected on a regular basis. Our analysis, however, did reveal some general factors in the process of design and implementation of policy instruments that appear as important including (1) existence of clear goals and a mandate for the implementing organization, (2) the ability to balance and combine flexibility and continuity, (3) the involvement of stakeholders, and (4) the ability to adapt to and integrate adjacent policies or develop consistent policy packages. The analysis was performed using a uniform methodology called “theory-based policy evaluation”. The general principle behind this approach is that a likely theory is drawn up on the program’s various steps of logic of intervention to achieve its targeted impact in terms of energy efficiency improvement. The approach has several benefits over other ex post evaluation methods because (1) the whole policy implementation process is evaluated and the focus is not just on the final impacts, (2) through the development of indicators for each step in the implementation process, the “successes and failures” can be determined to the greatest extent possible, and (3) by applying this approach, we not only learn whether policies are successful or not but also why they succeeded or failed and how they can be improved.

Economic and policy instrument analyses in support of the scrap tire recycling program in Taiwan

Understanding the cost-effectiveness and the role of economic and policy instruments, such as the combined product tax-recycling subsidy scheme or a tradable permit, for scrap tire recycling has been of crucial importance in a market-oriented environmental management system. Promoting product (tire) stewardship on one hand and improving incentive-based recycling policy on the other hand requires a comprehensive analysis of the interfaces and interactions in the nexus of economic impacts, environmental management, environmental valuation, and cost–benefit analysis. This paper presents an assessment of the interfaces and interactions between the implementation of policy instruments and its associated economic evaluation for sustaining a scrap tire recycling program in Taiwan during the era of the strong economic growth of the late 1990s. It begins with an introduction of the management of the co-evolution between technology metrics of scrap tire recycling and organizational changes for meeting the managerial goals island-wide during the 1990s. The database collected and used for such analysis covers 17 major tire recycling firms and 10 major tire manufacturers at that time. With estimates of scrap tire generation and possible scale of subsidy with respect to differing tire recycling technologies applied, economic analysis eventually leads to identify the associated levels of product tax with respect to various sizes of new tires. It particularly demonstrates a broad perspective of how an integrated econometric and engineering economic analysis can be conducted to assist in implementing policy instruments for scrap tire management. Research findings indicate that different subsidy settings for collection, processing, and end use of scrap tires should be configured to ameliorate the overall managerial effectiveness. Removing the existing boundaries between designated service districts could strengthen the competitiveness of scrap tires recycling industry, helping to reduce the required levels of product tax and subsidy. With such initial breakthroughs at hand to handle the complexity of scrap tire recycling technologies, there remains unique management and policy avenues left to explore if a multi-dimensional solution is to be successful in the long run.

Use of models to assess the reduction in contamination of water bodies by agricultural pesticides through the implementation of policy instruments: a case study of the Voluntary Initiative in the UK

Through normal agricultural use, pesticides may reach environmental water bodies via several routes of entry. Various policies and initiatives exist to reduce the effects of pesticides in the environment. One such initiative in place in the UK is the Voluntary Initiative (VI). The VI is a voluntary scheme put forward by the Crop Protection Association with other crop protection and farming organisations to reduce the environmental impacts of pesticides. Mathematical models of pesticide fate can usefully be applied to examine the impact of factors influencing the contamination of water bodies by pesticides. The work reported here used water quality models to examine how changes in farmer behaviour could potentially impact pesticide contamination of environmental water bodies. As far as possible, uncalibrated, standard regulatory models were used. Where suitable models were not available, simple models were defined for the purposes of the study and calibrated using literature data. Scenarios were developed to represent different standards of practice with respect to pesticide user behaviour. The development of these scenarios was guided by the Crop Protection Management Plan (CPMP) aspect of the VI. A framework for the use of modelling in the evaluation of the VI is proposed. The results of the modelling study suggest that, in several areas, widespread adoption of the measures proposed in the VI could lead to reductions in pesticide contamination of environmental water bodies. These areas include pesticide contamination from farmyards, spray drift and field runoff. In other areas (including pesticide leaching to groundwater and contamination of surface water from field drains) the benefits that may potentially be gained from the VI are less clear. A framework to evaluate the VI should take into consideration the following aspects: (1) groundwater is more at risk when there is a combination of leachable compounds, vulnerable soils, shallow groundwater and high product usage; (2) surface water contamination from drains is most likely when heavy rain falls soon after application, the soils are vulnerable and product usage is high; (3) surface water contamination from drift is most likely when the distance between the spray boom and water body is small and product usage is high; (4) surface water contamination from farmyards is dependent on the nature of the farmyard surface, the competence of the spray operator and the level of product usage. Any policy or initiative to reduce pesticide contamination should be measured against farmer behaviour in these areas.

Environmental weed control policy in Australia: current approaches, policy limitations and future directions

Plant invasions of natural systems threaten biodiversity and ecosystem processes across many biomes. Historically most plant invasions have been facilitated by human activities such as industry, transport and landscape modification. Consequently, both causes and management of weed invasion are dependent on human behaviour and management advice provided by ecologists needs to take account of this fact. This paper assesses current environmental weed control policy in Australia and asks: are government, land managers and the scientific community using available social levers to achieve optimal weed management? We do this by comparing aspects of weed policy with a generalized natural resource policy framework. Adequacy of issue characterization and policy framing are discussed with particular reference to public perceptions of the weed problem, policy scaling and defining policy principles and goals. The implementation of policy Instruments, including regulation, VOluntary incentives, education, Information, motivational instruments, property-right instruments and pricing mechanisms are reviewed. Limitations of current instruments and potential options to improve instrument effectiveness are discussed. Funding arrangements for environmental weed control are also reported: environmental weed invasion generally represents an external cost to economic markets which has resulted in relatively low funding levels for control operations. Finally, review and monitoring procedures in weed programmes and policy are addressed. Rigorous monitoring systems are important in effective, adaptive weed management where control techniques are continually refined to improve ecological outcomes. The utility of maintaining links between project outcomes and policy inputs along with methods of implementing appropriate monitoring are discussed.

Trends and gaps in biotechnology policies in European Member States since 1994

Most European national policy systems have gradually intensified their efforts in supporting the development of the biotechnology knowledge base and its industrial application. Aim of the paper is to increase understanding of the national approaches to promote biotechnology in Europe, to explore heterogeneity and general trends in the design and implementation of policy instruments, and finally to identify the gaps of national innovation policies since 1994 in Europe. The paper analysis policy intervention in the 4 main networks of the biotechnology innovation system: the knowledge base, the industry, the financial system and the market.

Public sector support for innovating SMEs

Innovation support for SMEs is considered from the point of view of the "needs" of SMEs in the context of a specific regional economy – London's Lee Valley region. As identified in the literature and, more specifically, in a survey of 100 innovating SMEs in the study region, attention is focused on the innovation support needs that relate to the size characteristics of SMEs. The difficulties of financing innovation are shown to stem from the attitudes of SME owner managers as well as from supply-side failures. The paper examines four different innovation support instruments, taken as constituting key elements of the support "system" within the region. Drawing on the findings of interviews with client businesses, the paper considers the strengths and weaknesses of each policy instrument. Conclusions relate to the overall impact of innovation support provision, in particular the need for greater integration in the design and implementation of policy instruments.