Environmental Policy Instruments Research Articles

Regional climate change policies: An analysis of commitments, policy instruments and targets

Regional governments represent an increasingly relevant component in climate change policies, which showcase a high interest in the climate change sphere and provide several benefits connected with their governance. This study aims to shed light on this scale of governance by describing the climate change policies of 61 regions from all over the world and by analysing the possible connections between the regional environmental policy instruments and the level of mitigation and adaptation commitment. The results show that the regional governments of this work appear to be an active component in climate policy, since they all have their own GHG emission reduction targets, devise their own climate policies and instruments and participate in international climate networks. All regions have reported mitigation and adaptation commitments, with different levels of ambition. In addition, it is observable that while some regions (mainly the North) focus mostly on mitigation targets, other (the South) focus on adaptation. Finally, there does not seem to be a connection between the level of climate commitment and the preference for some policy instruments.

Environmental policy instruments and corruption

ABSTRACT In this paper we discuss the choice of taxation or regulation of environmental externalities. The subject might appear to be a well-trodden path, but we believe we have a new angle on this well-established question. We think we are being quite realistic when we assume that corrupt practices lurk behind every corner, threatening to derail the good intents of any regulator. With this starting point we compare the result of trying to impose taxation contra regulation in environments where the implementation in both cases will be marred by corrupt practices of under-reporting emissions and bribing inspectors. In a simple and stylized model of these circumstances we show that taxes tend to perform the same or better in the sense that a pollution tax induces greater compliance and lower pollution than does a regulatory standard. We also show that the advantages of a tax are particularly great in countries where the enforcement ability of authorities is weak, which is commonly thought to be the case in developing countries.

Challenges of implementing green procurement in public construction projects in Malaysia

Although the concept of green procurement is increasingly debated as environmental policy instrument that considers the impact of procurement as well as the purchasing process for the sustainability of project development. However, the concept in Malaysia is still in its infancy and facing various barriers and challenges to make a paradigm shift towards greener approach. Therefore, this paper tends to determine the challenges that hinder the green procurement implementation. In addition, this study aims to develop a roadmap for implementing green procurement in building and infrastructure projects. This could pave the road to establish a transformation plan that could gradually overcome the current challenges in order to reach to the holistic level. The study is based on a survey conducted in Malaysian organizations at which 100 organizations were surveyed to determine their perspective on 40 pre-determined challenges. A number of 89 questionnaires were returned and 76 were valid responses. Results revealed that an excellent consistency on the significance of the current challenges. These are mainly due to the higher upfront cost associated with eco-products and services, gap existence between policy formulation and actual project delivery, lack of legislation to introduce mandatory influence for green adoption.

Challenges of Implementing Green Procurement in Public Construction Projects in Malaysia

Although the concept of green procurement is increasingly debated as an environmental policy instrument that considers the impact of procurement on the sustainability of project development, however, the concept in Malaysia is still in its infancy and facing various barriers and challenges to make a paradigm shift towards a greener approach. Therefore, this paper tends to determine the challenges that hinder green procurement implementation in building and infrastructure projects. This could pave the road to establish a transformation plan that could gradually overcome the current challenges in order to reach the desired level. The study is based on a survey conducted in the Malaysian construction industry at which 380 corporations were surveyed to determine their perspective on 28 pre-determined challenges and their degree of significance. A number of 142 were valid responses. Results revealed that there is an excellent consistency in the significance of the identified challenges. Reducing the use of natural resources and related waste, minimizing the high cost of eco- products, integrating quality environmental management into planning and operation and achieving the value of money are among the important challenges. Achieving financial, environmental and operational impact of green procurement performance are also significant challenges.

Key Success Factors of Implementing Green Procurement in Public Construction Projects in Malaysia

In construction industry, sustainability is no longer an option but an imperative. It turns to be an essential element for project stakeholders. Although green procurement is an environmental policy instrument that considers the impact of procurement and purchasing process for the sustainability of project development. However, the concept in Malaysia is still in its early stages and encounters barriers to make a paradigm shift towards a greener approach. This paper tends to shed light on the key success factors and to develop a roadmap for implementing green procurement in building and infrastructure projects. This could pave the road for establishing a transformation plan that could gradually overcome the current challenges. In this study, 380 Malaysian corporations were surveyed to determine their perspective on 50 factors affecting procurement delivery. A number of 142 questionnaires were assessed as valid responses. Results revealed that there is an excellent consistency in the investigated factors which have been statistically analyzed. The significant factors can be categorized into themes namely, perception, organizational management, regulative, logistical, contractual, technical, strategic and financial factors.

Multi-criteria analysis of transport infrastructure projects

Planning, construction and operation of transport infrastructure are associated with a multitude of adverse effects on the environment. The Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) and Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) are important legal instruments of the European Union's environmental policy that allows for identifying, predicting, preventing, and mitigating and or compensating for these adverse effects. As part of the environmental impact assessment, variants of planned activities and investment projects are considered in order to select the option, which is the most favourable from the environmental point of view. The primary goal of this work is to examine the possibility of using multi-criteria methods in order to select the route variant most favourable for the environment. In the first stage, a review of global literature from 2010 to 2019 was conducted on the subject of MCDM/MCDA (Multi-Criteria Decision Making/Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis) methods used in transportation. Based on the review, it was proven that the most popular methods used to solve multi-criteria decision problems in the field of transport are respectively: AHP with modifications, TOPSIS, DEMATEL, as well as methods encompassed in the so-called European trend, i.e. PROMETHEE and ELECTRE. Four selected methods were used in the empirical part of this work. They were used to select the variant of the expressway section in north-eastern Poland and compare the result of the analysis with the choice made in the analyzed environmental impact report.

Selection of Policy Instruments on Integrated Care in China: Based on Documents Content Analysis.

Facing the aggravating trend of an aging population and a fragmented medical service delivery system, the Chinese Central Government has introduced a series of policies to promote the development of integrated care against the background of the “Healthy China Strategy”. The achievement of integrated care depends on the choice of policy instruments. However, few studies have focused on how policy instruments promote the practice of integrated care in China. This article aims to obtain a deeper understanding of the use of policy instruments in the development of integrated care in China. Policy documents are the carriers of policy instruments. National-level integrated care policy documents from 2009 to 2019 were selected. Using the qualitative document analysis method, this paper conducts an analysis of integrated care policy instruments. In order to comprehensively view the integrated care policy instruments, a three-dimensional analytical framework consisting of the policy instruments dimension, stakeholders dimension, and health service supply chains dimension is proposed. The results are as follows. (1) From the perspective of policy instruments, the integrated care policy has adopted supply-side policy instruments, demand-side policy instruments, and environmental policy instruments. Among the three types of policy instruments, environmental policy instruments are used most frequently, supply-side policies are preferred, while demand-side policy instruments are relatively inadequate. (2) As for the stakeholders dimension, the central policy instruments focus on the health service providers, while less attention is paid to the health service demanders. (3) In terms of health service supply chains, the number of policy instruments used in the prevention stage is the highest, followed by the treatment stage, whereas less attention paid to the rehabilitation stage. Finally, suggestions were made for the development of integrated care by better perfecting policy instruments.

Linking farmers' management decision, demographic characteristics and perceptions of ecosystem services in the Southern Pampa of Argentina

In the Pampean region of Argentina, uncultivated areas with spontaneous vegetation, such as the sierras (low hills), are important sites for nature conservation. In the last decades, the “agriculturization” process has generated different pressures on these areas and their fate depends on farmers' decision making. In order to understand the context of these decisions, it is important to know the farmers' demographic characteristics and perceptions of ecosystem services (ES). The aim of this study was to explore the link between farmers' management decisions and their demographic characteristics and perceptions of ES in one of the most intensively cropped areas in Argentina. Data were obtained from 40 semi-structured interviews with farmers from the Tandilia system in the Pampean region. A typology of farms was generated according to their management practices and then characterized by the farmers' demographic characteristics and perceptions of ES. The results show a typology of four groups of farms defined by the combination of eight management variables. The demographic characteristics of the farmers that have a strong perception of ES derived from the sierras were related to an emotionally and/or physically close connection with the farm (their parents were farmers, they were raised on the farm, they have worked there for many years, the farm is their place of residence, and it is a family farm). However, neither the farmers' demographic characteristics nor their perceptions of ES were related to their management decisions. This is explained by the fact that the agricultural model that characterizes the region generates different pressures on farmers and leaves them with little choice in the matter of productive management decisions. The information derived from this work could contribute to the design of guidance criteria for sound environmental management strategies and policy instruments for the conservation of biodiversity and the provision of ES in a context with particular ecological, social, and economic characteristics.

What determines regulatory preferences? Insights from micropollutants in surface waters

The ever-increasing consumption of pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, detergents and food additives puts aquatic ecosystems under strain. Accordingly, respective regulation of micropollutants in surface waters is an issue that not only needs to include the perspective of public actors and producers but also that of the consumers. Complementing existing literature on public perception towards environmental policy instruments, this study investigates how consumers assess the risks related to micropollutants in surface waters and what their regulatory preferences are for addressing this issue. Drawing on original survey data for Germany, we show that respondents perceive the presence of micropollutants in surface waters to be an issue worth addressing, mostly due to environmental concerns. The majority of respondents is aware that they share some responsibility regarding increased levels of micropollutants in surface waters. Main responsibility is attributed to the industrial and agricultural sector, however. Regarding potential regulatory measures to mitigate the entry of micropollutants into surface waters, respondents prefer command-and-control over market-based instruments.

Nudging in the Forests—the Role and Effectiveness of NEPIs in Government Forest Initiatives of Bavaria

This paper analyzes the use of new environmental policy instruments (NEPIs) and instrument mixes in government forest initiatives (GFIs), in Bavaria. It traces research questions on the repertoire of instruments applied and if an application of NEPIs leads to improving program effectiveness and legitimacy. In accordance with recent literature it assumes that GFIs, being developed and implemented for a long time in Bavaria, will make use of an instrument mix, including modern policy instruments; and that the use of such a mix of instruments would lead to improved effectiveness and legitimacy. The empirical paper aims to test these currently dominant theoretical thoughts and to contribute to further theoretical discussion with new empirical data, but it does not suggest a new theory. The primary data-basis for the analysis is qualitative interviews with 175 people from 16 GFIs, the selection of interviewees being based on social network analysis. The analysis uses an instrument typology as an analytical reference point and reveals that GFIs used a broad variety of instruments, both, traditional and new ones, to support and facilitate a range of activities in priority areas of forest landscapes, as expected. Some traditional instruments were modified for the use in GFIs only, other instruments were newly created for the purpose of GFIs, e.g., voluntary agreements between government forest administrations (AELFs) and private forest owners (PFOs). This supports assumptions from the theory that the most common forms of instrument integration would be layering and fusion. The paper also analyzes if the use of a mix of instruments by GFIs led to improving effectiveness and legitimacy, thereby contributing to a relevant question in the literature, because developing more complex policy instruments (NEPIs), is considered to help to avoid many problems of more traditional instruments in environmental governance. The analysis uses a set of theoretical elements, attributed to the use of NEPIs or modern instrument mixes, and compares these with actual empirical observations, to answer the question, if modern instrument approaches can lead to an improved program effectiveness and legitimacy. The paper concludes that the application of a modern mix of instruments did lead to an increase of short-term effectiveness, especially in road construction or improvement, but not to a noteworthy increase of long-term effectiveness, especially regarding forest conversion to increase forests’ climate resiliency, despite the application of nudging ‘in the forests’. Instead, nudging in the forests can result in increased conflicts and non-action, in some cases. Hence, the empirical evidence presented in this paper, does not (fully) support the assumption that a modern instrument mix would lead to improvements in effectiveness and legitimacy. It remains to be seen, if, in the longer-term, the improved road access would actually lead to more climate resilient forests; or what role natural hazards will play in this regard. Maybe, a more flexible design of the voluntary agreements and of eligibility criteria of funding schemes, could increase the share of forest owners, willing to participate and could enable processes of civic-knowledge integration and the development of more innovative, alterative-based, local solutions. Considering the strong, recent public engagement in climate change topics, this could be an opportunity to better integrate civil society to GFIs or to new forms of initiatives. A better integration of owners and society could also improve the legitimacy of GFIs, which is thwarted by the marginal participation of individual PFOs.

Environmental Legal Culture as a Factor in Ensuring Sustainable Development of Society

The purpose of the article is to clarify the role and importance of environmental legal culture in ensuring the sustainable development of society. Methodological basis of the research includes general theoretical principles of scientific knowledge (comprehensiveness, validity, complexity), which allowed to provide various aspects in the study of ecological legal culture. It is based on a complex combination of research approaches, the leading among which is integrative, as well as general scientific methods (formal-logical, structural and functional). Scientific novelty is to identify the essence and importance of environmental legal culture as one of the main factor for ensuring the sustainable development of society. Based on the analysis of scientific-theoretical approaches of the understanding of environmental culture, legal culture, environmental legal culture, as well as the current legislation and sources devoted to diagnostics of the effectiveness of the implementation of national environmental policy, it is substantiated that environmental legal culture is a complex integral category that includes a complex of interconnected cognitive, value and activity components, characterized by a certain level of environmental and legal knowledge and active activity in their practical reality ted; is a factor in the effectiveness of legal regulation of public relations in the field of environmental protection and an effective instrument of environmental policy in the country, and therefore a factor in ensuring the sustainable development of society.
 Keywords: environmental culture, legal culture, environmental legal culture, environmental policy, sustainable development.

Does emission trading scheme have spillover effect on industrial structure upgrading? Evidence from the EU based on a PSM-DID approach.

The coordinated development of environmental pollution and the economy has become a global problem. Emission trading scheme (ETS) has become a significant environmental policy instrument, prior studies primarily concentrated on micro-level factors with specific industries; there lacks discussion on the effects of ETS on macro-level industrial structure such as industrial structure upgrading. In this paper, we first use the propensity score matching (PSM) to screen out the control group in which countries are matched with the members of the EU, and then utilize the difference-in-differences (DID) method, to examine the effects of ETS implementation on national industrial structure upgrading in the members of the EU. Empirical results show that the EU ETS may does not have a significant impact on industrial structure change, while the implementation of EU ETS has significantly promoted the upgrading of the country's industrial structure, and the policy effect of EU ETS on industrial structure upgrading gradually increases as time goes by and there is a dynamic effect. The conclusions of this paper can be used as reference for the development of emission reduction policies in large countries with unbalanced internal development.

Content Analysis of Family Policy Instruments to Promote the Sustainable Development of Families in China from 1989–2019

Family policy involves a combination of policies enacted to address various family problems and improve the sustainable development of families. Evaluating family policy by considering policy instruments is conducive to optimizing policy allocation and promoting this sustainable development. This study constructs a two-dimensional analysis framework of policy instruments and policy themes and employs content analysis to conduct a quantitative analysis of 112 family policy texts issued by the Chinese government. The results show that the policy instruments used in China are not effective. The study also shows that environmental policy instruments are most frequently used, but the internal structure is unbalanced; supply-side policy instruments are moderately used; and the use of demand-side policy instruments is obviously limited. Policy themes focus excessively on “safeguard measures” and pay less attention to “parental welfare and protection”. Overall, China’s family policy is still in its infancy, as it focuses mainly on assistance and remains incomplete. Therefore, the parties responsible for the formulation of family policy should adjust and optimize the combinations of policy instruments that are employed are required to consider “general welfare”, and promote the two-dimensional integration of policy instruments and policy themes.

THE CURRENT STATE OF EUROPE'S ENVIRONMENTAL BURDEN DUE TO THE EMERGENCE OF A CIRCULAR ECONOMY

The aim of this article is to point out the tools and means used to improve circular economy in Slovakia and the European Union and at the same time to present possible variants of processing and reuse of products that are at the end of their life cycle. The first part focuses on the emergence and gradual transition from environmental policy to the circular economy. With the help of legislative initiatives of the European Union, it is possible to reduce and prevent extreme pollution of the air, water, earth. Environmental policy instruments that help to achieve the goal of environmental protection. It is feasible to set up the daily functioning of the whole society with minimal environmental pollution. This article deals with the modern direction, namely the circular economy called the circular economy. The given topic has recently been heard not only in the media, schools, state institutions, but also on social networks. The elaboration of this topic resulted from the topicality and the very expansion of the topic at present and the wide-ranging information of the public. It is important to note that in initiatives and promotion of the circular economy, there is an appropriate selection of literature, data and statistics.

Policy Instrument Choice with Coasean Provision of Public Goods

We examine the interplay between environmental policy instrument choice (i.e., prices vs. quantities) and private provision of public goods, which in this context we denote provision. Coasean provision captures private provision of environmental public goods due to consumer preferences for environmentally friendly goods and services, incentives for corporate environmental management, environmental philanthropy, and even overlapping jurisdictions of policy. We show theoretically that even in a world of perfect certainty, the presence of Coasean provision distinctly affects instrument choice, based on both the efficiency criterion and distributional consequences. We also generalize the analysis to account for uncertainty using the classic Weitzman (1974) framework. Our findings suggest that the increasing prevalence of Coasean provision motivates a need to rethink the design of effective and efficient environmental policy instruments. This arises because policy instrument choice can have a significant impact on the environmental commitments of individuals, companies, and states, and vice-versa, with clear implications for overall economic welfare and policy preferences among polluters, citizens, and government revenue. Institutional subscribers to the NBER working paper series, and residents of developing countries may download this paper without additional charge at www.nber.org.

Fortalecimiento de las Relaciones Intersectoriales e Intergubernamentales: Lecciones Aprendidas en el Proceso de Ordenamiento Ecológico Marino en México

Marine Use Planning (MUP) came up formally in Mexico as Environmental Policy Instrument in 1996. Through the National Environmental Policy for Sustainable Development of Oceans and Coast of Mexico issued in 2006, the Environmental and Natural Resources Secretariat (SEMARNAT) of Mexico encourages the formulation of Marine Use Plans. Considering the regional approach of this Plans, the relationships between stakeholders such as Federal and State Government (as public administration) and civil society, are essential in its formulation stages. Under this perspective and based on the learned experiences in the federal administrations (2000-2006 and 2006-2012), a non-exhaustive review on the way these relationships have been developed, and the main problems related to the coordination process between the involved sectors, is presented in this paper. Keywords: State government, federal government, marine use planning, integrated coastal zone management, policy instrument.

Patrimônio como direito, licenciamento como possibilidade: conhecimento e ampliação do patrimônio cultural diante da criação do licenciamento ambiental nos anos 1980

RESUMO O objetivo deste artigo é contribuir para as discussões sobre as perspectivas lançadas na década de 1980 para a preservação do patrimônio cultural, no que diz respeito a possibilidades de conhecimento de referências culturais, ampliação da noção de patrimônio e afirmação da diversidade de sentidos e agentes desse campo, no contexto de abertura política e retomada democrática. Nesse sentido, o destaque recai sobre o licenciamento ambiental - instrumento criado, no Brasil, no âmbito da Política Nacional do Meio Ambiente (Lei nº 6.938/1981). A proposta é analisar esse instrumento a partir daquilo que sistematiza sobre as relações entre desenvolvimento e preservação, natureza e cultura, como também sobre os riscos para bens culturais reconhecidos e não reconhecidos como patrimônio, num entendimento de patrimônio como ambiente, como direito e como recurso para a cidadania.

Choice of environmental policy instruments and welfare in middle-income countries: the case of Cote d'Ivoire

The purpose of this paper is to determine among pollution taxes, rules and combination of rules-taxes instrument, one that allows increasing welfare in MICs that face economic and environmental shocks. To do this, we used a dynamic stochastic general equilibrium (DSGE) model whose parameters are estimated on the Ivoirian economy by the Bayesian method. Results of welfare comparison under three regimes show, on the one hand, that when public abatement spending is effective, welfare under pollution taxes is higher than pure rules if shocks are strong. But when rules are combined with output taxes for public clearance spending (mixed instrument), welfare under this mixed instrument becomes better than pollution taxes regardless of the type of shock. On the other hand, when the government intervention is inefficient, welfare under pollution taxes is almost equivalent to pure rules but remains lower than the mixed instrument.

Choice of environmental policy instruments and welfare in middle-income countries: the case of Cote d'Ivoire

The purpose of this paper is to determine among pollution taxes, rules and combination of rules-taxes instrument, one that allows increasing welfare in MICs that face economic and environmental shocks. To do this, we used a dynamic stochastic general equilibrium (DSGE) model whose parameters are estimated on the Ivoirian economy by the Bayesian method. Results of welfare comparison under three regimes show, on the one hand, that when public abatement spending is effective, welfare under pollution taxes is higher than pure rules if shocks are strong. But when rules are combined with output taxes for public clearance spending (mixed instrument), welfare under this mixed instrument becomes better than pollution taxes regardless of the type of shock. On the other hand, when the government intervention is inefficient, welfare under pollution taxes is almost equivalent to pure rules but remains lower than the mixed instrument.

Koncepiranje integrisanog kreiranja politike - da li diversifikacija instrumenata zaštite životne sredine može da dovede do povećanja održivosti same politike?

Most urgent societal issues are crosscutting the boundaries of established jurisdiction. The conventional environmental policy domain is unable to achieve environmental objectives by itself, and each policy sector must integrate environmental objectives. For instance, the lack of clarity of how the integration of environmental objectives into energy policy has transformed and modified energy policy is the reason behind the low levels of integrated policy-making achieved. The present research attempts to clarify how the diversification of environmental policy instruments contributes to integrated policy-making. The present research explicitly confirms that that an increase in the extent of inclusion of environmental policy instruments within relevant policy domains increases to the extent of diversification of environmental policy instruments; that an increase in the extent of inclusion of environmental policy instruments within relevant policy domains and structures that coordinate and monitor efforts within relevant policy domains increases to the extent of diversification of environmental policy instruments; and, that an increase in the extent of inclusion of environmental policy instruments within relevant policy domains ultimately resulting in a cross-sectoral instrument blend results in the increase in the extent of diversification of environmental policy instruments.