Limited Policy Research Articles

Are Governmental Policies an Effective Way to Reduce Agricultural Carbon Emissions? An Empirical Study of Shandong in Main Grain Producing Areas of China

In the context of global and national carbon reduction targets, agricultural carbon emissions have become a critical focus. As global food demand increases, numerous agricultural policies have been implemented. Faced with limited policy resources, evaluating the impact of these policies on agricultural carbon emissions and production is essential. This study examined the relationship between food production and agricultural carbon emissions during the stage of agricultural development in Shandong Province, one of China’s major grain-producing regions, using the decoupling model. Additionally, the coupled coordination model was employed to assess the specific influence of agricultural policy clusters on this transformation. The results indicate that Shandong is transitioning from high-input, extensive farming to green, low-carbon, modern agriculture, with most cities shifting from strong negative decoupling to strong decoupling. Over time, the role of agricultural policies in driving this shift has grown more significant. Future policymaking should prioritize the overall quality of agricultural producers and maintain a continuous focus on sustainable, green development. Ensuring that policy directions align with evolving stages of agricultural development and adjusting them in real-time will be crucial.

Revolutionising the ready-made garments firms in Bangladesh: strategies for transformative change towards sustainable product innovation

ABSTRACT Ready-Made Garments (RMG) firms, particularly in developing economies such as Bangladesh, struggles to integrate sustainability into its operations and product innovation. Limited supportive policies and institutions exacerbate this challenge, hindering the industry's ability to produce high-standard and globally competitive sustainable products. Drawing on case studies of Bangladesh’s RMG firms, this qualitative paper aims to identify potential strategies and commitments to drive transformative change in the RMG firms towards sustainable product innovation. It addresses the main questions on the drivers of transformative change in sustainable product innovation, as well as firm leadership responses to sustainable development. Key findings from key informant interviews (KII) and focus group discussions (FGD) indicate drivers and strategies for transformative change towards sustainable product innovation in five dimensions: sustainability practices, market demands, firms’ commitments and initiatives, policy and regulatory framework, and technology and innovation. The findings of the paper highlights policy insights and leadership roles that contribute to a comprehensive understanding of the crucial factors and guidelines for initiating transformative changes in the RMG firms towards sustainable products. Also, a framework with insights from stakeholders is developed based on the findings to provide leadership guidance and recommendations for companies in the RMG sector and other related industries.

Unlinkable Policy-Compliant Signatures for Compliant and Decentralized Anonymous Payments

Privacy-preserving payment systems face the difficult task of balancing privacy and accountability: on one hand, users should be able to transact privately and anonymously, on the other hand, no illegal activities should be tolerated. The challenging question of finding the right balance lies at the core of the research on accountable privacy that stipulates the use of cryptographic techniques for policy enforcement. Current state-of-the-art systems are only able to enforce rather limited policies, such as spending or transaction limits, or assertions about single participants, but are unable to enforce more complex policies that for example jointly evaluate both, the private credentials of sender and recipient, situations that occur in cross-border payments, let alone to do this without auditors in the loop during payment. This severely limits the cases where decentralized virtual assets can be used in accordance with regulatory compliance such as the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) travel rule, while retaining strong privacy features. We present unlinkable Policy-Compliant Signatures (ul-PCS), an enhanced cryptographic primitive extending the work of Badertscher et al.~(TCC 21). We give rigorous definitions, formally proven constructions, and benchmarks using our prototype developed using CharmCrypto which gives the first insights into feasibility of PCS. Unlinkable PCS has the following unique combination of features: 1) It is an enhanced signature scheme where the public key encodes in a privacy-preserving way the user's verifiable credentials (obtained from a credential authority). 2) Signatures can be created (and later publicly verified) by additionally specifying a recipient's public key aside of the to-be-signed message. A valid signature can only ever be created if the attributes $x_S$ of the signer and the attributes $x_R$ of the receiver fulfill some global policy $F(x_S,x_R)$. 3) The signature can be created by the signer just knowing the recipient's public key; there is no further interaction needed and no information is leaked (beyond the validity of the policy). 4) Once credentials are obtained, a user can generate fresh public keys without interacting with the credential authority. By merging the act of signing a transaction with the act of providing an assurance about the involved participants being compliant with complex policies, yet retain that participants are able to change public keys without the involvement of an authority, we formally show how ul-PCS is a step towards improving regulatory compliance of privacy coins such as Monero or Zcash.

Engendering Rural Tourism as a Viable Strategy for Poverty Alleviation and Rural Development in the Southern Tourist Circuit of Tanzania

This article employs a systematic literature review to present the need to innovate and engender rural tourism as a viable strategy for poverty alleviation in the Southern Tourism Circuit of Tanzania—one of the regions with many rural tourist opportunities that are unexplored and yet to be utilized to transform local peoples’ livelihoods. The study explores why the circuit is underdeveloped in terms of rural tourism as compared to other tourist circuits and maps the existing rural tourism opportunities in the region. The impacts of colonial legacy, limited financial capability, policy issues and poor infrastructure are the main factors for the under-exploitation of tourist resources in the southern circuit. Rural tourism assets such as natural, cultural, agritourism/farm-based, and culinary assets in this circuit still need to be utilized. Innovation and utilization of these rural tourism opportunities could be one of the appropriate strategies to improve residents’ livelihoods. Rural tourism could help to boost individual economies and government revenues and enhance community development. The study highlights the importance of effective collaboration among stakeholders and multisector linkage while putting the local community at the core of rural tourism.

Efficient Multitask Reinforcement Learning Without Performance Loss.

We propose an iterative sparse Bayesian policy optimization (ISBPO) scheme as an efficient multitask reinforcement learning (RL) method for industrial control applications that require both high performance and cost-effective implementation. Under continual learning scenarios in which multiple control tasks are sequentially learned, the proposed ISBPO scheme preserves the previously learned knowledge without performance loss (PL), enables efficient resource use, and improves the sample efficiency of learning new tasks. Specifically, the proposed ISBPO scheme continually adds new tasks to a single policy neural network while completely preserving the control performance of previously learned tasks through an iterative pruning method. To create a free-weight space for adding new tasks, each task is learned through a pruning-aware policy optimization method called the sparse Bayesian policy optimization (SBPO), which ensures efficient allocation of limited policy network resources for multiple tasks. Furthermore, the weights allocated to the previous tasks are shared and reused in new task learning, thereby improving sample efficiency and the performance of new task learning. Simulations and practical experiments demonstrate that the proposed ISBPO scheme is highly suitable for sequentially learning multiple tasks in terms of performance conservation, efficient resource use, and sample efficiency.

Study on the Selection of Recycling Strategies for the Echelon Utilization of Electric Vehicle Batteries under the Carbon Trading Policy

Global climate change has prompted all sectors of society to take urgent action to reduce carbon emissions. Electric vehicles are the key to low-carbon transportation transformation, but their popularity has led to difficulties in disposing of used batteries. Improper handling will pollute the environment and violate the original goal of promoting low-carbon practices. Therefore, it is crucial to establish a sustainable battery-recycling and disposal system. This study uniquely incorporates the concept of battery echelon utilization into its analytical framework using a Stackelberg game model, exploring the equilibrium strategies for stakeholders in a closed-loop supply chain under carbon emission constraints. We analyzed the impact of multiple factors in the recycling process, as well as the influence of digital technology, on enterprise pricing, recycling efficiency, and the choice of recycling channels. The study found that the market pricing of batteries and electric vehicles is not influenced by recycling participants, but is instead related to the application of digital technology. Numerical simulations further reveal that the battery’s echelon utilization rate and carbon emission limit policies jointly motivate enterprises to be more proactive in recycling. In the joint recycling model, battery suppliers can achieve more substantial profit growth compared to electric vehicle manufacturers, providing new insights and directions for innovation and the development of collaborative models within the supply chain.

Options for environmental regulation policy under China's carbon peaking target: Energy supply policy or carbon tax policy?

China plans to achieve the carbon peaking target by 2030 and will maybe implement a series of environmental regulation policies, primarily including energy supply policy (such as coal consumption constraint and non-fossil energy development) and carbon tax policy. This paper simulates these policies using a computable general equilibrium model. The simulation results indicate that carbon tax policy has a finite impact on the economy, the emissions reduction effect is also limited and carbon tax policy alone is insufficient to achieve China's 2030 carbon peaking target. The coal consumption constraint policy has a good emissions reduction effect, but is not conducive to economic growth. The non-fossil energy development policy can increase energy supply and promote economic growth, but the emissions reduction effect is inadequate. In general, the simultaneous implementation of the coal consumption constraint and non-fossil energy development policies could not only achieve the carbon peaking goal, but also narrow the energy gap and reduce pressure on economic growth. However, it is notable that if carbon tax policy and energy supply policy are implemented simultaneously, the emissions reduction effect of carbon tax policy would be significantly reduced; therefore, it is likely that no carbon tax will be levied in China.

Analyze the Causes of Income Gap Between Urban and Rural Residents: Take Guangdong Province in China as an Example

In nearly 40 years since China's reform and opening-up, Guangdong province has experienced continuous economic growth, reaching high levels of production. Urban and rural development has also seen gradual growth, but the income gap between urban and rural residents has gradually increased. In the initial phase of reform and opening-up, rural and urban development was not adequately supported through limited policies and financial assistance for farmers. As Restructuring and liberalizing policies continued, China's economic reconstruction made significant progress, and the income gap between urban and rural areas deepened. With the advancement of China's economic level, Guangdong province has experienced increased economic development, but the income disparity between urban and rural areas has continued to grow gradually. However, in recent years, the income gap between rural inhabitant and countryside resident in Guangdong province has not increased at the same rate as in the past, although this gap persists. This paper analyzes the per individual expendable income for urban and countryside inhabitant in Guangdong province from 2010 to 2020 as an indicator.

The Role of Renewable Energy Policy and R&D in Renewables Diffusion

This paper explores how investments in research and development (R&D) and government policies impact the growth of renewable energy in Brazil, Chile, and Colombia up to 2040. The study presents four scenarios to understand how different levels of R&D investment and the presence or absence of supportive policies affect the spread of renewable technologies such as solar and wind energy. The scenarios range from an optimistic one with high R&D funding and strong policy support to a worst-case scenario with low R&D efforts and weak policies. The findings emphasize the importance of solid government backing and strategic R&D investments in promoting renewable energy and increasing the number of green patents. On the other hand, scenarios with limited policy support and R&D funding show much slower growth, highlighting the challenges posed by economic constraints and tough market conditions. The study shows that strong renewable energy policies could boost renewable energy adoption by 100% to 200%. Overall, this research adds to the discussion on sustainable energy policies and provides useful insights for policymakers and stakeholders to develop strategies that maximize the potential of renewable energy in the region.

Optimal condition‐based parameter learning and mission abort decisions

AbstractUnexpected failures of safety‐critical systems during mission execution are not desirable in that they often result in severe safety hazards and significant financial losses. Prompt mission abort based on real‐time degradation data is an effective means to prevent such failures and enhance system safety. In this study, we focus on safety‐critical systems that experience cumulative shock degradation and fails when the degradation exceeds a failure threshold. Real‐time degradation measurements are obtained via sensor monitoring, which are stochastically related to the hidden degradation parameters that vary across components. We formulate the optimal mission risk control problem as a sequential abort decision‐making problem that integrates adaptive parameter learning, following which a dynamic Bayesian learning approach is exploited to sequentially infer the uncertain degradation parameters by utilizing real‐time sensor data. The problem is constituted as a finite horizon Markov decision process to minimize the expected costs associated with inspections, mission failures and system failures. We derive a series of structural properties of the value function and demonstrate the existence of optimal abort thresholds. In particular, we establish that the optimal policy follows a state‐dependent control limit policy. Additionally, we study the existence and monotonicity of control limits associated with both the number of inspections and degradation severities. We demonstrate the performance of the proposed risk management policy through comparative experiments that show substantial superiorities over risk‐induced loss control.

Evaluation of the Regional Head Age Limit Policy in Indonesia After the Supreme Court Decision Number 23 P / HUM / 2024

This study evaluates the regional head age limit policy in Indonesia following the Supreme Court Decision Number 23 P/HUM/2024 through a normative juridical analysis. The age limit policy, governed by Law No. 10 of 2016, aims to ensure capable leadership by imposing a minimum age requirement for candidates. However, the Supreme Court's decision raises questions about the policy's alignment with constitutional principles of equality, non-discrimination, and democratic participation. The analysis examines statutory regulations, legal principles, and comparative insights from other democratic countries to understand the policy's rationale and implications. Findings highlight the need for a balanced approach that ensures legal consistency and promotes inclusive, effective regional governance. Recommendations include lowering the minimum age requirement, implementing a flexible age range, and incorporating empirical evidence to refine the policy, ensuring it serves the principles of justice, democratic participation, and effective governance.

Implementation of the Internal Control System in the Aviation and Space Research Organization of the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN)

This research examines the implementation of the Internal Control System (SPI) at the Aviation and Space Research Organization (ORPA) which is under the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN). The aim of this research is to evaluate the effectiveness of SPI in supporting the achievement of organizational goals and identify the obstacles faced in its implementation. The research method used is descriptive qualitative with a case study approach. Data was obtained through in-depth interviews and analysis of related documents. The research results show that the implemented SPI has helped in increasing the operational accountability and transparency of ORPA BRIN. However, there are still several obstacles, such as limited human resources and policy changes that affect SPI's performance. Based on the research results, it can be concluded that the implementation of SPI in ORPA BRIN is not optimal. This is caused by deficiencies in SPI elements, such as the control environment, risk assessment, and control activities. In the control environment element, there are deficiencies in the aspects of commitment to competence, human resource development policies, the role of effective Government Internal Oversight Apparatus (APIP), and working relationships with stakeholders. This research provides recommendations for ORPA BRIN to increase human resource capacity, strengthen commitment to competence, and build close collaboration with APIP and stakeholders to support more effective implementation of SPI.

A Longitudinal Multivariable Analysis: State Policies and Opioid Dispensing in Medicare Beneficiaries Undergoing Surgery.

States have implemented policies to decrease clinically unnecessary opioid prescribing, but few studies have examined how state policies affect opioid dispensing rate trends for surgical patients. To examine trends in the perioperative opioid dispensing rates for fee-for-service Medicare beneficiaries and the effects of select state policies. A retrospective cohort study using 2006 to 2018 Medicare claims data for individuals undergoing surgical procedures for which opioid analgesic treatment is common. State policies mandating prescription drug monitoring program (PDMP; PDMP policies) use, initial opioid prescription duration limit (duration limit policies), and mandated continuing medical education (CME; CME pain policies) on pain management. Opioid dispensing rates, days' supply, and the daily morphine milligram equivalent dose (MMED). The percentage of Medicare beneficiaries dispensed opioids in the perioperative period increased from 2007 to 2018; MMED and days' supply decreased over the same period, with significant variation by age, sex, and race. None of the three state policies affected the likelihood of Medicare beneficiaries being dispensed perioperative opioids. However, CME pain policies and duration limit policies were associated with decreased days' supply and decreased MMED in the several years following implementation, respectively. While we observed a slight increase in the rate of Medicare beneficiaries dispensed opioids perioperatively and a substantial decrease in MMED and days' supply for those receiving opioids, state policies examined had relatively modest effects on the main measures. Our findings suggest that these state policies may have a limited impact on opioid dispensing for a patient population that is commonly dispensed opioid analgesics to help control surgical pain, and as a result may have little direct effect on clinical outcomes for this population. Changes in opioid dispensing for this population may be the result of broader societal trends than such state policies.

A systematic review on the role of nature-based solutions (NbS) in housing delivery in Africa

Purpose The study aims to examine the potential benefits of integrating nature-based solutions (NbS) in the housing sector. Design/methodology/approach The approach adopted was a systematic literature review aided by the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews criteria and the VOSviewer software. Abductive reasoning was used to analyze the collected data, which was then subjected to content analysis through an iterative read-and-review procedure. Findings The study identified green walls, indoor greenery, porous pavement and landscaping, rainwater harvesting and water purification and green roofs as elements of buildings where NbS should be incorporated. Although nature-based research on integrated greenery facades and roof applications was noted, rainwater harvesting and water purification-oriented research remained dominant. These findings demonstrate the advantages of implementing NbS in the housing sector, including energy efficiency, environmental development, flood prevention and sustainable water management. Integrating NbS into housing designs can considerably contribute to the creation of more resilient, eco-friendly and comfortable living environments. However, the adoption of NbS faces hurdles, including a lack of awareness, limited policy support and economic constraints. Practical implications This study recommends that NbS be mainstreamed into housing development and knowledge exchange opportunities between sub-Saharan Africa and Europe, as well as other regions, to promote the adoption of NbS through research and collaborations. Also, it contributes to the discourse of sustainable affordable housing in the Global South while addressing United Nations Sustainable Development Goals 11, 12, 13 and 15. This study offers valuable guidance to stakeholders, thereby fostering the development of more sustainable and resilient housing practices and policies. Originality/value The study used VOSviewer software visualization to identify structural patterns and track prominent research frontiers, allowing for a more thorough yet concise mapping and capture of a scientific knowledge domain.

Enhancing Alcohol-Related Research in Africa: Possibility for a Continental-Wide Alliance.

Alcohol-related harms constitute a major public health concern in Africa, with high rates of alcohol consumption and associated negative health and social consequences. Despite this, there is a lack of comprehensive and coordinated research on alcohol use and related harms across the continent. This paper discusses common factors such as diverse traditions and cultures, prevailing low socioeconomic status, gendered approach, limited policy and weak regulation and compliance to existing alcohol control policies that contribute to alcohol-related problems, and the challenges facing alcohol-related research including limited research, isolated and uncoordinated research, and resource scarcity; it further proposes strategies for advancing a continental-wide alliance to enhance alcohol-related research in Africa. The alliance would bring together researchers, policymakers, and other stakeholders to collaborate on research projects, share data and resources, and develop evidence-based interventions to reduce alcohol-related harms. Furthermore, the paper outlines the potential benefits of such an alliance, including improved data collection and analysis, greater capacity building for researchers, and more effective policy and program development. The paper concludes that a continental-wide alliance on alcohol-related research in Africa has the potential to significantly enhance our understanding of alcohol use and related harms on the continent and to inform effective prevention and intervention strategies.

Housing Practices of Albanian Immigrants in Athens: An “in-between” Socio-Spatial Condition

Immigrants’ access to housing is often the outcome of self-settlement practices within a context of limited social policies that often characterizes Southern European metropolises. Hence, immigrants are facing multiple constraints and remain vulnerable towards diverse socioeconomic fluctuations. This article focuses on the housing practices followed by Albanian immigrants, the largest immigrant group in Athens’s municipality, to examine how spatial inequalities are intertwined with ethnicity in the Greek capital. The objective is twofold: to discuss ethnic segregation on the micro-scale of Athenian central neighborhoods and examine how immigrants’ housing practices are being challenged within a rapidly changing socio-spatial context. The methodology follows a mixed approach, aiming at identifying differentiations and inequalities both on the macro- and micro-spatial scale. First, differentiations among Greeks, Albanians, and other third-country nationals in Athens (2011) are traced and compared, based on quantitative data. Second, for the purpose of highlighting micro-geographies in the city, this article presents an analysis of collected narratives of Albanian immigrants, through semi-structured interviews held in 2023. The main results indicate that the population under study finds itself in an “in-between” socio-spatial condition: an “in-between”, compared to the housing experiences of Greek households and other third-country nationals, that produces (and reproduces) segregation trends visible on the micro-scale. Moreover, this article attempts to highlight how the lack of housing policies put in peril the successful self-settlement practices of Albanian immigrants, in the current context of financialization of the Athenian housing market.

MITIGASI RESIKO RANTAI PASOK PADA PASOKAN PENGGUNAAN BBM DI DEPO LOKOMOTIF PT KAI SIDOTOPO

Risk is a factor that always exists in every sector of life incluidng suppky usage in PT KAI. Based on the results and discussion of this research, the conclusion is that there are 20 risk agents and 20 risk events, of which 4 priority risk agents are lack of control over fuel hoses (A13), inaccurate measuring instruments (A7), Over limit Policy (A2) and lack of clear and measurable coordination (A1). Second, there are 6 mitigation actions, namely Modification of the queue and filling system (P1), Improvement of the train supervision and monitoring system with (P2), Training and coordination staff ( P3), Training of machinists and system machinists and managemen update (P4), Modification of fuel control data with by internet (P5), and Maintenance engginer properly and scheduled ( P6). Where the most effective solutions based on HOR Phase 2 are respectively PA 2, PA 3, PA 4 PA 6, PA 5 and PA 1. Meanwhile based on AHP they are PA 2, PA 1, PA 5, PA 6, PA 3 and PA 4. So the alternative solutions developed are PA 2, PA 3 and PA 4.

Decarbonization of Africa: Metamorphosing the Continent for Sustainable Trajectories

Africa has witnessed significant economic growth and development in recent years, driven by digitalization, industrialization, urbanization, and technological advancements. Despite contributing only a small fraction of global carbon dioxide emissions, Africa is facing the adverse impacts of climate change at an accelerated rate, with warming occurring faster than the global average. The urgent need to identify sustainable approaches for decarbonizing Africa has become paramount. This article highlights the challenges and pragmatic approaches to achieving decarbonization in Africa. The challenges encompass economic, social, and technological aspects, including difficulties in incorporating highly renewable energy and the lack of consideration given to system integration and non-financial aspects. Insufficient investments in low-carbon technologies, the absence of national-level commitments, and limited policies and financing options hinder progress toward decarbonization. Various pragmatic approaches are proposed to address these challenges. Expanding renewable energy sources through financial incentives and partnerships is crucial. Enhancing energy efficiency across sectors, promoting sustainable transportation, and adopting green building practices can significantly contribute to reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Emphasizing sustainable agriculture, forest conservation, and improving access to clean cooking services are vital for mitigating climate change and enhancing public health. Furthermore, international cooperation and financing are crucial in mobilizing resources for clean energy projects and decarbonization initiatives. Strengthening partnerships and creating supportive regulatory frameworks can attract private sector investment and promote a sustainable, low-carbon future for Africa.

Unleashing stock volatility and its implications for stock crash risk: Evidence from China’s price limit policies

This study investigates the causal effects of increased daily stock volatility on the stock price crash risk. We examine the 2020 adjustment of price limits in the Chinese stock market, which significantly increased stock volatility, using it as a quasi-natural experiment. We employed a difference-in-differences approach, and our findings reveal that firms listed on the ChiNext board experienced reduced crash risk following the relaxation of price limits. This reduction is attributed to the influence of price limits on corporate governance, in which a more pronounced effect is observed in firms with less efficient governance structures. Further, we note that wider price limits prompt reduced information asymmetry between firms and investors, which subsequently mitigates stock price crash risk. Reduced crash risk is notably more evident in state owned firms and in firms inside the high technology industry. Our study illuminates how daily price limit relaxation affects the withholding of adverse news and offers significant policy implications for emerging financial markets.

Portuguese perspectives for education and inclusion of young forced migrants through sport

ABSTRACT As migratory waves increase and get more complex, social inequalities are likely to arise due to challenges associated with cultural differences, language or lack of supportive networks. Beside international laws and guidelines, responses have been developed for supporting young forced migrants inclusion in host countries. There are suggestions in the literature that sport, if intentionally used as an educational strategy with inclusive purposes, may benefit young forced migrants, not only in terms of their well-being but it may also provide a safe and educational space that allows opportunities for dialogue, language learning and cultural awareness. It is suggested that promoting its practice may create new forms of social, human and cultural capital, leading to meaningful relationships and a sense of (new) belonging. For young forced migrants, sport may become the first motivational asset for engaging with their host community due to familiarity and a common shared language. This article explores Portuguese settlement and inclusion practitioners’ perceptions and uses of sport as an inclusive educational strategy for young forced migrants. Methodologically, the article is based on document analysis of international and national policies and semi-structured interviews with Portuguese actors linked to settlement procedures and sport. The results indicate the existence of policies that aim to protect young forced migrants and acknowledge different challenges concerning their resettlement in Europe. Despite sport being perceived as a valuable educational strategy, particularly in language learning, and an inclusive mechanism for creating a sense of (new) belonging, there are currently limited policies and guidelines in Portugal to implement educational strategies that use sport to include young forced migrants.