Past Policies Research Articles

Sustainability of Small and Medium‐Sized Enterprises in Hong Kong: Drivers and the Moderating Role of Social Network

ABSTRACTSmall and medium‐sized enterprises (SMEs) are major economic actors and employers; they play a vital role in societies all over the world. Their participation and involvement are thus essential to the pursuit of sustainability. Over the past decade, academic and policy analysts have explored how to persuade or incentivize SMEs to join the sustainability bandwagon. Understanding what motivates them to pursue sustainability has important policy implications. This study advances this strand of research by identifying internal and external drivers of SMEs' sustainability practices—particularly whether (and how) their social networks might condition the impact of these drivers on the enterprises' sustainability practices. This study is conducted in Hong Kong, an important financial center in Asia; its conclusions have valuable insights for other countries in the region.

Toward a Fragmented Global Order? Technology, Trade, and Development in the Post-2024 World

Abstract Donald Trump’s victory in the 2024 US presidential election marks a watershed moment in international affairs, signaling a fundamental shift in global governance, technological innovation, and economic development. This article examines how Trump’s return to power accelerates the transformation toward a more-fragmented global order. Through an analysis of emerging and past policies in technology, trade, and international cooperation, this demonstrates how the administration’s emphasis on economic nationalism can reshape global power dynamics. The article reveals three key findings. First, the administration’s deregulatory approach to technology risks exacerbating global digital divides and weakening international cooperation. Second, protectionist trade policies and the intensification of US-China technological decoupling threaten to fragment global supply chains and create competing economic spheres. Third, the erosion of US support for multilateral institutions creates opportunities for alternative powers – including China, the European Union, and regional blocs – to reshape global governance frameworks.

Net-zero transitions: Advancing dynamic econometric analysis of carbon tax, renewable energy, and circular economy on government actions.

Net-zero transitions: Advancing dynamic econometric analysis of carbon tax, renewable energy, and circular economy on government actions.

Innovation in times of crisis: a pragmatic and inclusive approach to cope with urgent global sustainability challenges

The term “polycrisis” has become a buzzword to describe the entanglement and reinforcement of multiple global crises that may put the survival of humankind at risk. It builds upon Sustainability Science and its research on the complex interactions of systemic risks. The research approach has its roots in the “Limits to Growth” report published by the Club of Rome in 1972. The publication predicted a global sustainability crisis in response to growing human resource consumption. The threat is real, but there are lessons to be learned from coping with past global crises and how they were addressed by far-sighted government initiatives that incentivized decentralized innovation systems to achieve well-defined objectives. These initiatives proved to be effective because they were based on an adequate understanding of the endogenous nature of economic development and how biocapacity and societal resilience can be enhanced through higher levels of economic complexity. Contemporary European mission-oriented innovation policies (MOIPs) with their strong faith in the state as pacesetter of the economy lack this understanding. In this paper, a more pragmatic innovation policy approach is proposed to accelerate progress on the UN Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs) in general, and food security in particular. It combines the target orientation of past US innovation policy missions with the commitment of international crop research networks to mobilize innovation and entrepreneurship for inclusive development. Throughout history, such opportunity-driven approaches proved to be more effective public policy responses to crisis than attempts to minimize systemic risks by limiting growth.

573 Effects of policy on enrollment of populations facing multimorbid conditions: A systematic analysis

Objectives/Goals: To identify gaps in policy that influence enrollment trends of patients with multimorbidity in Phase III clinical trials. We aim to propose policy recommendations for increasing use of real-world evidence (RWE) that increases safety and efficacy information for patients with multimorbidities. Methods/Study Population: Conduct a systematic policy analysis on the current regulatory landscape of RWE, referencing the 2020 FDA Guidance “Enhancing the Diversity of Clinical Trial Populations.” Evaluate guidelines using the Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) 2016 Regulatory Impact Assessment (RIA) Framework. Utilize the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research’s New Molecular Entity Database to identify novel hypertensive drugs approved after 2006, and assess clinical studies’ alignment with the 2020 Guidance. Review additional policies, FDA guidelines, and ICH documents to establish baseline compliance. Two case studies will evaluate past policy impacts on drug development. Assess costs and benefits of increasing multimorbid patient enrollment to inform a policy framework. Results/Anticipated Results: Anticipated results include all components of the HHS’s RIA and a policy framework informed by the assessment. To identify problems, an analysis of clinical trial exclusion criteria in novel hypertensive drugs will be conducted to show diversity and enrollment gaps in regulatory policy, referencing the FDA’s 2020 Guidance. The RIA’s cost–benefit analysis will highlight costs faced for utilizing RWE and expanding enrollment criteria in Phase III studies. The cost–benefit analysis, RIA, and case studies will inform a policy framework that explains dynamics between stakeholders and outline policies that increase clinical trial representation in ways that are less burdensome to sponsors and patients. Discussion/Significance of Impact: By understanding the barriers to enrolling participants with multimorbid conditions, we can outline incentives to increase diverse trial populations, helping healthcare providers choose more treatments for complex conditions. This research supports policy recommendations to make drugs more representative of conditions the population faces.

Policies for Full Employment in the Context of Capitalism’s Crises: Historical Development and the Italian Debate in the 1990s

This article examines capitalist crises and their effects on labor markets, focusing on the Italian debate surrounding policies aimed at achieving full employment. It analyzes the tension between Keynesian approaches, which emphasize demand stimulation and public intervention, and neoliberal policies that prioritize fiscal austerity and labor market flexibility. The study evaluates various proposals to address unemployment, including reduced working hours, universal basic income, and state-led industrial policies. By engaging with key contributions from Italian scholars, the article underscores the need for innovative labor market interventions to reconcile economic recovery with employment stability. It highlights the challenges posed by structural unemployment, particularly in the aftermath of production crises, and discusses the implications of these dynamics for workers' rights and social protections. The discussion is framed within the broader context of the 2008 financial crisis and its enduring impact on global labor markets. The article argues that achieving full employment requires a balanced approach that considers both the quantity and quality of jobs, ensuring that economic growth does not exacerbate inequalities or undermine social cohesion. By offering a critical analysis of past and present policy debates, this study provides valuable insights for policymakers seeking to address the complexities of contemporary capitalist economies and promote sustainable labor market solutions.

Drifting Past Policy Coherence? Rhetoric and Realities of the Mexican Sembrando Vida Program’s Sustainability Goals

Global and interconnected sustainability challenges require systems thinking and policy coherence to support bold and coordinated action. To chart a course for action, the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) provide a suite of targets across international and national levels. Here, we explore intentions and contributions over time of the Mexican multifaceted rural-development program Sembrando Vida (SV) to the SDGs, to assess its policy coherence for sustainable development, especially in relation to climate change. We reviewed online documents and newspaper articles, interviewed key SV staff and analyzed the Mexican President’s morning conference speeches. We show that multiplicity and adaptation of stated intentions suggest opportunistic forms of policy drift with limited policy coherence. The potential of the SV program remains promising, but it requires clearer objectives, coherent strategy, expert knowledge, community support and evaluation. These results demonstrate how political context can cause policy drift and negatively impact intended policy coherence for sustainable development.

Impacts of unilateral U.S. carbon policies on agricultural sector greenhouse gas emissions and commodity markets

Abstract This article analyzes the consequences of the United States implementing unilateral policies to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from agriculture. The policy representation is based loosely on current and past policy initiatives that have subsidized GHG reductions and considered special treatment for sectors heavily involved in trade. To do so, our first step is to generate new estimates of key parameters, elasticities of demand and supply, that are critical to understanding interactions among agricultural commodities, such as between livestock and crop products, in this area of research and more broadly. We apply these parameters in a widely used economic model that estimates the effects of a unilateral U.S. agricultural GHG policy on both domestic and foreign markets as well as global GHG emissions. Livestock effects dominate, driving most U.S. livestock product consumer prices higher and causing mixed crop and crop product price effects. A unilateral policy increases food costs in the implementing country and, if applied to all supplies, domestic and imported, tends to raise prices elsewhere as well. Alternative implementation strategies, such as not imposing the costs on exports or not imposing the costs on imports, can lead to lower food prices and greater consumption in other countries, as well as have important implications for the overall GHG reductions achieved by the unilateral effort.

Global burden of bacterial skin diseases from 1990 to 2045: an analysis based on global burden disease data.

Bacterial skin diseases are a category of inflammatory skin conditions caused by bacterial infections, which impose a significant global disease burden. However, they have not been well assessed or predicted on a global scale. It is necessary to update the estimates and forecast future trends of the global burden of bacterial skin diseases to evaluate the impact of past healthcare policies and to provide guidance and information for new national and international healthcare strategies. We aimed to describe the burden and trend of bacterial skin diseases and to predict the burden up to 2045. To achieve this, we employed a cross-sectional analysis based on Global Burden of Disease (GBD) data, utilizing advanced statistical models to quantify trends and forecast future burdens. Data on incidence and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) of bacterial skin diseases were obtained from Global Burden of Disease 2021. We used average annual percent change (AAPC) by Joinpoint Regression to quantify the temporal trends. We conducted decomposition analysis to understand the contribution of aging, epidemiological changes, and population growth. Bayesian Age-Period-Cohort model was used to predict burden up to 2045. Global incidence rate of bacterial skin diseases increased from 8,988.74 per 100,000 in 1990 to 10,823.88 per 100,000, with AAPC of 0.62% (0.61 ~ 0.63%). The highest incidence rate was in low Socio-demographic Index (SDI) region and population aged < 35. The DALYs rate increased from 20.82 per 100,000 in 1990 to 25.45 per 100,000 in 2021, with AAPC of -0.11% (-0.34 ~ 0.13%). The highest increase of DALYs was in high SDI region and population aged > 85. Among the three evaluated factors of decomposition analysis, the major drivers of incident case rise were population growth, followed by epidemiological changes; the major drivers of DALYs case rise were population growth, followed by aging. The number of incidence cases has increased since 1990, reaching nearly 90million in 2021 and expected to hit 1.2billion in 2045. The incidence rate has also risen. Meanwhile, DALYs showed an upward trend from 1990 to 2005, peaking at 32/100,000, then a downward trend. Our findings align with our initial objectives, demonstrating a significant increase in the global incidence of bacterial skin diseases and highlighting the need for targeted prevention and treatment strategies. The variation in burden across different regions and age groups underscores the importance of tailored public health interventions. Predictive models suggest a continued rise in incidence rates and incident cases through 2045, emphasizing the urgency for action. This study provides a foundation for future research and policy development aimed at reducing the burden of bacterial skin diseases worldwide.

Back to the future? Reflections from 25 years of empirical research on Leaving Certificate assessment in Ireland

ABSTRACT Post-primary students in Ireland are awarded the Leaving Certificate after passing the required assessments that occur in the final year of senior-cycle education. While planned changes have introduced incremental adjustments as to how assessment in this state-certified qualification is undertaken, recent unplanned events such as the COVID-19 pandemic have accelerated discussions on future assessment reforms. As we arrive at the centenary of the Leaving Certificate’s foundation, it seems timely to review the empirical research that has been conducted on the assessment approaches that it currently uses. Taking the publication of the Commission on the Points System in 1999 as a starting point and using Arksey and O’Malley’s. [(2005)]. “Scoping Studies: Towards a Methodological Framework.” International Journal of Social Research Methodology 8 (1): 19–32. https://doi.org/10.1080/1364557032000119616] six-step approach for scoping reviews, 107 publications up to 2024 were included in this study. Analysis and synthesis of the studies resulted in five broad research topics: Curriculum Development and Assessment Reform, Maths and Science Education, Fairness, Transition to Higher Education, and Emergency Measures. The results of this study highlight past research and policy priorities as well as gaps within the existing literature. It is hoped that the freely available database arising from this study will help to inform future research and policy agendas pertaining to Leaving Certificate assessment.

Ecotoxicology dilemmas: issues with dose, causality, response, mixtures, and modifying factors.

Ecotoxicology has model assumptions that are the basis of the discipline's scientific validity and regulatory utility. Using testing data to advance knowledge and practical applications is contingent on assumption validation of underlying models, an uncommon practice. Fundamental components-dose, causality, response-are confounded, as test metrics are each accumulations of a multiplicity of factors. Consequently, ecotoxicology test interpretation of both legacy and new approach methodologies is plagued by unaddressed issues related to interactions of within and between dose, causation, response, and modifying factors-each component is effectively a mixture-such that established relationships are more correlative than causal. Limited knowledge about the multiplicity of modifying factors influencing dose, causality, and response at each level of biological organization and the challenge of establishing dose metrics in upper ecological levels, where the paradigm is stressor-causality-response, further confounds the formidable task of in vitro to in vivo, laboratory-to-field, and toxicity-to-ecology translation. Although available aquatic ecotoxicity data and information have been successfully fitted to explanatory frameworks in past and present regulatory policies, environmental protection successes are more attributable to good policy than to scientific knowledge. Unresolved issues in the simple model frameworks and regulatory policies that initially advanced environmental protection are now impeding development of newer policies and procedures due to inadequate consideration of basic model assumptions. Resolution of the problem will begin when the problem definition of the tasks is refined to reflect the reality of the challenge. This is a necessary step towards achieving the objective of advancing the efficiency, effectiveness, and sophistication of environmental effects assessment and management in regulatory ecotoxicology.

Realizing ecological justice in Urban Development Laws: Indonesian experiences and challenges to protect biodiversity in its new capital city

Abstract The new capital city of Indonesia, Nusantara, is being developed with the goal of creating a liveable city that is in harmony with nature. Nusantara is planned as a sustainable forest city, with 65% of the area designated as a protected zone. The forest city development strategy includes measures to control deforestation, promote reforestation, protect biodiversity, involve local and indigenous communities, and impose a moratorium on mining and plantation licenses. One of the main challenges in implementing these strategies is the condition of the forest ecosystems in the last decades, which have been damaged due to resource extraction and conversion of primary forests for various land uses. This has led to a threat to biodiversity and the habitat of endemic flora and fauna. Efforts are being made to establish a robust regulatory framework to achieve ecological justice goals by protecting biodiversity and local wisdom. This paper will present data, information, and analysis on existing land use, biodiversity potential, regulations, and policy rules aimed at protecting biodiversity and local wisdom. The special authority of Nusantara provides an opportunity to achieve ecological justice in development, but there are still challenges that need to be addressed, such as resolving socio-ecological problems due to past policy issues.

Andy Hargreaves의 지속가능한 리더십이 교육현장에 주는 함의

This study aims to explore the educational implications of sustainable leadership for school sites. This study analyzes the Korean education scene based on the seven principles of sustainable leadership and five principles of action proposed by A. Hargreaves and D. Fink(2006, 2022) based on years of research on the education scene and explores the implications for establishing a plan for the successful sustainable development of Korean education. To this end, this study first examines previous studies on sustainable development at home and abroad, analyzes and diagnoses the current Korean education scene in terms of the principles of sustainable leadership and explores the educational implications of sustainable leadership on the Korean education scene. In terms of the implications of sustainable leadership for school sites derived from this study, the ‘Depth’ dimension suggests avoiding narrow and superficial standardization policies and strengthening policies for holistic education that can foster multiple intelligences; the ‘Length’ dimension suggests establishing a long-term, strategic, and systematic succession program; the ‘Breadth’ dimension suggests distributed leadership among members and strengthening teachers’ leadership competencies; the ‘Justice’ dimension suggests sharing resources and joint growth through solidarity; and the ‘Diversity’ dimension suggests building learning networks and strengthening cohesion among members. In addition, the ‘Resourcefulness’ dimension suggests adjusting education policies through on-site communication and establishing systematic regeneration programs, and the ‘Conservation’ dimension suggests systematic evaluation of past policies and inheritance of excellent ones.

Multi-Criteria Decision-Making Analysis of Information and Communication Technology Using VIKOR

The utilization of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) has greatly enhanced various sectors in modern societies. With the rapid advancement and widespread adoption of ICT across different fields, it now plays a significant role in both economic and social development. Recognizing the positive and negative effects of ICT, governments continually strive to propose improved policies and recommendations for enhancing their ICT infrastructure. However, the formulation of effective policies relies on a thorough understanding of past and present policies in order to develop better proposals. To assess ICT development and its impact on society, an integrated social and economic indicators MCDM (Multi-Criteria Decision Making) approach is employed. This approach involves comparing six key indicators: ICT employment, ICT goods exports, ICT investment, ICT value addition, and Internet access. By evaluating the performance of these indicators, a comparison can be made among the G7 countries. Notably, countries like Italy and Canada demonstrate relatively weaker performance in terms of ICT development.

Festival and Urban Identity: A Case Study of the Malang Flower Carnival in Yogyakarta

Cultural festivals, often called carnivals, events, or celebrations, have become prominent showcases across Indonesia, particularly in the post-New Order period. These festivals serve two main objectives: promoting tourism and reviving regionalism as well as traditional identities in response to past centralization policies. This study examines the Malang Flower Carnival (MFC) in Malang City, East Java, which has been a key feature of the city's cultural landscape since 2010. In 2022, the MFC deviated from its tradition by participating in the Jogja Fashion Carnival in Yogyakarta instead of holding its own event in Malang. This shift provides a unique opportunity to analyze how Malang's cultural identity is represented to an audience in another city. The findings suggest that while the MFC captivated visitors with its elaborate costumes, it struggled to convey the intended narrative of Malang's cultural identity. This difficulty stems from the complexity of representing Malang's multiple identities—rooted in its historical legacy, contemporary identity as the "City of Flowers," and broader regional narratives. The themes of bravery and heroism, although recognized, were often disconnected from Malang's broader historical and cultural context

Navigating global fashion policy: labor, environment, and future directions for sustainability

In the past decade, numerous policies and regulations have emerged to promote sustainable fashion, addressing both environmental and social issues across textile, clothing, footwear, and leather value chains. Key initiatives include the Bangladesh Accord, the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Due Diligence Guidance for Responsible Supply Chains, California’s SB62 law, and the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act. Proposed measures, such as France’s fast-fashion tax and the New York Fashion Sustainability and Social Accountability Act, further highlight the growing recognition of fashion's impacts. This regulatory wave reflects increasing awareness of the fashion industry’s environmental and social consequences, alongside evolving geopolitical and economic dynamics, particularly trade relations among China, the United States, and Europe. These complexities are exemplified by the shift from Europe-led fast fashion to China-driven ultra-fast fashion. This article reviews global policies and legislative efforts aimed at sustainable fashion, examining initiatives such as the E.U. Strategy for Sustainable and Circular Textiles and the Americas Trade and Investment Act. It emphasizes the critical influence of political contexts and externalities on shaping outcomes, particularly given the limitations of industry self-regulation. The study concludes that effective policies must integrate environmental and social criteria, balance global and local priorities, and remain adaptable to diverse socioeconomic and cultural contexts. Policymakers should ensure equitable, clear frameworks to address the interconnected challenges of labor rights, environmental sustainability, and economic development within the fashion industry.

Drivers behind conditionalities in EU cohesion policy governance

ABSTRACT The article presents the institutional development of emergence, continuity, and expansion of EU governance-related conditionalities, the term coined in the article, in EU cohesion policy as of 2013. Even though the development of the EU governance-related conditionalities correlates with the different crises, it is EU institutional drivers of the conversion effect and past policy learning experience creating environment of acceptance, and not the crises which have a decisive impact on shaping the EU governance related conditionalities. Similarly to the crisis literature, the paper adopts historical institutionalism lens by means of its two building categories, critical juncture and path dependence to examine the EU governance related conditionalities in cohesion policy. While the crisis literature offers only a limited interpretation for building EU governance emphasizing contingency, our case study of the governance-related conditionalities in EU cohesion policy shows complexity in EU institutional developments which is not contingent.

Civil Service and Socio-Economic Development in Akwa Ibom State

The civil service played a critical role in fostering socio-economic development, particularly in developing countries like Nigeria. This paper examined the role of the civil service in driving socio-economic progress, with a focus on Akwa Ibom State. The study assessed how civil service structures and policies influenced key areas such as employment generation, economic growth, infrastructure development, and public service delivery. To achieve the study objectives, the researcher utilized both descriptive and ex post facto research designs to analyze civil service operations and their impact on socio-economic development. The descriptive design provided a detailed overview of the current state of civil service practices, while the ex post facto design allowed for the examination of past policies and their outcomes without manipulating variables. Data were collected from a variety of secondary sources, including textbooks that offered foundational knowledge, journals with empirical studies, civil service information handbooks detailing regulations, and government bulletins providing insights on policies and challenges. The findings revealed that inadequate allocation of resources; bureaucratic delays, corruption, and ineffective human resource management were major factors that hindered the civil service's ability to achieve socio-economic development. The paper concluded with recommendations for enhancing the efficiency of the civil service, including policy reforms, capacity building, and strategic leadership, to better align with national development goals in Akwa Ibom State.

Analysis of Information and Health Literacy Policies in Pandemics: A Case Study of COVID-19.

The global community, during the COVID-19 pandemic, faced a vast amount of information and risks due to low levels of health literacy. Governments responded differently to the pandemic crisis based on formulated policies and their societal conditions. The present research focuses on analyzing information and health literacy policies in pandemics to present a model and identify and prioritize factors affecting the formation and implementation of the mentioned policies. This qualitative research was conducted using semi-structured interviews with key informants. Extracted codes were designed based on expert opinions, and an initial conceptual framework was developed according to the policy triangle (content, context, process, and actors). Finally, the identified issues and the conceptual framework were validated using the Delphi-quantitative method. The results indicate that the content of information and health literacy policies focuses on goal-setting, planning, law formulation, and amendments and updates. The process of information and health literacy policies in pandemics was categorized into managerial, educational, dissemination, sharing, evaluation, and monitoring processes. Economic, political, social, and cultural aspects were identified as influential context, and multiple actors were identified as policymakers and facilitators of information and health literacy policies in pandemics. The developed model can be a suitable and useful tool for increasing the awareness of health managers and policymakers about the strengths and weaknesses of past policies regarding information and health literacy policies in pandemics. It also provides a suitable perspective for policymaking and identifying factors influencing the implementation of enacted policies.

Broadening equitable access to solar: renters, non-adopters and the impact of consumption values on attitudes and installation intentions

ABSTRACT Addressing inequities in rooftop solar access is crucial to achieving decarbonisation and energy justice goals. This study contributes to the literature by applying an adapted consumption values model to the rooftop solar context and by examining renters’ perceptions of factors that would reduce barriers to solar uptake. An online survey (n = 331) of Australian households reveals that value-for-money perceptions are the only significant difference between adopters and non-adopters of solar. Structural equation modelling shows that, while idealistic values influence attitudes towards rooftop solar, pragmatic values drive installation intentions, which is aligned with prior research. Logistic regression shows that the higher the functional value (defined as the perceived utility of a product based on value for money, performance or quality perceptions) and the higher the conditional value (defined as the perceived utility of a product based on the circumstances faced by the decision maker), the higher the odds of installing solar. The findings are consistent with studies reporting significant cost barriers to solar adoption. Several recommendations for policy makers and practitioners are made to support equitable access to rooftop solar and help address the negative effects of past policies that favoured homeowners over renters.