Policy Aims Research Articles

How have waste management policies impacted the flow of municipal waste? An empirical analysis of 14 European countries

Waste management policies aim to divert waste from lower positions on the waste hierarchy such as landfill and incineration to higher positions in the hierarchy such as energy recovery and recycling. However, empirical evaluations of such policies are scarce. This study highlighted the effect of waste management policies on the amount of waste treated with landfill, incineration, energy recovery and recycling by analysing a panel dataset consisting of 14 European countries and the period 1996 to 2018. Findings from a seemingly unrelated regression model suggest that the landfill ban is associated with a decrease in landfill waste, but an increase in incineration, energy recovery and recycling waste. The landfill tax is also correlated with an increase in energy recovery waste but, in contrast, it is associated with a reduction in incineration and recycling waste. Meanwhile, the deposit refund scheme is associated with a decrease in the amount of landfill waste. Concerning the effects on total waste generated, regression results from a fixed effects model indicate that the landfill tax and the deposit refund scheme are both correlated with a reduction in the amount of waste generated. These findings contribute to the scarce academic literature evaluating waste management policies and may better inform policy makers on their longer-term implications.

Sectoral policies as drivers of forest management and ecosystems services: A case study in Bavaria, Germany

European countries have national sectoral polices to regulate and promote the provision of a wide range of forest ecosystems services (FES). However, potential incoherencies among these policies can negatively affect the efficient provision of FES. In this work, we evaluated the coherence among three national policies from Germany and their ability to effectively provide FES in the future: the Forest Strategy 2020 (FS), the National Strategy on Biological Diversity (BDS), and the German National Policy Strategy on Bioeconomy (BES). Using forest inventory data from the Federal State of Bavaria, we simulated a range of forest management options under three climate trajectories for 100 years into the future (2012–2112). Then, with multi-objective optimization, we translated each policy into a specific scenario and identified the best combination of management regimes that maximizes the targets defined in each policy scenario. The three policies were vague in the definition of FES. The FS was the most comprehensive policy aiming for a higher degree of multifunctionality, whereas the BES and BDS focused on less FES. The FS and the BDS showed the highest coherence, while the BES showed a stronger focus on timber production. As a result, the optimal management programs of FS and BDS showed high integration, with a dominance of Continuous Cover Forestry (CCF), and certain shares of set asides. Climate change led to an increase of set aside areas due to increased productivity. In the BES, the share of land among management regimes was strongly segregated between CCF and rotation forestry. Our policy coherence analysis showed that achieving a multifunctional provision of FES requires policy coherence, fostering a diverse management of the landscape that mainly takes advantage of integrative management, like CCF, but also segregates important parts of the landscape for intensive use and set asides. Nevertheless, the current high standing volumes in Bavaria will pose an additional risk to implement such management.

Perspectives on gender mainstreaming in international cooperation in STI: A comparative study

Gender equality is the fifth Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) goal. However, there are still global gaps to be addressed for leveraging science, technology, and innovation (STI) for achieving this goal. Countries and governments at all levels need to effectively utilize STI to help mobilize the global community to assist in gender mainstreaming. 
 International cooperation encompasses a great diversity of countries, regions, dominant religions, and cultures in broad terms – and this is undoubtedly a relevant hinderance to a gender equality narrative. Even within most homogeneous areas, such as the European countries, different levels of awareness on gender issues still prevail, impacting the practical relevance of the problem. Many gender-related projects, actions, and policies aim to counteract this. However, there is no clear guidance on what is expected from the institutions about addressing gender equality to mainstream gender into international dialogues. Therefore, gender equality runs the risk of remaining a “good intention”. In addition, there is little explicit data on the gender dimension in international agreements.
 The design for this study includes qualitative and quantitative data collected in the EU Horizon 2020 Gender STI. The framework is developed based on three main data sources collected from semi-structured interviews, an online survey, and a mapping exercise on gender equality in STI agreements in different regions worldwide. These sources, collected from more than 60 countries worldwide, allow data triangulation to validate the qualitative insights related to gender mainstreaming in STI. 
 This paper offers critical insights on gender mainstreaming in international dialogues, which are becoming an essential instrument of change if cultural differences are considered. The institutional profile and professional culture are relevant to define each gender balance action's range and foster data production on the subject. Moreover, recent requirements in European funding instruments, such as Horizon Europe, have a broad impact on the international cooperation landscape, inducing a general institutional change and a reverse cultural bias.

Exploring the feasibility of Europe’s renewable expansion plans based on their profitability in the market

Different policies aim at transforming the European energy sector. To support decision making in this context, energy system models with a central-planning approach are frequently used. However, private sector investments are required to realise the transformation and there is a shift towards more market revenue-based paradigms. Therefore, we assess the market-based profitability of renewables in 2030 across Europe under current policies, in particular renewable share targets. As several key assumptions drive the system design and profitability likewise, we perform an endogenous expansion planning to obtain a European least-cost electricity system for 2030 and shadow electricity prices to determine internal rates of return and net present values. We find that the profitability of solar PV, on- and offshore wind varies significantly across Europe, mainly driven by market values, financial and natural resource conditions. In a least-cost system enforced to fulfil national targets, renewables are mostly not profitable. Renewable expansion driven by an appropriate CO2 price allows for exceeding the EU-wide renewable target of 65% and achieving internal rates of return at or above the costs of capital. Therefore, policy action is required to achieve climate goals, e.g. by moving towards EU-wide renewable targets, market-based policy instruments or providing additional revenue sources.

Quelling inflation: The role of the public

Members of the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) of the Bank of England seek to subdue inflation using ‘monetary policy’ to regulate the availability of money and credit to the financial system. The central bank ‘policy rate’ is the blunt instrument conventionally employed to affect the pacing of economic activity, stimulating or retarding growth. Credibly explaining that the rise in interest rates – the ‘tightening’ of monetary policy – underway at the moment will continue suppressing demand for goods and services until an inflation target of around 2 per cent is achieved is the emphatic message the bank seeks to convey. Such intentionally destructive and potentially brutal interventions are the critical aim of current bank policy. This article demonstrates how the design of the contemporary monetary regime, which presents itself unequivocally as the outcome of macroeconomic developments, can be recast in anthropological terms, thus revealing the role of the public in the unfolding monetary drama.

Conceptualizations of Happiness and Vegetarianism: Empirical Evidence from University Students in Spain

Vegetarianism improves human and planetary health in addition to animal welfare. Motivations for meat-reduced diets include health-related and ethical reasons, with the latter being the main driver for eschewing meat. However, evidence on vegetarian happiness is inconclusive and the results reported are mixed. This constitutes a challenge for policy aiming to encourage people to shift toward plant-based diets. In this research, we aim to provide some evidence on this question: to what extent is there a link between the different moral codes related to ideas of happiness and vegetarianism? To do so, we apply the happiness moral codes from the Conceptual Referent Theory, and assess vegetarianism from the perspective of the psychological aspect of vegetarian identity (flexitarian, pescatarian, lacto-ovo vegetarian, and vegan) and dietary behavior (vegetarian self-assessment scale). Analyzing a sample of university students in Spain, we discover that some happiness constructs (tranquility, fulfilment, and virtue) are positively related to vegetarianism while others are inversely related (enjoyment and stoicism). In terms of policy implications, we find that ethical grounds one holds on happiness in relation to vegetarianism may play a role in fostering or hindering plant-based lifestyles.Graphical

Program management challenges of clinical studies: A qualitative critical assessment.

Organization, coordination, and discipline are required to complete any intricate operation, conducting a clinical experiment is no different. There are usually many moving components, from designing a plan, to conveying changes, to calculating risk, and excellent project management which are necessary to guarantee the study works successfully. Past evidence suggested that roadblock at any level hampers the progress of the clinical research. Understanding program management challenges hence becomes the key for timely and effective completion of clinical research. A cross-sectional qualitative enquiry involving stakeholders in clinical research program management. We used problem tree-based approach wherein we documented views of various stakeholders to understand the interaction, interdependence, and related interventional needs of bottlenecks for long-term research gains using modern management methods applicable in clinical settings. The best fit approach was also explored to augment maximum benefit in limited resource settings. Non-alignment with state policy aims, a lack of effective coordination and communication among members, challenging logistic management, limited use of technology, a need for training, and an inefficient monitoring mechanism were among the major issues highlighted, and solutions were proposed. Study concludes that an Integrated Process-cum-Timeline-Based Management strategy with multisectoral emphasis is ideal for program management of clinical projects.

Do natural resources impact economic growth: An investigation of P5 + 1 countries under sustainable management

Natural resources represent the base of our living and the entire economic activity. Their depletion is a major challenge for the economic development of both developed and developing economies. Their efficient use is an indispensable requirement and must be the aim of the public policies designed by the authorities worldwide. In this research, we have investigated the impact of the natural resources rent on the economic growth in some major wealthy economies of the world (P5 + 1 countries namely: US, UK, France, China, Russia, and Germany). We have applied a quantile-on-quantile regression to analyse this impact on different quantiles and a cross-sectional autoregressive distributed lag (CS-ARDL) approach for the panel of these six countries. The Dumitrescu-Hurlin panel causality test was also used to check the causality between natural resource rents and economic growth in these countries. Results show a negative relationship between natural resources rent and economic growth for the panel but a different impact on quantiles in each country. Only for China and the US, a positive effect can be noticed for both lower and higher quantiles of natural resources and economic growth. The Dumitrescu-Hurlin causality test shows that natural resources can predict economic growth only in China, the U.S., and the panel. In contrast, no causality was found for the other four countries included in the panel. We suggest that nations invest in wind and solar projects, use biofuels and nuclear energy, introduce a temporary profit tax to protect consumers from escalating energy prices, and increase energy efficiency in buildings and industry. Businesses would benefit from a regulatory framework that is uniform and exhaustive, as well as easier to traverse and more receptive to innovation and creativity. Public-private partnership investments in innovation, innovation incentives, and environmental sector opportunities may foster long-term economic growth.

How can entrepreneurs experience inform responsible health innovation policies? A longitudinal case study in Canada and Brazil.

To foster equity and make health systems economically and environmentally more sustainable, Responsible Innovation in Health (RIH) calls for policy changes advocated by mission-oriented innovation policies. These policies focus, however, on instruments to foster the supply of innovations and neglect health policies that affect their uptake. Our study's aim is to inform policies that can support RIH by gaining insights into RIH-oriented entrepreneurs' experience with the policies that influence both the supply of, and the demand for their innovations. We recruited 16 for-profit and not-for-profit organisations engaged in the production of RIH in Brazil and Canada in a longitudinal multiple case study. Our dataset includes three rounds of interviews (n=48), self-reported data, and fieldnotes. We performed qualitative thematic analyses to identify across-cases patterns. RIH-oriented entrepreneurs interact with supply side policies that support technology-led solutions because of their economic potential but that are misaligned with societal challenge-led solutions. They navigate demand side policies where market approval and physician incentives largely condition the uptake of technology-led solutions and where emerging policies bring some support to societal challenge-led solutions. Academic intermediaries that bridge supply and demand side policies may facilitate RIH, but our findings point to an overall lack of policy directionality that limits RIH. As mission-oriented innovation policies aim to steer innovation towards the tackling of societal challenges, they call for a major shift in the public sector's role. A comprehensive mission-oriented policy approach to RIH requires policy instruments that can align, orchestrate, and reconcile health priorities with a renewed understanding of innovation-led economic development.

Austerity and the shaping of the ‘waste watching’ health professional: A governmentality perspective on integrated care policy

Discussion related to the boundary between health and social care has existed in the United Kingdom (UK) since the inception of the English National Health Service (NHS), with successive governments outlining a desire to ‘integrate’ care. Globally, high-income, and low- and middle-income countries, are increasingly advocating integrated care (IC) as a solution to financial and quality issues. Recent research has argued that IC policy works discursively to manage tensions between competing policy aims, facilitating the continuation of austerity measures and the fragmentation of health and social care services. This paper extends this debate by moving beyond the discursive realisation of IC policy in official governmental texts to instead investigate its reception among practitioners ‘on the ground’. By complementing the perspective of governmentality with Fairclough's (2008) Dialectical Relational Approach (DRA), our paper exposes shifting articulations and enactments of IC policy discourse as it moves through implementation in a community based integrated care service (CBIC) in England. Faced with the material reality of funding cuts to the service, integrated care is reformulated from ‘transformational change’ to the responsibilisation of ‘ideal integrated workers’ tasked with eliminating ‘waste’. Whilst frontline staff strongly resisted these subjectivities, they were ultimately subject to the harmful material effects of austerity politics with little in the way of positive change for patient care.

A spatial model for biodiversity offsetting

In recent years, biodiversity offsetting has been adopted as a conservation strategy in many different countries. Biodiversity offsets are mechanisms used to compensate for ecological impacts resulting from development projects, especially those on non-built land uses. They usually rely on an equivalence principle based on achieving strict equality between the area that is developed and that which is offset. This approach still remains very controversial.This article explores an alternative offset design method, where we look at biodiversity from a functional perspective and conceive public policies that aim to conserve biodiversity by maintaining important structural features of the landscape, not limited to the proportion occupied by each land-use. We develop a spatially explicit land use change model to implement our geometric-based compensation method and we define three different versions of the public compensation policy. We apply the model to real case studies in two French municipalities and we compare the cost and feasibility of compensation under the different public policies. We find that offsetting is easier and cheaper when public policies aim to conserve no more than the targeted semi-natural land area, but this approach has major ecological limits. When considering more complex geometric properties of the landscape (and therefore higher ecological expectations), compensation becomes, on average, more difficult and more expensive. Our work shows how new approaches to ecological compensation could be defined and how models could help select the best options in the field.

Comparison of Geospatial Data Management between Indonesia’s One Data and One Map Policy

Geospatial data is one of the important supports in spatial-based national development. However, there is a problem with the large amount of data overlap. One of the reasons for this data overlap is the difference in the references used. Therefore, a policy is needed regarding the implementation of geospatial data. The Indonesian government has enacted Peraturan Presiden (presidential regulations) of Indonesia’s One Data and One Map Policy. Those policies aim to produce sufficient data. Indonesia's One Data Policy regulates the management of statistical, geospatial, and state financial data at the national level. But, the One Map Policy only regulates the management of geospatial data. As two different policies with the same level, have similar names, and have intersect in the management of geospatial data, there is a potential for misunderstanding in implementing both policies. This article aims to identify the similarities and differences between the two policies. The method is a literature study from various sources. This article used analysis comparison. The findings identified similarities and differences with almost the same amount. Based on the similarities and differences, recommendations are made. The author proposes a synergy of geospatial data management mechanisms or considers deregulate one of the policies after the policy target is completed with further study.

"Why Moan About It?" An IPA Analysis of Ex-Core Members' Experience of a Pandemic Without a CoSA.

Successful reintegration following prison for those with sexual convictions is a key aim of criminal justice policy. Whilst there is a wealth of research detailing the desistance and reintegration process of current Core Member's (CMs) within Circles of Support and Accountability (CoSA), there is limited research that captures the experiences of ex-CMs once the support of the volunteers had ceased. In addition to this, there is limited research that focuses on the impact COVID-19 has had upon those convicted of sexual offences, living within the community following a CoSA. This study aimed to explore these experiences finding that whilst volunteers helped some ex-CMs to form their own support networks, some ex-CMs appeared to rely more upon informal community support. Participants also maintained fears of their past being discovered and thus, avoided transparency, which is valuable for reintegration. In relation to the pandemic, COVID-19 was recognized as having some detrimental effects for ex-CMs, however, positive impacts and adaptability were also discussed. Conclusions drawn from the analysis provide implications for future multi-perspective and longitudinal research.

Access to Land: Markets, Policies and Initiatives

Acquiring access to land is an important issue for new entrants into farming. Traditionally, the succession of farms is within the family; market transactions are geared towards the enlargement of running farms. Policies and institutions have been built to facilitate this process. Current challenges of climate change, resource scarcity, biodiversity and equity, as are analysed by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the International Resource Panel (IRP), the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) reporting activities, make it so that there is a need to find alternatives for the current developments in farming, which is a process of up (scale enlargement) or out (stop farming). For these alternatives, new types of farmers who face the issue of access to land are needed. Based on FADN data and EUROSTAT data, current developments in the European farming sector were analysed to understand the impact of the process of modernisation on farmland markets and the complexities of access to land for new entrants. Whether these data may point to opportunities for alternative farming methods and the role of the direct payments of the European Union’s Common Agricultural Policy were analysed. Policies and consequences are discussed. It is concluded that, whereas alternative farming models are promoted at the level of policy aims, this is not performed at the policy guidance level of land markets. Alternatives outside traditional institutions face the issue of scaling up to create impact. The Common Agricultural Policy is, in many ways, more of an obstacle than it is a promoter of providing access to land for new farmers. New policies are needed.

Assessing the variety of collaborative practices in translational research: An analysis of scientists’ ego-networks

Abstract Translational research policies aim to reshape how biomedical scientists organize, conceive, and conduct science in order to accelerate healthcare improvements and medical innovations. Yet most analyses and evaluations of these initiatives focus on measuring the outputs generated in the different stages of the research process rather than observing scientists’ research practices directly. In this article, we analyze the collaboration networks formed by the biomedical scientists participating in a large translational research initiative. Based on data derived from a large-scale survey, we examine the network configurations established by biomedical scientists to advance their research in the context of the CIBER program—a Spanish flagship initiative aimed at supporting translational research. We adopt an ego-network perspective and draw on three network attributes—network diversity, tie strength, and tie content—to understand how scientists use their interpersonal connections to mobilize tangible and intangible resources and enable the translation of scientific knowledge into practical applications. Our cluster analysis identifies a range of scientist profiles: downstream-oriented scientists, upstream-oriented scientists, and brokering scientists. It shows that the scientists participating in the CIBER program deploy different types of collaborative behavior and engage in a variety of medical innovation activities. This suggests that the results achieved by a research program aimed at supporting collaborative networks will depend on the types of networks in which the participating scientists engage. Consequently, evaluations of these programs need to capture collaboration patterns, and should focus primarily on the collaborative process rather than the outputs that emerge from the collaboration.

Analysis of Governance Complexity on Subsidized LPG in Indonesia: A Three-level Institutional Approach

Subsidized liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) policies aim to ensure the efficient and effective supply and distribution of LPG so that the benefits of subsidies are on target. However, there is a gap between planned policies and actual reality. However, in order to achieve better governance of subsidized LPG policies, the causes of inconsistencies must be analyzed by the government. In this paper, we analyze the governance of subsidized LPG policies based on an institutional theory approach using the three levels of analysis and outcomes framework to find out the causes of policy inconsistencies by exploring policy structures and subsidized LPG management. The author proposes that this framework should be integrated into the improvement of subsidized LPG management and strategies. Further research is needed to analyze the impact and consequences of LPG transformation policies to estimate the benefits and challenges of implementing policy reforms.
 Keywords: liquid petroleum gas, subsidy policy, governance, institutional analysis

“The importance of integrating Smart Farming Technologies into Rural Policies (Aiming at sustainable rural development)- Stakeholders’ views”

Sustainable Rural Development involves eco-friendly management of Agricultural Systems while the research on Smart Farming Technologies (SFT) evolves towards that direction. A technology breakout such as Smart Farming, is lacking of feedback and network interactions, so Networking is crucial for knowledge accumulation and systems’ integration, thus, it embeds interaction between different elements, enhances feedback loops between them, integrates Research & Development and improves marketing practices. Rural development requires the insights of several established disciplines and needs to be connected to politics in order to achieve successful results, so this approach was applied. Moreover, if the goal is Sustainability, the interdisciplinarity of the involved scientists should assist policy decisions and be of use for Rural Strategic Planning. The equipment suppliers' participation in the planning of rural strategies should be explored due to the fact that the communication between them and policy makers does not always occur and their interests could conflict. Therefore, an empirical study was conducted among three groups of stakeholders- researchers, politicians and professionals in Greece; in order to explore the importance of implementing Smart Farming Technologies aiming at Sustainable Rural Development. Thematic and Content Analysis were applied. Then a Quantitative Analysis was performed in order to evaluate the stakeholders’ disagreement or consistency on their preferences in research orientation of SFTs’. The results not only indicated the challenges rural areas face in relation to the adoption of SFT, such as lack of strategic planning and necessary infrastructures, but also revealed the main reasons for underdevelopment and environmental degradation in Greece. Finally, the gap in communication and feedback between the stakeholders was confirmed. The results can be used by policy makers to customize their interventions based on the stakeholders’ priorities.

How social practices inform the future as method: Describing personas in an energy transition while engaging with teleoaffectivities

In the sociology of expectations, the future is seen as performative in the present: how energy futures are imagined has consequences for how the energy transition might be enacted today. This contribution discusses the conceptual and methodological work undertaken to develop personas from the future, on their way to the policy aim of so-called ‘net zero’ carbon emissions by 2050 in Switzerland. Social practice theoretical reflections contribute in three ways: conceptually, in recognizing the future orientation of teleoaffectivities; methodologically, for describing personas engaged in future practices; and towards reflexivity, in how imagining futures might affect social practices today. Moving from policy-relevant to practice-oriented energy scenarios is described as an iterative process that involves different stages of consultation. The process is not without tensions, calling into question how change is understood, and revealing the strengths and limits of trans- and inter-disciplinary approaches. A social practice-based approach provided a method for rich descriptions of futures, moving beyond changes to technologies that are ubiquitous in energy scenarios, to also include changes in meanings and competencies, as well as broader socio-cultural dynamics. The treatment of the social energy futures in cartoon form and through storytelling also allowed for a more compelling and engaging representation of the future, which might affect teleoaffectivities in the present.

Patent Compulsory Licensing System on China’s Road to Clean Energy Technology: A Solution or Pointless Decoration for Energy Innovation?

Along with the increasing global climate change and ecological damage, energy transformation driven by clean energy technology is an important guarantee to cope with climate change and promote the high-quality and efficient development of a country’s economy. Under the principle of common but differentiated country under the Kyoto Protocol, more and more developing countries call for the implementation of a compulsory licensing system for clean energy technology, and the compulsory licensing of patents for clean energy technology refers to the compulsory licensing of patents by the patent administration of a country grants a patent license directly to a third party without the consent of the patentee under specific circumstances and in accordance with the statutory conditions. This paper examines the historical development and current situation of the patent compulsory licensing system for clean energy technologies, studies the implementation of the system and the evolution of the legal system in the United States, reflects on the current situation of China’s patent compulsory licensing system and the possibility of extending the licensing content to clean energy technologies, and proposes policies and laws and regulations to solve the corresponding problems, in order to explore the future of China’s patent compulsory licensing system for clean energy technologies. The proposed policy and legal proposals aim to explore the conditions for establishing a future Chinese patent compulsory licensing system for clean energy technologies and its practical contribution to China’s energy transition and carbon neutrality and carbon peaking.

Dynamic tradable credit scheme for multimodal urban networks

A Tradable Credit Scheme (TCS) is a demand management policy aiming for more sustainable travel behavior. The regulator defines the total credit cap and the credit distribution; it also determines the credit charges for each travel alternative at different times of the day, which modifies the perceived users’ costs. The credit price is determined by trading of credits between travelers. Defining the credit scheme at the urban level and estimating its impacts on user travel decisions and the network congestion dynamics is challenging. We propose a framework wherein travelers change their departure times and choose between solo car driving, Public Transportation (PT), and carpooling to complete their trips under a dynamic TCS, meaning the credit charge is time-dependent. A multimodal macroscopic traffic simulator based on a generalized bathtub model captures the congestion dynamics for the different transport modes. Additionally, we consider different values of time, trip lengths, and desired arrival times for the demand profile.The proposed TCS minimizes the total travel cost, (the sum of all travelers’ travel costs) and the carbon emissions by solving an optimization problem through an iterative method, including an inner loop that updates the users’ choices and credit price under the stochastic user equilibrium principle; and an outer loop that updates the credit charge profile. The methodology is implemented and applied to a realistic test case in Lyon (France). The dynamic TCS profiles result in 36% fewer carbon emissions than static TCS for a total travel cost reduction of 19%. Besides, 94% of the travelers benefit from the TCS as their user costs decrease in the case study. The final results are compared with a more advanced simulation framework, which is too computationally expensive to find the optimal TCS. The proposed TCS is effective with refined traffic dynamics representation.