Policy Nexus Research Articles

Nigerian Economic Growth and Monetary Policy Nexus

Due to the unresolved argument on the efficacy of monetary policy in the growth of an economy, this study is conceived examine whether monetary policy variables have predicted economic growth in Nigeria. To achieve this, data were obtained from Central Bank of Nigerian Statistical bulletin of 2022. The relationship between monetary policy variables and economic growth was estimated with Autoregressive Distributive Lags (ARDL). After the analysis, the outputs revealed that the entire monetary policy variables employed were found to have negative and significant relationship with economic growth in Nigeria within the scope of the study. On this note, the researchers are of the opinion that a flexible monetary policy by the monetary authority will help sustain price stability and economic growth in the country. Policy instruments should be well- coordinated and as well have an optimal mix to significantly influence economic growth and stability.

In search of nexus triple wins: planning for and evidence of economic transformation, social inclusion and ecological sustainability in Sri Lanka, Thailand and the Dominican Republic

Achieving prosperity for all within planetary boundaries requires that governments take wide-ranging transformative action, but achieving ‘triple-wins’ by joining up policies across economic, social and environmental realms can be challenging. A companion analysis undertaken under the ODI Nexus project (Diwakar, 2022) analysed key indicators in these realms in lower income countries and identified the Dominican Republic, Sri Lanka and Thailand as front-runners in achieving more holistic development outcomes. Looking deeper at these case studies, we sought to identify national policy interventions that struck a balance between the different realms of development and explored the policy development, legislation and implementation processes required for integrated transformational policy to succeed. In each we found national-scale, triple-win policies led from the president’s or prime minister’s office. These policies can usually be traced to specific political moments that forced a reckoning with the failures of previous development policy, often resulting in radical change of direction in development planning. Yet, despite the existence of triple-win policies, as of 2019, there was limited evidence of triple-win outcomes being achieved. Instead, the case study countries typically performed well in one or two realms, often to the detriment of progress in the other(s). We present potential reasons for the lacklustre impact of these policies and conclude with suggestions for future work to outline where in the policy landscape it may be possible to enact transformational nexus policies and how to support them to achieve their outcomes in the timeframes required to ensure equitable prosperity within planetary boundaries.

Is there a mediating role of corporate social responsibility between board independence, board diversity, and dividend payouts decision?

PurposeThis study aims to investigate the mediating role of corporate social responsibility (CSR) in the link between board independence, board diversity and dividend payouts underpinning the agency theory perspective. As boards are ultimately responsible for decision-making, it includes CSR, dividend payouts and other strategic decisions.Design/methodology/approachBoard independence and board diversity (female director, female independent director) are used as explanatory variables, CSR scores as a mediator and dividend payout explained variables. The relevant data were collected from 159 listed firms of the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) from 2013 to 2019, consisting of 1,113 year-firm observations. For empirical estimation, the study used the Tobit regression analysis and Sobel test to check the significance of the mediation to confirm the hypothesis.FindingsThe results confirm that independence and diversity on the board are positively related to dividend payouts. Further, CSR partially mediates the link between independence and diversity on board-dividend payouts, which confirms the argument that firms with involvement in CSR practices are also associated with dividend payouts.Research limitations/implicationsTo the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is novel to address whether CSR mediates the link of the board’s independence and diversity and dividend payouts in Pakistan’s setting. The results of this study have restricted generalizability due to the specific nature of the sample characteristics; future researchers can extend the research scope.Practical implicationsTheoretically practically, the results imply that CSR spending also enhances the distribution to firms' shareholders, thus becoming attractive to investors. This study enriches the literature on board attributes-dividend policy nexus, which strengthens through CSR practices and is relevant to practice in line with sustainable development in an emerging context.Originality/valueCSR practices are an understudied but significant factor that links stakeholders' beliefs about firms' decision-making strategies, enhancing dividend announcements. In doing so, this study's findings contribute to the literature, regulators, shareholders and investor at various levels.

Assessing the nexus of electric vehicle and energy policies on health risks

The intricate interactions between electric vehicles and energy policies necessitate a methodology that integrates technological, economic and environmental assessments. Given the spatial and temporal manifestations of nexus effects, the coordination between the central and local governments and the timing of policy implementation has to be considered to maximize synergy and minimize the tradeoffs between both policies. This study combined an econometric model that incorporates a technological prediction model with an atmospheric model. The aim is to explore the nexus effects of electric vehicle and energy policies and assess the resultant health risks attributed to PM2.5 emissions. The findings from this study demonstrated that different locations benefit or suffer differently concerning changes in health risks after the government banned fuel-powered vehicles and provided subsidies for electric vehicles. The modeling outputs highlight the effects of time lags, spatial transfers, and net reductions in mortality on risk shifts resulting from the policy nexus. The key factors contributing to spatial and temporal variations in risks include technological evolution, facility lifespans and locations, and population density.

Trade and the government underfunding of environmental innovation

AbstractHow does trade affect the making and implementation of environmental policies? I extend our understanding about this broad research question with an understudied case: government support for environmental innovation. As the foremost channel wherein cross-border technology transfer occurs, trade materializes the positive externality of technology investment. With this in mind, countries may tend to strategically underfund environmental technologies—particularly when their trade partners enlarge that spending—to have more money to use otherwise and to avoid politically awkward innovation failures. To substantiate this crowding-out argument, I perform spatial regression with data from 32 OECD countries, 1982–2017, and find that government spending on environmental R&D in one country is negatively correlated with that of the country’s trade partners in environmental goods. My research contributes to the literature by adding new to our understanding about the international trade-environmental policy nexus, depicting a new scenario wherein states underprovide global public goods, and showing the strategic calculus underlying the use of technology-push strategy in addressing climate change.

The role of urban agriculture in food-energy-water nexus policies: Insights from Europe and the U.S

The growth of urban agriculture (UA) has raised the awareness of city officials and civil society organizations of its potential effects on food systems. This has led to various policies to regulate and support UA. This research characterizes existing food, energy and water (FEW nexus) policies based on policy data from five case study cities in Europe and the U.S. (Dortmund, Gorzów Wielkopolski, London, Nantes, and New York City) to analyze their relationships to UA, and to identify policy types that support resource-efficient UA. The paper presents the results of an analysis of 78 policy documents related to UA and the FEW nexus, and the results of a Q-sort ranking by UA policy experts on the effectiveness of 16 generalized UA policies in promoting resource-efficient UA.The number, type, and degree of support for nexus policies vary among the five case studies. The results show that the majority of policies (36) are implemented at the local scale, that few policies (19) incorporate all elements of the nexus, yet many nexus policies include UA indirectly. Regulations are more prevalent and are considered more effective at ensuring resource-efficient UA than incentives or awareness-raising policies. The study offers guidance to policy makers who want to improve resource use in future UA pointing at the increasing importance of local food policies.

Energy analysis in Water-Energy-Food-Carbon Nexus

This study evaluated the comprehensive Water-Energy-Food-Carbon Nexus (WEFC) by focusing on energy assessment in northwest Iran. The energy evaluation indices for different products were calculated by estimating the total input and output energies. Multi-objective optimization based on five individual objectives and WEFC Nexus policies was used to identify the optimal land-use allocation of wheat, barley, rapeseed, and sugar beet, silage corn, and potato while minimizing water and energy consumption and CO2 emissions, and maximizing food production and profit. The results indicate that the suggested framework provides a practical methodology for determining the optimal land-use allocation considering quantitative WEFC Nexus. To increase economic efficiency and reduce energy consumption, agricultural practices and policy recommendations should be adopted, including promoting renewable energy sources, implementing energy-saving technologies, improving fertilizer management, improving crop rotation practices, conservation tillage, and improving water management and adoption of sustainable farming practices. The results allow policymakers to optimize multiple resources and recommend the best resource allocation under recommendation policy, technology, and constraints to achieve sustainable development in agriculture.

Water, Energy, Food, and Ecosystem (W-E-F-E) Nexus River Basin Policy Paradigm for Agriculture Transformation and Multisector Infrastructure Development of Nepal

Water is Nepal’s most abundant resource, and its development and utilization are essential for driving the development of multisector infrastructures (agriculture, energy, industry, urban development, etc.). Nepal has hitherto adopted an isolated and sectoral silo policy approach to development planning that has remained the dominant mode of planning across many countries in the world with few exceptions until recently when inadequacies of sectoral planning became apparent. The search for alternatively more integrative approaches came into the forefront of development discourse in the backdrop of shrinking natural resources, climate change, inexorable demand of a rapidly growing urban population, and other needs and requirements at a global scale. The river basin-wide W-E-F-E nexus development policy strategy offers significant potential for optimum water resource utilization driving development of all sectors, including agriculture. The fundamental aspect of the W-E-F-E nexus policy framework entails the understanding of interdependencies and interactions amidst its components (water, energy, food, and ecosystem) and assessing their synergistic impacts on food, energy, water, and environmental securities in the basin. The W-E-F-E nexus policy framework aims to harness the synergy created from the interaction of interlinked components to achieve sustainable development goals (SDGs). This paper argues that Nepal government must carefully weigh the pros and cons of designing singular run-of-river mega hydro-project visa-vis multipurpose water reservoir projects with provisions of integrating irrigation, drinking water, inland waterways, and flood control infrastructures besides hydro-energy leveraging W-E-F-E nexus relationship.

Association between evergrande FC's club debt and Chinese super league's profitability from 2014 to 2019.

This study examined the role of Evergrande FC's club debt on the Chinese Super League (CSL)'s profitability from 2014 to 2019. We extracted the financial statements of Evergrande FC and evaluated its correlation with the profitability of CSL and Evergrande Group, which serves as a direct indicator of commercial growth. The association between Evergrande FC's net loss and gross debt and CSL's profitability is positive, strong (all correlation coefficients > .89), and statistically significant (all p < .05). The association between Evergrande FC's net asset value and CSL's profitability is negative, strong (correlation coefficient = -.97), and statistically significant (p < .05). These data imply that there is a good likelihood of a causal relationship between the negative club returns generated by real estate investments and CSL's rapid commercial growth from 2014 to 2019. In essence, a dovish monetary-regulatory policy nexus during this period drove up the CSL premium. This business history from the sports industry is another illustration of how the modern coupling of economic leverage and regulatory policy could have asymmetric impacts on short-term market growth. Based on this debt-fueled business history, CSL should progress to a higher level of development in the future.

WEF Nexus Policy Review of Four Mediterranean Countries

The Water–Energy–Food (WEF) nexus describes natural resource use in the context of social needs and economic development, addressing food, water, and energy security. Population growth and rising economic prosperity will increase the demand for energy, food, and water in the Mediterranean region, compromising the sustainable use of resources. As governments are required to make decisions in order to cope with increasing demands for resources, this paper performs a review of the legislation and WEF policies, identifying the main political and institutional actors involved and the possible policy (in)coherence in four MED countries located on two continents: Egypt, Italy, Spain, and Tunisia. This choice will allow the identification of the barriers and catalysts influencing the implementation of WEF policies and will improve our understanding of the WEF trade-offs and synergies by exploring them on national, regional, and local scales.

Post-normal science in practice: Reflections from scientific experts working on the European agri-food policy nexus

Post-Normal Science (PNS) emphasises the need for scientists and policy-makers to iteratively co-analyse and learn together, as part of an extended peer community. However, the roles and implications for scientific experts when interacting with policy-makers are not well understood. Informed by insights from science and technology studies (STS) on modalities of interaction and the multiple potential roles of experts, we reflect on our experiences as scientific experts working on European agricultural policy within the interdisciplinary H2020 MAGIC project. We aimed to analyse and facilitate science-policy dialogue on a variety of European sustainability challenges. Whilst we achieved stimulating interactions on the nexus of issues associated with sustainable agriculture, our experiences did not fully match our deliberative vision. In part this was due to the varied constraints and reactions of policy-makers: many had limited remit for engagement, some expressed scientists should act as ‘fact’ providers in support of current tasks; others contested scientific analyses when these implied policy approaches were insufficient. Our own roles and reactions also varied across the scientific team and over time: from attempting to foster relationships, to emphasising our relevance to their tasks, or making stronger judgements. This dynamic mix was at times personally uncomfortable and challenging. Navigating such processes needs explicit reflection on the potentially plural roles expected of scientific and other experts working on and for sustainability. Meanwhile, the persistent expectations and institutional constraints that underlie and constrain science-policy interactions need more recognition, including by policy institutions themselves.

Monitoring to conservation: The science–policy nexus of plastics and seabirds

Abstract Seabirds have been the messengers of marine plastics pollution since the 1950s, not long after plastics began to be commercially manufactured. In the decades since, a number of multilateral agreements have emerged to address marine plastics pollution that have been informed by research and monitoring on plastic ingestion in seabirds. Seabirds continue to serve as effective monitors for plastics pollution in the oceans, and increasingly of the chemical contamination from the marine environment as plastic additives and chemicals can adsorb and accumulate in seabirds’ tissues. Plastics pollution has far-reaching ecological impacts, but the motivation for addressing the issue has escalated rapidly at the international level. Seabirds are also the most globally threatened group of birds and require concerted conservation actions to mitigate population declines from multiple pressures. However, most policy mechanisms focus on the monitoring and mitigation of anthropogenically induced stressors, using seabird data, and often fail to include mechanisms to conserve the messengers. In this review, we discuss how research on the impacts of plastics on seabirds is used to inform policy and highlight the competing interests of monitoring and conservation that emerge from this approach. Finally, we discuss policy opportunities to ensure seabirds can continue to be the indicators of ocean health and simultaneously achieve conservation goals.

Revealing the impact of an energy–water–carbon nexus–based joint tax management policy on the environ-economic system

Faced with deteriorating climatic conditions and aquatic environments, a unified framework is required to support joint management policies. In this study, a factorial energy–water–carbon nexus policy analysis model is first developed (i) to explore the complex environ-economic impacts of multiple carbon taxes and wastewater taxes; (ii) to quantify factor interactions and their primary effects; and (iii) to reveal the response mechanisms of supply chains under the cascading effect. A representative coal-dependent and water-scarce region, Shanxi Province, China, is investigated to illustrate the model viability. It is found that the adoption of a carbon tax of 10–40 yuan/ton can reduce carbon emissions by 5%–18% and the simultaneous levying of a wastewater tax of 1.4–14 yuan/ton can alleviate quality-based water scarcity, albeit with some economic contraction. Significant factor interactions imply the superiority of joint taxation strategies, especially for heavy industry. Under cascading effects, the transformation of construction, commercial, and transportation sectors will be promoted. Expanding diversified supply chain channels is also necessary for enhancing regional anti-risk capabilities. This study is intended to provide a new scientific perspective based on joint tax management to mitigate carbon emissions and quality-based water scarcity in regions with similar characteristics around the world.

The market–society–policy nexus in sustainable agriculture

AbstractIntensive agriculture has led to several environmental impacts, such as soil erosion, water scarcity, and pesticide pollution. Despite the increasing research advocating greener agriculture, the transition into sustainable agriculture practices has been slower than expected. Then, why are we stuck in this transition? In this scientific essay, we aimed to answer this question not only by analyzing agricultural systems but also by the associated actors. Specifically, this scientific essay analyzed and discussed how agricultural systems integrate with the surrounding market, society, and policies. We made a literature review of the impacts of intensive agriculture on global change and an analysis of greener agricultural systems. Then, we analyzed how the market, society, and policies can influence the transition from intensive agriculture to greener agricultural systems. In addition, we complement that literature review with a survey made in Chile. Our analysis highlighted ecological intensification (EI) as the most promising production system in terms of sustainability. However, the most sustainable was not necessarily the most supported by the market and society. We found a disconnection between consumers' environmental concerns and what they support when buying foodstuff. Our survey showed that most people are aware of soil degradation and high-water consumption, but above all, they want pesticide-free and organic food attributes. The literature review and survey results suggested how policies can break the status quo of intensive agriculture predominance. Thus, we propose a market–society–policy nexus to promote sustainable agriculture. Our suggestions are: (1) Policies should support sustainable agricultural systems at the landscape level to safeguard the ecological processes involved in agricultural production. (2) Markets should standardize eco-labels, improve clarity in foodstuff information, and relate environmental benefits to consumer benefits. (3) A subsidy on sustainable food is needed to keep the regular market prices and attract new consumers, at least in the early stages.

An online serious game for decision-making on food-water-energy nexus policy

Food-water-energy nexus is a complex problem characterized by multiple alternatives, conflicting objectives, and multiple uncertainties about key drivers like climate change, urbanization, and population growth. Serious games are becoming a popular means to support decision-makers who are responsible for the management of urban food, water, and energy systems. However, the effectiveness of these games in improving decision-making and the quality of their outcomes remains low. Therefore, in this paper, we developed a serious game, namely S.N.O.G., which offers a safe decision-making environment where impacts of decisions may be tested and rated. Methodologically, S.N.O.G. is developed based on a combination of multi-objective optimization programing and game theory. Spatial representation, forecast, automatic feedback, ease of information communication, transparency, ease of modification add to the competence of S.N.O.G.’s application into effective decision-making for food-water-energy nexus. The game was tested in a smart-eco district in the Netherlands for which balanced food production, water management and energy generation is the goal. By using an activity theory-based model, we evaluated and mapped how S.N.O.G. contributes to the advancement in decision-making. Our research shows the game helped participants identify and indicate key drivers of integrated resource management, and how the game can strengthen the learning policy outcomes.

The Domestic Mechanisms of China’s Vertical Multilateralism: The FOCAC and the 16+1 Format Case Studies

ABSTRACT The paper aims to discuss China’s behavior in the developing world through the lens of the domestic model of governance. It does so by seeking analogies between three forms of Beijing’s political approaches in domestic affairs: generating enthusiasm through slogan politics and promised incentives, informal networks, and coordinated development in China-led multilateralism with Africa and Central and Eastern Europe. By discussing the domestic-foreign policy nexus, the paper introduces the concept of China’s vertical multilateralism. Finally, by broaching a new theoretical understanding, the paper decodes China’s behavior in the regions mentioned above and provides an alternative model for understanding China’s foreign policy in the developing world.

Strengthening Governance and Institutional Capacity at the Nutrition-Food Supply Policy Nexus Comment on "What Opportunities Exist for Making the Food Supply Nutrition Friendly? A Policy Space Analysis in Mexico".

Cervantes et al have provided an insightful addition to the policy literature by identifying the contextual, political, and policy factors that create constraints and opportunities for putting nutrition at the center of the food supply chain policy process. This commentary discusses important elements and features when aiming for reconciling nutrition goals and food supply policy, provides some examples of the salience of nutrition of non-health policies in countries with different income levels, and argues for improving governance for better nutrition outcomes and inspiring institutional interest and idea of food supply policy actors around population nutrition. Cervantes et al highlight the political context that favors nutrition outcomes, nutrition advocacy in the public agenda, and multisectoral mechanisms which can keep the nutrition objective moving forward in the food supply sector. However, a wider view on governance and institutional capacity is needed, recognizing government action by multiple sectors, with diverse sets of actors. The expanded understanding of nutrition, which includes considering nutrition as an emerging facet of food systems, by policy actors is needed. Enhancing discourse involving nutrition and food supply actors is important in order to appeal to the wider public and opinion leaders across the political spectrum. Accomplishing this also requires political will and an advocacy movement, especially by civil society and grassroots movements.

Ideal immigrants in name only? Shifting constructions and divergent discourses on the international student-immigration policy nexus in Australia, Canada, and Germany

ABSTRACT The proposition that international students are not only sojourners but future immigrants has become well established in public policy. While education and immigration policy have become more intertwined, they continue to be analysed as separate spheres of influence. This paper compares Australia, Canada, and Germany, which between them host nearly 20% of all globally mobile students and where a nexus between international student and immigration policy has emerged. Using critical discourse analysis, a comparative case study design and based on a systematic literature review of over 300 studies published from 1990 to 2018, the findings revealed three ostensibly paradoxical discourses, which are discussed using the new term ‘discursive pairings’. First, international students are selected for success but remain vulnerable to policy shifts that may exclude them and cause them to ‘fail’. Second, international students are retained to fill economic shortages, but face difficulties being accepted on the labour market. Third, international students help build national reputation yet have been known to be exploited and subject to discrimination. The contradictions that emerge in the discourses bring into question the ‘ideal immigrant’ framing of international students, demonstrating that their role, acceptance, and ability to integrate into host countries is far from assured.

Addressing the challenges of water-energy-food nexus programme in the context of sustainable development and climate change in South Africa

Abstract The fast-growing pace of the world's population and the increasing pressure exerted on global life supporting natural systems due to amplified natural resource use and consumption coupled with the impacts of climate change necessitates the development of innovative technologies and comprehensive policy frameworks to address the looming crisis in the water, energy and food nexus. As the 30th driest country globally, South Africa has embarked on and enacted a pro-water-energy and food nexus policy which aims to create an understanding of the interdependencies of the three components and their influence on socio-economic growth and national development in the face of climate change-induced environmental changes. While these policies and programmes appear to have a sound theoretical basis, their implementation has been hindered by a number of structural and systemic challenges. Using methods inspired by the tradition of participatory research, this paper discusses the strengths and weaknesses of the water-energy-food policy framework in South Africa within the context of its implementation in order to achieve water, energy and food security. The findings of this paper revealed that while some level of progress has been attained to improve the livelihoods of the population using the nexus ecosystem, the broader goal of the concept has failed to materialise due to poor execution of the programme, which is exacerbated by lack of synergies, and establishment of collaborations and partnerships among the relevant actors mandated with the management of the three components and inadequate investment. This paper recommends a broader and coordinated approach to implementing the water-energy-food nexus programme with a broader objective of sustainable development goals (SDGs) framework.

Evidence integration for coherent nexus policy design: a Mediterranean perspective on managing water-energy interactions

ABSTRACT Nexus governance increasingly relies on using data to design policy measures. At the intersection of different policy fields, such as energy and water, data is seen to shed light on complex challenges and have the ability to measure both problems and solutions systematically. In order to analyze the challenges linked to data use in the context of nexus governance, we use a policy design lens and more specifically the perspective of organizational policy instruments to look at the Mediterranean region. We focus on how the design of organizational tools enables or impedes policy coherence and thereby the efficacy of data use. Addressing this question, we find that current efforts in the region largely satisfy one condition of coherence, which is coordination of different stakeholders, but lacks effective integration as the second component of achieving coherence. This implies that the organizational instruments outlined in the current context of the Mediterranean efforts are only a starting point for developments over time that require holistic thinking, strengthening coherence long-term as well as developing capabilities around nexus governance. Given these findings, we identify future research questions around the role of organizational policy instruments in contributing to the coordination of data-driven nexus policy mixes.