Policy Proposals Research Articles

A new approach from public behavioral attitudes and perceptions towards microplastics: Influencing factors, and policy proposals

This research paper addresses the urgent environmental concern of microplastic (MP) emissions, focusing on the behavioral attitudes and perceptions of the general populace in Shyamnagar Upazila, Bangladesh. Against the backdrop of escalating MP pollution globally, this study investigates the level of awareness and the factors influencing public engagement in mitigating MP prevalence. Leveraging survey data from 350 respondents, the ordered logistic regression (OLR) and boosted regression tree (BRT) models are employed for comprehensive data analysis. The findings expose a concerning lack of awareness about MPs, as only 12% of respondents possessed prior knowledge, and a notable 63% remained uninformed about MP pollution. The OLR model reveals a positive correlation between heightened awareness of MPs and an increased willingness to take action. Gender differences become evident, with women exhibiting greater willingness than men to mitigate MP emissions, and environmental practitioners displaying heightened motivation. The BRT model underscores construction materials and industrial pollution as the primary influential factors amplifying MP pollution. These insights not only illuminate the existing scenario but also provide a basis for fostering favorable behavioral attitudes and perceptions to mitigate the prevalence of MPs within the coastal milieu.

How ESG Practices Enhance Firm Value: A Case Study of Yankuang Energy

With the rise of the ESG investment philosophy in recent years, people have begun to pay attention to company's ESG performance. At the same time, with China's dual carbon policy proposal, energy companies are facing enormous environmental pressure in the production process. For energy companies, the marginal benefits of excellent ESG performance will be greater than those of other industry companies. Under this background, this paper takes Yankuang Energy, a coal company, as an example and uses financial indicator analysis methods, the Z-score financial crisis model, and the EVA economic value-added method to explore how the energy company's ESG practices can improve its firm value. The research has found that in terms of financial performance, ESG practices mainly enhance the firm value by improving its profitability.

Enhancing Rural Revitalization Through Optimized Landscape Planning and Design: Insights from Beijing's Surrounding Villages

With the rapid economic development and the proposal of rural revitalization policies, the development of rural planning and construction has also received more and more attention, and the content of rural planning and construction practice is gradually expanding, but what follows is the integration of the regional cultural environment and the natural ecological environment is not high enough, and the phenomenon of disappearing village atmosphere, incomplete agricultural industrial chain, weakened functions, and incompatible ecological development has repeatedly occurred. Gradually, the village living environment has also been threatened, and the landscape planning and design of the rural living environment conveyed by different artistic modes and meanings has brought new opportunities for the realization of the rural revitalization strategy. This research takes the optimization of random forest algorithm as the core, and deeply explores the new ideas and methods of art mode and landscape planning and design of rural human settlements. This study mainly takes the surrounding villages of Beijing as an example and uses the moving window method to calculate the two-dimensional and three-dimensional landscape indices in this rural area. The multi-scale relationship of the living environment was analyzed. The power function fitting results of the window variation coefficient of the landscape index show that the optimal window size for studying the relationship between art patterns and three-dimensional landscape patterns is about 700 M.

Identifying leverage points for sustainable nutrient policy integration in Canada.

Addressing the 'wicked problem' of nutrient pollution requires coordinated policies spanning across diverse sectors and environmental systems. Using a case study of Canadian legislation, we apply semantic network analysis to identify thematic links across an inventory of 245 nutrient-related policies. Our analysis identifies twelve topics with unique types of connections across multiple facets of Canadian society. 'Hub' policies include broad environmental protection, land use planning, and climate-related legislation with close ties to multiple other topics. 'Bridge' policies create connections among otherwise disconnected topics in the network, representing opportunities to inform new policy proposals. Some legislation, such as food processing regulations, indirectly relates to nutrient use but could inform policy integration towards more coordinated and holistic nutrient management across the food system. A computational text network approach can be useful for addressing challenges in complex policy analysis, including by identifying unique entry points to guide more cross-cutting nutrient policy development.

Contributions and problems of mathematical models in COVID‐19 prevention in Japan

AbstractThis article reviews the essential role of mathematical models in understanding and combatting the pandemic of novel coronaviruses, in particular focusing the advance in the use of mathematical models in disease control in Japan. Highlighting the integral role of mathematical models in public health, the article introduces a model that factors in the heterogeneity of infectious contacts, concentrating on the effectiveness of testing and isolation, alongside a model that involves economic losses. The models exhibit how, given such heterogeneity, milder behavioral restrictions can still achieve suppression, rigorous testing and isolation can effectively curb the spread, and containment measures can mitigate economic losses. These models aid in grasping the complicated dynamics of disease transmission and optimizing interventions. The knowledge of population ecology is also considered effective for public health in statistical analysis, organizing concepts using dynamic mathematical models, which lead to policy proposals and deepen understanding. Evolution theory may help the understanding of virulence subject to change. However, effective prevention necessitates not only models but also the practical implementation of efficacious measures. The cooperation of various disciplines is particularly crucial in achieving a balance between health measures, economic interests, and human rights. Moreover, the article acknowledges the limitations of models and underscores the significance of real‐world execution. Overall, the article advocates for a broader outlook to tackle future pandemics and related challenges, underscoring the importance of ongoing academic cooperation and global governance to effectively address emerging infectious diseases and their far‐reaching implications.

Are China’s Renewable Energy Products Competitive in the Context of RCEP?

In recent years, in order to address climate change and energy depletion, countries around the world have been constantly promoting energy transformation and structural upgrading. The effectiveness of RCEP has broadened the international east Asian new energy market. The development of renewable energy trade in the context of RCEP has attracted significant economic, environmental, and technical attention. Based on the background of RCEP in this study, the constant market share (CMS) model and the weighted dominant comparative advantage (IRCA) index are used to assess the export competitiveness of renewable energy products from 2006 to 2021. The data in this paper were obtained from the UN comtrade database according to the categorical statistics of HS codes. The results show that: (1) the overall competitiveness of Chinese renewable energy products shows an upward trend; (2) the comparative advantages of Chinese renewable energy products are strong, with some differences among different industries; (3) the growth effect is the main reason for the fluctuation of Chinese renewable energy product exports; and (4) the signing of RCEP has injected new vitality into Chinese renewable energy trade. Finally, based on the research conclusions, the paper puts forward corresponding policy proposal.

The Limits of Liberalism

Abstract: Bryan Garsten's essay suggests that liberal polities should be understood as offering "refuge" from overweening public power. While there are sound arguments to support this approach, it downplays the affirmative exercise of public power in the liberal state and leads to policy proposals—such as a more generous stance toward refugees—that may not make sense when taking into account both the right of political communities to put the needs of their members first and the considerations that have led to rising doubts throughout Western democracies about accepting large numbers of refugees at this time.

Policy proposals for tree-planting according to change in vehicle fuels and air pollutants in Busan

Policy proposals for tree-planting according to change in vehicle fuels and air pollutants in Busan

Public trust in regulatory agencies and support for policies on agricultural gene drive

AbstractPublic trust in government agencies plays an important role in the formation of public opinion about public policy issues. However, the association between public trust in regulatory agencies and public support for policy development in emergent biotechnologies such as gene drive is not well understood. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) are tasked with coordinating and regulating biotechnology. Drawing on past literature, this study examines how public trust in these federal agencies is associated with public opinion on various options for gene drive policy. Using data from a nationally representative public opinion survey (n = 1220) conducted in 2021, our statistical analyses show that respondents who report higher levels of trust in regulatory agencies are more likely to support policy proposals that promote gene drive research and ultimately, may lead to regulatory policies that allow gene drive to be researched and employed to manage agricultural pests, establishing a pathway for scientists, developers, producers, and consumers alike to realize the benefits of this technology.

Research on the Relationship Between Digital Transformation and Urban and Rural industrial Integration and Development

This study explores the relationship between digital transformation and the integrated development of urban and rural industries. In the context of economic and social development in the 21st century, the integration of urban and rural development has become an important part of the national strategy, aiming to break the urban-rural dual structure and achieve common prosperity through institutional innovation and technology application. The study found that digital transformation introduces advanced information technology, changes the traditional production management mode, improves efficiency and efficiency, and provides new impetus for the integration of urban and rural industries. This paper analyzes the role mechanism, actual effect, and challenges of digital transformation in urban and rural integration, and predicts the future development trend. The policy proposal emphasizes the deep integration of technology and traditional industries, promoting the development of digital industries, and the two-way flow of urban and rural factors. The forecast shows that the proportion of the primary industry will decline, the innovation capacity of the secondary industry will be enhanced, and the tertiary industry will become the dominant economy. Digital transformation will play a key role in urban-rural integration, promoting the optimization of industrial structure and urban-rural integration.

At the controls: Politics and policy entrepreneurs in EU policy to decarbonize maritime transport

AbstractThe recent adoption of the FuelEU Maritime regulation, aiming to decarbonize maritime shipping, is part of the EU clean energy transition to reach carbon neutrality by 2050. Based on autoethnographic method and qualitative text analysis, applying the multiple streams framework as a theoretical lens, this article explores and explains the politics and the policy process of FuelEU Maritime. A policy window opened with adoption of the Paris Agreement on climate change in 2015, the slow progress on climate policies in the International Maritime Organization, and the subsequent adoption of the European Green Deal in 2019 and the new EU climate law in 2021. Diverging beliefs and narratives of policy entrepreneurs, policy makers, and stakeholders on problems to be addressed and different policy options to be implemented are analyzed. There were mainly two policy entrepreneurs, advocating different problem descriptions and policy options. The European Commission proposed a technology‐neutral, goal‐based approach to reach moderate emission reductions by 2050, while a coalition led by green mobility NGO Transport & Environment advocated a technology‐specific multiplier and subquota for zero‐carbon fuels to reach carbon neutrality by 2050. The article explains the agency of Transport & Environment and allies in influencing the European Parliament and several member states in the Council of the EU to stand the grounds against incumbent shipping and fossil fuel industry that influenced the Commission to present a down‐watered policy proposal. Finally, the article exemplifies the complexity of the second‐generation energy transition required for decarbonization compared to the first‐generation transformation focusing on renewable electricity.

Analysis of the Coastal Zone from Brazil

Brazil is one of the main countries that has adapted Integrated Coastal Management Programs and Plans (mci) with the aim of creating a sustainable coastal State. In this way, it has coordination, integration and proposal of policies for Integrated Coastal Management within the scope of the Interministerial Commission for Sea Resources (cirm). The objective of this article is to investigate and analyze the situation of the Brazilian mci in terms of its public policies, regulations, competencies, institutions, instruments, training, profitable characteristics, knowledge and information, education for sustainability and the participation of those involved. Keywords: Integrated coastal management, policies, sustainable development, coastal zone, environmental impact.

Untangling the entanglement of US monetary policy uncertainty and European natural gas and carbon prices

Owing to the Russia–Ukraine conflict, the price of natural gas in Europe fluctuated significantly in recent years. As natural gas in Europe is highly dependent on imports, import prices are inevitably affected by monetary policy uncertainties. Additionally, monetary policy uncertainty has a significant impact on financial markets. As a unique financial market, the carbon market is affected by monetary policy uncertainties, but the mechanism of the impact is not yet clear. Therefore, we conduct a systematic study of the relationships between monetary policy uncertainty, European imported natural gas prices, and carbon prices in the last three phases of European Union emission trading scheme. This study uses the dynamic conditional correlation generalized autoregressive conditional heteroskedastic (DCC-GARCH) model and nonlinear auto-regressive distributed lag (NARDL) model to comprehensively analyse the correlation between these three variables, including volatility correlations and trend correlations. The results show that the dynamic conditional correlations between carbon and gas prices are mostly positive, as is the dynamic conditional correlations between natural gas prices and monetary policy uncertainty. However, the dynamic conditional correlations between carbon prices and monetary policy uncertainty gradually decreases and changes from positive to negative in 2015. In addition, the findings indicate the asymmetry of the short-term impact and long-term impact of monetary policy uncertainties and imported natural gas prices on the carbon prices trends. Monetary policy uncertainty has asymmetric effects on carbon prices in each phase of the research. However, the natural gas prices have asymmetric effects only in Phases 2 and 4. Based on the findings, some policy proposals are provided for the development of the carbon markets.

Overcoming Resource Competition Among Co-Ethnics: Elites, Endorsements, and Multiracial Support for Urban Distributive Policies

When can we expect multiple racial groups to find common ground in the face of potentially unequal distributive urban policies? While we understand a great deal about the role of elites in inter-ethnic coalition building, we know less about the conditions under which cooperative behavior among their co-ethnic voters is more likely. Research has found that multiracial coalitions are critical to the political incorporation of racial/ethnic minority group interests at the local level but conflict between minority groups persists due to both real and perceived competition for resources. In this paper, we argue that elite co-ethnic endorsements can increase co-ethnic voters' support for urban distributive policies that disproportionately benefit outgroups over one’s own ingroup. We test our theory using a survey experiment from a representative sample of more than 1800 Los Angeles County voters. We find that respondents are less likely to support policy proposals that exclusively target benefits toward ethnic outgroups compared to when their ethnic ingroup exclusively benefits from an identical proposal. But we also find that the presence of co-ethnic endorsements can increase support for proposals that benefit an ethnic outgroup. We find this effect among Black, Latino, and Asian Americans in our sample.

Practical Questions for Securing Nucleic Acid Synthesis.

Affordable and accurate nucleic acid synthesis is foundational to modern biotechnology, but raises security concerns because it facilitates the construction of pathogens and other potentially dangerous biological agents. Nucleic acid synthesis screening can reduce the risk of providing potentially harmful nucleic acids to those without a legitimate use for them. Governments, industry associations, and biosecurity organizations have offered guidance on synthesis screening for a decade, and are now considering how to translate industry best practices into regulatory frameworks. A review of existing guidance documents, policy proposals, and other published literature was performed. We distinguish five categories of practical questions for policymakers: challenges associated with customer screening, sequence screening, the interaction between domestic and global regulations, commercial implications of screening, and finally, challenges associated with benchtop nucleic acid synthesis devices. There are a number of recommendations in public literature that target the implementation of robust customer and sequence screening, several of which have been incorporated into the recent United States White House Executive Order on artificial intelligence. There appears to be fewer solutions proposed to address challenges associated with the global screening landscape, or the commercial implications of screening requirements, and limited discussion on securing the benchtop synthesis landscape. This paper aims at providing a comprehensive resource for policymakers, outlining a set of questions governments, and other stakeholders, must answer when implementing screening requirements to secure nucleic acid synthesis.

Rethinking the American Industrial Policy Debate: The Political Significance of a Losing Idea

AbstractIn the early 1980s “industrial policy” seemed to be emerging as the American left’s answer to supply-side economics. Yet soon after, supply-side economics was triumphant and industrial policy back in the political wilderness. This article investigates why the American left rejected industrial policy in the 1980s but appears to be reembracing it under the Biden administration. Via reviewing the history of the industrial policy debate, I argue that the American left rejected industrial policy proposals for several reasons including disunity within the Democratic party coalition, the growing strength of the venture capital industry, and the perceived incompatibility of industrial policy with American political institutions. Despite the defeat of industrial policy movement in the 1980s, however, I argue that a process of adaptation and reworking during the Clinton administration allowed industrial policy ideas to survive in “hibernation,” ultimately reemerging in the changed policy environment which followed the 2008 financial crisis.

Evaluation of risk level assessment strategies in life Insurance: A review of the literature

<p class="11-SciencePG-Abstract-content">The viability of every insurance company depends on risk assessment of new life policy proposals. Machine learning techniques are increasingly shown to double case processing speed, reducing manual evaluation time. The underwriter evaluates the risk in several ways, including financial and medical evaluations and category classification based on customer data and other factors like previous insurance information, clinical history, and financial data. This research examines different academics’ publications on risk prediction while offering a new insurance policy to an applicant. Multiple machine learning models developed by researchers have been extensively investigated. The researchers’ model evaluation criteria were analyzed to understand and discover study gaps. The article additionally analyses how researchers found an accurate machine-learning model. This report also analyses various scholars’ future work proposals to identify what could possibly be modified for further research. This study details the measures used by other academics to evaluate machine learning models. This study describes the criteria used by other scholars to evaluate machine learning models. The criteria used by investigators to assess the produced models were carefully evaluated to understand and spot any untapped potential for advancement. Researchers’ methods for finding an accurate machine-learning model are also examined in this article. In addition, this study analyses several researchers’ future work proposals to discover what may be changed for further research. Using previous academics’ work, this review suggests ways to enhance insurance manual procedures.</p>

Unleashing China's coal conservation potentials by analyzing efficiency of energy intensive industries: A Logarithm Mean Divisia Index (LMDI) model

Considering China's ambitions for carbon peaking as of 2030 to ensure environmental protection and energy security, the present study is intended to explore sustainable pathways to reduce coal consumption by enhancing energy efficiency. The current article estimates coal consumption efficiency and radial super-efficiency by applying DEA-CCR and radial super-efficiency models. In the second stage, the Logarithm Mean Divisia Index (LMDI) and DEA-Malmquist models were used to explore the components of coal consumption in China's six key energy-intensive industries from 2000 to 2020. Findings indicate that (1) there is a substantial coal consumption efficiency gap among these industries, and they are working well below the production frontier. (2) Findings of DEA-Malmquist indicate that technological changes positively contributed to total productivity changes, while technical efficiency negatively impacted coal consumption growth. (3) The results of the LMDI model reveal that industrial output growth and structural changes are the key factors accelerating coal consumption. In contrast, the coal intensity had deaccelerated the coal consumption in the energy intensive industries. The current study provides several policy proposals to enhance coal conservation and consumption efficiency to achieve the aspiring goals of sustainable development.

Solving the Gordian knot: dealing with Spain’s unemployment crisis with a job guarantee program

Spain has experienced a history of chronically high and intractable unemployment. The Job Guarantee has been theorized as a policy proposal that aims to produce tight full employment and enhances macroeconomic and price stability. This paper provides an overview of some of the explanations to the causes of unemployment and the performance of traditional active labor management policies. A simulation of a job guarantee programme for the historic 1999–2019 period is provided using an econometric model of the Spanish economy. In addition to eradicating unemployment, we find that the job guarantee programme attenuates the economic cycle, sustains higher real incomes, and does not compromise price stability.

Sustainability Aspects in Water Management Policies in Regional Drinking Water Companies (RDWC)

Research aims: This research aims to provide good policy proposals regarding managing and maintaining water sources carried out by Regional Drinking Water Companies (RDWC) by paying attention to sustainability aspects. Design/Methodology/Approach: The method used in this study was a scoping review. A scoping review can be interpreted as a review to detail the concepts that form the basis of a research domain, the sources of evidence, and the types of evidence available. The data were analyzed using content analysis, a technique used to conclude by finding the characteristics of a message, which was carried out objectively and systematically. Research findings: The research results demonstrated that the passion for preserving the environment and biodiversity has still not explicitly been reflected in regional regulations about RDWC. Theoretical contribution/Originality: This research is expected to contribute to adding literature in the accounting sustainability, environment, and public policy fields. Practitioner/Policy implication: This research suggests that the Ministry of Public Works and Public Housing, the Ministry of Environment and Forestry, the Ministry of Home Affairs, as well as all regional governments in Indonesia, can create and repair policy in the context of providing, managing, and utilizing water resources by taking into account environmental and sustainability issues. Furthermore, RDWC performance evaluators such as BPKP and Inspectorate are expected to add assessment points related to environmental and sustainability aspects. Research limitation/Implication: There was limited information from overseas water companies, and this study did not highlight all RDWCs in Indonesia.