Sector Policy Research Articles

Harmonizing existing climate change mitigation policy datasets with a hybrid machine learning approach

With the rapid proliferation of climate policies in both number and scope, there is an increasing demand for a global-level dataset that provides multi-indicator information on policy elements and their implementation contexts. To address this need, we developed the Global Climate Change Mitigation Policy Dataset (GCCMPD) using a semisupervised hybrid machine learning approach, drawing upon policy information from global, regional, and sector-specific sources. Differing from existing climate policy datasets, the GCCMPD covers a large range of policies, amounting to 73,625 policies of 216 entities. Through the integration of expert knowledge-based dictionary mapping, probability statistics methods, and advanced natural language processing technology, the GCCMPD offers detailed classification of multiple indicators and consistent information on sectoral policy instruments. This includes insights into objectives, target sectors, instruments, legal compulsion, administrative entities, etc. By aligning with the sector classification of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) emission datasets, the GCCMPD serves to help policy-makers, researchers, and social organizations gain a deeper understanding of the similarities and distinctions among climate activities across countries, sectors, and entities.

The connectedness and structural changes among green and conventional energy markets with CO2 emissions in the United States

As the world's biggest oil producer and second-biggest polluter, the United States has set a strict target to cut net CO2 emissions by 50–52 percent from 2005 levels by 2030 and a net zero emission by 2050 through various strategies, particularly clean energy initiatives. This research attempts to examine the effects of five specific renewable and conventional energy subsectors with carbon emission across five sectors, including power (POW), industry (IND), ground transportation (GT), domestic aviation (DA), and residential (RE). The data illustrate the decline and subsequent increase in CO2 emissions throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, the Russia-Ukrainian conflict, and the USA recession periods from January 1 2021 to September 30 2022. Employing the Vector Autoregressive (VAR) model and a novel quantile connectedness framework, it was found that risk transmission between different markets has been exceptionally high, exceeding 80% both in the COVID-19 outbreak and in the aftermath. The finding suggests that the COVID-19 pandemic shock and the Russian-Ukrainian conflict have intensified the connections between carbon emissions and clean and non-clean energy markets. Policymakers should adjust net zero targets to align with changing dynamics, prioritize wind and geothermal energy, and promote energy independence due to rising oil prices. Leverage lithium for electric vehicles and create specific policies for power, industry, transportation, aviation, and residential sectors to manage CO2 emissions effectively.

Determining a future policy focus to support antimicrobial stewardship in community pharmacy: A modified Delphi study

BackgroundOver the past decade, the pharmacy sector's policy, academic and professional spheres have increasingly drawn attention to the opportunities to better leverage the untapped potential of the community pharmacy sector in contributing to global efforts to reduce antimicrobial resistance (AMR). While efforts are in train, progress is slow. ObjectiveTo draw insights from global experts in the field to identify a broad range of potential future policy directions to support community pharmacists' involvement in antimicrobial stewardship (AMS). MethodsA modified Delphi technique, comprising two survey rounds to build consensus amongst global community pharmacy sector stakeholders and opinion leaders. In Round 1, participants rated their level of agreement with 28 statements across the three domains of policy design, implementation design, and monitoring and evaluation. Participants were also invited to contribute feedback in Round 1, which was reflected as new statements (n = 10) in Round 2. In Round 2, participants were asked to re-assess Round 1 statements in view of the group consensus and to rate the new statements. Results289 participants were invited to participate. 48/289 (17% response rate) completed Round 1, and 25/42 (60% response rate) completed Round 2. Consensus (defined as >70% agreement) was achieved for 79% (n = 30) of the statements across the three domains. ConclusionPharmacy sector experts agreed that acknowledging community pharmacists in AMS national action plans is an important component, signalling a recognition of the sector's contribution to whole-of-nation AMS efforts. Implementation components that achieved consensus reflect the profession's evolution to a professional service driven model, particularly in complementary AMS initiatives including infection prevention and control measures. Context-specific adjustments to support implementing these AMS measures will be required, in addition to striking the appropriate balance to support the pace of increased community pharmacists'involvement in AMS with building whole-of-profession buy-in.

Feasibility of Haruan Snakehead Fish Breeding Units for Recipients of Non-Cash Government Assistance Revitalization of People's Seedling Units (UPR) in Hulu Sungai Tengah District, South Kalimantan Province

Haruan snakehead fish, as one of Indonesia's fisheries germplasm wealth, has an important role as a source of animal protein and buffers the stability of inflation rates in the Kalimantan region. The feasibility factor is expected to make a significant contribution to the development of the local fisheries sector and related government policies at the regional level. The research aims to analyze the feasibility of the local haruan fish hatchery business for recipients of government assistance in the form of revitalizing the People's Hatchery Unit (UPR) in Hulu Sungai Tengah Regency, South Kalimantan Province. Research activities take place in the Mufakat Group, Mahang Baru Village, South Labuan Amas District, Hulu Sungai Tengah Regency - Province South Kalimantan. Sampling was carried out using the proportional sampling method, namely samples were taken deliberately from Haruan snakehead fish cultivators who received grant assistance. The total number of respondents was 1 Cultivator Group. Feasibility of the Haruan snakehead fish hatchery unit for recipients of non-cash government assistance for revitalizing people's hatchery units (UPR) in Hulu Sungai Tengah Regency, South Kalimantan Province Hulu Sungai Tengah, South Kalimantan Province, with different discount rates, the present value (NPV) snakehead fish cultivation business obtained a value of Rp. 189,533,025, which shows that this project can provide financial benefits. The Internal Rate of Return (IRR) value of 56% indicates a fairly high rate of return, exceeding the interest rate generally available on the market. The payback period (PP) is 1.76 years Keywords: Haruan Snakehead Fish, Feasibility, Revitalization, HST

Local community participation in Tanzania's natural gas sector: A dissection of policies and the regulatory frameworks

The discovery of significant natural gas reserves in Tanzania prompted the government to develop policies and regulatory frameworks for better management of this sector. Nevertheless, knowledge of how these policies and regulatory frameworks facilitate local community participation in the sector is scant and attention to these issues is limited. We use qualitative data and the Context Interaction Theory (CIT) as our lens to analyse the sectoral policies and regulatory frameworks to understand whether and how they facilitate local community participation. Our analysis revealed that the natural gas policies and frameworks have to some extent facilitated local community participation through provision of employment opportunities, participation in the implementation of Corporate Social Responsibility projects and protection of the gas infrastructures. However, meaningful local community participation is constrained by various factors including inadequate qualified and skilled individuals among the locals; misinformation to local community members; and insufficient awareness on the natural gas policies and regulatory frameworks. We recommend policies and regulatory frameworks that support local capacity development and empower local government authorities to develop their capacity for translating policies into practice on local community participation. These measures should involve ‘policy learning” from countries that have been successful in developing inclusive participation policies and responsive institutions.

Strengthening the European Semester to Achieve Economies of Wellbeing.

The environmental crisis, growing levels of social inequalities and rising levels of noncommunicable diseases are all symptoms of economic systems that are failing to generate wellbeing. There is increasing support for the notion that addressing these crises requires shifting the focus from economic growth to a broader range of measures that reflect wellbeing, through more comprehensive, consistent and integrated policy approaches to deliver this. In 2019, the EU Finnish Council Presidency Council Conclusions called amongst other things for the development of a new long-term, post-2020 strategy to provide the framework for horizontal assessment and cross-sectoral collaboration, in particular through the European Semester process. This article contextualises this call and explores its follow-up. It draws from key policy documents to explore what Economies of Wellbeing are, why and how the concept has emerged and how they can be put in place. It then explores to what extent this concept is being applied at the EU level, by tracking changes in some of the EU's key policies and strategies over the past 10 years and in the Semester process, as a mechanism to implement them. It concludes that while progress towards more comprehensive, consistent and integrated policy approaches has been made in the context of the Annual Sustainable Growth Strategy, underpinning the Semester processes, it is limited by the continuing emphasis on economic, over other policy, areas. It also argues that the process needs to be broadened even further, to include other dimensions of wellbeing, which intersect with the economy and impact wellbeing. To strengthen the European Semester process to achieve Economies of Wellbeing, it should be put at the service of an even more consistent and comprehensive EU Strategy that enables policy sectors to deliver wellbeing objectives in a more integrated and coordinated manner. This paper ends with recommendations for action.

Valorization of a Local Italian Pear (Pyrus communis L. cv. ‘Petrucina’)

In recent decades, the food production chain has undergone transformations that have profoundly affected the way food is supplied, causing changes in the quality of the final products. Moreover, biodiversity is seriously threatened worldwide, and the valorization of local germplasm is a priority goal for most sectorial policies in Europe and elsewhere. Southern Italy and the Mediterranean basin present a vast heritage of fruit tree cultivars that is gradually being lost. Through this work, we aim to valorize a well-adapted local pear cultivar named Petrucina from the Salento area (southeastern Italy, Apulia region), which has never been studied before in detail. With this aim, the nutritional and nutraceutical features of pear flesh were characterized and compared with a reference pear cultivar that is widespread and well-known in Europe (cv. ‘Conference’). Petrucina fruits have shown a peculiar aromatic compound profile, and a content of up to 398.3, 30.9, and 4.7 mg/100 g FW of malic acid, citric acid, and ascorbic acid, respectively, much higher than that of Conference fruits. Additionally, Petrucina flesh presents a more than triple total phenolic content and an antioxidant activity more than double that of Conference, making Petrucina a true functional food that deserves wide appreciation.

The impacts of the Ethiopian developmental state model on the competition, efficiency and profitability of banks

PurposeThis study examines the impacts of the Ethiopian developmental state model on the competition, efficiency and profitability of banks.Design/methodology/approachThe competition, efficiency and profitability of the Ethiopian bank are measured using Panzar Rose, data envelopment analysis and financial ratio. Fixed-effect panel regression methods are applied to test the direction and strength of association between the Ethiopian developmental state model and the competition, efficiency and profitability of the country's banks while controlling bank-specific market structure and macroeconomic factors.FindingsThe Ethiopian developmental state model embeds the state-directed financial system, which affects the banking industry using a range of credit allocation instruments. Of which, directed credit schemes, interest rate control and the lack of financial freedom reduce the competition and efficiency of banks. The National Bank of Ethiopia (NBE) advances to the government and the sale of Treasury bills to a captive market enhances banking competition while negatively affecting banking efficiency. Interest rate control and the lack of financial freedom lower banking profitability. Unexpectedly, directed credit schemes improve banking profitability.Research limitations/implicationsAs with any study, this one has limitations. The intra-period comparison of efficiency is based on balanced data. Future studies can use methods that can measure the efficiency of banks using unbalanced data. The computation of the yearly H-statistic is constrained by the small sample size. The use of high-frequency data for measuring competition can provide us with better insights into banking competition in Ethiopia. Furthermore, there are a number of methods for measuring banking competition, efficiency and profitability with different assumptions. Approaching the subject of this study by applying different methods will offer different insights.Practical implicationsThe contributions of this study to practice are at two levels. First, at the policy level, it enhances our understanding of the impacts of developmental state model policies, as implemented in Ethiopia, on the banking industry and therefore provides suggestions to policymakers to reform the sector's policies. Second, it offers input to the management of banks regarding the factors that impact the industry.Originality/valueThe banking industry is often studied in the context of financial liberalisation. The originality of this study lies in investigating how the competition, efficiency and profitability of banks are affected when operating in the context of significant state interventions in the industry.

Critical Factors Influencing the Success of Social Entrepreneurship

Social entrepreneurs are solving agents for social and economic problems. Having innovations aimed to tackle the unlimited human problems innovators enter into the business as social entrepreneurs. Putting independent scientific findings into the practical field of business poses several problems requiring the entrepreneur to tackle the issues and challenges of the business world. This study aimed to answer the linkage of innovation with social entrepreneurship, the relation of individual innovators with entrepreneurship, types of the support the society can provide to social entrepreneurs in their contribution to solving the unlimited human problems, and the role of political economy in achieving success by social entrepreneurs. The methodology employed for the study involves a review of the findings of previous studies and an analysis of the opinions of the leading social entrepreneurs. The main finding of the study includes an educational program to clarify the duality of the understanding of social entrepreneurship, preparation, and implementation of robust business strategy along with identification of market relevance of innovation, innovative funding of start-up and scaling stage of entrepreneurship, perpetuity in innovation for sustainability, friendly public policy and public sector as a potential partner in achieving success of social entrepreneurship as the critical factors.

Trends and policy analysis: A case for sustainable transport systems in India

In this article, we analyse India's transport sector policy. The study examines the two important modes of transport, viz., road and rail, and analyses the efficiency of transport infrastructure from 2011 to 2019. Through Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA), we evaluate modes in terms of the capacity of registered road goods vehicles and railway goods wagons, truck km/train km and energy consumption and corresponding freight traffic. The analysis gives valuable insight into the fact that rail infrastructure is more efficient than road infrastructure. Still, current transport sector policies promote energy-intensive carbon-fuel road vehicles rather than energy-efficient alternative transport modes. The study suggests the changes that may be incorporated in inputs to improve the efficiency of the road infrastructure. The Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA)-Malmquist Index analysis reports the need for total factor productivity improvement in rail transport and the introduction of technological innovations in road and rail transport sector management. The study employs a well-to-wheel (WTW) based index to ascertain the energy consumed and pollutants emitted by freight-carrying road and rail modes between two leading business hubs of India, i.e., Ludhiana and Mumbai. The paper identifies policy gaps and suggests a holistic approach for need-based roadway investment and a time-bound development of railway infrastructure in India. Our study generates valuable implications for India's policy planners and government authorities and provides new insights to other countries.

Artificial intelligence and complex sustainability policy problems: translating promise into practice

Addressing sustainability policy challenges requires tools that can navigate complexity for better policy processes and outcomes. Attention on Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools and expectations for their use by governments have dramatically increased over the past decade. We conducted a narrative review of academic and grey literature to investigate how AI tools are being used and adapted for policy and public sector decision-making. We found that academics, governments, and consultants expressed positive expectations about AI, arguing that AI could or should be used to address a wide range of policy challenges. However, there is much less evidence of how public decision makers are actually using AI tools or detailed insight into the outcomes of use. From our findings we draw four lessons for translating the promise of AI into practice: 1) Document and evaluate AI’s application to sustainability policy problems in the real-world; 2) Focus on existing and mature AI technologies, not speculative promises or external pressures; 3) Start with the problem to be solved, not the technology to be applied; and 4) Anticipate and adapt to the complexity of sustainability policy problems.

Climate adaptation law: a European perspective

AbstractIn contrast to climate protection law, which regulates the mitigation of climate change, climate adaptation law deals with the management of the unavoidable consequences of climate change. This article provides an overview of its legal basis from a European perspective. In addition to international law, especially the Paris Agreement, EU law is of central importance in this respect. It is primarily shaped by the EU Climate Law enacted in 2021. However, this Law only sets a general framework and is further defined by legal acts of various sectoral policies, especially in the field of environment. Climate adaptation regulations at the level of European member states are presented using the example of Germany, where a Federal Climate Adaptation Act is currently being drafted. Due to Germany's federal state structure, state legislation is also analysed. Most of the German states (“Länder”) have their own climate laws, although their content varies. The municipal level is only addressed with restraint in these laws. The reasons for this are of a fiscal constitutional nature and will be explained in more detail.

Endogenous Growth Theory: The Influence of Health Budget Allocation and Financial Sector Growth on the Indonesian Economy

This study delves into the application of Endogenous Growth Theory to the Indonesian context, focusing on the interplay between health budget allocation and the growth of the financial sector in shaping the country's economy. Endogenous Growth Theory posits that economic growth can be internally driven by factors such as human capital accumulation, technological progress, and institutional development. Through empirical analysis, this research examines how the allocation of resources to the health sector and the expansion of the financial industry impact Indonesia's economic performance. By employing quantitative methods and econometric models, the study elucidates the extent to which these factors contribute to economic growth and development. The findings shed light on the importance of targeted budgetary allocations and financial sector policies in fostering sustained and inclusive economic progress in Indonesia

Community-based person-centred integrated care (PIC) networks for healthy ageing in place: a scoping review protocol

IntroductionThe economic case for preventive care delivered in or near citizens’ homes is strong, and there is growing evidence of the role of local-level support in supporting people’s health and...

REGULATORY FRAMEWORK AND COMPLIANCE CHALLENGES IN DIGITAL PAYMENT:A CASE STUDY ON PAYTM

India is not only the world's largest independent democracy, but it is also a rapidly growing economic powerhouse. No country can have a stable economy without a sound and efficient banking system. Banks play a critical role in a country's economic growth. They collect people's unused savings and make them eligible for investment. They're in the process of granting loans and purchasing investment securities, new demand deposits are also established. Accepting and discounting bills of exchange allows for trade both within and outside the country. Banks also help to improve capital mobility. India's banking system has a long list of notable accomplishments over the last three decades. It is no longer limited to the cities, but has spread to even the most remote parts of the world. This is one of the factors behind India's development. The banking industry is now one of India's most important service industries. The availability of high-quality services is critical to the economy's success. Banks' attention has turned away from customer acquisition to customer retention. The introduction of Information Technology into the banking sector has changed the way people work. The banking sector's policy has undergone radical transformations, various customer-oriented products, such as internet banking, are available. Customer’s workload has been reduced mainly because of ATM providers, telebanking, and electronic payments. The internet's convenience Banking allows a customer to access and manage his bank account without 7 having to go to the bank. 'The Customer's options have been revolutionized by the availability of ATMs and credit/debit cards.

The impacts of technological change policies on water uses and virtual water trade in water-constrained settings

Virtual water trade, which underlines the importance of inter-regional commodity transactions for enhancing water management, has often been recommended as an alternative to technological advancements in addressing water scarcity and increasing water savings in dry regions. Sectoral adjustment policies that focus on enhancing the productivity of specific sectors therefore should prioritize sectors with high growth impact potential but low virtual water demand. However, the diverse understanding of the concept and differing assessment techniques employed by various research communities complicate the debates surrounding the policy relevance of the virtual water trade. This study proposes a novel and integrated approach to evaluating virtual water content and flows endogenously, leveraging the advantages of Input-Output and Computable General Equilibrium (CGE) modeling methods. The quantification of the method is exemplified in the case of Uzbekistan (Central Asia), where water is a limited yet essential resource for sustainable economy and environmental systems. Specifically, this study examines the impacts of changes in economy-wide and sector-specific Total Factor Productivity (TFP) and water productivity on water uses, virtual water flows, and economic outcomes. The findings reveal that TFP improvements in livestock and fodder crop production and water productivity enhancements in gardening are recommendable options to constrain the net virtual water trade and enhance economic growth in Uzbekistan. The study also shows a high sensitivity of virtual water flows to technological changes, highlighting the importance of considering options for improving productivity when analyzing the potential of virtual water trade.

Suburban neighbourhoods as places for everyday cultural participation: the case of Jyväskylä in Finland

ABSTRACT The research on and policy related to cultural participation calls for more attention to how people include culture in their everyday lives and local surroundings. We analyse the everyday cultural experiences of people spending free time in suburbs in a Nordic context. We analyse the characteristics of our case suburban neighbourhoods as spatial contexts of cultural participation and reflect on the methodology for analysing everyday cultural participation in place. We show that (1) other meaningful activities at a certain location affect cultural participation, (2) cultural offerings outside the neighbourhood affect the motives for and patterns of cultural participation in and from the neighbourhood (3) other public policy sectors than the actual cultural sector influence the support of cultural participation in a certain location.

Exploring actors' collaborations and involvement in the Namibian learner pregnancy policy

IntroductionThe Namibia Education Sector Policy on the Prevention and Management of Learner Pregnancy (ESPPMLP) aims to reduce the cases of learners falling pregnant and increase learner-parent completion of education. The ESPPMLP addresses the fact that learner pregnancy and school drop-out are collaborative efforts between parents, the community, schools, and non-governmental organizations. However, Namibia continues to have had a problem with the high rate of learner pregnancy and school drop-out for many years. Previous studies reported the absences and limitations of both internal and external actors' collaboration in its implementation. This paper aims to clarify the lack of stakeholder involvement and cooperation in the ESPPMLP activities within selected rural schools in Namibia.MethodsUsing the qualitative approach mixed with phenomenological and content data analysis, the study conducted 19 individual interviews with schoolteachers, one school board member, one NGO representative, and six focus group discussions with 27 parents.Results and findingsAmong others, results show the limited life skills of teachers in schools, the attitude of the community toward schoolteachers, making them feel devoid of influence in collaborations, and the lack of sexual reproductive activities programs in school settings. The findings reveal the reliance of the activities of prevention and management of learner pregnancy on donor-driven initiatives, the lack of task forces at the community level, the shortage of knowledge and understanding about the ESPPMLP and the lack of policy implementation guidelines. Establish learner pregnancy leadership structures at the community level for coordination, introduce community parenting, and execute partnership of monitoring activities to boost stakeholder collaborations.

Do Government Efforts and Commitments Affect the SDGs?

This study aims to examine the influence of three pillars of government efforts and commitment on the Sustainable Development Goals index. The three pillars are Transformation, Coordination and Multilateralism. Knowledge related to country policies should be improved to boost effectiveness to achieve better sustainable development goals. The research sample includes 74 countries around the world that have implemented Sustainable Development Goals practices so that they have a Sustainable Development Goals index achievement value and a Government Efforts and Commitment index value for the index performance period of 2023. The analysis method uses multiple regression in STATA. The results showed that only the Transformation variable had a significant effect on the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals index, but the Coordination and Multilateralism variables had no effect. This finding confirms that comprehensive changes in sectoral policies, accompanied by concrete long-term strategic actions from all parties, are the hallmarks of the government's efforts and commitment.

Synergistic emission reductions and health effects of energy transitions under carbon neutrality target

China's climate and environmental problems remained prominent. Energy transition was the key to improve climate and pollution, and it was at a critical period. Previous studies mostly focused on the impact of climate policies on the reduction of air pollutants and the environmental health impacts of individual sector or pathway policies. Thus, focusing on the synergistic abatement of CO2 and air pollutants and health effects of energy transition in carbon neutrality was significant for building beautiful and healthy China. LEAP-HEA model was constructed to project energy demand, CO2 and air pollutants, and assess energy transition's environmental health effects from 2020 to 2060. LMDI model was adopted to decompose the abatement contribution. Synergistic assessment index was used to estimate the coordinated abatement effects. Cost-effectiveness of energy transition and regional heterogeneity of PM2.5 toxicity were not considered. The results indicated: (1) energy demand would decrease and structure would be optimized significantly under deep energy transition scenario. (2) Deep energy transition could promote earlier realization of carbon neutrality. It would contribute significantly to CO2 and air pollutants abatement with strong synergistic effects. (3) Energy transition would reduce health risks with large economic benefits. Recommendations were proposed based on the conclusions.