Transitioning to a circular economy (CE) at the local level is important for addressing the strain on natural resources caused by population growth and climate change. This study aims to investigate the factors that influence or impede the adoption of CE practices in French cities and regions. To achieve this goal, 47 interviews were conducted with practitioners from local authorities to identify the

To reach the goals of the Paris Agreement more ambitious climate policies will need to be implemented. In an experimental survey with a representative sample, we investigate how a change from existing climate policies to more ambitious policies drives public support. Using different descriptions of policies, we demonstrate that in general, more ambitious policies reduce public support. This effect

The concept of Cultural Ecosystem Services (CES) is increasingly applied to sustainable land use change research, policy and planning. Despite an evolving understanding of CES in the research community, policy and planning have not kept up with deeper and more progressive framings of CES. This disjuncture risks the underappreciation of diverse, intrinsic, plural and relational perspectives of CES in

With a vast bibliography, the Brazilian economist Celso Furtado addressed many different themes and interdisciplinary approaches from an Economic Science perspective. While the literature traditionally discusses the author's contributions to Latin American structuralism, regional development, and the economics of culture, more recently reflections on environmental issues have been emphasized in his

We examine the effect of the invasive insect, fall armyworm (FAW) on maize production, smallholder commercialization, labour allocation, and livestock, highlighting knowledge about FAW and their infestation levels. We also investigate the control strategies used in managing this damaging pest and its drivers with a view on behavioural factors such as aspirations, self-efficacy, and locus of control

This paper evaluates the effectiveness of regional government initiatives in actively engaging citizens in the energy transition by promoting changes in energy behavior. Employing micro-level data from the German Socio-Economic Panel and insights from the regional-scale “Project 100% Erneuerbare-Energie-Regionen”, the research adopts a difference-in-differences approach to inspect the impact of residing

Transparency in natural resource revenue (NRR) management is crucial in theory to avoid misuse and corruption, but there is little evidence that information reaches citizens and engages them in revenue governance. We collect survey data from Bojonegoro in Indonesia, which has a strong transparency and accountability policy in petroleum revenue governance. We investigate the links with information reception

Large-scale land transactions (LSLTs) for agricultural development represent changes in inherently complex and coupled socio-ecological systems. This is particularly so in lower- and middle-income countries where land is the principal basis of livelihoods and generates substantial but diverse ecosystem services, and tenure arrangements affect both livelihoods and ecosystem provision simultaneously

Ecosystem services, such as weed and pest regulation provided by biodiversity, are vital for sustainable crop production. However, the economic contributions of biodiversity are often overlooked in commercial markets due to the absence of market prices. This complicates quantification and comparison with physical capital, leading to poor economic decisions. To improve the economic understanding of

In recent times, degrowth has in various ways been linked to the notion of a wellbeing economy. The extent to which the two are compatible has however not been subject to much discussion. The present contribution contrasts the wellbeing economy and degrowth, finding that they differ markedly in their stances on economic growth, capitalism and the political. As regards economic growth and capitalism

Preserving natural resources for future generations lies at the heart of sustainable development practices, and is yet difficult to motivate for a self-interested present. We propose a laboratory experiment investigating collective motivations for resource conservation in intergenerational CPRs. We apply three behavioral levers. First, we generate intertemporal communities composed of members distributed

Belief in a trade-off between economic growth and environmental protection is an important feature of the politics of environmental policy. Yet the prevalence and consequences – for policy positions – of this belief are only indirectly examined in dominant treatments of public attitudes. We investigate belief in the existence of the trade-off directly. Those who believe more strongly in the trade-off

The Faustmann-Hartman rotation age literature focuses on the commercial and amenity values of timber. Amenity values are a direct function of the volume on the stand at any time (Hartman) and/or the change in volume (carbon values). The rotation-age is extended to include concern that warming levels are a function of cumulative emissions, and, depending on timeframes, whether temporary storage in post-harvest

Reducing red-soil runoff from farmland to the aquatic environment is beneficial in terms of increased coastal ecosystem services. However, the benefits of countermeasures on farmland to coastal ecosystem conservation remain unclear, thus hampering effective agricultural pollution management. To address this, we quantified the economic value of the countermeasures on farmland for coastal ecosystem conservation

Understanding the drivers that underpin the adoption of new energy technologies is key to fostering a successful energy transition. Increasingly, studies focus on non-economic factors but are often limited to personal motivations such as ecological values. While there is increasing recognition that community factors can be key for behavioral change, the role of these factors with regard to energy technology

The EU regulation on Deforestation-Free Products (EUDR) enacted in 2023 aims to reduce deforestation connected to commodities imported to the EU, including cattle products. In Brazil, the EUDR pressures the local cattle supply chain towards more sustainable production. However, the potential effects of the EUDR on reducing deforestation in this sector are unclear and require scrutiny. Drawing on the

We develop a theory of endogenous economic growth with explicit consideration of energy in the production process. Following basic thermodynamic considerations, energy is modeled as a (perfect) complement to machines. Long-run economic growth is driven by expanding product varieties. While energy flows on Earth are currently abundant, extrapolation of past consumption trends suggests that energy supply

Understanding the intricate connection between various individual attitudes toward the environment and support for environmental political parties is essential. In this study, we use the 2016 climate change module from the European Social Survey, employing a wide range of individual features and a machine learning approach to explore this complex relationship. Our analysis reveals a decoupling between

The Paris Agreement on Climate Change requests signatory countries to specify voluntary targets for their greenhouse gas emissions. The targets stated by the end of 2021 imply percentage emission reductions that vary widely across countries. This paper uses globally representative data from the Global Climate Change Survey to study how countries' emission reduction pledges are related to climate action

This study uses a choice experiment survey of 1002 Florida residents and visitors to estimate willingness to pay for environmental programs leading to changes in populations of recreationally and economically important fish (red drum, seatrout, snook) and abundance of seagrass on Florida's Nature Coast. We estimate a series of random parameter logit models and conduct a latent class analysis to explore

The literature on the effect of natural resources on conflicts is far from being conclusive. Recent evidence suggests that the relationship between natural resources and violent conflicts may be influenced by income inequality. That is, inequitable distribution of economic and natural resources increases the incentives for resource-rich countries to engage in conflicts. The main contribution of this

This paper develops a stock-flow consistent, input-output (SFC-IO) model that is able to simulate a number of the risks and opportunities associated with different types of transitions to net zero. In particular, the model is able to capture transition related impacts stemming from changes in: i) green investment; ii) energy return on energy invested (EROI); and iii) financial transition risks. We

This paper investigates the effects of the Beef Zero Deforestation Commitment (Beef ZDC) on deforestation rates in the Brazilian Amazon. Using a spatial panel data regression model, the study analyzes data from 280 municipalities across three states of the Brazilian Amazon at three time points. The outcome variable, created through a geoprocessing technique, reflects the intensity of slaughterhouse

This paper analyses the environmental benefits of grassroots cooperation in agriculture. Specifically, it focuses on the French context, which is characterised by a heavy reliance on pesticides and by strong inter-farmer interactions structured within farm machinery sharing cooperatives (CUMAs). We theorise that these social interactions are strategically complementary in the sense that the agroecological

Ascertaining the number, type, and location of plant, insect, and animal species is essential for biodiversity conservation. However, it is difficult to comprehensively monitor the situation using only expert-led surveys, and therefore information voluntarily provided by citizens is helpful in determining species distribution. To effectively encourage citizens to share data, this study proposed a prosocial

In this paper, we use a laboratory experiment to analyze the effect of information provision (feedback) on individual sorting behavior. Effective sorting requires both quantity and quality, yet increasing quantity may reduce quality due to the higher risk of contamination. We conduct a collective sorting behavior experiment consisting of a two-stage coordination game in which two subjects are paired

The Japanese iron and steel sector is central to supply chains, making its decarbonization crucial. However, technological innovation required for this is costly. Assessing CO2 emission responsibility across the supply chain is necessary for fair cost distribution. This study uses environmentally extended input–output and structural path analyses based on shared responsibility to decompose CO2 emissions

This paper addresses a neglected aspect of the UK housing crisis: how to rapidly but fairly decarbonise the housing stock to meet tough net zero targets while meeting housing needs of the entire population. To do so the authors adopt a radical approach based on sufficiency. The sufficiency approach is based on determining both a housing floor – a decent minimum standard for all – and a housing ceiling

This paper aims to investigate which factors affect companies’ choice of subscription to an online platform designed to support the creation of industrial symbiosis (IS) relationships, and the effectiveness of such platform from the economic and environmental perspectives. The analyzed platform finds optimal symbiotic partners by pursuing an economic objective and proposes the fair sharing of the additional

The ‘doughnut economics’ sustainability framework defines a Safe and Just operating Space (SJS) for humanity where human needs are met within ecological limits. Downscaling this framework from global to sub-global levels can increase its policy-relevance, but also faces methodological challenges, both because limits vary across spatiotemporal scales, and because the lived experience of limits differs

This paper explores the tensions that the transition toward a zero‑carbon economy entails for countries relying on natural resource exploitation as the main drivers of (net) exports, as in most South American economies. Given their relatively low diversification and high technology gaps compared to advanced economies, attaining higher prosperity levels driven by sustained economic growth has recurrently

The green transition is a topic of great interest for European policymakers. It is broadly acknowledged that socio-cultural elements embedded in societies, such as social capital, have a major influence on environmental performance. European regions differ widely in terms of both social capital and environmental behavior. However, there are very few related studies at the sub-national level. Using

This paper studies whether extractive-resource-activities provoke an ecological response on the emergence and proliferation of malaria by altering the reproductive environment of mosquitoes. In January 2004, the government of the Philippines launched the Minerals Action Plan (MAP), which significantly improved the investment climate in the country’s mining sector. I exploit the timing of the reform

How best to achieve spatially-coordinated environmental outcomes using reverse auctions has become a research question of growing interest. This paper makes a first attempt to systematically investigate the combined effects of the spatial configuration of landscape and landholder-to-landholder communication on auction performance in delivering landscape-scale environmental improvements. We provide

The agricultural sector is recognized as particularly vulnerable to the effects of climate change. In semi-arid areas, the performance and durability of irrigated systems are often difficult to manage. Understanding agriculture's response to water scarcity, institutional change and policy interventions is important in order to better define the different agricultural development pathways. The purpose

This article explores the critical role of energy in shaping capitalist modes of development, and their entry into crisis, in France between 1960 and 2020. This analysis challenges traditional views that regard energy primarily as an exogenous shock and instead posits energy as a fundamental metabolic constraint in capitalist accumulation regimes. To demonstrate this, we integrate energy flows into

Despite the importance of behavioural changes for transitioning to low-carbon societies, quantitative modelling has mainly focused on technological changes, overlooking the complex social dynamics of lifestyle shifts. In this study, we build a coupled system dynamics model linking a passenger transport model with an exploratory endogenous behavioural change model. We use this model and a scenario discovery

Natural hazard risk is captured in property prices through two principal channels: the risk to the building and the risk to its occupiers. These two effects are typically bundled up in transaction prices, thereby becoming individually unobservable. This study analyses residential rents as those should solely represent the risk to occupiers, who pay for their own losses in the case of a natural hazard

This paper provides a direct understanding of the labour-saving threats embedded in decarbonisation pathways. It starts with a mapping of the technological innovations characterised by both climate change mitigation/adaptation (green) and labour-saving attributes. To accomplish this, we draw on the universe of patent grants in the USPTO since 1976 to 2021 reporting the Y02-Y04S tagging scheme and we

In low- and middle-income countries, disparities in nutrition between men and women represent a significant source of gender inequality, a challenge that is exacerbated by climate shocks. This study examines the impact of droughts on food consumption and nutrition across age and gender cohorts in rural Bangladesh. We utilize georeferenced climate data and panel data from surveys in rural Bangladesh

Ecological economics is concerned with understanding the relationship of humanity's household to earth's household. Its orientation has been to nurture methodological pluralism. This expansive project has yet to include in its toolbox what we label–dialectics and evolutionary materialism. This approach and methodology for understanding complex economic systems (the foundation of humanity's household);

We explore an attempt to derive a set of indicators reflecting a just transition to a circular economy (CE) at a supply chain level. Here we build upon the theoretical work presented in Purvis and Genovese (2023) with an account of an empirical exercise following the standard methodological steps outlined for the creation of a measurement dashboard. A literature review of existing CE indicators for

Voluntary sustainability standards offer potential for sustainable development by improving the livelihoods of smallholder farmers while conserving biodiversity. However, their overall implications remain poorly understood, as studies have mostly focused on assessing their effects on single sustainability dimensions. Here, we use an interdisciplinary approach to understand the simultaneous effects

Aquaculture has emerged as the fastest growing sector in global food production, with salmon farming in the lead. Norway is responsible for over half of the world salmon production, but its industry faces significant challenges which must be addressed to achieve sustainability. One key issue is the lack of a unified understanding among stakeholders of how production affects the environment and intersects

Conservation organizations employ charismatic species to appeal to potential donors and increase contributions. However, evidence that this strategy increases donations is mixed. In an experimental setting, we investigate the effects of species charisma and the characteristics of potential donors on donations to conservation organizations. We conducted a modified dictator game through MTurk with 330

Rational decision theory assumes that individuals have perfect knowledge of the consequences of their choices and actions. However, this assumption often fails to align with reality, particularly in the context of environmental degradation, where the impacts of actions can be distant in both time and space. Will an enhanced perception of those impacts encourage pro-environmental choices?

Different views and definitions pertain to the concept of bioeconomy. Few propose a workable definition enabling scholars and decision makers to identify analyze and manage the bioeconomy. Two technological delineations based on patent IPC codes delimitate a bioeconomy based on biotechnology inventions or based on a broader set of technologies. The two definitions are applied to two samples of firms

Consumers often encounter, and claim to care about, ethical information concerning the products they purchase. Across three studies, we investigate how the accessibility of this information impacts choice. When consumers must seek out product attribute information, the impact of ethical certifications (Fairtrade and Organic) is diminished relative to other attributes. Both positive and negative framing

Exposure to economic incentives such as payments for ecosystem services (PES) can change intrinsic motivations to act pro-environmentally. These so-called crowding effects in PES have been shown to affect pro-environmental behavior of PES-receivers. It is, however, unclear if social norms toward pro-environmental behavior are also susceptible to crowding effects in PES and how these changes could influence

In ten Raa and Stahlie (2024) we showed that the carbon dioxide footprint per euro expenditure decreases with income in the Netherlands. We correct an error in the units. Our conclusion that there is a tradeoff between environmental and income policies stands.

This analysis aims at conceptualising the environmental dimension of left-behind places. I argue that implementing environmental inequality concepts into economic geography is pivotal to sharpen the analysis of just transition geographies. Adopting such lens (1) helps to grasp the theoretical underpinnings of environmental inequalities, (2) lays bare the stratification of environmental risks in left-behind

International trade profoundly impacts global land resource redistribution, creating significant inequalities. However, there is still a considerable gap in studies on land transfer and resulting environmental consequences. This study aims to illuminate inequality patterns by examining the global transfer dynamics of embodied cropland, forestland, and pasture in 2001, 2011, and 2021. The results reveal

Finance both contributes to environmental degradation and is vulnerable to environmental degradation. This article sets the methodological groundwork for assessing both concerns in an integrated macroaccounting framework. It presents how the combination of environmentally extended Input-Output analysis and balance sheet methods and data can be used to evaluate the contribution of finance to environmental

In Germany and other EU countries, preferences for regional and GMO-free feed can increasingly be observed. Many industries like to brand their dairy, eggs and meat products as produced with regional and GMO-free feed. This – among others – has resulted in decreasing soybean and soybean meal imports from Latin America and the USA over the last couple of years, which are often genetically modified.

We analyze emissions and associated damages from the top 100 industrial CO2 emitters in the EU using data from the European Pollutant Release and Transfer Register, the EU Transaction Log, population grids, and regional information. These top emitters account for 19% of total EU CO2 emissions, 39% of industrial CO2 emissions, as well as a third of industrial SOx and NOx emissions, and a significant

Research on degrowth and its policy proposals has rapidly expanded, despite lacking empirical evidence on public perceptions. One conceptual proposition for affluent populations is that lifestyle changes, such as undertaking sufficiency-oriented behaviours, may engender degrowth policy support. Our research empirically investigated U.S. public support for degrowth policies, its relation to sufficiency

Social comparison nudges, known to bring about behavioral change, rely on providing information to agents about other agents' decisions or expectations regarding specific actions. Although the procedure consists in transmitting true information, it classically implies a reduction of the transmitted reality: the information provided about others is an average, a proportion, a percentile. What would

In a natural field experiment conducted in a big grocery chain in Armenia, we test the impact of demand-side behavioral (an environmental nudge) and conventional (financial bonus scheme) policies to curb the purchase of single-use plastic bags. We find that both interventions are effective to reduce the demand for single-use plastic bags. Furthermore, the financial bonus scheme is more powerful than

Circular economy (CE) can drive our society towards sustainable development. An adequate policy landscape is considered among the most effective ways to encourage firms to adopt circularity. However, there is little clarity as to the most effective public policies to push companies towards implementing this concept. This is particularly challenging in the European Union, where these policies are fragmented