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on Environmental Economics |
| By: | Maier Sofia (European Commission - JRC); De Poli Silvia; Klenert David (European Commission - JRC); Amores Antonio F (European Commission - JRC); Dreoni Ilda (European Commission - JRC) |
| Abstract: | This article introduces Green EUROMOD, the environmental extension of the EU’s tax-benefit microsimulation model EUROMOD. It provides a novel framework for evaluating the distributional, environmental, and fiscal impacts of green policy reforms across the 27 EU Member States. The model captures both direct greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions - such as those arising from household fuel combustion for heating and private transport - as well as indirect emissions occurring along value chains. Indirect emissions are further disaggregated into those embodied in domestically produced goods and services, and those embodied in imports from other EU Member States and the rest of the world. This granularity, combined with the capacity to simulate environmental and tax-benefit policies jointly and consistently across countries, makes Green EUROMOD a unique tool for the design and assessment of environmental policy reforms, with a particular focus on their distributional effects. The article outlines the model’s components and methodological framework, followed by a demonstration of its capabilities through two applications. First, we present the estimated household carbon footprints from consumption across the income and GHGemissions distribution, for the 27 EU countries. Second, we assess the extent to which GHG emissions are already implicitly priced by existing value-added and excise taxes. This provides new policy insights regarding the current baseline which future carbon pricing policies need to consider, as well as the relative performance of Member States in balancing green and fair objectives with their current consumption tax structures. |
| Date: | 2026–03 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ipt:taxref:202604 |
| By: | Gillani, Syed Irfan Haider; Ali, Amjad; Audi, Marc |
| Abstract: | Sustainable development is the most challenging issue facing the whole world. It includes multiple dimensions like economic, social, and environmental. The current study explores the determinants of sustainability in developing countries by incorporating the role of environmental taxes, economic growth, renewable energy, and political stability. The study used 21 developing countries from 1994 to 2023 to find the impact of these macroeconomic variables on greenhouse gas emissions. The generalized method of moments and penal least squares with fixed effects model have been used to find robust empirical evidence. The empirical findings indicate that environmental taxes have a significant positive impact on environmental sustainability, while renewable energy, political stability, and economic growth have a significant negative impact on environmental sustainability. The study also demonstrates the moderating role of environmental taxes on renewable energy and political stability. It indicates that environmental taxes have no statistical support to build a statement about the moderating role. The study suggests that policy makers to take immediate action to revise taxation policies by incorporating the current challenges faced by the environment. Renewable energy sources should be promoted to make them accessible. If possible, taxes on accessories of renewable energy setups should immediately be removed. |
| Keywords: | Environment Taxes, Renewable Energy, Sustainable Growth, Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Developing Countries, Political Stability |
| JEL: | H23 Q3 Q4 |
| Date: | 2026 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:pra:mprapa:128671 |
| By: | Pakrooh, Parisa; Manera, Matteo |
| Abstract: | Despite the strong commitment of European countries to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050, the extent to which key policies and drivers jointly shape emissions dynamics remains insufficiently investigated. To fill this gap, the study investigates the combined effects of the circular economy, energy transition, emissions trading systems, carbon tax, and digitalization on carbon reduction in the EU member states. Using annual data from 2000 to 2023, the analysis integrates causal discovery, time-varying dependence modeling, and machine learning methods to unravel system-level causal structure, dynamic connectedness, and future emission trajectories. The Directed Acyclic Graph method, especially the Fast Adjacency Skewness algorithm, identifies both contemporaneous and lagged causal relationships, in which resource productivity acts as a transmission channel within the system. Lagged disequilibrium shocks propagate from upstream circular economy factor (material footprint) and digitalization to midstream efficiency (resource productivity), and ultimately are transmitted to emissions. Time-varying copula models confirm significant heterogeneity and evolving dependence among key factors, highlighting the nature of the dynamic relationships. Forecasting results, based on a Support Vector Regression model under the European Union’s 2030 climate policy target, indicate a persistently declining emission trajectory, however at an insufficient speed to meet the EU’s 2030 target. Sensitivity analysis indicates that this gap does not reflect a policy failure but the need for accelerated policy adjustments. |
| Keywords: | Climate Change, Resource/Energy Economics and Policy |
| Date: | 2026–04–14 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:feemwp:396442 |
| By: | Bertini, Raffaele; Grigoriadis, Theocharis |
| Abstract: | This paper estimates the causal effect of renewable water conditions and water use on violent conflict in rural agrifood systems. We implement a fixed-effects instrumental variables strategy that uses plausibly exogenous temperature and precipitation shocks to instrument multiple water outcomes. Annual specifications are imprecise, but five-year aggregations yield sharper inference and show that higher renewable freshwater availability significantly reduces conflict risk. Water use margins are central: freshwater withdrawals are associated with lower conflict, whereas higher aggregate water-use efficiency is associated with increased conflict risk. Overall, the results indicate that climate-driven water shocks operate through distinct channels - stocks, withdrawals, and efficiency-and that empirical conclusions depend critically on time aggregation and the definition of water being instrumented. The findings imply that climate adaptation and water policy should be paired with conflict-sensitive governance and improved measurement of local water use and access. |
| Keywords: | agrifood systems, hydro-climatic shocks, violent conflict, water-use efficiency, instrumental variables |
| JEL: | Q25 Q15 D74 Q54 C26 |
| Date: | 2026 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:zbw:fubsbe:340109 |
| By: | Nelson, David (The Institute for New Economic Thinking at the Oxford Martin School, University of Oxford) |
| Abstract: | The global energy supply industry has experienced transitions since energy resources became an important driver of economic growth during the industrial revolution. Several of these transitions have occurred in the last 60 years since oil replaced coal as the largest source of energy for the global economy. For more than a hundred years, each transition has led to investment, growth, and significant development of the economy, including the move from traditional biomass to coal, from coal to oil, from oil to increased electrification and a more diversified supply of energy resources, and now from fossil fuels to low carbon energy resources. The current climate and energy transition holds the promise of more potential economic development and growth. Yet this version differs from previous transitions in at least three important ways: (1) Climate Change. Whereas earlier transitions were primarily driven by economic growth and then energy security, the scientific consensus regarding climate change, and the widespread understanding of the contribution of greenhouse gas emissions from the burning of fossil fuels, has added a third driver that is altering the trajectory of the next transition while accelerating its pace. (2) Breadth of the transition. While energy has been central to the economy for over a century, energy's role in the economy continues to expand, including to power the growth of the information economy and globalization. Climate concerns also drive simultaneous transitions in sectors such steel, cement, chemicals, agriculture, forestry, and land use that produce their own emissions, and are intertwined with energy demand and supply. (3) Growth and replacement. Whereas previous energy transitions resulted primarily from the emergence of new energy resources to meet growing sources of energy demand, in the current transition, there is also existing energy demand that is currently being met by resources that are being phased out. If that energy cannot be replaced in time, parts of the economy may lack energy resources. The phasing out of existing resources, including repurposing or retiring the infrastructure and market systems developed to support those resources, adds an element of potential mismatch in timing that has the potential to amplify uncertainty and risk. This mismatch – often characterized as a disorderly transition - could lead to price spikes, shortages, rationing or alternatively excess capacity, price crashes and defaults. Shortages or defaults might then feed through the supply chain, causing inflation or recession across the economy. The economic impact of this disorder could be several times greater than any negative economic impact of the transition itself. Understanding the implications disorderly transitions is critical to minimizing the macroeconomic impact of disorder. In this paper, we will look at the issues facing the scenario-based tools currently available to study transitions and measure the impact of disorder and uncertainty. We will then identify the sources of potential disorder as a first step in defining disorder in a fashion that can be analysed and managed more usefully and appropriately. We then propose a framework for building assessment and management tools for transition management. |
| Date: | 2026–04 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:amz:wpaper:2026-10-b |
| By: | Wildmer Daniel Gregori; Daniel Abreu; Laura Bartolomeu; Fotios Kalantzis |
| Abstract: | This study examines whether banks incorporate climate transition risks into loan pricing for non-financial firms in Portugal, using loan-level data from 2018 to 2023. The results show that banks do price climate transition risks, with firms exhibiting greater emission intensity facing higher interest rates and smaller loan amounts, indicating both a pricing and credit rationing response to environmental risk. Public support measures influence how climate risk is transmitted, highlighting the potential relevance of policies with explicit environmental criteria. When accounting for the emission reduction efforts that firms are required to undertake under the current policies scenario, banks become more sensitive to firms’ emission levels when pricing interest rates. This suggests that banks incorporate, to some extent, expected future adjustment costs into their lending decisions. Coordinated government and prudential policies may help channel credit to low-emission and transformative projects, fostering the green transition while safeguarding financial stability. |
| JEL: | G21 Q52 Q53 |
| Date: | 2026 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ptu:wpaper:w202603 |
| By: | Beverley Jane Wingfield (Department of Financial Management, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa); Onur Polat (Institute of Informatics, Hacettepe University, Ankara, Türkiye); Sonali Das (Department of Business Management, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa); Rangan Gupta (Department of Economics, University of Pretoria, Private Bag X20, Hatfield 0028, South Africa) |
| Abstract: | Biodiversity loss and climate change are often treated as a single environmental problem, yet it remains unclear whether they generate distinct forms of public attention. This paper addresses this gap by examining whether biodiversity-related attention constitutes an independent signal or is largely absorbed within climate attention. We construct a South African Biodiversity Attention Index (SABAI) using monthly Google Trends data from 2004--2025 based on a 242-term dictionary that combines global biodiversity concepts with South African ecological terminology. SABAI is analysed jointly with the Climate Attention Index for South Africa (CAI-SA) within a time-varying parameter vector autoregressive (TVP-VAR) connectedness framework. The results show that biodiversity attention and climate attention are positively related but not interchangeable. Biodiversity attention acts as the dominant net transmitter of shocks for most of the sample, while climate attention is generally the net receiver. Crucially, total connectedness declines over time, providing clear evidence that the two attention series are becoming increasingly distinct rather than more integrated. The dynamics of SABAI further suggest that biodiversity attention responds to identifiable biodiversityrelated events. These findings establish that biodiversity attention captures an independent and evolving dimension of environmental concern. The results challenge the common practice of treating biodiversity loss as a secondary component of climate change and highlight the need to analyse biodiversity dynamics in their own right. |
| Keywords: | Biodiversity Attention Index, Climate Attention Index, Google Trends, Spillover, South Africa |
| JEL: | C32 Q54 Q57 |
| Date: | 2026–04 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:pre:wpaper:202613 |
| By: | Nicholas Z. Muller |
| Abstract: | This paper quantifies the environmental externalities associated with electricity consumption by data centers in the United States, focusing on damages from local air pollution and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Using facility-level data for approximately 2, 800 operational data centers in 2025, combined with electricity grid characteristics and emissions data, the analysis estimates pollution impacts through the AP4 integrated assessment model and applies the social cost of carbon for GHG valuation. Results indicate that data centers consume roughly 250 TWh of electricity—about 5–6% of U.S. generation—and generate approximately $25 billion in gross external damages (GED), with a range of $10–$33 billion. These damages are highly geographically concentrated, with Texas and Virginia accounting for 30% of the national total. While GED comprises about 5% of industry GDP, this ratio varies widely across states, exceeding GDP in some regions. Planned data center expansion could increase electricity demand and associated damages by up to 85% in the near term. Despite these environmental costs, preliminary comparisons suggest that the damages attributable to AI-related energy use are small relative to potential productivity gains. |
| JEL: | Q41 Q51 Q53 Q54 |
| Date: | 2026–04 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:nbr:nberwo:35100 |
| By: | Azzeddine Allioui (ESCA Ecole de Management, Morocco) |
| Abstract: | Climate change poses rising threats to family enterprises, compromising their operational continuity and financial stability as well. This paper investigates how these companies may create resilience plans to lower these risks while preserving financial success. This paper emphasizes the need for adaptive governance, long-term planning, and sustainable practices by means of a qualitative technique grounded on 33 semi-structured interviews with owners and managers of family companies. The results imply that family companies that are highly committed to environmental, social, and governance standards are more suited to negotiate climate-related problems. This study advances knowledge of how family firms could be resilient at a time of environmental instability by means of analysis of their experiences and strategic approaches. Our findings emphasize the requirement of proactive risk management and ongoing adaptation in order to strike sustainability with financial goals. |
| Keywords: | Family Business, Resilience, Climate Change, Financial Performance, Sustainability, ESG Standards |
| Date: | 2026–03 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:smo:raiswp:0641 |
| By: | Calafate, Vítor; Costa, Francisco J M (FGV EPGE Brazilian School of Economics and Finance); Pessoa, João Paulo |
| Abstract: | Extreme weather events can undermine political representation by preventing vulnerable populations from voting. Using georeferenced polling-station records from eight Brazilian elections (2010–2024) matched to daily river discharge, we exploit within-polling-station variation to show that historically low river discharge on election day increases voter abstention in communities dependent on river transportation. The effects are larger in polling sections with higher illiteracy rates and married voters. These shocks also shift electoral outcomes by reducing the vote share of parties whose bases overlap with affected populations. Our findings show that climate change can systematically weaken the political voice of the populations most exposed to climate damages. |
| Date: | 2026–04–14 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:osf:socarx:ypgsf_v1 |
| By: | Suzhen Liang (Rennes SB - Rennes School of Business); Adilson Borges (Rennes SB - Rennes School of Business); Junsong Bian (Rennes SB - Rennes School of Business); Guanghui Zhou (UCAS - University of Chinese Academy of Sciences [Beijing] - CAS - Chinese Academy of Sciences [Beijing]) |
| Abstract: | This study analyzes vertical channel integration versus decentralization with products of different environmental quality under supply chain competition. We first examine the strategic impact of different channel structures on environmental quality, firms' profits, and welfare. Specifically, we analyze and compare different channel structures: no integration (decentralization), ordinary product channel integration, green product channel integration, and full channel integration. It is found that more channel integration will cause more intense competition in terms of environmental quality decisions between the manufacturers and thus lower profits. Therefore, the manufacturers always prefer decentralization over integration in equilibrium, which also constitutes a win-win distribution channel strategy compared to integration. Moreover, compared to vertical decentralization, channel integration does not necessarily increase the products' environmental quality in the market. Furthermore, we include two practical applications of the main model to study the interaction between channel strategies and production emissions with common emission regulation policies in practice: emission tax and emission reduction subsidy, as well as generalize the main model to examine multiple extensions including different consumer density, different efficiencies, sequential market competition, balanced objectives, crossselling, and partial market coverage. |
| Keywords: | Green products, Channel competition and integration, Production emissions, Environmental quality, Supply chain management Environmental |
| Date: | 2026–08 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hal:journl:hal-05582790 |
| By: | Ewa Weychert (University of Warsaw, Faculty of Economic Sciences; University of Florence, Department of Statistics, Computer Science, Applications “G. Parenti” (DiSIA)); Daniele Vignoli (University of Florence, Department of Statistics, Computer Science, Applications “G. Parenti” (DiSIA)); Anna Matysiak (University of Warsaw, Faculty of Economic Sciences); Dorota Celińska-Kopczyńska (University of Warsaw, Faculty of Mathematics, Informatics, and Mechanics) |
| Abstract: | This study investigates how climate news exposure relates to first-birth outcomes in the United Kingdom. Drawing on theories of imagined futures, individualized political engagement, and eco-anxiety, we examine whether and how exposure to climate-related media coverage is related to fertility behavior. We construct a novel index of climate news coverage using text mining and link it to individual-level longitudinal data from the UK Understanding Society survey. Results show that high exposure to climate news is associated with a lower probability of first birth, but only among individuals who express strong pro-environmental attitudes. In contrast, political identity and perceived long-term climate risk do not significantly moderate this relationship. These findings suggest that climate news coverage, which we use as a proxy for climate change narratives, is associated with fertility in a non-uniform way, shaped by moral and emotional mechanisms linked to current environmental concern. This study highlights the role of media-driven imaginaries in shaping life course decisions and contributes new evidence on the demographic implications of climate change discourse. |
| Keywords: | climate change, fertility outcomes, text mining |
| JEL: | J13 Q54 D83 |
| Date: | 2026 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:war:wpaper:2026-11 |
| By: | Ussama Bin Sajjad Kiyani (Pakistan Institute of Development Economics) |
| Abstract: | Pakistan is continuously oscillating between urban flooding and water supply shortages. The declining groundwater levels, coupled with rising population pressures, changing weather patterns, and inefficiencies of centralized piping systems, increase this stress on water resources. In this brief, we examine decentralized water management systems, specifically rainwater harvesting and greywater reuse, and showcase their viability in enhancing water security. Studies show that these systems are capable of meeting up to 50% of the urban water demand. In the case of Nawabshah, a catchment area of 13, 431m² demonstrated a 1, 062m³ annual rainwater harvesting potential. These systems help boost climate resilience as well. In Cairo, a greywater treatment plant showed a remarkable reduction of more than 90% in pollutants such as chemical oxygen demand (COD) and biochemical oxygen demand (BOD). Although promising, the adoption of such systems in Pakistan is unfortunately stagnant. Proven pilots exist but lack scaling. In order to realize true urban water sustainability, we need to start embedding these decentralized systems into our urban planning frameworks. Their successful adoption requires a coherent governance structure with strong regulations, unified building codes, incentives for compliance, and rigorous monitoring. |
| Date: | 2026 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:pid:kbrief:2026:138 |
| By: | Shahir Adnan; Ferrari Emanuele (European Commission - JRC) |
| Abstract: | This study evaluates the macroeconomic, environmental, and distributional effects of introducing a US$20 per tome 〖CO〗_2 tax on fossil fuels in Ethiopia. We employ a top-down macro–micro framework that links the DEMETRA computable general equilibrium model with the ETMOD tax–benefit microsimulation system to evaluate alternative revenue-recycling strategies, income-tax reductions, sales-tax cuts, and lump-sum transfers to households. The carbon tax reduces fossil-fuel emissions by 5.89% while causing a modest GDP decline of 0.17%, with carbon-intensive sectors, particularly transport and water, experiencing the largest contractions. Revenue recycling strongly influences outcomes: sales-tax reductions minimize GDP losses and are the only strategy that lowers poverty. The carbon tax would be regressive, but recycling its revenues makes it progressive, with sales-tax reductions yielding the greatest equity gains. The findings indicate that a carefully designed carbon tax, accompanied by an effective revenue-recycling strategy, can facilitate Ethiopia’s low-carbon transition, promote equitable outcomes, and safeguard vulnerable households. |
| Date: | 2026–03 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ipt:eapoaf:202603 |
| By: | Keramidas Kimon (European Commission - JRC); Fosse Florian; Aycart Javier (European Commission - JRC); Dowling Paul (European Commission - JRC); Garaffa Rafael (European Commission - JRC); Giurgiu Fuchs Eva; Ordonez Jose; Petrovic Stefan; Russ Peter (European Commission - JRC); Schade Burkhard (European Commission - JRC); Schmitz Andreas (European Commission - JRC); Soria Ramirez Antonio (European Commission - JRC); Van Der Vorst Camille (European Commission - JRC); Weitzel Matthias (European Commission - JRC) |
| Abstract: | Enhancing competitiveness became a key priority for policymakers in 2025. Decarbonisation efforts hinge on the relative competitiveness of clean energy technologies compared to high-emitting counterparts. GECO 2025 assesses the competitiveness of a range of key clean energy technologies globally, within the context of meeting global temperature targets. The report finds that a few technologies are already able to compete with their high-emitting counterparts, a few others are close to be able to do so, but many important clean energy technologies are far from maturity and require more support to reach the deployment levels required in the 1.5°C scenario. In a world where tariffs and trade barriers are increasingly on the rise, GECO 2025 also investigates the impact of global trade patterns on economic growth and decarbonisation, finding minimal interaction between climate and trade policy at global GDP level. International trade fragmentation may cause a limited reduction in GHG emissions but also hampers deep decarbonisation. Against this framework of structural change, climate mitigation reshapes international trade flows, where the scale of energy carrier transactions is set by the ambition of climate policies, and the volume of manufacturing commerce is driven by trade policy. |
| Date: | 2026–03 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ipt:iptwpa:jrc145985 |
| By: | OECD |
| Abstract: | Critical minerals such as lithium, cobalt, nickel, copper, graphite and rare earth elements are poised to play an increasingly important role in environmental sustainability, emerging technology and defense applications. Innovation can play a vital role in reducing primary demand for them while reducing associated supply chain risks and providing benefits for the environment and human health. This paper examines the intersection of technological innovation, critical raw materials and economic policy. It draws on a review of academic and non-academic literature to analyse the key drivers of innovation in the critical raw material supply chain, as well as how innovation might help drive the reforms needed to establish more secure supply networks and sustainable business practices. It then develops a conceptual framework for categorising innovation across the value chain and types of innovations before assessing emerging policy challenges and opportunities for governments. |
| Keywords: | Batteries, Critical materials, Critical mineral, Critical raw material, Innovation, Materials security, Mining, Rare earth elements, Resource scarcity, Supply chain |
| JEL: | O30 Q55 Q58 O38 |
| Date: | 2026–04–27 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:oec:envaaa:273-en |
| By: | Antoine Ducastel (UMR ART-Dev - Acteurs, Ressources et Territoires dans le Développement - Cirad - Centre de Coopération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement - UPVD - Université de Perpignan Via Domitia - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique - UM - Université de Montpellier - UMPV - Université de Montpellier Paul-Valéry) |
| Abstract: | Since 2020, many policies and studies have highlighted a significant funding gap for climate adaptation and mitigation in agriculture. This chapter examines how different actors frame the finance-agriculture-climate nexus and the public instruments proposed to address funding shortages. It reviews recent efforts to mobilize climate finance, focusing on innovative public-private financial tools and repurposing existing public funds toward "sustainable" agriculture. The financialization of agricultural climate policies emphasizes risk-return dimensions, shaping both the volume and the flows of funding. This often limits support for climate-vulnerable groups and countries. |
| Date: | 2026 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hal:journl:hal-05592001 |
| By: | C. Jardon (Solveo Energies, UPR HORTSYS - Fonctionnement agroécologique et performances des systèmes de cultures horticoles - Cirad - Centre de Coopération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement, Cirad-PERSYST - Département Performances des systèmes de production et de transformation tropicaux - Cirad - Centre de Coopération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement, PIAF - Laboratoire de Physique et Physiologie Intégratives de l’Arbre en environnement Fluctuant - INRAE - Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement - UCA - Université Clermont Auvergne); M. Saudreau (PIAF - Laboratoire de Physique et Physiologie Intégratives de l’Arbre en environnement Fluctuant - INRAE - Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement - UCA - Université Clermont Auvergne); I. Grechi (UPR HORTSYS - Fonctionnement agroécologique et performances des systèmes de cultures horticoles - Cirad - Centre de Coopération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement, Cirad-PERSYST - Département Performances des systèmes de production et de transformation tropicaux - Cirad - Centre de Coopération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement); Frédéric Boudon (UMR AGAP - Amélioration génétique et adaptation des plantes méditerranéennes et tropicales - Cirad - Centre de Coopération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement - INRAE - Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement - Institut Agro Montpellier - Institut Agro - Institut national d'enseignement supérieur pour l'agriculture, l'alimentation et l'environnement - UM - Université de Montpellier, Cirad-BIOS - Département Systèmes Biologiques - Cirad - Centre de Coopération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement); P. Guerrier (Solveo Energies); F. Normand (UPR HORTSYS - Fonctionnement agroécologique et performances des systèmes de cultures horticoles - Cirad - Centre de Coopération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement, Cirad-PERSYST - Département Performances des systèmes de production et de transformation tropicaux - Cirad - Centre de Coopération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement) |
| Abstract: | Temperate fruits orchards in the South of France face strong climatic hazards such as late frost during flowering or fruit set, or high temperature and drought during fruit growth and after harvest. Agrivoltaic systems modify the micro-environment around the crops, especially irradiation and temperature, and they can positively mitigate those hazards or negatively affect fruit production through excessive shading for instance. Dynamic agrivoltaic system (AVD) is a photovoltaic system with controlled mobile panels that can be used to optimize climatic hazards mitigation. But it requires AVD steering strategies that are relevant to the biological and environmental needs of the species cultivated below. These needs may vary between day and night, and over the year according to the species phenological stages. Results are already available for vineyards, apple, and pear orchards in Europe, but no result has been published yet for stone fruits. Regarding early apricot cultivars, AVD could mitigate damages due to late frost, excess of irradiation, drought, and high temperature. Optimization of panels movements requires a better understanding of the impacts of dynamic shading on apricot trees production. Here, we address that gap with two experiments in the South of France (Rivesaltes), one with young trees and the other one with adult trees, including full sun and different steered AVD modalities. The study aims at i) creating a prediction tool to evaluate irradiation and canopy temperature under AVD according to site location, date, and structure characteristics; and ii) assessing the effects of AVD and steering strategies on vegetative growth, ecophysiological processes and fruit production on young and adult trees. The applied objective is to define AVD steering strategies to maximize both apricot production and electric production. |
| Keywords: | photovoltaics, Prunus armeniaca, yield components, ecophysiology, dynamic shading, irradiation |
| Date: | 2026–03–20 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hal:journl:hal-04884071 |
| By: | Margherita Gerolimetto (Ca’ Foscari University of Venice); Stefano Magrini (Ca’ Foscari University of Venice); Alessandro Spiganti (University of Genoa) |
| Abstract: | We study the causal effect of the local supply of sector-specific innovators on patenting activity across US metropolitan areas, distinguishing between innovators active in carbon-intensive ("brown") and environmentally sustainable ("green") technological fields. Using USPTO patent data from 1990 to 2016, we document a marked shift in the geography of green innovation: while brown patenting has long been concentrated in established hubs, green patents — initially more dispersed — have increasingly converged toward the same locations. We build a theoretical framework in which local patenting activity is driven by the supply of green and brown innovators, investigating how their interaction shapes the innovation process. Empirically, we address endogeneity using a shift-share instrument that combines predetermined local technological specialization with exogenous shocks to foreign innovation across CPC sections. We find that a one-unit increase in the local supply of brown innovators raises patenting activity by approximately 0.8%, an effect that is robust across specifications. Together, these findings suggest that green innovation is becoming increasingly embedded in existing agglomeration ecosystems, with important implications for place-based climate policy. |
| Keywords: | agglomeration, climate change, innovation, spatial distribution, patents |
| JEL: | O31 O33 O44 O47 R11 R12 |
| Date: | 2026 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ven:wpaper:2026:14 |
| By: | Aneli Bongers (Department of Economics, University of Malaga); Antonio F. Romero (Department of Organic Chemistry, University of Malaga); Jose L. Torres (Department of Economics, University of Malaga) |
| Abstract: | One approach to mitigating the risks posed by large orbital debris objects, i.e., derelict satellites and rocket bodies, is their deliberate deorbiting into Earth's atmosphere. During atmospheric reentry, a substantial fraction of an object's mass is ablated and burned, while the remaining material may survive and reach the surface. Controlled deorbiting of intact objects is therefore included among the mitigation strategies recommended in international orbital debris guidelines. However, this practice also has environmental implications for Earth's atmosphere. The ablation of spacecraft during reentry releases combustion by-products into the mesosphere, which can subsequently be transported into the stratosphere. These by-products consist primarily of metal vapors, particularly aluminum, and aluminum oxide particles. Such emissions may contribute to chemical processes that affect stratospheric ozone. This paper presents projections of future atmospheric reentries under different activity scenarios and evaluates the associated emissions of aluminum oxide released into the mesosphere and stratosphere, along with their potential impact on ozone depletion. Over a 100-year period, the modeled ozone depletion due to reentries is estimated at approximately -0.4 Dobson Units per year, corresponding to about 0.1\% of the total ozone column. |
| Keywords: | Orbital debris; De-orbiting; Ozone depletion; Integrated assessment model. |
| JEL: | D62 E21 E22 Q53 Q58 |
| Date: | 2026–04 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:bhw:wpaper:09-2026 |
| By: | Rachel Beaubaton (PCCEI - Pathogenesis and Control of Chronic and Emerging Infections - INSERM - Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale - UA - Université des Antilles - EFS - Montpellier - Établissement Français du Sang [Montpellier] - EFS - Établissement Français du Sang [La Plaine Saint-Denis] - UM - Université de Montpellier); Justine Revel (PCCEI - Pathogenesis and Control of Chronic and Emerging Infections - INSERM - Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale - UA - Université des Antilles - EFS - Montpellier - Établissement Français du Sang [Montpellier] - EFS - Établissement Français du Sang [La Plaine Saint-Denis] - UM - Université de Montpellier); Laetitia Pigeyre (PCCEI - Pathogenesis and Control of Chronic and Emerging Infections - INSERM - Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale - UA - Université des Antilles - EFS - Montpellier - Établissement Français du Sang [Montpellier] - EFS - Établissement Français du Sang [La Plaine Saint-Denis] - UM - Université de Montpellier, IAGE - Ingenierie et analyse en génétique environnementale); Karine Bollore (PCCEI - Pathogenesis and Control of Chronic and Emerging Infections - INSERM - Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale - UA - Université des Antilles - EFS - Montpellier - Établissement Français du Sang [Montpellier] - EFS - Établissement Français du Sang [La Plaine Saint-Denis] - UM - Université de Montpellier); Alexandre Lepeule (Altopictus [Bayonne, France]); Julien Mocq (Altopictus [Bayonne, France]); Christophe de Franceschi (CEFE - Centre d’Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Evolutive - EPHE - École Pratique des Hautes Études - PSL - Université Paris Sciences et Lettres - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique - IRD [Occitanie] - Institut de Recherche pour le Développement - INRAE - Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement - Institut Agro Montpellier - Institut Agro - Institut national d'enseignement supérieur pour l'agriculture, l'alimentation et l'environnement - UM - Université de Montpellier - UMPV - Université de Montpellier Paul-Valéry); Julien Pradel (UMR CBGP - Centre de Biologie pour la Gestion des Populations - Cirad - Centre de Coopération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement - IRD [Occitanie] - Institut de Recherche pour le Développement - INRAE - Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement - Institut Agro Montpellier - Institut Agro - Institut national d'enseignement supérieur pour l'agriculture, l'alimentation et l'environnement - UM - Université de Montpellier); Yvon Perrin (Montpellier 3M - Montpellier Méditerranée Métropole); David Gomis (Montpellier 3M - Montpellier Méditerranée Métropole); Marie Ducousso (UMR PHIM - Plant Health Institute of Montpellier - Cirad - Centre de Coopération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement - IRD - Institut de Recherche pour le Développement - INRAE - Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement - Institut Agro Montpellier - Institut Agro - Institut national d'enseignement supérieur pour l'agriculture, l'alimentation et l'environnement - UM - Université de Montpellier, IAGE - Ingenierie et analyse en génétique environnementale); Laurie Virolle (Parc de Lunaret-Zoo de Montpellier); Baptiste Chenet (Parc de Lunaret-Zoo de Montpellier); Guillaume Castel (UMR CBGP - Centre de Biologie pour la Gestion des Populations - Cirad - Centre de Coopération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement - IRD [Occitanie] - Institut de Recherche pour le Développement - INRAE - Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement - Institut Agro Montpellier - Institut Agro - Institut national d'enseignement supérieur pour l'agriculture, l'alimentation et l'environnement - UM - Université de Montpellier); Anne Charmantier (CEFE - Centre d’Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Evolutive - EPHE - École Pratique des Hautes Études - PSL - Université Paris Sciences et Lettres - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique - IRD [Occitanie] - Institut de Recherche pour le Développement - INRAE - Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement - Institut Agro Montpellier - Institut Agro - Institut national d'enseignement supérieur pour l'agriculture, l'alimentation et l'environnement - UM - Université de Montpellier - UMPV - Université de Montpellier Paul-Valéry); Nathalie Charbonnel (UMR CBGP - Centre de Biologie pour la Gestion des Populations - Cirad - Centre de Coopération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement - IRD [Occitanie] - Institut de Recherche pour le Développement - INRAE - Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement - Institut Agro Montpellier - Institut Agro - Institut national d'enseignement supérieur pour l'agriculture, l'alimentation et l'environnement - UM - Université de Montpellier); Guillaume Lacour (Altopictus [Bayonne, France]); Olivier Courot (IAGE - Ingenierie et analyse en génétique environnementale); Antoine Mignotte (Altopictus [Bayonne, France]); Yannick Simonin (PCCEI - Pathogenesis and Control of Chronic and Emerging Infections - INSERM - Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale - UA - Université des Antilles - EFS - Montpellier - Établissement Français du Sang [Montpellier] - EFS - Établissement Français du Sang [La Plaine Saint-Denis] - UM - Université de Montpellier) |
| Abstract: | Abstract: The Usutu virus, a neurotropic Orthoflavivirus transmitted by mosquitoes, was first identified in South Africa in 1959 and has progressively spread across Europe over the past two decades. This virus follows an enzootic cycle between mosquitoes and birds, leading to periodic outbreaks that have caused significant bird mortality. Although primarily an avian pathogen, Usutu virus can occasionally infect humans and other mammals who act as incidental or dead-end hosts. The repeated avian epizootics observed in Europe in the last two decades raise concerns about potential zoonotic risks, even though human infections remain rare. In most cases, human infection is either asymptomatic or results in mild symptoms. However, in some instances, Usutu virus has been linked to severe neurological conditions, including encephalitis and meningoencephalitis. The Occitanie region in the south of France is particularly vulnerable to this threat due to its ecosystem, which harbors both competent mosquito vectors and numerous avian hosts that act as amplifying hosts for the virus. We investigated the urban circulation of Usutu virus in the city of Montpellier, where the first human case of infection by this virus in France was previously identified. To assess the presence of Usutu virus, we conducted a repeated cross-sectional study using serological (ELISA, microneutralization) and molecular (RT-qPCR) analyses of captive avifauna, including a longitudinal study of captive birds at the Montpellier zoological park between 2016 and 2024. Additionally, in 2024, we completed our study with avian cloacal swabs, pigeon droppings, rat blood, mosquito faeces, and environmental water samples (dPCR). Our findings revealed active circulation of the Usutu virus in the urban environment over multiple years. Furthermore, we demonstrated the feasibility of detecting the virus in droppings and environmental waters, highlighting the potential of environmental surveillance as a non-invasive and largescale method. This study contributes to a better understanding of Usutu virus circulation and highlights its established presence in urban areas. Author summary: The Usutu virus is transmitted among bird populations by the Culex pipiens mosquito and is associated with avian mortality. It can also cause neurological disorders in humans, with cases primarily reported in Europe. Usutu virus poses a threat to both human and bird health, as infections are often asymptomatic and thus difficult to detect, especially given the limited surveillance networks in place. This study, conducted in Montpellier, southern France, aims to establish surveillance networks to assess the distribution of the virus. The region, home to large bird and mosquito populations, is particularly exposed to Usutu virus, with both avian and human cases reported. We have documented its urban circulation in birds, mosquitoes, and water, emphasizing the need for comprehensive monitoring to track its spread and establish an early warning system. |
| Date: | 2025–09–02 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hal:journl:hal-05263884 |
| By: | Lennart Ante; Friedrich-Philipp Wazinski; Aman Saggu |
| Abstract: | Biodiversity loss is accelerating at an unprecedented pace, threatening ecosystem stability, economic resilience, and human well-being, with billions required to reverse current trends. Against this backdrop, biodiversity finance has emerged as a rapidly expanding but highly fragmented field spanning ecology, economics, finance, accounting, and policy. However, it remains emerging and complex, with the majority of relevant knowledge being produced in non-finance journals. This study employs quantitative bibliometric analysis to examine a corpus of 189, 456 references underlying 3, 998 articles related to biodiversity and finance. The analysis identifies eight primary research streams within the field that concern (1) strategic and financial approaches in global biodiversity conservation, (2) the impact and implementation of payments for environmental services (PES) in developing countries, (3) neoliberal influences and implications in environmental conservation, (4) biodiversity offsets and conservation, (5) ecosystem services and biodiversity, (6) integrating conservation and community interests in biodiversity management, (7) balancing agricultural intensification with biodiversity conservation, and (8) global and corporate biodiversity reporting. The characteristics of each research stream and its prevalent publications are outlined, alongside an analysis of their temporal evolution and the degree of information exchange among the research streams. The findings provide a structured map of the intellectual architecture of biodiversity finance, document pronounced silos between economically-oriented and critical/political-economy research streams, and translate these patterns into a focused research agenda and implications for policymakers, financial institutions, and corporate actors. |
| Date: | 2026–04 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:arx:papers:2604.21569 |
| By: | Satya Narayana Panda; Aishworzo Saha |
| Abstract: | This paper develops a geospatial framework for climate risk stress testing in California with applications to banking and climate-exposed sectors such as agriculture, real estate, and tourism. The study integrates physical hazard mapping, sector-specific exposure analysis, and scenario-based financial risk assessment to evaluate how wildfires, drought, flooding, extreme heat, and transition risks may affect regional economic activity and financial stability. The framework is intended to support portfolio monitoring, climate scenario analysis, and institutional readiness under emerging disclosure and risk-management standards. In addition, the paper provides a survey-based implementation guide for benchmarking current climate-risk practices and data needs across industry and academic stakeholders. |
| Date: | 2026–04 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:arx:papers:2604.16716 |
| By: | François Bareille (UMR PSAE - Paris-Saclay Applied Economics - AgroParisTech - Université Paris-Saclay - INRAE - Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement, CMCC - Euro-Mediterranean Center on Climate Change, RFF-CMCC European Institute on Economics and the Environment (Milan), GSSI - Gran Sasso Science Institute); Philippe Delacote (BETA - Bureau d'Économie Théorique et Appliquée - AgroParisTech - UNISTRA - Université de Strasbourg - Université de Haute-Alsace (UHA) - Université de Haute-Alsace (UHA) Mulhouse - Colmar - UL - Université de Lorraine - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique - INRAE - Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement, CEC - Chaire Economie du Climat - Université Paris Dauphine-PSL - PSL - Université Paris Sciences et Lettres); Abdoul Latif Sokoundou (BETA - Bureau d'Économie Théorique et Appliquée - AgroParisTech - UNISTRA - Université de Strasbourg - Université de Haute-Alsace (UHA) - Université de Haute-Alsace (UHA) Mulhouse - Colmar - UL - Université de Lorraine - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique - INRAE - Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement, CEC - Chaire Economie du Climat - Université Paris Dauphine-PSL - PSL - Université Paris Sciences et Lettres) |
| Abstract: | This study extends the Ricardian framework to forestry by accounting for tree growth and harvest dynamics. Indeed, whereas standard Ricardian applications in agriculture assume that farmland prices reflect a perpetual flow of annual profits from the most climate-adapted crops, forestland prices additionally capitalize the age-dependent value of standing timber accumulated over decades. Coupling the Ricardian and Faustmann approaches, we theoretically show that this age dependence is systematically tied to species (and therefore to climate), so that stand age becomes a confounding factor in standard pooled Ricardian regressions. Our theory implies a correction – the age-structured Ricardian approach – that regresses the climate-value relationship across stand-age classes, with the coefficients obtained for the youngest class providing the closest approximation to the true Ricardian effects in the context of forestry. Using geolocated plot-level data from all forestland transactions in France between 2014 and 2023 (over 100, 000 plots) matched to forest age at sale (1–219 years), we empirically confirm that standard pooled Ricardian estimates are biased, typically understating the benefits of warmer climates to forestry – in our case, by nearly a factor of two. Consistent with our theory, age-structured coefficients exhibit an inverted U-shape with stand age: capitalization of climate productive effects into forestland prices first strengthens as stands mature and then weakens as slow-growing species increasingly dominate older age classes. Our findings hold under multiple sensitivity analyses and extensions, making clear that ignoring age-related dynamics systematically biases climate estimates in Ricardian applications to forestry. |
| Abstract: | Cette étude étend le cadre ricardien à la sylviculture en tenant compte de la croissance des arbres et de la dynamique de l'exploitation forestière. En effet, alors que les applications ricardiennes standard en agriculture supposent que les prix des terres agricoles reflètent un flux perpétuel de profits annuels provenant des cultures les mieux adaptées au climat, les prix des terres forestières capitalisent en outre la valeur, qui dépend de l'âge, du bois sur pied accumulé au fil des décennies. En couplant les approches ricardienne et de Faustmann, nous montrons théoriquement que cette dépendance à l'âge est systématiquement liée à l'espèce (et donc au climat), de sorte que l'âge du peuplement devient un facteur de confusion dans les régressions ricardiennes standard regroupées. Notre théorie implique une correction – l'approche ricardienne structurée par l'âge – qui effectue une régression de la relation entre le climat et la valeur sur l'ensemble des classes d'âge des peuplements, les coefficients obtenus pour la classe la plus jeune fournissant l'approximation la plus proche des véritables effets ricardiens dans le contexte de la sylviculture. À partir de données géolocalisées au niveau des parcelles issues de toutes les transactions foncières forestières en France entre 2014 et 2023 (plus de 100 000 parcelles), mises en correspondance avec l'âge des peuplements au moment de la vente (1 à 219 ans), nous confirmons empiriquement que les estimations ricardiennes standard agrégées sont biaisées, sous-estimant généralement les avantages d'un climat plus chaud pour la sylviculture – dans notre cas, d'un facteur de près de deux. Conformément à notre théorie, les coefficients structurés par âge présentent une courbe en U inversé avec l'âge des peuplements : la capitalisation des effets productifs du climat dans les prix des terres forestières s'accentue d'abord à mesure que les peuplements mûrissent, puis s'affaiblit à mesure que les espèces à croissance lente dominent de plus en plus les classes d'âge plus avancées. Nos résultats se confirment dans le cadre de multiples analyses de sensibilité et extensions, montrant clairement que le fait d'ignorer les dynamiques liées à l'âge biaise systématiquement les estimations climatiques dans les applications ricardiennes à la sylviculture. |
| Keywords: | Land market, Forest amenities, Hedonic valuation, Market-based valuation, Revealed-preference valuation, Stand age, Ricardian method |
| Date: | 2026–06 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hal:journl:hal-05595141 |
| By: | Carmen González-Velasco (Universidad de León = University of León [León]); Isabel Feito-Ruiz (Universidad de León = University of León [León]); Marcos González-Fernández (Universidad de León = University of León [León]); Pilar Sierra-Fernández (Universidad de León = University of León [León]); Yolanda Fernández Santos (Universidad de León = University of León [León]); Rubén Arrondo García (Universidad de Oviedo = University of Oviedo); Sigrid Vandemaele (UHasselt - Hasselt University); Souad Lajili Jarjir (CEREFIGE - Centre Européen de Recherche en Economie Financière et Gestion des Entreprises - UL - Université de Lorraine); Anneleen Michiels (UHasselt - Hasselt University) |
| Abstract: | Many initiatives worldwide aim to improve financial knowledge through training programmes at different levels of education. In this context, it is worth highlighting that sustainable finance knowledge should receive attention in line with the global challenges (climate change, social and economic inequalities, etc.) society is facing. Implementing (short) training programmes in educational curricula may be an effective way to improve students' knowledge and practical skills. The aim of this paper is to analyse the efficacy of short sustainable finance training programmes in fostering sustainable financial awareness and attitudes among university students. This research focuses on how these programmes influence participants' understanding of sustainability, interest in financial matters, and decision-making competencies. Our results, based on validated questionnaires carried out by students from different universities, reveal that short training programmes positively influence knowledge of and interest in sustainable financial matters. |
| Abstract: | De nombreuses initiatives visent à améliorer la culture financière au moyen de programmes de formation à différents niveaux d'enseignement. Dans ce contexte, il est important de souligner que les connaissances en finance durable devraient faire l'objet d'une attention particulière, conformément aux défis mondiaux (changement climatique, inégalités sociales et économiques, etc.) auxquels la société est confrontée. L'intégration de programmes de formation (courts) dans les cursus éducatifs pourrait être un moyen efficace d'améliorer les connaissances et les compétences pratiques des étudiants. Ces programmes cherchent à garantir que les participants adoptent des comportements et prennent des décisions conscientes et responsables en matière de finance durable. Nos résultats, issus d'une enquête réalisée auprès d'un échantillon de 412 étudiants répartis dans quatre universités de trois pays européens (Espagne, France et Belgique), révèlent que les programmes de formation courts ont une influence positive sur la perception des étudiants au sujet de problématiques financières durables. |
| Keywords: | formation, finance durable, Clés -Education financière, Clés -Education financière finance durable formation |
| Date: | 2026–04–01 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hal:journl:hal-05590844 |
| By: | Murali Palani (Capitol Technology University, Laurel, Maryland, USA); Atif Farid Mohammad (Capitol Technology University, Laurel, Maryland, USA); Malathy Muthu (Capitol Technology University, Laurel, Maryland, USA) |
| Abstract: | This study examines how explainable artificial intelligence can support responsible decision-making in socio-ecological systems by analyzing tree bioelectrical responses to geomagnetic variability as a global environmental case study. Using 309, 660 hourly observations collected from 21 international monitoring stations between 2023 and 2024, we compare traditional machine learning and deep learning approaches to model bioelectrical circadian rhythms under varying geomagnetic and environmental conditions. Nine AI architectures were evaluated, including Random Forest, Gradient Boosting, XGBoost, LSTM networks, and Transformer models. Results indicate that traditional machine learning methods outperform deep learning approaches in both predictive accuracy and interpretability, with Random Forest achieving the highest performance (R² = 0.936), exceeding the best deep learning model by 18.7%. Geomagnetic storm conditions were associated with a 143.9% increase in signal amplitude and a three-hour phase delay in tree circadian rhythms, demonstrating measurable environmental sensitivity to electromagnetic variability. SHAP-based explainability analysis identified tree ground voltage as the dominant predictor, followed by key meteorological variables such as humidity, temperature, and wind speed. Beyond predictive performance, the findings highlight critical social and institutional implications of AI model selection. Traditional machine learning approaches offer greater transparency, lower computational barriers, and higher stakeholder interpretability factors essential for environmental governance, policy compliance, and public trust in AI-driven monitoring systems. By positioning explainable AI as a socio-technical tool rather than a purely computational solution, this research contributes to interdisciplinary discussions on responsible AI deployment, environmental decision support, and the role of transparent analytics in managing complex human–environment interactions. |
| Keywords: | Machine Learning, Deep Learning, Explainable AI, Environmental Decision-Making, AI Governance, Tree Bioelectrical Activity, Geomagnetic Variations, Environmental Monitoring, Circadian Rhythms |
| Date: | 2026–03 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:smo:raiswp:0634 |
| By: | Nieto, María J.; Papathanassiou, Chryssa |
| Abstract: | This paper studies the effectiveness of risk management, one of the two channels identified by the Network for Greening the Financial System (NGFS, 2024) as those through which the financial system contributes to physical risk adaptation in the European Union (EU). We assess the efficacy of Level 3 prudential regulations in encouraging banks to include physical risk adaptation in their risk management and client engagement strategies. Our analysis adopts a broad perspective, encompassing not only prudential risk management but also, and in our view more importantly, prudential transparency regulation, given the positive leverage that stakeholders can exert to incentivise adaptation efforts. Our findings suggest that banks should consistently integrate physical risk adaptation into their stress tests, transition plans and Pillar III disclosures. Transition plans must address physical hazards, exposure and vulnerability and must set adaptation targets. Adaptation measures should be treated as risk mitigants reflected in losses given default (LGDs), with the severity and consistency of those losses being reflected in transition plans and stress tests. JEL Classification: K23, O52, Q54, Q58 |
| Keywords: | adaptation, EU, physical risks, regulation |
| Date: | 2026–04 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ecb:ecbops:2026386 |
| By: | Raimi, Daniel (Resources for the Future); Cilento, Christina (Resources for the Future) |
| Abstract: | In 2021, the US federal government provided billions of dollars to decommission orphaned oil and gas well sites. This program was touted by federal policymakers from both major political parties as a “win-win” for the environmental and economic benefits it would provide. In this analysis, we examine the costs and benefits of that program using data from roughly 2, 150 well sites across six states. We estimate the effects of this spending on employment, methane abatement, and property values. On average, decommissioning costs were roughly $67, 000 per well site, but with wide variation. Nine sites exceeded $1 million, while five sites reported the lowest costs of just $1, 000. Total costs were roughly $145 million, and we estimate benefits on the order of $30 to $40 million, mostly from higher property values. For the small number of wells where methane was measured, decommissioning costs exceeded the social benefits of methane abatement in 75 to 80 percent of cases. Our results should be interpreted with caution because of extensive data limitations and the sensitivity of results to key methodological assumptions. Prioritizing decommissioning for wells with the highest environmental impacts, such as high rates of methane emissions, would easily pass cost–benefit tests in most cases. |
| Date: | 2026–04–15 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:rff:dpaper:dp-26-07 |
| By: | Yilin Cai; Meng Feng; Yueming (Lucy) Qiu; Yi David Wang |
| Abstract: | This paper uses a multi-time period difference-in-differences model to evaluate the effect of green bond issuance on the profitability of heavy-polluting enterprises listed on China's A-share market. Results reveal that the average treatment effect of green bond issuance on heavy-polluting firms’ ROE is significantly negative. Therefore, it suggests that green bond issuance requires issuing firms to give up a large amount of their profitability to develop green project and achieve green transformation. Heterogeneity analyses demonstrate that such issuance has a negative effect on firms’ profitability, which varies across different ownership, regions, and industries. Overall, these results are consistent with the concept that green bond issuance binds heavy-polluting companies to be more mindful of their polluting activities. |
| Keywords: | Green Bond Issuance; Profitability; Heavy-polluting Firms; Heterogeneity |
| Date: | 2026–04–10 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:imf:imfwpa:2026/082 |
| By: | Dauchy, Jill |
| Abstract: | En este informe se examinan algunos instrumentos innovadores de financiamiento para abordar la triple crisis de la inseguridad alimentaria, la volatilidad de los precios de los combustibles y los efectos del cambio climático, al tiempo que se promueve el desarrollo sostenible. Elaborado para la Comisión Económica para África (CEPA), la Comisión Económica para América Latina y el Caribe (CEPAL) y la Comisión Económica y Social para Asia Occidental (CESPAO), el informe ofrece orientación sobre tres instrumentos clave: bonos temáticos, bonos vinculados a la sostenibilidad y canjes de deuda. El mercado del financiamiento soberano sostenible ha crecido considerablemente. En 2023, 33 países emitieron 158.000 millones de dólares en bonos verdes, sociales y de sostenibilidad. Entre los estudios de caso se incluyen la pionera emisión de Bonos Soberanos vinculados a los Objetivos de Desarrollo Sostenible (ODS) (Bonos Soberanos ODS) de México, los innovadores bonos vinculados a la sostenibilidad de Chile y la iniciativa de canje de deuda de la CESPAO con Jordania. Estos instrumentos ofrecen vías para movilizar capital privado y reasignar recursos a prioridades de desarrollo. Sin embargo, el éxito requiere una considerable creación de capacidad institucional, estructuras de gobernanza sólidas y la alineación con normas internacionales, como los principios de la International Capital Market Association (ICMA). Los factores críticos incluyen indicadores clave de desempeño medibles y vinculados a las prioridades nacionales, una infraestructura de datos transparente y la coordinación entre ministerios. En el informe se destaca que, si bien estos instrumentos pueden ayudar a cubrir el déficit de financiamiento de los Objetivos de Desarrollo Sostenible (ODS), que asciende a 4 billones de dólares anuales, no constituyen una solución para las situaciones de deuda insostenible. En cambio, sirven como herramientas proactivas para los países que buscan alinear los flujos financieros con los ODS mediante un diseño meticuloso y un compromiso institucional sostenido. |
| Date: | 2026–03–17 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ecr:col022:86012 |
| By: | Lipman, Timothy |
| Abstract: | Heavy-duty transportation modes including trucks, buses, and seaport and airport equipment are relatively hard to decarbonize because of their demanding performance requirements and other factors. The California Scoping Plan for Achieving Carbon Neutrality calls for carbon-neutral transportation across all modes by 2045, with different sectors reaching 100% zero-emission vehicle (ZEV) sales by earlier dates, depending on the type of vehicle (see EO N-79-20). For public transit buses, the state’s Innovative Clean Transit rule requires both large and small transit agencies to cease purchasing combustion engine buses in 2029 in favor of zero-emission (ZE) technologies, with a phased approach that has already commenced. However, for trucks, achieving the transition to ZEVs is more problematic as the state’s Advanced Clean Fleets rule is only applicable to government fleets at present, and the Clean Truck Partnership memorandum of understanding with truck manufacturers is effectively on hold pending legal actions. |
| Keywords: | Engineering |
| Date: | 2026–04–01 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:cdl:itsrrp:qt20m3j8w1 |
| By: | M. Levent Kurnaz |
| Abstract: | International commerce has long been seen as a key way to keep the global food system stable, allowing agricultural surpluses in some areas to compensate for shortages in others. This strategy has led to the rise of highly specialised processing hubs that combine significant industrial capacity with agricultural inputs sourced from throughout the world. T\"urkiye's flour sector -- currently the largest wheat flour exporter in the world -- represents one of the most prominent examples of this model. However, increasing climate variability and geopolitical fragmentation raise important questions regarding the long-term resilience of food systems that rely heavily on imported biological inputs. Recent research shows the growing probability of synchronised crop failures across multiple agricultural regions due to atmospheric circulation anomalies and climate-induced extreme weather events. The assumption that global markets can consistently rebalance supply disruptions through trade is challenged by such events. Using the flour industry of T\"urkiye as a case study, this paper investigates the susceptibility of globally integrated grain processing centres. In order to assess the correlation between the scope of industrial processing and the capacity of domestic agricultural production, we introduce the Biophysical Autonomy Ratio~(BAR). The analysis demonstrates that T\"urkiye's BAR has declined consistently over time, suggesting that its processing sector has expanded beyond the domestic production base. The results suggest that in order to enhance the resilience of the food system in the future, it may be necessary to establish a more precise alignment between biological production systems and industrial food infrastructure. The paper concludes by addressing the policy implications for national food security governance in the context of escalating climate instability. |
| Date: | 2026–04 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:arx:papers:2604.17946 |
| By: | Joshua S. Graff Zivin; Siyuan Li; Huanhuan Wang; Zhiqiang Zhang |
| Abstract: | Incomplete performance metrics distort incentives. Exploiting the staggered roll-out of China’s national air monitoring network, we document a pollutant substitution effect: PM₂.₅ fell significantly, yet O₃ surged. We trace this to strategic behavior: facing binding PM₂.₅ targets, local governments prioritized abatement of particulate precursors while neglecting ozone precursors. Critically, this was not a benign trade-off. Although the policy reduced PM₂.₅-attributed deaths, the policy-induced O₃ surge increased O₃-attributed mortality and reduced biodiversity (measured by bird abundance). Conservative estimates suggest these costs reduced the policy’s net benefits by approximately 23.8%. Our findings highlight the hidden social costs of narrow performance targeting. |
| JEL: | D73 H77 Q53 Q57 Q58 |
| Date: | 2026–04 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:nbr:nberwo:35087 |
| By: | Ayse Tugba Atasoy (Chair of Energy Economics and Management, Institute for Future Energy Consumer Needs and Behavior (FCN), E.ON Energy Research Center / School of Business and Economics, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany); Reinhard Madlener (Chair of Energy Economics and Management, Institute for Future Energy Consumer Needs and Behavior (FCN), E.ON Energy Research Center / School of Business and Economics, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany) |
| Abstract: | Residential solar photovoltaic systems play a key role in decentralized energy transitions. Despite declining technology costs and growing policy support, household adoption remains uneven and below technical potential. This paper investigates whether PV adoption is pri- marily driven by preferences and motivations or constrained by structural and economic feasibility. Using a representative survey of Austrian households, we compare adopters and non-adopters by examining structural housing conditions, socio-economic characteristics and environmental attitudes, as well as the co-adoption of complementary technologies, comple- mented by evidence on perceived motivations and barriers. The results show that adoption is strongly associated with structural feasibility and technology co-adoption. Higher income, single-family housing, and ownership of heat pumps and electric vehicles significantly increase adoption likelihood, while the effect of homeownership becomes statistically insignificant once income and other socio-economic factors are controlled for. Environmental awareness does not significantly predict adoption once structural factors are taken into account. Reported barriers among non-adopters closely mirror these patterns: financial constraints, building limitations, and administrative hurdles dominate. Overall, the findings suggest that structural and financial constraints play a more prominent role than preference-based factors in shaping residential PV adoption, highlighting the importance of addressing feasibility barriers in policy design. Policies should therefore prioritize reducing structural and financial constraints, particularly for households in multi-family housing. |
| Keywords: | Residential Solar Photovoltaics; Energy Policy; Household Adoption; Structural Barriers; Financial Constraints; Energy Transition; Austria |
| JEL: | Q42 Q48 D12 R20 |
| Date: | 2026–03–01 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ris:fcnwpa:022448 |
| By: | Gangadhar Dhulipala (Capitol Technology University, Laurel, MD, USA); Eugene J. Lewis (Capitol Technology University, Laurel, MD, USA) |
| Abstract: | Agricultural technology and medical innovation are increasingly intersecting as humanity faces the dual challenges of food security and a worsening global obesity pandemic. While advances in precision agriculture and sustainable farming have secured unprecedented food availability, industrialized food systems have inadvertently accelerated obesity rates by prioritizing caloric efficiency over nutrient density. Simultaneously, breakthroughs in weight loss pharmacotherapies (such as GLP-1 receptor agonists) offer critical solutions, yet their real world impact is heavily constrained by systemic inequities, high costs, and access barriers. This policy paper argues that treating agricultural yield and medical treatment as separate domains is no longer viable. To sustainably feed the world and mitigate the health consequences of overconsumption, this paper proposes an integrated policy framework. Specifically, it recommends three actionable steps: the development of multi-sectoral agri-health simulation models, the expansion of equitable access to weight loss pharmacotherapies for vulnerable populations, and the mandate of joint longitudinal data collection tracking climate, dietary, and pharmacological trends. By aligning agricultural innovation with equitable medical interventions, policymakers can successfully bridge the gap between food abundance and long-term population health as the 21st century progresses. |
| Keywords: | Agricultural Technology, Biotechnology, Industrialized Food Systems, Metabolic Science, Public Health, Sustainable Farming Practice, Weight Loss Drugs |
| Date: | 2026–03 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:smo:raiswp:0643 |
| By: | Sylvie Dallot (UMR PHIM - Plant Health Institute of Montpellier - Cirad - Centre de Coopération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement - IRD - Institut de Recherche pour le Développement - INRAE - Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement - Institut Agro Montpellier - Institut Agro - Institut national d'enseignement supérieur pour l'agriculture, l'alimentation et l'environnement - UM - Université de Montpellier); Anne Xuéreb (UMR CBGP - Centre de Biologie pour la Gestion des Populations - Cirad - Centre de Coopération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement - IRD [Occitanie] - Institut de Recherche pour le Développement - INRAE - Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement - Institut Agro Montpellier - Institut Agro - Institut national d'enseignement supérieur pour l'agriculture, l'alimentation et l'environnement - UM - Université de Montpellier); Emmanuelle Chiche (Auteur indépendant, DOG NOSE for Health, Science & Environment); Marie Brevet (UMR PHIM - Plant Health Institute of Montpellier - Cirad - Centre de Coopération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement - IRD - Institut de Recherche pour le Développement - INRAE - Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement - Institut Agro Montpellier - Institut Agro - Institut national d'enseignement supérieur pour l'agriculture, l'alimentation et l'environnement - UM - Université de Montpellier); Gaël Thébaud (UMR PHIM - Plant Health Institute of Montpellier - Cirad - Centre de Coopération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement - IRD - Institut de Recherche pour le Développement - INRAE - Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement - Institut Agro Montpellier - Institut Agro - Institut national d'enseignement supérieur pour l'agriculture, l'alimentation et l'environnement - UM - Université de Montpellier) |
| Abstract: | The use of sniffer dogs has expanded rapidly over the past two decades, particularly in conservation biology and medical diagnosis. Plant health surveillance systems could also benefit from this low-tech, real-time and mobile detection method that can be deployed over vast areas and diverse environments. While dogs have proven capable of detecting phytopathogenic bacteria and fungi, their ability to identify plant viruses remains undocumented. We developed a rigorous training and evaluation protocol to assess the performance of two dogs in detecting peach plants infected by the plum pox virus (PPV; Potyvirus plumpoxi), responsible for a serious viral disease of Prunus trees, currently monitored in France through symptom-based inspections. The dogs were first trained to discriminate symptomatic PPV-infected peach plants from certified virus-free plants and from plants infected by PDV, PNRSV and ACLSV. Using preliminary data collected during training, we used simulations to identify an experimental design allowing good statistical power (precision and accuracy) for performance estimates (detection sensitivity and specificity) while ensuring experimental feasibility. The dogs were tested in 20 runs of 18 plants each, where the number of PPV-infected plants was randomly assigned. A double-blind protocol was implemented to prevent behavioral bias. One dog achieved 85% sensitivity and 99% specificity. In a second phase, we assessed their ability to detect volatile organic compounds (VOCs) captured over 3–4 days from the same plants at full vegetation and bud break. For both dogs, detection performance using VOC-capture devices was excellent for plants in vegetation (86% sensitivity and 92% specificity) but was very poor for plants at bud break. The ability of dogs to detect weak VOC signals (winter dormancy, latent infections) needs further evaluation. |
| Date: | 2025–05–20 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hal:journl:hal-05588896 |
| By: | Nelson, David (The Institute for New Economic Thinking at the Oxford Martin School, University of Oxford); Villanueva, Carlos Perez; Bohra, Moiz (Willis Towers Watson (WTF)) |
| Abstract: | Six key findings from the analysis: (1) Demand for oil is almost certain to decline significantly. The extent of the decline will be determined by the pace of technology development and by policy. (2) The combination of transition uncertainties and the threat of geopolitical shocks could cause oil producers to alter their production portfolios significantly. (3) Over the next 10-15 years, enough of a transition is locked-in to decrease expected price volatility and sensitivity to potential geopolitical shocks, despite transition uncertainty and changing production portfolios. An accelerated transition would decrease volatility and sensitivity further. (4) Future oil prices will be highly dependent on the outcomes of technology development, policy, and geopolitical shocks, with a wide range of price levels possible. (5) Median prices are heavily influenced by the speed of the transition, with faster transitions leading to lower prices, although producer responses set an effective floor to prices. (6) Simulation modelling of global oil markets could facilitate developing tools to manage uncertainty and risk. This analysis is part of a wider body of work exploring the financial risk for countries, companies and investors of changes to the global economy associated with mitigating climate change. |
| Date: | 2026–04 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:amz:wpaper:2026-10-a |
| By: | Barbara Caemmerer (ESSCA School of Management, Paris); Valentina Stan (ESSCA School of Management, Paris); Giorgio Russolillo (CEDRIC - MSDMA - CEDRIC. Méthodes statistiques de data-mining et apprentissage - CEDRIC - Centre d'études et de recherche en informatique et communications - ENSIIE - Ecole Nationale Supérieure d'Informatique pour l'Industrie et l'Entreprise - Cnam - Conservatoire National des Arts et Métiers [Cnam]) |
| Abstract: | ABSTRACT Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) dominate the global business landscape, making their sustainability efforts crucial. Yet little is known about how institutional contexts shape these practices. Using Institutional Theory, we compare the influence of cluster membership (CM), global value chain (GVC) membership, and the organizational business environment (OBE) on SMEs' implementation of sustainability practices. Data from 12, 326 SME decision‐makers in the European Union—collected via computer‐assisted telephone interviewing (CATI)—were extracted from the Eurostat Flash Eurobarometer 486. We use ordinal logistic regression to model SME sustainability practices as a function of CM, GVC membership, and the OBE, and dominance analysis to compare their relative influence. Findings show a hierarchy of contextual influence: CM has the strongest association, followed by GVC membership, while that of the OBE is relatively weak. These insights support efforts to expand SME cluster development and GVC integration to accelerate sustainable transformation and meet EU sustainability objectives. |
| Keywords: | business environment clusters global value chains Institutional Theory SMEs sustainability, business environment, clusters, global value chains, Institutional Theory, SMEs, sustainability |
| Date: | 2026–04–08 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hal:journl:hal-05585592 |
| By: | Allegra Pietsch; Dilyara Salakhova |
| Abstract: | In 2020 retail investors’ demand for green bonds surged leading to a jump in greenium – a price premium for green bonds. This trend did not last. Sensitivity of retail investors’ financial conditions to the macroeconomic situation may explain the later decline in investors’ appetite for green bonds and thus the later reduction in the greenium. <p> En 2020, la demande d’obligations vertes provenant des investisseurs particuliers a fortement augmenté, entraînant un bond du greenium – la prime de prix associée aux obligations vertes. Cette tendance n’a pas duré. La sensibilité des conditions financières des investisseurs particuliers à la situation macroéconomique pourrait expliquer la baisse de l’appétence des investisseurs pour les obligations vertes et par conséquent la réduction du greenium observée par la suite. |
| Date: | 2026–04–15 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:bfr:econot:445 |
| By: | Laurence Roudart; Lou Plateau |
| Date: | 2026–02–01 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ulb:ulbeco:2013/405814 |
| By: | Robert Botha; Roy Havemann |
| Abstract: | Explores how private sector participation in water service provision could improve efficiency, service delivery, and infrastructure maintenance in South Africa's water sector. |
| Keywords: | water, private sector, service delivery, infrastructure, South Africa |
| JEL: | L95 Q25 H44 |
| Date: | 2025–08–27 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:cxs:wpaper:202504 |
| By: | Sherly Alfonso-S\'anchez; Cristi\'an Bravo; Kristina G. Stankova |
| Abstract: | Geographic context is often consider relevant to motor insurance risk, yet public actuarial datasets provide limited location identifiers, constraining how this information can be incorporated and evaluated in claim-frequency models. This study examines how geographic information from alternative data sources can be incorporated into actuarial models for Motor Third Party Liability (MTPL) claim prediction under such constraints. Using the BeMTPL97 dataset, we adopt a zone-level modeling framework and evaluate predictive performance on unseen postcodes. Geographic information is introduced through two channels: environmental indicators from OpenStreetMap and CORINE Land Cover, and orthoimagery released by the Belgian National Geographic Institute for academic use. We evaluate the predictive contribution of coordinates, environmental features, and image embeddings across three baseline models: generalized linear models (GLMs), regularized GLMs, and gradient-boosted trees, while raw imagery is modeled using convolutional neural networks. Our results show that augmenting actuarial variables with constructed geographic information improves accuracy. Across experiments, both linear and tree-based models benefit most from combining coordinates with environmental features extracted at 5 km scale, while smaller neighborhoods also improve baseline specifications. Generally, image embeddings do not improve performance when environmental features are available; however, when such features are absent, pretrained vision-transformer embeddings enhance accuracy and stability for regularized GLMs. Our results show that the predictive value of geographic information in zone-level MTPL frequency models depends less on model complexity than on how geography is represented, and illustrate that geographic context can be incorporated despite limited individual-level spatial information. |
| Date: | 2026–04 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:arx:papers:2604.21893 |
| By: | Laurence Roudart; Lou Plateau |
| Date: | 2026–02–01 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ulb:ulbeco:2013/405813 |
| By: | Darrell Norman Burrell (Marymount University, USA); Allison J. Huff (The University of Arizona, College of Medicine, USA); Calvin Nobles (University of Maryland Global Campus, USA); Sharon Burton (Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, USA); Won Song (Capitol Technology University, USA) |
| Abstract: | Escalating natural and manmade disasters increasingly strain local emergency response systems, exposing gaps in situational awareness, rescue capacity, logistics coordination, and damage assessment. This qualitative narrative inquiry examines how military personnel with advanced education in logistics and humanitarian operations conceptualize the use of non-classified military Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) technologies in domestic disaster response. Drawing on two phases of data collection, semi-structured narrative interviews and asynchronous reflective journaling, the study analyzes the perspectives of ten U.S. military service members trained in logistics and supply chain management. Findings indicate that military UAVs function as critical capability multipliers by accelerating situational awareness, reducing responder risk, improving logistics visibility, enhancing damage assessment, and supporting interagency coordination across disasters such as floods, hurricanes, earthquakes, wildfires, snowstorms, and mudslides. Participants emphasized that military UAV capabilities exceed those typically available to local fire and police departments in endurance, sensor integration, and operational scalability. The study concludes that non-classified military UAV integration, when appropriately governed and coordinated, significantly enhances the effectiveness, resilience, and life-saving capacity of domestic disaster and emergency response systems. |
| Keywords: | Drone Technology, Public Health, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, Disaster Response, Humanitarian Logistics, Search and Rescue, Emergency Management, Military Support |
| Date: | 2026–03 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:smo:raiswp:0637 |
| By: | Usama Abdul Rauf (Pakistan Institute of Development Economics); Batoora Achakzai (Pakistan Institute of Development Economics) |
| Abstract: | China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) has been credited as the biggest infrastructure project in Pakistan, and it has created significant jobs in the country and yet, despite the presence of Gwadar Port and other portions of the Western Route, Balochistan has received only a small share of the economic and employment gains. The current evidence that is available indicates that even though Pakistani workers constitute the majority of the workforce in CPEC projects, local involvement in Balochistan is limited to low-skilled and informal employment while skilled and technical roles are mostly occupied by non-local and foreign workers. The gradual nature of the operationalization of Special Economic Zones additionally constrains local consumption of labor. With the approved SEZs, few of them have gone past the planning stage and industrialization and employment are minimal, especially in Balochistan. The critical limitation is the harsh and multi-sectoral skills shortage in the province, and a lack of skilled workers in mining, construction, port operations, energy, and industrial trades, in addition to poor TVET institutions, low enrollment, low female participation, and industry connections. The skills gap is not limited to CPEC-related industries; it is all-encompassing, in the agricultural sector, the water sector, renewable energy, minerals, and even health, which means that the problem of Balochistan is not project-specific, but structural and indicative of a larger problem in the human capital ecosystem. In conclusion, the study finds that CPEC presents opportunities, but Balochistan is not adequately positioned to take advantage. Devoid of focused, industry-oriented human capital, enhanced TVET, and local-hiring, the province will continue to be a transit region, and not an active recipient of national development, enhancing regional inequalities and restricting the comprehensive influence of CPEC. |
| Date: | 2026 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:pid:kbrief:2026:142 |
| By: | Alexandre Pereira Santos (LMU - Ludwig Maximilian University [Munich] = Ludwig Maximilians Universität München); Silvia De Angeli (LIEC - Laboratoire Interdisciplinaire des Environnements Continentaux - INSU - CNRS - Institut national des sciences de l'Univers - UL - Université de Lorraine - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique); Franziska Stefanie Hanf (UHH - Universität Hamburg = University of Hamburg, GFZ - German Research Centre for Geosciences - Helmholtz-Centre Potsdam); Charlotta Mirbach (LMU - Ludwig Maximilian University [Munich] = Ludwig Maximilians Universität München); Nicole van Maanen (VU - Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam [Amsterdam]); Vitus Benson (MPI-BGC - Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry - Max-Planck-Gesellschaft); Marleen Carolijn de Ruiter (VU - Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam [Amsterdam]); Alexandre Dunant (MPI-BGC - Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry - Max-Planck-Gesellschaft); Stefano Terzi (MPI-BGC - Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry - Max-Planck-Gesellschaft); Pia-Johanna Schweizer (Institute for Alpine Environment, Eurac Research); Taís Maria Nunes Carvalho (UFZ - Helmholtz Zentrum für Umweltforschung = Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research); Mariana Madruga de Brito (UFZ - Helmholtz Zentrum für Umweltforschung = Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research); Kelley de Polt (MPI-BGC - Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry - Max-Planck-Gesellschaft); Robert Šakić Trogrlić (IIASA - International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis [Laxenburg]); Marc van den Homberg (University of Twente) |
| Abstract: | In November 2025, an interdisciplinary group of vulnerability researchers met in Munich and identified three challenge-opportunity clusters: first, overcoming epistemological divides to enable meaningful interdisciplinary integration. Second, the interoperability of data, methods, and evidence can strengthen robustness and policy relevance. Third, vulnerability assessments must adopt fit-for-purpose levels of complexity that preserve local context while enabling cross-scalar translation. This backstory is a call-to-action to accelerate the transition of the field toward robust, policy-salient, and socially legitimate integrative and interdisciplinary research. BeginningsGiven the rising frequency and severity of climate hazards, it becomes ever more urgent to address the complexities of vulnerability while accounting for its dynamics. 1 Indeed, while the impacts of hazards themselves cannot be mitigated entirely, we can reduce the vulnerability of the elements at risk. 2 This is a complex task given the systemic nature of global society, the increasing frequency and intensity of Above image: Framing the three challenge-opportunity clusters. |
| Date: | 2026–04–17 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hal:journl:hal-05588485 |
| By: | Diaz Rincon Andrea (European Commission - JRC); Genty Aurelien (European Commission - JRC); Ruiz Garcia Juan (European Commission - JRC); Vergote Wouter (European Commission - JRC) |
| Abstract: | The European Union (EU) automotive industry is facing challenges as Chinese electric vehicles (EVs) are increasingly gaining market share due to lower prices and perceived higher quality. In the last decade, the industry's reliance on foreign components has increased slightly (from 8% to 11%), but this modest increase masks the heterogeneity of EV and internal combustion engine (ICE) manufacturing. The distinction between EVs and ICEs is particularly important for inputs where the EU lacks a comparative advantage, such as batteries. Using a new methodology developed under the SMILE EU project, we disaggregate the automotive sector to separately assess technological differences and foreign dependencies for ICEs, EVs, and vehicle parts. Our analysis reveals that EVs have a significantly higher reliance on foreign components than ICEs (29% vs 13%, respectively). We find that this disparity is largely attributed to global value chain (GVC) strategies, rather than a domestic technological shortfall. These findings underscore the need for policy initiatives at an EU-wide level aimed at reducing outsourcing through GVCs and boosting European competitiveness in EV manufacturing. |
| Date: | 2026–03 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ipt:iptwpa:jrc145139 |
| By: | Diego Rodríguez |
| Abstract: | Este trabajo constituye la segunda edición del Observatorio para el seguimiento de indicadores del PNIEC. Su propósito es analizar el estado de situación de los principales objetivos establecidos en el Plan Nacional Integrado de Energía y Clima (PNIEC) 2021-2030, actualizando el estudio realizado en la primera edición (Rodríguez, 2025a). En aquel trabajo se llevó a cabo un examen detallado de las fuentes de información disponibles y de diversos instrumentos regulatorios, acompañado de un amplio conjunto de anexos que complementaban el texto principal. En esta segunda edición, el análisis se presenta de forma más sintética y, cuando resulta necesario, se remite al lector interesado a las explicaciones más detalladas recogidas en la primera edición del Observatorio. |
| Date: | 2026–04 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:fda:fdaeee:eee2026-14 |