Reg. Sci. Environ. Econ., Volume 3, Issue 2 (June 2026) – 3 articles

Single-use plastics (SUPs) impose substantial environmental costs. Following Directive (EU) 2019/904, Austria introduced producer charges and mandatory participation in collection and recycling systems. This paper exploits a monthly aggregated and disaggregated panel of retail offer spells drawn from a price-comparison platform to estimate the extent to which compliance costs pass through to posted online prices in Austria. The treated sample comprises keyword-matched SUP products—balloons, to-go cups, wet wipes, plastic bags, food containers, tobacco-filter items, beverage bottles, and plastic wraps—observed alongside a control group of non-SUP listings over 2020–2024. A two-way fixed-effects (TWFE) specification places the average post-treatment price increase at approximately 4.1 percent. A sequential TWFE model that disaggregates the administrative reporting phase (from March 2023) from the payment-due phase (from March 2024) reveals that the larger adjustment occurs during the earlier reporting stage, with a reporting-only effect of approximately 8.1 percent and an incremental payment-phase effect of 5.6 percent. For balloons—a category subject to pronounced regulatory fee exposure—event-study estimates exceed 50 percent in the months immediately following the initial payment date and remain elevated throughout most of the post-treatment window. Taken together, these findings indicate that Austrian online retailers began adjusting prices in advance of fee-payment deadlines, a pattern consistent with anticipatory pass-through of expected compliance costs rather than a discrete response to realized payments. As the data contain price observations but not quantity data, the analysis speaks to price incidence and does not extend to consumption or environmental outcomes. Full article

The retail fuel trade in urban areas presents relevant environmental risks, requiring systematic sustainability assessments. This study aims to highlight the socioenvironmental performance of gas stations in Mossoró, RN, using the Corporate Sustainability Index (ISE). It is a descriptive and exploratory case study based on questionnaires administered to managers of 12 licensed stations. The ISE was calculated from 17 environmental, legal, social, and operational indicators, equally weighted. The results indicated a predominance of high sustainability performance, with 91.7% of the enterprises presenting an ISE above 75%, associated with operational organization, preventive practices, and compliance with legal requirements. However, part of the actions remains tied to regulatory compliance, revealing a predominantly reactive environmental management profile. This study provides support for improving strategic environmental management in the urban context of Brazil’s semi-arid region. Full article

This research examines the complex relationship between climate change, rapid population growth, and building stock expansion in Egypt, as well as their combined impact on energy demand and urban sustainability, to address the rapidly increasing electricity demand. This study uses a mixed-methods approach, including quantitative analysis to examine climatic data (1970–2100), demographic trends, and building energy consumption patterns, quantifying their synergistic effects; a qualitative evaluation of policy frameworks and urban planning strategies; and building energy performance simulation using Design Builder to utilize climate-responsive design techniques for energy reduction. Finally, this study proposes energy-efficient design guidance. The research findings reveal that Egypt’s unique hot–arid climate, projected to warm by 4 °C by 2100, combined with a population set to reach 160 million by 2050, has driven the near-doubling of building stock since 1986, with residential buildings accounting for 70–83% of structures and 60% of national electricity use. The research results highlight the importance of implementing climate-responsive design strategies (optimized building-envelope thermal insulation and energy-efficient HVAC systems) in Egypt’s built environment to reduce electricity consumption by up to 40%, thereby aligning urban growth with sustainability objectives. These insights are scalable to other arid, rapidly urbanizing regions globally. Full article