Search Results (172)

This article investigates the political cost of poverty in democracies marked by deep social divisions. We develop a probabilistic voting model that incorporates clientelism as a strategic tool employed by elite political parties to secure electoral support from non-elite voters. Unlike models based on ideological proximity, our framework conceptualizes party competition as structured by the socioeconomic composition of their constituencies. We demonstrate that in contexts of high inequality and widespread poverty, elite parties face structural incentives to deploy clientelistic strategies rather than universalistic policy agendas. Our model predicts that clientelistic expenditures by elite parties increase proportionally with both inequality (GINI index) and poverty levels, rendering clientelism a rational and cost-effective mechanism of political control. Empirical evidence from a cross-national panel (2013–2019) confirms the theoretical predictions: an increase of the 1 percent in the GINI index increase a 1.3 percent in the clientelism, even after accounting for endogeneity and dynamic effects. These findings suggest that in divided democracies, poverty is not merely a condition to be alleviated, but a political resource that elites strategically exploit. Consequently, clientelism persists not as a cultural residue or institutional failure, but as a rational response to inequality-driven constraints within democratic competition. Full article

The prioritization of energy policies by local governments represents a process of competitive attention allocation among various policy tools, and its outcomes significantly influence the ultimate effectiveness of the low-carbon transformation of energy. Building on the theoretical framework of governmental attention allocation, the research first analyzes how internal–external governmental relations shape policy tool prioritization through comparative case studies, followed by a discrete choice experiment (DCE) to empirically examine local governments’ preferences for policy tool attributes under different relational conditions. The findings reveal that county governments (CGs) dominated by intergovernmental relationships tend to align their priorities with the governance requirements of higher-level authorities and emphasize clarity, operability, economic attributes, and political considerations in policy tool selection. In contrast, governments dominated by government–enterprise relationships place greater emphasis on the impact of policy tools on enterprise production and focus primarily on economic attributes and operability. The study demonstrates that under different internal–external government relations, CGs prioritize distinct attributes of policy tools, which leads to varied rankings of energy policy tools. Building effective incentive and constraint mechanisms on the basis of rationalizing vertical intergovernmental and government–enterprise relationships, while optimizing energy policy supply to guide local governments in selecting context-appropriate energy policy tools, serves as a crucial approach to advancing urban low-carbon energy transitions and achieving sustainable socioeconomic development. Full article

Based on the Chinese government’s regulation that imposes a pay cap on the CEOs of state-owned enterprises (SOEs), we investigated how a change in institutional conditions affects firms’ green innovation. Drawing on the career concern theory, we suggest that political promotion incentives are likely to substitute for monetary incentives and influence these CEOs’ decisions and actions because the regulation reduces not only their current but also their future monetary incentives. Given that Chinese governments strongly encourage SOEs to engage in green innovation to solve environmental problems, CEOs who are more successful in this respect can demonstrate a higher level of alignment with government objectives and thus have better chances of political promotion. Therefore, we hypothesized that CEOs of SOEs generate more green innovation than CEOs of privately owned firms. We further argued that the positive relationship between the pay cap regulation and SOE green innovation is stronger in the case of CEOs with political connections and weaker in the case of younger CEOs and CEOs of firms in more munificent industries. Difference-in-difference analyses of a panel dataset including 11,061 firm–year observations of 1549 firms provide support for our hypotheses. Our study contributes to the literature on why and how institutional conditions affect firms’ green innovation. Moreover, our results imply the huge potential of the government in encouraging SOEs to promote green technology development, considering the critical incentivizing role of the political promotion concern of CEOs of SOEs. Full article

In Portugal, public policies promoting a healthy diet have gained prominence in recent years, reflecting a growing concern with the population’s health status and its individual, social, economic, and political impact. These policies aim to mitigate the impact of inadequate eating habits as a determinant of health and the population’s disease burden. Based on a document analysis, the main objective of this article is to explore public healthy diet policies in Portugal following the 2017 implementation of the Estratégia Integrada para a Promoção da Alimentação Saudável (Integrated Strategy for the Promotion of a Healthy Diet), which is the primary guiding instrument for these policies. Among the most impactful legislative measures found in this sector, we highlight the reformulation of food products, food taxation, food marketing regulation, food incentives, and food labeling. Despite significant progress in promoting healthy diets, some challenges still remain, particularly the growing prevalence of behavior-related chronic non-communicable diseases, like obesity, such as the maintenance of a set of health determinants related to inadequate nutrition. Thus, the continuity and deepening of such policies, combined with continuous impact assessments, are crucial to ensuring a healthier future. Full article

In emerging economies, where the legislative and economic landscapes may significantly differ from those of advanced economies, accrual-based earnings management (AEM) is especially problematic for financial disclosure and investor trust. This paper conducts a systematic literature review and a bibliometric analysis to evaluate the incentives for AEM in developing countries and to understand the evolution of the AEM domain within emerging countries. For this purpose, 312 journal articles from ResearchGate, Google Scholar, ScienceDirect, Google, and Scopus, covering the period from 2000 to 2024, were reviewed under various thematic areas. The findings highlighted multiple significant motivators for AEM within developing markets, encompassing financial distress, loss avoidance, profitability pressures, high leverage, weak corporate governance structures and processes, diverse ownership structures (such as concentrated ownership, family ownership, institutional ownership, government ownership, and insider ownership), market performance indicators, political ties, weak regulatory systems, as well as factors such as executive compensation, tenure, career retention, agency issues, investor expectations, audit quality, economic crises, and firm-specific characteristics like size, reputation, and age. This research contributes to existing knowledge by examining the motivations behind AEM in emerging economies, underscoring the need for tailored regulatory frameworks and strong governance structures and processes to address the unique challenges developing nations face. For regulators and policymakers, these findings emphasize the need for robust regulatory frameworks, more stringent auditing protocols, and improved corporate governance structures to discourage business executives from engaging in AEM practices. Full article

Urban agriculture is considered by many scientists and policymakers as a key strategy to build climate change-resilient communities within cities by strengthening food systems, with positive food security, biodiversity, nutrition and health outcomes. The estimated potential of urban agriculture to provide between 15 and 20% of the global food supply can be enhanced by applying agroecological principles and practices that revitalize urban agriculture cropping systems, thus leading to the design of highly diversified, productive and resilient urban farms on a planet in polycrisis. Two pillars are used in agroecology: (a) restoring spatial and temporal crop combinations that deter pests by enhancing biological control with natural enemies, and (b) increasing soil organic matter through green manures, compost and other organic practices that enhance soil fertility and beneficial microorganisms. In addition to technical and environmental obstacles, there are a series of social, economic and political barriers that limit the scaling-up of urban agriculture. For this reason, it is important to launch policies that establish mechanisms for cities to provide incentives for urban agriculture, including access to land, water, seeds and technical knowledge. The creation of producer–consumer networks around markets with solidarity is critical for local equitable food provision and consumption. Full article

Background/Objectives: The effectiveness of eco-labels in encouraging more sustainable food choices varies across studies. We investigate whether consumers’ characteristics may explain this heterogeneity in the context of carbon footprint labeling by studying the moderating role of sociodemographic factors (age, gender, ethnicity, occupation), socioeconomic status (education and subjective socioeconomic position), place of residence (rural to urban), and political ideology. Methods: We manipulated the proportion of carbon-labeled products in two incentive-compatible and pre-registered choice experiments. The first (n = 715) asked consumers to shop for instant meal products in an online grocery store containing a food category’s complete product assortment. The second (n = 1233) forced consumers to make tradeoffs between product preferences and carbon emissions in two consecutive food choices for cut fruit products, one without and another with carbon labels. To capture potential lasting effects, we collected purchase intention data from the same respondents several months after the labeling exposure in both studies. Results: Across both studies, increasing the proportion of products with a carbon label led liberals and centrists to choose lower-emission foods but had minimal or no impact on conservatives (although it never backfired). None of the other individual characteristics moderated the effects of labeling after controlling for political ideology. However, a young age, a low subjective socioeconomic position, and an urban residence indirectly improved responsiveness to labeling by predicting a more liberal political ideology. The labeling effects observed for liberals persisted for four months but not longer. Conclusions: These findings demonstrate the critical moderating role of political ideology and provide actionable insights to improve the targeting and design of sustainability interventions. Full article

How to promote the household energy transition (HET) has become an important response to extreme climate change. Our paper examines whether a low-carbon city pilot (LCCP) can promote HET. We empirically use the Staggered Difference-in-Differences (DID) model to explore its mechanisms. The results indicate that the LCCP can substantially promote HET. The primary driving mechanism underlying this transition is enhanced governmental emphasis on carbon emission reduction and elevated public environmental awareness. However, the increased local expenditure on energy conservation and environmental protection does not serve as an effective mechanism. The heterogeneity analysis reveals that the LCCP has the most pronounced impact on HET among high-income groups, whereas the effect on low-income groups is relatively minor. Furthermore, the LCCP significantly promotes HET in the eastern region and urban areas, while the central region tends to inhibit it, and the western region and rural areas show no significant effect. The heterogeneity analysis further reveals that the LCCP is effective in Municipalities and Strong-Capital Provinces, where centralized governance and strong political incentives enhance policy implementation. In contrast, the policy shows limited or even negative effects in Non-Municipal Provinces and Non-Strong-Capital Provinces. We provide valuable policy insights for governments to bolster the LCCP implementation to promote HET and achieve carbon neutrality at an earlier stage. Full article

With the intensification of armed conflicts driven by regional incentives, global geopolitical conflicts are becoming increasingly intense. In addition, the possibility of another financial crisis is approaching, and global inflation is rapidly rising. As a result, Europe and the United States must restart coal-fired power generation to cope with energy shortages and delay carbon neutrality goals. However, the current political and public opinion about the environment has led to a one-sided exaggeration and political criticism of China’s carbon emissions, resulting in China’s contribution to carbon neutrality being intentionally or unintentionally ignored. The uncertainty surrounding future low-carbon policies has made climate observers increasingly concerned about the threat of environmental degradation to fragile intergovernmental decarbonization efforts. This article aims to clarify the one-sided view of China’s carbon emissions internationally, clarify China’s measurement indicators for carbon emissions, analyze China’s advantages in responding to the global warming crisis under complex historical and political conditions, summarize China’s efforts to achieve its dual carbon goals in the current situation, and thus summarize China’s unique and absolute advantages in cooperation in clean energy, energy storage, and ultra-high voltage transmission networks that are beneficial to global climate change. This will clarify the truth regarding China’s carbon emissions in the global context and boost global confidence in addressing climate change. Full article

Forests are one of the most predominant types of land usage in Portugal and are highly relevant in terms of environmental, economic, social, and political factors. Increasing the value and the resilience of the Portuguese forest, defining adequate policies, and aligning forest research with society needs requires a truthful comprehension of the most relevant challenges in this sector. This study identifies and analyzes the most relevant needs and challenges impacting the Portuguese forestry sector, both currently and over a five-year period, from the stakeholder’s perspective. A participatory approach was employed, engaging national and regional forest stakeholders, to ensure a realistic vision of the forest sector in Portugal. A total of 116 topics were identified, with a predominance of immediate challenges over future information needs, underscoring the urgent pressures on the sector. Environmental/ecological and policy issues dominated the identified needs and challenges, reflecting the urgency for strategic interventions in these areas. A significant emphasis was placed on the mitigation of climate change impacts, mainly associated with biotic and abiotic risks, promoting technological advanced forest management, and the sector valorization. Policy and legal issues, such as fragmented ownership and adequate economic and fiscal incentives, were also identified as major concerns. The findings highlight the interconnected nature of forestry challenges and the need for integrated, multidisciplinary, and transdisciplinary approaches, prioritizing research on climate impacts, developing adaptive management strategies, promoting stakeholder engagement, and enhancing capacity-building initiatives. The results of this study make it a relevant case study for other forest stakeholders in similar regions in Europe with comparative forest management models and can inspire new solutions for common challenges opening new research avenues for other forest related academics. Full article

In industrial symbiotic networks, the waste from one operation becomes the raw material or fuel for another, addressing concerns about municipal solid waste management. The purpose of this article is to draw lessons from previous experiences that can benefit future implementations of industrial symbiosis (IS). A comprehensive literature review identified 23 challenges and 20 opportunities, which were classified into four categories: technical, economic, legal/regulatory, and social. From the challenges and opportunities, and relying on previous case studies, the article yields 13 actionable lessons designed to assist stakeholders, investors, managers, and practitioners in the successful implementation of IS networks. IS embraces three dimensions: political, technological, and social, which enable insights for promoting collaborations and formulating incentive policies, which pave the way for future research and practical applications. The primary implication of this article is the establishment of a framework aimed at enhancing the sustainability and resilience of future implementations within industrial ecosystems. The main impact of the lessons is that practitioners and stakeholders can now build a roadmap to future implementations of industrial symbiotic networks. Full article

In response to the growing photovoltaic distributed generation market, this study investigates the evolution of energy policies and mechanisms driving the growth of photovoltaic distributed generation (DGPV). Analyzing the top ten countries in photovoltaic installations, it examines historical trends in capacity growth, installation costs, and stakeholder engagement to evaluate policy effectiveness. Eight policy categories are identified as follows: direct financial incentives, energy market regulation, government management, production incentives, performance-based feed-in tariffs, renewable energy obligations, research and development initiatives, and agreements and commitments. The research results emphasize the crucial influence of government management policies, direct financial incentives, and energy market regulation on promoting the growth of DGPV. Political will and effective governance are identified as key drivers in advancing technology and market development. Policies reducing installation costs and encouraging investment support the transition of photovoltaic systems from early adoption to market maturity. Despite these advances, disparities in policy implementation highlight the need for adaptable frameworks tailored to local contexts. By leveraging solar energy, an abundant and universally accessible resource, nations can enhance energy equity through effective policies and accelerate the shift toward sustainable energy systems. This analysis offers valuable insights for policymakers seeking to promote DGPV as a central strategy in combating climate change. Full article

This review proposes a novel integration of game-theoretical methods—specifically Evolutionary Game Theory (EGT), Stackelberg games, and Bayesian games—with deep reinforcement learning (DRL) to optimize electricity markets. Our approach uniquely addresses the dynamic interactions among power purchasing and generation enterprises, highlighting both theoretical underpinnings and practical applications. We demonstrate how this integrated framework enhances market resilience, informs evidence-based policy-making, and supports renewable energy expansion. By explicitly connecting our findings to regulatory strategies and real-world market scenarios, we underscore the political implications and applicability of our results in diverse global electricity systems. By integrating EGT with advanced methodologies such as DRL, this study develops a comprehensive framework that addresses both the dynamic nature of electricity markets and the strategic adaptability of market participants. This hybrid approach allows for the simulation of complex market scenarios, capturing the nuanced decision-making processes of enterprises under varying conditions of uncertainty and competition. The review systematically evaluates the effectiveness and cost-efficiency of various control policies implemented within electricity markets, including pricing mechanisms, capacity incentives, renewable integration incentives, and regulatory measures aimed at enhancing market competition and transparency. Our analysis underscores the potential of EGT to significantly enhance market resilience, enabling electricity markets to better withstand shocks such as sudden demand fluctuations, supply disruptions, and regulatory changes. Moreover, the integration of EGT with DRL facilitates the promotion of sustainable energy integration by modeling the strategic adoption of renewable energy technologies and optimizing resource allocation. This leads to improved overall market performance, characterized by increased efficiency, reduced costs, and greater sustainability. The findings contribute to the development of robust regulatory frameworks that support competitive and efficient electricity markets in an evolving energy landscape. By leveraging the dynamic and adaptive capabilities of EGT and DRL, policymakers can design regulations that not only address current market challenges but also anticipate and adapt to future developments. This proactive approach is essential for fostering a resilient energy infrastructure capable of accommodating rapid advancements in renewable technologies and shifting consumer demands. Additionally, the review identifies key areas for future research, including the exploration of multi-agent reinforcement learning techniques and the need for empirical studies to validate the theoretical models and simulations discussed. This study provides a comprehensive roadmap for optimizing electricity markets through strategic and policy-driven interventions, bridging the gap between theoretical game-theoretic models and practical market applications. Full article

The integration of electromobility with its required charging infrastructures into the existing power grid, which is demanded by politics and society, is an enormous challenge for electrical power grid operators. Especially considering further challenges, such as the electrification of heat supply systems and sector coupling, it is to be expected that the power grid’s capacity will be strongly overstrained. On the other hand, grid expansion is an extremely expensive and time-consuming method of ensuring that the existing grid is not overloaded, and sufficient grid capacity is available. A suitable grid operations management approach can enable comprehensive and grid-serving control of flexibility, especially charging processes. This article presents a cluster-based and incentive-oriented grid operation management concept and describes the integration of the system into the current German regulatory framework. In addition, the structural integration of charging infrastructures for electromobility into a grid-oriented control system is presented. The suitability of grid charges and their dynamization for stimulating grid-oriented behavior is analyzed. Furthermore, the derivation of additional costs arising from the utilization-dependent thermal aging of grid assets and their imputed integration into the incentive system is described. Full article

Changes in the number of municipalities and their administrative organization represent one of the central themes of European public administration, reflecting historical context, demographic changes, economic pressures, and technological progress. The aim of this study is to analyse approaches to the merging and division of municipalities in selected European states and to identify factors influencing the success of these reforms. The research uses a combination of comparative analyses of legislative frameworks, socio-economic conditions, and case studies and works with data from official statistics, scholarly literature, and reports on the implementation of reforms. The main findings show that some states, such as Denmark, achieve significant improvements in efficiency through the merging of municipalities, while others, such as France, prefer the preservation of smaller municipalities in order to maintain local identity and community ties. Reform processes often face cultural and political obstacles, and their success depends on a combination of voluntary approaches, financial incentives, and effective communication with the public. The study concludes that the key to effective governance is the balance between the need to optimize public services and the preservation of local specificities. These findings provide important guidance for further reform processes in the European context and can contribute to the sustainable development of regions as well as to the greater satisfaction of the population. Full article