Economics: Research Guide

This reports aims to assist the Sino-Australian bilateral relationship adapt to meet China’s new policies and to facilitate a smoother transition to a low carbon future. Southwest University of Finance and Economics (SWUFE), Chengdu, China and the University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia held a workshop at SWUFE to develop a guide to China’s low-carbon policies and their implications for the Sino-Australian energy trade and sectors. This report results from the workshop. Chapter 3 contains the guide to China’s low emission policies and discusses market-based experiments within China’s command-and-control electricity sector. Chapter 4 discuses Australia’s poorly implemented neo..

Readiness is a cornerstone of military service. Military readiness includes cognitive and physical abilities to train and execute missions. Previous studies among civilians demonstrate that food security is associated with cognitive function and body mass index. Therefore, food security is vital to maintaining military readiness. While no analyses have been conducted on the prevalence of food insecurity for a representative sample of the active duty U.S. military, studies of individual military installations have demonstrated food insecurity rates between 15 and 33 percent. The authors compared food insecurity among the U.S. military and civilian adult populations, using data from the 2018 a..

This paper examines the macroeconomic impact of chronic disease in the United Kingdom (UK). We use individual-level data to estimate how diagnoses of six major diseases affect labor market transitions and combine these with a tractable growth model with age-specific productivity and labor force participation to quantify the impact of chronic disease on UK economic growth. Using a novel machine learning approach to classify National Health Service (NHS) cost data, we also provide new estimates of disease-specific treatment costs. Our findings indicate that a 20% reduction in disease incidence would increase annual GDP by 0.99% after five years and 1.51% after ten years. Most of the gains are ..

Following the “dual carbon” goals in 2021, which emphasize achieving the carbon peak by 2030 and carbon neutral by 2060, China introduced a “dual circulation” strategy to connect domestic and international trade. Leveraging the quantile regression model, this study examines the impact of green total factor productivity, trade penetration, foreign direct investment, and sustainable finance on carbon emissions (CO2). Furthermore, a mediating model is established from another perspective to discover the mechanism, respectively, testing how trade, foreign direct investment, and sustainable finance affect carbon emissions via green total factor productivity. The findings indicate that gre..

Following the “dual carbon” goals in 2021, which emphasize achieving the carbon peak by 2030 and carbon neutral by 2060, China introduced a “dual circulation” strategy to connect domestic and international trade. Leveraging the quantile regression model, this study examines the impact of green total factor productivity, trade penetration, foreign direct investment, and sustainable finance on carbon emissions (CO2). Furthermore, a mediating model is established from another perspective to discover the mechanism, respectively, testing how trade, foreign direct investment, and sustainable finance affect carbon emissions via green total factor productivity. The findings indicate that gre..

Zweck: Diese konzeptionelle Studie untersucht, wie Generative Künstliche Intelligenz (GenAI) die Wertkokreation, die Destination Governance und die verantwortungsvolle Innovation im Tourismus neu gestaltet. Ziel ist es, GenAI von einem bloßen Hintergrundinstrument zu einem eigenständigen Tourismusakteur umzupositionieren und das Synthetic Experience System vorzustellen – ein triadisches Rahmenmodell, das Tourist*in, GenAI und Ort/Gemeinschaft über Daten‑, Inhalts‑ und Emotionsebenen miteinander verknüpft. Methoden: Der Beitrag folgt einem integrativen theoriebildenden Ansatz. Er synthetisiert abductiv Literatur aus Tourismusforschung, Informationssystemen, Marketing, Psychologie u..

Zweck: Diese konzeptionelle Studie untersucht, wie Generative Künstliche Intelligenz (GenAI) die Wertkokreation, die Destination Governance und die verantwortungsvolle Innovation im Tourismus neu gestaltet. Ziel ist es, GenAI von einem bloßen Hintergrundinstrument zu einem eigenständigen Tourismusakteur umzupositionieren und das Synthetic Experience System vorzustellen – ein triadisches Rahmenmodell, das Tourist*in, GenAI und Ort/Gemeinschaft über Daten‑, Inhalts‑ und Emotionsebenen miteinander verknüpft. Methoden: Der Beitrag folgt einem integrativen theoriebildenden Ansatz. Er synthetisiert abductiv Literatur aus Tourismusforschung, Informationssystemen, Marketing, Psychologie u..

Air source heat pumps are the principal means of decarbonising residential heating. What drives local uptake of heat pumps? We present and examine a unique, highly disaggregated, spatial-temporal dataset for heat pump diffusion across Great Britain at the local authority level from 2010 to 2020. We find average total installed cost of 1075 £/kW and a negative learning rate of −3.3 %, with most installations in owner-occupied houses. Using spatial econometric models, we investigate how local conditions drive heat pump installations. We find early adopting local areas tend to be rural, off the gas grid, with prior use of solid fuel or oil for heating, and participate in renewable and commun..

Air source heat pumps are the principal means of decarbonising residential heating. What drives local uptake of heat pumps? We present and examine a unique, highly disaggregated, spatial-temporal dataset for heat pump diffusion across Great Britain at the local authority level from 2010 to 2020. We find average total installed cost of 1075 £/kW and a negative learning rate of −3.3 %, with most installations in owner-occupied houses. Using spatial econometric models, we investigate how local conditions drive heat pump installations. We find early adopting local areas tend to be rural, off the gas grid, with prior use of solid fuel or oil for heating, and participate in renewable and commun..

Air source heat pumps are the principal means of decarbonising residential heating. What drives local uptake of heat pumps? We present and examine a unique, highly disaggregated, spatial-temporal dataset for heat pump diffusion across Great Britain at the local authority level from 2010 to 2020. We find average total installed cost of 1075 £/kW and a negative learning rate of −3.3 %, with most installations in owner-occupied houses. Using spatial econometric models, we investigate how local conditions drive heat pump installations. We find early adopting local areas tend to be rural, off the gas grid, with prior use of solid fuel or oil for heating, and participate in renewable and commun..

This paper assesses the relationship between carbon prices and the financial value of United Kingdom companies. It shows that the financial market co-moves with the UK-ETS at least as much as it does with other major energy commodities (i.e., oil, gas and electricity prices), and carbon prices are becoming the single most important energy or environmental variable to consider in determining corporate value. The results indicate that 14.1 % of total market capitalisation is exposed to carbon pricing ‘risk’, 20 % or more of the time. The Energy sector has the largest exposure with £251bn (41.51 % of this sector) exposed at least 20 % of the time. This is equivalent to one-twelfth of the e..

This paper assesses the relationship between carbon prices and the financial value of United Kingdom companies. It shows that the financial market co-moves with the UK-ETS at least as much as it does with other major energy commodities (i.e., oil, gas and electricity prices), and carbon prices are becoming the single most important energy or environmental variable to consider in determining corporate value. The results indicate that 14.1 % of total market capitalisation is exposed to carbon pricing ‘risk’, 20 % or more of the time. The Energy sector has the largest exposure with £251bn (41.51 % of this sector) exposed at least 20 % of the time. This is equivalent to one-twelfth of the e..

Global disaster risk reduction in urban development frameworks calls for people-centred, participatory, and integrated approaches to addressing urban risk and building resilience. This paper presents a methodology that engages communities at risk and policy actors to assess scientifically projected impacts of multiple hazards on locally defined future urban scenarios and co-develop measures to reduce future hazard impacts. The methodology enables stakeholders to identify barriers and strategies to support more people-centred, participatory, and risk-sensitive future urban development. Within a workshop, selected community groups are first introduced to an interactive dashboard that simplifie..

An advisor discloses evidence about an object to a potential buyer, who doesn't know the object's value or the profitability of its sale (the advisor's motives). I characterize optimal disclosure rules that balance two goals: maximizing the overall probability of sale, and steering sales from lower- to higher-profitability objects. I consider the implications of a regulation that forces the advisor to always reveal her motives to the buyer. I show that whether such policies induce the advisor to disclose more evidence about the object's value hinges on the curvature of the buyer's demand for the object. This result refines our understanding of effective regulation of advisor-advisee communic..

An advisor discloses evidence about an object to a potential buyer, who doesn't know the object's value or the profitability of its sale (the advisor's motives). I characterize optimal disclosure rules that balance two goals: maximizing the overall probability of sale, and steering sales from lower- to higher-profitability objects. I consider the implications of a regulation that forces the advisor to always reveal her motives to the buyer. I show that whether such policies induce the advisor to disclose more evidence about the object's value hinges on the curvature of the buyer's demand for the object. This result refines our understanding of effective regulation of advisor-advisee communic..

We present a model in which firms compete for workers who value nonpecuniary job attributes, such as purpose, sustainability, political stances, or working conditions. Firms adopt production technologies that enable them to offer jobs with varying levels of these desirable attributes. Firms’ profits are higher when they cater to workers with extreme preferences. In a competitive assignment equilibrium, firms become polarized and not only reflect but also amplify the polarized preferences of the general population. More polarized sectors exhibit higher profits, lower average wages, and a reduced labor share of value added. Sustainable investing amplifies firm polarization.

Mini-grids with a low carbon footprint are a promising solution for providing electricity in rural areas, while being compatible with the objectives of the Paris Agreement. Public policies are needed to encourage their development and their design should consider the different point of view from each stakeholder involved in mini-grid projects (State, developer, users). We propose a multi-criteria approach to evaluate a set of policies to limit the carbon footprint of mini-grids. Our method is based on the simulation of fictitious mini-grids and on the calculation of four indicators: the mitigation cost, the policy cost, the average levelized cost of energy (LCOE) at the national level, and t..

Mini-grids with a low carbon footprint are a promising solution for providing electricity in rural areas, while being compatible with the objectives of the Paris Agreement. Public policies are needed to encourage their development and their design should consider the different point of view from each stakeholder involved in mini-grid projects (State, developer, users). We propose a multi-criteria approach to evaluate a set of policies to limit the carbon footprint of mini-grids. Our method is based on the simulation of fictitious mini-grids and on the calculation of four indicators: the mitigation cost, the policy cost, the average levelized cost of energy (LCOE) at the national level, and t..

Transport infrastructures dedicated to low-carbon public transport are seen as a central tool in public policy strategies to mitigate climate change. Yet, the development of transport infrastructures has significant direct and indirect negative effects on biodiversity and social acceptability of these impacts remain little assessed. In this study, we analyse potential impacts of 20 tramway existing projects in France and social preferences with regard to their ecological and landscape integration. Using a discrete choice experiment on 1000 respondents, we show that users, even the most time constrained, are accepting an average travel time lengthening of 15 %, if tramway project integration ..

This paper deals with an intergenerational utility maximization problem for consuming a naturally exhaustible resource. In this context, we are at odds with the unfair standard procedure of applying a time-dependent factor for discounting the utility and introducing a suitable function for penalizing overconsumption. A finite-time horizon dynamic stochastic optimization problem is presented to achieve the desired target. We provide a closed-form solution to the problem which does not lead forcefully to the classical golden rule outcome of not consuming now to save the future. The theoretical findings are validated through extensive numerical experiments, with a parameter set selected based o..

In many choice problems, the interaction between several distinct variables determines the payoff of each alternative. I propose and axiomatize a model of a decision maker who recognizes that she may not accurately perceive the correlation between these variables, and who takes this into account when making her decision. She chooses as if she calculates each alternative's expected outcome under multiple possible correlation structures, and then evaluates it according to the worst expected outcome.

Carbon pricing is often paired with compensation to carbon-intensive firms to mitigate the risk of carbon leakage. This paper empirically examines the effects of indirect carbon cost compensation on UK manufacturing firms. Using administrative microdata, we combine difference-in-differences and fuzzy regression discontinuity designs to exploit firm-level eligibility criteria and identify the causal impact of compensation. We find that compensation reduces output contraction but also increases electricity consumption and emissions. These findings highlight a key policy trade-off – while compensation can help protect firms’ competitiveness and reduce leakage risks, it may also delay indust..

With the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020, concerns arose that stay-at-home policies could exacerbate Violence Against Women (VAW). Evidence shows an increase in calls to domestic violence helplines in several countries. However, limited economic studies have investigated the pandemic’s effects on femicides, the most extreme form of VAW. This paper examines the effects of social isolation measures and emergency aid policies implemented during the COVID-19 outbreak on femicides in São Paulo, Brazil. Using daily femicide data from 2016 to 2020, a social isolation index, and monthly employment and emergency cash transfer data, we estimate fixed-effects models. Our findings rev..

Carbon pricing is often paired with compensation to carbon-intensive firms to mitigate the risk of carbon leakage. This paper empirically examines the effects of indirect carbon cost compensation on UK manufacturing firms. Using administrative microdata, we combine difference-in-differences and fuzzy regression discontinuity designs to exploit firm-level eligibility criteria and identify the causal impact of compensation. We find that compensation reduces output contraction but also increases electricity consumption and emissions. These findings highlight a key policy trade-off – while compensation can help protect firms’ competitiveness and reduce leakage risks, it may also delay indust..

Carbon pricing is often paired with compensation to carbon-intensive firms to mitigate the risk of carbon leakage. This paper empirically examines the effects of indirect carbon cost compensation on UK manufacturing firms. Using administrative microdata, we combine difference-in-differences and fuzzy regression discontinuity designs to exploit firm-level eligibility criteria and identify the causal impact of compensation. We find that compensation reduces output contraction but also increases electricity consumption and emissions. These findings highlight a key policy trade-off – while compensation can help protect firms’ competitiveness and reduce leakage risks, it may also delay indust..

Effective fisheries management relies on robust data collection and analysis to monitor operations, assess stock status, evaluate impacts, and develop sustainable management strategies. A well-structured data life cycle encompassing collection, storage, analysis, and dissemination, ensures data quality and accessibility, supporting informed decision-making and sustainable resource management. With the largest Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) in the Western Indian Ocean, Seychelles' fisheries sector is vital to the nation's economy and marine conservation efforts. The Seychelles Fisheries Authority (SFA) has led the sustainable management of these resources for over four decades, harmonizing eco..