Economics: Research Guide

This study advances the economic development scholarship through three key contributions. First, it examines the impact of distributional energy justice (hereafter referred to as energy justice) on inclusive human development (IHDI) in Africa. Second, we investigate how climate readiness moderates the effect of energy justice on IHDI. Third, we explore whether the joint effect of energy justice and climate readiness differs across low- and high-income African countries. We make these contributions using macro data for 36 African countries from 2010 to 2020. The results reveal that energy justice promotes IHDI. The contingency analysis also demonstrates that climate readiness amplifies the po..

This study advances the economic development scholarship through three key contributions. First, it examines the impact of distributional energy justice (hereafter referred to as energy justice) on inclusive human development (IHDI) in Africa. Second, we investigate how climate readiness moderates the effect of energy justice on IHDI. Third, we explore whether the joint effect of energy justice and climate readiness differs across low- and high-income African countries. We make these contributions using macro data for 36 African countries from 2010 to 2020. The results reveal that energy justice promotes IHDI. The contingency analysis also demonstrates that climate readiness amplifies the po..

Countries with a low share of global emissions may perceive their cooperation in decarbonization as less critical yet economically burdensome. While non-cooperating countries may benefit from reduced global emissions at lower direct costs, they can also face significant environmental consequences. This paper investigates an asymmetric scenario in which most countries engage in decarbonization efforts while a single country adopts a free-riding strategy, focusing on Mexico as a case study. Our study provides insights into investment needs compared to environmental implications for a country with a free-riding strategy. The investment needs under free-riding tend to be higher than a baseline s..

Countries with a low share of global emissions may perceive their cooperation in decarbonization as less critical yet economically burdensome. While non-cooperating countries may benefit from reduced global emissions at lower direct costs, they can also face significant environmental consequences. This paper investigates an asymmetric scenario in which most countries engage in decarbonization efforts while a single country adopts a free-riding strategy, focusing on Mexico as a case study. Our study provides insights into investment needs compared to environmental implications for a country with a free-riding strategy. The investment needs under free-riding tend to be higher than a baseline s..

The primary objective of this paper is to explore the determinants of the level of, and trends over time in, Japan's household saving rate, with emphasis on the impact of the age structure of the population, and to make projections about future trends therein. The paper finds that Japan's household saving rate has not always been high either absolutely or relative to other countries, contrary to popular belief, and that, if we confine ourselves to the postwar period, it was only during the 25-year period from 1961 to 1986 that it exceeded 15%. Past and future trends in Japan's household saving rate can largely be explained by changes in the age structure of her population, but declines in th..

The primary objective of this paper is to explore the determinants of the level of, and trends over time in, Japan's household saving rate, with emphasis on the impact of the age structure of the population, and to make projections about future trends therein. The paper finds that Japan's household saving rate has not always been high either absolutely or relative to other countries, contrary to popular belief, and that, if we confine ourselves to the postwar period, it was only during the 25-year period from 1961 to 1986 that it exceeded 15%. Past and future trends in Japan's household saving rate can largely be explained by changes in the age structure of her population, but declines in th..

The EU has set an objective of reaching 10% of landscape features on its agricultural land by 2030 as part of its latest Biodiversity Strategy. This share is often considered the minimum amount of semi-natural habitats required to halt biodiversity declines and ensure the provision of ecosystem services. This policy objective has faced considerable political opposition due to potentially high budgetary and opportunity costs. We explore farmers' preferences towards hypothetical incentive schemes that ensure the provision of 10% of semi-natural habitats at the landscape level. We use the results of a discrete choice experiment to estimate the total budgetary costs of different schemes and pote..

This research addresses inequalities in access to essential resources and services (food, health, energy, education). It shows that territorial and social access inequalities stem as much from structural determinants—such as supply chain organization, infrastructures, rules, and power relations—as from individual decisions. Focus of the Article The article repositions social marketing within a justice-oriented systemic perspective. Rather than focusing solely on information or awareness, the objective is to transform the access conditions that shape practices. The approach is explicitly audience-oriented, emphasizing lived experience, frictions, and renunciation; it calls for segmenting ..

Logistics and supply chain resilience have become a critical priority in an era of increasing global uncertainty. The Physical Internet (PI) offers a transformative vision for logistics: an open, shared, and interconnected network that inherently promises greater resilience and sustainability. This paper investigates how PI principles can be proactively integrated into multimodal logistics networks to enhance their resilience and environmental performance. We first propose a pragmatic decision-making framework to guide managers through a step-by-step process for logistics network design and enhancement. Building on this framework, we develop two PI-based resilient network redesign strategies..

Logistics and supply chain resilience have become a critical priority in an era of increasing global uncertainty. The Physical Internet (PI) offers a transformative vision for logistics: an open, shared, and interconnected network that inherently promises greater resilience and sustainability. This paper investigates how PI principles can be proactively integrated into multimodal logistics networks to enhance their resilience and environmental performance. We first propose a pragmatic decision-making framework to guide managers through a step-by-step process for logistics network design and enhancement. Building on this framework, we develop two PI-based resilient network redesign strategies..

This paper investigates the long-term impact of the 1920s forced displacement of Asia Minor refugees on contemporary health behaviors in Greece. Using regionally representative data from the 2019 Greek Health Survey and historical refugee settlement patterns, we find that individuals living in areas with higher historical shares of refugees are significantly more likely to engage in preventive health care, consult medical professionals, participate in physical activity, and maintain healthy dietary habits. These effects persist after controlling for socioeconomic, demographic, and geographic factors, and are robust to various specifications, including the exclusion of Attica, the main intern..

This paper investigates the long-term impact of the 1920s forced displacement of Asia Minor refugees on contemporary health behaviors in Greece. Using regionally representative data from the 2019 Greek Health Survey and historical refugee settlement patterns, we find that individuals living in areas with higher historical shares of refugees are significantly more likely to engage in preventive health care, consult medical professionals, participate in physical activity, and maintain healthy dietary habits. These effects persist after controlling for socioeconomic, demographic, and geographic factors, and are robust to various specifications, including the exclusion of Attica, the main intern..

This paper investigates the long-term impact of the 1920s forced displacement of Asia Minor refugees on contemporary health behaviors in Greece. Using regionally representative data from the 2019 Greek Health Survey and historical refugee settlement patterns, we find that individuals living in areas with higher historical shares of refugees are significantly more likely to engage in preventive health care, consult medical professionals, participate in physical activity, and maintain healthy dietary habits. These effects persist after controlling for socioeconomic, demographic, and geographic factors, and are robust to various specifications, including the exclusion of Attica, the main intern..

Water-saving technologies contribute to mitigating the environmental impact of agriculture and raising farmers' incomes by reducing production input and enhancing crop quality. The promotion of water-saving technologies commonly requires government support and intervention. This study investigates two subsidy schemes: the dynamic scheme and commitment scheme, in terms of social welfare, supplier profits and farmer surplus. We develop an analytical model to analyze the interactions within an agricultural supply chain consisting of a government, a water-saving equipment supplier and heterogeneous farmers across two periods, taking social influence and technological advancement into considerati..

Can fiscal autonomy affect per capita income levels? We empirically investigate the impact of fiscal autonomy on per capita income through the proper use of local financial resources. Exploiting a natural experiment in Italy, we compare municipalities in the Autonomous Provinces of Trento and Bolzano, which retain and manage almost all their tax revenues, with neighbouring municipalities in Lombardy and Veneto, where only a small fraction of revenues is autonomously managed. Using a spatial fuzzy regression discontinuity design, we estimate the effect of financial fiscal autonomy on per capita income. We address the potential endogeneity of financial fiscal autonomy with a dummy variable ide..

Can fiscal autonomy affect per capita income levels? We empirically investigate the impact of fiscal autonomy on per capita income through the proper use of local financial resources. Exploiting a natural experiment in Italy, we compare municipalities in the Autonomous Provinces of Trento and Bolzano, which retain and manage almost all their tax revenues, with neighbouring municipalities in Lombardy and Veneto, where only a small fraction of revenues is autonomously managed. Using a spatial fuzzy regression discontinuity design, we estimate the effect of financial fiscal autonomy on per capita income. We address the potential endogeneity of financial fiscal autonomy with a dummy variable ide..

This study evaluates whether exposure of local areas to medieval Mediterranean trade with Africa and the Middle East still shapes Italian political attitudes. Such exchanges may have fostered cultural traits that eased interaction with people of different cultures, ethnicities, and religions. We show that individuals living near a medieval port are less likely to view migrants as a security threat or to report right-wing voting preferences; these areas also had fewer xenophobic attacks during the 2015 Syrian refugee surge. We also find that right-wing parties received fewer votes near medieval ports only when immigration was highly salient. Finally, we document a lower probability of Jewish ..

Using data from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS) and the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA), we estimate the impact of health on employment for individuals close to retirement age. Estimating the model separately by race and gender, we find that racial differences in employment can be partly explained by the worse health of minorities as well as the larger impact of health on employment for minorities.

This study evaluates whether exposure of local areas to medieval Mediterranean trade with Africa and the Middle East still shapes Italian political attitudes. Such exchanges may have fostered cultural traits that eased interaction with people of different cultures, ethnicities, and religions. We show that individuals living near a medieval port are less likely to view migrants as a security threat or to report right-wing voting preferences; these areas also had fewer xenophobic attacks during the 2015 Syrian refugee surge. We also find that right-wing parties received fewer votes near medieval ports only when immigration was highly salient. Finally, we document a lower probability of Jewish ..

" Objective - Unemployment is a major issue in developing countries, including Indonesia, particularly among young people aged 15–24. One government initiative to address this is the Early-Stage Independent Workers (Tenaga Kerja Mandiri Pemula, TKMP) program by the Ministry of Manpower, which provides business mentoring and support to first-time entrepreneurs. Methodology - However, the program's effectiveness remains debated, as the needs of young entrepreneurs vary widely and are often unmet by general training and support structures. This study aims to identify the key factors influencing the success of TKMP participants, using quantitative and qualitative methods. Findings - The a..

Despite increasing efforts to promote biodiversity protection, a persistent gap remains between policy measures and public expectations. Aligning biodiversity strategies with citizens' concerns is crucial to fostering support and ensuring effective implementation. Building on the environmental governance and ecosystem services literature, this study leverages Large Language Models for embedding-based topic modeling to analyze a large-scale public consultation involving 80, 000 participants, 6000 proposals, and 1.8 million votes in France, identifying eight key biodiversity-related themes: Management of natural and urban spaces, Resource management and pollution control, Wildlife protection a..

Despite increasing efforts to promote biodiversity protection, a persistent gap remains between policy measures and public expectations. Aligning biodiversity strategies with citizens' concerns is crucial to fostering support and ensuring effective implementation. Building on the environmental governance and ecosystem services literature, this study leverages Large Language Models for embedding-based topic modeling to analyze a large-scale public consultation involving 80, 000 participants, 6000 proposals, and 1.8 million votes in France, identifying eight key biodiversity-related themes: Management of natural and urban spaces, Resource management and pollution control, Wildlife protection a..

We develop a real-options model to assess how the post-2023 Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) income support scheme influences landholders’ investment behavior. The reformed CAP increased per-hectare support for small farms through redistributive payments linked to “first hectares†. Small farms respond to higher payments with more aggressive investment strategies. Instead large farms exhibit a nuanced response since higher basic payments encourage investments, but greater redistributive payments lead to more conservative behavior. These dynamics create a “pooling effect†around the farm-size threshold distinguishing large from small farms. Our analysis contributes ..

Water security and its implications for sanitation and hygiene remain a critical global challenge and are the focus of the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goal 6 (SDG 6). Acknowledging the diversity and rapid growth of research on SDG 6—and more broadly on water and sanitation—this study conducts a science mapping analysis of the literature in this domain. The purpose of this type of analysis, in the context of a substantial and rapidly expanding body of research, is to assess the range of issues addressed within this multidisciplinary domain and to identify areas that remain underexplored or have received comparatively limited scholarly attention. Drawing on a corpus of 3, 068 a..

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..

Most people consider parks important for their quality of life, yet systematic causal evidence is missing. We exploit exogenous variations in their use values to estimate causal effects. Using a representative household panel with precise geographical coordinates of households linked to satellite images of green spaces with a nationwide coverage, we employ a spatial difference-in-differences design, comparing within-individual changes between residents living close to a green space with those living further away. We exploit Covid-19 as exogenous shock. We find that green spaces raised overall life satisfaction while reducing symptoms of anxiety (feelings of nervousness and worry) and depress..

Fossil fuels represent a significant portion of the wealth of resource-rich nations. However, their valuation as non-renewable natural capital in inclusive or comprehensive wealth accounting to indicate sustainability does not embody the external costs of climate change damages. This study consistently incorporates the social cost of carbon (SCC) into the value of depletion of non-renewable natural capital for wealth accounting of resource-rich nations. We derive shadow prices of depletion under different resource allocation mechanisms (RAMs) in the presence of externality costs from emissions, allowing for declining extraction and an unburnable natural capital stock constraint. In our appli..

Fossil fuels represent a significant portion of the wealth of resource-rich nations. However, their valuation as non-renewable natural capital in inclusive or comprehensive wealth accounting to indicate sustainability does not embody the external costs of climate change damages. This study consistently incorporates the social cost of carbon (SCC) into the value of depletion of non-renewable natural capital for wealth accounting of resource-rich nations. We derive shadow prices of depletion under different resource allocation mechanisms (RAMs) in the presence of externality costs from emissions, allowing for declining extraction and an unburnable natural capital stock constraint. In our appli..

Most people consider parks important for their quality of life, yet systematic causal evidence is missing. We exploit exogenous variations in their use values to estimate causal effects. Using a representative household panel with precise geographical coordinates of households linked to satellite images of green spaces with a nationwide coverage, we employ a spatial difference-in-differences design, comparing within-individual changes between residents living close to a green space with those living further away. We exploit Covid-19 as exogenous shock. We find that green spaces raised overall life satisfaction while reducing symptoms of anxiety (feelings of nervousness and worry) and depress..