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Improving building efficiency is essential for reducing energy consumption, greenhouse gas emissions, and operational costs. In OECD Countries the average share of the Residential and Commercial Sector for space conditioning accounts for 30–37% of the cumulative final energy use. The current situation is somewhat typical of post-industrialized Countries: while the technology for reducing the external thermal losses and for installing more energy-conscious devices and procedures (including real-time monitoring and better design of the enclosures) is readily available, the cost of such measures is often perceived as excessive for the private user. For this reason, some governments have resolved to launch incentivization campaigns to encourage both private and public actors to invest in building efficiency. This strategy has been successful and its large-scale application -even if enacted on a preliminary basis- led to substantial reductions of the energy load per square meter −50 to 100 kWh/(m2 yr)- so that subsidies and incentives are likely to assume a major role in shaping the energy conversion market. Technologies that are deemed “more environmental benign” or “of strategic interest” will receive institutional funding to promote their implementation, the funds being allocated both to design techniques, new materials and less energivorous devices. Since the funding is usually provided in the form of tax rebates, this approach is not devoid of problems: in fact, previous campaigns at regional and national level in the primary Energy Conversion and in the Transportation Sector have resulted in monumental failures. While it is clearly in the interest of a community to enact a reduction of their final energy uses, it is also true that such incentivization plans, if not properly and carefully implemented, may constitute an economic and ecological “doping” of the market (detail price increases, material and components shortages, etc.). This paper is a follow-up of a previous study conducted in 2021–22 that proposed a rational and thermodynamic-based approach to the issue: in that paper we presented an innovative cost/benefit procedure that considers the primary exergy savings of an “energy saving” intervention and the installation/ operation costs and combines them with the statistically foreseeable savings in the improvement of the building seismic class. The method is intended to serve as a possible model for future policy decisions, and it makes use of the fundamental principles of Exergy Analysis augmented by a conventional cost/ benefit analysis and by basic resilience considerations. The case study analyzed in the previous paper is re-examined here in the light of some recent normative developments the Eco-Sisma-Bonus (“Superbonus”), the incentivization plan launched between 2014 and 2020 by the Italian Government. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Platform cooperatives refer to cooperatives that are directly owned and managed by their members and that use websites and/or mobile apps to sell goods and/or services. They have emerged in large part as alternatives to digital labour platforms to promote better working conditions with evidence of significant growth in recent years. This paper provides an overview of employment in platform cooperatives and offers insights on their distinctive features. In particular, it provides i) insights on working conditions associated with such platforms; ii) an overview on the challenges they face in creating jobs as well as scaling up, developing and expanding their activity; and iii) policy recommendations and examples of policy actions that could help policy makers best support them to generate work opportunities and enhance job quality. This paper was produced as part of the OECD Global Action on Promoting Social and Solidarity Economy Ecosystems, funded by the European Union's Foreign Partnership Instrument. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines whether U.S. monetary policy has different effects on young and old countries. I first empirically show that a contractionary U.S. monetary policy shock brings about a smaller fall in output and a greater rise in net exports in old countries using vector autoregressions (VARs), and that the shock leads to a larger fall in consumption and a smaller decrease in investment in old countries using the local projection method. I then construct a three‐country life‐cycle model including the U.S., a young country, and an old country. Consistent with the empirical analyses, the simulation results of the model show that a contractionary U.S. monetary policy shock has weaker effects on output in the old country than in the young country. In response to the shock, despite a larger fall in consumption in the old country, investment there decreases by less and net exports rise by more, which enables output in the old country to decline by less. The stronger incentives to save in the old country, resulting from the longer life expectancy and hence the longer retirement period, play a key role in generating these results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Main purpose of this paper is to compare and contrast the factors affecting consumption-based emissions (CCO2) and production-based emissions (PCO2) accounting approaches by considering role of eco innovation, energy efficiency, imports, exports and institutional quality under Environment Kuznets Curve (EKC) hypothesis for OECD countries. Design/Methodology/Approach: This study investigated research models based on EKC hypothesis and Porter's hypothesis (PH) by utilizing the data set of 1996 to 2020. This study utilized second generation econometric techniques (Cross sectional dependence and slope heterogeneity tests). Set of regressions and models were estimated by using sys-GMM technique to get robust results after applying the panel unit root test by using E-views. Findings: Result of sys-GMM, supporting the presence of EKC for production-based emissions but EKC doesn't exist for consumption-based emissions. Secondly, the impact of imports and exports is divergent across emission calculation approaches. Imports are significant for CCO2 but have no effect on PCO2. Impact of exports is significant and negative on both emission approaches. Coefficients of eco-innovation (EI) and Energy efficiency (EE) are significant and negative, yet quality of institutions (INQ) have moderating role for enhancing eco-innovation performance in OECD countries. Implications/Originality/Value: Empirical findings of study provided useful insight for policy makers and researchers that both emission calculation approaches (PCO2 and CCO2) have their respective importance depending on the nature of the analysis. In the case of OECD countries, CCO2is more relevant because in OECD countries emission is more related to consumption patterns than production activities. Further, these countries must emphasize synergistic relationship between EI and INQ for enhancing, energy efficiency and eco-innovation performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In most OECD countries inflation sharply increased since the end of 2021, mostly driven by energy and food prices. Certain categories of households are particularly vulnerable, as they spend large portions of their consumption on energy and food. Drawing on national micro-based household budget survey data, this paper quantifies the impact of rising prices on households' welfare. Declines in household purchasing power between August 2021 and August 2022 are estimated to range from 3% in Japan to 18% in Czechia. This decline is driven by energy prices in most countries, especially Denmark, Italy, and the United Kingdom. In general, inflation weighs relatively more on lower income households. The effects are stronger for rural households, due to energy price inflation. These findings call for a careful targeting of income and price support measures, notwithstanding their administrative and logistical complexity, taking into account their effects on economic activity, inflation, and environmental goals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Almost a decade after the stipulated deadline in the 7th amendment to the EU Cosmetics Directive, which bans the marketing of animal-tested cosmetics in the EU from 2013, animal experimentation for cosmetic-related purposes remains a topic of animated debate. Cosmetic industry continues to be scrutinised for the practice, despite its leading role in funding and adopting innovation in this field. This paper aims to provide a state-of-the-art review of the field on alternative testing methods, also known as New Approach Methodologies (NAMs), with the focus on assessing the safety of cosmetic ingredients and products. It starts with innovation drivers and global regulatory responses, followed by an extensive, endpoint-specific overview of accepted/prospective NAMs. The overview covers main developments in acute toxicity, skin corrosion/irritation, serious eye damage/irritation, skin sensitisation, repeated dose toxicity, reproductive toxicity/endocrine disruption, mutagenicity/genotoxicity, carcinogenicity, photo-induced toxicity, and toxicokinetics. Specific attention was paid to the emerging in silico methodology. This paper also provides a brief overview of the studies on public perception of animal testing in cosmetics. It concludes with a view that educating consumers and inviting them to take part in advocacy could be an effective tool to achieve policy changes, regulatory acceptance, and investment in innovation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper evaluates the relationship between public policy reforms and productivity, investment, employment and per capita income for OECD and non-OECD countries. More competition-friendly product market regulations are associated with improved economic outcomes: lower barriers to foreign trade and investment go in tandem with greater multi-factor productivity (MFP), and lower barriers to entry and less pervasive state control over the business sector with larger capital stock and increased employment rate. More flexible labour market regulations are found to go hand in hand with higher employment rates whereas no robust link between labour market regulations and MFP and capital deepening can be established. The findings also suggest that the quality of institutions is fundamental for economic outcomes. Finally, the paper shows that countries at different levels of economic development face different policy effects and that some policy reforms interact with each other by attenuating and amplifying each others' economic impacts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent research in economic history has found that mortgage debt in relation to GDP has taken off in the historical long run ("great mortgaging"), as growing banking assets have been redirected into mortgage credit. This paper maps the parallel long-run investment history of private (life) insurance as the much overlooked second pillar of the financial system. Drawing on in-depth studies of the US and Germany, it finds that a "great de-mortgaging" took place in insurers' portfolios, with mortgages falling from up to 90 percent in the 19th century to below 5 percent today in favor of fixed-income securities. A parallel shift to secondary mortgage bonds has hardly offset this decline, while direct real estate remained largely a residual investment class. Banks' great mortgaging is thus partly an institutional substitution effect. The paper sees insurers' asset shift itself as mainly driven by long-run changes in capital demand and competition with banks and pension funds. It extends these findings to other long-term institutional investors and other OECD countries in the historical long run. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

How does political representation of radical right parties (RRP) affect the relationship between immigration and right-wing terrorism targeting out-group members? Drawing on right-wing terrorism data of 31 OECD member states between 1970 and 2017, this paper explored the threefold relationship. Causal mediation analysis revealed that while growing immigration increases right-wing terrorism, RRPs have a mediation effect of decreasing attacks. Sensitivity analysis and robustness checks lend support to the findings. The article provides novel implications for the political consequences of RRP success and the effect of political representation on extremist violence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) has garnered increasing attention since its inception in 2000. Correspondingly, there has been heightened interest in 'PISA poster countries' like Singapore and Shanghai-China. Yet to date, little is known about the processes and dynamics of the construction of PISA discourses within these 'poster countries'. This paper examines the Chinese print media's reception and interpretation of PISA. Using content analysis of media reportage in 2010, 2013 and 2016, the paper identifies core patterns and themes within the media-generated PISA discourses in China and traces changes in the media discourses over time. The findings shed light on a 'mediatisation' process where the Chinese media's interpretation of PISA gets shaped by culture-specific factors such as dominant political ideology, national aspirations, and histories. As such, PISA has acquired localised meanings in China and serves as an instrument to promote national development agenda and justify education reforms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The availability of public funding for private schools, in both primary and secondary education, has become a common feature in a number of OECD countries. The expansion of public subsidies for privately owned schools has consequences that go far beyond the involvement of private actors in the provision of education. These include deepening forms of regulatory governance in educational systems and the blurring of frontiers between public and private education. Public subsidies for privately owned schools have been adopted following diverse rationalities and in pursuit of different goals. In light of the diversity, this research examines the regulatory configurations of private subsidized education provision across OECD countries, from a policy instruments' perspective. Based on a systematic review of the literature, the article identifies four models of regulation of private subsidized education, and analyses why and how these models have been problematized and have evolved accordingly. The paper pays particular attention to recent educational reforms adopted, in most cases, to tackle the equity challenges posed by publicly subsidized private provision. Finally, the paper elaborates on the implications that this form of provision has for public education and the achievement of equity goals, and reflects on the potential and limits of regulatory reforms when confronting these issues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper maps "who does what" across levels of government in OECD countries in relation to active labour market policies (ALMPs), with a focus on the role of subnational governments. It highlights recent reforms in the multi-level governance of ALMPs in a number of countries, and shows that in about two out of five OECD countries, subnational governments have some type of formal competences for delivering ALMPs. It also shows other ways subnational governments are commonly involved in such policies. This includes delivering their own labour market programmes, often targeted to those farthest from the labour market or facing multiple barriers to employment. Finally, it considers some of the benefits and drawbacks of more decentralised approaches to ALMPs and offers some general principles for managing these trade-offs across different types of governance systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Knowledge: International Journal is the property of Institute for Knowledge Management and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Turkuaz International Journal of Socio-Economic Strategic Research / Turkuaz Uluslararası Sosyo-Ekonomik Stratejik Araştırmalar Dergisi is the property of Turkuaz Uluslararasi Sosyo-Ekonomik Stratejik Arastirmalar Dergisi and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Doctorate level attainment has increased significantly in developed economies. In 2019, the average share of 25–64-year-olds with a doctorate across the OECD was around 1%. However, if current trends continue, 2.3% of today's young adults will enter doctoral studies at some point in their life. This essay starts by describing the expansion of doctoral education. It then reflects on the causes of this growth and the consequences for the nature and purpose of the doctorate. This reflection is mostly based on published research in Higher Education in the last 50 years and the author's work on policy analysis for the OECD on this topic. The paper finishes with a research agenda on doctoral education and the career of doctorate holders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the evaluation of any political strategy, it is essential to carry out the collection and analysis of the available data. The presentation of a complex phenomenon by means of synthetic measures can improve both the political actors' understanding of the situation and the design of new measures. In this paper, we deal with the problem of the construction of a multidimensional composite indicator for the evaluation of educational systems in OECD countries. In our proposal, not only are those indicators included that measure the academic outcomes, but also a group of indicators that measures the social dimension of the educational system. A variation of a methodology based on Data Envelopment Analysis is developed to construct a composite multiplicative indicator that enables inter-temporal comparison and the detection of the sources of the variation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Young people increasingly prioritise pursuing careers with positive social and environmental impacts. Social enterprises can help them fulfil this ambition. Youth-led social enterprises can address pressing social and environmental issues while providing young people with opportunities in the labour market. Despite these benefits, these entities often struggle due to the age of their founders and the specificities of their businesses. This paper analyses the drivers and potential benefits of youth led social enterprises (Section 1), assesses the challenges they face (Section 2) and provides policy guidance to address them through tailored support programmes based on best practice examples and experiences from OECD countries and beyond (Section 3). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The 'Learning Compass 2030' was released by the OECD in 2019 as their new policy framework for the compulsory schooling sector. This framework takes the bold step of asserting that access to disciplinary knowledge is central to schooling, putting it in stark contrast to previous OECD reports which have advocated instead for more generic skills and competencies. Drawing on Basil Bernstein's concept of the pedagogic device, this paper critiques the way the Learning Compass 2030 imagines disciplinary knowledge. It argues that while its inclusion offers an exciting possibility, the way that the Learning Compass 2030 continues to be governed by the instrumentalist logic of knowledge economy discourses prevalent in previous OECD documents means that disciplinary knowledge is constructed in a limited way. Instead of a tool which opens up new perspectives to students, the Learning Compass 2030 positions disciplinary knowledge almost exclusively as something which has an immediate and practical value in a marketised world. In taking this step, the Learning Compass denies the critical, transformative powers of disciplinary knowledge, thereby undercutting students' access to frameworks which will allow them to reimagine and ultimately better our society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Programmes to encourage the return of migrants living with irregular status are prominent in many OECD countries. Bearing titles like ‘assisted voluntary return and reintegration’ (AVRR), they are often rationalized as a more humane alternative to forced deportation. Critics question their voluntariness, suggesting they are actually an extension of the deportation apparatus. While broadly sympathetic to these criticisms, this paper offers a novel perspective on AVRR. We argue AVRR is reshaping what we call the political imaginary of deportation. Focusing on the International Organization for Migration (IOM), a leading architect of AVRR, we insist scholars take seriously the visual images and narratives through which voluntary return is discursively constructed. First, we discuss the political imaginary, and clarify what this concept brings to deportation studies. Second, we present a mapping of the political imaginary of deportation as this appears within IOM information campaigns concerning AVRR. We organize this material in terms of three analytics: returnees as activists, return journeys as homecoming, and deportation as self-reinvention. In the eyes of many activists and migrants, deportation has very negative and painful connotations. We show that IOM reimagines the landscape of deportation in a positive light. We call this move the deportation twist. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Emerging Economies & Policy is the property of JOEEP: Journal of Emerging Economies & Policy and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)