Search

The European metal industry can minimize carbon and energy intensity through Circular Economy (CE) solutions in order to achieve the Agendas' 2030; 2050 targets. This paper evaluates the eco-efficiency in 21 European countries using hybrid window data envelopment analysis (WDEA) across two scenarios. The study compares short- and a meso-term policies by choosing different window widths. Inputs include gross fixed capital formation (GFCF), labor force, and energy intensity value added, with value added as desirable output and carbon intensity value added as undesirable output. Results show that the meso-term policy yields an average eco-efficiency of 47%, while the short-term policy achieves 55%, suggesting that short-term strategies are more effective for the metal industry in reaching the Net-Zero goals. Geographically, Western and Northern Europe exhibit better eco-efficiency than Eastern and Southern Europe. In essence, the European metal industry can reach a Net-Zero status through deep CE transformations in energy and carbon intensity via cleaner production. • The first time to monitor eco-efficiency via hybrid WDEA in the metal industry. • Short-term strategy has greater eco-efficiency (55%) than the meso-term (47%). • European integration ought to focus on a robust green metal deal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We apply a conditional directional distance function allowing multiple exogenous factors to measure environmental performance. We evaluate the air pollution performance levels of U.S. states for the years 1998 and 2008. States' environmental inefficiency is determined by population size and GDP per capita (GDPPC). The overall results reveal that there is much variation in environmental inefficiencies among the U.S. states. A second stage nonparametric analysis indicates a nonlinear relationship between states' population size, GDPPC levels and states' environmental inefficiency levels. Our results indicate that environmental inefficiency on the whole decreases with increased population and income per capita but there are limits to this improvement and at high income and population levels the tendency may reverse. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper uses a sample of 36 countries for the time period 1990–2011 in order to examine the relationship between countries׳ electricity consumption from renewable sources and Gross Domestic Product (GDP) levels. Several nonparametric techniques are applied to investigate the effect of electricity consumption from several renewable sources including wind, geothermal, solar, biomass and waste on countries׳ GDP levels. When investigating the whole sample ignoring countries׳ economic development status, the results reveal an increasing relationship up to a certain GDP level, which after that point the effect of electricity consumption on GDP stabilises. However when analyzing separately the ‘Emerging Markets and Developing Economies’, and, the ‘Advanced-Developed Economies’, the results change significantly. For the case of Emerging Market and Developing Economies the relationship appears to be highly nonlinear (an M-shape form) indicating that on those countries the levels of electricity consumption from renewable sources will not result on higher GDP levels. In contrast for the case of the advanced economies the results reveal an increasing nonlinear relationship indicating that higher electricity consumption levels from renewable sources results to higher GDP levels. This finding is mainly attributed to the fact that in the advanced-developed economies more terawatts from renewable sources are generated and consumed compared to the emerging market and developing economies, which traditionally their economies rely on non-renewable sources for power generation and consumption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One climate related phenomenon could affect many more. The direct costs associated to climate related factors pass to a number of other climate related costs through the indirect economic consequences of climate change. In this paper we propose a mathematical model which aims to provide forecasts of the distribution of the costs caused by the synergistic mechanism of environmental effects. The model is created to be directly applied to situations where the primary costs associated to climate related factors can be specified. It is expressed in matrix terms and is programmed using Mathematica ’s matrix functions. We provide the framework for efficient computation of this model, covering possible linear and nonlinear functions of the impact mechanism for costs and, infinite direct cost scenarios. Some directions for the quantitative estimation of impact indicators and adaptation potentials of the costs incurred by certain climate related factors are included, in order to apply the proposed model using real socioeconomic data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This paper applies a bootstrapped Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) formulation aiming to evaluate the financial performance of the firms operating in the Greek renewable energy sector. With the use of financial ratios in a DEA setting, efficiency ratios are constructed in order to analyse firms’ financial performance. The results reveal that firms’ performances are positively influenced by the high levels of return on assets and equity and by lower levels of debt to equity. In addition it appears that there are not significant differences of firms’ efficiency levels indicating high competitiveness between firms. Finally, firms producing wind energy appear to perform better than firms producing hydropower energy. It emerges that the majority of firms are operating in the wind and hydropower energy production making the Greek market of solar energy production being an emerging segment of the Greek renewable energy sector. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: In data envelopment analysis (DEA) context financial data/ratios have been used in order to produce a unified measure of performance metric. However, several scholars have indicated that the inclusion of financial ratios create biased efficiency estimates with implications on firms’ and industries’ performance evaluation. By applying bootstrap techniques the paper provides an application of evaluating the performance of 23 Greek manufacturing sectors with the use of financial data. The results reveal that in the first stage of our sensitivity analysis the efficiencies obtained are biased. However, after applying the bootstrap techniques the sensitivity analysis reveals that the efficiency scores have been significantly improved. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This study uses a sample of 71 countries and nonparametric quantile and partial regressions to model a number of threatened species (reptiles, mammals, fish, birds, trees, plants) in relation to various economic and environmental variables (GDPc, CO2 emissions, agricultural production, energy intensity, protected areas, population and income inequality). From the analysis and due to high asymmetric distribution of the dependent variables it seems that a linear regression is not adequate and cannot capture properly the dimension of the threatened species. We find that using OLS instead of non-parametric techniques over- or under-estimates the parameters which may have serious policy implications. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper deals with the effects of EMU enlargement (European Economic and Monetary Union) by evaluating the economic efficiency of growth policies of the 25 member countries. By using Data Envelopment Window Analysis the paper measures the policies adopted initiating economic growth of the 25 EU members for the time period of 1995–2005. Different factors reflecting countries’ investment policies have been used in order to measure chronically countries’ economic efficiency. The results reveal that the old 15 EU members have faced problems reforming their economic policies in order to cope with the EU enlargement which in turn had an impact on their economic efficiencies. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Energy poverty is an issue that concerns developing as well as developed countries and its mitigation is essential for social welfare. European countries are also affected by energy poverty problems and lately policy-makers are trying to address this issue, especially after the recent economic crisis. In order for strategies and policies implementation to be effective, it is important that energy poverty is measured and evaluated. In this paper, energy poverty is examined for the time-period 2004–2019 for 28 selected European countries, using a consensual approach and a composite measurement, based on the main indicators proposed in the literature. The Scandinavian countries are found to have the lowest levels of energy poverty, while the highest levels have been observed in Bulgaria and in the Balkans in general throughout the whole studied time-period. In addition, the drivers of energy poverty conditions are identified; electricity prices were found to be the main driving force for all three main indicators, while unemployment and the percentage of people at risk of poverty followed, for certain indicators. GDP per capita is found to be linked with an inverse relationship with issues related to energy poverty, confirming thus that the economic recession affected energy poverty conditions in Europe. • A consensual approach and a composite measurement are used to calculate energy poverty for a large time-period. • Panel data model specifications are used to identify energy poverty's drivers. • Energy poverty levels are compared before and after economic crisis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]