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Due to international fragmentation, production increasingly occurs in global supply chains (GSC). The common belief is that this leads to more specialization, which implies more concentration of imports and exports over time. In this paper, we empirically test this hypothesis by analysing the geographical and sectoral concentration of GSC over the period 1995–2011. We adapt the traditional Herfindahl's concentration indexes to a multi-regional input–output framework. Taking the information on intersectoral and interregional linkages into full account gives the concentration indexes of GSC. The indexes are at different aggregation levels, which enables us to examine both geographical and sectoral concentration patterns. After that, we analyse the effect a country's geographical and sectoral concentration on its gross domestic product (GDP) per capita. Our findings are: an increase of geographical and sectoral concentration of GSC from 1995 to 2011; a growing role in global production chains played by China and other Asian countries; less concentration for European Union countries; a significant positive effect of geographical concentration on GDP per capita; and a significant negative effect of sectoral concentration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyses the structural and technical changes in Spain since the 1980s, using annual input–output tables. Specifically, a differential structural decomposition analysis (SDA) is applied to shifts in value-added, revealing eight different components and allowing the estimation of the impacts of technical change on the process of economic transformation on a sector-by-sector basis. We conclude that growth in the Spanish economy in recent decades was a mix of technological modernization and general economic expansion, although with some heterogeneity among sectors over time. High-technology services played a key role in modernization in the late 1980s and 1990s. In fact, the growth of High-technology, Medium-high-technology, Energy and Construction sectors accelerated through the 2008 crisis. Labour compensation and returns from capital followed different trends both during expansions and recessions, intensifying income inequality in Spain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multiregional input–output (MRIO) and computable general equilibrium (CGE) models have greatly facilitated approaches to environmental and economic problems in recent years. This paper examines regional reallocation criteria intended to reduce water constraints in the Spanish economy. Our goal is to assess the impact of alternative allocation scenarios for regional production on the country's agriculture and agri-food industries, and the associated effects on water resources along the whole length of food supply chains, which display significant asymmetries between regions caused by imbalances in the availability of water resources. We design a CGE model using an MRIO database for Spain. Our scenarios are based on increases in the production of water-intensive crops in regions with more abundant water resources and the development of more sustainable food supply chains between farms and the agri-food industry. Our findings point to a series of policy options that could be applied to ensure successful outcomes in both directions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Economic growth has different impacts on gender gaps. In recent decades the growing participation of women in the labour market has reduced the gender employment gap, however a notable gender pay gap still persists standing at around 15% on average in the European Union. In this context, this paper evaluates the impact of economic growth patterns on the evolution of gender employment and pay gaps. First, sectorial feminization, direct discrimination, and structural change factors are identified and evaluated as ways to explain changes observed in the gender pay gap. Second, we explore the influence of demand, technology, and intensity factors on the evolution of employment combining gender, skill, sectorial, and temporal perspectives. As a case study, we examine Spanish economic growth from 1980 to 2007 and the influences on the size, composition (by skill), and distribution (by sector) of female and male employment, as well as the consequences for gender gaps. Our results show that structural change contributed to reduce the gender employment gap in Spain; while the evolution of the gender pay gap is less conclusive, following a sort of inverted U-shape. This paper shows the suitability and potential of the multisectorial input–output framework to analyse structural and technological changes and their impacts on the gender employment and pay gaps. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Concerns about the effects and consequences of climate change have notably increased in recent decades. Despite large advances in the understanding of this phenomenon, further research into the determinants of gas emissions is necessary, to shed light on the responsibilities of producers and consumers, and their potential contribution to mitigation strategies. This paper studies the trajectories and determinants of carbon embodied in world trade during a period of 15 years. Our methodology relies on a multiregional input-output model, environmentally extended. Drawing on data from the World Input-Output Database, we estimate embodied emissions in bilateral flows. Then, we assess the determinants of CO2 emissions embodied in trade, combining input-output modelling with trade gravity panel data analysis. This paper offers a methodological approach that explains and quantifies the underlying factors of carbon trade, integrating the production and consumption perspectives and considering the geographical, structural and institutional context of countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article analyses the determinants of escaping poverty through education in Spain, with this being the country that, is among the top European countries regarding the percentage of the population affected by poverty. Specifically, the article studies the transmission of poverty over two generations by analysing the factors that affect the probability of having completed the secondary level of education. To that end, we use the conceptual Quantity--Quality model of Becker--Lewis, empirically estimated by using the Survey of Living Conditions (2011) provided by the Spanish Statistical Institute. Our results confirm the intergenerational transmission of poverty in Spain, in such a way that the probability that the respondent has completed secondary education is determined, although not exclusively, by the family conditions of the respondents during their teenage years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this article is to analyze the responsibilities of Spanish households, as final consumers, for the generation of domestic greenhouse gases emissions (GHG), by region of residence, distinguishing between NUTS 1 and NUTS 2 (autonomous regions). The motivation is the process of convergence experimented by Spanish regions based on the strong economic growth experienced by the country until 2008, which could results in different emissions responsibilities because of different lifestyles and production structures. We examine in depth the relationships between a representative household in each region and its patterns of consumption. Although we do find a relationship between per capita income and regional responsibility for pollution generation, it is based on a demand scale effect, which overlaps the effects of the regional consumption patterns. Thus, in the richest regions (Madrid, Northeast, East), despite their having a less polluting pattern than other regions, the level of per capita embodied emissions is higher, due to their higher level of consumption. This scale effect, and the linkages between regional responsibilities for emissions and household consumption patterns are analyzed using linear models based on Social Accounting Matrices. The basis of the estimations is the regional emission intensity (average emission per euro spent by each type of regional home). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The attitudes of young people arise from an intense interaction with their social groups of reference, and in this work we examine the extent to which this background conditions the individual environmental attitudes of the young. Using data provided by the PISA 2006 survey for the European Union, we test for the influence of the family, the characteristics of the school, and the social interactions or school peer group on attitudes toward the environment. The existence of social interactions, as well as the important role of family characteristics and school activities, are confirmed. The results allow us to emphasize the importance of the social context of the adolescent, and the need to take this into account as a channel that amplifies the influence of specific environmental education strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This paper examines the transmission of smoking in-home across three generations in Spain. Methods: Multilevel logistic regression is used to assess the significance and magnitude of intergenerational transmissions of smoking in-home. We use the survey data “Encuesta Estatal Sobre Uso De Drogas en Estudiantes de Enseñanzas Secundarias (ESTUDES)” corresponding to year 2010. This survey with 32 234 students constitutes a representative survey of Spanish students between 14 and 18 years of age. Results: Estimates reported show a significant association of students’ smoking with mothers’ smoking (OR = 1.41; 95% CI = 1.31–1.51), fathers’ smoking (OR = 1.25; 95% CI = 1.16–1.35) and grandparents’ smoking (OR = 1.30; 95% CI = 1.07–1.57). Our results also suggest that, although mothers’ and parents’ smoking impacts sons’ and daughters’ smoking, grandparents’ smoking significantly increases grandsons’ smoking but does not influence granddaughters’ smoking. Conclusions: Parents and grandparents could reduce adolescents’ smoking by quitting smoking themselves, a decision that would have beneficial effects for parents, grandparents and, indirectly, for adolescents. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The agri-food industry has several features of great importance for sustainable economic growth in rural areas. The objective of this work is to evaluate the effects associated with different scenarios of growth, and changes in the regional agri-food industry. These scenarios simulate changes in exports and imports, changes in technology and changes in the level of industrial integration. We develop a computable general equilibrium model calibrated for the region. Our results indicate that policies trying to improve the competitiveness and dynamism of strategic sectors as the agro-industrial complex in this regional economy exert positive effects on its growth and income, having notable impacts on local job markets but also in other sectors and activities linked through the whole production chain. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This study attempts to analyze the existence and magnitude of social interactions in alcohol-impaired driving among Spanish adolescents. Using a wave of data collected from 25,473 Spanish students between 14 and 18 years old, we estimate the cross-sectional association between alcohol-impaired driving and several predictors. We examine the prevalence of this behavior among classmates, which requires the use of two-stage least squares to deal with the endogeneity of the peer variable. The alcohol-impaired driving behavior of classmates is associated with a higher probability of being involved in the same behavior, and we find that this behavior is positively associated with the father drinking. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Background:The primary purpose of this paper is to examine youth addiction and other justifications for adolescent smoking, and how they affect the level of consumption.Methods:Data from the Spanish ‘State Survey on Drug Use among High School Students’ aged between 14 and 18 years old were used in this paper. To account for the nature of the cigarette consumption data, several count data models were estimated in order to select the one that best fits adolescent smoking consumption.Results:Most adolescent smokers smoke because it relaxes them, and about a quarter of them recognize that they are addicted. Moreover, the latter group smoke 44% more cigarettes than the rest (IRR = 1.444), revealing the strong addictive nature of tobacco, even at early ages. Moreover, parents’ smoking increases the probability of smoking and has an impact on the level of consumption.Conclusions:The implications of these findings offer insight for parents, researchers, educators, and cessation interventionists, as awareness of self-reported and other predictors held by smoking youth creates a vantage point to facilitate changes in smoking behavior. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Households have significant demand-side potential to drive reductions in atmospheric emissions, including both direct and indirect emissions. Our analysis focuses on the behaviour of a regional economy (Aragon, Spain) and its impact on greenhouse gases (GHG) and sulphur dioxide (SO2). Using a CGE model, we simulate scenarios and evaluate the environmental impact of adopting changes considered in the Aragonese Climate Change and Clean Energy Strategy. Specifically, we analyse the impact of electricity savings and the promotion of public transport (bus or train) versus private car use. The results indicate that 1 MWh of saving in electricity consumption by households could reduce emissions of GHG by 0.112 kt of equivalent CO2and 8.209 kg of SO2with a shift in demand preferences and 0.022 kt of equivalent CO2and 7.612 kg of SO2with an efficiency improvement. Moreover, household changes in demand preferences regarding private/public transport, also contribute to reduce emissions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent research has examined the relationship between natural resources and economic growth. Considered vitally important, not only for humanity’s well-being but also for the integrity of the ecosystem, the relationship between water use and economic growth has nevertheless traditionally attracted little attention by analysts. This article studies water use trends from 1900 to 2000 throughout the world and their relationship to the main determinants of economic growth. To do this, we first analyse water use trajectories. Second, to proceed with the determinants of water use, we reformulate the Ehrlich and Holdren’s impact, population, affluence, technology (IPAT) equation (1971), decomposing water use trends into changes in economic demands and in water use intensity on the basis of a decomposition analysis. Finally, a simple scenario analysis is conducted, to project future water use trends under different economic, demographic and technological assumptions.  The empirical evidence shows that economic and population growth have been crucial in explaining the increase in water use over the past 100 years, with significant regional differences. Nevertheless, the decline in water use intensity has been responsible for a significant reduction in the growth of total water use. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This editorial constitutes the introduction to the special issue of Economic Systems Research on Input–Output and Water. We provide a general overview of current water problems and the role that input–output analysis can play in the research of different water issues and their relationship with the economic activity. We also introduce the five papers in this special issue. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Irrigation is the main user of water in Spain, and the price paid for this resource has long been lower than its cost. The recent EU Water Framework Directive requires that all costs be recovered, but application has had perverse effects. In some cases, farms have become economically unviable, while in others, cultivation has intensified and water consumption has increased. This paper applies a slightly modified version of the computable general equilibrium model developed by the International Food Policy Research Institute (Lofgren et al., 2002), to a SAM (Social Accounting Matrix) of the province of Huesca in north-eastern Spain. The model disaggregates the agricultural sectors into irrigated and unirrigated farming, taking into account the improvements in irrigation efficiency. Within this framework, we analyse different payment scenarios affecting direct users, exporters and end-users in order to examine user responsibilities, the impact of international markets and macroeconomic effects on agriculture and industry in Spain. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The aim of this paper is to explore the influence of peer behaviour on student marijuana consumption. Our hypothesis is that, in contrast to the traditional measures of peer group effects carried out at class or school level, the use of a closer peer group, which we relate to the group of friends, is more relevant in the explanation of marijuana consumption. On the basis of the data provided by the 2004 Spanish Survey on Drug Use in the School Population, we estimate a probit model in which two alternative peer variables are introduced. The results show that, once the effect of the closer peer group is controlled for, the effect of classmates' behaviour on the student is insignificant. Moreover, the closer peer group effects are asymmetric in their magnitude. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper uses a framework of production chains, which emerge from the vertical integration processes, in order to propose a general definition of linkage indicators. This definition is based on blocks of sectors and offers, among others, the following advantages. A reduction in the aggregation requirement, the resolution of the problems associated with the so-called distribution matrices, an easier analysis of the linkage components and, finally, the possibility to shed light on the links between Hypothetical Extraction Methods and sectoral analyses. Moreover, because of its general form, it helps to identify analogies between different types of indicators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this paper is to construct and apply a model for the allocation of water between two competing users, namely irrigation and hydropower. The model is applied in a case study of a specific water system located in North Eastern Spain. Starting with an irrigation-hydropower joint income function, we develop a constrained maximization process that takes into account the environmental, institutional and actual priority of the water rights. The resulting solution can be useful as a guide for potential bargains between users. Furthermore, we evaluate the results for different supply (precipitation) and water allotments (increase in irrigated land). The results show that there are sufficient incentives so as to reach agreements that lead to improvements in a Pareto sense without side payments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper uses regional input-output tables to analyse the long-term impact resulting from the implementation of the newly irrigated areas provided for under the terms of the Ebro Basin Hydrological Plan. We have described the whole process by way of two consecutive stages. In the first, where the final demand is fixed, we use a demand-driven input-output model and we incorporate technical change through the reduction of the coefficients. In the second, the output of all sectors increases, with the increases in the vector of output being proportional to the forward linkages vector of the Agriculture sector. In this stage, our objective is to obtain a final demand vector that ensures that the agricultural value added increases to a prescribed value of v[sub 1]*. Whilst the results demonstrate the positive effects of the transformation, they also reveal effects of a very different character in each sector. Thus, the Agriculture, Livestock and Agri-food industry sectors show significant increases in their gross outputs caused by the forward effects, whilst the Energy, Metal and Chemicals sectors reduce their outputs. These results shed light on the contradictory nature of the processes of development and technical change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]