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A mid-century net zero target creates a challenge for reducing the emissions of emissions-intensive, trade-exposed sectors with high cost mitigation options. These sectors include aluminium, cement, chemicals, iron and steel, lime, pulp and paper and petroleum refining. Available studies agree that decarbonization of these sectors is possible by mid-century if more ambitious policies are implemented soon. Existing carbon pricing policies have had limited impact on the emissions of these sectors because their marginal abatement costs almost always exceed the tax rate or allowance price. But emissions trading systems with free allowance allocations to emissions-intensive, trade-exposed sectors have minimized the adverse economic impacts and associated leakage. Internationally coordinated policies are unlikely, so implementing more ambitious policies creates a risk of leakage. This paper presents policy packages a country can implement to accelerate emission reduction by these sectors with minimal risk of leakage. To comply with international trade law the policy packages differ for producers whose goods compete with imports in the domestic market and producers whose goods are exported. Carbon pricing is a critical component of each package due its ability to minimize the risk of adverse economic impacts on domestic industry, support innovation and generate revenue. The revenue can be used to assist groups adversely impacted by the domestic price and production changes due to carbon pricing and to build public support for the policies.

This article analyzes how the right to the city has been implemented in Ecuadorian housing policy after it was recognized in the 2008 Constitution, focusing on the link between this right and the right to housing. Based on the policy design framework, the study seeks to explore to what extent the set of policy instruments developed in the period 2009–2020 have been consistent with the right principles proposed in Constitution. Some limitations are identified, such as the prevalence of a housing policy model that disregards social production as an alternative and is disconnected from broader strategies of equitable urban development. The absence of indicators that account for the right to the city, and the lack of strategies that facilitate the articulation between the housing and land management competencies of the central and municipal governments are other fundamental constraints. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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AbstractTourism requires more ambitious climate actions to align the sector with a net zero emissions world and policy will play an increasingly important role in this. This study examined 1112 current policy actions addressing tourism and climate change to assist the sector in further improving policy integration, coverage and implementation of an effective and increasingly ambitious climate response. Drawing on new institutionalism, the study found that while policy actions address a wide range of outcomes, many actions align strongly with institutionalised tourism policy goals, supporting norms and values that have provided tourism with political legitimisation and contribute to sustaining tourism. Overall, softer policy instruments are more commonly implied. The analysis presented here is the most comprehensive and detailed assessment of tourism-climate change policy to date. The overall conclusion is that tourism’s policy response remains insufficient given the urgency demanded by the climate crisis, risking tourism policy (and the sector) falling behind. Recommendations are provided for shifting tourism policy objectives beyond the institutionalised tourism policy goals to strengthen the sector’s climate change response. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The environmental and health problems caused by plastics throughout their life cycle have attracted considerable public attention over the past decade, triggering policy responses in many constituencies. Similarly, interdisciplinary research on plastics has been burgeoning in the past few years, and political science contributions have covered the manifold root causes and consequences of this shift in public policy including media coverage, evolving discourses and policy agendas. In view of this policy relevance that drives scholarly inquiry, it is surprising that we lack a systematic assessment of the actual policy outputs. This article fills this lacuna by developing a policy portfolio approach to plastic regulation. To illustrate and substantiate our approach, we provide an exploratory analysis of EU plastics regulation over the last twenty years, complementing this with Denmark, Germany, and Poland as diverse cases of member state regulation. Overall, our research shows that the number of policy measures targeting plastics has massively increased both at the supranational and national level. This policy growth, however, varies across policy targets and instruments. Our findings highlight first, that the policy targets addressed are mainly located at the end of the plastics life cycle; and second, that the instrument choice is privileging the use of hierarchical forms of intervention over the use of market‐ or information‐based instruments. We discuss these features of the policy portfolio approach in light of existing research on plastics and life‐cycle‐oriented policy approaches such as the Circular Economy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the widely recognized potential of product‐as‐a‐service (PaaS) business models to contribute to the circular economy, many industrial case studies have reported that several systemic factors tend to hinder product manufacturers from effectively designing such solutions. More specifically, factors such as linear value chains, organizational structures, and market and financial conditions tend to restrict the freedom of product manufacturers to design circular PaaS solutions effectively. In this article, we take a novel approach to advance the body of knowledge concerning the interactions between policies and circular PaaS designing. We first explore the potential of the existing policy landscape to support designing for a circular economy in the manufacturing industry. The results suggest that the existing policy landscape is primarily focused on regulating product design outcomes and is thus deemed unsuitable for supporting circular PaaS designing. Subsequently, we investigate the literature to uncover how internal and external systemic factors may hinder the implementation of the key facets of circular PaaS designing in the manufacturing industry. Based on these findings, we propose a prospective policy framework that includes a mix of complementary policy interventions that systemically target the identified internal and external factors to support the implementation of the key facets of circular PaaS designing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Promoting the use of recycled water is essential for environmental sustainability. A key part of promoting the use of recycled water is effectively increasing the public's intention to adopt it. This research attempts to explore the factors that influence the public's intention to adopt recycled water. It therefore introduces the baseline water stress indicator and extends the survey area to areas of high water stress. Based on the Diffusion of Innovation Theory (DOI), a new research model is developed from the perspective of "information disclosure (knowledge)–psychological factors (persuasion)–adoption intention (decision)", and the moderating role of policy instruments is considered. Structural equation modeling and hierarchical regression analysis are used to empirically analyze 724 valid questionnaires. The results indicate that psychological factors (trust, awareness of water environment protection, herd mentality) have multiple parallel mediating effects between recycled water information disclosure and adoption intention, and herd mentality is the key factor influencing the public's intention to adopt recycled water. Command-and-control policy instruments inhibit adoption intention, while economic incentives and publicity-and-guidance policy instruments promote adoption intention. These findings can help policymakers seek and adopt effective policy measures and provide a reference for popularizing and promoting recycled water in areas with high water stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As China enters the stage of high-quality development, the new agricultural management subject has become the core driving force of agricultural modernization. Accelerating the construction of the policy system of the new agricultural management subject is of great significance for the development of the new agricultural management subject. Based on this, we made a textual quantitative research on China’s new agricultural management main body policy from three dimensions of policy tools, policy content and policy structure, discussed the development and changes of the policy. The results showed that the policy tools were dominated by environmental tools, the supply and demand policy tools were relatively underused, and the use of policy sub-tools was unbalanced. Capital was the most involved factor, land was the least involved factor, and there were great differences in the distribution of development factors. Suggestions were put forward: we should optimize policy tools, expand financial support channels, improve system and mechanism construction, improve land transfer transactions, attach importance to talent construction, establish talent recruitment mechanism, and improve policy implementation and performance evaluation mechanism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper focuses on the EU's deployment of EU collective power in response to the pandemic and the war in Ukraine. Collective power has two dimensions, the 'power to' and the 'power with', which translate into the power to get things done and the power to act in concert. These two dimensions of power are underpinned by a third dimension, discursive power. The analytical framework consists of two bundles of activity, agenda setting and problem recognition (the problem frame) and the development of policy solutions (the action frame). Agreeing a problem frame is a necessary but insufficient requirement for action which requires agreement among the member states on what they are prepared to commit to in terms of policy instruments. The paper concludes that the EU avoided a politics trap during these crises by reaching consensus on both the problem and action frames and were assisted in this by the emergence of three EU polity norms and the mobilisation of institutional capacity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urban climatic challenges can motivate urban planners and designers to implement urban climate-responsive design strategies. But does this process occur sufficiently, and if not, why? This study explores the implementation of urban climate-responsive design strategies, potential functional and aesthetic conflicts, availability of policy instruments that support implementation, strengths and weaknesses, and missed opportunities for integrating agendas. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with experts familiar with urban climate-responsive design. The results suggest that greening measures are most often implemented, strategies tend to compete with other land-uses, designers face aesthetic conflicts, and strategies are predominantly mainstreamed within existing policy instruments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Policy design studies typically focus on broad policy goals and the types of tools that governments use to realize them. There is however limited scholarly understanding of how these goals and tools are operationalized “on-the-ground.” In this paper, we apply Capano and Howlett’s 2024 Framework on the Micro-Dimensions of Policy Design to understand how universal health coverage goals in the United States, Singapore, and Thailand are operationalized. The framework unpacks the “nuts and bolts” of policy design particularly the specification of policy targets and tools. A comparative analysis of three programs (Obamacare in the US, Medisave in Singapore, and Universal Coverage Scheme in Thailand) demonstrates how similar high-level policy goals are pursued through different tools and settings. Studying these micro dimensions provides insights into the actual operational ways in which high-level objectives are translated into impacts at the ground level. From an applied point of view, a comparative focus on the dimensions of the micro level of policy design is useful for generating evidence and informing health policy debates about what works or does not work on-the-ground.

Three aspects of policy success – programme implementation, policy solution feasibility and political legitimacy and support – need to be at the front of mind when policies are formulated. Many uncertainties endemic to policy-making surround these issues and present considerable public management challenges. Many of these problems, however, are linked to the poor conceptualization and understanding of policy content on the part of policy-makers, something for which policy scholars must share some blame. This is especially true with respect to the existing literature on the micro-level aspects of policies; the level at which goals and policy instruments are concretely implemented in the form of specific policy targets and tool calibrations. While these latter subjects have been examined in the past by luminaries such as Eleanor Ostrom, Guy Peters, Peter Hall and Lester Salamon, their insights into this level of policy-making have been glossed over in the mainstream policy sciences and the significance of their work for real-world policy analysis insufficiently appreciated. This article sets out a framework of policy calibrations and specifications that reconciles and incorporates these insights in order to enhance the chances of policy success through improved policy design.

The aims of the article are to assess the legal conditions for improving energy efficiency in the energy-intensive food industry in Poland, including the rules for financing enterprises from public funds, and to assess the extent of state aid for these enterprises in their pursuit of energy saving goals. A critical analysis of the literature and of legal regulations on energy efficiency in EU and Polish law has been performed. The analysis of state aid is based on SUDOP data, and it takes into account the time span, the food industry structure, the enterprise size, the type and purpose of aid granted, and the degree of aid concentration. The conducted research showed that the largest share of state aid is received by energy-intensive industries, i.e., meat, fruit and vegetables, and dairy products (65.5%), and by large- and medium-sized enterprises (82.4%). This aid was allocated through various programmes and in various forms, the most important of which were subsidies. The aid focused on three objectives, i.e., promotion of energy from renewable sources, high-efficiency cogeneration, and measures supporting energy efficiency. The study shows the development of legislation on energy efficiency and possibilities for financing investments, both at the EU and national levels. Tightening climate policy will enhance the importance of energy efficiency in the food industry, which should be reflected in an increase in the relatively low current level of this aid (amounting to 0.04% of total state aid and 0.17% of aid for environmental protection and energy purposes). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Lifetime Health Cover (LHC) was introduced in mid-2000 to increase participation in private health insurance that includes hospital cover (PHI-HC) and improve the risk profile of PHI-HC participants. It initially achieved both objectives, but since 2001 the PHI-HC population has aged faster than the general population. The aim of this study was to determine if the excess ageing of the PHI-HC risk pool has been due to passive age-based adverse selection, an inherent risk of LHC. This study has potential implications for the retention of LHC. Methods: A descriptive population-level analysis of publicly available administrative datasets was performed. Data relating to PHI-HC were obtained from the Australian Prudential Regulatory Authority. National population data were obtained from the Australian Bureau of Statistics. Trends in demography, PHI-HC participation rates and LHC loading payments were analysed. Results: By 2021, age-based adverse selection had returned to the pre-LHC level. Based on the available data, this was due to passive age-based adverse selection not active age-based adverse selection. Specifically, it reflected the combination of an avoidable unintended consequence of the introduction of LHC (the over-representation, in 2001, of individuals aged 45–59) and one of LHC's intended effects (incentivisation of insured individuals to retain PHI-HC). Conclusions: This study supports the retention of LHC. Nonetheless, it highlights the risk of passive age-based adverse selection created by incentivising insured individuals to retain PHI-HC in the presence of distortions in the age distribution of the PHI-HC risk pool. Early targeted interventions are required when such distortions arise. What is known about the topic? Since the introduction of Lifetime Health Cover (LHC) in mid-2000, the participation rate for private health insurance that includes hospital cover (PHI-HC) has remained relatively stable, but the PHI-HC population has aged faster than the general population. What does this paper add? This paper makes a novel distinction between 'active' and 'passive' age-based adverse selection to explain LHC's role in the excess ageing of the PHI-HC risk pool. What are the implications for practitioners? Governments need to be vigilant for the emergence of distortions in the age distribution of the PHI-HC risk pool and respond with targeted interventions to normalise the age distribution, or risk problematic passive age-based adverse selection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Worldwide, more integrated and spatially embedded forms of flood risk management have been advocated. In the Netherlands, this 'spatial turn' can be associated with a quest for spatial quality, i.e. making use of existing landscape values to create more liveable, aesthetic and sustainable flood risk management solutions. Reflecting on Dutch flood risk management practice, this paper inventorizes which policy instruments are currently used to strengthen spatial quality, and how involved actors view these instruments. We present empirical insights on common concerns, standpoints and dilemmas from the Dutch Flood Protection Programme (DFPP), a large-scale reinforcement operation to climate-proof the Netherlands' main flood defences by 2050. Spatial quality here remains a rather ambiguous policy objective, lacking a legally binding framework. Using the NATO-policy instruments' typology as a starting point, and based on a co-learning process between science and practice, we present an instruments palette that can be used to strengthen spatial quality in flood risk management. Our findings reveal that the DFPP makes use of rather 'soft' policy instruments. The actual achievement of spatial quality goals seems to depend largely on the combined project team competencies, guidance and support provided by responsible water authorities, and commitment of other project partners. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Evidence on urban governance has expanded but is fragmented and inadequate. It fails to articulate the complexity of urban governance in a way that would facilitate effective urban transitions. Using a conceptual-cognitive lens, this article describes a method to move away from governance solutions based on functional silos to those based on multidimensional, sustainable systems. Based on a combination of concepts from public policy, governance, public administration, and urban service management, it frames the problem of urban governance as a comprehensive conceptual-cognitive map of the domain. The study validates the framework through expert feedback and the mapping of the literature on urban governance in India between 2018 and 2020. The monad map and theme map emphasise the ontology's applicability as a methodological tool for evidence generation. The analysis reveals a need to reconfigure urban governance pathways to work towards a sustainable future. The article concludes by offering new conceptual constructs of governance pathways to enhance the policies and practices that shape such transitions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The European Water Framework Directive (WFD) is one of the most analyzed environmental legislations in the scientific literature, influencing the water management in some non-European countries. The WFD has the strong ambition of achieving a good ecological status of water bodies across all river basins in Europe. However, the advances towards sustainable management are falling far behind the planned schedule. The emphasis of the Directive is focused on water quality rather than on water quantity. The advances during the last quarter of the century since its inception have been strong on urban and industrial point pollution, but not on agricultural non-point pollution that remains high and even increases in major basins. Water quantity aspects have been mostly left aside in the Directive, despite the fact that water scarcity is a serious problem in Southern European countries, and will become more critical with climate change in most basins across Europe. Some policy measures of the WFD need to be reformed, in particular measures for abating agricultural pollution, and new measures for addressing water scarcity. The narrow focus of the WFD on water pricing to solve at the same time issues of financing, water allocation and efficiency, environment, opportunity costs and pollution abatement, should be broadened. The challenge is giving more emphasis to command & control and collective action instruments, and designing combinations of instruments adapted to sectoral and spatial locations in basins. This overhaul of the water policy instruments by the European Commission will be needed to advance in the sustainable management of river basins in Europe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although rapid transition away from fossil fuels will be required to limit warming to any agreed upon level, long-lived fossil energy infrastructure buildout continues largely unabated. Many nations around the world have laws requiring regulators to meaningfully assess potential climate impacts when reviewing proposals for new fossil fuel infrastructure projects such as oil and gas extraction leases, major transmission pipelines, and power plants. However, reviewing agencies often report lack of appropriate tools to objectively assess the climate impacts of individual fossil fuel infrastructure projects, and to determine the significance of these impacts. Here we present a novel methodology to fill this critical gap by providing a science-based decision support tool, a 'climate test', for use in determining an infrastructure project's carbon emissions significance. The climate test defines emissions significance quantitatively according to a project's consistency with region-specific constraints and characteristics of climate mitigation pathways, considering both emissions and energy systems characteristics over the project's lifespan. We showcase the tool here, using an example of a natural gas pipeline to explore how often and under what conditions the project would 'pass' the climate test with an emissions significance result of ≤1, which indicates alignment with a 1.5°C goal. For this project, less than 1.2% of 10,000 scenarios yielded significance values ≤1, suggesting a high likelihood that the project has a significant climate impact, a determination that would be robust to uncertainty for such a project. This emission-based metric represents a first step toward a broader framework to align project-level infrastructure decisions – including and beyond new fossil energy projects – with climate, as well as economic and societal, policy goals. This novel 'climate test' tool is suitable to support U.S. regulators in meeting their statutory requirements to assess the significance of climate impacts for fossil energy infrastructure projects on an individualized basis. While the tool was designed based on specific gaps identified in the U.S. system, it can readily be adapted for use in other non-U.S. regulatory contexts. Widespread implementation of such a climate test tool would help the US, and other nations that use it, to act consistently with their national and international climate commitments by aligning individual project-level decisions with pathways to limiting warming. By defining project significance in the context of both the emissions constraints and energy needs of a warming-limited world, this climate test tool provides decisionmakers with integrated and nuanced analytical information necessary to responsibly manage both energy and climate policy objectives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the context of world education digitalization, the Chinese government has formulated China's education digitalization strategy. The education digitalization policy tools of provincial governments are an important factor affecting the effectiveness of education digitalization policies. In this study, a text quantification and content analysis is conducted on educational digital policy documents released by eight provinces of China during the 14th Five-Year Plan period in China. This is based on a two-dimensional analysis framework of "instruments-value" using instrument types and policy principles, and NVivo software. The research outcomes reveal the following: (1) The distribution of educational digital policy instrument types is uneven, with an excess of supply-side instruments and a noticeable shortage of demand-side instruments. (2) Different policy instruments exhibit varying degrees of preference in implementing policy principles. There is a stronger emphasis on technology application and balanced development, while the emphasis on service principles promoting diverse participation is relatively weaker. (3) The policy instruments that facilitate interaction between policymakers and educational entities require further strengthening. In light of these findings, local governments in China should strengthen the use of demand-side policy instruments to achieve comprehensiveness and sustainability in educational digitalization. Policymakers should pay more attention to the demands of educational entities to shift educational digitalization from being technology driven to being demand driven. Furthermore, policy instrument selection should adhere to the value of serving and supporting individuals and reinforce the concept of multi-participation in their development, ultimately improving the precision and coordination of policies, and achieving a harmonious integration of technological and value aspects of policy instruments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Governing transboundary waters is inherently a complex policy issue. However, when waters flow through multiple urban spaces (multiple cities in different countries), it presents a unique challenge to access and control. Policy actors employ a variety of policy instruments to govern such spaces and users' water demands. Drawing from the case of Geneva Metropolis (shared between Switzerland and France), we explain how policy instruments are formulated to manage a combination of water sources. We answer two questions: (1) what type of policy instruments contribute to reaching transboundary water governance in Greater Geneva? and (2) What are the underlying drivers that led to the success or failures of implementing policy instruments at the transboundary level? Based on policy documents and closed-door interviews, we present various policy instruments that have been developed and implemented in the Geneva metropolis. We further argue that the underlying drivers, such as the existence of communities of practice, political willingness, the influence of civil society actors and the evolution of an anticipatory water governance system, have influenced the policy instruments' success and failure. To conclude, this article calls for further research on comparing different cross-border metropolitan areas, focusing on processual aspects (development and implementation) of policy instruments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

European soils and their status is a matter of concern that has entered the policy arena and the objective to restore soil health is part of the Soil strategy to 2030. Aim of this study is to explore the integration of the concept of soil health and the provision of soil ecosystem service by conducting i) a content analysis of EU policies and ii) a scoping review of literature over policy instruments for soil governance. Results show a focus on soil fertility, mainly soil organic matter, while services such as conservation of biodiversity or cultural heritage still appear underrepresented. Findings are reinforced by the gap in literature, providing little evidence of policy instruments contributing to soil health. A more coordinated effort among policy sectors is required to prioritize soil health in the EU; invesitgating the role of market-based instruments could complement what public policies are lacking.

Local knowledge (LK) is often overlooked in the decision-making process during landscape restoration process. In this study, we focus on the Zicuirán-Infiernillo Biosphere Reserve as a case study. We propose a framework to incorporate LK into public policy instruments for implementing restoration interventions in Mexican protected natural areas (PNAs). Through semi-structured interviews, participant observation, and informal talks, conducted with residents from two communities located in the buffer zone and the border area of the reserve, we gathered valuable insights regarding the following: (1) the inhabitants' LK of the ecology and contributions of tropical dry forest, (2) the socioeconomic and environmental issues identified by these communities in their localities, (3) ecological and socioeconomic actions suggested by the residents to recover the forest or halt its degradation, and (4) the role of institutions and local organizations in restoration and conservation processes. Our findings indicate that residents recognized changes in species distribution and identified native trees that are tolerant to drought. Moreover, they acknowledged the beneficial contributions provided by forests, including climate and water cycle regulation, oxygen supply, and raw materials. Local people also demonstrated their awareness of environmental and socioeconomic issues and proposed activities to reverse vegetation cover loss and halt forest degradation. While reforestation emerged as the primary solution for forest recovery, assisted natural regeneration and natural regeneration were also suggested. Based on our results, we propose a framework that emphasizes a robust knowledge exchange among stakeholders, for facilitating the inclusion of LK in an ecological restoration-based education program. It is crucial for Mexican public policy instruments operating in PNAs to consider local knowledge to enhance the effectiveness of ecological restoration.

Ambition to leverage the power of nature-based solutions (NbS) to address global challenges such as the interlinked climate change and biodiversity crises has reached unprecedented levels. Despite a growing consensus around the potential benefits of NbS, this ambition has not translated into sufficient actionable progress in practice. Cities, increasingly recognized as centres of transformative capacity, have become a focal point for achieving NbS ambitions. Nevertheless, the transition from theoretical discourse to practical implementation has been slow, with NbS frequently being overlooked until recently in political agendas. A key obstacle to progress is the lack of action-oriented research grounding theoretical discussions in empirical evidence on NbS policy design and application. This paper seeks to address these knowledge gaps by: (i) defining criteria for good practices in urban NbS policy design and implementation; (ii) assessing policy instruments from the Urban Governance Atlas (UGA) against these criteria using mixed statistical and qualitative methods; and (iii) identifying potential pathways and actionable measures to promote the adoption of good practices in practice. Drawing on the diverse UGA examples, with a particular focus on Europe and the CELAC region, the paper identifies seven good practice criteria and outlines four potential pathways and related actions to guide the development of NbS policy instruments across varied urban contexts. Concrete recommendations around actionable knowledge aim to tap the transformative potential of NbS in addressing pressing global issues.

Data sovereignty has become an important component of national sovereignty in the dual context of the digital economy development and the overall national security concept. Major countries and regions are actively carrying out data sovereignty strategic deployment and engaging in fierce competition in data resources, data technology, and data rules. This work adopts the policy text analysis method to study China's data sovereignty policy, and employs the LDA model and policy instruments to quantitatively analyze the process evolution and thematic characteristics of China's data sovereignty policy. Drawing on these findings, this study comprehensively considers the global data sovereignty policy and puts forward four policy recommendations: actively lead and participate in the formulation of international rules, optimize the data export security assessment process, improve the standard contract template for personal information export, and strengthen the legal protection of data security. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The European Union Framework Programme (EUFP) is the most institutionalised form of supranational thematic programming in the world and the centrepiece of European Union research policy. Since 1994, the EUFP has also funded collaborative research projects in the social sciences. Surprisingly, little attention has been paid to its genesis, development, and effects in shaping the development of European science, especially examined by discipline or multidisciplinary fields. The EUFP is thus analysed here through an instruments‐as‐institutions approach that conceptualises the EUFP as an institution. Content analysis of the official documents of each funding cycle (n = 5) and a sample of European‐funded educational research projects (n = 122) was analysed in conducting this research. The results show incremental ideational change of the EUFP's guiding ideas: from knowledge as an instrument to knowledge as a resource; within‐the‐EU to outside‐the‐EU internationalisation; and cooperation to an integration rationale of Europeanisation from the EUFP4 and EUFP5 (1994–2002) to the EUFP6 onwards (2002–2020). European‐funded educational research contents are shaped by such representations of what is expected of European research. If the policy instrument steers European‐funded educational research, ideas more than regulatory features significantly—though incrementally—change the direction of European social science. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

On 17th May 2020, the New Zealand Government announced a $265 million investment to support sport and recreation amid the country's first COVID-19 lockdown. The Sport NZ Recovery Package (RP) focused on three investment outcomes for the sector: 'Reset and Rebuild', 'Strengthen and Adapt', and [become] 'Different and Better' (Sport NZ 2020a). This study examines the overall design features and funding initiatives of the RP as a novel policy response to 'turbulence'. Of particular interest is whether this instrument was 'system changing' (McDonnell and Elmore 1987) and how it might enable future transformation or stability in the sports sector. Drawing from documents and interviews with officials from Sport NZ, one National Sports Organisation (NSO), and six Regional Sports Trusts (RSTs), three key findings relate to 1) the characteristics of the RP as policy instrument; 2) the novelty of Tū Manawa relative to Sport NZ's shifting strategy; and 3) the way in which organisations coped with the administration of new funds. The findings suggest that Sport NZ's funding strategies were multidimensional (targeting a wider array of activities and organisations than those pre-COVID-19) and could themselves be 'turbulent-inducing'. Future studies should examine the long-term legacy of the package and its associated goals to interpret if Sport NZ's initiatives are sustained for the [promised] readjustment and strengthening of the New Zealand sports sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urban waste management is vital for environmental protection and sustainable development. Understanding the characteristics and innovative paths of waste management systems in the Yangtze River Delta urban cluster is of significant importance. Analyzing 285 policies implemented from 2003 to 2022, the research employs methods like stage evolution text quantification and network structure analysis to reveal distinct characteristics of policy evolution in urban waste management. The study identifies a four-stage pattern of policy development: policy pilot stage, policy implementation stage, policy regulation stage, and policy dissemination stage. The findings highlight an increasing diversification of policy initiators and improvements in multisector collaboration. The central government plays a pivotal role in guiding urban waste management, while local governments follow suit through demonstration, indicating a preference for individual local autonomy over horizontal joint management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on the Pressure–State–Response model and the experience materials of waste gas emission prevention and control in industrialized nations, we construct the PSR framework for stationary waste gas emissions (WGEs) in this study, identifying five pressure factors and six policy instruments. Using a moderated chain mediating established by structural equation modeling measurement, we examined the effects of pressures and responses to stationary WGEs. The key conclusions are that (1) pressures were brought on by the heavy industry proportion, the energy consumption intensity, the coal consumption proportion, and the industrial labor productivity, while the pressure was significantly reduced by green technology. (2) The heavy industry proportion was the most effective negative mediator, while energy consumption parameters including energy consumption intensity and coal consumption proportion failed to produce the desired results from policy instruments on stationary WGEs. (3) Command-and-control policy instruments led to the greatest direct impacts on the fall of stationary WGEs, whereas information-based policy instruments led to the greatest indirect impacts on the decline of stationary WGEs. These findings may provide important policy recommendations for nations that are rapidly industrializing. (1) We suggest that technology and industrial internal structure should be significant regulatory issues. (2) In addition to maintaining command-and-control policy instruments, we advise the government to give information-based instruments more consideration. (3) We also suggest that before the adoption of market-based instruments, thorough plans and experimental subsidies be prepared. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: A key task for countries around the world facing the COVID-19 pandemic was to achieve high vaccination coverage of the population. To overcome "vaccination inertia," governments adopted a variety of policy instruments. These instruments can be placed along a "ladder of intrusiveness" based on their degree of constraint of individual freedoms. The aim of this study is to investigate how the governments of three European countries moved along the ladder of intrusiveness and how the choice of policy instruments was influenced by contextual factors. Methods: The study draws on secondary data sources, including academic and gray literature, policy documents, and opinion polls, over an observation period from December 2020 to summer 2022. The study employs inductive logic to analyze data and identify the factors explaining similarities and differences across England, Germany, and Italy. Findings: The study identifies similarities and differences in how the three countries advanced along the ladder of intrusiveness. Contextual factors such as policy legacy, social acceptability, and ideological orientation contribute to explain the observations. Conclusions: Country-specific contextual factors play an important role in understanding the choice of policy instruments adopted by the three countries. Policy makers should carefully consider these factors when planning immunization strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Environmental policy integration (EPI), that is, the incorporation of environmental concerns in non‐environmental policy areas, has been widely adopted in public policies. However, EPI research has found much discrepancy between environmental objectives and actual implementation. This paper argues that analyzing EPI in the context of policy mixes with multiple objectives, multiple instruments and their calibrations helps to better understand unavoidable tensions and limitations. We develop a framework to assess EPI at these three levels of policy output, synthesizing the EPI and policy mix literatures. We further distinguish four analytical dimensions to assess calibrations: stringency, specificity, flexibility, and temporality. A case study of the national implementation of the European Union's Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) in Germany 2014–2022 is used to elaborate the conceptual argument. The CAP has saliently incorporated environmental objectives, while implementation, including the calibrations of most instruments within predetermined corridors, is left to member states. A systematic meta‐review of 142 texts evaluating policy instruments and calibrations in the CAP 2014–2022, focusing on Germany, found that several CAP instruments link most farm income support to pro‐environmental behavior. These instruments could potentially have high environmental effectiveness and efficiency. But actual policy calibrations delivered weak EPI due to low stringency and specificity, while high flexibility and temporal accommodation of farmers' needs might support EPI by increasing acceptance. Weak EPI resulted from instrument calibrations in the face of unavoidable trade‐offs between competing objectives. Our results demonstrate that calibrations can significantly affect the strength of EPI adoption, and the priorities within policy mixes more generally. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent research has demonstrated that positive and negative feedback can occur simultaneously within environmental policy. This tends to occur when policy has multiple purposes. We engage with the concept of mixed feedback to highlight aspects of the phenomenon that have hitherto not been explored in detail and thus add more nuance to the feedback argument to improve our understanding of environmental policy evolution. Our first argument is that single-purpose policies may generate mixed feedback. Each instrument generates distinct feedback. Secondly, we challenge the assumption that negative feedback undermine policy and suggest that negative feedback may indeed contribute to maintaining policy. For policy to endure over longer periods, it needs to respond to feedback. Thirdly, we argue that mixed instrument feedback can result in a substantial reshuffling of an environmental policy mix through the recalibration of instruments. We use the trajectory of Danish regulation aimed at nitrogen run-offs to coastal waters over almost three decades to illustrate the three arguments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Decarbonization policies require public support to be implemented and to remain in legislation. Examinations of public support for climate policies tend to focus on a small number of policy instruments and/or use hypothetical instead of real policy proposals. Here, we address these criticisms by examining public support across four distinct policy instruments – command-and-control, market-based, information-based, and voluntary – using sixteen policy proposals by UK political parties and government institutions. In addition to assessing UK national policy support, we also explore regional differences. Using a representative sample of the UK population (N = 1,911), we find that, at a national level, individuals preferred instruments shown to be less effective in reaching net-zero: information-based and voluntary policies. Our results indicate that the extent to which individuals believe in the free market, their environmental worldviews and political party support as well as their age are all correlated with policy support. We find stark regional differences where, compared to individuals living in Greater London, those living in the remainder of the country were 32% and 30% less likely to support command-and-control and market-based policies, respectively (among other regional differences). Regional variations in free-market beliefs and population density partly explain differences in policy support. We propose policymakers focus on place-based initiatives to increase support for decarbonization policies that are more effective in reaching net-zero and on improving the perception of market-based and command-and-control policies through positive framing and policy bundles. The majority of the UK public supports all climate policy instruments (command-and-control, market-based, information-based, and voluntary) regardless of their stringency. More stringent decarbonization policies (command-and-control and market-based instruments) received less public support compared to more lenient policies (information-based and voluntary). Population density as a structural factor helps to explain regional variation and points to the crucial role of improving public infrastructure, particularly in more rural areas. Free-market beliefs are associated with regional and individual variations in support and stress the need for overcoming ideological barriers. Income was found to influence support for less stringent (e.g. information-based) instruments, but was not associated with support for regulatory and market-based instruments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Several EU countries have targets for the reduction of CO2e emissions that go beyond the target set by the EU. We study what would be the optimal carbon tax policy in such EU frontrunner countries, focusing on two questions: 1) How should national climate policy be coordinated with the European Emissions Trading System (ETS), and 2) How should an EU frontrunner country address the risk of carbon leakage? We show that these issues are closely linked and that the answers to the two questions depend on the following factors: i) The shadow cost assigned to carbon leakage, ii) The rates of carbon leakage in the ETS and non-ETS sectors, and iii) The price of ETS emission allowances relative to the domestic marginal abatement cost of attaining the desired reduction of domestic emissions. Our analysis shows that it is preferable for an EU frontrunner country to implement a national ETS sector carbon tax that results in a higher total carbon price in the national ETS sector compared to the national non-ETS sector. We illustrate how our theoretical model can be combined with a modified version of the GTAP-E general equilibrium model of the world economy to estimate the parameters of the optimal national carbon tax scheme in an EU frontrunner country, using Denmark as an example. We find that the ETS sector should pay a total carbon price that is between 33 and 78 percent above that of the rest of the economy depending on the aversion to carbon leakage. Key policy insights It is generally optimal for an EU frontrunner country – one with a domestic emission target beyond that set by the EU – to implement a national ETS sector tax. The total national carbon price should be higher in the ETS sector compared to the non-ETS sector. Data for Denmark indicate that the total national ETS sector carbon price should be at least 33 percent higher than that of the national non-ETS sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

If policy makers wish to encourage members of a population to take a socially beneficial action, should they reward those who take the desired behavior or punish those who do not? This article develops a model that facilitates both utilitarian and majoritarian perspectives on the use of incentives and disincentives in public policy. An asymmetry arises between the two types of policy: as incentives grow, higher shares of the population take the beneficial action and earn the reward, driving administrative costs up; as disincentives grow, however, smaller shares of the population fail to take the desired action, requiring fewer fines and exerting downward pressure on administrative costs. Domains that favor inducing high (low) shares of the population to take a desired behavior thus indirectly favor the use of disincentives (incentives). Distributive implications amplify this tendency, such that majoritarian influence on policy making tends to generate stronger disincentives and weaker incentives than are efficient. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on the newly released 2023 Chinese General Social Survey data from Renmin University of China, this paper selected 869 Ecological Civilization Pilot Area participants. Study 1 explored the impact of China’s Ecological Civilization Environmental Policy (ECEP) on the spillover effects of pro-environmental behaviours (PEBs). Study 2 explored the effects of three types of environmental policy instruments on public value conflicts and PEBs. The results of Study 1 indicate that China’s ECEP has positive spillover effects on both private and public-sphere PEBs. Private-sphere PEBs mediate the relationship between ECEP and public-sphere PEBs, and ECEP has “cross sphere” spillover effects on PEBs (private-sphere PEBs to public-sphere PEBs). Public value conflict moderates the relationship between ECEP and private-sphere PEBs. In Study 2, the results showed that the highest level of public value conflict was found in the economic incentive-instrument and the lowest level of public value conflict was found in the voluntary instrument. Whether public or private-sphere PEBs, voluntary versus command-instrument can better stimulate PEBs. Based on the study’s results, it is recommended to strengthen the interpretation of environmental policies, resolve public value conflicts, and promote public-sphere PEBs by fostering private-sphere PEBs, thus promoting the spillover effect of “cross- sphere” PEBs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There are major gaps in the measurement of the adoption and stringency of countries' climate actions and policies, notably in a manner coherent across countries, time, sectors, and instrument types. The Climate Actions and Policies Measurement Framework (CAPMF) aims to fill this gap. It is the most extensive structured and internationally harmonised climate mitigation policy database available to date. Currently, it comprises 130 policy variables, grouped into 56 policy instruments and other climate actions, covering 50 countries and the EU-27 as a block for the period 1990–2022. Results indicate that countries strengthened their climate action between 1990 and 2022 in terms of policy adoption and policy stringency, although at different paces. Policy adoption, policy stringency and policy mixes changed over time and differ substantially across countries and country groups. Importantly, regression analysis suggests a significant relationship between stronger climate action and greater emission reductions. Mitigation policies helped reduce emissions by about 12% in the last 5 years; most of this effect is attributable to a reduction in the energy intensity of the economy, and only residually to other factors such as a reduction of GHG intensity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

International trends promoting school diversity and choice have reshaped education across Europe, leading towards a multiplicity in ownership structures and varied governance configurations. More recently, this can also be seen in European countries with a long history of state-owned and governed public schools, such as in the Nordic states. The aim of this article is to explore autonomy and curriculum control in teacher's work in public and independent schools within a country context where there are long traditions of 'one public school for all'. The article draws on interviews with school leaders and teachers on a Waldorf school, an IB school, and a Norwegian public school as well as analysis of local school documents. The analysis shows that varying school contexts present both different and overlapping characteristics of curriculum control and teacher autonomy. All schools have accommodated to educational outcome governed regimes, however, teacher autonomy in the school context appears to differ. Teacher autonomy is more related to teachers' practices, not the educational outcomes required. The study shows how policies intending for the standardisation of schooling may work in conflict with policy intentions of educational diversity, provided by independent schools of different character. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Extended producer responsibility (EPR) is commonly implemented as a strategy in waste management. The core of the concept itself is a waste reverse logistics (WRL), which dictates how the collection, inspection and processing of end-of-life products are performed. Existing studies of EPR mainly focused on single products instead of using broader perspective on national level. Its contribution towards circular economy through slowing and closing the loops also has not been widely discussed. This study examined the system architecture of the policy instruments used in the EPR and the similarities of the WRL networks across different products. A case study was used to investigate six products: portable batteries and accumulators, paper, packaging, vehicles, electrical and electronic equipment (EEE) and tyres. The study generated a WRL framework. It is also observed that closing the loop through recycling is the primary circular strategy and is found in all products, whereas closing and slowing the loop strategy through reuse/repair, remanufacture and repurposing is found in packaging, tyres, vehicles and EEE. This study shows that EPR can close the material loop, although improvement in design for the environment is necessary. It creates challenges and opportunities for the government, producer responsibility organization and producers to improve existing conditions by implementing new initiatives such as design for the environment indicators, standardization, tax and subsidy systems and tariffs for disposal fees. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The central environmental protection inspection (CEPI) system in China is a significant institutional innovation in national environmental governance. The CEPI applies a joint supervision strategy to address salient environmental issues and strictly enforce the environmental responsibilities of local governments. This study collects and organizes CEPI inspection reports covering three stages that encompass the first round, the “look back”, and the second round, applying text analysis to obtain sample data and conduct statistical quantification of word frequency in inspection reports and identify notable changes. The study explores the allocation of CEPI attention between policy objectives and the intensity of policy instruments. We determine that in conjunction with public opinion feedback, the CEPI conducts targeted inspections and focuses more on pollutant governance, which has high severity and can be addressed quickly. The CEPI fills the gap of normalized governance with a campaign-style governance approach. Regarding the intensity of policy measures, the CEPI primarily uses economic incentive policy instruments, supplemented by command-and-control and public guidance approaches, advancing the sustainability of regulatory effectiveness through economic, social, and political activities. This study extends knowledge in the field of CEPI policy priorities and implementation, expanding the literature related to outcomes of environmental policy in developing countries.

Recent global and regional assessments of the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) show that Nature's Contributions to People (NCP) are under an alarming threat due to the continuing loss of biodiversity. These assessments call for increasing conservation efforts and a more sustainable use of biodiversity to enhance the chances of halting biodiversity loss and reversing current trends. One of the strategies to achieve change is to mainstream biodiversity into sectoral policies. Mainstreaming, a concept that can be traced back to the Brundtland report, promotes the integration of the environment into political, societal, and economic planning and decision-making. Based on the review of key studies undertaken during the regional assessment for Europe and Central Asia, we develop a stepwise approach to analyze the current status of mainstreaming of biodiversity and NCP. The approach can be used both for policy design purposes and diagnostic evaluations. It demonstrates that mainstreaming has the potential to improve the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity as well as the sustained provision of NCP. However, based on the status of implementation across Europe and Central Asia, we conclude that mainstreaming needs to be pursued and implemented in a stronger and more systematic way. The results of our assessment provide important input to national strategies and policies but also to the ongoing process of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity while developing the post-2020 global biodiversity framework. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The "policy subsystem" has long been a key concept in our understanding of how policies on a given topic are produced. However, we know much less about policymaking in nascent policy subsystems. This article draws on the theories of agenda-setting and venue shopping to argue that the similarity and convergence of policy subsystems' agendas across different institutional venues and over time are features that distinguish more nascent policy subsystems from their more established, mature counterparts. In simple terms, policy venues' agendas converge when policy actors begin to discuss the same issues and instruments instead of talking past one another. The article illustrates this argument using textual data on Germany's emerging Artificial Intelligence (AI) policy: print media debates, parliamentary debates, and a government consultation from the period between November 2017 and November 2019. The insights from our analysis show that actors emphasize somewhat different policy issues and instruments related to AI in different venues. Nevertheless, the longitudinal analysis suggests that the debate does seem to converge across different venues, which indicates the formation of a subsystem-specific policy agenda regarding AI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]