Education, skills, and duration of unemployment in Ghana

Submitted by Vicentia Quartey on
EfD Authors:

The unmatched growth in available jobs, given the rising youth population, is a major concern for policymakers in sub-Saharan African countries (SSAs), particularly Ghana. The weakness in the link between education and the needed skill by the industry, has been labelled as the cause of rising unemployment and prolonged unemployment duration in Ghana.

Small-scale gold miners’ preferences on formalization: first steps toward sustainable supply chains in Colombia

Submitted by Petra Hansson on

Key Messages

  • Artisanal and small-scale gold miners in remote areas of Colombia are willing to try formalization (obtaining a legal title to extract gold). However, they perceive costs can hinder the adoption of this formalization
  • Bundles of preferences about benefits and costs of formalization are not uniform across commodities and depend upon previous experience with formalization and the strength of social capital formation.
  • Gender seems to play an effect on preferences, but this impact is not consistent across the communities studied
Gender, Policy Design, Waste

GREENING GROWTH THROUGH STRATEGIC ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT OF SECTOR REFORMS

Submitted by Mark Senanu Ku… on

SUMMARYClimate change and escalating degradation of ecosystem services place the need for greening economic growth on the international policy agenda. To make growth greener and more inclusive, it is crucial to change the institutions and incentive structures in national sector reforms and to involve poor and vulnerable groups in decision making. The article analyses the role that strategic environmental assessment (SEA) of sector reforms can play in greening growth in developing countries and discusses implications for public administrations.

REACH authorisation and the substitution of hazardous chemicals: The case of trichloroethylene

Submitted by Mark Senanu Ku… on

Through a survey with European companies and expert interviews we study how REACH authorisation affects the phase-out of hazardous chemicals focusing on trichloroethylene, a well-studied solvent used in metal parts cleaning. We find that most of the firms have substituted trichloroethylene by perchloroethylene, which has similar chemical characteristics. This allows them to continue to use the same machines and routines at low costs.

What drives the substitution of hazardous flame retardants in electronic appliances in Sweden?

Submitted by Mark Senanu Ku… on

Chemical substitution can mitigate risks from chemical substances for individuals and the environment. This study investigates the preferences of companies regarding the adoption of safer alternatives to hazardous flame retardants in electronic appliances in Sweden.

Poverty Persistence and Intra-Household Heterogeneity in Occupations: Evidence from Urban Ethiopia

Submitted by Mark Senanu Ku… on
EfD Authors:

Previous studies of poverty in developing countries have to a great extent focussed on the characteristics of the household head and used these as proxies for the underlying ability of the household to generate income. This paper uses five rounds of panel data to investigate the persistence of poverty in urban Ethiopia, with a particular focus on the role of intra-household heterogeneity in occupations.