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.

Overview of known plastic packaging-associated chemicals and their hazards

Submitted by Mark Senanu Ku… on
EfD Authors:

Global plastics production has reached 380 million metric tons in 2015, with around 40% used for packaging. Plastic packaging is diverse and made of multiple polymers and numerous additives, along with other components, such as adhesives or coatings.

Researchers’ approaches to stakeholders: Interaction or transfer of knowledge?

Submitted by Mark Senanu Ku… on

Stakeholder interaction is important for enabling environmental research to support the societal transition to sustainability. We argue that it is crucial to take researchers’ approaches to and perceptions of stakeholder interaction into account, to enable more clarity in discussions about interaction, as well as more systematic interaction approaches. Through a survey and focus group interviews with environmental researchers at three Swedish universities, we investigate the effects of two models of stakeholder interaction, as well as high and low levels within each.

Market-Based Instruments for Managing Hazardous Chemicals: A Review of the Literature and Future Research Agenda

Submitted by Mark Senanu Ku… on

We take stock of the lessons learned from using market-based instruments in chemicals management and discuss the potential for increased use of risk-based taxation in the management of pesticides and other hazardous chemicals. Many chemical substances cause significant diffuse emissions when emitted over wide areas at individually low concentrations. These emissions are typically very difficult and costly to control. The targeted chemical may exist in many products as well as in a wide variety of end uses.

Circular economy could expose children to hazardous phthalates and chlorinated paraffins via old toys and childcare articles

Submitted by Mark Senanu Ku… on

The European waste framework directive encourages reuse, refurbishment and recycling of products and materials in order to reduce plastic waste. However, thousands of chemicals are used in plastic materials. Many of these are potentially toxic, and may cause hormonal and developmental disruption in children. This includes phthalates and short chain chlorinated paraffins, which are used as plasticizers and flame-retardants. European legal frameworks regulate the amounts of these substances in toys in an effort to protect children's health and safety.

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.

Modeling household cooking fuel choice: A panel multinomial logit approach

Submitted by Mark Senanu Ku… on

We use three rounds of a rich panel data set to investigate the determinants of household cooking fuel choice and energy transition in urban Ethiopia. We observe that the expected energy transition did not occur following economic growth in Ethiopia during the decade 2000–2009. Regression results from a random effects multinomial logit model, which controls for unobserved household heterogeneity, show that households' economic status, price of alternative energy sources, and education are important determinants of fuel choice in urban Ethiopia.

The impact of safety nets on technology adoption: a difference‐in‐differences analysis

Submitted by Mark Senanu Ku… on

AbstractThis article contributes to a growing body of empirical literature relating credit constraints and incomplete insurance to investment decisions. We use panel data from rural Ethiopia to investigate whether participation in a safety net program enhances fertilizer adoption. Using a difference‐in‐differences estimator and inverse propensity score weighting, we find that participation in Ethiopia's food‐for‐work (FFW) program increased fertilizer adoption in the short run, but not in the long run.

The persistence of energy poverty: A dynamic probit analysis

Submitted by Mark Senanu Ku… on

This paper contributes to the growing literature on energy poverty in developing countries. We use a dynamic probit estimator on three rounds of panel data from urban Ethiopia to estimate a model of the probability of being energy poor and to investigate the persistence of energy poverty.