Month: June 2024

CATALYZING ECONOMIC AND ENVIRONMENTAL INSIGHTS: APPLICATIONS OF IMPLAN’S ENVIRONMENTALLY EXTENDED INPUT-OUTPUT (EEIO) MODELING FOR ENERGY PRODUCTION SCENARIOS

Tuyen PHAM

Assistant Professor of Research, Voinovich School of Leadership and Public Service Ohio University, Athens Ohio, United States of America

tuyen.pham@ohio.edu

G. Jason JOLLEY

Professor of Rural Economic Development, Voinovich School of Leadership and Public Service Ohio University, Athens Ohio, United States of America

jolleyg1@ohio.edu

Paul VALENTINE

Assistant Professor of Instruction, Voinovich School of Leadership and Public Service Ohio University, Athens Ohio, United States of America

valentine@ohio.edu

Joshua C. HALL

Milan Pusker Dean, John Chambers College of Business and Economics West Virginia University, West Virginia, United States of America

Joshua.Hall@mail.wvu.edu

Abstract

In the United States, regional scientists and economists frequently employ IMPLAN, a proprietary input-output (I-O) software, for assessing the economic ramifications of diverse interventions on the local economy. IMPLAN has recently incorporated the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Environmentally Extended Input-Output (EEIO) modeling as an optional extension within their subscription service. In this paper, we compare coal vs. solar production scenarios in Ohio (a state in the United States) as a case study to illustrate the seamless integration of EEIO modeling with traditional I-O modeling, showcasing its enhanced capabilities for evaluating economic and environmental impacts. In the case of Ohio, we found that the state’s plans to increase solar energy capacity and decrease coal energy capacity have a net positive impact on its economy when considering both economic and environmental aspects.

Keywords: Input-output, coal, solar, environmental impact

JEL classification: C67, R15, E01, P18

pp. 99-106

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ESG INTEGRATION IN EVALUATING AND FINANCING LOCAL GOVERNMENT: A NEW PROSPECTS FOR LOCAL GOVERNMENTS AND MODERN SOCIETIES

Anastasios SEPETIS

Assistant Professor, Business Administration Department, University of West Attica, 12241 Egaleo, Athens, Greece

tsepet@uniwa.gr

(CorrespondingAuthor)

Dimitrios TSIRIGOTIS

Researcher, Department of Digital Studies, University of Piraeus,

dimtsirigotis@outlook.com

Ioannis NIKOLAOU

Professor, Business and Environmental Technology Economics Lab,Department of Environmental Engineering, Democritus University of Thrace, 67100 Xanthi, Greece

inikol@env.duth.gr

Yannis MANIATIS

Professor, Department of Digital Systems, University of Piraeus, GR-18534 Piraeus, Greece

maniatis@unipi.gr

Abstract

The discourse on Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) factors in the financial markets brings a prime opportunity for local governments to the fore. This opportunity pertains to their efforts to reduce their environmental impact, improve the living conditions of local communities and reform their decision-making processes. This paper is an attempt to capture the said perspective of the Local Government through the critical overview of the relevant theoretical background and much more of the existing successful practices. The supreme challenge is to find the optimal ratio between economic growth, socially fair development and the preservation of natural resources. In this equation, one could argue that the independent variables are human resources, finite natural resources, the institutional framework (that should set limits to depletion), as well as the financing of activities aimed at Sustainable Development. Urban sustainability derived from ESG factors can provide a more comprehensive approach to the above equation by challenging the central authority to establish appropriate rules and approve good practices and the markets to further insist on sustainable investments. In order to perform comprehensive research for the synergies ESG criteria in the Local Government, we chose to use the systematic literature review’s guidelines. Furthermore, the purpose of this paper is to shape an ESG integration model for Greek local authorities by utilizing the existing literature.

Keywords: Sustainable Finance, Environmental Social and Governance (ESG), Sustainable Regions, Sustainable Cities, Municipal Green Bonds

JEL classification: R10, Q01, Q50, G10, G30, H10, H30, H70

 pp. 81-97

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PERCEIVED AND DESIRED IMAGES OF SOCIETY: HOW (UN)EQUAL IS SOCIETY?

Algis KRUPAVIČIUS

Professor, Mykolas Romeris University, Institute of Political Sciences, Faculty of Public Governance

algis.krupavicius@mruni.eu

Ligita ŠARKUTĖ

Associate Professor, Vytautas Magnus University, Faculty of Political Science and Diplomacy, Kaunas, Lithuania

ligita.sarkute@vdu.lt

Armand KRASNIQI

Professor, Faculty of Law, University “Haxhi Zeka” Peja, Kosovo.

armand.krasniqi@unhz.eu

(Corresponding Author)

Christos Ap. LADIAS

Professor, Regional Science Inquiry Journal

ladias@rsijournal.eu

Abstract

In the contemporary world, it is very important to understand                     how people see and perceive our societies themselves. The main research objective of this article is to study imagined – perceived and desired – types of society using comparative analysis. The target group is composed of the 23 countries which participated in social inequality studies of the International Social Survey Programme (ISSP) in 2009 and 2019. Among the questions to answer in this study are: What is the gap between the assessment of perceived and desired types of society? How are the perceived images of society related to different macro socioeconomic and political conditions? How are individual assessments influenced by sociodemographic and attitudinal characteristics? The shortage of studies on topics relating to these questions justifies the importance of this article. A novelty of this study is not only in the cross-national comparison of images of society, but also in the linking of this concept to human and social capital, well-being, and subjective identities. The research results show that contemporary societies are perceived as socially unequal in most countries; however, the majority of populations still expect to live in more just societies in future.

Keywords: Images of society, inequality, subjective social class, International Social Survey Program.

JEL classification:

 pp. 55-70

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