A multivariate analysis of hybrid and electric vehicles sales in Mexico

This paper presents a multivariate analysis considering economic and ecological factors that are associated with the acquisition of low emission vehicles in Mexico. We analyzed the data available in the Mexican context from its 32 states and use econometric analyses with linear regression models to determine the significant factors associated with the sales of hybrid and electric vehicles. We found that the sales of these vehicles are positively correlated with the GDP per capita, the cost of consumed electricity, the price of gasoline and an indicator variable defined for sustainable practices. This indicator variable is calculated using data on the certificates issued by the government environmental office, energy intensity, adequate disposal of waste and waste separation. Based on these results, we infer that adherence to sustainable practices has a positive correlation with the acquisition of low emission vehicles in Mexico. However, for the buyers, the affordability of these vehicles is more important than their energy efficiency. In addition, we found that the most industrialized states are adopting hybrid and electric vehicles at higher rates than states whose economy depends on commerce and tourism.     

The performance of green innovation: From an efficiency perspective

In this new stage of global economic development, we hope to achieve both economic development and environmental improvements via innovation. Green innovation aims to meet the dual goals of economic development and ecological protection. The scientific evaluation of the performance of China's green innovation appears to be quite meaningful. Some studies have evaluated the performance of green innovation, but are limited by the use of a single efficiency measurement method. To fill this research gap, this article uses a combination of two methods to evaluate green innovation efficiency, which provides a more precise evaluation of efficiency. Specifically, this article uses the vertical-and-horizontal scatter degree method to construct a pollutant index and then sets that index as the undesirable output in a slacks-based measure (SBM) model to evaluate efficiency. To further study the regional differences in green innovation efficiency, this article uses a convergence model. Most existing convergence analyses ignore spatial elements. Focusing on the influence of spatial factors, this article introduces a spatial econometric model into the convergence analyses. This article draws the following main conclusions. (i) The efficiency of green innovation in the country as a whole has been increasing each year, and green innovation efficiency in the central and western regions has increased significantly. (ii) Regional differences have narrowed each year. (iii) Green innovation efficiency is significantly positively spatially correlated, which is reflected in the spatial agglomeration of regions with the same efficiency level. (iv) Green innovation efficiency exhibits σ-convergence and spatial conditional β-convergence. (iv) Spatial factors accelerate the convergence of green innovation efficiency.     

创建“绿色图书馆”,构建良好生态环境

本文阐述了绿色图书馆的概念及创建绿色图书馆的必要性,最后建设性地提出了创建绿色图书馆的途径。     

Does Green Public Procurement lead to Life Cycle Costing (LCC) adoption?

Life Cycle Costing (LCC) is rarely used in public procurement and public institutions have yet to fully understand its potential value for sustainable procurement. The new European Directive on Public Procurement is, however, designed to position LCC as central to sustainable sourcing. Although previous studies have identified positive correlations between Green Public Procurement Policies (GPP) and LCC, it is still unclear how public institutions can further adopt LCC practices by leveraging their experience of green sourcing. In this study an organizational learning theoretical perspective is taken to investigate the circumstances under which public administrations’ experience of GPP – considered as a way of integrating the dimension of environmental sustainability into the sourcing process – stimulates their LCC learning and capabilities – considered as a way to include the sustainability economic dimension. The goal is to understand if the adoption of GPP can stimulate the internalisation of LCC in public tenders. A multinomial logistic regression was conducted using a sample of 120 public administrations located in different countries. The results show that experience of GPP stimulates the internalisation of LCC at a public level, but only under specific conditions. The study contributes to the Sustainable Supply Management literature, being one of the first studies in the field adopting an organizational learning theoretical lens to review the role of experience as significant opportunity to develop capabilities. It also contributes to the organizational learning theory, by confirming that experience can aid learning but only in specific environmental contexts.     

Green Online vs Green Offline preferences on local public goods trade-offs and house prices

This paper focuses on the relationship between (i) house prices and (ii) local green public goods. The main objective of the paper is to analyse a specific house-pricing mechanism which reflects the utility of being Green Offline, i.e. having access to green areas, versus the utility derived from the ability to be Green Online. The focus will be on data from European Union countries, and in particular Germany. Our results show that on an aggregate level for the EU there appears to be a clear indication for an irrational house-pricing mechanism, ignoring the negative trade-off effect from Green Online and Green Offline public investments (goods and assets). Meanwhile, on an individual level, for the case of Germany, more detailed bounded rationality effects of fashion-driven supply on house pricing are observed, positively related to Green Online values but negatively related to high Green Offline preferences. In conclusion, we find that house prices throughout Europe do not reflect a rational social change in green preferences, but tend to irrationally overprice Green Online values, which may create instability on the local housing market in the long run.     

Irreversible development and eminent domain: Compensation rules, land use and efficiency

This paper examines the efficiency of eminent domain used to acquire green spaces, situations in which private investment permanently destroys the ecological externality value of land. The real option approach takes into account this irreversibility and changes established conclusions for the reversible investment case. Under irreversibility, eminent domain efficiency is more sensitive to compensation rules than previously thought. Setting compensation equal to what market value would be in the absence of eminent domain—the approach taken in the US and many other countries—reduces efficiency relative to losing the ecological externality to private development. Compensating at the market value under eminent domain threat increases efficiency, but not as much as compensation at social value does.     

Are green products over-priced?

This article investigates conditions under which high prices, in conjunction with low levels of pollution, signal environmentally clean products. It is shown that, when consumers cannot ascertain the environmental performance of products, the price must be distorted upward to signal a clean product. A clean producer saves less from emitting pollution and so raises price and restricts output with less reluctance than does a dirty producer. The theoretical result of over-pricing is consistent with the evidence that “green” products receive higher prices than conventional products. However, optimistic prior beliefs of high-environmental performance may cause signaling to fail.      

绿色壁垒与应对策略

一些国家设置的绿色壁垒已经成为我国扩大出口的重要障碍。绿色壁垒具有两重性，既有推动世界经济实现绿色化的积极意义，又是一些发达国家以合理的籍口对不发达国家进行不合理贸易保护主义的措施。我国做为出口大国，应当正确面对绿色壁垒，切实从积极方面制定对策，以保证在国际经济发展绿色化的进程中，长期稳固的保持我国的出口优势。     

绿色贸易壁垒与我国外贸出口发展对策

绿色贸易壁垒也称环境贸易壁垒,属于非关税壁垒的一种。由于绿色贸易壁垒的内容具有歧视性,它通常是发达国家根据国内环保水平和标准设置,当然不利于发展中国家的出口贸易。绿色贸易壁垒不像配额、许可证等非关税壁垒,虽然限制贸易,却还有一定透明度,因此危害更大。文中分析了绿色贸易壁垒的本质、绿色贸易壁垒对我国出口贸易的影响并提出了相应的对策。     

Benefits of Environmental Stewardship

Abstract

Environmental sensitivity has gained much attention in business organizations; however, there is little empirical evidence on the business benefits from environment oriented measures. Some of the many promised benefits from environmental sensitivity are categorized and rated. The framework proposed by the Management Institute for Environment and Business (MEB) is used to assess company environment stewardship. A pretested questionnaire was used to collect data from 66 business organizations in the United States and from 31 organizations in Pacific Rim nations. These organizations were known to have undertaken at least some “green business” activities. The results suggest that companies showing higher degrees of environment stewardship will derive greater business benefits than organizations which aim at minimum compliance with government regulations in this area. While, compared with American organizations, on the average the Pacific Rim companies show significantly less environmental stewardship and derive significantly less benefits from it, “their efforts in the area have also been rewarded.”