Classifying Economics for the Common Good: Connecting Sustainable Development Goals to JEL Codes

How does economics research help in solving societal challenges? This brief note sheds additional light on this question by providing ways to connect Journal of Economic Literature (JEL) codes and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations. These simple linkages illustrate that the themes of SDGs have corresponding JEL classification codes. As the mappings presented here are necessarily imperfect and incomplete, there is plenty of room for improvements. In an ideal world, there would be a JEL classification system for SDGs, a separate JEL code for each of the 17 SDGs

Biomass energy: new opportunity for agriculture and marginal areas?

As it is well known, energy is essential for human activities. Despite the high level of technological progress, the increase of energy consumption, satisfied mainly by fossil fuels, raises a series of issues linked to the scarcity of oil reserves, and their growing cost, and to a delicate relationship (and dependence) with a restricted number of world regions and nations. A greater diversification of the energy supply is one of the solutions to solve these problems, especially in the field of renewable resources. Despite the fact that biofuels are still more expensive than fossil fuels, they present many advantages: they are not subject to a progressive exhaustion and their impact on the environment is very low, due to their inclusion in natural cycles. Among biofuels a relevant role is played by the biomass, a renewable resource, that is obtained from the fraction of products, waste and residues from agriculture, forestry and related industries, as well as the biodegradable fraction of industrial and municipal waste. This resource allows a relevant control of the greenhouse gas emission, a minor dependence from oil and gas resources and represents a way for the economic valorisation of local resources and a opportune utilisation of agricultural wastes. In this context, the aims of the paper are to highlight the opportunities and the bonds that the biomass utilisation involves, to analyse the main public policies adopted to boost a large-scale production and consumption, to measure the different degree of utilisation at national (Italy) and European levels and to draw future scenarios. Particular attention will be paid to the European policies starting from the 1992 reform process until nowadays, having in mind the shortage of cereals in the world market. Where possible and opportune, the situation of Italy and of the European union will be compared with that of India, mainly, as regards public decisions/programmes. The paper concludes with an analysis of the role that the biofuel production is expected to offer in terms of new opportunities to diversify income and employment in rural and marginal areas.Biomass energy, rural and marginal areas, energy public policies

Beauty Will Save Us Hypothesis of European Structural Funds Use as a Tool to Create in Italy an Economic Model able to Create Widespread Wellbeing through the Exploitation of Beauty and Quality

The financial crisis erupted in USA in August 2007 has been the main cause of a long period of global recession far and difficult to overcome especially in EU. Taking into consideration the duration of the crisis we can conclude that its nature is not cyclical but structural. It follows that the only opportunity to overcome the current recession is strictly linked to a rethink of development models which have determined this crisis. Among the European Countries showing the greatest difficulties to overcome the crisis Italy is the Country whose economic and social system is particularly evidenced by the ongoing state of crisis. In particular, the Italian productive system, traditionally based on small and medium size enterprises with strong territorial links, seems to suffer in particular the homologation and competitive rules based on production costs of globalization. At the same time, in Italy, thanks to its territorial peculiarities, these weakness could be transformed in great opportunities to intercept the demand of beauty and quality, still growing on a large scale. The characteristics of Italian model can be considered as a concrete opportunity to create a new model of development based on the production of a widespread wellbeing through the exploitation of local resources. For this reason, the aim of this paper is the proposal of a model of territorial intervention as a valid response to the needs and potentialities of areas most affected by the crisis in line with programmatic framework and socio structural policies tools stated by the European Union for the period 2014-2020

Different trajectories of exosomatic energy metabolism for Brazil, Chile and Venezuela: using the MSIASM approach

Economic development goes hand in hand with an increase in the consumption of natural resources. Some analysts use material flows to describe such relationship [Eurostat 2001, Weisz et al., 2006], or exergy [Ayres et al., 2003]. Instead this paper will use a characterisation of the exosomatic energy metabolism based on expected benchmark values to describe possible constraints to economic development posed by available human time and energy. The aim of the paper is to identify types of exosomatic energy metabolism of different societies to interpret its consequences for economic development. This is done with the application of the accounting methodology called Multi-Scale Integrated Analysis of Societal Metabolism (MSIASM) to the particular case of energy metabolism for the analysis of the economies of Brazil, Chile and Venezuela.Development, Energy, Social Metabolism, MSIASM, Brazil, Chile, Venezuela

Why Catalonia will see its energy metabolism increase in the near future: an application of MuSIASEM

This paper applies the so-called Multi-Scale Integrated Analysis of Societal and Ecosystem Metabolism (MuSIASEM) to the economy of the Spanish region of Catalonia. By applying Georgescu-Roegen’s fund-flow model, it arrives at the conclusion that within a context of the end of cheap oil, the current development model based on the growth of low productivity sectors such as services and construction must change. The change is needed not only because of the increasing scarcity of affordable energy carriers, or because of the increasing environmental impact that the present development represents, but also because of an ageing population that demands labour productivity gains. This will imply industry requiring more energy consumption per worker in order to increase its productivity, and therefore its competitiveness. Thus, we conclude that energy intensity, and exosomatic energy metabolism of Catalonia will increase dramatically in the near future unless major conservation efforts are implemented in both the household and transport sectors.Catalonia, exosomatic energy, energy metabolism, economic development, hierarchical levels, multi-scale, integrated analysis

ROMANIA'S ENERGY POTENTIAL OF RENEWABLE ENERGIES IN THE CONTEXT OF SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

The concept of \"sustainable development\" and the necessity for its realization has gone a long way in order to be unanimously accepted. Over time many authors have written about the problem regarding resources depletion, about the effects of pollution and their economic, ecological and social aspects of it. From the observation of the pollution phenomenon and its implications and until this problem has been acknowledged and accepted by a large number of people this problem has been extensively described by various authors be they economists, ecologists, biologists or psychologists and discussed at multiple conferences conducted in order to find a solution to this problem. In the last century, the use of fossil fuels (coal, gas, oil) has had disastrous effects, catastrophic even on the environment, greater than any human activity in history. Among these effects we can enumerate: global warming, the emergence of acid rains, thinning of the ozone layer, etc. In consequence, the use of alternative energy resources becomes imminent for the today world. Among these resources we can include the sun, the wind, geothermal water, biomass, water, etc., which have the capacity to generate alternative energy namely solar energy, wind energy, hydro energy, wave energy, geothermal energy, bioenergy (biofuels), biodiesel, etc. that have the as purpose the reduction of the thermal, radioactive and chemical pollution anywhere on the globe. Renewable energy sources are largely indigenous; they are not based on the future availability of conventional sources of energy, and natural or predominantly decentralized makes that the respective economy to be less vulnerable in front of the supply with volatile energy. Therefore, they constitute a key element of a sustainable energy future. This paper is meant to highlight the need for achieving a sustainable development both in terms of the problem that humanity faces which threatens the entire ecosystem and namely the environmental pollution as well as the depletion of the conventional resources that are highly polluting, highlighting the energy potential that renewable energy resources Romania has. This issue will be extensively discussed in the thesis entitled \"The necessity and importance of sustainable development of Romania. Case study on the use of renewable energies for heating the population in the western part of Romania" which I intend to realize and support at The West University of Timisoara, Faculty of Economics and Business Administration, under the guidance of Professor Doctor Laura Cismaș.Sustainable development, solar energy, geothermal energy, biomass, wind energy

Auxiliaries for the textile industry and environmental protection

The textile industry is an industrial field that affects the environment, from the plant growth until the production process. The obtaining of environmental licence for Romanian companies that produce textile products is related to elaboration and implementation of a modern system for an environmental management, that consist in utilization of ecological technologies for finishing, in diminution the water and energy consumption, cleaning of waste waters, reutilization of cleaned waters, sustainable management of wastes. In this study, the surfactant categories used in the textile industry that fulfil the conditions of environment protection, are presented. Some exemplifications were made involving the existing surfactants in Romanian textile industry, obtained from both domestic and external production. Also, some recommendation are suggested regarding the utilization of surfactants manufactured from either vegetal oils or chemical/petrochemical wastes, with similar properties as those from import having decreased prices an that affect as small as possible the environment.textile industry, surfactant, pollution, environmental protection

Environmental Security and its Implications for China’s Foreign Relations

China’s emerging standing in the world demands a major rethinking of its diplomatic strategies. Given its population size, geographical scale, economic power and military presence, China is poised to play a larger political role in the twenty-first century, and is thus perceived by the international community to have greater capacities, capabilities and responsibilities. At the same time, environmental stresses caused by China’s energy and resources demands have become increasingly evident in recent years, urging China to cultivate delicate diplomatic relations with its neighbors and strategic partners. Tensions have been seen in areas such as transboundary air pollution, cross-border water resources management and resources exploitation, and more recently in global issues such as climate change. As the Chinese leadership begins to embrace the identity of a responsible developing country, it is becoming apparent that while unabated resources demands and environmental deterioration may pose a great threat to environmental security, a shared sense of urgency could foster enhanced cooperation. For China to move beyond existing and probable diplomatic tensions, a greater attention to domestic and regional environmental security will no doubt be necessary. This article explores such interrelations among domestic, regional and global environmental securities and China’s diplomacy, and suggests possible means by which China could contribute to strengthening global environmental security.Acid Rain, Climate Change, Energy, Environmental Security, Transboundary Air Pollution, Water Resource Management, Asia

CURRENT STATE OF THE COTTON AND TEXTILE INDUSTRY IN KAZAKHSTAN

The textile industry of Kazakhstan is presented basically by enterprises created in period of centrally planned economy and as consequence. Low labor productivity, lacking equipment base and technologies, poor marketing are problems of the current state of industry. But, there are also advantages as a vicinity of potential cotton manufacturers - Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan. A free economic zone (FEZ) “Ontustik†has been established and a program of “Ontustik†FEZ development has been adopted for developing the cotton and textile cluster in Kazakhstan. The law “About development of the cotton branch†has been adopted in Kazakhstan to provide the textile enterprises with necessary raw material and to develop the domestic cotton growing.Cotton and textile cluster, cotton receipt, free economic zone «Ontustik», cotton, system of obligations fulfillment warranty., Agribusiness, Agricultural and Food Policy, Production Economics, L67, M11, O13, UDC: 677.01.055.942(574),

The employability of socio-economic resources in tourism-oriented rural development: The case of Kilistra

Different periods and events have brought about changes in people's perspectives on tourism. The isolation and travel restrictions that emerged during the recent pandemic process have directed people to low-density areas where they will meet their basic needs. The interest in rural areas has increased with the fear and the need to get away from the crowd. When this transformation process, which offers opportunities to rural areas, is evaluated, it is predicted that the planning and arrangement studies to be carried out in these regions will also solve the problems of rural areas such as equipment, education and infrastructure deficiencies. In this way, it is expected that the quality of life of people living in rural areas will increase. In this study, “How should the situation of socio-economic resources be evaluated for rural development? seeking an answer to the question. In the study, points were given according to the relationship between the socio-economic characteristics of the area and the development of tourism, in line with expert opinions. With this scoring system, the adequacy status of each criterion related to the socio-economic structure has been determined. As a result, by evaluating the socio-economic resources of the Kilistra settlement, suggestions are developed to support tourism-oriented rural development