Socio-economic Planning Sciences最新文献

{"title":"Quantitative assessment of the synergistic effect of pollution reduction and carbon reduction in the planting industry from the perspective of marginal abatement costs - Evidence from the main producing areas in the Yangtze River Basin of China","authors":"Yangyang Zhu ,&nbsp;Xicong Wang ,&nbsp;Zhenhong Qi","doi":"10.1016/j.seps.2025.102376","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.seps.2025.102376","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Promoting the synergistic effects of pollution reduction and carbon reduction (PRCR) in the planting industry is a key path to achieving green, low-carbon, and high-quality agricultural development. Although existing studies have focused on PRCR synergistic effects, few have evaluated it from the perspective of marginal abatement cost, and there is currently no research analyzing the driving factors of PRCR synergistic effects specifically in the planting industry. This study uses the non-radial directional distance function to quantitatively assess the PRCR synergistic effects in the main agricultural production areas of the Yangtze River Basin (YRB) from 2000 to 2023, systematically analyzing its temporal and spatial evolution, regional differences, dynamic development characteristics, driving factors, and the paths for synergistic emission reduction. The study finds that: ①Carbon emissions (PCE) and surface source pollution (PSP) show an inverted “U” shape over time, with PRCR synergistic effects fluctuating upward, and the carbon reduction effect being dominant. ②PRCR synergistic effects exhibit spatial heterogeneity, with high values concentrated in the upstream areas and gradually extending to the midstream, while the midstream remains at a low to medium-high level and the downstream remains low over the long term. The marginal abatement cost of joint emission reduction is the highest in the upstream areas. ③Regional differences show a fluctuating convergence trend, with differences mainly attributed to the contribution of hypervariable density, and a clear catch-up effect between regions. Strengthening PSP control in the downstream areas could accelerate convergence. ④PRCR synergistic effects only show stable aggregation at both high and low levels. The PRCR synergistic effects at various levels are relatively stable, especially the carbon reduction effect. ⑤Optimizing planting structures, promoting agricultural technological progress, increasing financial support for agriculture, and advancing urbanization all contribute to enhancing PRCR synergistic effects. The main agricultural production areas of the YRB (especially the upstream) are better suited to use carbon reduction in the planting industry as the main strategy to achieve higher levels of PRCR synergistic effects, while the midstream regions should balance food security, carbon reduction, and surface source pollution control.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":22033,"journal":{"name":"Socio-economic Planning Sciences","volume":"103 ","pages":"Article 102376"},"PeriodicalIF":5.4,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145517448","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"On the coherence of composite indexes of well-being: Multiverse analysis for formative models of measurement","authors":"Giulio Giacomo Cantone,&nbsp;Venera Tomaselli","doi":"10.1016/j.seps.2025.102314","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.seps.2025.102314","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Composite indexes are widely used in socio-economic research, yet methodological choices often affect their reliability, leading to variability in results and uncertainty in policy applications. This study applies Multiverse Analysis to systematically assess the robustness of the Italian Equitable and Sustainable Well-being system. 68 alternative specifications for a formative index are fitted. Results show that highly performing provinces exhibit significantly greater variability across the specifications, indicating that index-based assessments may be highly sensitive to methodological assumptions. The choice of aggregation function (e.g., arithmetic <em>vs</em> non-linear means) does not substantially impact uncertainty. However, techniques based on Principal Component Analysis (PCA) inflate the uncertainty in the results, as predicted by authors who question the suitability of PCA for formative measurement.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":22033,"journal":{"name":"Socio-economic Planning Sciences","volume":"102 ","pages":"Article 102314"},"PeriodicalIF":5.4,"publicationDate":"2025-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144887475","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Enhancing public safety through integrated UAV and police patrols","authors":"Shangyao Yan,&nbsp;Tsung-Hsun Hsieh,&nbsp;Yu-Chien Lai","doi":"10.1016/j.seps.2025.102334","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.seps.2025.102334","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The police departments in Taiwan have been facing a problem in recent years due to the shortage and aging of the police force. The government and research institutes have developed unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) with higher endurance, combined with advanced key technologies, to support police patrols under the concept of the “Aerial Police Vehicle”. This development aims to reduce the workload of the police and make it possible to conduct police patrols in the future by using a combination of police vehicles and UAVs. Given the characteristics of police vehicles and UAVs, this study adopts the time-space network technique, incorporates relevant operational constraints, and adopts the objective of maximizing crime coverage rates to develop the routing and scheduling model for combined UAV-police vehicle patrols. Additionally, this study proposes a heuristic algorithm that utilizes a decomposition technique of patrol resources to efficiently solve this complex problem. The performance of the proposed algorithm was evaluated using a case study created from practical data from a police department in Taiwan, demonstrating that for a large-scale problem with 9 police stations and 91 patrol points, the proposed algorithm achieved a solution with an objective value of 906 for the maximized cumulative crime coverage rate in approximately 884 s, while a commercial solver (CPLEX) failed to find a feasible solution within a time limit of 28,800 s. The recommendations based on the sensitivity and scenario analysis results can be used as a reference for decision-makers to gradually replace police vehicles with UAVs in the future.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":22033,"journal":{"name":"Socio-economic Planning Sciences","volume":"102 ","pages":"Article 102334"},"PeriodicalIF":5.4,"publicationDate":"2025-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145218979","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Improving scholarship assignment using approximate dynamic programming: A Chilean case study","authors":"Sofía Redondo ,&nbsp;Alejandro Cataldo ,&nbsp;José Tomás Marquinez ,&nbsp;Pablo A. Rey ,&nbsp;Antoine Sauré","doi":"10.1016/j.seps.2025.102296","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.seps.2025.102296","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>A solution approach is proposed for a problem of assigning scholarships under budget constraints and uncertainty regarding the duration of previously awarded scholarships as determined by future renewals. The problem objective is to maximize the sum of the scores of accepted applicants subject to two conditions: (1) no applicant can be assigned a scholarship until assignments have been made to all applicants with higher scores; and (2) the annual budget allocation must first cover all renewals of previous awards. The approach is built around the formulation and approximate solution of a Markov decision process that provides a systematic method for identifying scholarship assignment policies which make efficient use of the annual scholarship budget. The benefits of the approach are analysed in a case study involving a scholarship offered annually in Chile that compares via simulation the solutions generated by various alternative assignment procedures with those of the proposed model. The results suggest that under the latter, 7% to 9% more students would be awarded scholarships each year without increasing the yearly budget.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":22033,"journal":{"name":"Socio-economic Planning Sciences","volume":"102 ","pages":"Article 102296"},"PeriodicalIF":5.4,"publicationDate":"2025-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144860215","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Assessing the effectiveness of recent pension reforms: The French experiment","authors":"Jorge Miguel Bravo ,&nbsp;Mercedes Ayuso ,&nbsp;Najat El Mekkaoui","doi":"10.1016/j.seps.2025.102335","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.seps.2025.102335","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Reforming public and private pension systems to address the challenges posed by population ageing and a range of economic, labour market, social, political, geopolitical, technological, legal, and regulatory shocks remains a major policy priority for many countries. A widely supported response has been to raise minimum and statutory retirement ages and restrict early exit pathways. These measures aim to boost labour force participation and employment among older individuals, stimulate potential GDP growth and consumption, ease pressure on social security systems, and improve public finances. However, it remains uncertain whether pension reforms alone can prevent a decline in the relative size of the labour force or ensure intergenerational fairness. This paper assesses the effectiveness of recent retirement age reforms in France in stabilising the old-age dependency ratio and securing long-term financial sustainability. It also examines whether these reforms promote intergenerational equity. The findings suggest that the reforms fall short of offsetting the projected decline in the labour force, achieving fairness across generations, and maintaining fiscal balance. The results underscore the need for a holistic and dynamic approach to retirement age policy design.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":22033,"journal":{"name":"Socio-economic Planning Sciences","volume":"102 ","pages":"Article 102335"},"PeriodicalIF":5.4,"publicationDate":"2025-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145220192","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Institutional variables and power firms’ productivity: Micro panel estimation with time-invariant variables","authors":"Simona Bigerna,&nbsp;Maria Chiara D’Errico,&nbsp;Paolo Polinori","doi":"10.1016/j.seps.2025.102323","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.seps.2025.102323","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Enhancing the productivity of power firms is essential for reducing energy resource consumption while improving sectoral performance. This objective aligns with circular economy (CE) principles, which emphasize not only reducing raw material use and minimizing waste, but also promoting systemic efficiency through infrastructure sharing, resource recovery, and cross-sectoral integration, particularly crucial in network-based sectors like electricity. Nonetheless, the productivity of electricity firms is influenced by multiple factors, some of which fall beyond their direct control. Among these, institutional frameworks play a significant role. Indeed, internal and external institutions define the environment in which companies operate, conditioning firms’ decision-making processes and productivity. This study investigates the role of institutional determinants in driving productivity changes in electricity companies across 15 European countries between 2010 and 2016, with a particular focus on environmental and market regulatory policies. In sectors like electricity, where long asset lifecycles, infrastructure interdependencies, and resource intensity prevail, CE goals cannot be achieved without institutional conditions that enable long-term investment, coordination, and adaptive capacity. Using the firm-level ORBIS dataset, we estimate productivity changes over time using the bootstrap Malmquist index, then a dynamic panel linear model is applied to investigate how internal and external institutional variables affect the dynamics of the Malmquist index. The internal institutional variables are time-invariant; therefore, we employ the procedure proposed by Kripfganz and Schwarz (2019) to consistently identify the effects of time-invariant variables. This novel approach provides valuable robustness to false assumptions about the exogeneity of instruments. Interaction variables capture the interplay between external and internal institutional variables. The results highlight the importance of matching environmental regulations with firm-specific internal characteristics in order to avoid detrimental effects on firm performance in the power generation sector.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":22033,"journal":{"name":"Socio-economic Planning Sciences","volume":"102 ","pages":"Article 102323"},"PeriodicalIF":5.4,"publicationDate":"2025-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145043961","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Prepositioning of relief supplies jointly by a risk-averse humanitarian organisation and risk-neutral suppliers through an option contract","authors":"T Devi Prasad Patra,&nbsp;J.K. Jha","doi":"10.1016/j.seps.2025.102348","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.seps.2025.102348","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Humanitarian organisations (HOs) depend heavily on option contracts (OCs) to manage the risks involved with relief supply prepositioning. In OCs, HOs often use expected payoffs to make risk-neutral decisions. The risk-neutral approach works best when the uncertain environment lacks catastrophic occurrences or the decision is frequently made under a similar environment. However, this approach may not be appropriate for prepositioning decisions in uncertain environments with catastrophic occurrences, which can have far-reaching effects. As such, this study examines a risk-averse HO teaming with various risk-neutral suppliers through OC to preposition relief supplies collectively to determine its optimal decision. The decisions follow a Stackelberg game between the HO and suppliers. We use the conditional value-at-risk (CVaR) measure and the expected profit to determine the prepositioning decisions of the HO and suppliers, respectively. We also assess the condition to coordinate the supply chain and analyse how the degree of HO's risk aversion affects stocking decisions. Furthermore, we compare the prepositioning quantity under OCs with that of a baseline model to identify the conditions under which OC is beneficial.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":22033,"journal":{"name":"Socio-economic Planning Sciences","volume":"102 ","pages":"Article 102348"},"PeriodicalIF":5.4,"publicationDate":"2025-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145324570","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"University library performance management: Applying zero-sum gains DEA models to resource allocation","authors":"Marcella Bernardo,&nbsp;Matheus Alves Madeira de Souza,&nbsp;Ramon Sávio Moreira Lopes,&nbsp;Lásara Fabrícia Rodrigues","doi":"10.1016/j.seps.2020.100808","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.seps.2020.100808","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div><span><span>The management of university libraries faces major challenges in evaluating its performance since in many cases this assessment is performed inappropriately. One of the challenges is the lack of fair approaches to reallocate resources in university library systems. In this context, </span>data envelopment analysis (DEA), a flexible technique that allows the use of multiple inputs and outputs to assess the performance of productive units, may prove useful. In DEA, in addition to the so-called classic models, there are the zero-sum gains (ZSG) models that, when used together, assist in </span>resource allocation. This work aims to develop a powerful approach to help the manager to assess the performance of libraries as well as allow the reallocation of resources within an integrated library system of a university in Brazil. This two-step approach is based on the classic CCR model in the first stage and the ZSG CCR DEA (zero-sum gains data envelopment analysis CCR) model on the next stage, both oriented to inputs. The results show increases in the efficiency of libraries through the redistribution of resources. This approach is invaluable to the management of library systems since it provides an instrument for improving resource utilization.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":22033,"journal":{"name":"Socio-economic Planning Sciences","volume":"102 ","pages":"Article 100808"},"PeriodicalIF":5.4,"publicationDate":"2025-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"46877773","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The required link for actions on green macroprudential implementations to improve circularity performance in Europe: Fresh insights from PVAR","authors":"Le Thanh Ha","doi":"10.1016/j.seps.2025.102312","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.seps.2025.102312","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Green macroprudential policies are expected to be essential tools for maintaining sustainable development by striking a balance between economic growth and environmental sustainability. Our study used a Panel Vector Autoregressive (PVAR) model to examine the relationship between green macroprudential policies and circularity performance from 28 countries between 2005 and 2022. Our findings reveal that green macroprudential policies do not affect circularity in the short term but enhance its efficiency in the long term. Furthermore, while the immediate response to economic growth shocks might be challenging, the long-term benefits of these policies become evident over time. Additionally, circularity received adverse shocks from green macro-prudential volatility during the period, while the reverse relationship was strongly positive. These results underscore the complex interplay between circularity policies and economic factorsThis highlights the need for stronger, well-designed policies that make green macroprudential measures robust enough to support long-term environmental and economic objectives.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":22033,"journal":{"name":"Socio-economic Planning Sciences","volume":"102 ","pages":"Article 102312"},"PeriodicalIF":5.4,"publicationDate":"2025-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144828213","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The half is more than the whole: How China's economic growth target affects forest eco-efficiency","authors":"Bohao Jin ,&nbsp;Heming Wang","doi":"10.1016/j.seps.2025.102324","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.seps.2025.102324","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>With its command economy legacy, China's economic growth target (EGT) can interfere with the health of forest eco-efficiency (FEE). From the ecosystem services perspective, which categorizes outputs into supply, cultural, and regulating services, this study measures FEE of 30 provinces in China from 2006 to 2019. On this basis, this study empirically analyzes the effect of EGT on FEE using fixed effect and threshold regression models. The relevant results are fourfold. (i) FEE initially exhibits volatility before stabilizing, with Fujian leading in average FEE and Hubei recording the peak value in 2016–2017. (ii) EGT shows inverted U-shaped causality on FEE. (iii) Regulatory, normative, and cognitive mechanisms mediate the impact of EGT on FEE, as posited by institutional force theory, and normative and cognitive forces have the 6.5 % threshold value. (iv) Forests that are under community ownership and in regions with higher marketization demonstrate reduced sensitivity to EGT. The study concludes with strategic recommendations for policymakers to bolster sustainable FEE through targeted reforms to advance promotional objectives, refine property rights structure, and enhance ecosystem service compensation.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":22033,"journal":{"name":"Socio-economic Planning Sciences","volume":"102 ","pages":"Article 102324"},"PeriodicalIF":5.4,"publicationDate":"2025-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144996446","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}