Sustainability in Asian Countries: Perspectives from Economics

2015 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 81-102
Author(s):  
Youngho Chang ◽  
Jiesheng Tan ◽  
Letian Chen
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Environmental Sustainability ◽  
Technological Progress ◽  
Natural Capital ◽  
Asian Countries ◽  
Weak Sustainability ◽  
Hartwick Rule ◽  
The Status ◽  
Environmental Sustainability Index ◽  
Selection Of

Studies on sustainable development rely on diverse and seemingly conflicting concepts that yield contrasting results. The root of these conflicting concepts is the lack of agreement on the path toward achieving sustainable development (SD), namely, weak (or economic) versus strong (or ecological) sustainability. This article revisits the Solow-Hartwick model (Solow 1974, 1986; Hartwick 1977, 1978a, 1978b), which suggests that an economy can achieve intergenerational equity by mandating the Hartwick rule of investing the amount of rents from natural capital into renewable capital. It constructs a modified Solow-Hartwick model in which the assumptions of constant population and no technological progress are relaxed and from which it derives a more general form of the Hartwick rule. The modified Solow-Hartwick investment rule presents how weak sustainability can be attained and explains how the residual Hotelling rents (or proceeds from natural resources) could be utilized in order to achieve strong sustainability. In this article, we apply the modified Solow-Hartwick investment rule to a selection of developing and developed Asian economies to assess their sustainability. We then compare our results with two existing measures of sustainability, the genuine savings (GS) model and the Environmental Sustainability Index (ESI), both of which frequently present contradicting evaluations on the status of sustainability.

The application of sustainability concepts to Australian agriculture: an overview

2003 ◽  
Vol 43 (3) ◽  
pp. 195 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. Stoneham ◽  
M. Eigenraam ◽  
A. Ridley ◽  
N. Barr
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Agricultural Sector ◽  
Natural Capital ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Future Generations ◽  
Productive Capacity ◽  
Resource Base ◽  
Weak Sustainability ◽  
Natural Resource Base ◽  
Basic Standards

This paper reviews the concepts of sustainable development in an economic, environmental and social context. Weak and strong versions of sustainable development are reviewed and applied to the agricultural sector. The paper demonstrates that despite any degradation of the natural resource base, the agricultural sector is more productive now than in the past. This has occurred because the rate of investment in research and development (resulting in increased reproducible capital) has more than offset the rate of degradation in the natural capital stock. Science, it is argued, is part of the economic system that allocates productive capacity between current and future generations. Increases in expenditure on agricultural R&D since the 1950s have ensured that past generations have transferred productive capacity to future generations. With respect to the environment, the authors argue that a strong version of sustainable development may be appropriate, particularly where there are uncertain and irreversible outcomes. Finally, it has been observed that a hybrid version of social sustainability has been adopted in Australia. While resource mobility in the agricultural sector has been generally encouraged (weak sustainability) this has been underpinned by a welfare system that ensures basic standards of well-being and opportunity (strong sustainability).

scholarly journals Dynamic aspect in territory sustainable development management: The case of the Volga macroregion

Upravlenets ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 18-32
Author(s):  
Lilia Valitova ◽  
Marina Sheresheva
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Environmental Sustainability ◽  
Natural Capital ◽  
Positive Trend ◽  
Dynamic Aspect ◽  
Novgorod Oblast ◽  
Advantages And Disadvantages ◽  
Territorial Management ◽  
The Republic

. The paper assesses sustainable development dynamic aspects in territorial management. The relevance of the work is determined by the importance of territorial management based on the principles of sustainable development and the need to scrutinize the socio-environmental and economic potential of the territories in order to create conditions for the full use of available resources without compromising the quality of life of current and future generations. Methodologically, the study rests on the concept of sustainable development, resource theory of economic systems, the dynamic approach to management, and the methodology for constructing integrated indicators and systems of indicators. In the article, the methods of analysis, synthesis, systematization, statistical observation, etc. are applied. Having shown the advantages and disadvantages of integral indicators found in Russian and foreign studies, the authors focus on selecting official statistics data that adequately reflect the state of the economy, population health and welfare, as well as natural capital. An increase in the level of welfare and population social development, while maintaining environmental sustainability, is regarded as the criterion of sustainability. Addressing the case of the Volga macroregion, we characterize the current state of regional development and scrutinize the dynamic aspect, namely the long-term development trajectory of each of the 17 regions. The research analyzes the growth rates of sustainable development indicators for the period of 2010–2017. The study reveals significant differences in the dynamics across the regions. The Republic of Tatarstan and Nizhny Novgorod oblast demonstrate a positive trend in all the components at initially high values, while the Republic of Kalmykia shows the worst dynamics at low values. The authors conclude that the system of indicators is preferable to the integral indicator and the system for assessing the effectiveness of long-term measures of public policy and related management decisions.

scholarly journals Assessment of Global Sustainable Development, Environmental Sustainability, Economic Development and Social Development Index in Selected Economies

2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
pp. 123-138
Author(s):  
Ajay Kumar Singh ◽  
Bhim Jyoti ◽  
Sanjeev Kumar ◽  
Sanjaya Kumar Lenka
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Economic Development ◽  
Environmental Economic ◽  
Social Development ◽  
Environmental Sustainability ◽  
Forest Area ◽  
Green Technologies ◽  
Development Index ◽  
Environmental Technologies ◽  
Environmental Sustainability Index

This study assesses the association of sustainable development (SD) with environmental technologies, forest area and developmental indictors in selected 39 economies. It develops global sustainable development index (GSDI) as an integration of environmental sustainability index (ESI), economic development index (EDI) and social development index (SDI) during 2000-2016 using composite Z-score technique. Thereupon, it explores the influence of environmental technologies, deforestation, ESI, EDI and SDI on GSDI using country-wise panel data. The results infer that there exists a high inequality in SD due to diversity in socio-economic structure of selected countries. Most developed economies have a better position in SD due to their relatively better position in environmental, economic and social developmental related variables. India, South Africa and Tunisia have low values of ESI, EDI and SDI, thus, these countries are in worst position in SD. Empirical results exhibit that SD is positively associated with environmental, economic and social development, forest area and environmental technologies. It recommended that protection of forest area maintains the quantity and quality of natural resources and provide ecological security. Accessibility of electricity for all community, discovery of environmental technologies, use of green technologies in production activities may be effective to increase socio-economic, environmental and sustainable development.

scholarly journals Corruption, Trade Openness, and Environmental Quality: A Panel Data Analysis of Selected South Asian Countries

2007 ◽  
Vol 46 (4II) ◽  
pp. 673-688 ◽  
Author(s):  
Faiz-Ur- Rehman ◽  
Amanat Ali ◽  
Mohammad Nasir
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Environmental Sustainability ◽  
Panel Data Analysis ◽  
Trade Openness ◽  
Asian Countries ◽  
Human Needs ◽  
Political Sustainability ◽  
Main Emphasis ◽  
Eighth Edition ◽  
Indefinite Future

The second half of the twentieth century emerged with two important concepts of the economic world. In the start of the second half, economists, developmentalists, etc., introduced the idea of “development”, while; latter it was replaced by a more meaningful and attractive term “sustainable development”. Sustainable development is defined as “balancing the fulfillment of human needs with the protection of the natural environment so that these needs can be met not only in the present, but also in the indefinite future” [Wikipedia (2007)]. Or “Sustainable development means that pattern of development that permits future generations to live at least as well as the current generation” [Todaro and Smith (2005)], eighth edition]. The field of sustainable development can be conceptually broken into four constituent parts: environmental sustainability, economic sustainability, social sustainability and political sustainability. Although, the word sustainable development is very vast and deep, but the main emphasis of our study will be on environmental sustainability.

scholarly journals Analyzing the Scientific Evolution of the Sustainable Development Goals

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (18) ◽  
pp. 8286
Author(s):  
Carmen Díaz-López ◽  
Cathaysa Martín-Blanco ◽  
Juan Jesús De la Torre Bayo ◽  
Benito Rubio-Rivera ◽  
Montserrat Zamorano
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Environmental Sustainability ◽  
Sustainable Development Goals ◽  
Research Field ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Comprehensive Overview ◽  
The Sustainable Development ◽  
The Status ◽  
Development Goals ◽  
And Performance

Development must balance social, economic, and environmental sustainability; it is for this reason that the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are integrated, in fact, action in one of them will affect outcomes in others. In consequence, research on the SDGs is broad, complex, and fragmented due to the great diversity of disciplines and approaches involved, making it difficult to obtain valuable and unbiased information for future studies. As a result, a comprehensive review of contributions could provide a comprehensive critical perspective. This article applies SciMAT software to analyze the evolution of this field of research through a systematic literature review of bibliographic records on the SDGs and a review based on bibliometric analysis of 10,272 selected records. Additionally, hidden themes and their development in this field from 1990 to 2020 have been identified to produce strategic diagrams, graphs of thematic evolution and performance indicators of the research field in different periods. The results obtained show a constantly evolving scientific field, from its initial focus on the millennium goals to the gradual inclusion of the current SDGs. They provide field experts with a comprehensive overview of the status quo and predict the dynamic directions of future research, serving as a basis for the development of new strategies for the implementation of the SDGs.

scholarly journals Assessing Sustainable Development: Toward a Portfolio of Indices?

2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. 225
Author(s):  
Yacouba Gnegne
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Environmental Sustainability ◽  
Ecological Footprint ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Single Index ◽  
Human Needs ◽  
Weak Sustainability ◽  
Strong Sustainability ◽  
Definition Of

This paper selects and discusses indices that seem to be more connected to the definition of development sustainability and/or allow taking into account issues of weak sustainability and strong sustainability systematically. I appreciate them mostly in terms of their ability to provide information on the fulfilment of human needs sustainably. I defend the idea that rather than being measured through a single index, the assessment of sustainable development requires a mix of indices. The main finding is that this portfolio must meet the triptych: current well-being, sustainability of well-being and environmental sustainability. In this regard, indices such as the HDI, the adjusted net saving and the ecological footprint may constitute such a mix or portfolio.

scholarly journals Rozwój zrównoważony i jego nowe wyzwania

2012 ◽  
pp. 99-124 ◽  
Author(s):  
Piotr Jeżowski
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Environmental Economics ◽  
Emerging Economies ◽  
Good Governance ◽  
Natural Capital ◽  
Ecological Economics ◽  
Green Economy ◽  
Weak Sustainability ◽  
New Synthesis ◽  
Production And Consumption

Diverse perception of natural capital and sustainability in opposite approaches of environmental economics and ecological economics has impact on understanding and defining of sustainable development. Ecological economics approach based on strong and very strong sustainability is too ambitious for contemporary generation, although environmental economics approach based on weak sustainability is more realistic, but insufficient. Weaknesses of mainstream economics gave heterodoxy broad field for redefinition of sustainable development and for new synthesis for this socio-economic category. Demographic changes, duplication of Western consumption patterns in emerging economies and intensive pressure of global production and consumption on environment are the reasons why new agreements at international level on climate, energy, food security, access to clean water and protection other natural resources are needed. Effective coordination of actions and application of good governance standards taking into account such matters as human existential problems and needs, equity, access to information, social participation as well as indicators for sustainable development and green economy are also necessary,

scholarly journals Translation in Social and Environmental Sustainability: Case of Energy Sector in few Asian Countries

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Md. Mahmudul Alam ◽  
Anurasiri Nalaka Geekiyanage Don ◽  
Aruna Prasad Nissanka Arachchillage ◽  
Sacchidananda Mukherjee ◽  
Yuti Ariani Fatimah
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Environmental Sustainability ◽  
Energy Sector ◽  
The Other ◽  
Future Generations ◽  
General Definition ◽  
Asian Countries ◽  
Vulnerable People ◽  
Brundtland Commission ◽  
Human Kind

In 1987, the Brundtland Commission introduced the term “sustainable development” to highlight the needs for taking the future generations into account. The term has evolved from only focusing on the human kind to reconciliation between humans and nature. On one hand, this evolution opens space for nature and vulnerable people to be acknowledged, on the other hand, it raises difficulties in implementing the idea due to its heterogeneity. By the mid 1990s, for instance, there were more than 100 definitions of sustainability (Marshall and Toffel, 2005). Rather than following previous scholars trying to find a general definition for sustainability, we try to approach it through the idea of translation. From this perspective, diversity is being bounded via others’ right such as a practice is wrong whenever it might harm others and not because it looks different. Based on the argument above, we look at the energy sector within Asian countries in an attempt to increase variety in understanding sustainability.

Does sustainable development have a causal relationship with environmental development? Evidence from a country-wise panel data analysis

2020 ◽  
Vol 19 (2) ◽  
pp. 147-171
Author(s):  
Ajay K. Singh ◽  
B. Jyoti Singh ◽  
Vijay Negi
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Economic Development ◽  
Environmental Sustainability ◽  
Technological Progress ◽  
Panel Data Analysis ◽  
Linear Regression Models ◽  
Related Factors ◽  
Development Index ◽  
Socio Economic Development ◽  
Environmental Development

This study contributes to the development of global sustainable development index (GSDI) as an integration of environmental sustainability development index (ESDI), socio-economic development index (SEDI) and science and technological progress index (STPI) for selected 39 countries during 2000–16. It uses the composite Z-score method, while ESDI, SEDI and STPI are the assimilation of 33, 19 and 9 factors, respectively. Subsequently, it examines the association of sustainable development (SD) with ESD and vice versa using linear, log-linear and non-linear regression models. Descriptive results show that there is a significant variation in SD due to a high diversity in environmental development, socio-economic development and science and technological progress-associated factors in selected countries. Empirical results imply that SD has a positive and significant association with ESD, socio-economic development and science and technological progress-related factors. This study emphasizes that global economies are desired to adopt conducive policies towards environmental, socio-economic and science and technological development to attain SD. Also, it advises that the protection of forest area, use of environmental and green technologies in production activities, creation of more jobs in all sectors and strong IPR regimes would be effective for sustainable, socio-economic, environmental development and science and technological expansion worldwide.

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