Innovational duality and sustainable development: finding optima amidst socio-ecological policy trade-off in post-COVID-19 era

PurposeThis study aims to analyze the socio-ecological policy trade-off caused by technological innovations in the post-COVID-19 era. The study outcomes are utilized to design a comprehensive policy framework for attaining sustainable development goals (SDGs).Design/methodology/approachStudy is done for 100 countries over 1991–2019. Second-generation estimation method is used. Innovation is measured by total factor productivity, environmental quality is measured by carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions and social dimension is captured by unemployment.FindingsInnovation–CO2 emissions association is found to be inverted U-shaped and innovation–unemployment association is found to be U-shaped.Research limitations/implicationsThe study outcomes show the conflicting impact of technological innovation leading to policy trade-off. This dual impact of innovation is considered during policy recommendation.Practical implicationsThe policy framework recommended in the study shows a way to address the objectives of SDG 8, 9 and 13 during post-COVID-19 period.Social implicationsPolicy recommendations in the study show a way to internalize the negative social externality exerted by innovation.Originality/valueThis study contributes to the literature by considering the policy trade-off caused by innovation and recommending an SDG-oriented policy framework for the post-COVID-19 era.

State regulation of environmental safety

Purpose. To conduct a systematic analysis of the state environmental policy, to identify threats to ecologization and the necessary directions for improvement of the state environmental policy. Methodology. To perform scientific research there were used: the method of content analysis to assess the scientific achievements and identify unresolved aspects of the problem; method of comparative analysis for evaluation and processing of statistical information; method of analysis and synthesis to form the purpose of the study; methods of abstraction and generalization, formalization for detailed elaboration of various aspects of the problem; system-structural method and the method of convergence from the abstract to the concrete for the formation of conclusions and proposals. Findings. New risks and threats to the state environmental policy have been identified and their impact has been analyzed. The analysis revealed that the state environmental policy does not always extend into regional and sectoral environmental policy. It is established that departmental structures responsible for environmental monitoring do not have proper coordination of their actions, even in time, which complicates integrated information processing. In many areas there is no long-term state forecasting of environmental and economic factors. There is no adequate level of systematization in the formation of structured economic and tax incentives for the introduction of effective environmental technologies and compliance with norms and rules in environmental protection. Originality. A systematic analysis of the state environmental policy has been carried out, the formation of the emergent nature of ecological and economic factors has been indicated. Mechanisms of the state ecological policy have been formulated. Threats for ecologization policy and necessary directions of improvement of the state ecological policy have been detected. Practical value. The results of statistical analysis can be used by scientists and practitioners. To reform environmental and economic policy, the threat of imbalance in economic and tax incentives for greening has been pointed out, which may lead to delays in the development and slowdown of technological renewal of industrial sectors, in particular, the energy sector. It has been pointed out that the state ecological and economic policy should be a systemic tool of social policy, help stabilize the situation and overcome the crisis in all spheres of life. The importance of the role of the civil sector in the ecologization of the country and of the need to form a system for developing the environmental consciousness of society has been indicated.

THE PRINCIPLE OF ECOLOGICAL CULTURE FORMATION IN UKRAINE: PROBLEMS OF THEORETICAL AND LEGAL CONTENT AND PROSPECTS OF DEVELOPMENT

The article examines the theoretical and legal, legislative and other approaches to understanding the essence and content of the principle of formation of ecological culture in environmental law and legislation of Ukraine. At present, the principle of formation of ecological culture is only partially reflected in the norms of the Constitution of Ukraine and current legislation, in particular the Law of Ukraine "On Environmental Protection". The implementation of this principle in legislative, practical and law enforcement activities will help increase the level of environmental and legal awareness and culture, ecologization of national law and legislation. The level of ecological and ecological-legal culture in society determines the effectiveness of operation of ecological management and control system, the guarantee of the ecological safety of economic and other activities, the achievement of ecological law and order, the restoration of ecological balance, the development of science and ecological knowledge. The strengthening of the principle of ecological culture formation will be promoted by performance of the strategic tasks put in provisions of sources of the state ecological policy, primarily, the Basic principles (strategy) of the state ecological policy for the period till 2030. Proposals have been made to improve the current legislation in order to take into account the principle of forming an environmental culture, guaranteeing the sustainable development of our country from the standpoint of current challenges and processes of globalization. The opinion on the expediency of constitutional contemplation of the principle of formation of ecological culture as a basis for building a democratic, social, legal and ecological state had been expressed. This principle is offered to supplement the main sources of natural resources, environmental law and environmental safety law. The introduction of the principle of formation of ecological culture in the national legislation should assume a nature of a systemic character, which will help to provide the coherence of environmental law and other branches in the regulation of environmental relations. This will increase the level of ecological and legal culture of society and citizens and strengthen the course of our state towards international and European integration. Keywords: ecological culture, ecological-legal culture, ecological law, ecological legislation, environment, principles of ecological law, principles of law, state ecological policy

Project-Oriented Policy of Ecological Development of the Regions of Ukraine: Basic Approaches

The article highlights the main approaches and their potential in the formation and implementation of project-oriented policy of environmental development of the regions of Ukraine. It is proved that ensuring sustainable balanced regional development in Ukraine is one of the most important prerequisites for its sustainable (balanced) economic growth in social, economic and environmental aspects, and the management of environmental development of the region is implemented through the formation and implementation of both the strategy of state (national) policy and regional environmental policy. Sustainable or balanced development of regions involves the development of all its components, and especially — environmental. Greening of state and regional development is a natural process of further improvement of economic relations and the achieved level of development of productive forces, based on ecologically oriented innovation policy of the state and regions to ensure environmental security of the state and its territories. It is determined that the regional ecological policy acts as a component of the national ecological policy, which is based on the ecological national and international legislation, standards and norms and contributes to the sustainable development of the region as a socio-ecological and economic system. The basis of regional environmental policy are the following principles: priorities of national interests; legislative provision of rights and powers of regional policy subjects; taking into account the peculiarities of the regions; partnership, which provides for the need to establish cooperation between public authorities at all levels and local self-government and to ensure political stability and social harmony in the implementation of national policy. The managerial possibilities of such approaches to the formation of project-oriented policy of ecological development of regions as project management (project management), marketing of territories or ecological marketing in the context of sustainable development of regions, benchmarking in ecological development are singled out and defined regions as strengthening the competitiveness of the region, a cluster approach in the ecological development of regions. An environmental project (or a project in the field of environmental protection) means a complex system of interconnected structured tasks and measures for environmental protection, which have a stage-by-stage nature of implementation aimed at solving the problems of ecological development of the region.