Economic development ensures an adequate level wellbeing, without considering its consequences for the environment. Economic activities have had a high impact on habitats for centuries. These activities are still a source of many environmental issues: climate change, air pollution, loss of biodiversity, marine pollution, growing waste production, etc.

Economic and environmental systems are two sides of the same coin and, consequently, they must be considered as strictly interconnected elements, which require interventions to optimize the use of natural resources in order to maximize wellbeing levels.

Although many environmental questions have global relevance, they also represent a challenge for modern societies at the local scale. The COVID-19 pandemic contributed to increases in regional institutional, social, economic and ecological vulnerability. Regional strategies can be a powerful factor in resilience and recovery, with positive effects on local the economy and environment. In this regard, an in-depth analysis of the interactions between regional growth dynamics and the overexploitation of natural resources is necessary.

The proposed perspective is set into the framework of sustainable development, embedded into a place-based approach, which assumes that the geographical context matters from a social, cultural and institutional perspective.

Since the concept of sustainable development has been extensively described, it inevitably requires an interdisciplinary approach. In this respect, the key themes that can be explored focus on the following research questions:

• How is it possible to manage the global dynamics that can influence regional sustainable development processes?
• What are the innovative territorial approaches to regional sustainable development?
• Is it possible to prevent the current pandemic crisis from having impacts on environmental justice?
• What measures can be implemented to reach the UN 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda goals at the local scale?

Dear Colleagues,

Economic development has ensured an adequate wellbeing level, without regarding its distribution among and between countries, and of its consequences on the environment. Economic activities have had a high impact on habitats for centuries. These activities are still a source of many environmental issues: climate change, air pollution, loss of biodiversity, marine pollution, growing waste production, etc.

Economic and environmental systems are two sides of the same coin and, consequently, they must be considered as strictly interconnected elements, with interventions being needed to optimize the use of natural resources in order to maximize wellbeing levels.

Although many environmental questions have global relevance, they represent a challenge for today’s societies at the local scale, too. The COVID-19 pandemic has consolidated regional disparities, causing significant risks regarding its social, economic and environmental effects. In this regard, an in-depth analysis of the interactions between regional growth dynamics and the overexploitation of natural resources is necessary; these relationships require the sharing of responsibilities among all the involved stakeholders.

The aim of this Special Issue is to encourage new ideas regarding regional sustainable development, following the lines drawn in the UN 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda goals. In particular, this SI aims to encourage academic debate on ecological transition, and to contribute to the literature on regional sustainable development. The focus is on research that may help to reduce regional inequalities, enhance social, natural and economic resources, and boost the sustainable development process.

We are glad to invite you to submit your proposals to the Special Issue “Advances in Environmental Economics: Global Dynamics and Regional Economic Development”, in the form of research articles, case studies and best practices, addressing the outlined topics. The submitted manuscripts should have a strong scientific basis, and apply solid quantitative approaches.

References

1. Barca F., McCann P. and Rodriguez-Pose A. The Case For Regional Development Intervention: Place-Based Versus Place-Neutral Approaches. Reg. Sci., 2012, 52, 134–152. doi: 10.1111/j.1467-9787.2011.00756.x.
2. Costanza, R., Daly, L., Fioramonti, L., Giovannini, E., Kubiszewski, I., Mortensen, L.F., Pickett, K.E., Ragnarsdottir, K.V., De Vogli, R., & Wilkinson, R. Modelling and measuring sustainable wellbeing in connection with the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Econ., 2016, 130, 350–55. doi: 10.1016/j.ecolecon.2016.07.009.
3. Climate Change 2014: Impacts, Adaptation, and Vulnerability. Global and Sectoral Aspects. Contribution of Working Group II to the Fifth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, United Kingdom and New York, USA, 2014.
4. Jordà Ò., S.R. Singh and A.M. Taylor. 2020. Longer-Run Economic Consequences of Pandemics. Working Paper 26934. National Bureau Of Economic Research, Cambridge, MA.
5. Martin R.L. and Sunley P.J. 2015. On the notion of regional economic resilience: conceptualization and explanation. J. Econ. Geogr., 2015, 15, 1–42. doi: 10.1093/jeg/lbu015.
6. Mastronardi, L., Giagnacovo, M., Romagnoli, L. Bridging regional gaps: Community-based cooperatives as a tool for Italian inner areas resilience. Land Use Policy, 2020, 99, 104979. https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.1016/j.landusepol.2020.104979.
7. United Nations (2015). Transforming our world: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Resolution adopted by the General Assembly on 25 September 2015. Retrieved from: www.un.org/ga/search/view_doc.asp?symbol=A/RES/70/1&Lang=E.

Prof. Dr. Luigi Mastronardi
Prof. Dr. Luca Romagnoli
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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• biodiversity and protected areas
• circular economy
• climate change
• green and blue economy
• local communities resilience and recovery
• urban and rural sustainability
• land use planning
• local food policies
• renawable energy
• waste management
• water management
• spatial econometrics