Environmental Efficiency, Innovation and Economic Performances

This book collects several pieces originating from various recent research projects with participation from CERIS DSE Institute of the National Research Council, the Department of Economics of the University of Bologna and the Department of Economics Institutions and Territory of the University of Ferrara. Over the years, colleagues have developed research streams on drivers of environmental innovation and effects on economic performances, analyses of delinking regarding the income-environment dynamic relationship, and assessment of the environmental Kuznets curve hypothesis. This volume brings together micro economic studies (Part I, Chapters 1-4), a sector based perspective, rooted mainly in the exploitation of NAMEA data (Part II, Chapters 5-9), and a macroeconomic analysis of the environment, income and welfare (Part III, Chapters 10-13). These works offer value added and originality - primarily from an applied perspective, although theoretical aspects are not neglected and are discussed in length or fully developed (Part III). Most of the chapters are strongly policy oriented. For all these reasons we believe that this book may be attractive to a wide audience, extending beyond academia. On the one hand, this book collects past and ongoing research undertaken by members of the aforementioned institutions; on the other hand, it links those consolidated research efforts with contributions from promising young scholars, friends and colleagues, who have had extensive involvement with the issues discussed. Thus, it provides the state of the art in our recent research and a foundation for possible future research at national and EU levels: a challenge for future extension research from further amalgamation of ideas, issues and research projects.