Quality of government for environmental wellbeing? Subnational evidence from European regions

This study investigates the relationship between quality of government and environmental wellbeing in European regions at the NUTS-2 level. First, we find that subnational environmental data are spatially interdependent. Then, we construct a set of composite indicators of environmental wellbeing via...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Andrea Vaccaro, Carlotta Montorsi, Chiara Gigliarano
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Taylor & Francis Group 2025-12-01
Series:Regional Studies, Regional Science
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Online Access:https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/21681376.2025.2475113
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Summary:This study investigates the relationship between quality of government and environmental wellbeing in European regions at the NUTS-2 level. First, we find that subnational environmental data are spatially interdependent. Then, we construct a set of composite indicators of environmental wellbeing via Bayesian spatial factor analysis. Finally, by using these composite indicators in spatial regression analysis, we show that institutional quality is a key determinant of environmental wellbeing. We also find that the institutions-environment nexus varies across dimensions of environmental wellbeing – institutions matter especially for the quality of air and soil. Policymakers should be aware that environmental degradation can be tackled by building more effective and well-functioning regional public institutions.
ISSN:2168-1376