The nature of inequality: Assessing the impact of green development initiatives in developed countries

这个项目着眼于发达国家内部环境与不平等之间的关系。具体而言，它考察了当地绿色能源和保护倡议（这里称为“绿色发展”）的社会和经济影响，以及它们的政治和理念驱动因素。因此，最终需要考察的问题是：“绿色发展促进了平等吗？”，这就产生了一些子问题。各种环境保护手段对人类的影响是什么？社区拥有的风能对当地经济或社区的社会和人力资本有什么影响（如果有的话）？哪些绿色发展项目有效地减少了不平等，为什么？如果没有影响，那为什么没有呢？这些只是该项目旨在回答的一些关键问题。为了解决这些问题，我将采用混合方法。定性因素将包括对项目主管、学者以及来自绿色发展范围较广的选定城市和社区的地方和中央政府代表进行调查。暂时，这些项目将包括丹麦、苏格兰、德国、哥斯达黎加、新加坡和南非的城市绿色发展和地方可再生能源项目。这将主要通过电子邮件、Skype和面对面的会议来实现。虽然发达国家是应用的重点，但研究将努力调查发展中国家通过绿色发展项目有效减轻贫困的具体例子。由于欧洲经委会已经协同参与在坦桑尼亚和肯尼亚设立政策委员会和网络，这些委员会和网络将提供宝贵的联络点。量化的关键将首先检查绿色城市指数，该指数包括来自120个国家和各大洲的数据，并将允许在R中进行更广泛的分析，并对手头的数据进行更有力的统计检查。也就是说，我们不仅可以从具体的案例中收集微观的见解，而且我们可以对这些案例进行定性和定量的检验。选定面板中的剥夺指数（其数据相当容易获得）将与该指数的数据和分析的关系相抵消。在缺乏更有洞察力的数据的地方，例如需要补充研究的更微观方面的数据，将咨询中央和地方政府。然后将对这些因素之间的联系进行统计检验。

This project looks at the relationship between the environment and inequality within developed countries. Specifically, it examines the social and economic effects of local green energy and conservation initiatives - referred to here as 'green development' -, as well as their political and ideational drivers. The ultimate question to be examined is thus: 'does green development promote equality?', which births a number of sub-questions. What is the human impact of various means of environmental protection? What effect (if any) does community-owned wind energy have on the local economy, or social and human capital in the community? Which green development projects have worked to reduce inequality, and why? If there has been no impact, then why not? These are just some of the key questions this project aims to answer.To address these questions, I will employ a mixed-methods approach. The qualitative element will involve a survey of project directors, scholars, and local and central government representatives from selected cities and communities wherein green development has been more expansive. Provisionally, these will include urban green development and localised renewable energy projects in Denmark, Scotland, Germany, Costa Rica, Singapore and South Africa. This will be achieved largely via email, Skype and face-to-face meetings where practical. Although developed countries serve as the focus of application, research will endeavour to investigate specific examples of developing countries wherein poverty has been effectively alleviated by green development projects. Knowing that the ESRC has already been involved collaboratively with the setting up of policy councils and networks in Tanzania and Kenya, these will provide valuable liaison points.The quantitative crux will be first to examine the Green City Index, which includes data from 120 countries and continental insights, and will allow for broader analysis in R and a more robust statistical examination of the data at hand. That is, not only can we glean micro insights from specific cases, but we can examine these cases both qualitatively and quantitatively against one and other. Deprivation indices in the selected panel (for which data is quite readily available) will be offset against data from this index and relationships analysed. Where more insightful data is lacking, such as that required to complement the more micro aspects of the study, central and local government will be consulted. The link between these factors will then be statistically examined.