The Sustainable Finance Landscape in Germany

This chapter discusses the current trend of mainstreaming sustainable finance in Germany. It provides an overview of contributions of different stakeholders to this trend and sheds light on the evolution of the sustainable finance landscape in Germany, including banks, the insurance sector, rating agencies, nonprofits, and academia. EU regulations are currently driving change and promoting sustainable finance in Germany. New policy initiatives and regulations are closely monitored and discussed by diverse stakeholders, including organisations with a long-standing expertise in promoting responsible and ethical investments. Advocacy-oriented nonprofits critically address greenwashing and engage in debates on qualitative aspects. The sustainable finance trend is expected to gain further traction in Germany.

The Bangladeshi Rights and Protection of Persons With Disability Act of 2013: A Policy Analysis

The government of Bangladesh enacted the Rights and Protection of Persons with Disability Act of 2013 (the Act) in line with the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. This article sheds light on the Act with particular emphasis on (a) support offered to children with disabilities (CWDs) and their families to address their needs; and (b) the extent to which the Act is in line with the international disability policy analysis framework. We compared the Act with the 18 core concepts of disability policy developed by Turnbull et al. The results affirm the government’s effort toward Sustainable Development Goals in providing support to CWDs and their families. They indicate a high degree of congruency of the Act with the core concepts. The findings also highlight the need to embrace the concept of autonomy, confidentiality, and family-centeredness in great detail in any policy initiatives pertaining to CWDs. Furthermore, the finding shows that collaboration and coordination among ministries are imperative to achieve the goal of policies related to disability. In addition, the results highlight the need for more budgetary allocation and robust monitoring systems to track the progress of policy initiatives. As policy implementation is affected by changes in global contexts such as the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic, policymakers in Bangladesh and other low-and middle-income countries should ensure that emergency responses are disability-inclusive and appropriate for CWDs. To ensure a disability-inclusive response, it is critical to engage individuals with disabilities and their families in meaningful consultations to identify their needs.

Examining the School-to-Prison Pipeline through Juvenile Public Policy Initiatives and Prison Expenditures

The 21st century has brought a stark reality to American society: young people are becoming increasingly disillusioned with the opportunities provided to them through school systems that perpetuate racial and socioeconomic achievement gaps. Generations that were once lauded as future leaders are now completely unconvinced that they will ever have opportunities to assume leadership, and droves are failing to complete compulsory courses of education as a result. Many are turning to lives of crime out of necessity and frustration over the stark realities they face as children of color in an increasingly divided nation. To understand the current issues impacting young people and creating what has become known as the school-to-prison pipeline, an in-depth examination of the social, economic, and educational factors creating increased numbers of incarcerated youth must be undertaken and connections between systemic dysfunction and racial disparities investigated.

Wdrażanie modelu gospodarczego opartego na obiegu zamkniętym w biogospodarce

Implementing circular bioeconomy solutions is a complex issue. It requires a good knowledge of the concepts, the different processes of the circular economy and their expected impacts on sectors and value chains. However, research on the circular economy appears to be fragmented across disciplines and there are often different perspectives on the interpretation of the concept and related aspects to be assessed. This article reviews the literature on bioeconomy and closed-loop economy to better understand the concept, as well as its different dimensions and expected impacts. The aim of the article is to outline the concept of a circular bioeconomy along with a presentation of the main considerations for its implementation. Selected policy initiatives for the implementation of the closed-loop bioeconomy concept in the bioeconomy sector and business models dedicated to bioeconomy solutions are presented.

Introduction: The Promises and Challenges of Crime Ethnographies

This chapter outlines some of the scholarly and political appeals of crime ethnographies and identifies a series of factors that will pose challenges to this methodological approach over the longer term. It briefly charts the early evolution of crime ethnographies, noting how they have expanded to encompass the study of a larger range of criminal or deviant behaviors, while also focusing on the operation of criminal justice institutions. A more diverse group of scholars than was historically the case now conduct such research, individuals who typically embrace a more reflexive orientation to knowledge production than is characteristic of positivist science. Crime ethnographies provide invaluable grounded insights into the lives of participants and processes that are often otherwise hidden or hard to reach. Politically, ethnographies tend to humanize individuals and groups that are easily vilified, while reminding politicians and officials of the need to be conscious of local variability when adopting policy initiatives that originated in different contexts. Notwithstanding the many benefits of this approach, a series of developments now present challenges to crime ethnographies as they are currently practiced, including the changing technological profile of crime, as well as university-based developments, such as changes to the systems for overseeing and rewarding academic work and research ethics protocols that do not accord with the philosophical assumptions of ethnographers or the practical realties of ethnographic fieldwork.

Understanding Global Deprescribing Policy: Opportunities and Challenges

The landscape of deprescribing, the planned process of dose reduction or stoppage for medications which are no longer of benefit, has been rapidly expanding with global efforts and the formation of regional and national deprescribing networks. The purpose of this qualitative study is to describe successes and challenges about deprescribing from thought-leaders across the world to inform future policy initiatives. We aim to conduct at least 15 key informant (KI) interviews; we have completed 13 to date. Codes were constructed to identify themes that depict the perspectives regarding deprescribing policy across the globe. The KIs primarily represent the fields of pharmacy and medicine from four global regions with years of deprescribing experience ranging from 5 to > 20. We identified two emerging overarching themes through our qualitative analysis: Regional Organization Support and Evidence & Knowledge gaps. Within these overarching themes, we further identified sub-themes and their representative quotes: Network Structure: “idea of the network was threefold: 1) To try and figure out what we need to activate healthcare providers to deprescribe; 2) To do work with community-dwelling seniors to motivate them and give them opportunities to deprescribe; 3) ...getting pharmacists to provide the education to the patients.” Cost-effectiveness: “If we can show that it is cost-effective to deprescribe, that there is actually a return here, not just in health terms but in monetary terms, I think that would really push it along.” This research will help to advance global efforts to optimize medication management.

Answering the Call for Diversity and Racial Equity: The National Association for Geriatric Education

The National Association for Geriatric Education (NAGE) is a non-profit organization representing geriatric and gerontology programs, including Health Services and Resource Administration funded Geriatric Workforce Enhancement Programs (GWEPs), and Geriatric Academic Career Awardees (GACAs). NAGE responded to the renewed call to address systemic racism and racial inequities by forming a Diversity and Racial Equity Workgroup. The Workgroup explored ways to disseminate educational resources, support members to address racial inequities among older adults, promote increased diversity of the geriatrics/gerontology workforce, and support public policy initiatives that address racism and health disparities. Initial outputs include creating a Diversity and Racial Equity resource page, identifying liaisons to the Workgroup from each NAGE Committee to ensure impact across the organization, and organizing collaborations across GWEPs and GACAs to share successful initiatives. Future plans include education and advocacy with members and collaborating organizations to address systemic racism and racial health inequities impacting older adults.