Papers by Michalis Hadjikakou
Environment International, 2021
Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact
Water Research, 2020
Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact
Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 2020
Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact
Environmental Science & Technology, 2019
Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact
Science of The Total Environment, 2019
Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact
Global Environmental Change, 2019
Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact
Journal of Cleaner Production, 2018
Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact
Economic Systems Research, 2017
Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact
Proceedings of the Water Environment Federation, 2016
Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact
Handbook on Growth and Sustainability
The status quo modus operandi of the global food system is not only failing to promote adequate o... more The status quo modus operandi of the global food system is not only failing to promote adequate or healthy nutrition, but is also exerting an unsustainably high pressure on our planet. This food system is in many ways similar to the growth-driven economic system in which it operates, where human and environmental health suffer as a result of profit maximization incentives. In this chapter we set out to explore country-level relationships between economic development status and food-related health and environmental issues. We focus on prevailing food consumption patterns and a global food regime that is still, in the most part, operating in a post-World War II economic growth paradigm. Based on our findings of key drivers for dietary change, we argue that the way in which food is produced, marketed and priced reinforces adverse health and environmental problems that, in turn, result in higher economic costs to society in the form of health care and environmental impacts. A growing literature on defining and promoting healthy and sustainable diets is testament to the increasing awareness of the importance of building a more sustainable food system. However, although certainly necessary, food sector-specific interventions aimed at promoting sustainable food production and consumption may not be sufficient to truly reverse current trends if economic growth remains the primary objective of nations.
Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact
Applied Energy, 2016
Cities are leading actions against climate change through global networks. More than 360 global c... more Cities are leading actions against climate change through global networks. More than 360 global cities announced during the 2015 Paris Climate Conference that the collective impact of their commitments will deliver over half of the world’s urban greenhouse gas emissions reductions by 2020. Previous studies on multi-city carbon footprint networks using sub-national, multi-region input-output (MRIO) modelling have identified additional opportunities for addressing the negative impacts of climate change through joint actions between cities within a country. However, similar links between city carbon footprints have not yet been studied across countries. In this study we focus on inter-city and inter-country carbon flows between two trading partners in a first attempt to address this gap. We construct a multi-scale, global MRIO model to describe a transnational city carbon footprint network among five Chinese megacities and the five largest Australian capital cities. First, we quantify city carbon footprints by sectors and regions. Based on the carbon map concept we show how local emissions reductions influence other regions’ carbon footprints. We then present a city emissions ’outsourcing hierarchy’ based on the balance of emissions embodied in intercity and international trade. The differences between cities and their position in the hierarchy emphasize the need for a bespoke treatment of their responsibilities towards climate change mitigation. Finally, we evaluate and discuss the potentially significant benefits of harmonising and aligning China’s carbon trading schemes with Australia’s cap and trade policy.
Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact
Energies, 2016
Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact
Science of The Total Environment, 2014
Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact
Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact
Healthy and Sustainable Food Systems , 2019
Junk food consumption has peaked in high-income countries but is still increasing rapidly through... more Junk food consumption has peaked in high-income countries but is still increasing rapidly throughout much of the developing world. While the adverse health impacts of junk food are undeniable, much less attention has been paid to its environmental impacts. This chapter takes a more nuanced approach to the topic by consolidating the evidence on the health and sustainability implications of junk food production and consumption. It begins with a review of the nomenclature used in the literature to describe junk food, followed by a descriptive analysis of current global consumption patterns and trends. Associated health and environmental impacts are then considered with some options to address these. Based on the available evidence, it is concluded that junk food is incompatible with sustainability objectives and concurrent efforts to curtail its production and consumption should be a key agenda item in promoting healthy and sustainable food systems.
Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact
Lancet Planetary Health, 2019
The global food system is causing unsustainable
pressures on the environment, leading to widespre... more The global food system is causing unsustainable
pressures on the environment, leading to widespread
land use change, increased greenhouse gas emissions,
disruption of the nitrogen and phosphorus cycles,
biodiversity loss, and freshwater depletion and
pollution.Environmental pressures are mounting
as populations grow and diets change, escalating the
need to make food production and consumption more
sustainable. Yet, there are limitations in the current
analysis of global food system sustainability. We believe
there are four main areas that could be improved
to make such analysis more comprehensive and
insightful. These improvements could have important
repercussions on the development of effective evidence-based
policy that ultimately promotes production
efficiencies and sustainable diets.
Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact
Environmentally extended input–output analysis (EEIOA) supports environmental policy by quantifyi... more Environmentally extended input–output analysis (EEIOA) supports environmental policy by quantifying how demand for goods and services leads to resource use and emissions across the economy. However, some types of resource use and emissions require spatially explicit impact assessment for meaningful interpretation, which is not possible in conventional EEIOA. For example, water use in locations of scarcity and of abundance are not environmentally equivalent. Opportunities for spatially explicit impact assessment in conventional EEIOA are limited because official input–output tables tend to be produced at the scale of political units, which are not usually well-aligned with environmentally relevant spatial units. In this study, spatially explicit water-scarcity factors and a spatially disaggregated Australian water-use account were used to develop water-scarcity extensions that were coupled with a multiregional input–output model (MRIO). The results link demand for agricultural commodities to the problem of water scarcity in Australia and globally. Important differences were observed between the water-use and water-scarcity footprint results as well as the relative importance of direct and indirect water use, with significant implications for sustainable production and consumption-related policies. The approach presented here is suggested as a feasible general approach for incorporating spatially explicit impact assessments in EEIOA.
Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact
This editorial is the introduction to a special issue of Economic Systems Research on Input–Outpu... more This editorial is the introduction to a special issue of Economic Systems Research on Input–Output Virtual Laboratories (IO VLs). The main purpose of this editorial is to explain the rationale for dedicating a special issue to this evolving niche of IO research, highlighting its potential to contribute to debates on topical policy issues. The first two sections review recent developments in the field of multi-regional input–output database compilation, followed by a brief description of the concept and architecture behind IO VLs. The seven papers chosen for this issue are then introduced. The concluding section finally outlines current challenges and future research avenues for IO VLs.
Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact
Tackling the overconsumption of discretionary foods (foods and drinks not necessary to provide th... more Tackling the overconsumption of discretionary foods (foods and drinks not necessary to provide the nutrients the body needs) is central to aligning human and planetary health. Whilst the adverse health impacts of discretionary foods are well documented, the environmental and broader sustainability impacts of these products deserve more attention, especially since their consumption has been increasing in recent decades, particularly amongst low income groups. This paper presents a quantitative case study analysis of discretionary food consumption and the associated environmental impacts for households from different income groups in Australia. Environmentally extended input-output analysis is used to estimate the full life cycle environmental impacts of discretionary food consumption on the basis of household expenditures. On average, discretionary foods account for a significant 35%, 39%, 33% and 35% of the overall diet-related life cycle water use, energy use, carbon dioxide equivalent and land use respectively. These significant percentages provide further support for the need to incentivise diets that are both healthier and more sustainable, including 'divestment' from discretionary food products. The study highlights the challenges ahead, including the need for further research on food substitutions to minimise environmental and social impacts whilst maximising nutritional quality – especially amongst poorer socioeconomic groups.
Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact
Journal of Cleaner Production, 2016
Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact
Uploads
Papers by Michalis Hadjikakou
pressures on the environment, leading to widespread
land use change, increased greenhouse gas emissions,
disruption of the nitrogen and phosphorus cycles,
biodiversity loss, and freshwater depletion and
pollution.Environmental pressures are mounting
as populations grow and diets change, escalating the
need to make food production and consumption more
sustainable. Yet, there are limitations in the current
analysis of global food system sustainability. We believe
there are four main areas that could be improved
to make such analysis more comprehensive and
insightful. These improvements could have important
repercussions on the development of effective evidence-based
policy that ultimately promotes production
efficiencies and sustainable diets.
pressures on the environment, leading to widespread
land use change, increased greenhouse gas emissions,
disruption of the nitrogen and phosphorus cycles,
biodiversity loss, and freshwater depletion and
pollution.Environmental pressures are mounting
as populations grow and diets change, escalating the
need to make food production and consumption more
sustainable. Yet, there are limitations in the current
analysis of global food system sustainability. We believe
there are four main areas that could be improved
to make such analysis more comprehensive and
insightful. These improvements could have important
repercussions on the development of effective evidence-based
policy that ultimately promotes production
efficiencies and sustainable diets.