Pasquale Marcello Falcone

56452747700

Publications - 5

Socio-political determinants of circular economy behavior: A cross-sectional analysis across Italy

Cristian Barra Luigi Aldieri Pasquale Marcello Falcone Concetto Paolo Vinci

Publication Name: Socio Economic Planning Sciences

Publication Date: 2025-08-01

Volume: 100

Issue: Unknown

Page Range: Unknown

Description:

The circular economy (CE) has emerged as a crucial alternative to the traditional linear economic model, which relies on resource extraction, production, and waste disposal, resulting in significant environmental degradation and resource depletion. In contrast, the CE emphasizes resource efficiency through practices such as reusing, repairing, refurbishing, and recycling, providing both environmental and economic benefits. This study investigates the complex interaction between socio-political factors and individual-level CE practices in Italy, addressing gaps in existing research that primarily focus on specific consumer behaviors or demographic characteristics. Particularly, utilizing probit and multivariate probit analyses on the 2021 AVQ “Aspects of Daily Life” dataset from ISTAT, the research examines how socio-political involvement, budget constraints, positive educational externalities, and demographic factors influence CE behaviors. The findings reveal that socio-political factors, particularly political trust in local governments, significantly influence circular practices, with higher trust associated with greater adoption of sustainable transportation and local products, while lower political engagement correlates with increased waste and reduced sustainability, highlighting the need for targeted educational initiatives and localized policies to promote a circular economy effectively.

Open Access: Yes

DOI: 10.1016/j.seps.2025.102252

Unveiling latent topics in the interplay of Circular Economy and Energy Transition: A Topic Modelling approach

Pasquale Marcello Falcone Patrizio Giganti

Publication Name: Resources Conservation and Recycling

Publication Date: 2025-06-01

Volume: 219

Issue: Unknown

Page Range: Unknown

Description:

The Circular Economy (CE) and Energy Transition (ET) are crucial solutions for addressing global environmental challenges caused by linear economic models and fossil-based energy systems. Both approaches focus on enhancing energy and resource efficiency while minimizing environmental impacts. This Topic Modelling-based review identifies latent topics within the CE and ET academic literature, tackling the challenge of subjectivity found in traditional reviews. Using Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA), six topics are identified. Each topic sheds light on how crucial elements – such as economic and social sustainability, technological innovation, material management and electrification, waste management, local development, and regulatory policies – are interconnected with CE and ET. Together, these elements contribute to a more cohesive and effective transition. The study emphasizes the need for coordinated strategies and targeted policies to ensure that CE and ET not only coexist but also complement and strengthen each other. This holistic approach is vital for fostering a sustainable future that balances economic growth with environmental conservation.

Open Access: Yes

DOI: 10.1016/j.resconrec.2025.108318

Energy Justice in the 21st century: policy interventions and advocacy for a fair energy transition

Pasquale Marcello Falcone Grazia Errichiello

Publication Name: Aims Environmental Science

Publication Date: 2025-01-01

Volume: 12

Issue: 4

Page Range: 594-614

Description:

This article examined the research landscape of energy justice within the social sciences, providing a detailed overview of key developments, trends, and methodologies in this emerging field of study. The study began by identifying the leading journals in the field and mapping co-authorship networks, followed by an analysis of keyword co-occurrences to pinpoint the central themes in the literature. The findings highlight key areas of energy injustice, including accessibility, affordability, and environmental and technological factors. The article further inspected the underlying drivers of these disparities and the actions being taken to address them, emphasizing the critical role of emerging community pressures in shaping policy decisions. Additionally, the study reviewed five case studies that underscore the need for ongoing policy adaptation and illustrate the significant impact of advocacy in the development and implementation of equitable energy policies. The paper concludes by stressing the importance of rethinking current energy policy approaches to create a more inclusive, sustainable, and just energy future.

Open Access: Yes

DOI: 10.3934/environsci.2025027

Uncovering network changes in the evolution of an innovation niche

Edgardo Sica Antonio Lopolito Pasquale Marcello Falcone

Publication Name: Social Networks

Publication Date: 2026-01-01

Volume: 84

Issue: Unknown

Page Range: 87-100

Description:

The present paper aims at unravelling the networking dynamics regarding the evolution of an innovation-niche, by looking at its network configuration over time. To this end, we investigate the actors’ role within the network as well as the network architecture. We employ the social network analysis (SNA) to four different but interrelated types of networks characterising the Italian biofuel industry. Each network was investigated in both its development and maturity phase. Our findings show that, over the niche evolution, actors established new relations, increasing networks’ density and making the networks more centralized. Furthermore, while two out of four networks confirmed their small world configuration over time, one (i.e. “communication” network) increased its small-world-ness, providing a larger number of information channels and more social reinforcement chances for niche actors to innovate. Overall, results suggest that policy makers should accompany and ease the innovation-niche evolution path by fostering the participation of the laggard behind and actors' clusterization, moderating any possible lock-in risk.

Open Access: Yes

DOI: 10.1016/j.socnet.2025.08.005

Composition and Determinants of Corporate Climate Lobbying: Evidence From Italy

Mariangela Bonasia Pasquale Marcello Falcone Lilit Popoyan Grazia Errichiello

Publication Name: Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management

Publication Date: 2025-01-01

Volume: Unknown

Issue: Unknown

Page Range: Unknown

Description:

This study investigates the determinants of corporate climate-related lobbying in Italy, focusing on firm-level factors that influence lobbying expenditures and participation in European climate policy discussions. Given rising pressure from governments and stakeholders for sustainable practices, corporate lobbying plays a crucial role in shaping European climate policies. Using an unbalanced panel dataset of Italian firms from 2011 to 2023, we employ advanced econometric methods and AI-supported textual analysis to explore lobbying dynamics. The findings indicate that firm revenue is a key driver of lobbying intensity, with larger firms investing more in lobbying activities and engaging more frequently in climate-related discussions. Additionally, regional differences and company size significantly affect lobbying behaviors, highlighting the role of financial resources and institutional context in shaping firms' climate policy engagement. In this, the research contributes to the limited EU-focused literature on corporate lobbying, providing valuable insights into Italy's unique lobbying landscape and its implications for climate governance.

Open Access: Yes

DOI: 10.1002/csr.70148