IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/pal/palcom/v12y2025i1d10.1057_s41599-025-04428-4.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Resource productivity and sustainability—a comparison of two European countries

Author

Listed:
  • Szilárd Malatyinszki

    (Kodolányi János University (KJE))

  • Zoltán Zéman

    (John von Neumann University (NJE))

  • Botond Géza Kálmán

    (Kodolányi János University (KJE)
    John von Neumann University (NJE)
    Budapest Metropolitan University (METU))

Abstract

This research analyzes resource productivity by identifying key elements and their effects. The goal is to examine resource productivity and GDP-DMC correlations in EU member states, notably Hungary and the Netherlands. Researchers selected Eurostat sustainability statistics based on literature. Regression and path models were used to examine the data. GDP is strongly influenced by DMC, according to the research. The research also found that circular material usage might unexpectedly increase material consumption and lower national GDP. The ratio of GDP to DMC, Resource Productivity, oversimplifies sustainability analysis since its numerator and denominator are not independent. SEM showed that GDP and DMC are not separately explained. GDP is the only evident dependent variable, according to this study. The findings show that understanding the complex relationship between material use and economic production is essential to improving resource productivity and sustainability. Hungary and the Netherlands must develop measures to boost resource productivity while balancing economic development and environmental sustainability.

Suggested Citation

  • Szilárd Malatyinszki & Zoltán Zéman & Botond Géza Kálmán, 2025. "Resource productivity and sustainability—a comparison of two European countries," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 12(1), pages 1-20, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:pal:palcom:v:12:y:2025:i:1:d:10.1057_s41599-025-04428-4
    DOI: 10.1057/s41599-025-04428-4
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1057/s41599-025-04428-4
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to full text is restricted to subscribers.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1057/s41599-025-04428-4?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Nicholas Bloom & Charles I. Jones & John Van Reenen & Michael Webb, 2020. "Are Ideas Getting Harder to Find?," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 110(4), pages 1104-1144, April.
    2. Walter R. Stahel, 2016. "The circular economy," Nature, Nature, vol. 531(7595), pages 435-438, March.
    3. Robert M. Solow, 1956. "A Contribution to the Theory of Economic Growth," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 70(1), pages 65-94.
    4. T. W. Swan, 1956. "ECONOMIC GROWTH and CAPITAL ACCUMULATION," The Economic Record, The Economic Society of Australia, vol. 32(2), pages 334-361, November.
    5. David I. Stern and Astrid Kander, 2012. "The Role of Energy in the Industrial Revolution and Modern Economic Growth," The Energy Journal, International Association for Energy Economics, vol. 0(Number 3).
    6. Antle, John M & Heidebrink, Gregg, 1995. "Environment and Development: Theory and International Evidence," Economic Development and Cultural Change, University of Chicago Press, vol. 43(3), pages 603-625, April.
    7. Breusch, T S & Pagan, A R, 1979. "A Simple Test for Heteroscedasticity and Random Coefficient Variation," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 47(5), pages 1287-1294, September.
    8. Alexandra J. Wright & Anne Ebeling & Hans de Kroon & Christiane Roscher & Alexandra Weigelt & Nina Buchmann & Tina Buchmann & Christine Fischer & Nina Hacker & Anke Hildebrandt & Sophia Leimer & Liesj, 2015. "Flooding disturbances increase resource availability and productivity but reduce stability in diverse plant communities," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 6(1), pages 1-6, May.
    9. Stern, David I. & Common, Michael S. & Barbier, Edward B., 1996. "Economic growth and environmental degradation: The environmental Kuznets curve and sustainable development," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 24(7), pages 1151-1160, July.
    10. Harty D. Saunders, 1992. "The Khazzoom-Brookes Postulate and Neoclassical Growth," The Energy Journal, International Association for Energy Economics, vol. 0(Number 4), pages 131-148.
    11. Harry D. Saunders, 1992. "The Khazzoom-Brookes Postulate and Neoclassical Growth," The Energy Journal, , vol. 13(4), pages 131-148, October.
    12. Xinli Chen & Peter B. Reich & Anthony R. Taylor & Zhengfeng An & Scott X. Chang, 2024. "Resource availability enhances positive tree functional diversity effects on carbon and nitrogen accrual in natural forests," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-11, December.
    13. Korhonen, Jouni & Honkasalo, Antero & Seppälä, Jyri, 2018. "Circular Economy: The Concept and its Limitations," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 143(C), pages 37-46.
    14. Romer, Paul M, 1990. "Endogenous Technological Change," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 98(5), pages 71-102, October.
    15. Arnold Tukker & Erik Dietzenbacher, 2013. "Global Multiregional Input-Output Frameworks: An Introduction And Outlook," Economic Systems Research, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 25(1), pages 1-19, March.
    16. Mirko Licchetta & Eric Meyermans, 2022. "Gross Fixed Capital Formation in the Euro Area During the COVID-19 Pandemic," Intereconomics: Review of European Economic Policy, Springer;ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics;Centre for European Policy Studies (CEPS), vol. 57(4), pages 238-246, July.
    17. Andrew J. Trant & Wiebe Nijland & Kira M. Hoffman & Darcy L. Mathews & Duncan McLaren & Trisalyn A. Nelson & Brian M. Starzomski, 2016. "Intertidal resource use over millennia enhances forest productivity," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 7(1), pages 1-8, November.
    18. Rita Yi Man Li & Yi Lut Li & M. James C. Crabbe & Otilia Manta & Muhammad Shoaib, 2021. "The Impact of Sustainability Awareness and Moral Values on Environmental Laws," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(11), pages 1-26, May.
    19. Bertoldi, Paolo & Mosconi, Rocco, 2020. "Do energy efficiency policies save energy? A new approach based on energy policy indicators (in the EU Member States)," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 139(C).
    20. Alan Murray & Keith Skene & Kathryn Haynes, 2017. "The Circular Economy: An Interdisciplinary Exploration of the Concept and Application in a Global Context," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 140(3), pages 369-380, February.
    21. Raimund Bleischwitz, 2010. "International economics of resource productivity – Relevance, measurement, empirical trends, innovation, resource policies," International Economics and Economic Policy, Springer, vol. 7(2), pages 227-244, August.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. George Halkos & Iacovos Psarianos, 2016. "Exploring the effect of including the environment in the neoclassical growth model," Environmental Economics and Policy Studies, Springer;Society for Environmental Economics and Policy Studies - SEEPS, vol. 18(3), pages 339-358, July.
    2. Fernandes, Leonardo H.S. & de Araújo, Fernando H.A. & Silva, Igor E.M. & Neto, Jusie S.P., 2021. "Macroeconophysics indicator of economic efficiency," Physica A: Statistical Mechanics and its Applications, Elsevier, vol. 573(C).
    3. Serguei Kaniovski & Thomas Url & Helmut Hofer & Viola Garstenauer, 2021. "A Long-run Macroeconomic Model of the Austrian Economy (A-LMM 2.0). New Results (2021)," WIFO Studies, WIFO, number 67377.
    4. Iris Claus & David Haugh & Grant Scobie & Jonas Tornquist, 2001. "Saving and growth in an open economy," Treasury Working Paper Series 01/32, New Zealand Treasury.
    5. Mohammad Razib Hossain, 2024. "Killing billions to save millions? Analyzing the double jeopardy of fossil-fuel-led economic development in Bangladesh," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 26(8), pages 20679-20710, August.
    6. Cristina I. Fernandes & Pedro Mota Veiga & João J.M. Ferreira & Mathew Hughes, 2021. "Green growth versus economic growth: Do sustainable technology transfer and innovations lead to an imperfect choice?," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 30(4), pages 2021-2037, May.
    7. Andrew Wear, 2023. "Emergent concepts in local economic development," Local Economy, London South Bank University, vol. 38(8), pages 804-826, December.
    8. Leiva, Benjamin & Ramirez, Octavio A. & Schramski, John R., 2019. "A framework to consider energy transfers within growth theory," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 178(C), pages 624-630.
    9. Halkos, George & Psarianos, Iacovos, 2015. "The effect of including the environment in the neoclassical growth model," MPRA Paper 68050, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    10. van de Klundert, T.C.M.J. & Smulders, J.A., 1991. "Reconstructing growth theory : A survey," Other publications TiSEM 19355c51-17eb-4d5d-aa66-b, Tilburg University, School of Economics and Management.
    11. Matthias Firgo & Peter Mayerhofer, 2015. "Wissens-Spillovers und regionale Entwicklung - welche strukturpolitische Ausrichtung optimiert des Wachstum?," Working Paper Reihe der AK Wien - Materialien zu Wirtschaft und Gesellschaft 144, Kammer für Arbeiter und Angestellte für Wien, Abteilung Wirtschaftswissenschaft und Statistik.
    12. Liu, Tung & Li, Kui-Wai, 2006. "Disparity in factor contributions between coastal and inner provinces in post-reform China," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 17(4), pages 449-470.
    13. Asongu, Simplice & Amavilah, Voxi & Andrés, Antonio R., 2014. "Economic Implications of Business Dynamics for KE-Associated Economic Growth and Inclusive Development in African Countries," MPRA Paper 63793, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    14. Robert M. Solow, 2000. "La teoria neoclassica della crescita e della distribuzione," Moneta e Credito, Economia civile, vol. 53(210), pages 149-185.
    15. Risa Arai & Martin Calisto Friant & Walter J. V. Vermeulen, 2024. "The Japanese Circular Economy and Sound Material-Cycle Society Policies: Discourse and Policy Analysis," Circular Economy and Sustainability, Springer, vol. 4(1), pages 619-650, March.
    16. Cristina Brasili & Luciano Gutierrez, 2004. "Regional convergence across European Union," Development and Comp Systems 0402002, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    17. Miketa, Asami & Mulder, Peter, 2005. "Energy productivity across developed and developing countries in 10 manufacturing sectors: Patterns of growth and convergence," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 27(3), pages 429-453, May.
    18. Millar, Neal & McLaughlin, Eoin & Börger, Tobias, 2019. "The Circular Economy: Swings and Roundabouts?," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 158(C), pages 11-19.
    19. Irmen, Andreas, 2018. "A Generalized Steady-State Growth Theorem," Macroeconomic Dynamics, Cambridge University Press, vol. 22(4), pages 779-804, June.
    20. Ramesh Chandra Das & Sujata Mukherjee, 2020. "Do Spending on R&D Influence Income? An Enquiry on the World’s Leading Economies and Groups," Journal of the Knowledge Economy, Springer;Portland International Center for Management of Engineering and Technology (PICMET), vol. 11(4), pages 1295-1315, December.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:pal:palcom:v:12:y:2025:i:1:d:10.1057_s41599-025-04428-4. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.nature.com/ .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.