PhD Thesis

Scientific Profiles

Short Summary

The growing urgency of climate change, environmental degradation, and resource scarcity has placed the principles of sustainable development and the circular economy (CE) at the forefront of global and regional policy agendas. 

The European Union (EU) has committed to ambitious sustainability targets through the European Green Deal (EGD), Agenda 2030, and Agenda 2050, with the goal of safeguarding economic prosperity while achieving climate neutrality at the same time. Despite these advances, persistent challenges remain in the domains of waste management, energy transition, and productivity performance, particularly under the complex pressures of a multi-crisis era characterized by overlapping environmental, social, and geopolitical risks. 

This Thesis contributes to this evolving debate by investigating the interlinkages between sustainable waste management (SWM), eco-efficiency, and productivity performance, with a focus on both cross-country and sectoral perspectives. The present Thesis employs advanced empirical methodologies, including Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA), Malmquist (MPI) and Malmquist-Luenberger productivity indices (MLPI), hybrid Window DEA (WDEA), bootstrap techniques, and convergence models; overall, the Thesis develops an integrated framework to assess how waste flows, GHG emissions, and energy use influence eco-performance and the transition towards CE.

Findings

The findings carry significant policy implications. They demonstrate that eco-productivity and eco-efficiency are not solely dependent on technological innovation, but are also shaped by institutional quality, policy design, and sector-specific characteristics. The Thesis recommends strengthening data collection systems, especially at regional and sectoral levels, to better monitor waste flows and eco-efficiency performance. It also emphasizes the need for differentiated policy approaches that align with sectoral realities and regional disparities, avoiding uniform strategies that may overlook local challenges. Finally, it argues that sustainable development in a multi-crisis era requires a holistic integration of CE principles, waste management, and institutional frameworks, supported by robust empirical tools for policy evaluation.

Conclusions

In conclusion, the present Thesis contributes to the scientific literature and policy debate by providing a comprehensive, multi-level analysis of the interconnections between waste, eco-efficiency, and eco-productivity. The application of innovative methodologies across diverse geographical and sectoral contexts, offers new perspectives on how the CE can serve as both a theoretical framework and a tool of practical strategies for achieving sustainable prosperity. The insights generated by the present Thesis are intended to support the EU and the global community in navigating the complex challenges of the sustainability transition, reinforcing the path towards decarbonization, resilience, and long-term economic and environmental well-being.

Keywords: efficiency; productivity; circular economy; sustainable development.

DOI: 10.12681/eadd/60760 

Seven-member Examining Committee

• Prof. Dr. George E. Halkos
  Professor in Environmental and Resource Economics
  Department of Economics, School of Economics and Business Administration, University of Thessaly.

• Assoc. Prof. Dr. Athina Economou
  Associate Professor in Economics of Social Protection
  Department of Economics, School of Economics and Business Administration, University of Thessaly.

• Assoc. Prof. Dr. Kyriaki Tsilika
  Associate Professor in Computational Economics
  Department of Economics, School of Economics and Business Administration, University of Thessaly.

• Prof. Dr. Ilias S. Kevork
  Professor in Managerial Economics
  Head of the Department of Economics, School of Economics and Business Administration, University of Thessaly.

• Prof. Dr. Konstantinos Evangelinos
  Professor in Corporate Environmental Management
  Department of Environment, School of the Environment, University of the Aegean.

• Assoc. Prof. Dr. Christina Bampatsou
  Associate Professor in Sustainable Development and Efficiency of Decision-Making Units
  Department of Production & Management Engineering, School of Engineering, Democritus University of Thrace.

• Assoc. Prof. Dr. Konstantinos Papaspyropoylos
  Associate Professor in Forest Economics
  School of Forestry and Natural Environment, Faculty of Agriculture, Forestry and Natural Environment, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki.

Dedication

My heartfelt gratitude goes to my parents, Evmorfia-Apostolia, and Christos, my brother George, and my beloved aunt Catherine (Kaka)
for their unwavering support and encouragement over the years.

Moreover, this Thesis is also dedicated to my late grandparents, Vasilia and Panagiotis, whose virtues have guided me to this milestone.