135187 20260217205602.0 doi 10.1016/j.envsci.2024.103778 sideral 138547 ART-2024-138547 eng Corsi, Giulio Uneven development and core-periphery dynamics: A journey into the perspective of ecologically unequal exchange 2024 Access copy available to the general public Unrestricted There is an imperative need to transition towards sustainable societies to mitigate the consequences of the ongoing social-ecological crisis. This transition not only requires technical advancements, but also the reconsideration of our environmental paradigms and policies shaping the inter-relationships between human societies and natural ecosystems. The perspective of “ecologically unequal exchange” is receiving increasing attention in the academic debate, highlighting the unequal distribution of environmental costs and benefits across different regions, social groups, and generations. This theory posits that such inequalities arise from unaccounted dynamics of global development perpetuated by current environmental and trade policies. Through these, regions of the Core have achieved high levels of consumption and economic growth by exploiting the natural resources and labor of the global Periphery and Semi-periphery, while leaving behind a legacy of ecological degradation, social injustice, and debt. This article contributes to the understanding of ecologically unequal exchange theories, their evolution over time and related implications for sustainability policies. To do so, we perform a bibliometric analysis to assess the evolution and trends of ecologically unequal exchange literature in English-language journals followed by a literature review illustrating the origins of the concept, the theoretical debate, and empirical advances in the field. We find ecologically unequal exchange to be a rising research area with increasing empirical focus, fostered by interdisciplinary collaboration. Moreover, we juxtapose theories of ecologically unequal exchange with the contrasting paradigm of “Ecological Modernization” and the narratives of green growth and decoupling that underpin contemporary global sustainability policies, to elucidate key distinctions. info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess by-nc-nd https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/deed.es 5.2 2024 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES 87 / 376 = 0.231 2024 Q1 T1 1.715 2024 Management, Monitoring, Policy and Law 2024 Q1 Geography, Planning and Development 2024 Q1 10.4 2024 info:eu-repo/semantics/article info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion Guarino, Raffaele Muñoz-Ulecia, Enrique Sapio, Alessandro Franzese, Pier Paolo 157 (2024), 103778 [12 pp.] Environ. sci. policy ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & POLICY 1462-9011 4540186 http://zaguan.unizar.es/record/135187/files/texto_completo.pdf Versión publicada 2506282 http://zaguan.unizar.es/record/135187/files/texto_completo.jpg?subformat=icon icon Versión publicada oai:zaguan.unizar.es:135187 articulos driver 2026-02-17-20:45:02 ARTICLE