Sustainability assessment of a farm in the Chianti area (Italy)

In the study of agricultural systems, where land fertility and environmental conditions are primary factors, it is essential to consider both the efficiency and the environmental sustainability of processes. Emergy analysis, introduced by H.T. Odum [Science 242 (1988) 1132], is an approach developed at the interface between thermodynamics systems ecology. It was here used to obtain sustainability indicators and to assess the efficiency of a complex agricultural system, a farm in the Chianti area.The results for different crops were compared with Italian averages to obtain an idea of the long-term sustainability of this agricultural system. The cultivation of all the crops on the farm, except grapes, was more efficient and had less impact on the environment than the Italian standards. The Chianti grapes were compared not only with the Italian average but also with grapes of similar high quality, ‘Brunello di Montalcino’ and ‘Nobile di Montepulciano’, both grown in the same region. The production of grapes in the Chianti vineyard was more efficient and had an intermediate environmental impact, in the emergy sense, with respect to the other two systems.The proportion of emergy inputs to the farm that are local or renewable is quite high. Thus the emergy analysis demonstrated that the Chianti farm has a relatively good long-term sustainability considering both the whole system, and its individual crops.     

中国可再生能源发展的环境影响及管理对策

可再生能源并不是“绝对的”清洁能源,其产业链的部分环节也会污染环境和破坏生态。环境管理不善是造成可再生能源项目生态环境破坏的重要原因之一．巨额投资对经济发展的带动作用导致其环保问题被忽视。未来我国可再生能源将持续快速发展,环境影响及生态破坏问题将有可能集中爆发,必须采取有效的管理措施,避免可再生能源环境污染及生态破坏问题,促进可再生能源产业全面均衡健康发展。     

Assessment of renewable energy potential and policy in Turkey – Toward the acquisition period in European Union

This paper aims to assess the renewable energy capacity of Turkey in order to consider main priorities in the energy policy of Turkey. In this paper, renewable energy potential and regulatory conditions are discussed in Turkey in comparison with European Union. The results of the study implemented within the framework of EnviroGRIDS project indicated a promising yet very susceptible future for the implementation of renewable energy power plants in Turkey. The forecasts have shown that the solar power potential utilization is becoming more significant after 2020. The projections for 2050 indicate that electricity consumption from small and medium renewable energy sources including solar and wind will constitute 15% of the total, whereas the solar thermal will constitute around 16%. Geothermal and other renewables will remain around 3%. According to the high demand scenario, in 2050 the share of hydropower in overall electricity generation will be 12%, followed by solar power at 7% and wind power at 3%. Additionally, renewable energy policy and regulations in Turkey and in EU are overviewed in this study. On the contrary to EU, the constant feed-in tariff amount does not consider capital investments of specific energy sources in Turkey that brings disadvantage to the implementation. However, new regulations published and currently applied should be accepted as milestones in acquisition period of Turkey in EU.     

“煤改气”投资对宏观经济的拉动效应:基于北京市可计算一般均衡模型分析

“煤改气”是我国大气污染防治行动计划的政策措施之一,国内外目前对“煤改气”政策实施的环境效果研究较多,但对“煤改气”投资对宏观经济的拉动作用研究较少. 为综合评价“煤改气”政策的整体效果、探讨“煤改气”投资对宏观经济的拉动作用,以北京市为例,构建了北京市可计算一般均衡模型(MRDR-BJ),基于2017年北京市投入产出表,模拟不同情景下“煤改气”投资对宏观经济的拉动效应. 结果表明:随着“煤改气”投资的增加,北京市宏观经济增加值、温室气体排放量、就业量、家庭收入均增加;“煤改气”投资每增加20%,这些宏观指标分别增长0.05%、0.07%、0.07%和0.07%;“煤改气”投资对宏观经济的拉动系数为1.77. 研究显示,“煤改气”投资对宏观经济具有较大的拉动效应,建议全国各地尽快落实“煤改气”规划,以加快大气污染治理、促进生态环境建设,助力我国碳达峰、碳中和中长期目标的实现.      

Millennium development goals and clean development: synergies in the Pacific

This paper addresses synergies between the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM), and considers how the CDM can facilitate the MDGs in Pacific Island Countries (PICs). To date, only 6 CDM projects have been registered in PICs, highlighting the ‘lose-lose’ business case that applies to this type of project development. This paper identifies constraints on and opportunities for CDM project development in PICs, and proposes a range of specific policy reform measures that could alter existing negative investment profiles. Key findings are that small-scale agricultural projects providing renewable energy from existing sources of biomass (currently seen as waste) are ideal candidates for CDM investment in PICs, and that the single most important reform to facilitate CDM activity and contribute to achieving the MDGs would be the implementation of a regional approach to CDM administration, in which a regional body became the designated CDM Authority for all states in the region. This would offset investment risk, improve governance transparency, and facilitate a targeted approach to sustainable development activities in the Pacific region.     

Analysis of Long-term Energy and Carbon Emission Scenarios for India

In the coming years India faces greatchallenges in energy and environment. Thepath of development chosen by India, uponwhich lies the future growth of energy andemission trajectories, would be greatlyinfluenced by technological developmentsboth within and outside the country,economic cooperation between countries, andglobal cooperation in limiting greenhousegas emissions. This paper discusses theintegrated modeling system used fordeveloping and analyzing the long-termtrajectories and presents results for thescenarios developed. In the context ofongoing market reforms two scenarios –accelerated and decelerated reforms – aredeveloped depicting fast and slow progressin energy sector reforms compared toexpectations in the baseline scenario.Accelerated market reforms would spurimprovements in technological efficiencies.Reforms would lower investment risks inIndia, thereby stimulating increased levelsof foreign direct investment. On the otherhand in decelerated reform scenarioeconomic growth is lower than that in thebase case, there is low access to capital,and technological improvements lag behindthose in the base case. In another scenariowe assume specific policy interventions forpenetration of renewable technologies overthe baseline scenario, for promotion andaccelerated deployment of renewable energytechnologies over and above the baselineassumptions. A scenario with carbon(c) constraints has also been developed and theresults discussed.     

Linking the emissions trading schemes of Europe and China - Combining climate and energy policy instruments

Both Europe and China have announced targets for greenhouse gas emissions reduction and renewable energy development. To achieve their emissions targets, Europe has introduced emissions trading scheme (ETS) since 2005 and China has planned to establish a national ETS in 2015. We assess the impact of a joint Europe-China ETS when both climate and energy policy instruments are simulated in a multiregional general equilibrium model. Our results show that a joint ETS markedly increases total carbon emissions from fossil fuels even though global mitigation costs are reduced. Moreover, a joint ETS helps China achieve its renewable energy target, but for Europe, it works opposite. While the renewable energy target does not help Europe achieve additional abatement, the renewable energy target in China reduces mitigation costs and emissions, and increases renewable energy consumption and sales of carbon allowances. Financial transfer through a joint ETS remains marginal compared to China’s demand for renewable energy subsidies. We conclude that as long as an absolute emissions cap is missing in China, a joint ETS is not attractive for mitigation and China’s renewable energy target can reduce emissions.     

Knowledge brokerage designs and practices in four european climate services: A role model for biodiversity policies?

Environmental policies are broadly claimed to rely on sound scientific evidence because of the complexity, the uncertainty and the diverging political stakes that characterize issues like biodiversity decline or climate change. Classical advisory formats like assessments or standing advisory bodies have proliferated widely – especially at the global and national levels – yet exert only a limited influence on political decision-making, particularly in sub-national and local implementation contexts. Against this background, scholars have called for ‘bottom-up’ approaches to Science-policy interfaces that move from ‘problem to policy’. In the area of climate change, numerous ‘climate services’ have evolved at national, sub-national and even local levels, with the promise of being more decision-oriented. Four climate services in three European countries (the United Kingdom, Germany and Switzerland) are investigated regarding whether and how they institutionalize and enact knowledge brokerage in a credible, salient and legitimate way. Focusing on the institutional and strategic design principles of this advisory setting in climate policy, insights are generated for the biodiversity policy field, where comparable settings are still broadly lacking.     

基于能值分析的小型港口可持续发展评价:以海阳港为例

运用能值分析构建小型港口发展可持续性评价模型和指标体系,以中国山东省烟台市海阳港为研究对象,利用2015年数据分析和评价了该港口生态经济系统的特征和可持续性。研究结果表明:（1）2015年海阳港生态经济系统的能值总投入为2.91×1021 sej,不可更新工业辅助能占主体地位;（2）能值自给率、集疏运稳定性、净能值产出率、单位吞吐量能值消耗、能值生态承载力和可持续发展能力指标均低于同行业或同地区平均水平,废弃物能值比率、环境负荷率、能值交换率和能值密度指标处于较高水平;（3）存在对可更新自然资源利用少、来自外部购买能值比例过高和对污水、固体废物缺乏有效的综合利用的问题;（4）有必要在节约能源、设备降耗、利用可再生能源、水资源循环利用和构筑物造价控制5个方面采取有效措施,增强港口可持续发展能力。     

上海市电力CO_2排放特征及减排途径分析

电力作为一种二次能源,不同发电方式和发电技术的电力CO2排放系数差别很大。研究发现,上海市2009年电力消费侧的CO2排放高于电力生产侧1 551万t,即上海市净调入电力的CO2排放为1 551万t,可见外来电CO2排放的正确测算对全市及各终端消费部门的CO2排放有重要影响。从排放系数来看,消费侧的CO2排放系数只有生产侧排放系数的81%,得益于外来电中可再生能源比例高于本地电力。2009年由于外来电的引入,上海市电力消费避免了178万t的CO2排放。就火力发电而言,上海市单位发电能耗和CO2排放略低于华东电网平均值,远高于世界先进水平,还有很大下降空间。基于以上研究,从提高火力发电的能效、发展可再生能源、发展分布式供能和其他新能源技术、建设智能电网等方面提出上海市减缓电力CO2排放的途径。     

A European supergrid for renewable energy: local impacts and far-reaching challenges

This article assesses the impact of extensive deployment of indigenous and external renewable energy sources on a local electricity system (Sardinia Island) and discusses the main challenges faced by the European power grids in integrating high shares of renewable-based generation technologies. It presents the 2030 scenarios for the Sardinian power system and the results of steady-state analyses in extreme (renewable) generation and consumption conditions. These results are eventually combined with the assessment of key technology development trends to explain how this can affect the development of a European supergrid. In general, the article stresses that rendering the bulk-power system capable of accommodating high renewable energy penetration not only requires reinforcing the electricity highways but also demands carefully planning the architecture of and the interface with regional power systems.     

Availability,addiction and alternatives: three criteria for assessing the impact of peak minerals on society

The concept of ‘peaks’ in the production of natural resources has attracted attention in the area of energy production, with concerns about ‘peak oil’ driving recent research and investment in alternative sources of energy. There are fundamental and important differences between a peak in the production of oil and peaks in the production of metalliferous minerals, but in both cases production changes from ‘easier and less expensive’ early in a resource’s life to ‘difficult and expensive’ as time progresses. The impacts of this change in production circumstances require critical consideration in the governance of national and sub-national mineral endowments.This paper develops a framework for evaluating the impacts of changing patterns of mineral production. The framework considers three criteria: availability of a resource (considering its geological characteristics and geographical distribution); society’s addiction to the resource (its centrality and criticality to economic, social and environmental systems); and the possibility of finding alternatives (whether the resource can be substituted or recovered). An initial assessment against these criteria provides an overview of how a production peak might affect the production of minerals in Australia and the impacts that this might have on the Australian economy.Assessing important resources against these three criteria will be imperative in future considerations regarding the roles minerals and metals play as service providers in our economic, social and environmental systems. Additionally, this analysis should prompt a reassessment of the value of minerals beyond economic measures. Indicators derived from these criteria will inform strategies that can address future changes in production characteristics – meeting challenges with strong governance, and realising opportunities with proactive policy.     

典型海水淡化系统的水足迹评价

海水淡化是缓解我国水资源匮乏的有效方式之一。目前国内外主要关注海水淡化技术的成本和水质,缺乏对海水淡化水资源效益的量化评价。根据ISO水足迹理论,划定海水淡化量化边界,进行典型海水淡化工艺生产阶段清单分析,建立了海水淡化水足迹量化及评价方法。结果表明:低温多效蒸馏水稀缺足迹比反渗透水稀缺足迹高出3~4倍,2种工艺的海水淡化水稀缺足迹的关键影响因素均为电耗;反渗透工艺的水劣化足迹均低于低温多效蒸馏工艺海水淡化。因此,在样本范围内,反渗透工艺的水资源效益整体优于低温多效蒸馏工艺。水足迹评价研究结果揭示,海水淡化生产阶段的水资源消耗和水质影响,有助于引导海水淡化技术向提高水资源效益和降低能耗、消除水污染的方向发展,以期为海水资源科学开发利用提供技术支撑。     

GIS and rural electricity planning in Uganda

Sustainable development is literally fuelled by the energy sector. In Uganda, the electricity sector has experienced dramatic market liberation in recent years. This reform was centred around the unbundling of the main government utility, Uganda Electricity Board (UEB), a monopoly divided into three companies created to introduce competition into the market. Market reform has also led to the creation of a regulatory body and a rural electrification fund with the aim of subsidising rural electricity investments. Through a multi-sectoral programme financed by the World Bank and the Global Environment Facility (GEF), the Ministry of Energy is developing a Rural Electrification Master Plan to provide a more systematic tool for rural electricity investments. Unlike previous approaches, this plan is demand driven. This paper discusses the use of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) in the planning process for rural electrification. The aim is to identify patterns of demand and priority areas for investment. By creating a demand-side scenario, electricity can then be supplied to targeted areas. A cross-sectoral view is taken to examine the energy demand patterns using physical data and available country statistics, incorporated into a GIS master database. Based on geo-referenced data of population and existing infrastructure, the initial priority demand-side sectors targeted are education and health. An energy benefit point system is then applied to each sector based on local conditions and needs assessments. Their aggregated points then provide an indicator of energy demand distribution for electricity planning at district level. As a result of this preliminary work, specific areas could then be targeted for investment and optimised supply systems could be designed, which include off-grid renewable energy plants such as small-scale hydropower schemes.     

Carbon capture and storage deployment rates: needs and feasibility

Carbon capture and storage (CCS) may become a key technology to limit human-induced global warming, but many uncertainties prevail, including the necessary technological development, costs, legal ramifications, and siting. As such, an important question is the scale of carbon dioxide abatement we require from CCS to meet future climate targets, and whether they appear reasonable. For a number of energy technology and efficiency improvement scenarios, we use a simple climate model to assess the necessary contribution from CCS to ‘fill the gap’ between scenarios’ carbon dioxide emissions levels and the levels needed to meet alternative climate targets. The need for CCS depends on early or delayed action to curb emissions and the characteristics of the assumed energy scenario. To meet a 2.5°C target a large contribution and fast deployment rates for CCS are required. The required deployment rates are much faster than those seen in the deployment of renewable energy technologies as well as nuclear power the last decades, and may not be feasible. This indicates that more contributions are needed from other low-carbon energy technologies and improved energy efficiency, or substitution of coal for gas in the first half of the century. In addition the limited availability of coal and gas by end of the century and resulting limited scope for CCS implies that meeting the 2.5°C target would require significant contributions from one or more of the following options: CCS linked to oil use, biomass energy based CCS (BECCS), and CCS linked to industrial processes.     

碳税对我国宏观经济及可再生能源发电技术的影响——基于电力部门细分的CGE模型

本文基于电力行业上市公司年报数据将传统CGE模型中的电力部门细分为7个发电部门,其中包含水电、风电、光伏和生物质电4个可再生能源发电部门.首先基于传统CGE模型和电力部门细分的CGE模型比较了我国引入可再生能源发电技术前后征收碳税对宏观经济的影响,然后分析了单一碳税政策、碳税与可再生能源发电补贴复合政策对可再生能源发电技术发展的影响.研究发现：引入可再生能源发电技术后,征收碳税对宏观经济的负面影响相比没有引入而言将有所降低;征收碳税将促进可再生能源发电技术的发展;在征收碳税的同时如果对特定可再生能源发电技术给予补贴,可能会对未受到补贴且不具备成本比较优势的可再生能源发电技术产生“挤出效应”.     

Energy transition towards economic and environmental sustainability: feasible paths and policy implications

This paper focuses on growth feasibility in an era of increasing scarcity of fossil fuels. A stylised dynamic model illustrates the implications of investing in smooth technological progress in the field of renewable energy. Positive rates of GDP growth sustained by fossil fuels entail, on the one hand, more income available for R&D in renewable energy sources, and on the other, an acceleration of the exhaustible resource depletion time. Our model explores such a trade-off and highlights the danger of high growth rates. Policies should target low growth rates, stimulate investment in alternative energy sources and discourage consumption growth.     

Energy transition towards economic and environmental sustainability: feasible paths and policy implications

This paper focuses on growth feasibility in an era of increasing scarcity of fossil fuels. A stylised dynamic model illustrates the implications of investing in smooth technological progress in the field of renewable energy. Positive rates of GDP growth sustained by fossil fuels entail, on the one hand, more income available for R&D in renewable energy sources, and on the other, an acceleration of the exhaustible resource depletion time. Our model explores such a trade-off and highlights the danger of high growth rates. Policies should target low growth rates, stimulate investment in alternative energy sources and discourage consumption growth.     

Integrated assessment of CCS in the German power plant sector with special emphasis on the competition with renewable energy technologies

The study presents the results of an integrated assessment of carbon capture and storage (CCS) in the power plant sector in Germany, with special emphasis on the competition with renewable energy technologies. Assessment dimensions comprise technical, economic and environmental aspects, long-term scenario analysis, the role of stakeholders and public acceptance and regulatory issues. The results lead to the overall conclusion that there might not necessarily be a need to focus additionally on CCS in the power plant sector. Even in case of ambitious climate protection targets, current energy policy priorities (expansion of renewable energies and combined heat and power plants as well as enhanced energy productivity) result in a limited demand for CCS. In case that the large energy saving potential aimed for can only partly be implemented, the rising gap in CO₂ reduction could only be closed by setting up a CCS-maximum strategy. In this case, up to 22% (41 GW) of the totally installed load in 2050 could be based on CCS. Assuming a more realistic scenario variant applying CCS to only 20 GW or lower would not be sufficient to reach the envisaged climate targets in the electricity sector. Furthermore, the growing public opposition against CO₂ storage projects appears as a key barrier, supplemented by major uncertainties concerning the estimation of storage potentials, the long-term cost development as well as the environmental burdens which abound when applying a life-cycle approach. However, recently, alternative applications are being increasingly considered?Cthat is the capture of CO₂ at industrial point sources and biomass based energy production (electricity, heat and fuels) where assessment studies for exploring the potentials, limits and requirements for commercial use are missing so far. Globally, CCS at power plants might be an important climate protection technology: coal-consuming countries such as China and India are increasingly moving centre stage into the debate. Here, similar investigations on the development and the integration of both, CCS and renewable energies, into the individual energy system structures of such countries would be reasonable.     

Constructing risks – Internalisation of flood risks in the flood risk management plan

Traditional flood protection methods have focused efforts on different measures to keep water out of floodplains. However, the European Flood Directive challenges this paradigm (Hartmann and Driessen, 2013). Accordingly, flood risk management plans should incorporate measures brought about by collaboration with local governments to develop and implement these measures (Johann and Leismann, 2014). One of the challenges of these plans is getting and keeping stakeholders involved in the processes related to flood risk management. This research shows that that this challenge revolves around how flood risks are socially constructed.Therefore it is essential to understand and explain the risk perception of stakeholders. System Theory by Luhmann provides the analytical distinction between ‘internal risk’ and ‘external danger’ as key concepts to understand whether or not stakeholders will take action (Luhmann, 1993). While perceptions of ‘external danger’ will not lead to action, perceptions of ‘internal risk’ urge stakeholders to take action.The cases of the rivers Lippe and Emscher in the dense populated region between Duisburg and Dortmund in Germany illustrate how these theoretical concepts materialise in practice. This contribution shows how flood risks are socially constructed and how this construction is influenced by the European flood risk management plan. While clearing up some of the difficulties from the Flood Directive, the research shows a gap between the Flood Directive and the current theory and planning practice, which needs to be addressed in further research.