Towards sustainable household energy use in the Netherlands

Households consume direct energy, using natural gas, heating oil, gasoline and electricity, and consume indirect energy, the energy related to the production of goods and the delivery of services for the households. Past trends and present-day household energy use (direct and indirect) are analysed and described. A comparison of these findings with objectives concerning ecological sustainability demonstrates that present-day household energy use is not sustainable. A scenario towards sustainable household energy use is designed containing far-reaching measures with regard to direct energy use. Scenario evaluation shows a substantial reduction of direct energy use; however, this is not enough to meet the sustainability objectives. Based on these results, the possibilities and the limitations are discussed to enable households to make their direct and indirect energy use sustainable on the long run.     

Changing consumption patterns and CO2 reduction

Today, most countries are facing national CO₂ targets focused on production and direct energy use. However, two important driving forces are increased consumption and changing consumption patterns. In this paper, we analyse the impact from household consumption on CO₂ emissions. Household energy use is taken into account, as is the consumption of commodities and services produced by industry. Based on Danish data, we estimate the CO₂ impact from different commodities. Further, we analyse the impact of changes in commodity mix in Danish household consumption in the period from 1966 to 1992. The results show that the change in commodity mix has been insufficient to compensate for the overall growth in Danish consumption. Further, we see that the consumption of food is a main contributor to overall Danish CO₂ emissions.     

Different sources of rural household energy consumption and influencing factors in Dazu,China

Rural household energy consumption is an important component of national energy consumption. This paper explores the rural household energy consumption status and influencing factors on different sources of rural household energy consumption in western China. Using data from a survey of 240 households conducted in 2017, this study finds that rural households’ energy consumption structure in the study area is a combination of traditional biomass energy and commercial energy sources. Fuelwood is the most commonly used fuel in the study area, while modern energy sources only occupy a low proportion. Rural household energy consumption is influenced by various factors. Individual perceptions of climate change, social trust and networks, and households’ socio-economic and demographic factors (gender, age, education, income per capita, household size, household location, and number of household appliances) are identified as having significant effects on rural households’ consumption of biomass and commercial energies. The research results provide implications for policy makers to formulate related rural energy policies to improve the rural energy consumption structure and future energy policy design in China and other developing countries.

     

Biofuel consumption,biodiversity, and the environmental Kuznets curve: trivariate analysis in a panel of biofuel consuming countries

This study examined the relationship between biofuel consumption, forest biodiversity, and a set of national scale indicators of per capita income, foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows, trade openness, and population density with a panel data of 12 biofuels consuming countries for a period of 2000 to 2013. The study used Global Environmental Facility (GEF) biodiversity benefits index and forest biodiversity index in an environmental Kuznets curve (EKC) framework. The results confirmed an inverted U-shaped relationship between GEF biodiversity index and per capita income, while there is flat/no relationship between carbon emissions and economic growth, and between forest biodiversity and economic growth models. FDI inflows and trade openness both reduce carbon emissions while population density and biofuel consumption increase carbon emissions and decrease GEF biodiversity index. Trade openness supports to increases GEF biodiversity index while it decreases forest biodiversity index and biofuel consumption in a region.

     

Sustainable household consumption and quality of life: the acceptability of sustainable consumption patterns and consumer policy strategies

A multidisciplinary computer-based field study among 393 Dutch households examined how people judge the 'social' sustainability (quality-of-life effects) of 'environmentally' sustainable household consumption patterns (less energy-use demanding) and associated policy options. The study revealed that about two-thirds of the households had to reduce their direct and indirect energy use within the next five years in order to move towards environmentally sustainable consumption patterns. The least sustainable consumption patterns were found among high-income groups and young couples. Overall, respondents did not believe that their quality of life will be affected as long as the necessary reduction of energy use stays below 30 gigajoules (24% of their total household energy use). Moreover, respondents were willing to accept almost all energy-saving policy measures. However, respondents did appear to be more willing to pay for sustaining their comfort, freedom and pleasure while reducing the environmental impact of their consumption than they were to give up some of their quality of life.     

“Green” economic development in China: quantile regression evidence from the Yangtze River Economic Belt

As China’s economy began transitioning from one focused on high-speed growth to one focusing on high-quality development, sustainable green development has become the main goal pursued by the government. This study empirically measures the marginal impact of per capita GDP, technological innovation level, industrial structure, openness, fiscal decentralization, and urbanization level on per capita wastewater discharge in 11 provinces (cities) along the Yangtze River Economic Belt (YREB) from 2008 to 2018 using a quantile model. The key findings were as follows: (1) factors such as the per capita GDP, industrial structure, foreign direct investment, and urbanization in the YREB significantly increased water resource pollution; (2) the quantile model regression results showed that the relationship between economic growth and ecological pollution followed the so-called environmental Kuznets inverted U-curve. Wastewater discharge per capita was low in areas with low per capita GDP, meaning that the ecological environment in these areas was more fragile and that the environmental pollution costs due to economic growth were therefore relatively much higher in these areas; (3) fiscal decentralization significantly reduced water resource pollution in relatively developed areas although the effects in the relatively developing areas were not significant; and (4) the effects of technological innovation on reducing water resource pollution in the YREB were positive but not very significant. The results also confirmed that traditional patterns of economic growth increased water pollution in the YREB. For this reason, the government needs to urgently improve policies—for example, upgrading economic structures, preventing over-urbanization, speeding up technological innovation, introducing environmentally friendly foreign investment, and providing more rewards to best practitioners of environmental governance—that is conducive to the achievement of green ecological development.

     

Compilation and application of a primary PM2.5 emissions inventory with high sectoral resolution in Japan

To elucidate the macro-structure of the PM_2.5 emissions generated by Japan's economic activities, this paper presents an emission inventory of primary particles of PM_2.5 with high sectoral resolution based on the Japanese Input–Output Tables, comprising some 400 sectors. These primary PM_2.5 emissions were estimated by multiplying the estimated energy consumption associated with each fuel type by a PM₁₀ emission factor incorporating the technological level of dust collection in each sector and the mass ratio of PM_2.5 to PM₁₀. Non-energy emissions from agricultural open burning were also determined. Total PM_2.5 emissions in 2000 were 252 kt, 49% of which were due to mobile emission sources. Changes in total PM_2.5 emissions between 1990 and 2000 were also calculated. This showed that a substantial increase in energy sector emissions due to rising coal consumption was offset by a sharp decline in emissions from road vehicles and shipping vessels, resulting in an overall decrease in total emissions. In addition, the emissions induced by economic demand in each sector were quantified by means of input–output analysis, which revealed that demand for construction, foods and communications and services constituted the principal causes of real domestic emissions. An assessment of sectoral contributions to PM_2.5 emissions that takes into account the effects of human exposure, expressed as external costs, suggests that the contribution of transportation is greater than indicated on the grounds of direct emissions alone.     

经济发展,碳排放和经济演化

本文用计量经济学的方法通过对中国、日本、美国的时间序列分析和１９９０年的全球截面数据分析,探讨了经济增长与ＣＯ２排放的关系。并重点分析了人口增长、能源消费强度变化的人均碳排放的影响。分析表明从政策角度而言,人均碳排放与人均ＧＤＰ之间不存在Ｋｕｚｎｅｔｓ曲线。人口增长和人均ＧＤＰ的增加是人均碳排放增加的主要来源,而ＧＤＰ能源消费强度的下降则是碳排放减少的重要来源。     

A comparative study on per capita waste generation according to a waste collecting system in Korea

As cities are becoming increasingly aware of problems related to conventional mobile collection systems, automated pipeline-based vacuum collection (AVAC) systems have been introduced in some densely populated urban areas. The reasons are that in addition to cost savings, AVAC systems can be efficient, hygienic, and environmentally friendly. Despite difficulties in making direct comparisons of municipal waste between a conventional mobile collection system and an AVAC system, it is meaningful to measure the quantities in each of these collection methods either in total or on a per capita generation of waste (PCGW, g/(day*capita)) basis. Thus, the aim of this study was to assess the difference in per capita generation of household waste according to the different waste collection methods in Korea. Observations on household waste show that there were considerable differences according to waste collection methods. The value of per capita generation of food waste (PCGF) indicates that a person in a city using AVAC produces 60 % of PCGF (109.58 g/(day*capita)), on average, compared with that of a truck system (173.10 g/(day*capita)) as well as 23 %p less moisture component than that with trucks. The value of per capita generation of general waste (PCGG) in a city with an AVAC system showed 147.73 g/(day*capita), which is 20 % less than that with trucks delivered (185 g/(day*capita)). However, general waste sampled from AVAC showed a 35 %p increased moisture content versus truck delivery.     

Migration,markets, and mangrove resource use on Kosrae,Federated States of Micronesia

Kosrae, Federated States of Micronesia, is a prototype of an island economy prone to economic crowding. Average family size is large, the habitable land area is small, economic activity is limited, and household dependence on natural resources for fuel and food is high. We analyze how economic crowding--and its mitigation through trade and migration policies--affects mangrove resource use. A comparison of household survey data from 1996 and 2000 indicates that despite decreases in US aid and public-sector jobs, average household consumption of mangrove resources has not increased. Migration and remittances have allowed the purchase of imported fuel and building materials substituting for mangrove wood. Despite changing preferences and shifts toward import consumption, population growth and further declines in US financial support will likely cause aggregate demand for mangrove and upland wood to rise. Moreover, continued emigration may accelerate the export of mangrove crabs to off-island Kosraeans.     

Temporal dynamics and spatial differences of household carbon emissions per capita of China’s provinces during 2000–2019

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - To assess the characteristics of household carbon emissions per capita (HCPC), this paper divided China’s provinces into 4 groups based on the...     

Current and future perspectives on energy use and environmental impact

Energy consumption throughout the world contributes to pollution, environmental deterioration, and greenhouse gas emissions. Increases in energy consumption are usually driven by population growth and economic development that tends to increase energy use per capita. Thus, the projected increase in population in the near future, and the economic development that is likely in many countries, have serious implications for the environment. Since the early 1980s the relationship between energy use and environmental impact has received attention, and a number of activities have focused on this topic. In this paper, four important areas related to current and future patterns of environmental impact are introduced and discussed in detail: environmental impact, energy consumption, energy efficiency and conservation, and fuel substitution. We conclude that further political, economic and institutional changes from the standpoint of environmental impact appear to be necessary for future energy policies. To this end, energy efficiency improvements and renewable energy resources can play important roles in controlling and reducing environmental impact.     

The role of partisan conflict in environmental sustainability targets of the United States

The prevailing political atmosphere and partisanship in the United States depict the degree of polarization between the two major political parties of the country. Evidently, the polarization between the Democratic Party (DP) and the Republican Party will expectedly drive the partisan conflict to the higher levels. Considering this motivation, this paper examined the role of partisan conflict in the pollutant emissions in the case of the United States. For sound empirical analysis, the impacts of other environmental quality determinants are being examined over the period 1960–2015. In order to present a decent argument that is viable for policy implementation, the study adopts the combined methodologies of Johansen cointegration; the autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) of Pesaran et al. J Am Stat Assoc 94(446):621–634 (1999); and the Toda and Yamamoto J Econ 66(1–2):225–250 (1995) Granger causality. Empirical outcomes show (i) the kg oil equivalent per capita energy consumed exercise positive and significant impacts on metric tons of per capita CO2 emissions, and it is the principal determinant of environmental degradation in both the short-run and the long-run (ii) renewable energy consumption and economic growth also exercise negative and significant impacts on metric tons of per capita CO2 emissions. Based on our empirical findings, we conclude that partisan conflict indirectly plays a significant role in environmental sustainability targets of the United States. Thus, we are of the opinion that the government should avoid heightened partisan conflict among the political parties in order to promote sustainable environmental policies that would enhance sound and clean environment for both the immediate and the future generation.     

Capital and Operating Costs of Selected Air Pollution Control Systems—V

Several methods are available for estimating the capital costs of systems and each has its own degree of accuracy. These methods range from presenting overall installed costs on a per unit basis, to detailed cost estimates based on preliminary designs, schematics, and contractor quotes. The least accurate method is the equating of overall capital costs to a basic operating parameter such as tons per hour or cfm since this method only produces accuracies in the "order of magnitude" category, at best. The detailed cost estimate, in turn, can produce accuracies of ±5 % depending on the amount of preliminary engineering involved. These estimates, however, take many months of engineering effort and require process and engineering flow sheets, material and energy balances, plot plans, and equipment arrangement drawings before a cost estimate can be developed. For first-cut estimating purposes, the technique described in this article for developing capital costs for a specific pollution control system is based on the factored method of establishing direct and indirect installations costs as a function of known equipment costs. The cost factors developed are based on both quoted and estimated installation costs of pollution control systems. The annual operating costs for these systems are based on unit costs for utilities and operating and maintenance labor together with fixed percentages of capital costs for the indirect costs.     

Virtual phosphorus ore requirement of Japanese economy

Phosphorus is indispensable for agricultural production. Hence, the consumption of imported food indirectly implies the import of phosphorus resources. The global consumption of agricultural products depends on a small number of ore-producing countries. For sustainable management of phosphorus resources, the global supply and demand network should be clarified. In this study, we propose the virtual phosphorus ore requirement as a new indicator of the direct and indirect phosphorus requirements for our society. The virtual phosphorus ore requirement indicates the direct and indirect demands for phosphorus ore transformed into agricultural products and fertilizer. In this study, the virtual phosphorus ore requirement was evaluated for the Japanese economy in 2005. Importantly, the results show that our society requires twice as much phosphorus ore as the domestic demand for fertilizer production. The phosphorus contained in “eaten” agricultural products was only 12% of virtual phosphorus ore requirement.     

Biocapacity convergence clubs in Latin America: an analysis of their determining factors using quantile regressions

Latin America experiences an increasing urban primacy index and a rapid expansion of the financial system, putting direct pressure on the demand for resources to satisfy the consumption of large cities. We investigate the convergence of per capita biocapacity in 16 Latin America countries and evaluate the factors that influence its evolution over time. Specifically, we analyze the impact of the urban primacy index, economic progress, and the financial globalization index on the convergence of per capita biocapacity. We use the methodological framework developed by Phillips and Sul Econometrica 75:1771-1855, (2007) to analyze the convergence and the formation of convergence clubs of biocapacity during 1970–2017. The findings indicate that the countries of the region do not share a common trend of biocapacity, although they are grouped into five converging clubs. Biocapacity transition analysis reveals that countries have heterogeneous transition pathways between them. Using marginal effects, we find that the urban primacy index and economic progress reduce the biocapacity. The effect of the financial globalization index on biocapacity is not conclusive. The quantile regressions reveal that quantiles’ impact of the urban primacy index and financial globalization on per capita biocapacity is heterogeneous. However, the effect of economic progress on biocapacity that predominates among quantiles is positive. The adoption of common policies among the countries that form the converging clubs could improve the effectiveness of pro-environmental policies and promote the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals related to environmental quality.

     

Do renewable energies contribute to enhancing environmental quality in Eastern Africa?

East Africa has enormous renewable energy potential, but only a small portion of it has been exploited, and little is known on its role in improving environmental quality. Thus, this study empirically examines the impact of renewable energy on the environment using ecological footprint (EF; positive indicator) and CO₂ emissions (negative indicator) as proxy indicators for environmental quality in a panel of ten East African countries from 1990 to 2015. These indicators were chosen due to their potential impact in the environment. The work used the pooled mean group (PMG) as the main panel estimator to determine the impact while controlling non-renewable energy consumption, GDP per capita, and foreign direct investment (FDI). PMG has been used as it forces the long-run coefficients to be equal across all panel groups. The findings show that in the long run, there is a significant negative relationship between CO₂ emissions and renewable energy consumption, as well as a significant positive relationship (with a low impact) between EF and renewable energy consumption, suggesting that renewable energy use enhances the area’s environmental quality. Also, results indicate that non-renewable energy use degrades environmental quality in both metrics, whereas GDP degrades environmental quality through CO₂ emissions and improves environmental quality through EF. This requires East African countries to focus a higher emphasis on accessible renewable energy sources to achieve quick and sustainable economic growth and minimize environmental effects. To accomplish this, strategic policies and legislation, as well as the promotion of green technology, are required.

     

Economic complexity,ICT, biomass energy consumption,and environmental degradation: evidence from Iran

Economic complexity, biomass energy consumption, and information communication technology (ICT) have diverse impacts on energy consumption and carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions. Nevertheless, analysis of these variable effects is not addressed in the previous literature; the antiqueness of this article is stuffing this gap. This study assessed the relationship between gross domestic product (GDP) per capita, biomass consumption, economic complexity index (ECI), ICT, and CO₂ emissions in Iran in 1994–2018. The autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) model and the quantile regression (QR) econometric technique were used to investigate the factors affecting CO₂ emissions in the tails of the conditional distribution. The share of each influential factor was predicted through the variance decomposition analysis (VD) for the next 10 years. The empirical results showed a long-run relationship between the variables. So, the variables of biomass consumption, ECI, and ICT improve the quality of the environment in Iran by reducing CO₂ emissions, and the per capita GDP variable increases CO₂ emissions. Results suggest no evidence indicating the presence of environmental Kuznets curve (EKC); however, QR demonstrated the existence of EKCs in the lower quantiles of the conditional distribution. The ECI will have the most share to change the CO₂ emissions in the future. The income threshold should be determined at the turning point of the EKC to increase economic development. Moreover, investing in increasing biomass consumption is vital. Policymakers also need to consider strict added value for the export of products.

     

湖北省能源消费CO2与大气污染物协同减排研究

以2015年为基准年,基于拓展的STIRPAT模型预测2025年湖北省能源消费CO2和主要大气污染物排放量.通过设置基准(记为BAU)情景、低碳(记为LC)情景和强化低碳(记为ELC)情景3种控制情景,测算CO2和主要大气污染物的减排量,并运用污染物减排量交叉弹性法评价了CO2减排对主要大气污染物的协同效应.结果表明,...     

The global contribution of energy consumption by product exports from China

This paper presents a model to analyze the mechanism of the global contribution of energy usage by product exports. The theoretical analysis is based on the perspective that contribution estimates should be in relatively smaller sectors in which the production characteristics could be considered, such as the productivity distribution for each sector. Then, we constructed a method to measure the global contribution of energy usage. The simple method to estimate the global contribution is the percentage of goods export volume compared to the GDP as a multiple of total energy consumption, but this method underestimates the global contribution because it ignores the structure of energy consumption and product export in China. According to our measurement method and based on the theoretical analysis, we calculated the global contribution of energy consumption only by industrial manufactured product exports in a smaller sector per industry or manufacturing sector. The results indicated that approximately 42% of the total energy usage in the whole economy for China in 2013 was contributed to foreign regions. Along with the primary products and service export in China, the global contribution of energy consumption for China in 2013 by export was larger than 42% of the total energy usage.