Impact of climate warming upon the fish assemblages of the Portuguese coast under different scenarios

Impact of sea-surface warming upon the fish assemblages of the Portuguese coast was assessed under two scenarios, the A2 and the B2 scenarios (Special Report on Emission Scenarios), which when coupled with a regional circulation model HadRM3 predict 1 and 2°C of sea-surface warming until the year 2100. Species richness increased in the Portuguese coast. In both scenarios, there was a latitudinal gradient in the amount of lost and gained species, increasing from north to south. An anomaly in the latitudinal gradient of species richness was detected in the southernmost area, which presented the lowest species richness of all areas, in the A2 scenario, and appears to be particularly vulnerable to climate change. Very few species were totally eliminated from Portuguese waters. For the Portuguese coast as a whole, there were more new than lost species, in both scenarios. Most of the new species were commercially important species, in the majority subtropical in the north and tropical in the south, mainly demersal and reef-associated. Reef-associated species also increased in relative importance. A commercial opportunity for fisheries may arise from climate warming, since most of the new species were commercial species and not many commercial species were lost. An increasing gradient from north to south was detected in the colonization of new species of herbivores, planktivores, and omnivores, as well as lower mean trophic level, which might have consequences for the future of trophic webs.     

Benefits and costs of oil palm expansion in Central Kalimantan,Indonesia, under different policy scenarios

Deforestation and oil palm expansion in Central Kalimantan province are among the highest in Indonesia. This study examines the physical and monetary impacts of oil palm expansion in Central Kalimantan up to 2025 under three policy scenarios. Our modelling approach combines a spatial logistic regression model with a set of rules governing land use change as a function of the policy scenario. Our physical and monetary analyses include palm oil expansion and five other ecosystem services: timber, rattan, paddy rice, carbon sequestration, and orangutan habitat (the last service is analysed in physical units only). In monetary terms, our analysis comprises the contribution of land and ecosystems to economic production, as measured according to the valuation approach of the System of National Accounts. We focus our analysis on government-owned land which covers around 97 % of the province, where the main policy issues are. We show that, in the business-as-usual scenario, the societal costs of carbon emissions and the loss of other ecosystem services far exceed the benefits from increased oil palm production. This is, in particular, related to the conversion of peatlands. We also show that, for Central Kalimantan, the moratorium scenario, which is modelled based on the moratorium currently in place in Indonesia, generates important economic benefits compared to the business-as-usual scenario. In the moratorium scenario, however, there is still conversion of forest to plantation and associated loss of ecosystem services. We developed an alternative, sustainable production scenario based on an ecosystem services approach and show that this policy scenario leads to higher net social benefits including some more space for oil palm expansion.     

Vulnerability of Catalan (NW Mediterranean) ports to wave overtopping due to different scenarios of sea level rise

The overtopping of port breakwaters may affect the assets located at the breakwater lee side. If adaptation measures are not taken, the sea level rise will increase the overtopping discharges putting those assets at significant risk. This study compares, at a regional scale, overtopping discharges over port breakwaters for three storm conditions (return periods of 1, 5 and 50 years) under present climate as well as for three scenarios of sea level rise based on recent projections. The results indicate that, for the worst storm and sea level rise conditions, the overtopping discharge would not be negligible (larger than 1 l/s/m) in 35 ports (84 %), in contrast to only 18 ports (42 %) being affected under present conditions. In addition, in 28 ports (65 %) the overtopping would be at least one order of magnitude larger than for present conditions. In the case of large storms, in 2 ports the overtopping discharge exceeds 200 l/s/m (the discharge that can initiate breakwater damage) under present conditions, while in the worst scenario of sea level rise the number of ports exceeding this value would be 7. On the other hand, the vulnerability of each port for which overtopping flow is greater than an acceptable discharge flux is assessed, and regional maps of vulnerability are plotted. For the worst storm conditions, 23 % of the Catalan ports have risks associated with overtopping under present climate conditions. This percentage would increase to 47 % in the worst sea level rise scenario.     

欧洲能源复兴计划CCS示范项目实施进展与启示

碳捕集与封存(Carbon Capture and Storage,CCS)作为最有前景可有效深度减排的低碳技术之一,在世界范围内受到广泛推行,特别是欧洲,其作为全球CCS技术的先行者,一直在积极推进该项技术工业化进程.2009年,欧盟委员会(European Commission,EC)启动欧洲能源复兴计划(European Energy Programme for Recovery,EEPR),正式批准资助6个全流程CCS示范项目.这6个CCS示范项目囊括了当前所有可行的CO2工业捕集技术,运输方式以及封存方法,本文将对其基本情况和最近进展进行介绍,并重点对欧盟层面的CCS法律法规与此6个项目所在欧盟成员国的CCS技术与政策环境的交互影响进行比对和分析,以进一步系统评述欧洲能源复兴计划CCS示范项目带来的积极成果,包括达成减排目标和气候政策,建立欧洲CCS示范项目网络共享平台,获得CCS技术研发突破等,同时也详细列举了这些项目目前所面临的阻碍与困境,如相关法律政策缺乏执行力,融资困难,公众接受度低,技术成本高等.最后,试探讨欧盟能源复兴计划CCS全流程示范项目实施发展现状对我国未来CCS商业化走向的思索与启示.     

“中意碳捕集与封存(CCS)技术合作项目”第一次技术研讨会在京举行

2011年5月11日,中意碳捕集与封存(CCS)技术合作项目第一次技术研讨会在北京举行。来自科技部国际合作司、中国21世纪议程管理中心、意大利环境领土与海洋部(IMELS)、意大利国家电力公司(ENEL)、华能集团、清华大学、北京大学、中科院工程热物理研究所、北京石油大学、北京化工大学等多家单位的代表和专家共40多人参加了研讨会。中意碳捕集与封存技术合作项目于2010年10月正式启动,主要围绕中国燃煤电厂     

Scenarios of bioenergy provision: technological developments in a landscape context and their social effects

While it is developing rapidly throughout Germany, bioenergy provision is open to different development opportunities. To understand the cause–effect relationships that drive bioenergy development and explore different development options and their effects on regional development, qualitative scenarios have been drafted using the Görlitz district as an example. The paper introduces the scenario method, with scenarios that are expressed in storylines. Driving forces and their relationships are thereupon reflected. The results show that the relation of the Common Agricultural Policy and Renewable Energy Act is of particular importance for future development in general. For the specific type of development in particular in rural regions, technologies are equally important, as they allow for both strongly central and highly decentralised developments. Due to an increasing diversity of options, the decision between central and decentral developments is, however, less technologically determined, but rather dependent on stakeholders’ decisions. Such stakeholders not only include stakeholders from the production sector, but also include consumers and affected parties, particularly the inhabitants whose living environment is changing rapidly. Both the landscape and society are subject to change. As a major driving force and an impacted system under change itself, social constellations must be taken into account to ensure a sustainable development under the signs of renewable energy expansion. Management tools should consider the interlinkage between landscape, energy, and social systems.     

中国碳排放权交易促进低碳技术创新机制的研究

碳排放权交易已成为我国实施以市场为基础的重要环境规制之一,但此交易市场建设能否诱发我国低碳技术创新的有关研究仍然不足。以我国七个碳排放权交易试点为研究对象,采用合成控制法进行准自然实验,选取2004—2016年全国282个城市的面板数据,评估碳排放权交易试点政策对低碳技术创新的诱发效果,并使用排列检验法进行有效性检验;进而,定量分析碳排放权交易试点正式运行后对低碳技术创新的影响因素,探索七个试点效果差异的成因。研究发现:①碳排放权交易试点政策整体上诱发了试点地区的低碳技术创新活动。②各试点的政策效果存在一定差异,除重庆外的六个试点对政策响应较为迅速,其中北京、上海的诱发效果最显著,天津、广东、深圳和湖北次之,而重庆试点未能对政策作出充分的响应。③碳排放权交易对低碳技术创新作用中的政策"信号-预期"机制在我国首次得到验证,该机制在除重庆外的试点地区都得到了较好的构建。④碳排放权交易市场建设与区域产业结构升级产生了良好的协同作用,促进低碳技术创新,但其未能与外商直接投资形成相同作用;除重庆外,碳排放权交易这一市场型环境规制与控制型环境规制也呈现出协同作用。据此,应积极推进全国性碳排放权交易市场建设,以发挥其对低碳技术创新的诱发作用;但在统一市场建设过程中应重视地区差异,分步骤稳步推进;还应注重加强政府政策信号管理,引导企业开展低碳技术创新活动。     

Environmental demand effects on the energy generation of Karkheh reservoir: Base and climate change conditions

Environment, Development and Sustainability - Reservoir is a hydraulic structure that regulates river water to supply different sectors’ demands such as municipal, agricultural, and...     

基于碳平衡核算的寒冷地区高校校园低碳建设策略研究

以校园碳平衡核算为主要技术手段的量化分析,能够目标明确的阐释校园内碳排放和碳吸收情况,根据碳排放量和碳吸收量占比制定相应的校园低碳减排建设策略,对高校今后的低碳化发展能够提供科学性、准确性的量化依据。本文考虑到碳排放因子的差异性,以实体项目作为分析基础,遴选与集成既有碳排放核算方法,进行了寒冷地区校园碳平衡核算。目标校园为山东建筑大学新校区,计算边界为山东建筑大学新校区空间范围内所有建筑和设施运行产生的、与学校日常事务相关的全部能源消费CO2排放。计算时间以2014年为参照基准年份,以2015年为主要计算年份。碳平衡计算结果表明:2015年校园碳排放量,建筑为20 051 t,交通为171 t,生活为6 576 t;碳吸收量中绿植固碳11 936 t,光伏固碳266 t,净排放24 596 t。校园碳排放系数为3.02,人均碳排放系数为1.04。分析核算数据,校园内碳排放量主要集中于建筑的日常运行用能排放,建筑用能排放中煤炭电力天然气,所涉及耗能用途主要为冬季采暖、空调、照明、热水及炊事。因此,这些用能成为影响校园碳排放的主要影响因素,据此提出高校校园碳减排策略,主要包括:基于碳平衡预测下的校园规划;遵从地域气候特征的生态补偿;建筑单体的低碳化设计与改造;设备系统的低碳化调适与更新;可再生能源的替代性应用。     

欧盟碳价影响因素研究及其对中国的启示

作为一项市场创新和政策创新,即将启动的中国全国性碳市场备受国内外关注。为保证其成功建立与平稳发展,相关经验借鉴已刻不容缓,但作为投石问路的7大试点碳市场发展层次不齐,可供参考的模式有限,因此研究全球第一大碳市场——欧盟碳排放交易体系(EU ETS)及其对中国的可参照性尤为迫切;而作为市场是否成熟的风向标,碳价规律性特征的挖掘尤为重要。前期国内外学者分别发现CER价格、原油价格、煤炭价格、天然气价格、欧洲工业指数、联合国气候变化大会、政府政策、极寒天气、暖冬天气、自然灾害、重大事件等多种因素都有可能引起EUA期货价格波动。本研究通过引入MIV-BP神经网络模型,对EU ETS二期和三期的EUA期货价格进行训练和测试,模拟了上述11个因素对EUA价格的影响,弥补了传统计量模型难以同时处理较多变量及不能整合定性与定量变量等缺点。通过对EU ETS二期1 149组和三期775组数据的挖掘,得出了各变量对EUA期货价格的影响程度。其中,二期运行阶段各变量影响程度从大到小排序为:自然灾害COPCER极寒天气Coal重大事件Brent政府政策Stock600Gas暖冬天气;三期运行阶段各变量影响程度从大到小排序为:COPStock600Coal自然灾害极寒天气重大事件政府政策BrentGasCER暖冬天气。最后,本研究对二、三期各变量对碳价影响程度的变化进行了解释,并对中国未来建立全国性碳市场提出了以下四点建议:(1)稳定碳市场参与主体预期;(2)完善核证减排抵消机制,保持政策稳定;(3)配额分配考虑区域差异;(4)建立配额应急机制。     

Local-neighborhood effects of different environmental regulations on green innovation: evidence from prefecture level cities of China

Environment, Development and Sustainability - Green innovation is the key to solve increasingly serious environmental problems. Previous studies mainly focus on the effects of environmental...     

不同碳减排政策对内外资企业竞争力的影响比较

一方面,由于我国内外资企业的生产效率和碳排放效率差距较大,不同的碳减排政策势必会对内外资企业的市场竞争力带来不同的影响;另一方面,已有文献大多在完全竞争的框架下对不同减排政策的实施效应进行分析,而事实上我国碳减排政策所覆盖的产业大多是不完全竞争甚至是寡头垄断。由此,我们基于内外资企业存在低碳技术差距这一新的研究视角,通过构建两阶段博弈模型来比较分析相同碳强度减排目标下强制减排、碳税与碳交易等三种减排政策对内外资企业产量、市场份额及其社会总产量的影响,从而有利于我国从妥善处理内外资关系的角度制定更有针对性的减排政策。结果表明:(1)三种减排政策都降低了内资企业的产量和市场份额,且内外资企业低碳技术差距越大时内资企业的市场份额下降越多。(2)强制减排降低了社会总产量,碳税和碳交易同等幅度地减少了社会总产量。(3)最优税率仅仅是减排目标的增函数。(4)市场出清的碳交易价格和碳税税率相等,且其数值仅与减排目标正相关,而与碳排放权的分配无关。(5)碳交易比碳税更有利于"保护"内资企业的市场竞争力。相关政策启示如下:(1)尽快确定普适的碳排放核算标准,核算出各行业内外资企业的低碳技术差距;(2)尽快在全国范围内启动碳交易机制,建立促进缩小内外资企业低碳技术的机制;(3)在碳交易市场条件不成熟的行业可以率先推出碳税政策;(4)政府应该根据内外资企业低碳技术差距来对不同行业采取最适宜的减排政策,而非"一刀切"。     

技术进步路径选择与中国制造业出口隐含碳排放强度

本文采用考虑反馈性出口隐含碳的MRIO模型,测算了2000—2011年中国14个制造业行业出口隐含碳排放强度;在此基础上,基于全球价值链(GVC)分工地位的视角,理论分析并实证检验了不同技术进步路径对中国制造业出口隐含碳排放强度的影响。研究发现:中间品进口、自主研发、模仿创新显著降低了中国制造业出口隐含碳排放强度,而国外技术引进和外商直接投资(FDI)对中国制造业出口隐含碳排放强度的影响不显著;提升中国制造业在GVC中的国际分工地位能够显著降低其出口隐含碳排放强度。进一步研究发现,不同技术进步路径对中国制造业出口隐含碳排放强度的作用效果受到制造业在GVC中的国际分工地位的影响,并表现出明显的门槛特征,即只有中国制造业在GVC中的分工地位越过门槛值后,技术进步路径才能显著降低中国制造业出口隐含碳排放强度。此外,将制造业分为知识密集型、资本密集型和劳动密集型三类,发现不同技术进步路径对中国制造业出口隐含碳排放强度还存在着显著的行业差异。因此,中国制造业应充分发挥中间品进口、自主研发、模仿创新在降低中国制造业出口隐含碳排放强度中的作用,在引进FDI和国外技术的过程中,优先考虑引进发达国家的先进低碳制造技术和清洁生产技术。同时,中国制造业还应积极培育自身竞争优势,构建自我主导的国内价值链和区域价值链体系,主动嵌入全球创新链,提升中国制造业在GVC中的国际分工地位。此外,政府应根据技术创新和引进政策在不同制造业行业中的执行效果,有所侧重地制定和实施相关政策。     

The effects of woodburning on the indoor residential air quality

Data from suburban residences in the Boston metropolitan area reveal a potential adverse impact on indoor air quality from woodburning in woodstoves and fireplaces. Ambient pollutant concentrations at each residence were compared to corresponding pollutant levels indoors at three locations (kitchen, bedroom, and activity room). Individual gaseous pollutant samples were averaged on an hourly basis while 24-h integrated samples of particulate matter were obtained. Ten gaseous pollutants were sampled along with total suspended particulates (TSP). Chemical analyses further determined ten components of TSP including trace metals, benzo-a-pyrene(B)aP, respirable suspended particulates (RSP), and water soluble sulfates and nitrates. Monitoring lasted two weeks at each residence and was conducted under occupied, real-life, conditions. Observed, elevated indoor concentrations of TSP, RSP, and BaP are attributed to woodburning. Data indicate that average indoor TSP concentrations during woodburning periods were about three times corresponding levels during nonwoodburning periods. The primary 24-h national ambient air quality standard (NAAQS) for TSP was exceeded once indoors during fireplace use, and the secondary, 24-h TSP NAAQS, was also exceeded indoors by RSP concentrations. Indoor BaP concentrations during woodstove use averaged five times more than during nonwoodburning periods. At this stage, results are only indicative, but the potential impact from elevated indoor concentrations of TSP, RSP, and BaP, attributed to woodburning, may have long-term health implications.     

The Campus Demotechnic Index: a comparison of technological energy consumption at US colleges and universities

The Campus Demotechnic Index (CDI) was modified from the Demotechnic Index (D-Index) to serve as an index of energy use for US colleges and universities. CDI values were calculated by assessing the total campus energy used for the built and mobile environments against energy required to meet the basal metabolic demand of the total campus population. Like the D-Index, the CDI measured the scalar quantity of energy used relative to the quantity of energy required for simple survival on a per capita basis, thus providing a rational metric for comparison among institutions. For the interval 2000–2005, CDI was calculated for 64 US higher education institutions and compared using maximum, minimum, mean and median CDI values, total gigajoules used, campus population, and consumption-adjusted population. Wilcoxon signed rank test results compared pair-by-pair differences of ranked CDI values from 2000 to 2005 to determine whether CDI values were significantly increasing or decreasing over time. In general, CDI values increased over time, but increases over the 6-year interval were only significantly higher in 8 of 30 two-year comparisons; in 2005, CDI values ranged from 1.1 to 56.3 (mean = 11.9, median = 8.2, n = 64), whereas in 2000, CDI values ranged from 2.0 to 53.0 (mean = 12.6, median = 9.1, n = 22). Results suggest that the CDI may serve as a useful metric for tracking campus energy efficiency over time as well as a means of comparison of energy use among institutions.     

The effects of national culture and human development on environmental health

While there is considerable research on environmental performance of countries, there is very little that focuses on environmental health as a component of environmental performance and how environmental health is affected by national culture and human development. This study proposes and empirically tests three models that examine the effects of cultural values and human development on environmental health by incorporating different variables from Human Development Index, Hofstede’s Cultural Dimensions, and Environmental Performance Index. Multiple linear regression models were employed to test the hypotheses on a sample of 67 countries. Empirical results conclude that cultural dimensions of individualism and uncertainty avoidance, as well as human development components of life expectancy at birth, education, and income significantly influence environmental health performance of countries when we execute separate models. A combined model of the effects of national culture and human development on environmental health, however, shows only significant effects of human development components. Theoretical and policy implications are discussed.     

The effects of globalization on Ecological Footprints: an empirical analysis

Whether globalization is sustainable is a contested issue. The quantitative literature on the Maastricht Globalization Index (MGI) and the KOF index of globalization shows that globalization contributes positively to economic and human development, environmental performance, mortality, gender equality and physical integrity rights. However, globalization also drives within-country income inequality, especially in developing countries. Evidence on the effects of globalization on the ecological environment does not provide clear patterns; various dimensions of globalization have different effects on various pollutants. This article analyzes the statistical relationship between the most recent MGI (2012 edition) and the ecological dimension of sustainable development. The latter will be operationalized by considering four variants of the Ecological Footprint. The relation between globalization and sustainable development will be controlled for GDP per capita as a proxy for affluence and report the results for Pearson’s correlations and multivariate regressions for up to 171 countries. We conclude that the overall index of globalization significantly increases the Ecological Footprint of consumption, exports and imports. The decomposition of globalization into different domains reveals that apart from the political dimension, all dimensions drive human pressures and demands on the environment. Globalization needs to go into new directions if it is to make a contribution toward all aspects of sustainable development.     

Analysis of the cost-effectiveness for ecosystem service provision and rural income generation: a comparison of three different programs in Southern Ecuador

In recent years, new tools for funding nature conservation have been designed. Because poverty is often significant in areas with high biodiversity, the improvement of local livelihoods is frequently considered as a secondary goal of new financing mechanisms besides nature conservation. The buffer zone of the Podocarpus National Park in Ecuador is such a high biodiversity zone. In this paper, we compare the cost-effectiveness and development potential of three different mechanisms to finance nature conservation implemented in this buffer zone, namely (a) an organic coffee label, (b) the Socio Bosque Program, a nationwide payment scheme for private forest conservation, and (c) FORAGUA, a regional water fund. This paper describes the functioning and the scope of the mechanisms and analyses their environmental and socio-economic impacts which are compared to the total costs. Results show that the water fund has the highest additionality in ecosystem service provision, while the payment scheme is the most cost-effective both for current as for increased ecosystem service provision and for extra rural job creation. Organic coffee certification has the highest positive impact on rural income creation.