scholarly journals Towards a Low-Carbon Economy: A Nexus-Oriented Policy Coherence Analysis in Greece

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 373 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chrysaida-Aliki Papadopoulou ◽  
Maria Papadopoulou ◽  
Chrysi Laspidou ◽  
Stefania Munaretto ◽  
Floor Brouwer
Keyword(s):  
Low Carbon ◽  
Agricultural Policies ◽  
Policy Coherence ◽  
Systematic Analysis ◽  
Low Carbon Economy ◽  
Trade Offs ◽  
Policy Objectives ◽  
The Many ◽  
Systematic Identification ◽  
Land Policies

The sustainable management of natural resources under climate change conditions is a critical research issue. Among the many approaches emerged in recent times, the so-called ‘nexus approach’ is gaining traction in academic and policy circles. The nexus approach presupposes the analysis of bio-physical, socio-economic and policy interlinkages among sectors (e.g., water, energy, food) for the identification of integrated solutions and the support of policy decisions. Ultimately, the nexus approach aims to identify synergies and trade-offs among the nexus dimensions. Concerning policy, the nexus approach focuses on policy coherence, i.e., the systematic identification and management of trade-offs and synergies between policies across sectors. This paper investigates the coherence between policies on the water-land-energy-food-climate nexus in Greece. The systematic analysis of policy documents led to the elicitation of nexus-related policy objectives and instruments. Then, the coherence among objectives and between objectives and instruments was assessed using the methodology proposed by Nilsson et al. A stakeholder (trans-disciplinary) orientation was adopted and the need to incorporate stakeholders’ recommendations as to policy coherence assessment was highlighted. Overall, the findings revealed that climate and food/agricultural policies represent critical future priorities in Greece by stimulating progress in other nexus-related policies (energy, water, land policies) and being positively influenced by them.

scholarly journals The Costs and Trade-Offs of Green Central Banking: A Framework for Analysis

Energies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (16) ◽  
pp. 5168
Author(s):  
Radu Șimandan ◽  
Cristian Păun
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Environmental Sustainability ◽  
Financial Stability ◽  
Central Banks ◽  
Central Banking ◽  
Smooth Transition ◽  
Low Carbon ◽  
Low Carbon Economy ◽  
Macroprudential Policies ◽  
Trade Offs

The participation of central banks in the fight against climate change has recently been advanced in several academic articles and policy papers. Since the emerging consensus is that climate change poses financial risks, the envisaged green central banking has a responsibility to address environmental sustainability as a means of promoting financial stability—an increasingly accepted goal of central banks in the post-financial crisis world. Thus far, the pro side of the argument is well represented in the literature, though often the benefits remain implicit: with the help of central banks via monetary and macroprudential policies, a smooth transition to a low-carbon economy would be somehow beneficial to all of us. With this article, we aim to add to this literature by looking at the costs and trade-offs of this course of action in light of the observation that the con side of the proposal has been only marginally addressed. We put forward a framework for the analysis of the costs and trade-offs of green central banking and exemplify the applicability of this framework by studying three cases of central banks for which the transition to green operation has been advanced. We find evidence that if costs and trade-offs are taken into account, the case in favor of greening central banks becomes less straightforward than is currently conveyed in the literature.

scholarly journals The Good, the Bad and the Uncertain: Bioenergy use in the European Union

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
George Philippidis ◽  
Heleen Bartelings ◽  
John Helming ◽  
Robert M'barek ◽  
Edward Smeets ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Computable General Equilibrium ◽  
Agricultural Land ◽  
Public Support ◽  
Computable General Equilibrium Model ◽  
Low Carbon ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Advanced Biofuels ◽  
Low Carbon Economy ◽  
Trade Offs ◽  
The Impact

As the EU is moving towards a low carbon economy and seeks to further develop its renewable energy policy, this paper quantitatively investigates the impact of plausible energy market reforms from the perspective of bio-renewables. Employing a state-of-the-art biobased variant of a computable general equilibrium model, this study assesses the perceived medium-term benefits, risks and trade-offs which arise from an advanced biofuels plan, two exploratory scenarios of a more 'sustainable' conventional biofuels plan and a 'no-mandate' scenario. Consistent with more recent studies, none of the scenarios considered present significant challenges to EU food-security or agricultural land usage. An illustrative advanced biofuels plan simulation requires non-trivial public support to implement whilst a degree of competition for biomass with (high-value) advanced biomass material industries is observed. On the other hand, it significantly alleviates land use pressures, whilst lignocellulose biomass prices are not expected to increase to unsustainable levels. Clearly, these observations are subject to assumptions on technological change, sustainable biomass limits, expected trends in fossil fuel prices and EU access to third-country trade. With these same caveats in mind, the switch to increased bioethanol production does not result in significant market tensions in biomass markets.

scholarly journals The Good, the Bad and the Uncertain: Bioenergy Use in the European Union

Energies ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 11 (10) ◽  
pp. 2703 ◽  
Author(s):  
George Philippidis ◽  
Heleen Bartelings ◽  
John Helming ◽  
Robert M’barek ◽  
Edward Smeets ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Computable General Equilibrium ◽  
Agricultural Land ◽  
Public Support ◽  
Computable General Equilibrium Model ◽  
Low Carbon ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Advanced Biofuels ◽  
Low Carbon Economy ◽  
Trade Offs ◽  
The Impact

As the EU is moving towards a low carbon economy and seeks to further develop its renewable energy policy, this paper quantitatively investigates the impact of plausible energy market reforms from the perspective of bio-renewables. Employing a state-of-the-art biobased variant of a computable general equilibrium model, this study assesses the perceived medium-term benefits, risks and trade-offs which arise from an advanced biofuels plan, two exploratory scenarios of a more ‘sustainable’ conventional biofuels plan and a ‘no-mandate’ scenario. Consistent with more recent studies, none of the scenarios considered present significant challenges to EU food-security or agricultural land usage. An illustrative advanced biofuels plan simulation requires non-trivial public support to implement whilst a degree of competition for biomass with (high-value) advanced biomass material industries is observed. On the other hand, it significantly alleviates land use pressures, whilst lignocellulose biomass prices are not expected to increase to unsustainable levels. Clearly, these observations are subject to assumptions on technological change, sustainable biomass limits, expected trends in fossil fuel prices and EU access to third-country trade. With these same caveats in mind, the switch to increased bioethanol production does not result in significant market tensions in biomass markets.

scholarly journals The Regulation of Acid Mine Drainage in South Africa: Law and Governance Perspectives

2017 ◽  
Vol 17 (5) ◽  
pp. 2163 ◽  
Author(s):  
Loretta Feris ◽  
Louis J Kotze
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Acid Mine Drainage ◽  
Mine Drainage ◽  
Low Carbon ◽  
Low Carbon Economy ◽  
Acid Mine ◽  
Regulatory Interventions ◽  
The Law ◽  
The Many ◽  
The One

Acid mine drainage (AMD) is arguably one of the most serious environmental concerns in South Africa. AMD is a legacy left behind by abandoned, derelict and defunct mines, and is a continuing by-product of existing mining activities. In addition to its environmental impacts, AMD will also impact on all the parameters of sustainability, including ecological, social and economic concerns. In particular, AMD is set to affect infrastructure, displace people and affect their livelihoods, influence economic activity, impact on the resource extraction industry, and affect South Africa's policies and actions in relation to climate change and its efforts to move towards a low carbon economy; and it will test the efficiency of regulatory interventions emanating from both the private and the public sector to the extreme. Given these pervasive challenges, in this article we provide a survey of the AMD problem in South Africa through the law and governance lens. We commence by highlighting the various issues and challenges that result from AMD in the environmental context on the one hand, and the law and governance context on the other hand. We then describe the many provisions of the regulatory framework that we believe would be instrumental in responding to the threat. We conclude the article with brief remarks on what we believe are important considerations in the future regulation of AMD.

Independent commissions and labour migration: The British MAC

2014 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 23-32
Author(s):  
Philip L. Martin ◽  
Martin Ruhs
Keyword(s):  
Labour Force ◽  
Migration Policy ◽  
Foreign Workers ◽  
Foreign Born ◽  
Independent Evidence ◽  
Trade Offs ◽  
Labour Immigration ◽  
British Labour ◽  
Policy Objectives ◽  
The Uk

The independent Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) was created in 2007 after a decade in which the share of foreign-born workers in the British labour force doubled to 13 per cent. The initial core mandate of the MAC was to provide “independent, evidence-based advice to government on specific skilled occupations in the labour market where shortages exist which can sensibly be filled by migration.” The MAC's answers to these 3-S questions, viz, is the occupation for which employers are requesting foreign workers skilled, are there labour shortages, and is admitting foreign workers a sensible response, have improved the quality of the debate over the “need” for foreign workers in the UK by highlighting some of the important trade-offs inherent in migration policy making. The MAC can clarify migration trade-offs in labour immigration policy, but cannot decide the ultimately political questions about whose interests should be prioritised and how competing policy objectives should be balanced.

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