• Energy Research
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The neutrality hypothesis between the energy consumption and the economic activity is examined for the panel of EU-27 countries and selected sub-panels. The causality runs from the energy consumption to the GDP for the EU-27, but the causality from the GDP to the energy consumption cannot be confirmed. The evidence therefore speaks for the rejection of the neutrality hypothesis in favor of the growth hypothesis. These results differ between the original (EU-15) and the new EU member countries (EU-12). In the original member countries, there is a tendency to increase the economic growth with the energy consumption savings. In the new member countries a negative impact of the energy consumption savings on the economic growth is found. Examining the sectoral energy consumption, the main drivers of the causality in the relationship are identified as the residential sector, industry and services. The residential energy consumption savings appear to increase the economic growth in both original and new member countries. But the role of the energy consumption savings in the industrial and services sectors differ across the groups. For the industrial sector, the energy consumption savings increase economic growth in the original member countries. In the new member countries, energy conservation might hinder the economic growth. In services, the energy consumption does not seem to have an impact in the original member countries, while in the new member countries the savings in energy consumption seem to degrade the economic growth. the energy conservation policies might be beneficial for the more developed countries of EU-15, but not for the less developed countries of EU-12.

By 2025, biogas is estimated to become a larger part of Indonesia’s energy mix. Biogas is a renewable energy source that also has economic and environmental advantages. Domestic biogas generation has been embraced in Indonesia as a response to the country’s energy security concerns in rural areas. Since the 1970s, 48,038 biogas plants have been built in the region. To fully develop this technology, Indonesia must discontinue relying on fossil fuels and substitute current fossil-fuel-based energy. This article provides an overview of renewable technology in Indonesia, as well as addressing domestic energy demands and referring to existing literature on the socio-technical and socio-economic barriers to biogas adoption in Indonesia. Based on a rigorous review of 71 publications published in Web of Science (WoS) between 2010 and 2021, this study explores existing barriers for biogas adoption by summarizing the current literature from technical, economic, social and environmental perspectives. Biogas adoption is a complex process with many interwoven components. Therefore, this research addresses a gap in the strategic planning and implementation process, providing policymakers with pathways to eliminate bottlenecks in renewable energy planning. Recommendations for future research are also proposed.

The current study aims to examine the reverse association between circular economy innovation (CEI) and digital sustainability (DS), as well as the dual mediation of government incentives (GI) among firms. Data was collected through a structured-questionnaire-based survey among financial institutions (banks, insurance, and financial companies) in Pakistan, Malaysia, and China. The study collected data via structured questionnaires in an online survey and analysed the data using partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM), to find results. The results revealed that CEI has a two-way relationship with the DS among firms in the defined context. Furthermore, the results confirmed the dual mediating role of GI between CEI and DS among firms. The outcomes can guide the policy makers to focus on the practices of CEI in the settings of the relevant state support schemes, to enhance the practices of DS among firms in emerging markets. The implications of the study are presented at the end of this study.

Due to the prospect of climate change and the challenges posed by the European Union to the modern power grid, a decentralized system based on distributed energy sources is being created from a centralized system based on utility power. It also involves new ideas on the operation and management of power grids, especially at the level of low-voltage distribution networks, where prosumers play a special role. In addition to the transformation of sources to renewables, the aim is to increase the flexibility of power grids by exploiting the regulatory potential of flexible grid components. The issue of grid flexibility assumes particular importance in the case of microgrids and local grids covered by the energy communities. Many posts describe the realization of the task of flexibility through energy storage, e.g., storing storage resources in electric vehicles or the use of energy transformation through conversion to heat, air compression air, or process cooling. However, there seems to be a lack of exploration of the topic, where the photovoltaic inverter could provide a flexible energy source while maintaining the rigor of power quality. This article presents current developments in low-voltage grids and the prospect of using prosumer installations to provide grid flexibility and stability.

AbstractChanges in land‐use and climate affect the distribution and diversity of plant and animal species at different spatiotemporal scales. The extent to which species‐specific phenotypic plasticity and biotic interactions mediate organismal adaptation to changing environments, however, remains poorly understood. Woody plant expansion is threatening the extent of alpine grasslands worldwide, and evaluating and predicting its effects on herbivores is of crucial importance. Here, we explore the impact of shrubification on the feeding efficiency of Pyrenean chamois (Rupicapra p. pyrenaica), as well as on the three most abundant coexisting domestic ungulate species: cattle, sheep and horses. We use observational diet composition from May to October and model different scenarios of vegetation availability where shrubland and woodland proliferate at the expense of grassland. We then predicted if the four ungulate species could efficiently utilize their food landscapes with their current dietary specificities measuring their niche breath in each scenario. We observed that the wild counterpart, due to a higher trophic plasticity, is less disturbed by shrubification compared to livestock, which rely primarily on herbaceous plants and will be affected 3.6 times more. Our results suggest that mixed feeders, such as chamois, could benefit from fallow landscapes, and that mountain farmers are at a growing economic risk worldwide due to changing land‐use practices and climate conditions.

Abstract The European Union (EU) has the world's most extensive regional power trade, making it essential for the EU environmental energy policies. Understanding the nexus amongst water, power and CO2 emissions is essential for sustainable water and energy resource management. Although a number of related studies on the nexus have been conducted, integrating virtual water and CO2 emission footprints for the power sector requires further attention. The current study analyses the virtual water and CO2 emissions embodied in the power supply, demand and regional trade. A network model is developed to track the virtual water and CO2 emissions of the inter-regional power trade for the case of EU-27 countries in 2017. The total virtual CO2 emissions and the embodied virtual water in the EU inter-regional power trade are estimated as 7.0 × 104 t CO2 and 5.6 × 108 m3, with a hydropower contribution of 37.8%. The largest virtual water and CO2 emissions exporters are identified by France (8.8 × 107 m3) and Germany (2 × 104 t), whilst the largest virtual CO2 importer is Austria (1 × 104 t). The identified synergy of climate mitigation and water scarcity provides a benchmark for policymakers to develop strategies for sustainable power development considering the virtual footprint in trade flow simultaneously.

The growing recognition that global climatic change is a pressing reality and that its impacts on humans and ecological systems are inevitable makes adaptation a core topic in climate change research and policymaking. The glacier tourism sector that is highly sensitive towards changing climatic conditions is among the most relevant in this respect. This study aims to examine empirically how adaptation to climate change impacts is practiced by small- and middle-scale glacier tour operators. Data was collected by means of a set of semi-structured interviews with the managers or owners of nine small- or middle-scale tour companies operating in the Vatnajökull National Park in Southeast Iceland and observations of glacier sites where the respondents' companies are operating. The results indicate that all entrepreneurs consider climate change to be a real phenomenon that affects their present daily operations, but they perceive these implications not as significant threats to their business. The interaction of operator's attributes of agency such as firsthand experiences, risk perceptions, and abilities to self-organize, with structural elements of the glacier destination system such as economic rationales and hazard reduction institutions, has shaped and consolidated operators' adaptation processes in the form of a wait-and-see strategy combined with ad hoc reactive adaptation measures and postponed or prevented proactive long-term adaptation strategies.

Wood charcoal (WCH) is a sustainable biofuel for rural and urban users because of its higher energy density and emission of marginal smoke when compared with firewood. Besides helping the poor majority who cannot afford kerosene, electricity or liquid petroleum gas (LPG), WCH is a key source of income and livelihood. This work aimed at quantifying the volume of WCH production as well as appraising its socio-economics, including environmental impacts, especially the impact of long-term deforestation and forest degradation in Africa. Historically robust data from the databases of UN-FAO, FAOSTAT, International Energy Agency (IEA), United Nations Statistics Division, UN-DESA energy statistics yearbook, and the Forest Resources Assessment (FRA) were used. The data analysis involved descriptive statistics, multivariate analysis, and geospatial techniques. The result revealed that East Africa had the highest average wood charcoal production which was 32,058,244 tonnes representing 43.2% of the production whereas West Africa had 23,831,683 tonnes denoting 32.1%. Others were North Africa (8,650,207 tonnes), Middle Africa (8,520,329 tonnes), and South Africa (1,225,062 tonnes) representing 11.6%, 11.5% and 1.6% respectively. The correlation matrix showed that WCH production for the three decades had a significant positive correlation with all the measured parameters (such as areas of forest cover, export quantity, export value, GDP, human population, climate season, average income per citizen, and literacy rate). Wood charcoal is an essential livelihood support system. New policies including commercial wood charcoal production and licensing for revenue and ecological sustainability are required. Enterprise-based approaches for poverty reduction, smallholders’ tree-growing, wood charcoal-energy conserving technologies, improved electricity supply and agricultural productivity are encouraged. The novelty of this study can also be explained by the diverse parameters examined in relation to WCH production which no other studies in the region have done.