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The impacts of climate change on human health have been observed and projected in the Philippines as vector-borne and heat-related diseases have and continue to increase. As a response, the Philippine government has given priority to climate change and health as one of the main research funding topics. To guide in identifying more specific research topics, a scoping review was done to complement the agenda-setting process by mapping out the extent of climate change and health research done in the country. Research articles and grey literature published from 1980 to 2017 were searched from online databases and search engines, and a total of 34 quantitative studies were selected. Fifty-three percent of the health topics studied were about mosquito-borne diseases, particularly dengue fever. Seventy-nine percent of the studies reported evidence of positive associations between climate factors and health outcomes. Recommended broad research themes for funding were health vulnerability, health adaptation, and co-benefits. Other notable recommendations were the development of open data and reproducible modeling schemes. In conclusion, the scoping review was useful in providing a background for research agenda-setting; however, additional analyses or consultations should be complementary for added depth.

Abstract Improved access to energy in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) has the potential to alleviate poverty, promote industrialisation, facilitate gender equality and reduce the region's vulnerability to climate change. Consequently, the current low rates of electrification in many SSA countries has been identified as the most pressing obstacle to economic growth, more important than access to finance, red tape or corruption. Despite the presence of numerous initiatives for promoting energy access in Africa, and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) calling for universal access to energy by 2030, Africa might still not be able to achieve universal energy access by 2030. Through an analysis of case studies, research articles, policy briefs and project reports this paper sought to investigate the policies, strategies and innovations that could help expedite SSA's progress towards universal energy access before 2030. This investigation revealed that an emphasis on rural electrification and linking energy access to agriculture and irrigation development as the case was in Viet Nam, could successfully diversify African economies and mitigate the negative perceptions about Africa's growth prospects and energy sectors that global economic shocks instigate. Additionally, the operations of Power Africa, the Sustainable Energy for All (SE4All) Initiative and the China South-South Climate Cooperation Fund can either significantly improve the financing and regulatory frameworks for SSA's energy sectors or constrain economic development in SSA by promoting rent-seeking and corruption which culminates into a ‘climate finance curse’. Consequently, these initiatives can only facilitate inclusive growth as envisioned in the SDGs if SSA develops or strengthens institutions to coordinate and harmonise investments and aid from such autonomous diverse sources.

Abstract Eco-efficiency is an instrument for sustainability analysis, indicating how efficient the economic activity is with regard to nature's goods and services. This paper conducts an eco-efficiency analysis for regional industrial systems in China by developing data envelopment analysis (DEA) based models. Using real data of 30 provinces in China, an empirical study is employed to illustrate the pattern of regional industrial systems' eco-efficiency. The results indicate that Tianjing, Shanghai, Guangdong, Beijing, Hainan and Qinghai are relatively eco-efficient. The results also show that, provinces with higher level GDP per capita will have higher eco-efficiency relatively with an exception of Hainan and Qinghai. The study provides deeper insights into the causes of eco-inefficiency, and gives further implications on environmental protection strategies in China. In the article, we also discuss the advantages and disadvantages of using DEA in eco-efficiency analysis and areas that require further work are presented.

The Bono Social de Electricidad (BSE) is a government programme, introduced in 2009, to reduce energy poverty in Spain. The BSE is a discount on the price of electricity, available to vulnerable households who applied. Applying differences-in-differences and propensity score matching to household data between 2008 and 2011, we find no statistically significant impact of the intention to treat on two indicators of energy poverty, viz. the ability to keep the house adequately warm, and the presence of damp walls, rotting windows and leaking roofs. This may be because eligible households did not apply. A third indicator, delays in paying electricity bills, showed a statistically significant deterioration. That is, the BSE has not reduced energy poverty, if anything it has made it worse. This is not because eligible households transferred income to relatives hit harder by the financial crises, but it may be because the BSE discount did not fully compensate for the cold of 2010.

Abstract. Turkana, in northwest Kenya, is the country's poorest and least developed county. Pastoralism in Turkana is well adapted to the harsh climatic conditions but an increase in drought frequency associated with global climate change and intensifying violent conflicts between pastoral groups, poses significant challenges for local communities. The conflicts are especially violent in the border region between the Turkana and the Pokot communities. In this very region significant oil reserves have been found recently. The first aim of this paper is to analyse how the oil exploration affects the communities' vulnerability to climate change. Secondly, the paper explores the risk of the oil explorations to create new conflicts or aggravate existing ones. The primary method of the study is qualitative field research supplemented with a geo-spatial analysis of conflict data. The field research was conducted in October 2013 and April 2014 in three villages with different levels of engagement with the oil exploration. At the time of the research, oil exploration was expected close to Lokwamosing while it had recently started in the vicinity of Lopii and had been ongoing for a longer time close to Nakukulas. The findings suggest that the oil exploration increases the community's vulnerability to climate change. Further, unmet community expectations for water, employment and development pose a significant risk for violent conflict between local communities and the operating oil company. Intercommunal conflict over water and land could increase as well.

In this paper, onsite measurements and a subjective questionnaire were conducted to study the thermal environment and heating condition of bedrooms during the winter in rural areas in China’s hot summer and cold winter (HSCW) region. Indoor and outdoor thermal environmental parameters were measured to evaluate the thermal conditions of bedrooms. Thermal sensation/tendency/acceptance, heating, and health condition were investigated to complete the analysis of attitudes of local residents on the thermal environment of bedrooms, heating and health issues, as well as the analysis of buildings. The observed results demonstrate that occupants in this region have a strong tolerance to low-temperature environments with the 80% acceptable lower temperature of 4.7 °C and a neutral temperature of 10.7 °C, with an average clothing insulation over 2.2 clo. Oversized volume and acreage of buildings and windows induce a lower temperature in the bedroom. Infants have a significant effect on heating requirements, including heating duration and temperature setpoint. Local residents are highly concerned about the costs, safety, and health related to heating and thermal environments. All evidence obtained through this investigation shows that it is beneficial to formulate regulations for the shape, envelope, and centralized heating policy for rural residential buildings in the HSCW region.

Brazil is the largest producer of sugarcane ethanol worldwide (28 billion litres in 2013) and its production is expected to increase substantially in the coming years. As the sugarcane ethanol sector contributes significantly to the national economy, an expansion of production impacts GDP, employment and trade; these impacts are not equally distributed throughout the country, nor between income classes. These differences between regions and income classes are not well understood since previous studies on socio-economic impacts used high aggregation levels. The objective of this study is to compare the distribution of socioeconomic impacts of sugarcane ethanol production expansion in Brazil, including the interregional effects, across three microregions in the Centre South and different income classes. The spatial distribution of sugarcane for the supply of 54 billion litres of ethanol in 2030 was used as input for an interregional input-output model. Three scenarios for the quantity and location of sugarcane production are studied, based on measures to limit land use (i.e. second generation ethanol, higher agricultural yields). The results show that expansion of sugarcane ethanol production in Brazil in 2030 could increase the national GDP by 2.6 billion USD and employment by 53,000 fte. In general the microregional benefits of sugarcane expansion outweigh the downsides from displaced production of other crops and livestock. The microregions also benefit to varying extents from sugarcane ethanol expansion outside their borders. Additional employment is primarily generated in lower income classes. There are considerable differences in the impacts across the regions, these are related to the structure of the local economy and the scenario and not only dependent on the local potential for sugarcane expansion. Socio-economic impacts of biofuel production should thus be studied on lower aggregation levels to include these differences in benefits across regions and income classes.

Cities worldwide are growing at unprecedented rates, compromising their surrounding landscapes, and consuming many scarce resources [...]