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The aim of this report is to demonstrate and evaluate the potential of tall wheatgrass (Elytrigia elongata) to avoid GHG emissions and obtain lower economic costs in marginal areas of Spain. Our research built scenarios based on experimental plots (2 and 3 years growth) in 3 locations of Spain with completely different climate conditions (provinces of Girona, Soria and Palencia). In our experiences, we achieved an adequate establishment and biomass production, and assumed a rank of biomass yields until the end of the life cycle that is usually accepted to be about 15 years in many other studies in United States, Argentina and Eastern Europe where tall wheatgrass is extensively cultivated in marginal areas for sheep livestock production. Using our experimental plots and statistical information for economic inputs costs, we built 5 different scenarios per region considering a large range of biomass yields of tall wheatgrass. The analysis included a comparison with annual grasses economic costs calculated for a wide range of biomass yields of a previous study. We estimated GHG emissions savings for tall wheatgrasses and used our previous study (which had GHG emissions savings as well). Savings were calculated replacing natural gas electricity with electricity from biomass combustion in real power plants in Spain. In a wide range of yields, the results suggest that marginal areas might present a better performance with tall wheatgrass compared to annual winter grasses (cereals whole plant cuttings), thus producing biomass yields with higher GHG savings and lower economic costs at the farm level. Proceedings of the 20th European Biomass Conference and Exhibition, 18-22 June 2012, Milan, Italy, pp. 217-229

Treball Final de Màster Universitari en Estudis Internacionals de Pau, Conflictes i Desenvolupament (Pla de 2013). Codi: SBG120. Curs acadèmic: 2016/2017 The Earth’s resources are limited and it is important that we conserve as much as possible. One way to do this is to recycle waste products. The main objective of this project is to decrease the amount of recyclable garbage that is not being recycled in the city of Castellón de la Plana. With the high number of plastic and glass bottles that are being used in restaurants, pubs, and family homes, a vast majority of these will likely be thrown in the garbage instead of recycling. Although there are a number of areas that allow easy access for recycling, the convenience of tossing something into the garbage is considered more convenient. This project will attempt to look at various options to not only provide enticement for businesses to recycle, but also potentially allow a form of income as an incentive.

Treball Final de Grau en Finances i Comptabilitat. Codi: FC1049. Curs acadèmic: 2019/2020 In recent years there has been a rise in businesses investing in social and ethical issues. The sustainable development goals published in 2015 by the UN provide a globally agreed framework to make the world more sustainable. Companies have been given the opportunity to help the environment and society through their actions whilst increasing their value and return and improving their reputation. A method for doing so is by following the principles of responsible investment and incorporating environmental, social and governance criteria into long-term businesses strategies. Spanish banks are actively working to achieve the sustainable development goals by investing in sustainable finance, social projects, housing programmes, etc. to meet societal needs whilst extending their market scope and achieving corporate growth and financial success. The main focus of their actions lays with two specific goals: ending poverty and providing decent work and economic growth for all.

Treball Final de Grau en Finances i Comptabilitat. Codi: FC1049. Curs: 2017/2018 The present study aims to analyse the effects of the growth experienced by the Spanish photovoltaic sector in mid-2007, and the subsequent crisis which began at the end of 2008. In the first part of this paper the historical evolution of solar energy across the globe, its appearance and development at national level, the current situation in relation to solar energy in different countries and continents, and the evolution of the sector in recent years will be explained. Subsequently, we shall proceed to carry out an empirical analysis in order to determine the aggregate effect of the measure which constituted the driving force in the sector (RD661/2007) and of the measure responsible for the decline (RD 1578/2008) through the study of the levels of performance and risk of a sample of companies dedicated to the distribution and installation of photovoltaic material, before and after experiencing the combined effect of the two measures. It may be concluded that, in general, the companies remained in a similar situation, in terms of both profitability and of risk, except with regard to the ratio which measures the solvency of the company in the short term, which presents significant differences between the two years considered.

Industrial poplar plantations represent a strategic source of wood products for many countries. Harvested after 10 to 30 years, they yield about 200 t ha-1 of timber and 100 t ha-1 industrial wood. The latter is obtained from poplar tops, which can be converted into chips, or a mix of pulpwood and chips. The study compared four options to process poplar tops. Alternatives derived from the intersection of two product strategies (pulpwood and chips, or chips only) with two pulpwood processing methods (manual or mechanized). Both mechanization and simplification (only one product) succeeded in reducing production cost, but the former had a stronger effect. The tests demonstrated that all options were cost-effective and could return some profits. However, the exclusive production of chips offered lower profits, compared to an articulate product strategy aimed at maximising value recovery. In the case of Italian poplar plantations, the price difference between pulp and chips is generally larger than the cost reduction obtained with integral chipping. Similar conclusions were reached by other authors working with spruce and beech in Central Europe. Of course, this is only true for the current price levels of pulpwood and chips: results may change, if this price balance will be altered by the growing demand for biomass fuel.

The International Seminar on Sustainable Technology Innovation is a course offered in the framework of the master of Sustainability of the UPC-Barcelona Tech University and financed by the ERASMUS Intensive Program scheme. It introduces backcasting scenarios methodology in real sustainability problems. The learning environment is international, transdisciplinary, intergenerational and intercultural. It includes stakeholders’ dialogues and discussions. The course is organized around current sustainability relevant topics that are analysed in study cases based in different contexts: going from developed to developing countries and from local to global cases. Students apply scenario methodologies to the study cases in order to set up the most contextualized sustainable strategies. The course is structured in four phases: first the local situation analysis where students analyse the topic in their own countries/regions; then students are grouped in international multidisciplinary teams and define the state of the art of the case studies; afterwards students, lecturers and stakeholders meet in Barcelona where the course is run for two weeks and finally students analyse their learning experience in terms of competences acquisition. The topics analysed in the course vary each year and are related to relevant sustainability challenges: urban solid waste management; food and drinks packaging waste; overfishing and marine ecosystem degradation; sustainable mobility, agroecology and sustainable community energy systems. In 2014 UPC Barcelona Tech is running the course for the seventh time and so far more than 170 students, 40 lecturers and 60 stakeholders have participated in the course from 39 countries. This paper explains the learning environment and the challenges and lessons learnt when organizing such a course, and the learning results obtained by students. Peer Reviewed

Scientific evidence and evidence-based reasoning are likely to face epistemological challenges when brought into societal debate if their foundational assumptions generate cognitive dissonance among key elements of the community. The risk of dissonance is even greater when scientific demonstrations and models are concerned with the decisions and behaviours of people interacting with an environment of interest. In this case, scientific information is often perceived as distorted or biased due to the inherent uncertainties attached to human ecosystems Human ecosystems are complex and adaptive, largely due to our individual cognitive capacities and communication skills. Complex systems science aims to track uncertainties attached to these systems by exploring metaphoric models of reality.

Treball Final de Màster Universitari en Direcció d'Empreses / Master in Management. Codi: SRO011. Curs acadèmic 2016-2017 This thesis is research about social organization toward the path of developing consciousness. The dominant business models are slowly changing and constant changes in the market are forcing radical change in human consciousness. The author tries to analyze social enterprises and understand how and why they had more chances to adopt consciousness behavior. Theoretical framework is helping to understand which are practices and behaviors of consciousness organizations. The research is made of two methods: case study and survey. The survey is helping to answer which are the most important practices in social organization and are they harmonized with consciousness organization acting. La Fageda case study helped to understand more social organizations acting consciously and to get answer of characteristic of social organizations on their way toward consciousness organization.

Treball Final de Grau en Finances i Comptabilitat. Codi: FC1049. Curs: 2018/2019 In recent years, banks have suffered a crisis of confidence, exacerbated by the Spanish economic crisis. This has meant that it is in a context in which the bank has not yet been able to recover the confidence of the citizens, experiencing a remarkable transformation with social, economic, institutional and technological changes that have modified the business model until arriving at the present time. In this sense, the banking sector has become a clear example of evolution and transformation towards a socially responsible behavior, through Corporate Social Responsibility. In this paper, the main objective is to analyze the current situation of the CSR in the Spanish banking sector, deepening its evolution, development, and main characteristics. In addition, a descriptive individual analysis is carried out, based on the study of the GRI indicators of the three main Spanish banks (Santander, CaixaBank and BBVA) with the purpose of examining the responsible practices of each bank. And, to end with this practical part, a joint comparison between the aforementioned entities banking companies will be carried out.

Treball Final de Grau en Finances i Comptabilitat. Codi: FC1049. Curs acadèmic: 2016/2017 The goal of this paper is to analyze different kinds of Social Balance through a literature review of various authors who point out the importance of incorporating the social dimension of economy to companies. It is necessary to study the Social Balance, as it is a tool that has little visibility in comparison with the importance that is gaining in an economic context with increasing concern for social issues. This study also focuses on the normative dimension, or the lack of it, which makes the whole process of generalizing the use of the Social Balance much slower. At the end of this paper it is shown how, from a comparative and technical perspective, and apart from economic considerations, the way the Common Good Report has been designed -based on the Common Good Matrix, offers the most complete picture of the ethic success of a company. It is concluded that it is necessary that companies uses Social Balance as one more of their daily tools as a key tool to deal with sustainability.