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In this paper we study a community or firm considering to diversify its investment in two distinct renewable energy technologies, namely wind and solar PV electricity. We assume technological learning curves as a function of cumulative capital investment. A real options approach is applied as it takes into account uncertainty about prices and learning, as well as irreversibility associated with investment decisions. We investigate three different cases, dealing with uncertainty about future electricity prices, and uncertainty about the speed with which learning drives the costs of wind and solar electricity down. We assess the minimum threshold for the stochastic price and the maximum electricity production cost that makes it optimal for the firm to invest in the two technologies. The results show that the learning rate affects the option to invest in but reducing critical threshold for exercising it. The greater the amount of capital invested, the more learning stimulates earlier exercising of the option to invest. The firm will then anticipate the option to invest and exercise it for lower critical threshold values if all capital is invested in one technology. If capital investment is diversified, the option should be exercised at a higher critical threshold. More uncertainty in energy prices or technology costs postpones the option to invest. Although investing in both solar and wind may be profitable under particular conditions of price and cost uncertainty, the theoretically optimal strategy is generally investing in only one technology, that is, solar or wind, depending on their relative initial costs and learning rates. This suggests that the practice in most countries of diversifying renewable energy may reflect a mistaken strategy.

A catchment and its relative coastal zone are both influenced by climate change, particularly by specific factors as precipitation, temperature and wind. In the Mediterranean predicted changes are expected to be superimposed over long-term alterations caused by both natural and anthropogenic pressures (IPCC, 2001). Therefore, climate modification will have an impact on the Po catchment and the Northern Adriatic Coastal system, affecting water resources, ecosystems, agriculture and food security, human settlements, financial services and human health. Climate pressure has the potential to exacerbate already existing problems (i.e. eutrophication, heavy metal pollution, subsidence). The connections between Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM) and Integrated River Basin Management (IRBM), already studied and analysed in the EUROCAT project, have been re-analysed and the tools (models) used for the Po catchment study have been modified in relation to the climate change. In particular, this research activity aims to estimate the nutrient flux changes (using the MONERIS model) in the Po basin under possible climate change impacts. These preliminary studies have been done in order to understand and quantify direct and indirect relationships between climate change and estimated nutrient fluxes taking into consideration the specific pathways of the MONERIS model

This work numerically analyzes an innovative process layout considering a torrefaction processes followed by chemical looping combustion of biomass waste, solar hydrogen, and carbon methanation. System performances were evaluated by considering several agro-industrial residues (i.e., sugar beet pulp from sugar production, grape marc from winemaking and olive pits from olive oil production) as fuels, CuO supported on zirconia as oxygen carrier, and Ni supported on alumina as methanation catalyst. The torrefaction pre-treatment was proposed for upgrading the properties, namely heating values, moisture content as well as hydrophobicity, and storability, of the selected biomasses. To this aim, experimental runs were performed at 300 °C and 30 min in a lab-scale fixed bed reactor under an inert atmosphere of nitrogen. The study was complemented with an extensive investigation on fuel properties (i.e., ultimate analysis, proximate analysis, calorific values determination) of both the untreated and the torrefied samples, which provides useful input data for modelling their conversion processes. By considering that only electric energy from renewable sources is used, the capability of the proposed process to be used as an energy storage system was eventually assessed.

The Brazilian project Carne Carbono Neutro (CCN) assumes that a more sustainable beef will increase its value for the consumers. The paper aims to verify this assumption and to suggest a communication strategy supporting the CCN valorization. An online survey involving 506 Brazilian consumers showed three different classes of consumers with significantly different attitudes towards environmental issues. Price and quality always strongly influence their demand for beef. A communication campaign should focus on the CCN lower beef environmental impact and beef price/quality issues. Social media on internet and education programs in schools and different institutions should be used. International Journal on Food System Dynamics, Vol 11, No 4 (2020)

Climate change is worsening the number, frequency and duration of natural hazards across the globe, making disaster risk reduction and resilience building among the most pressing challenges ahead. According to UN-Habitat, informal settlements are where the impacts of climate change are the most acute in urban areas and strengthening resilience in these neighbourhoods represents a very complex yet urgent challenge. Today, urban areas are home to 56 per cent of the world’s population and this figure is projected to increase to 60 per cent by 2030 and 68 per cent by 2050, with 90 per cent of the growth by 2050 expected to occur in less developed economies. In these countries, population growth and displacement (including climate-driven migrations) will lead to rapid and unplanned urbanisation forcing a growing number of people into informal settlements. Currently, one billion people live in informal settlements, mostly in Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa and Latin America and this figure is expected to grow to 3 billion in 2050. Horizon 2020 MSCA-RISE, Grant Agreement #873119

One of the most important routes for cultural tourism in Bali connects the seaside tourist town of Sanur to the provincial capital city of Denpasar, continues through the Sukawati Art Market, skirts the village of Mas, site of many studios and workshops, and culminates in Ubud, the historic artistic center of Bali. The city of Ubud is the epicenter of a renowned tradition of painting but it is also a community staggering under the influx of tourists arriving via this route. The roadway from Sanur to Ubud illustrates a range of different types of arts-based heritage tourism, from mass produced art for beachside tourists in Sanur to several high-end galleries in Ubud. This trajectory of towns and their varied relationships with the arts and tourism illustrate the potentials and pitfalls of arts tourism as a means of development, and this roadway highlights the challenges of crafting sustainable routes for tourists interested in the arts. Almatourism - Journal of Tourism, Culture and Territorial Development, Vol 4, No 8 (2013)

Deliverable D1.4 is the result of the work carried out in Task 1.4 “Specifications of RESTORE Numerical Models and Virtual Use-Cases for Simulation” of WP1 (RESTORE Requirements Definition, Specifications and Analysis). It describes the relevant specifications for the numerical models developed within RESTORE Project, giving emphasis to the models that are used in the six defined virtual use-cases for RESTORE. For this, D1.4 gathers specifications, such as feasible computational effort, compatibility between models, adaptability to the web-platform, modularity and flexibility. The information provided here builds up on the general guideline of Deliverable D1.1 of the RESTORE overall concept, and focuses on its modelling, emphasizing the simulation concept of the project and the adaption of the simulation tools for the design of each Use-Case in an ad-hoc solution, considering the boundary conditions imposed by each specific application. In this context, the document provides the general basis to be considered as a guide during the project process modelling and use-cases implementation.