• Energy Research

Article ; This paper aims to explore how the principles of participatory action research (PAR) articulate with questions of climate justice. Drawing on three qualitative case studies in Brazil, Fiji and Kenya, the paper explores university institutional capabilities, asking how the principles of mobilising PAR to support transformative outcomes can further climate justice. The paper argues that for participatory action research to become a pathway to build universities’ capabilities, key considerations are needed. PAR needs to: (a) move beyond change in individual behaviour to respond to climate change and affect institutional norms, procedures and practices; (b) recognise and partner with marginalised groups whose voice and experiences are at the periphery of climate debate, enabling reciprocal flows of impact and knowledge between universities and wider societies; and (c) foster “relationships of equivalence” with actors within as well as outside university to influence university governance and wider climate-related policymaking processes ; UK Research and Innovation [grant number ES/T005130/1].

El término "prosumidores" acuñado por Toffler, se refiere a aquellos clientes que también se dedican a la co-creación de productos, que solo consumen parcialmente, y cuyo saldo se pone a disposición de un grupo más amplio. Pero a pesar de que el papel de los prosumidores es cada vez más relevante a medida que un número más amplio de personas se involucra en la producción de productos para ser compartidos por otros, existe la necesidad de estudios que apunten a identificar qué tan extendidos están y la contribución concreta que están proporcionando a algún área clave, como la energía, la generación y distribución de energía. Basado en la necesidad de abordar esta brecha de investigación, este artículo informa sobre un estudio sobre el comportamiento del prosumidor en un contexto de desarrollo sostenible (SD), con un enfoque en el sector energético. El documento despliega un enfoque de métodos mixtos que implica un análisis bibliométrico de los prosumidores desde una perspectiva de sostenibilidad, para obtener una mejor comprensión del tema, un estudio cuantitativo del comportamiento de los prosumidores en el campo de las energías renovables que involucra a encuestados de 44 países, y un conjunto de estudios de casos, respaldados por la literatura, que ilustra las tendencias actuales. La novedad de este documento reside en el hecho de que explora el papel de los prosumidores en un contexto de SD en muchos países en el área crítica de la generación y el uso de energía, describiendo los impulsores del comportamiento positivo e identificando algunas necesidades de información adicionales. Le terme « prosommateurs » inventé par Toffler, concerne les clients qui s'engagent également dans la co-création de produits, qu'ils ne consomment que partiellement, et dont le solde est mis à la disposition d'un groupe plus large. Mais même si le rôle des prosommateurs est de plus en plus pertinent car un nombre plus complet de personnes s'engagent dans la production de produits à partager par d'autres, il est nécessaire de mener des études visant à identifier leur ampleur et la contribution concrète qu'ils apportent à certains domaines clés tels que l'énergie, la production et la distribution d'énergie. Sur la base de la nécessité de combler cette lacune de la recherche, cet article rend compte d'une étude sur le comportement des prosommateurs dans un contexte de développement durable (DD), en mettant l'accent sur le secteur de l'énergie. L'article déploie une approche mixte qui implique une analyse bibliométrique des prosommateurs dans une perspective de durabilité - pour mieux comprendre le sujet -, une étude quantitative du comportement des prosommateurs dans le domaine des énergies renouvelables impliquant des répondants de 44 pays, et un ensemble d'études de cas, étayées par la littérature, qui illustre les tendances actuelles. La nouveauté de cet article réside dans le fait qu'il explore le rôle des prosommateurs dans un contexte de développement durable dans de nombreux pays dans le domaine critique de la production et de l'utilisation de l'énergie, décrivant les moteurs d'un comportement positif et identifiant certains besoins d'informations supplémentaires. The term "prosumers" coined by Toffler, relates to those customers who also engage in the co-creation of products, which they only partly consume, and whose balance is made available to a broader group. But even though the role of prosumers is increasingly relevant as a more comprehensive number of people are engaging in the production of products to be shared by others, there is a need for studies that aim at identifying how widespread they are, and the concrete contribution they are providing to some key area such as, for energy, energy generation and distribution. Based on the need to address this research gap, this paper reports on a study on prosumer behaviour in a sustainable development (SD) context, with a focus on the energy sector. The paper deploys a mixed-methods approach which entails a bibliometric analysis of prosumers from a sustainability perspective - to gain a better understanding of the topic -, a quantitative study of prosumers' behaviour in the field of renewable energy involving respondents from 44 countries, and a set of case studies, supported by the literature, which illustrates current trends. The novelty of this paper resides in the fact that it explores the role of prosumers in an SD context across many countries in the critical area of energy generation and use, outlining the drivers of positive behaviour and identifying some further information needs. يتعلق مصطلح "المشترين" الذي صاغه توفلر بالعملاء الذين يشاركون أيضًا في الإنشاء المشترك للمنتجات، والتي يستهلكونها جزئيًا فقط، والذين يتم توفير رصيدهم لمجموعة أوسع. ولكن على الرغم من أن دور المستوردين يزداد أهمية حيث يشارك عدد أكثر شمولاً من الأشخاص في إنتاج المنتجات التي سيشاركها الآخرون، إلا أن هناك حاجة إلى دراسات تهدف إلى تحديد مدى انتشارها، والمساهمة الملموسة التي يقدمونها لبعض المجالات الرئيسية مثل الطاقة وتوليد الطاقة وتوزيعها. بناءً على الحاجة إلى معالجة هذه الفجوة البحثية، تقدم هذه الورقة تقريرًا عن دراسة حول سلوك المستهلك في سياق التنمية المستدامة، مع التركيز على قطاع الطاقة. تنشر الورقة نهجًا مختلطًا يستلزم تحليلًا ببليومتريًا للمستهلكين من منظور الاستدامة - للحصول على فهم أفضل للموضوع -، ودراسة كمية لسلوك المستهلكين في مجال الطاقة المتجددة تشمل مستجيبين من 44 دولة، ومجموعة من دراسات الحالة، مدعومة بالأدبيات، والتي توضح الاتجاهات الحالية. تكمن حداثة هذه الورقة في حقيقة أنها تستكشف دور المستوردين في سياق التنمية المستدامة عبر العديد من البلدان في المجال الحاسم لتوليد الطاقة واستخدامها، وتحدد دوافع السلوك الإيجابي وتحدد بعض الاحتياجات الإضافية من المعلومات.

Renewable energy is crucial nowadays, and among the options, biofuels are evidenced as a promising alternative to reduce the dependence of fossil fuels. However, there is a paucity of works that discuss the real impact of the biofuels on the sustainable development. This paper explores the relation between biofuels and the sustainable development goals (SDGs), seeking to present the main challenges, perspectives, and current developments discussed about them. A systematic review was performed to explore, specifically, the positive and negative impacts of the biofuels production on SDGs. The results show that biofuels contribute to achieving mainly SDG 13 (climate action) and SDG 7 (affordable and clean energy), but they also cause negative impacts in other SDGs that vary according to generations. Third-generation biofuels become promising alternatives to increasing sustainable development in this sector. However, they require more research development to reduce production costs and facilitate their commercialization. The gathering of limitations and perspectives highlights a range of opportunities to the research areas that can contribute even more to increasing sustainability in biofuels production and, therefore, in the achievement of the SDGs.

Concerning sustainability and food production, efforts are made by social, political, and environmental actors to enact changes in production and consumption patterns and adopt new management models and instruments. Hunger, waste, poor distribution of food, and low diversity affect many countries, and small family farmers are abandoning their activities due to the challenges which minimize the possibilities of contemplating SDG 12. Local production and SDG 12 favor access to safe and cheaper food, thereby encouraging food security and minimizing food waste. Focus groups and interviews were conducted with the participation of local actors in 16 municipalities in southern Brazil. The study took a qualitative research approach and content analysis was used as a mode of investigation. It was then possible to provide assistance to the decision-making process of local and regional public authorities in terms of development to support sustainable production and consumption. This study highlights the contribution of family agriculture to the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), specifically SDG 12. The study presents guidelines and means of implementation for a more sustainable family agriculture, as well as attributes to the challenges of the sector. With this approach, it was possible to connect the problem with the solutions, classifying them by thematic axes.