Independent Expert Scientific Panel – Report on Unconventional Oil and Gas

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The evolving nature of town centre management internationally and my advocacy for a strategic global-local approach to practice and research in this profession

Town centre management (TCM) as a practice-based concept has existed in the UK, North America and much of Western Europe for over twenty five years. TCM was first defined by Wells (1991, p. 24) in the academic literature as “a comprehensive response to competitive pressures, which involves development, management and promotion of both public and private areas within town centres, for the benefit of all concerned”. Yet, this concept has evolved considerably since its first inceptions in the 1980s as the public-private partnerships that manage high streets, districts, town centres, quarters and other place formats have themselves faced a period of unprecedented environmental and socio-economic changes in the matrix of our towns and cities. This DProf by Public Works project explores the author’s contribution to this evolving paradigm over a ten year period by advocating a global-local approach to the town centre management profession. Specific knowledge gaps addressed by the author over this period include the contribution of small and medium sized retailers to the vitality, diversity and viability of town centres in a number of European countries, a pan-European classification tool (typology) of town centre management schemes, the development of the UK’s first ever professional and academic qualifications in place management and the founding of the first-ever practice-based international interdisciplinary publication on the management of towns and cities – the Journal of Town and City Management. The author’s transformational learning experience over this period serves as a backdrop for reflection throughout. Finally, insights into the future of town centres are offered along with some of the key strategic challenges that the town centre management profession will need to address in the medium term in order to continue to thrive into the future

Unconventional Natural Gas Development as a Reasonable Alternative for Energy Strategy and Policy: Implications for the People\u27s Republic of China

This research argues that development of unconventional natural gas is a reasonable alternative for energy future of the People\u27s Republic of China. Four major factors, including economic growth, social development, environmental constraints, and technological breakthroughs and foreign energy expertise, are singled out as the key determinants that encourage development of unconventional natural gas in China and improvement of its energy strategy and policy. To meet growing demand for energy resources, satisfy socio-economic needs and address environmental issues in a sound manner is a current ongoing challenge for the Chinese energy sector. Unconventional natural gas is proposed as one of the approaches in order to resolve this pressing problem. The potential contributions of unconventional natural gas are analyzed. As explored in the paper, it may provide abundant, affordable, and cleaner-burning energy to the Chinese, offering stable energy prices, security, and solutions to the climate challenge. The research concludes with policy recommendations in order to promote development of unconventional gas within the energy sector in China. China provides a useful and illustrative case study because the challenges experienced by this country are the challenges to be addressed by the whole global community which urgently needs to establish wise relationships between energy, economy, and the environment

The shale gas industry in South Africa: Toward a science action plan. 31 August – 1 September 2017, Proceedings Report

Cite: Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf), (2017). The shale gas industry in South Africa: Toward a science action plan. [Online] Available at: DOI http://dx.doi.org/10.17159/assaf.2017/0019The objective of the conference was to showcase critical national reports on shale gas in South Africa; analyse the regulatory environment; and consolidate common findings and recommendations and provide a platform for debate. The conference was attended by 126 key stakeholders from government, industry and academia. African and international delegates also attend the conference. Among the 126 delegates there were 12 speakers and 9 panellists. The programme was divided into 7 sessions with the last session comprising 2 roundtable discussions. The opening address was delivered by Dr Phil Mjwara, Director-General of the Department of Science and Technology. Further notable representations were made by Mr Jacob Moatshe, Acting Deputy Director-General of Mineral Policy and Promotion at the Department of Mineral Resources (representing the Chair of the governmental Hydraulic Fracturing Monitoring Committee, Advocate Thabo Mokoena (DG of the DMR)), and Ms Busisiwe Khumalo, General Manager at the Eastern Cape office of the Premier.Department of Science and Technolog

Fuelling the Dragon: A Geopolitical Economy of Natural Gas Transition in China

To tackle its coal-induced air pollution and carbon mission problems, the Chinese government has sought to increase the share of natural gas in its fuel mix to 10 percent by 2020. The gasification of the fuel mix requires the gasification of the country’s energy supply chain, which implies transitions in infrastructures, actors and institutions throughout the chain. This dissertation adopts the global production networks (GPN) approach to evaluate how this form of energy transition will unfold functionally, organisationally, institutionally and politically in and across space. Specifically, it assesses the relational landscape of China’s energy governance, and its implications for gas acquisition, distribution and consumption. It finds: (i) the governments, national oil companies and Chinese Communist Party does not behave like a coherent monolith; instead a range of state actors and institutions have defined the structure of China’s gas production network; (ii) China’s state-led expansion of gas infrastructure is surprisingly effective despite the fragmented governance structure; (iii) national oil companies are seeking further vertical integration at the expense of the prospects of independent downstream players; (iv) China’s gas extraction, import, distribution and consumption can only be understood in relation to one another; (v) any ‘strategic coupling’ between international oil companies and China’s regional gas assets and institutions is conditional, and the window of opportunity is wider in the unconventional gas extraction and downstream distribution; and (vi) future development of gas consumption is institutionally uncertain. This research also, via the case of the gasification in China, demonstrates the utility of GPN approach for understanding energy transition

Could "The Cleveland Model" or the "Mondragon model" work within New South Wales? : exploring the possibilities of distributist political-economies in New South Wales

This paper explores the possibilities of the political-economy theory, distributism, both as a form of analysis and as a practical source of cooperative economy ideas. Regarding analysis, in this paper distributist thought will be used to analyse the currently hegemonic political-economy theory, globalised neoliberalism, and offer that the historical critique of liberal derived economic theories which reference their internal priority disorders, is still pertinent and valid. The paper will then explicate the underpinning anthropocentric concepts of distributism – the person, the common good, the good life, subsidiarity, and familial and community sources of authority – and how these can help manifest technologically dynamic, participatory, egalitarian, stable, sustainable, localised political-economies. To demonstrate this, the integrated and coordinated cooperative economies of Mondragon Corporacion Cooperativa (MCC) and The Cleveland Model (TCM) will be analysed and contextualised, and the critiques of both models discussed. Furthermore, the debates regarding distributism and cooperative economies more generally will be explicated, so too the apparent strengths and failings of the Australian cooperative political-economy terrain. Finally, it will be suggested that due to its already distributist nature, the Catholic Archdiocese of Sydney appeared to be a pertinent research direction for deeper explorations into the applicability of distributist economies in New South Wales

Faculty Of Education UNHI

Faculty Of Education UNH

Energy dependency, the potential supply of renewable energies and the political responses in Turkey in the decades since the oil-crisis

The transition to post-fossil future and widespread utilization of renewable energy technologies have become inevitable across the globe, not only due to limited amount of fossil energy sources, but also the impacts of human-dominated activities on the planet Earth. Turkey, is one of the countries, having scant amount of fossil energy, but rich in various renewable sources with the sufficient capacity to contribute Turkey’s primary energy goals; such as diminishing energy dependency, increasing supply security and diversification of energy sources. Nevertheless, the country is still highly dependent on natural gas and crude-oil imports to meet its growing energy hunger as a result of economic and demographic expansion as well as the insufficient implementation of the energy efficiency technologies. The rising energy imports and therewith the current account deficit put a big burden on country’s vulnerable economy. Turkish government plans to raise the share of renewable energy sources in electricity production to at least 30% by 2023. The calculations show that geothermal power and biomass-based energy production will achieve the 2023 targets, while solar energy installations remain insufficient in number. Wind- and hydropower with their high potential and adequate number of proposed facilities will contribute to the total electricity generation in considerable amount. The public awareness and social acceptance of utilization renewable energy plants have positive impacts to the gradual development of these plants

The New EU Frontier: Perspectives on Enhanced Economic Integration

The central objective of this report is to identify the best forms of enhanced economic integration that could be pursued over the next 5-10 years between the EU and five of its important neighbour countries: Ukraine, Russia, Egypt, Morocco and Algeria. The report starts from reviewing existing forms of economic integration and time dependencies between them. It then discusses in more detail institutional requirements for alternative options of deepening co-operation with the EU neighbour countries. Subsequently, likely effects of economic integration are discussed. Special sections are devoted to the energy cooperation with Russia, Algeria and Ukraine and to the EU financial assistance to its neighbourhood. The report concludes with policy recommendations that could be relevant for the development of the European Neighbourhood Policy and also for pursuing business opportunities in the EU neighbourhood.ENP, economic integration, EU Neighbourhood