Low-Carbon Technologies in the Post-Bali Period: Accelerating their Development and Deployment. CEPS ECP Report No. 4, 4 December 2007

This report analyses the very broad issue of technology development, demonstration and diffusion with a view to identifying the key elements of a complementary global technology track in the post-2012 framework. It identifies a number of immediate and concrete steps that can be taken to provide content and a structure for such a track. The report features three sections dealing with innovation and technology, investment in developing countries and investment and finance, followed by an analysis of the various initiatives being taken on technology both within and outside the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). A final section presents ideas for the way forward followed by brief concluding remarks

An Overview of the Feasibility of Achieving Level 2 Building Information Modeling by 2016 in the UK

The aim of this study is to investigate the current status and feasibility of achieving Level 2 BIM (building information modeling) usage that is to be made mandatory by the UK government on its projects by the year 2016. This study assesses the level at which organizational and practitioner knowledge of BIM is currently positioned. The UK government, being the largest public stakeholder client, has realized the benefits and advantages of BIM when used in procuring projects across their lifecycle in the built environment. A critical review of the BIM literature was carried out and the evidence base was created in relation to government targets for 2016. At the current stage, Level 2 BIM adoption is achievable by 2016 for large construction firms but not for SMEs (small medium enterprise). Also, from evidence in this study, the technology needs to be properly tailored to meet SME variables if Level 2 status is to be achieved for the entire industry

Innovation and Collective Entrepreneurship

This paper examines different forms of innovation including social innovation, and why innovation and social innovation have become important themes in public policy in a context of the increasing and diverse demands on welfare regimes, and in an era of constrained budgets. It will review different perspectives on innovation and social innovation and the dynamic interaction through collective entrepreneurship in the social and solidarity economy; bringing out process and outcome dimensions of innovation. And it will develop an understanding of the drivers and barriers to innovation, including the role of the institutional and policy framework. It will set this analysis within the context of public policy, demonstrating their role in enabling such innovations in the social and solidarity economy

Financial Development and Technology

Research in development economics reveals that the bulk of cross-country differences in economic growth is attributable to differences in productivity. By some accounts, productivity contributes to more than 60 percent of countries’ growth in per capita GDP. I examine a particular channel through which financial development could explain cross-country and crossindustry differences in realized productivity. I argue that financial development induces technological innovations – a major stimulus of productivity - through facilitating capital mobilization and risk sharing. In a panel of industries across thirty eight countries, I find that financial development explains the cross-country differences in industry rates of technological progress, rates of real cost reduction and rates of productivity growth. I find that the effect of financial development on productivity and technological progress is heterogeneous across industrial sectors that differ in their needs for financing innovation. In particular, industries whose younger firms depend more on external finance realize faster rate of technological change in countries with more developed banking sector.http://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/40135/3/wp749.pd

A hydrogen framework for the East Midlands

Profiles capabilities in midlands-based organisations in hydrogen and fuel cell technologies as a rationale for support of a Midlands hydrogen cluster

Financial Development and Technology

Research in development economics reveals that the bulk of cross-country differences in economic growth is attributable to differences in productivity. By some accounts, productivity contributes to more than 60 percent of countries’ growth in per capita GDP. I examine a particular channel through which financial development could explain cross-country and crossindustry differences in realized productivity. I argue that financial development induces technological innovations ñ a major stimulus of productivity - through facilitating capital mobilization and risk sharing. In a panel of industries across thirty eight countries, I find that financial development explains the cross-country differences in industry rates of technological progress, rates of real cost reduction and rates of productivity growth. I find that the effect of financial development on productivity and technological progress is heterogeneous across industrial sectors that differ in their needs for financing innovation. In particular, industries whose younger firms depend more on external finance realize faster rate of technological change in countries with more developed banking sector.http://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/57259/1/wp879 .pd

Scenarios for the development of smart grids in the UK: synthesis report

‘Smart grid’ is a catch-all term for the smart options that could transform the ways society produces, delivers and consumes energy, and potentially the way we conceive of these services. Delivering energy more intelligently will be fundamental to decarbonising the UK electricity system at least possible cost, while maintaining security and reliability of supply. Smarter energy delivery is expected to allow the integration of more low carbon technologies and to be much more cost effective than traditional methods, as well as contributing to economic growth by opening up new business and innovation opportunities. Innovating new options for energy system management could lead to cost savings of up to £10bn, even if low carbon technologies do not emerge. This saving will be much higher if UK renewable energy targets are achieved. Building on extensive expert feedback and input, this report describes four smart grid scenarios which consider how the UK’s electricity system might develop to 2050. The scenarios outline how political decisions, as well as those made in regulation, finance, technology, consumer and social behaviour, market design or response, might affect the decisions of other actors and limit or allow the availability of future options. The project aims to explore the degree of uncertainty around the current direction of the electricity system and the complex interactions of a whole host of factors that may lead to any one of a wide range of outcomes. Our addition to this discussion will help decision makers to understand the implications of possible actions and better plan for the future, whilst recognising that it may take any one of a number of forms

Regional construction sector: sector implementation plan (SIP)

This Sector Implementation Plan (SIP) forms an integral part of the Regional Economic Strategy (RES), acting as a high level plan for the region’s construction sector, and providing an overview of the strategic actions and interventions which will deliver the outcomes required to achieve progress against each key challenge

Environmental sustainability in the mining sector: evidence from Catalan companies

This paper examines the adoption of environmental practices in small and medium sized companies inthe surface mining industry in Catalonia (Spain). To fulfill this aim, a survey of 41 items concernint environmental management systems and environmentally sustainable practices has been conducted. Results show that companies have committed themselves to environmental and sustainable issues. The majority of companies claim to understand the effects of their activities on the environment and they care for responsible access and management of natural resources. Restoration plans and the annual waste declaration are mandatory in Catalonia, and rational resources exploitation practices have been adopted by a high percentage of mines. Finally, some examples of good environmentally sustainable practices are introduced.Peer ReviewedPostprint (author’s final draft

Why tracing a locality's networked governance is worthwhile

The transition from government to governance brings about a shift in performance evaluation. The focus can no longer be on an individual entity, but must extend into considering how a collective of government and non-government institutions achieves the outcomes sought. How can this evaluation task proceed? While applying the formal methods of social network analysis (SNA) to measuring, analysing and managing networked governance may seem obvious to some, such a solution seems to have been avoided over many decades. SNA tools that non-experts can use have been released in recent past, providing opportunities in learning-by-doing among practitioners and scholars with responsibilities or interests in public sector management. The overarching aim in this paper is to promote adoption of an open-source software tool - NodeXL - as one pathway toward understanding and improving networked governance situations, and toward communicating results to others. It begins by establishing three areas of information needs held by Australia's local governments, where undertaking a pilot study could be useful. They are, local government's real positioning with other decision-makers in the networked governance that is Australian federalism; world better practice in risk governance, given the significant exposure of Australian councils to natural disaster events; and measuring change over time in governance capital, as a component in the capitals approach to measuring sustainable development. Establishing functional and spatial boundaries was a key step in design, with the choice being environment protection and natural resources management in the 350km2 catchment area of the Wonboyn Lake estuary on the far south coast of New South Wales. A Web search of documents containing the terms 'Wonboyn Lake' or 'Wonboyn River' then followed. One hundred and twenty nine documents were retrieved. Analysing their contents led to identifying over two hundred institutional actors either transmitting or receiving knowledge relevant to the locality. Some 420 communications taking place between 1967 and 2011 were identified, and tagged according to year of transmission. The decision-making level within which each institutional actor operated; and whether industry, regulator, external researcher or stakeholder were other characteristics recorded. A 421 x 2 matrix of Wonboyn data was then pasted into the NodeXL template operating on MS Excel 2007/2010. Resource materials downloaded from the Web supported the learning-by-doing element of the pilot study. Four visualisations on networked environmental governance are provided. The first shows unmodified data as a graph in random layout. Its purpose is to provide a benchmark against which some of the SNA procedures available for analysing data can be compared. Then follow three graph layouts, each designed to meet the areas of information need established at the study's beginning. Results suggest, in the author's opinion, any time invested in learning-by-doing with NodeXL will reward those wishing to understand, manage and communicate the complexity that is networked governance. Suggestions on how the Australian Centre for Excellence in Local Government, and practitioners in local councils, could be early adopters of this innovation by using data already available to them are offered, so that they may undertake similar pilot studies