9,072 research outputs found

    Scenarios for the development of smart grids in the UK: literature review

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    Smart grids are expected to play a central role in any transition to a low-carbon energy future, and much research is currently underway on practically every area of smart grids. However, it is evident that even basic aspects such as theoretical and operational definitions, are yet to be agreed upon and be clearly defined. Some aspects (efficient management of supply, including intermittent supply, two-way communication between the producer and user of electricity, use of IT technology to respond to and manage demand, and ensuring safe and secure electricity distribution) are more commonly accepted than others (such as smart meters) in defining what comprises a smart grid. It is clear that smart grid developments enjoy political and financial support both at UK and EU levels, and from the majority of related industries. The reasons for this vary and include the hope that smart grids will facilitate the achievement of carbon reduction targets, create new employment opportunities, and reduce costs relevant to energy generation (fewer power stations) and distribution (fewer losses and better stability). However, smart grid development depends on additional factors, beyond the energy industry. These relate to issues of public acceptability of relevant technologies and associated risks (e.g. data safety, privacy, cyber security), pricing, competition, and regulation; implying the involvement of a wide range of players such as the industry, regulators and consumers. The above constitute a complex set of variables and actors, and interactions between them. In order to best explore ways of possible deployment of smart grids, the use of scenarios is most adequate, as they can incorporate several parameters and variables into a coherent storyline. Scenarios have been previously used in the context of smart grids, but have traditionally focused on factors such as economic growth or policy evolution. Important additional socio-technical aspects of smart grids emerge from the literature review in this report and therefore need to be incorporated in our scenarios. These can be grouped into four (interlinked) main categories: supply side aspects, demand side aspects, policy and regulation, and technical aspects.

    Shared Value in Emerging Markets: How Multinational Corporations Are Redefining Business Strategies to Reach Poor or Vulnerable Populations

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    This report illuminates the enormous opportunities in emerging markets for companies to drive competitive advantage and sustainable impact at scale. It identifies how over 30 companies across multiple sectors and geographies design and measure business strategies that also improve the lives of underserved individuals

    Competing Dimensions of Energy Security: An International Perspective

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    How well are industrialized nations doing in terms of their energy security? Without a standardized set of metrics, it is difficult to determine the extent that countries are properly responding to the emerging energy security challenges related to climate change, growing dependence on fossil fuels, population growth and economic development. In response, we propose the creation of an Energy Security Index to inform policymakers, investors and analysts about the status of energy conditions. Using the United States and 21 other member countries of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) as an example, and looking at energy security from 1970 to 2007, our index shows that only four countriesÂĄÂȘBelgium, Denmark, Japan, and the United KingdomÂĄÂȘhave made progress on multiple dimensions of the energy security problem. The remaining 18 have either made no improvement or are less secure. To make this argument, the first section of the article surveys the scholarly literature on energy security from 2003 to 2008 and argues that an index should address accessibility, affordability, efficiency, and environmental stewardship. Because each of these four components is multidimensional, the second section discusses ten metrics that comprise an Energy Security Index: oil import dependence, percentage of alternative transport fuels, on-road fuel economy for passenger vehicles, energy intensity, natural gas import dependence, electricity prices, gasoline prices, sulfur dioxide emissions, and carbon dioxide emissions. The third section analyzes the relative performance of four countries: Denmark (the top performer), Japan (which performed well), the United States (which performed poorly), and Spain (the worst performer). The article concludes by offering implications for policy. Conflicts between energy security criteria mean that advancement along any one dimension can undermine progress on another dimension. By focusing on a 10-point index, public policy can better illuminate such tradeoffs and can identify compensating policies

    Local Economies, Trade, and Global Sustainability

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    Bioregional and "ecological economics" theory describes the growth of local economic linkages as vital to move post-industrial economies in the direction of sustainability. This involves expanding local stewardship over environmental and economic resources, so that progressively more production for local needs can be done within the community. Far from existing solely in the realm of theory, this is a pattern which is becoming more and more familiar in many parts of North America and Europe. The blossoming initiatives to create local, community-centred economies can be understood in light of the long history of environmental challenges faced by people living in the industrialized North, and the double economic blows of recession and trade liberalization/globalization exemplified by the passage of GATT and NAFTA and the development of the EC in the 1990s.This paper discusses the dynamic relationship between globalization and local economic development in the North from both theoretical and practical viewpoints. It provides examples from Toronto, Canada of the synergy among environmental awareness, community organizing and "alternative" employment creation (e.g. in environmental remediation and energy conservation activities) which can accompany recession or trade-induced worker layoffs. The resulting local economic patterns tend to be "greener" and more socially sustainable than the globally-tied economic linkages they replace.This research was supported by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canad

    Energy management in 21st century: an inquiry into the mounting corporate hegemony over basic human necessities and the role of civil society as a countervailing force.

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    In 21st century, as energy and food supplies are increasingly becoming dependent on each other, any strategy to manage these two basic human needs should be formulated collectively –not in isolation. The ‘green revolution’ of 1950s paved the way for ascertaining corporate control on food and water. Through the enactment and subsequent ratification of Kyoto Protocol, the corporate hegemony on air and energy has been established firmly. During last hundred and fifty odd years, a symbiotic relationship between the state and large corporations was developed. The transnational corporations are trying to break away from such dependence on state and emerge as the dominant force to control and manage the global market. This study tries to explain the consequences of this changing relation between the ‘state’ and ‘corporations’ on the food and energy needs of the citizens. It also analyses various issues pertaining to the energy supplies during the next few decades of the 21st century. The paper concludes that in future, the civil society organizations (CSOs) will play an important role in steering the course of society especially in the allocation and distribution of basic human necessities like food and energy.Electricity retailing; food retailing, renewable energy; decentralized generation; civil society; multilateral organization; small and micro enterprise (sme), SMEs

    Sustainability as strategic advantage in the energy industry : the case of Enpal

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    This case study focuses on Enpal, a Berlin based solar panel installation company, that developed a novel leasing model for solar panels and energy saving equipment to homeowners, at no upfront cost. The case allows students to analyse a practical scenario on how a company can gain competitive advantage based on a sustainability strategy. The case offers an understanding of the key aspects of shared value creation and strategic sustainability. Students have the opportunity to analyse the challenges facing the German energy sector, including the rise of renewable energy, electrification, shifting competitive positioning, consumer behaviour and changing legislation. The case study highlights Enpal's commitment to sustainability and the initiatives the company has undertaken to create shared value. After studying this case, students are expected to, (1) understand the challenges facing the energy sector in the 21st century, (2) evaluate Enpal's strategy and its success relative to its competitors, (3) analyse the role of sustainability in Enpal's strategy and identify the initiatives that the company has carried out to create shared value, (4) differentiate between integrative and transformative approaches to sustainability in the energy sector, and (5) develop recommendations for Enpal's top management to further develop its strategy with sustainability concerns. The goal for students is to differentiate stages of corporate social responsibilities and apply theoretical literature to a practical scenario. The dissertation includes a literature review of the concept of corporate social responsibility, shared value creation and sustainability strategy. It also offers teaching notes to help instructors lead the in- class discussion.Este estudo de caso centra-se na Enpal, uma empresa sediada em Berlim que desenvolveu um modelo de aluguer de painĂ©is solares e aparelhos de poupança de energia para proprietĂĄrios de casas, sem custos iniciais. O caso permite aos alunos analisar a forma como uma empresa pode obter uma vantagem competitiva atravĂ©s de uma estratĂ©gia de sustentabilidade. Adicionalmente, o cao permite compreender os principais aspectos da criação de valor partilhado e da sustentabilidade estratĂ©gica. Os alunos tĂȘm a oportunidade de analisar os desafios do sector da energia, incluindo o aumento das energias renovĂĄveis, a electrificação, a alteração da posição competitiva, o comportamento dos consumidores e a alteração da legislação. O estudo destaca o compromisso da Enpal com a sustentabilidade e as suas iniciativas de valor partilhado. ApĂłs o estudo, os alunos deverĂŁo ser capazes de: (1) compreender os desafios do sector da energia no sĂ©culo XXI, (2) avaliar a estratĂ©gia da Enpal e o seu sucesso em relação aos concorrentes, (3) analisar o papel da sustentabilidade na estratĂ©gia da Enpal, (4) distinguir abordagens integradoras e transformadoras da sustentabilidade no sector da energia, e (5) apresentar recomendaçÔes para que a Enpal continue a desenvolver uma estratĂ©gia baseada na sustentabilidade. O objectivo para os estudantes Ă© aplicar a teoria da responsabilidade social das empresas a cenĂĄrios prĂĄticos. A tese analisa a literatura sobre responsabilidade social, criação de valor partilhado e estratĂ©gia de sustentabilidade e inclui notas para facilitar a discussĂŁo na aula

    Privatisation, Regulation, and Competition in South Asia

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    Privatisation has begun to accelerate in India and Pakistan. However, it is not clear that a change in ownership per se will contribute significantly to a more rapid, efficient, and equitable growth unless policies that ensure competition for these enterprises and remove distortions in factor markets also are undertaken at the same time or prior to privatisation. After a brief discussion of the transition from state-led development to more market-oriented policies and gradual opening to world markets, this paper reviews some of the analytical literature on privatisation and regulation. The translation of these theories into concrete policy suggestions is difficult for countries such as Pakistan and India, where many of the assumptions behind the theories do not hold. However, the results of empirical studies on past privatisations around the world do hold lessons for South Asia. Similarly, theories of regulation offer only broad recommendations, most notably (for South Asia) that regulation is not the best way to redistribute resources. The final section of the paper reviews India’s and Pakistan’s experience with privatisation thus far. Attempted privatisation of electricity in India serves as an example of the need for more attention to regulation, while the transfer of ownership has led to better service at lower cost in the telecommunications sector. Pakistan’s privatisation programme appears to have had similarly mixed results, though it is difficult to come to firm conclusions with the evidence at hand.

    It Is Smart Only If It Is Sustainable. Environmentally Friendly Business Strategies As A Source Of Creating Bigger Value Pool And Reducing Negative Environmental Impacts

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    In today’s world, we thrashed about with intensive resource exploitation, increased productivity and increasing returns to scale to make abnormal profits and to form a system that favours the survival and growth of the corporate sector at the cost of environmental degradation. It is only now that the expression, ‘environmental sustainability’, which is to sustain or prolong the environment, became a focal point in today’s corporate social responsibility agendas and reports. But this vagary of the corporate sector to decipher the environmental degradation enigma has not worked due to existing system and outdated strategies. Therefore, this paper calls for reinventing the system by unleashing wave of innovations, crafting new strategies, and having a vision based on transformation. To illustrate my points, I focus on the smartphone industry to unveil its environmental impact at every phase of its life cycle and throughout the supply chain. The environmental impact of the smartphone is evident at the extraction of raw material, manufacturing, distribution and packaging, use, and end of life phases. The key challenge for understanding these impacts is the complexity of the smartphone and its value chain. Smartphone, throughout its life cycle, also plays a huge part in perilous climate change. Deforestation, inefficient mining of metals and ‘rare earths’, air, water and land pollution, use of toxic chemicals, enormous e-waste generation, harmful smelting processes, ineffective companies’ policies and government regulations and irrational consumer behaviours – all are evils associated with smartphones’ entire life cycle. Also, the CO2 emissions for all the phases of the life cycle of the smartphones for the year 2020 are forecasted to be around 390.4 megatons. I think environmental sustainability objectives require complex systems thinking for which we need collaborative effort. In this regard, I have designed what I call a “meta strategy” for “environmental sustainability”. The “meta strategy” not just provides a guiding lens to mitigate smartphones’ environmental impact but it can result in minimizing expenses of the smartphones’ entire life cycle phase by phase, by taking advantage from others’ competencies and creating clusters or partnerships, which in turn creates a larger value pool for every single actor involved. Around 6.1 billion smartphones are expected to be in use by 2020, thus creating an awareness regarding its environmental impact and providing a strategy to mitigate its environmental impact will have a tremendous multiplier effect among users, and a system changing and influential behaviour among manufacturers respectively

    Investing with Purpose: A Pilot Study

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    This pilot study explores the practice of companies investing capital and in-kind resources to a social enterprise with the expectation of financial, social, and strategicreturns. While this practice, referred to in this paper as "impact investing" or "Investingwith Purpose," is commonly discussed and explored in research and conferences, theextent of its actual use among large corporations outside the financial sector has notbeen well understood.Together with Prudential Financial Inc., CECP sought to uncover the types and depthof large companies using investments to advance social and business goals, particularlythose outside the financial sector
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