ASPECTS OF THE SUSTAINABLE UTILIZATION OF RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES

The aim of this paper is to analyze the main approaches to sustainability and to present an alternative interpretation for the issues involved in the utilization of RES. The utilization technologies can be described by the average values of several technological parameters. Some significant parameters were chosen which are the most relevant for the issue of sustainability. The group of attributes was composed of these parameters in the analysis, which was conducted by the choice experiment (CE) methodology. The examination of each attributes’ influence on the individual’s preferences and choices was made possible by this method and the preferences of the relevant experts were determined. The weight of the attributes was defined by experts according to the importance of each attribute regarding RES-based technologies. The importance of sustainability attributes implies the significance of sustainability in the case of RES technologies, which thus highlights the characteristics of the more prosperous technological parameters regarding sustainable development

Adalékok a megújuló energiaforrásokra alapozott projektek fenntarthatósági értékeléséhez

A globális ökológiai problémák a fenntarthatóság felé való átmenetet sürgetik, ennek eredményessége érdekében azonban a környezet- és fejlesztéspolitikai tervezésben a megújuló energiaforrások értékelését a lehető legalaposabban, komplex módon kell elvégezni. Tanulmányunk célja a megújuló energiaforrásokra alapozott technológiák összehasonlítása az alapján, hogy mennyire járulnak hozzá a környezeti állapot megóvásának, a gazdaság és a társadalom fejlődésének együttes igényéhez – tehát a fenntartható fejlődéshez. Munkánk során felmértük a hazai szakértők véleményét a megújuló energetikai technológiák fenntarthatósági jellemzőinek fontosságáról. A megkérdezettek a területigényt és a társadalmi vonatkozásokat tartották a leglényegesebbnek. Ezt követően 23 magyar projekt elemzése alapján arra a következtetésre jutottunk, hogy előnyben részesítendők a helyi jövedelmet fokozottan termelő beruházások, valamint hogy kiemelten támogatandó projektek a nagyobb szélerőműparkok, a geotermikus távfűtés, illetve a kisléptékű biomassza-tüzelés. ------------------------------------------------- Transition toward sustainability is being driven by the global ecological problems. For planning the efficiency of this transition in environmental and development policies the assessment of renewable energy sources in an elaborate and complex way is required. The aim of the study is to consider the contribution of renewable energy based technologies to environmental protection and socio-economic development – and thus to sustainable development. The opinion of Hungarian experts regarding the attributes of renewable energy based technologies was examined. The primacy of land demand as well as social aspects was stated. An analysis of numerous Hungarian renewable energy based projects was then undertaken. We concluded that the profitability on the local market was the priority of the investors. Also the advantages of large-scale wind utilisation, the geothermal district heating and the small-scale biomass burning were shown

Material hide-and-seek : looking for the resource savings due to international trade of food products

Abstract Adverse environmental effects of international trade are emphasized in the literature frequently. Nevertheless, following a theoretical trade logic, the production of goods in regions with higher resource efficiency may lead to reduced global resource use. In this article, major drivers of food‐related material footprint (MF) are analyzed at the global, regional, and country levels. Changes in consumption, the supply chain's efficiency, and participation in international trade are considered drivers of MF. An index decomposition analysis was conducted to assess the contribution of these factors to the variation of the MF in time. Our results partially prove that the optimization regarding natural resource use may contribute to a lower MF of food consumption. Regions and countries with increasing food imports reinforce their efficiency improvement with the lower resource intensity of imported goods, and the international trade counteracted the effects on additional resource requirements of increasing consumption throughout the analyzed period (1990–2013). Furthermore, the impact of international trade on capital stock is discussed. In line with the descending flow‐type material intensity by approximately 5%, the material composition of the footprint has shifted toward stock building materials. Additionally, the intensity of the trade was found to be negatively correlated with domestic efficiency improvements