Proposing a Governance model for environmental crises

During August 2021, a wildfire outbreak in Evia, Greece's second largest island, resulted in a major environmental and economic crisis. Apart from biodiversity and habitat loss, the disaster triggered a financial crisis because it wiped out wood-productive forests and outdoor areas that attract visitors. This crisis highlighted the need for a new governance model in order to respond to environmental crises more effectively. The aim of this study was to investigate the acceptance and attitudes of relevant stakeholders towards establishing a Hub a proposed governance model responsible for monitoring and restoring the natural capital and biodiversity after environmental crises. Results based on quantitative data collected via questionnaires showed that most respondents were positive to the Hub and perceived that its main functions should be to recommend measures after environmental crises and to facilitate cooperation among involved stakeholders. Moreover, results pointed to preferred funding sources, stakeholder groups that should participate in the Hub and key performance indicators (KPIs) for monitoring Hub's performance. The applied methodology could guide the establishment of governance models both in the study area and other countries facing environmental crises

Proposing a Governance Model for Environmental Crises

During August 2021, a wildfire outbreak in Evia, Greece’s second largest island, resulted in a major environmental and economic crisis. Apart from biodiversity and habitat loss, the disaster triggered a financial crisis because it wiped out wood-productive forests and outdoor areas that attract visitors. This crisis highlighted the need for a new governance model in order to respond to environmental crises more effectively. The aim of this study was to investigate the acceptance and attitudes of relevant stakeholders towards establishing a Hub—a proposed governance model responsible for monitoring and restoring the natural capital and biodiversity after environmental crises. Results based on quantitative data collected via questionnaires showed that most respondents were positive to the Hub and perceived that its main functions should be to recommend measures after environmental crises and to facilitate cooperation among involved stakeholders. Moreover, results pointed to preferred funding sources, stakeholder groups that should participate in the Hub and key performance indicators (KPIs) for monitoring Hub’s performance. The applied methodology could guide the establishment of governance models both in the study area and other countries facing environmental crises

Energy Transition and Climate Change in Decision-Making Processes

Humans have been using fossil fuels for centuries, and the development of fossil fuel technology reshaped society in lasting ways [...

Μοντέλο λήψης αποφάσεων για τις επενδύσεις στην ανανεώσιμη ενέργεια: βαθμός ικανοποίησης και η στάση των επενδυτών και των εμπλεκομένων φορέων

Renewable energy sources (RES) have been acknowledged as a feasible way to produce cleaner and inexhaustible energy with significantly less harmful emissions compared to those of fossil fuels. From this perspective, the deployment of renewable energy (RE) can play a vital role in efforts towards mitigating climate change. Greece is highly advantageous regarding its renewable potential and investments could be the lever for achieving reductions in greenhouse gas emissions and transitioning to a low-carbon energy system. The problem, however, is that investors’ trust in the state has not been built yet and, at the same time, the understanding of the decision to invest is limited. Hence, the aim of this research is to investigate investments in renewable energy and point to the actions that can be undertaken to build investor trust in the Greek state as well as propose a decision-making model that will support investment decisions. The objectives are to examine the reasons for investing in renewables, satisfaction with stakeholders, barriers to investments and measures to facilitate investments. The target populations involved Greek citizens, who have not invested, small-scale investors and companies that have invested in RES in Greece. To achieve the aim and objectives of this research, quantitative and qualitative methods were employed. In specific, questionnaires were administered to a nation-wide random sample of Greek citizens (n=1,536) and twenty and fifteen in-depth interviews were conducted with small-scale investors and companies, respectively. Data from the questionnaire study were analyzed with descriptive statistics, the non-parametric Friedman test, factor analysis, cluster analysis, logistic regression analysis and multiple criteria analysis while data from in-depth interviews were scrutinized with thematic analysis. Results showed that citizens, small investors and companies were not satisfied with the Greek state in terms of its actions to facilitate RE investments. Very low satisfaction levels were also recorded for the licensing process and policies aiming at mitigating the monopolies of fossil fuels and improving the competitiveness of renewables in the energy market as well as provided incentives. Beside the state, citizens were not satisfied with the media in terms of the information they provide on renewable investments. The analysis also showed that small-scale investors and companies were driven primarily by economic gains although environmental benefits exerted a positive influence on their investment decision. Small-scale investors tended to coincide the investment with life events which led them to seek additional income through the payments for the produced electricity under the feed-in-tariff system. According to respondents’ proposed measures, the upgrade and expansion of the grid may be the key to not only to increase investor satisfaction but also to attract investments. While companies resorted to ministries and the Internet to obtain information related to the investment, small-scale investors preferred to obtain information from experts and the Internet as well as from members of their social circle who had previously invested in renewables. It was concluded that, for both investor groups, the Internet was not used as a primary source but mostly as a secondary or supplementary source in order either to confirm the information from experts or to obtain some additional information on various aspects of the investment.Οι Ανανεώσιμες Πηγές Ενέργειας (ΑΠΕ) έχουν πλέον αναγνωριστεί ως ένας εφικτός τρόπος παραγωγής ενέργειας καθώς η παραγωγή τους απελευθερώνει σημαντικά λιγότερες εκπομπές άνθρακα σε σύγκριση με τα ορυκτά καύσιμα. Υπό αυτό το πρίσμα, η ανάπτυξη ανανεώσιμης ενέργειας (ΑΕ) δύναται να διαδραματίσει ζωτικό ρόλο στην προσπάθεια αντιμετώπισης της κλιματικής αλλαγής. Η Ελλάδα παρουσιάζει ιδιαίτερα πλεονεκτήματα σε ότι αφορά το δυναμικό ανανεώσιμης ενέργειας και επομένως οι επενδύσεις σε ΑΠΕ μπορούν να λειτουργήσουν ως μοχλός μείωσης εκπομπών άνθρακα διευκολύνοντας την μετάβαση σε ένα καθαρότερο εθνικό ενεργειακό μείγμα. Το πρόβλημα, ωστόσο, είναι ότι η εμπιστοσύνη των επενδυτών στο ελληνικό κράτος δεν έχει ακόμη εδραιωθεί ενώ η κατανόηση της απόφασης επένδυσης σε ΑΠΕ είναι περιορισμένη. Ο σκοπός της παρούσας έρευνας είναι να διερευνήσει τις επενδύσεις σε ανανεώσιμες πηγές ενέργειας αναδεικνύοντας τις ενέργειες που πρέπει να γίνουν ώστε να εδραιωθεί η εμπιστοσύνη των επενδυτών και προτείνοντας ένα μοντέλο λήψης αποφάσεων για την υποστήριξη της επενδυτικής απόφασης. Οι επιμέρους στόχοι είναι να διερευνηθούν οι λόγοι επένδυσης σε ΑΠΕ, η ικανοποίηση με τους εμπλεκομένους φορείς, τα εμπόδια επένδυσης και τα μέτρα διευκόλυνσης των επενδύσεων. Ειδικότερα, διερευνώνται τρεις πληθυσμοί-στόχοι: οι Έλληνες πολίτες που δεν έχουν προβεί σε τέτοιου είδους επενδύσεις, καθώς και οι μικροί επενδυτές και οι εταιρείες που έχουν επενδύσει. Για την επίτευξη του σκοπού και των στόχων της έρευνας, χρησιμοποιήθηκαν ποσοτικές και ποιοτικές μέθοδοι. Ειδικότερα, συμπληρώθηκαν ερωτηματολόγια από αντιπροσωπευτικό δείγμα 1.536 πολιτών, ενώ διενεργήθηκαν 20 συνεντεύξεις σε βάθος με μικρούς επενδυτές και 15 συνεντεύξεις με εταιρείες. Τα δεδομένα της έρευνας με ερωτηματολόγιο αναλύθηκαν με την εφαρμογή περιγραφικής στατιστικής, του μη παραμετρικού ελέγχου Friedman, παραγοντικής ανάλυσης, ανάλυσης σε συστάδες, λογιστικής παλινδρόμησης και με τη χρήση της μεθόδου MUSA (Multicriteria Satisfaction Analysis). Τα αποτελέσματα έδειξαν ότι τόσο οι πολίτες όσο και οι μικροί επενδυτές και οι εταιρείες δεν ήταν ικανοποιημένοι με το ελληνικό κράτος ως προς τις ενέργειές του σχετικά με τις επενδύσεις σε ΑΠΕ. Συγκεκριμένα, τα χαμηλότερα επίπεδα ικανοποίησης καταγράφηκαν για την αδειοδοτική διαδικασία, τις πολιτικές και τα μέτρα περιορισμού των μονοπωλίων των ορυκτών καυσίμων, τις πολιτικές βελτίωσης της ανταγωνιστικότητας των ΑΠΕ στην αγορά ενέργειας και τα παρεχόμενα κίνητρα επένδυσης. Εκτός από το ελληνικό κράτος, οι πολίτες δεν ήταν ικανοποιημένοι με τα μέσα μαζικής ενημέρωσης ως προς την ενημέρωση που παρέχουν σχετικά με τις επενδύσεις. Η ανάλυση ακόμα έδειξε ότι οι μικροί επενδυτές και οι εταιρείες επένδυσαν κυρίως για να αποκτήσουν οικονομικά οφέλη, ενώ η προστασία του περιβάλλοντος επηρέασε θετικά την απόφασή τους. Η επένδυση των μικρών επενδυτών συνέπεσε με γεγονότα τα οποία τους ώθησαν να αναζητήσουν επιπλέον εισόδημα μέσω της ηλεκτροπαραγωγής. Σύμφωνα με τα μέτρα που προτείνουν οι ερωτώμενοι, η αναβάθμιση και η επέκταση του δικτύου είναι το κλειδί όχι μόνο για να βελτιωθεί η ικανοποίηση των επενδυτών αλλά και για να ενισχυθεί το επενδυτικό ενδιαφέρον. Προκειμένου να αποφασίσουν, οι εταιρείες συμβουλεύονται τα αρμόδια υπουργεία και το Διαδίκτυο, ενώ οι μικροί επενδυτές προτιμούν να ενημερώνονται από ειδικούς και το Διαδίκτυο καθώς και άτομα του περιβάλλοντός τους που έχουν ήδη επενδύσει σε ΑΠΕ. Το Διαδίκτυο, ωστόσο, δεν χρησιμοποιείται από τους επενδυτές ως κύρια πηγή ενημέρωσης αλλά ως δευτερεύουσα ή συμπληρωματική πηγή προκειμένου να διασταυρώσουν τις πληροφορίες των ειδικών ή να αποκτήσουν περαιτέρω πληροφορίες σχετικά με διάφορες παραμέτρους της επένδυσης

Energy Transition and Climate Change in Decision-Making Processes

Humans have been using fossil fuels for centuries, and the development of fossil fuel technology reshaped society in lasting ways [...

Understanding the decision of companies to invest in renewables: An investor perspective

Investments in renewable energy sources (RES) can mobilize significant capital to support renewable energy deployment. However, policymaking does not pay adequate attention to investors’ motives and preferences and thus it is possible that current policies lack vital elements that appeal to potential investors. The aim of this study was to examine how Greek companies that have invested in renewables perceive RES investments and, in specific, to examine their views about economic drivers, barriers to investments and the measures that could facilitate investments. To that aim, 15 in-depth interviews were held with representatives of Greek companies and the data were analyzed with thematic analysis. It was indicated that perceiving the investment as profitable and secure was what mainly drove companies to invest while rapid depreciation was another driver. The perceived barriers requiring policy response involved the bureaucracy of the licensing procedure and the lack of grid capacity. In addition, companies that lack substantial capital find it difficult to ensure favorable conditions for loans. The most recommended measures to facilitate companies to invest in RES were to eliminate bureaucracy, expand the grid and accelerate procedures

Factors affecting citizens’ decision to invest in renewable energy

Renewable energy sources (RES) have been acknowledged as a feasible way to produce inexhaustible energy with significantly less harmful emissions compared to fossil fuels. RES investments could be the lever for increasing the deployment of RES and citizens could contribute significant capital. However, the understanding of their decision to invest is limited. Hence, the aim of this study is to understand the reasons for which citizens would invest in RES. To achieve this aim, a structured questionnaire was designed and 1,536 Greek citizens were recruited using simple random sampling. According to results, the examined economic, environmental and social reasons were evaluated highly. Regarding the economic reasons, citizens would mainly invest to reduce electricity bills and increase their income, while factor analysis showed that an economic and an investment dimension underlie economic motives to invest. In terms of environmental reasons, citizens seemed to acknowledge the ability of renewable systems to generate less harmful emissions and, through this effect, to protect fauna and air quality. As for social reasons, citizens regarded the investment as a way to adopt pro-environmental behavior. It is recommended to highlight appeals to economic, environmental and social benefits in campaigns addressed to citizens and aiming at promoting investments

Effects of Curriculum on Environmental Attitudes: A Comparative Analysis of Environmental and Non-Environmental Disciplines

To satisfy their ever-increasing needs, humans are constantly exerting excessive pressure upon the environment, while now more than ever, the adoption of new development practices to halt environmental degradation is becoming necessary. Graduates from all disciplines should have environmental awareness, because their decisions as future professionals may affect the environment. If, however, we assume that environmental science graduates possess environmental knowledge, it is worth investigating whether this knowledge affects their environmental attitudes. Hence, the aim of this study is to compare the environmental attitudes of students attending environmental and non-environmental studies. To this end, a comparative study on environmental attitudes was conducted between students majoring in forestry and students majoring in literature studies at one of the largest universities in Greece. That is, the environmental attitudes of students whose discipline was closely related to the environment were compared to the attitudes of students whose discipline was unrelated to the environment. The results showed that students from both disciplines had positive environmental attitudes, but forestry students exhibited a discernibly higher level of environmental awareness, which can be ascribed to their participation in environmentally relevant courses. The insights gains from this study could be particularly useful to education policymakers and curriculum practitioners, since they provide evidence for the potential of curriculum content to shape pro-environmental attitudes

Higher Education in a Post-Pandemic World

The pandemic caused major disruptions in academic life and led educational institutions to adopt online learning which is likely to leave its mark on post-pandemic higher education. The aim of this study was to contribute to the effort of overcoming the challenges of higher education during the fragile period of transitioning to the post-pandemic era. The objectives were to investigate undergraduate students’ experience during and after the pandemic and to identify the factors that affect their satisfaction with online and in-person learning. To meet these objectives, environmental students, recruited with multistage sampling, were administered questionnaires. Results showed that satisfaction with in-person learning was higher than online learning pointing to a preference for face-to-face modes of education. Although students were optimistic during the transition to the post-pandemic period, the pandemic caused students more stress over their studies than economic difficulties. Moreover, students’ satisfaction with online learning was mostly affected by their anxiety about their studies due to the pandemic, their demographic characteristics, and the type of information sources they used to obtain information about COVID-19. On the other hand, satisfaction with in-person learning was affected by information sources on COVID-19 and their parents’ occupation. Finally, students acknowledged the importance of protecting the environment and biodiversity in order to prevent pandemic outbreaks in the future