Does economic sectorial diversification affect the relationship between carbon emissions, economic growth, energy consumption, coal and gas consumption? Evidence from OPEC countries using panel cointegration analysis

This work aims to investigate a relationship between economic and environmental drivers under the economic diversification condition including seven economic activity sectors for a set of nine OPEC countries during 1974–2016. For validating the two Environmental Kuznets Curve – EKC – equations proposed, a panel data analysis was followed through the long and short-run estimations, including the Pooled Mean Group, Mean Group, and Dynamic Fixed Effect estimators. Results of the cointegration panel estimators show, for some sectors the validity of the EKC in the form of an inverted U shape, alternating with the U-shaped form. Namely, sector 2 of the extractive and manufacturing industries, including the electricity, gas, and water industries, and sector 5, including wholesale, lodging, restoration, and similar activities, validate the EKC hypothesis. However, the validity of the Kuznets curve with the panel data does not make it clear which OPEC countries are in the most favorable conditions to mitigate the polluting effects.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

EU ETS effects on emissions of European Union industries

This article contributes to the literature by analyzing how has the EU ETS allowance price affected the CO2 emissions of the EU industries, analyzing eight economic activity sectors for the three EU ETS phases (2005-2020). Estimations were performed using both a sample of 33 and 23 European countries through panel estimations. From the results, it was inferred that only in the sectors manufacture of paper and paper products (mpp) and manufacture of other nonmetallic mineral products (monmp) the impact of CO2 allowances prices has lead to the reduction of emissions intensity significantly, meaning that they reduce the emissions amount whenever the price of these allowances goes up. Therefore, the effect of allowances prices on emissions intensity is heterogeneous among sectors and the implementation phase of the EU ETS is relevant to explain emissions intensity reductions (phase 3) or increases (phases 1 and 2). Policymakers, thus should devote more attention to the other sectors where prices do not reveal a negative nor significant impact on emissions intensity.info:eu-repo/semantics/acceptedVersio

Dimension effects in the relationship between eco-innovation andfirm performance: a European comparison

This study investigates the effect of eco-efficiency actions on firm performance, considering both turnover and employment growth, in the European enterprises with different firm size classes. The sample includes 63303 firms from 13 different European Union countries. The main contributions of this work are the use of the most recent Community Innovation Survey (CIS) and the consideration of firms' size when analysing the relationship between the introduction of environmental benefits and firm performance. Using the ordinary least squares and simultaneous equation models the results showed that eco-innovations may affect negatively turnover growth as well as employment growth, a result which is not sensitive to firms' size. However, environmental benefits introduced in products, demanded by the end user, are sensitive to the different size class to which the enterprise belongs. Both human capital and the number of adopted eco-innovation strategies influence positively firm performance, revealing to be more sensitive to the firm size. Overall, policy makers should be aware of the size as an important driver, or conditioning factor, for firm performance when forcing firms to introduce policies regarding environmental benefits.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

European assessment of support for eco-innovation: Impacts over firm performance

This work uses a sample of 63303 European firms, which answered the Community Innovation Survey (CIS) for the period 2012-2014, to relate the eco-innovation strategies implemented as well as the factors able to justify their introduction with firm performance, measured through turnover and employment growth. A mixed-effects regression model was implemented in order to derive results from the estimations, whereas at the same time some statistical evidence was presented. Results point that not all eco-innovation strategies implemented increase firm performance, nor even the factors able to justify these introductions are the most effective to justify firm performance increases. Eco-Innovations related with extended product life through longer lasting, more durable goods, have a positive impact on turnover growth and employment. Firms seem to have introduced eco-innovations mostly due to existing environmental regulations, to improve the enterprise reputation, and due to the high cost of energy, water or materials. On the other side, government grants, subsidies or other financial incentives for environmental innovations and the need to meet requirements for public procurement contracts are the factors that European firms consider most irrelevant.info:eu-repo/semantics/acceptedVersio

DESENVOLVER A AMAZÔNIA? HISTÓRIA DA OCUPAÇÃO HUMANA DA AMAZÔNIA BRASILEIRA

The paper describes the human occupation of the Amazon Rainforest over time, questioning a series of development options taken by the Brazilian governments after the Second World War under the pretext that, in the absence of Brazilian governance, good opportunities were open for other countries, keen to get a share of the long sought natural resource-rich geo-economic space. From the 1990’s onwards, Brazil integrated in national legislation the consensual formulas adopted by the sustainable development paradigm. However, the cruel effects of the third globalization that promotes the (re)localization of commodities, services and capital, even human capital, according to the markets, led soybean farming to the Brazilian Amazon, meaning, drove the expansion of the farming frontier alongside the highways, hence generating unprecedented deforestation. The paper focuses the demographic and environmental consequences of several exploration and development cycles that targeted the Amazon rainforest during three globalization periods.O artigo descreve a história da ocupação humana da maior floresta do Planeta Terra, desde os primórdios da colonização portuguesa até à atualidade, questionando as opções desenvolvimentistas de sucessivos governos brasileiros, tomadas após a Segunda Grande Guerra, sob pretexto de que na ausência do estado brasileiro outras potências mundiais se apoderariam do espaço geoeconômico em apreço, tão rico em recursos naturais como longamente cobiçado. Desde a década de 1990 que o Brasil aderiu ao paradigma do desenvolvimento sustentado, buscando integrar fórmulas consensuais de proteção ambiental na legislação nacional. Mas os efeitos perversos da terceira globalização que promove a relocalização de bens, serviços e capital, inclusive humano, ao sabor das leis do mercado, levou ao plantio da soja na Amazônia, à expansão da fronteira agrícola pelas rodovias e gerou desflorestação sem precedentes. O artigo enfoca as consequências demográficas e ambientais dos ciclos de exploração e desenvolvimento da Amazônia, nos três períodos de globalização

Eco-efficiency actions and firm growth in Portugal

This study investigates the effect of eco-efficiency actions on firm performance, considering the turnover growth, on a sample of 7083 enterprises located in Portugal. Empirical results suggest that in general, for all the sectors involved, the undertaking of an eco-strategy aimed at being more resource efficient is related with increased growth in turnover. They also seem to show that there exists an inverted U-shaped relationship between the number of eco-innovation strategies implemented and turnover growth, allowing us to conclude that while in an initial stage an increase on the number of eco-innovations implemented by a firm increases turnover growth, in a second stage it will lead to decreased turnover growth. This may induce the existence of an optimal value for eco-innovation-strategies implemented within the firm. The substitution of fossil fuels by renewable sources also seems to be an important strategy that benefits turnover growth, as well as the environmental benefit of recycled waste, water or materials for own use or sale.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Evaluation of the anisotropic mechanical properties of reinforced polyurethane foams

The mechanical impact of adding milled glass fibers and nanoparticles at different mass fractions to low-density (relative density < 0.2) polyurethane (PU) foams is investigated. Tensile, compressive, and shear stress–strain curves are measured in the plane parallel to the foam-rise direction and the in-plane components of the elastic modulus are determined in order to assess the mechanical anisotropy of the foams. Power-law relationships between the moduli and apparent density are established for pure PU foams and used as a baseline to which the properties of composite foams are compared. Cellular mechanics models based on both rectangular and Kelvin unit-cell geometries are employed to estimate changes in the cell shape based on the mechanical anisotropy of composite foams, and the model results are compared with direct observations of the cellular structure from microscopy. A single measure of foam stiffness reinforcement is defined that excludes the effects of the apparent foam density and cell shape. The analysis reveals the large impact of cell shape on the moduli of the glass-fiber and nanocomposite foams. Nanocomposite foams exhibit up to an 11.1% degree of reinforcement, and glass-fiber foams up to 18.7% using this method for quantifying foam reinforcement, whereas a simple normalization to the in-plane modulus components of the pure PU foam would indicate from ?40.5% to 25.9% reinforcement in nanocomposite foams, and ?7.5 to 20.2% in glass-fiber foams

Oil prices and stock returns : nonlinear links across sectors

We present evidence of an asymmetric relationship between oil prices and stock returns. The two regime multivariate Markov switching vector autoregressive (MSVAR) model allow us to capture the state shifts in the relationship between regional stock markets and sectors. Results suggest that oil price risk is significantly priced in the sample used. The impact is asymmetric with respect to market phases, and regimes have been associated with world economic, social and political events. Our study also suggests asymmetric responses of sector stock returns to oil price changes and different transmission impacts depending on the sector analyzed. There is a high causality from oil to sectors like Industrials and Oil & Gas. Companies inside the Utilities sector were more able to hedge against oil price increases between 2007 and 2012. Historical crisis events between 1992–1998 and 2003–2007 do not seem to have affected the relationship between oil and sector stock returns, given the higher probability of remaining smoother. For all sectors there seems to be a turn back to stability from 2012 onwards. Finally, investors gain more through portfolio diversification benefits built across, rather than within sectors.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Agricultura orgânica em áreas urbanas e periurbanas com base na agroecologia.

A agricultura orgânica com base na agroecologia é o mote tecnológico adequado à realidade dos agroecossistemas urbanos. Este artigo ressalta a necessidade de se desenvolver tecnologias e insumos específicos. A partir de experiências com agricultura urbana em diferentes países em desenvolvimento, evidencia-se a necessidade de se buscar capacidades locais e apoio do poder público, especialmente nas iniciativas da sociedade organizada e mobilizada para a produção agrícola urbana