Short-run interfuel substitution in West European power generation : a restriced cost function approach

This paper analyzes short-run interfuel substitution between fossil fuels in West European power generation. The problem is studied within a restricted translog cost model, which is estimated by pooling time-series data across eight countries in West Europe. The empirical results indicate that interfuel substitution in existing power plants is substantial, especially that between oil and gas. This is consistent with the notion that short-run fuel substitution primarily occurs in multi-fuel fired plants, by switching load between different single-fuel fired plants, or by some conversions of electric plants to be able to burn alternate fuels as well.Financial support from Vattenfall, the Kempe Foundations and SNS Energy

Environmental policy in transition economies : the effectiveness of pollution changes

Most economists and analysts claim that extended use of pollution charges in environmental policy will have substantial efficiency advantages in countries undergoing transition to market economies. Essentially this paper challenges this view and argues that the proposed policy presumes the existence of an already functioning institutional framework. By focusing on the Russian case, the paper identifies and discusses a number of reasons why it has become hard to implement pollution charges in an economic system where behavioral patterns and jurisdictions established in the past are still prevalent. Institutional obstacles both at the firm level and within Russian regulatory agencies are discussed. The paper concludes that it is probably more appropriate to view environmental problems in transition economies not as market imperfections per se, but as results of institutional inertia in the economic and political systems. As a consequence the choice of pollution control strategy becomes much more complex than is implied by economic theory. The paper ends with a discussion of command and control regulation and input taxes as alternative ways to control pollution in Russia. Key words: Russia, Transition economies, Environmental policy, Pollution charges, Institutional impediment

Suomen kansallisen geotietoaineiston arvo

Suomen kansalliset geotietoaineistot ovat kansainvälisen vertailun perusteella erittäin hyvällä tasolla. Geotietoaineistojen saatavuuden, kattavuuden, tiedonkeruun sekä vaikutuksien kaivosinvestointien houkuttelevuuteen osalta Suomi on yksi maailman johtavista maista. Geotietoaineiston pääasiallisia käyttäjiä ovat kaivos- ja malminetsintäyhtiöt, erilaiset suunnitteluorganisaatiot, yliopistot, tutkimuslaitokset, kunnat ja kaupungit, maakunnalliset liitot ja viranomaiset. Mineraalitalouden kannalta keskeisten geotietoaineistojen kustannusarvo on noin 1 330 milj.€. Geotietoaineiston hankintaan investoitua euroa kohden on muodostunut Suomessa uutta kokonaistuotosta 2,4 euroa, arvonlisäystä 1,1 euroa ja verotuloja (nykyisen verorakenteen mukaisesti) 0,5 euroa. Kansantalouteen muodostuneiden hyötyjen kautta arvioituna kansallisen geotietoaineiston arvo on noin 5,15 miljardia euroa. Vältettyjen kustannusten perusteella kansallisen geotietoaineiston yhteiskunnallinen arvo on mediaanin mukaan arvioituna 17,9 miljoonaa ja keskiarvon mukaan 716 miljoonaa euroa vuodessa. Jatkossa geotietoaineistoa tulisi kehittää kohti uudenlaisia käyttökohteita ja -tapoja. Uusia käyttökohteita ja -tapoja tulisi kartoittaa säännöllisillä kyselyillä aineistojen käyttäjille. Kehittämällä aineistoja, pystytään saavuttamaan myös merkittäviä säästöjä muualla yhteiskunnassa vältettyjen kustannusten kautta.Tämä julkaisu on toteutettu osana valtioneuvoston selvitys- ja tutkimussuunnitelman toimeenpanoa. (tietokayttoon.fi) Julkaisun sisällöstä vastaavat tiedon tuottajat, eikä tekstisisältö välttämättä edusta valtioneuvoston näkemystä

Voluntary agreements and systemic lock-in in the circular economy : The certification of sewage sludge in Sweden

This chapter departs from the dual objective of reusing waste while at the same time mitigating pollution; it focuses on the opportunities and challenges of managing this trade-off through voluntary agreements between various actors. The chapter aims to investigate and discuss the emergence, outcomes, and future challenges of the Swedish voluntary certification scheme REVAQ. This scheme includes efforts among wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) to build trust for the application of sewage sludge on agricultural land and thus reuse the nutrients contained in it, not least by reducing the presence of metals and organic substances. Our findings suggest that the establishment of REVAQ was, in many ways, a natural response of the incumbent actors to an uncertain regulatory situation. The preventive environmental work pursued because of the certification scheme has been successful, thus resulting in decreased flows of hazardous substances to soil. However, REVAQ faces challenges, largely due to previously unattended trace elements, e.g., microplastics and pharmaceutical residues. These will make it difficult for actors to convince the key stakeholders about the future quality of the sewage sludge. There is also currently a prioritization of system optimization over system change, i.e., a bias towards incremental improvements in the existing system instead of seeking to innovate beyond this system. REVAQ likely contributes to this path dependence and technological lock-in.License full text: CC BY-NC;ISBN for host publication: 9781003327615</p

Industrial Energy Transitions and the Dynamics of Innovation Systems : The Swedish Pulp and Paper Industry, 1970–2010

This article provides a sectoral innovation system perspective of the development of energy efficient and clean process technologies in the Swedish pulp and paper industry. Specifically, the analysis elaborates the importance of knowledge development, actor networks, and institutions (including policy) for progressing and diffusing novel technologies related to energy use. The empirical analysis also sheds light on how significant changes in the sectoral innovation system have influenced the relevant research, development and demonstration activities in the Swedish pulp and paper industry over the period 1970–2010. The results are based on various sources—e.g., industry magazines, reports from industrial consultants and associations, minutes from meetings—and illustrate the importance of well-functioning innovation systems for successful technological development and diffusion processes. They display, in particular, the importance of joint, industry-wide R&amp;D activities, trust-based state—industry relationships, government R&amp;D expenditures, and intense information sharing. One important implication is that the role of policy stretches beyond the funding of basic R&amp;D. Policy also involves measures that strengthen existing actor networks, build competence, and secure the existence of research institutes that provide a bridge between basic knowledge generation (at the universities) on the one hand, and industrial application on the other.Validerad;2020;Nivå 2;2020-09-14 (alebob)</p

Sustainable Households: Environmental Policy and Everyday Sustainability : Final report to the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency from the SHARP research program

Households play an essential role in Swedish environmental policy. Consequent upon the ever increasing focus on individual responsibility for environmental problems as internationally adopted through Agenda 21, Swedish environmental policy has an explicit objective to increase and maintain active, individual responsibility for the environment. The Swedish Environmental Protection Agency financed SHARP (Sustainable Households: Attitudes, Resources and Policy), a research program in the social science, with a view to studying: how environmental policy impinges on the everyday lives of households; the controlling factors behind households’ environmental choices; and which implications can be derived for designing future policy instruments. The SHARP program received additional funding from the Swedish Research Council Formas. The final report was written by SHARP researchers and edited by the program coordinator, Professor Patrik Söderholm (Luleå University of Technology). The researchers are solely responsible for the contents of the report, which does not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency.The present report builds on a translation of the original Swedish report. The translation has been conducted by Proper English. Stockholm, November 2011 Swedish Environmental Protection Agenc

Miljöpolitiska styrmedel och industrins konkurrenskraft

Godkänd; 2012; 20120715 (patriks