Der Ressourcen-Nexus als Frühwarnsystem für zukünftige zwischenstaatliche Konflikte

Zusammenfassung Der Beitrag analysiert den Ressourcen-Nexus, das heißt das Wirkungsgeflecht zwischen Nutzungsformen natürlicher Ressourcen, als Thema der Außen- und Sicherheitspolitik. Er diskutiert das Zusammenwirken von Energie, Wasser, Nahrungsmitteln, Land und mineralischen Rohstoffen im Lichte der aktuellen Debatten und analysiert mögliche Konflikte und Chancen, die sich daraus ergeben. Diese Debatte gewinnt Einfluss, weil sie Akteure aus unterschiedlichen Politikbereichen zusammenführt. Der Artikel entwickelt erste Schritte, wie diese Thematik angegangen werden kann und wie ein Frühwarnsystem aussehen könnte. Deutschland könnte im Zuge einer wachsenden Verantwortung eine internationale Initiative zum Ressourcen-Nexus initiieren. Abstract The article analyses the resource nexus, i.e. interlinkages among the resources energy, water, food, land, and minerals as a challenge for foreign policy. Reviewing recent debates it underlines both potential conflicts and opportunities. The debate is gaining ground as many actors from a variety of policy areas express stakes in it. The article derives steps on encountering the challenges ahead and develops elements of a risk radar. Germany may accept international responsibility and initiate an international forum on the resource nexus

Cross-sectional Integration of the Water-energy Nexus in Brazil

This paper analyses the cross-sectoral integration of the water-energy nexus in Brazil. Recent droughts resulted in unprecedented water scarcity. This caused water shortages for population and agriculture, as well as for electricity production (hydropower being the main source of electricity production). As a result, the system became more vulnerable to blackouts. To alleviate the problem, fossil fuels were used as a back up. Droughts, floods and other water-related problems will not dissipate as time goes by in Brazil. The dependency on one single predominant source (hydropower) makes Brazil’s electricity supply vulnerable. This study shows through data analysis, flow diagrams and metrics the interrelation between water and energy. Based on historical data, the analysis shows the importance of the water demand for hydropower, cooling for thermal plants, and the extraction and production of biofuels, as well as of the energy demand of water services (water supply, wastewater treatment)

Investments in material efficiency: the introduction and application of a comprehensive cost–benefit framework

Increasing material efficiency is considered to yield multiple economic and environmental benefits. This paper firstly introduces a comprehensive cost–benefit framework to systematically assess the viability of investments in material efficiency. The framework comprises several components by (1) comparing a business-as-usual scenario with a scenario of scaling up investments in material efficiency, (2) covering economic and environmental dimensions, and (3) considering direct and indirect effects. In a second step, we match the framework to existing evidence from the literature, followed by an application of the framework to a microeconomic investment project financed by a multilateral development bank. Our results suggest that material efficiency investments can yield positive net benefits, which typically increase when non-monetary dimensions are additionally taken into account. Overall, our analysis calls for a more comprehensive approach towards material efficiency investment appraisals, the internalisation of externalities, and further empirical research to better understand the implications of moving towards material efficient economies

Wind offshore energy in the Northern Aegean Sea islanding region

The Greek state estimated a potential of 1,500 MW wind offshore capacity, which can be exploited by 2020, while 943.15 MW are located in the Northern Aegean Sea islanding region. This study presents a techno-economic assessment of wind offshore energy in the Northern Aegean Sea. Different topologies are proposed, taking into account wind offshore and islands interconnections using HVDC and HVAC technology. Investment indicators are based on the expected power generated by the Weibull wind speed probability density function and the total investment cost required for wind offshore engineering. The results show that the two wind offshore farms can secure the complete electrification of the neighboring islands and supply approximately 3,379 GWh to the main consumption centers in northern and central Greece on an annual basis. A sensitivity analysis towards investment optimization has been performed, proposing different wind turbine technologies and interconnection scenarios

On imperfect competition and market distortions: the causes of corporate under-investment in energy and material efficiency

In practice firms are faced by a range of market frictions and barriers, which can prevent them from undertaking investments in efficiency and low-carbon technologies. Thus, even when environmental taxes are imposed, firms may be unable (or unwilling) to adjust their behaviour and technology in response to price signals. With a focus on energy and material efficiency investments, this paper systematically investigates how the theoretical assumptions of perfectly competitive and efficient markets are violated in practice, and how this results in complex and interlinked investment barriers. It classifies five categories of investment barriers: information, capacity, and financial constraints, as well as uncompetitive market structures and fiscal mismanagement; and presents evidence on each of these. It concludes by proposing a range of measures for mitigating investment barriers, and addressing their structural causes. Overall, the evidence presented in this paper aims to help increase the effectiveness of environmental taxes and regulation, by identifying market imperfections that environmental taxes alone cannot address

Towards a circular economy: insights based on the development of the global ENGAGE-materials model and evidence for the iron and steel industry

A number of recent economic modelling studies have attempted to analyse resource efficiency and the circular economy. However, modelling analysis in this area is relatively underdeveloped. In particular, many CGE models are unable to provide significant insight given their aggregated sectoral coverage. Here we describe the development of the Environmental Global Applied General Equilibrium (ENGAGEmaterials) model created to consider the economic and sectoral effects of potential policies on a circular economy and resource efficiency, which affect materials and resources at the stages of extraction, production and recycling. Our policy scope is global with a special emphasis on China and Europe, as both regions have dedicated policies in place and indicate their willingness to take the lead. The case of steel is relevant as it is a key material for all economies across the world and offers a range of interesting features for circularity and sustainability. ENGAGE-materials models iron ore mining, primary production of iron and steel, secondary production of iron and steel, and steel scrap recycling at the global level. We utilise this technology rich framework to provide preliminary results on scenarios comprising economic insights into a saturation effect and straightforward policy such as doubling the availability of secondary steel

Changes of human time and land use pattern in one mega city's urban metabolism: a multi-scale integrated analysis of Shanghai

Human time and land use are important elements in terms of one mega city's urban metabolism, thus, it is critical to find an integrated approach to evaluate their contributions. In this paper a dual-fund analytical framework has been developed by employing the Multi-Scale Integrated Analysis of Societal and Ecosystem Metabolism (MuSIASEM) approach to analyze the metabolic pattern of one mega city from economic, social and ecological dimensions. A case study of Shanghai was undertaken to study its historical pattern changes and evaluate the possible results with the implementation of the 13th Five Year Plan. Research results show that shanghai relied on the extraneous labor force to fulfill the need of working hours and economic transition in Shanghai occurred with the booming development of tertiary sector. Shanghai's land resource is very scarce to meet its need of development, leading to a need of adopting integrated efforts to. In order to achieve the proposed targets, economic labor productivity and land use performance should be improved through the application of various measures, including industrial and energy structure optimization, energy saving, capacity building and circular economy

Mineral resources in the age of climate adaptation and resilience

This article discusses issues on resources availability to achieve climate adaptation and resilience for cities and infrastructures. In the age of climate change, there could be cascading failures through a range of infrastructure breakdowns. Direct and indirect damage costs could exceed what had been estimated in traditional risk assessments. This could be exacerbated through abrupt price peaks in international supply chains of minerals, and through events happening in remote parts of the world that affect extraction and vulnerable industries. The core argument made here is one of feedbacks: climate adaptation has significant resource implications, and how resources are being used will have implications on climate strategies. Industrial Ecology has a role to play assessing those interactions and providing a better grasp of the spatial dimension of material flows, partly to track those flows and align them to specific actors, and partly to address interlinkages across different flows and their stocks (‘the resource nexus’). Methodological novelties are needed to better understand the resource base and the socio‐economic dimension, especially on innovations and transitions that can help to cope with the challenges ahead. Altogether this would enable research to establish an evidence base on sustainable materials to deliver parts of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and to reassess infrastructure assets and the mineral resources in the age of climate adaptation and resilience

The return of global governance: This time it comes with many faces

The ocean’s pollution with plastics has stirred multiple promising responses across the globe. Are we on the verge of a new type of global governance? Prof Dr Raimund Bleischwitz explains how such governance may look and what is still missin

The Coal Question: Still Alive

This is a turbulent year for commodity markets, and yet, almost unnoticed it also marks the 150 years anniversary for one of the most important books ever written on the issue. William Stanley Jevons, a professor at UCL, published his book entitled ‘The coal question – an Inquiry Concerning the Progress of the Nation, and the Probable Exhaustion of Our Coal Mines’ in 1865. His book should still serve as a useful reference for contemporary debates. So, why should such an old book be of relevance for us today? The straightforward answer is to consider it as wellspring of knowledge about the interface of geology and economics, i.e. resource economics, but I’d like to also offer three avenues worth exploring and derive some propositions for the future