Catalysing private and public action for climate change mitigation: the World Bank’s role in international carbon markets

This policy analysis examines the role of the World Bank in shaping and stimulating international carbon markets. Adopting a public choice perspective, we argue that its engagement can be understood as a response to the joint goal of reputational and financial benefits. The detailed empirical account of the Bank’s activities – from its pioneering role through the Prototype Carbon Fund in the early 2000s, to its initiatives for upscaled crediting subsequent to the 2015 Paris Agreement – is broadly in line with this interpretation. The period between 2005 and 2011 most clearly shows that the Bank was ready to forego some reputational benefits for the sake of financial benefits. During this period, it followed a flourishing privately driven carbon market, mostly competing with, rather than catalysing, private activities. After the Paris Agreement opened the door for a new phase of carbon markets, the Bank again took up a pioneering role, now focusing on the public sector. However, since transparency in relation to its activities is limited – thus reducing reputational risk – these activities may not meet the quality standards, notably with respect to additionality, that are a precondition for carbon markets to be an effective tool for climate change mitigation

Do multilateral development bank trust funds allocate climate finance efficiently?

The Paris Agreement has been celebrated as a breakthrough for international climate policy. However, relatively scant attention has been given to the emergent ecosystem of climate finance facilities that support it. We provide an overview of the rising number of climate-related trust funds at multilateral development banks (MDBs). These funds can be distinguished into mitigation funds and adaptation funds. Some funds have a focus on capacity building activities. To maximize their effect on sustainable development, the different types of funds should follow different resource allocation criteria: For adaptation funds, vulnerability should represent the primary criterion. For mitigation funds, the main criterion should be the emission reduction potential. Capacity building should primarily focus on countries with weak institutions. Using a novel dataset of disbursements of climate-related trust funds, available for the World Bank, we examine whether fund allocations correspond to these expectations, and compare them with those of bilateral donors. We find that while trust funds with a focus on mitigation generally allocate aid in line with efficiency considerations, trust funds with a focus on adaptation do not seem to prioritize the countries most strongly in need, contrary to bilateral aid. Furthermore, capacity building activities do not seem to focus on countries with weak institutions. These findings have important implications for the effectiveness and legitimacy of climate aid to developing countries

The Effects of Preheating of a Fine Tungsten Wire and the Polarity of a High-Voltage Electrode on the Energy Characteristics of an Electrically Exploded Wire in Vacuum

Results obtained from experimental and numerical studies of tungsten wires electrical explosion in vacuum are presented. The experiments were performed both with and without preheating of the wires, using positive or negative polarity of a high-voltage electrode. Preheating is shown to increase energy deposition in the wire core due to a longer resistive heating stage. The effect was observed both in single wire and wire array experiments. The evolution of the phase state of the wire material during explosion was examined by means of one-dimensional numerical simulation using a semiempirical wide-range equation of state describing the properties of tungsten with allowance made for melting and vaporization.Comment: 9 pages, 9 Postscript figure

Efficient Neutron Production from a Novel Configuration of Deuterium Gas-Puff Z-Pinch

A novel configuration of a deuterium z pinch has been used to generate fusion neutrons. Injecting an outer hollow cylindrical plasma shell around an inner deuterium gas puff, neutron yields from DD reactions reached Y-n = (2.9 +/- 0.3) x 10(12) at 700 ns implosion time and 2.7 MA current. Such a neutron yield means a tenfold increase in comparison with previous deuterium gas puff experiments at the same current generator. The increase of beam-target yields was obtained by a larger amount of current assembled on the z-pinch axis, and subsequently by higher induced voltage and higher energies of deuterons. A stack of CR-39 track detectors on the z-pinch axis showed hydrogen ions up to 38 MeV. Maximum neutron energies of 15 and 22 MeV were observed by radial and axial time-of-flight detectors, respectively. The number of DD neutrons per one joule of stored plasma energy approached 5 x 10(7). This implies that deuterium gas puff z pinches belong to the most efficient plasma-based sources of DD neutrons

The Construction of the Fast Resistive Bolometer for a SXR Measurement on the GIT-12 Facility

A lot of kinds of instruments are used for the SXR measurement at pulsed power facilities, but most of them are difficult to calibrate absolutely. For the determination of the energy of SXR radiated by the discharge on Z-pinches, it is possible to use the bolometer which can be calibrated analytically. The bolometer can be constructed with the sufficient sensitivity and, at the same time, with the time resolution in the order of nanoseconds. This bolometer was designed and constructed for the measurement on the 5MA facility GIT-12 at the Institute of High Current Electronics (IHCE) of the Siberian Branch Russian Academy of Sciences in Tomsk. The experiments on GIT-12 with the neon and deuterium gas-puff load were diagnosed by the copper bolometer with the time resolution of 4 ns and the sensitivity of 12 V cm2 J-1

METHOD OF CONVERSION OF HIGH- AND MIDDLE-SPEED DIESEL ENGINES INTO GAS DIESEL ENGINES

The paper aims at the development of fuel supply and electronic control systems for boosted high- and middle-speed transport engines. A detailed analysis of different ways of converting diesel engine to operate on natural gas was carried out. The gas diesel process with minimized ignition portion of diesel fuel injected by the Common Rail (CR) system was selected. Electronic engine control and modular gas feed systems which can be used both on high- and middle-speed gas diesel engines were developed. Also diesel CR fuel supply systems were developed in cooperation with the industrial partner, namely, those that can be mounted on middle-speed diesel and gas diesel engines. Electronic control and gas feed systems were perfected using modeling and engine tests. The high-speed diesel engine was converted into a gas diesel one. After perfection of the gas feed and electronic control systems, bench tests of the high-speed gas diesel engine were carried out showing a high share of diesel fuel substitution with gas, high fuel efficiency and significant decrease of NOх and СО2 emissions

Results of simulation and experimental research of automobile gas diesel engine

The paper is dedicated to conversion of a truck diesel engine into a gas diesel engine. Different ways of diesel engine conversion for operation on natural gas were analyzed. The gas diesel working process with minimized portion of igniting diesel fuel supplied by the Common Rail system was selected as the most suitable for such an engine. Modular gas feed and electronic engine control systems were developed in MADI which may be mounted on high- and medium-speed gas diesel engines. The fuel supply system of the base diesel engine was preserved though a new algorithm of fuel injection for the gas diesel engine was developed. The systems were perfected using simulation by computer model developed in MADI and during engine tests. The gas diesel engine demonstrated good fuel efficiency and considerable decrease of NOx and CO2 emissions, though its power at low speed decreased compared to the base diesel engine. The ways to improve this drawback during the future work were proposed

Surgical treatment of nonparasitic liver cysts

Обобщен опыт лечения 98 больных с непаразитарными кистами печени. Лапароскопическое лечение кист с криообработкой капсулы и тампонадой прядью большого сальника на ножке осуществлено 63 больным, резекционные методы печени выполнены у 35 больных. Осложнения отмечены у 4 больных (6,3%) при лапароскопическом лечении (умер 1) и у 10 больных (28,6%) при резекции печени (умерло 2).An experience in treatment of 98 patients with nonparasitic cysts of liver has been generalized. Laparoscopic cryodestruction of capsule and tamponade using greater omentum has been applied in 63 patients,resectable metods of surgical treatment – in 35 patients. Complications occured in 4 patients (6,3%) at laparoscopic approach (died 1) and 10 patients (28,6%) at liver resections (died 2)

Etude d’opportunité sur la mise en place d’un instrument de tarification carbone au Sénégal

Perspectives and the Senegalese consultancy Afrique Énergie Environnement find a carbon tax with careful redistribution as most promising carbon pricing opportunity for Senegal

Synthesis of Cardanol-Containing Resols for Producing Phenolic Films: Protective Coatings for Wood Composites

Abstract: This paper investigates synthesis of impregnating phenol–formaldehyde resins in which up to 30 wt % formulation phenol is replaced by cardanol, a plant product. The resulting resins were used to make impregnated paper for laminating the plywood and particle boards. The synthesis and structure of cardanol-containing water-soluble resols were studied by IR spectroscopy and 1H NMR, and the reactivity of phenol cardanol formaldehyde resins at 80–150°C was studied by differential scanning calorimetry. The optimal amount of cardanol in relation to phenol in the resin structure was determined. It is shown that the introduction of cardanol into the composition of phenol–formaldehyde resins reduces the impregnation time of kraft paper and improves the surface quality and elasticity of the impregnated paper, with the use of such paper making it possible to decrease the water absorption of laminated particle board materials and the emission of formaldehyde. © 2021, Pleiades Publishing, Ltd