随着全球气候变化问题日益严重，能源和交通贫困政策成为各国政府关注的焦点。近期，一项发表在《能源与气候变化》杂志上的一项研究，通过焦点小组调查了英国公众对具有能源和交通贫困影响的政策的支持情况。 该研究发现，公众和专家利益相关者对能源和交通贫困政策的选择存在一致和差异。一致的意见包括要求房东改进能源效率、扩大温暖家园折扣和确保新房屋符合75%的二氧化碳排放标准。而差异的意见则涉及智能电表和飞机使用更可持续燃料等问题。 研究指出，公众支持政策的主要原因是他们认为自己可能需要政府的帮助，而政府则需要关注社会福利政策，以确保能源和交通贫困政策的实施。这些研究结果对于制定和实施具有能源和交通贫困影响的政策具有重要意义。 然而，研究同时指出，当前政策在减少碳排放和保障社会福利方面尚缺乏整体协同。在此基础上，研究人员建议，政府在制定相关政策时应更加关注公众的实际需求，以提高政策的接受度和有效性。 此外，该研究还发现，公众对能源和交通贫困政策的态度受到自身利益和政策理解程度的影响。因此，政府在宣传和推广相关政策时，应加强公众教育和信息传递，以提高公众的政策认知和支持度。 总之，这项研究为英国政府制定和实施能源和交通贫困政策提供了重要的参考依据，同时对其他国家也具有一定的借鉴意义。
This paper aims to situate power in ‘niche innovations’ through an investigation of cycling inequalities in the city of Birmingham. Much research has focused on the sustainability and innovation potential of cycling. However, debates usually revolve around the power relations between cycling and the dominant automobility regime, thus ignoring the possible inequalities embedded within niches. This paper aims to contribute to such analyses by unfolding the multiple inequalities and relations of exclusion that can be embedded in the practice of cycling. Drawing on Mobilities research for the EPSRC Liveable Cities programme, it focuses on the car-dependent city of Birmingham, in order to explore cycling as a practice with various socio-material, infrastructural, political and economic entanglements that can embed, reproduce or generate new socio-spatial inequalities, processes of gentrification and immobilities. Through such analysis, this paper aims to situate power in examining niche innovations. However, it also aims to underline that understanding and addressing such inequalities are central for not only locating cycling in the centre of developing a more sustainable mobility future, but also enabling a more sustainable future for cycling itself.
Global energy use has grown with the advance of human civilization such that we now use approximately 175,000 TWh of energy per year. This demand for energy provides essential services, from lighting homes to producing heat for industrial processes. Human demand for energy in the coming decades is highly uncertain. Climate change, the consequent necessity for decarbonization, and the many possible technology and policy pathways to net zero emissions (or not) mean there are many possible futures for energy demand. Regardless of this uncertainty, change in the energy sector is happening already, with greater change to come. In this article we discuss fuels and energy carriers, energy sectors and end uses, emerging energy vectors and new technologies, and lastly the cross linking of energy sectors and vectors.
The growing importance of the circular economy has emphasised optimal utilisation of resources within the constraints of economic development and protection of the environment. Digital technologies associated with Industry 4.0, such as blockchain, facilitate the implementation of circular economy principles throughout the supply chain. However, because blockchain implementation in the supply chain is still in the early stages, real-world examples of the blockchain-based circular supply chains (CSCs) are limited. The principal purpose of the paper is to examine the critical success factors (CSFs) for implementing blockchain-based CSCs. Following that, 10 CSFs are identified through a short systematic literature review, and then, the integrated fuzzy cognitive mapping and fuzzy best-worst method (FCM-FBWM) is implemented to examine CSFs for the blockchain-based CSC. The study's main findings demonstrate that network collaboration is the best CSF, while the shared circular economy toolbox is counted worst of all. This research enriches the literature by identifying the CSFs for implementing blockchain-enabled CSCs to address the lack of a suitable decision-making framework that assists managers in comprehending how blockchain technology can be adopted in the circular economy context. Implications for theory and practice are also discussed, offering new insights into the measures necessary to ensure successful blockchain implementations in CSCs.
The concept of sustainable development is becoming incomprehensible and complex in global supply networks, especially in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC) that are most affected by ever-changing industry challenges and standards. Smart technologies emerged by Industry 4.0, sustainability, and circular economy (CE) connection, which remain unexplored, can be integrated into the supply chain as a business strategy to increase collaboration and cooperation between different tiers of the supply chain to achieve sustainable development goals (SDGs) according to LMIC. Therefore, the main objective of this paper is to discover the drivers of a smart sustainable circular supply chain (SSCSC) in achieving the SDGs in LMIC through stakeholder theory. First, a systematic review is employed to identify the drivers of the SSCSC to achieve the SDGs in the LMIC incorporating existing literature on the subject. Second, the Best-Worst Method (BWM) is applied to analyze the identified drivers, and then the Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) is used to analyze the SDGs. The applicability of the solution methodology was illustrated by providing a numerical example. The results of the study are twofold: firstly, drivers are analyzed by implementation of BWM. The results of the BWM reveal that economic sustainability is the best key driver among the eight drivers in achieving the SDGs, meaning that without financial assistance and support achieving the SDGs becomes ineffective. Secondly, the TOPSIS analysis reveals that SDG 16 (peace, justice, and strong institutions) is the SDG most supported by drivers.
A Smart Circular Supply Chain (SCSC) integrates both Industry 4.0 (I4.0) and Circular Economy (CE) concepts into supply chain in response to achieving sustainable goals/agenda. The purpose of this paper is to assess SCSC readiness and maturity level of SMEs considering different stakeholders from a multi-layered perspective. For this aim, a conceptual framework was proposed and accomplished through a case study of SMEs in Turkey’s textile industry. Such integrated approach to holistically assessing SCSC readiness and maturity makes a unique contribution to the field. The highlights of this study are summarized as follows: (1) approaching readiness and maturity in transitions by focusing on systems theory; (2) identifying the dimensions of readiness and maturity in transitions to I4.0 and CE; (3) assessment of readiness and maturity level of SMEs in transition to CE and (4) assessment of readiness and maturity level of SMEs in transition to I4.0 within the supply chain.
Lightning talk delivered at SciTS virtual conference 2020
First published in 1997, This book presents a detailed analysis of the Integrated Pollution Control (IPC) policy process. Using developments in the late nineties in the public policy literature to analyse and produce answers to why the government introduced IPC and how has IPC policy been implemented.
The world is currently facing two socio-technical transitions: shifting to a low-carbon society, and a digital revolution. The spread and adoption of ICT does not automatically lead to reduction in energy demand, if this stimulates new energy-using practices or wider economic growth. Despite this policy challenge, the two transitions are often considered separately. This study examines potential drivers of reductions or increases in energy demand due to digitalisation, as identified in recent leading global and UK net zero transitions scenarios. These include direct effects; indirect and rebound effects relating to home energy use and transport; and effects on economic growth. Specific effects of digitalisation on energy demand are then identified, which reflect projections in the scenarios. These imply that the future pathways adopted for digitalisation will have a significant impact on future energy demand and hence on the feasibility and acceptability of achieving net zero goals. Our main method is coding by searching for quantitative and qualitative statements in the scenarios relevant to digitalisation and energy. Our initial findings point to a variety of drivers and assumptions that affect energy demand via digitalisation. These include user engagement with technology, consumer awareness and new user roles as prosumers; technological evolution including efficiency and longevity of devices, and changes to number of devices, usage and data; patterns of energy demand; business models and more. In upcoming research, we will engage with stakeholders from business and industry, academia, government and the third sector to consider the plausibility of different drivers of digitalisation, in order to better inform policy. This suggests opportunities for further research and improving policy interactions between these two transitions, and stimulating greater public debate on the different framings for an ICT-driven low carbon transition.
