Responsabilit� soci�tale et d�veloppement durable

Publication year: 2011
Source: Progress in Energy and Combustion Science, Volume 37, Issue 1, February 2011, Pages 52-68

Poonam Singh Nigam, Anoop Singh

This article is an up-to-date review of the literature available on the subject of liquid biofuels. In search of a suitable fuel alternative to fast depleting fossil fuel and oil reserves and in serious consideration of the environmental issues associated with the extensive use of fuels based on petrochemicals, research work is in progress worldwide. Researchers have been re-directing their interests in biomass based fuels, which currently seem to be the only logical alternative for sustainable development in the context of economical and environmental considerations. Renewable bioresources are available globally in the form of residual agricultural biomass and wastes, which can be transformed into liquid biofuels. However, the process of conversion, or chemical transformation, could be very expensive and not worth-while to use for an economical large-scale commercial supply of biofuels. Hence, there is still need for much research to be done for an effective, economical and efficient conversion process. Therefore, this article is written as a broad overview of the subject, and includes information based on the research conducted globally by scientists according to their local socio-cultural and economic situations.

Publication year: 2011
Source: Progress in Energy and Combustion Science, Volume 37, Issue 4, August 2011, Pages 462-502

Toshihiko Nakata, Diego Silva, Mikhail Rodionov

Rising concern about the effect of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions on climate change is pushing national governments and the international community to achieve sustainable development in an economy that is less dependent on carbon emitting activities – a vision that is usually termed a “low-carbon society” (LCS). Since the utilization of energy resources is the main source of GHG emissions, restructuring current energy systems in order to incorporate low-carbon energy technologies is essential for the realization of the LCS vision. Energy policies promoting the penetration of these technologies must view the role of energy in society as a system, composed of several energy resources, conversion technologies and energy demand sectors. The feasibility of the LCS in the future can be better understood by means of energy models. Energy models are valuable mathematical tools based on the systems approach. They have been applied to aid decision-making in energy planning, to analyze energy policies and to analyze the implications arising from the introduction of technologies. The design of the LCS requires innovative energy systems considering a trans-disciplinary approach that integrates multi-dimensional elements, related to social, economic, and environmental aspects. This paper reviews the application of energy models considering scenarios towards an LCS under the energy systems approach. The models reviewed consider the utilization of waste for energy, the penetration of clean coal technologies, transportation sector models as a sample of sectoral approaches, and models related to energy-for-development issues in rural areas of developing countries.

Publication year: 2011
Source: Energy Economics, Available online 2 October 2011

Luisito Bertinelli, Eric Strobl, Benteng Zou

The relationship between growth and pollution is studied through a vintage capital model, where new technologies are more environmentally friendly. We find that once the optimal scrapping age of technologies is reached, an economy may achieve two possible cases of sustainable development, one in which pollution falls and another in which it stabilizes, or a catastrophic outcome, where environmental quality reaches its lower bound. The outcome will depend on countries' investment path and their propensity to innovate in environmentally clean technologies, both of which are likely to differ across economies. Empirical results using long time series for a number of developed and developing countries indeed confirm heterogenous experiences in the pollution-output relationship.

Highlights

► We study the relationship between growth and pollution through a vintage capital model, where new technologies are more environmentally friendly. ► We find once the optimal scrapping age of technologies is reached, an economy may achieve two possible cases of sustainable development. ► There may however be catastrophic development, where environmental quality reaches its lower bound. ► Empirical results using long time series for a number of developed and developing countries indeed confirm heterogeneous experiences in the pollution-output relationship.

Abstract

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to describe the far reaching business potential of offering innovative DIY services and goods. Such offerings can enable businesses to do significant good for the world, while doing well for themselves. Design/methodology/approach – This paper provides a business-oriented summary of, and makes reference to, survey research and action research carried out over five years. Findings – Innovative DIY offerings can enable anybody anywhere to develop, produce, use and/or sell physical goods that are both original and sophisticated. Businesses introducing such innovative DIY offerings reverse two trends that have dominated since before the Industrial Revolution. First, they radically reduce financial and professional barriers against the participation of ordinary individuals. Second, they cut back mass production by enabling individual development and production of physical goods that spring from the imaginations of individual people. In doing so, businesses can avoid many of the challenges that they typically face, such as margins shrinking due to core products becoming more and more interchangeable. Also, they can directly address the three principal goals of sustainability: better enabling people to meet their needs, and express their potential, while preserving natural eco-systems. Practical implications – Businesses are facing many challenges as they try to do well for themselves. At the same time, businesses are uncertain as to how they might do good for the world. In this paper, it is explained how offering of do-it-yourself (DIY) services and goods is already enabling some businesses to do well and to do good at the same time. Moreover, an overview is provided, together with references to more detailed information, of how introducing innovative DIY offerings can open many more opportunities for businesses to do well and to do good. Originality/value – The originality of the paper is that it describes a practical option for businesses that aim to do both well and to do good. The value of this paper is that provides a referenced overview of relevant business examples and relevant enabling technologies.