This study focuses on the empirical verification of the influence of rural specificity on energy poverty across European Union countries, in the period 2010−2020. The research aimed at specifying the role of the agricultural character of a country, as well as economic disparities between rural and urban areas, in inducing problems of energy affordability. Based on the literature consensus about the most important determinants of energy poverty, namely income, energy prices, energy productivity, quality of dwellings, and climate conditions, a standard model was constructed concerning the role of the rural character of an economy, with its traditional features such as agricultural employment, and indices of rural−urban divide, in terms of median income and material poverty. Models for panel data with fixed effects were estimated. The results indicate agricultural employment as a factor increasing the subjective energy poverty of households. However, the scale of rural settlement cannot b... [more]

The world is facing severe environmental challenges as it heavily relies on a USD 100 trillion fossil-fuel-based economy. Its transition from a fuel-intensive to a material-intensive economy is not well understood. The conventional energy resources are responsible for the excessive generation of Green House Gas (GHG) emissions resulting in increased environmental degradation owing to climate change. The human impact has been cited as highly indisputable in this respect. Pakistan is one of the most climate-vulnerable countries highly suffering from such increased impact of climate change and, thus, has been warned against the excessive use of conventional resources. As such, in the premises of Pakistan, conventional products are being excessively utilized in both power generation and transport sectors. Apart from the electrical power sector, the transport sector is also one of the main contributors to GHG emissions. In this context, the automobile industry has emerged as an environmenta... [more]

Based on China’s goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2060, this study focused on its coal gasification in 2010−2019. Carbon emissions were calculated from industrial data, and an LMDt model was established to analyze the influencing factors of carbon emissions. Through scenario analysis, the paths of carbon emission reductions in the chemical industry were analyzed, and their emission reduction potential was estimated. The results showed that the carbon emissions in the chemical industry increased rapidly in 2010−2019, reaching 196 million tons in 2019. The emission structure was the most important factor in mitigating carbon emissions, and the emission intensity, industrial structure, economic development level, and labor force scale had different degrees of promotion effects, of which emission intensity was the strongest. The chemical industry can reach a carbon peak before 2030 under the three analyzed scenarios, and the emission reduction potential is the largest under the landi... [more]

Buildings account for 40% of the European Union’s energy consumption. Deep energy renovation of residential buildings is key for decarbonization and energy poverty alleviation. However, renovation is occurring at far below the needed pace and depth. In this context, building renovation one-stop shops, which bring all project phases under one roof and provide advice, support, and finance to households, are highlighted as a promising solution. Nevertheless, this model is still absent or under-developed in most European countries and remains understudied in the scientific literature. Therefore, the present research goals are as follows: (i) to provide a critical review of emerging one-stop shop models; (ii) to streamline the deployment of building renovation digital one-stop shops by piloting a sequential multi-staged approach for Portuguese households and proposing it for replication elsewhere; and (iii) to compare case-study insights with other one-stop shops and discuss the notion in t... [more]

This paper presents the results of a survey concerning energy literacy conducted among a group of 913 students at the Cracow University of Economics in Poland—a country whose power system is still primarily based on burning coal and where the prospects of the closure of the mining sector present particularly difficult challenges. The aim of the study was to investigate specific aspects of energy literacy such as knowledge, behaviour, attitudes, and self-efficacy, and to determine what affects them using multivariate linear regression analysis. According to the findings, the primary factors determining energy literacy are gender, going away from home to study, and the experience of energy poverty. Self-efficacy, attitude, and the pro-ecological elements of both attitude and knowledge are the factors that have the most impact on students’ behaviour. The absence of a statistically significant impact of general knowledge on behaviour is a critical presumption for developing the premises of... [more]

This study aims to investigate the impact of dual credit policy on the diffusion of new energy vehicles (NEVs) from the perspective of complex interactions among heterogeneous manufacturers. Thus, the market competition and credit cooperation relationships, constituting the complex interrelated system in NEV diffusion, are considered in this paper. To this end, we established a double-layer complex network to depict the asymmetric competition and cooperation structure, and developed an evolution game model on network, revealing the diffusion rule and trend of NEVs among manufacturers. Simulation results show that the existence of credit cooperation relationship can effectively improve the diffusion of NEVs, especially when implementing cooperative strategy that prioritizes helping manufacturers with low sale profits. Such a cooperative strategy is effective for maintaining high diffusion of NEVs even under low NEV credit’s trading price. Meanwhile, the monopoly competitive structure ch... [more]

There is a necessity to combine the development of the European Union with a model of a sustainable economy, which is important to stimulate eco-innovation. The government of each member state is obliged to create support mechanisms that will encourage entrepreneurs to implement pro-environmental solutions. This requires the identification of determinants for eco-innovation. This paper identifies and compares conditions of eco-innovation in two sectors in Poland: ICT (information and communication technologies) and industry. Putting together many different types of conditions into one model (including government, science, industry, and ICT) allows us to explain what is more important when making a decision about implementing new eco-solutions. The study covered over 3000 enterprises. Stepwise logit regression was used to examine all relationships of interest. We discovered two separate (independent) paths of approach to eco-innovation for ICT and industry. This means that another condi... [more]

To close an existing literature gap, we explore the conditions critical for the enactment of local energy transition and the shift to decarbonized renewable heating systems in the public sector of the most carbon-intensive European region of the Western Balkans. We select and then analyze the municipality of Priboj, which stands out among 150 municipalities in Serbia due to its effective promotion of local energy transition. The analysis provides a rich empirical illustration of a specific path that enables the local level to embark on a tailor-made energy transformation in an underdeveloped and path-dependent national policy framework. By linking a multi-level perspective of sustainability transitions to accounts of path dependency, we advance the understanding of the critical determinants and frameworks of local energy transition. Our analysis is enhanced with an investigation of the role of key actors and governance modes. A shared understanding of innovative solutions and existing... [more]

Policymakers in several European countries are considering the implementation of carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology as part of a strategy to prevent further climate change. Successful CCS implementation requires societal support but planned CCS projects have encountered significant opposition. In this study, we examine the CCS coverage in Dutch national newspapers from 2017 to 2019, a period during which the Dutch CCS landscape underwent several substantial changes, and compare the results to those of earlier media analyses conducted between 1991 and 2011. Most of the 324 articles identified discussed CCS in a neutral (36.4%) or balanced (24.4%) manner, and more critical articles than supportive ones were found (23.1% vs. 16.0%). Consistent with the earlier media analyses, the potential of CCS to reduce carbon dioxide emissions was a major theme in the positive portrayal of CCS, while the argument that CCS implementation is needed for the prompt reduction in emissions gained p... [more]

The World Energy Council has consistently formulated useful policies and ranked countries in term of their performances in environmental sustainability, energy equity, and energy security. In a novel approach, and possibly in one of the most unique studies in the World Energy Trilemma literature, the current study examines the interaction of energy efficiency and economic growth of several top-performing economies (Austria, Denmark, France, Finland, Germany, New Zealand, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom) in respect to environmental sustainability, energy equity, and energy security. Importantly, while affirming the inappropriateness of the linear econometric approach, the study utilized the newly developed quantile-on-quantile approach to examine the dataset for the period 1990Q1 to 2018Q4. As such, the result largely indicates a significant and positive effect of economic growth toward the energy efficiency across the quantiles for the examined countries (Austria, Denmark,... [more]

To better understand the horizontal well transient productivity in the bottom-water reservoir with finite water bodies, the horizontal well transient productivity model for the bottom-water reservoir with finite water-body multiple was developed using Green’s function and potential superposition method. Laplace transforms, Fourier transforms, superposition of point source, and Duhamel principle were used to obtain the transient productivity of the horizontal well, and the transient productivity of the horizontal well in real space was obtained by the Stehfest numerical inversion method. The typical pressure response curve and dimensionless productivity curves were plotted. The effects of the water-body multiple, the distance between the horizontal well and oil−water contact, and the skin factor, were analyzed. Six main flowing stages were divided for horizontal wells in the bottom-water reservoir with finite water bodies. When the water body multiples are zero or tend to infinity, the... [more]

This study examines the energy intensity (EI), energy efficiency (EE), and economic growth, measured by the type of returns to scale (RTS), of 37 nations in the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) from 2000 to 2019. We apply a non-parametric approach to estimate the three measures from their consumption of four primary energy sources, such as coal, gas, oil, and zero emission (e.g., renewable and nuclear power) as inputs and gross domestic product (GDP) as an output. In this study, we have the two types of efficiency measures over time: window-based and cross-sectional-based measures. Three findings are identified from our empirical study. First, the operationally efficient group, including France, Iceland, Japan, Switzerland, UK, and USA, presented a stable status of full efficiency in the window-based efficiency measure. Iceland and Switzerland were also in the higher efficiency group based on the cross-sectional measure. Their efficiencies were high and sta... [more]

Energy poverty is a phenomenon that is affecting an increasing number of EU citizens. It occurs when people are unable to buy enough energy to meet their needs at a socially acceptable level. Despite the many efforts and measures taken to prevent this negative phenomenon, the looming energy crisis could exacerbate it. On the one hand, efforts towards energy transition are intended to prevent this phenomenon, but on the other hand, inadequate restraint on the energy market may lead to its escalation. Various scenarios need to be analysed to ensure that the risks associated with energy shortages do not lead to even greater levels of energy poverty, with negative consequences for societies, economies, and the environment. Using a scenario approach and expert research, as well as mathematical−statistical tools, the article presents possible scenarios related to the implementation of measures affecting energy transformation and the transition to renewable energy sources in economies. These... [more]

The aim of this study was to assess the energy consumption of production in selected branches of the food industry in Poland and to identify its changes after Poland’s accession to the EU. This issue is particularly important in the period of energy transformation and soaring energy prices. The novelty of this article is the determination of changes in the energy efficiency of various branches of the food industry. The main source of data was mass statistics data and unpublished data from the Central Statistical Office for 2004−2020. Descriptive statistics, comparative analysis, and strategic group mapping were used in the data analysis. The research shows that the production of foodstuffs is one of the most energy-intensive processing sectors. This results, among others, from many active enterprises in this sector and a large variety of industries. Individual food-processing industries are characterized by large differences in the energy consumption of production, which determines the... [more]

This paper presents the results of measuring and calculating the final energy consumption for heating and domestic hot water preparation in six apartments located in pre-war tenement houses in Wroclaw (Poland). The calculations were carried out based on energy models of dwellings calibrated with measurement data. Calculation variants were characterized by seven internal parameters (indoor air temperature, heat transfer coefficient by transmission through the internal partition, internal heat gains, air exchange multiplicity in the dwelling, domestic hot water consumption, and domestic hot water temperature and cold water temperature) and two external parameters (outdoor air temperature and insolation). By comparing calculations with measurements, the energy performance gap (EPG) values associated with each parameter were determined. The presented results indicate how much of the differences could be attributed to weather conditions and how much to other factors. It is quite common for... [more]

Bottom-up energy system models have been used extensively to analyse future energy scenarios, addressing a wide variety of policy questions. This paper focuses on energy efficiency, a key energy, climate, and economic policy area where several examples of energy system model applications can be found in the literature. This paper analyses how different studies implement energy efficiency scenarios in energy system models and explains how the approach taken can affect the results significantly, potentially affecting policy decisions. This analysis contributes to understanding how this type of modelling framework considers energy efficiency policy issues and the extent of insight provided, or not, on different dimensions. With the aim of identifying ‘best practice’ in using energy system models to inform effective analysis of energy efficiency policy, the UK TIMES energy system model is used to implement five different energy efficiency scenarios for residential heating following differe... [more]

The article aims to systematize the state of knowledge of and research on the inclusion of ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) risk in companies’ business models, with a special stress on energy sector companies. Many publications address incorporating ESG, but only some deal with it from the perspective of business models. This paper fills that gap. The methods of incorporating ESG risk into a sustainable business model, identified on the basis of the literature review, were verified based on the examples of three companies from the energy industry. A two-stage review of publications from the WoS and Scopus databases was carried out, considering a more comprehensive (sustainability) and a narrower (ESG risk) range of keywords, and the period from 2000 to 2022. The result showed that SMEs and large enterprises consider ESG risk in their risk management systems (ERMs), while small enterprises and start-ups do not. In Europe, Asia, and Australia, it is common to include ESG risk... [more]

In order to address global warming, most countries in the world have established carbon neutral targets and are continuously taking action to achieve carbon neutrality. The building sector accounts for 36% of end-use energy consumption and 37% of energy-related CO2 emissions globally, so carbon mitigation in building sector is considered to be the most critical step in completing the “last mile” of global carbon neutrality. Low-carbon buildings and communities are the foundation for achieving low-carbon cities and the key transition to reach the goal of carbon neutrality. Therefore, this review aimed to: (a) provide a comprehensive review of countries’ policies on low-carbon buildings and communities and a theoretical basis for improving the corresponding laws and regulations; (b) investigate low-carbon technologies related to building and community construction and operation, as well as identify the current technology gaps; (c) provide a comprehensive overview of low-carbon buildings... [more]

Growing environmental and climate problems in the contemporary world necessitate the search for efficient solutions, including changes in agriculture, which has been reflected in the new package of reforms of the EU climate policy, called the European Green Deal (the EGD). Agriculture and rural areas play an essential role in the attainment of the EGD goals, and one of the prerequisites for an effective implementation of the EGD assumptions is to recognize the mechanism underlying the activity of agricultural farms in the scope of pro-environmental measures implemented under the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). This article presents an endeavour to make a multidimensional evaluation of the spatial diversification in such activities, using Polish farms as an example. Compared to other EU member states, Poland is a country where agriculture remains a substantial sector in the national economy. This research is based on data from several institutions, including the Central Statistical Of... [more]

The delivery of electricity employing an electromagnetic field that extends across an intervening region is called a wireless power transfer (WPT). This approach paves the way for electric vehicles (EVs) to use newly available options to reduce their environmental impact. This article is a review that examines the WPT technology for use in electric vehicle applications from both the technical aspect and the environmental impact. This review will attempt to accomplish the following objectives: (1) describe the present state of the technology behind the development and application of a WPT across the transportation industry; (2) substantiate the actual implementation of WPT EV systems; and (3) estimate the functioning of the autonomous system, as well as detect the potential stumbling blocks and openings for enhancement. The most recent advancements and implementation in compensating topologies, power electronics converters, and control techniques are dissected and debated scientifically... [more]

The national carbon emission trading mechanism is an important policy tool for the Chinese government to control and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by using the market mechanism. The Beijing−Tianjin−Hebei power market is the focus of energy conservation and consumption reduction in China. Problems have already existed in the synergic development of the Beijing−Tianjin−Hebei power market and carbon trading market. In this article, the development status of the Beijing−Tianjin−Hebei power market is analyzed and the coupling mechanism between the carbon market and power market is combed out to build a synergism model of the carbon market and the Beijing−Tianjin−Hebei power market based on the system dynamics. From the research results, firstly, the Beijing−Tianjin−Hebei power market comes with a high energy consumption intensity and a high proportion of carbon emissions. The coupling of carbon market and power market forces the power industry to reduce carbon emissions through the effect... [more]

This study proposes a framework of environmental and energy performance indicators identified and critically evaluated within the scientific literature and the Agricultural European Database for the monitoring and evaluation of the Common Agricultural Policy of the European Union. The identified set of performance indicators encompasses the whole life cycle of agri-food systems from primary production stage until end-of-life stage in agreement with the circular economy and EU “farm to fork strategy” frameworks. In particular, the practices/goals/targets suggested in the latter (e.g., organic farming goals, more relevance assigned to plant-based diets, support for the creation of short supply chains, and reduction in food losses and waste) have guided the search for the main topics of interest in our analysis and the associated environmental and energy indicators. The results of this study evidence a proposed set of performance indicators selected from the literature among LCA and non-L... [more]

The European carbon emission trading market is the largest and most mature market, while China’s carbon market has a short history. Institutionally, cross-market transaction is infeasible between the two markets. This paper investigates the long-run trend between the two markets as well as the price dynamics. Results show that a long-run trend exists between the Chinese and European carbon markets. Both markets possess self-correction capability in reducing price deviations, signaling a certain level of market efficiency. However, both markets also exhibit pricing inefficiency as historical price movements are able to impact prices. The European market informationally leads the Chinese market. Policy implications are that China should further upgrade its information disclosure system, such as unifying information disclosure standards across industries, and further develop its carbon derivatives markets to improve market transparency and market competition.

To combat climate change, the Chinese government has implemented a package of policies to support the development of the biogas power generation industry. However, the promotion of biogas power generation technology in China is relatively slow. Therefore, it is of practical significance to study the promotion of biogas power generation technology against the background of policy support. In order to study the effect of policy on the promotion of biogas power generation technology, a system dynamics model is constructed in this paper. The results show that under the feed-in tariff subsidy policy, biogas power generation technology can be well promoted because it has good economic and environmental effects. In addition, if the biogas power generation technology is considered to participate in carbon emission trading, the carbon price also has a positive impact on the promotion of biogas power generation technology because it increases the perceived economic value of biogas power generati... [more]

Given the spatial heterogeneity of the social-economic situations across different regions in China, the decomposition of emission reduction targets should be designed according to the actual characteristics of the industrial economy. There is concern about the loss of industrial competitiveness and leakage of CO2 emissions if just seven pilot carbon markets operate independently, so the national carbon market of the power sector was established in 2021. In this study, a China two-region CGE model including Guangdong (GD) and the rest of China (ROC) is built on an analysis of the long-term effects of CO2 prices in industrial sectors at the target 2030 peak. Based on this model, we constructed one business-as-usual scenario and six comparison carbon tax scenarios to quantify the CO2 cost impact for a wide range of manufacturing sectors and identify specific economic activities that face relatively high CO2 costs between the two regions. Based on the China two-region CGE model, the risks... [more]