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COVID-19-Pandemic, Climate Change and Biodiversity Loss - System Crisis Events and Their Impact on Energy Economics and Policy in Central Europe

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A special issue of Energies (ISSN 1996-1073). This special issue belongs to the section "C: Energy Economics and Policy".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 August 2022) | Viewed by 13937

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Prof. Dr. Johannes Casparus (Joost) Platje

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Faculty of Finance and Management, WSB University in Wroclaw, 53-609 Wroclaw, Poland
Interests: institutional determinants of sustainable development; innovation and regional development; campus and business sustainability; sustainable financial systems; sustainable energy and food supply
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Dr. Markus Will

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Faculty of Nautral and Environmental Sciences, University of Applied Sciences Zittau/Görlitz, Theodor-Körner-Allee 16, 02763 Zittau, Germany
Interests: sustainable development; risk management, technology assessment

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The pandemic may be a so-called “trigger event,” supporting the increase in importance of sustainable energy supply, and requiring an increased awareness of the importance of dealing with so-called “exogeneous factors.” X-events occur when surprising (unforseen, unforeseeable) initial events cascade through socio-technical and economical systems. The Covid-19 pandemic affects ecomies and individual lives of millions of people. For instance, the pandemic and lock-downs change behavioral patterns and reduce industrial activities, support digitalization, and so on. While lockdowns and reduced economic activity may lead to a reduced energy demand, individual households and certain business sectors may become more dependent on stable energy supply.

However, in the mid- and long-term, other issues, such as catastrophic climate change and large-scale biodiversity loss, are likely to disrupt routines and established system conditions. The unsustainable engagement with ecosystems is endangering the prosperity of current and future generations.

To this end, we are seeking for contributions of scholars in order to better understand X-events. This includes two dimensions, i.e., the probability of suprising initial events and the resilience of (nested) systems. In complexity research, three factors play the main role: feedback, variability, and robustness, but we welcome also contributions from other perspectives and theoretical frameworks. We invite research papers, theoretical papers, reviews, and case studies, also from a multidisciplinary perspective, on the following general topics of interest:

Stability/sustainability of energy supply
Incentives for development of independent energy production
Photovoltaics: development of the market
Energy policy: transnational co-operation
Lessons from Covid-19 for energy supply: are we able to deal with unexpected, extreme events?
Impact of Covid-19 on investments and energy market
Impact of Covid-19 on energy use
Impact of Covid-19 on energy poverty
Changes in the economic structure and impact on energy markets
Sustainable provision of energy for transport in the context of stability of energy grids as electro-mobility is expected to increase, as well as the environmental impacts.
Social and economic paradigms, technological development, and solutions for energy provisions from the point of view of sustainable energy supply
Large-scale infrastructural, technological, and economic transformations required to achieve the goal of climate neutrality by 2050

Prof. Johannes Casparus (Joost) Platje
Mr. Markus Will
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Energies is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

Black Swan management
X-events
Sustainable energy supply
Transformations for energy sustainability
Transformations for climate neutrality
Renewable energy markets
Transport and energy supply
Covid-19

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

15 pages, 305 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Socioeconomic Paradigms and the Perception of System Risks: A Study of Attitudes towards Nuclear Power among Polish Business Students

by Johannes (Joost) Platje, Markus Will, Monika Paradowska and Ynte K. van Dam

Energies 2022, 15(19), 7313; https://doi.org/10.3390/en15197313 - 5 Oct 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1471

Abstract

Due to anticipated energy shortages and the need to achieve climate goals, there is an urgent requirement for transition towards a green, resilient system of energy provision. This transition is hampered because important players in energy markets (governments and oligopolies), while supporting large-scale solutions, avoid or block systemic changes. This rejection of systemic change is strengthened by the dominant social paradigm, which ignores systemic vulnerabilities, treating resources as solutions and the environment as a sink. In its turn, the dominant social paradigm is contested by the new ecological paradigm and by attitudes towards sustainable business practices. Understanding this framework may be relevant for identifying decision-makers’ perception of system risk, and thus for supporting a transition towards a more decentralized and resilient energy supply. In this context, this paper presents an empirical study among Polish students of a business university (N = 393), trying to discover the relationship between the social paradigms, perceptions of environmental resources and sinks, and systemic risk in large-scale energy production (i.e., nuclear power plants). Although the explained variance is limited, results show that various elements of the dominant social paradigm are related to problem denial. Technological optimism and belief in markets are predictors of optimism about resource shortages and neglect of system risk. This optimism is counteracted by political liberalism, and respondent attitudes towards sustainable business practices. Belief in market forces has an ambivalent effect, tempering technological optimism regarding nuclear energy but also political acknowledgement of the limited resources and sink capacities of the environment. Although the influence of the dominant social paradigm on energy transition can be identified, the results may indicate a decline in belief in market forces and liberal democracy, implying a rethinking of the dominant social paradigm may be needed. The existing relationship between these aspects warrants a critical review and discussion of the central role of the dominant paradigm in current management training. The results indicate that a lack of political liberalism and a negative attitude towards sustainable business practices amplify system risks in, e.g., large-scale nuclear energy projects. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue COVID-19-Pandemic, Climate Change and Biodiversity Loss - System Crisis Events and Their Impact on Energy Economics and Policy in Central Europe)

13 pages, 1903 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Digitalization of Work and Human Resources Processes as a Way to Create a Sustainable and Ethical Organization

by Aleksandra Kuzior, Karolina Kettler and Łukasz Rąb

Energies 2022, 15(1), 172; https://doi.org/10.3390/en15010172 - 28 Dec 2021

Cited by 42 | Viewed by 7394

Abstract

Remote and hybrid working models and accelerated digitalization of the human resources processes were introduced in most organizations worldwide as a consequence of the COVD-19 pandemic. This digital revolution at the workplace was forced by extraordinary circumstances, thus its impact had not been anticipated before. This motivated the authors to study the new work reality. The research was based on a hypothesis that the digitalization of work and the human resources processes, approaches organizations to the sustainable development ideal. Sustainability is here understood as maintaining a balance between economic, environmental, and social factors. The authors analyzed the impact between the digital processes and the way of working on the following areas: CO₂ emissions, creating plastic waste, saving energy, creating a gender-diverse and inclusive workplace. To verify the hypothesis, the authors used their own original and desk research. The original research was conducted within a Berlin-based tech startup between March 2020 and August 2021. Additionally, the authors ran surveys among international startups and scale-ups. Based on their findings the authors concluded that there can be a positive correlation between digitalization and increased organizational sustainability. This result is significant not only for the human resources specialists but can indicate a direction for a general business strategy. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue COVID-19-Pandemic, Climate Change and Biodiversity Loss - System Crisis Events and Their Impact on Energy Economics and Policy in Central Europe)

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33 pages, 10290 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Analysis of the RES Potential in Accordance with the Energy Policy of the European Union

by Tomasz Jałowiec and Henryk Wojtaszek

Energies 2021, 14(19), 6030; https://doi.org/10.3390/en14196030 - 22 Sep 2021

Cited by 11 | Viewed by 2108

Abstract

There is a need to reduce carbon-based energy and replace it with clean energy in order to counteract the negative effects of climate change. The increase in renewable energy sources may result in savings and the increasing cost of maintaining carbon-based energy. Worldwide involvement is required. The fulfillment of conditions by individual states does not solve the problem. The COVID-19 pandemic has slowed economic growth. It turns out that economic growth is not always associated with increased investments in RES (existing or emerging new clean energy points). We have a new epidemiological threat—Delta—which could become large. This will not improve the situation. Germany is an exemplary country for benchmarking in the field of renewable energy. The worrying fact is that Poland, despite economic growth, does not achieve an even growth in RES. Each of us is required to be involved, to be open to innovation and to act in accordance with the energy policy of the European Union. Basic management functions (planning, organizing, motivating and controlling) are also essential. Failure to meet the demands of the energy policy should be thoroughly verified and consequences should be drawn in order to involve the whole world. The authors thoroughly analyzed many factors that have a significant impact on the success in stopping climate change and increasing RES. With the increase in energy demand, renewable energy is introduced to a greater extent. Additionally, coal energy will be more expensive to maintain. The more RES, the more expensive the energy obtained from mine sources. The investment is an opportunity to meet the demands of RES, but investors are currently only interested in investing in renewable energy in highly developed countries. The decision-making process regarding the implementation of renewable energy sources not only consists in a radical decision to introduce changes, but also in the fulfillment of a number of assumptions regarding the energy policy controlled by the authorities of a given state as part of this action. There is a risk (fear) in underdeveloped countries that they will not be able to finalize this project, either due to the lack of investor interest or the lack of real opportunities due to the failure to meet the guidelines of the energy policy of a given country. It is advisable that state governments facilitate the process as much as possible so that even less developed countries could take advantage of this postulate. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue COVID-19-Pandemic, Climate Change and Biodiversity Loss - System Crisis Events and Their Impact on Energy Economics and Policy in Central Europe)

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19 pages, 927 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Hydrogen Infrastructure Project Risks in The Netherlands

by Pieter W. M. Vasbinder, Antoine W. G. de Vries and Wim Westerman

Energies 2021, 14(19), 6009; https://doi.org/10.3390/en14196009 - 22 Sep 2021

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2011

Abstract

This study aims to assess the potential risks of setting up a hydrogen infrastructure in the Netherlands. An integrated risk assessment framework, capable of analyzing projects, identifying risks and comparing projects, is used to identify and analyze the main risks in the upcoming Dutch hydrogen infrastructure project. A time multiplier is added to the framework to develop parameters. The impact of the different risk categories provided by the integrated framework is calculated using the discounted cash flow (DCF) model. Despite resource risks having the highest impact, scope risks are shown to be the most prominent in the hydrogen infrastructure project. To present the DCF model results, a risk assessment matrix is constructed. Compared to the conventional Risk Assessment Matrix (RAM) used to present project risks, this matrix presents additional information in terms of the internal rate of return and risk specifics. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue COVID-19-Pandemic, Climate Change and Biodiversity Loss - System Crisis Events and Their Impact on Energy Economics and Policy in Central Europe)

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