Browsing by Subject "Sustainable development"

Now showing 1 - 8 of 8

Open Access
A Hole in the Middle? The challenge of downscaling Doughnut Economics as a local development framework
(2024) Moore, Dylan
The extraordinary growth of the world economy has dramatically transformed the context within which all humans live. It also introduces several interrelated challenges: providing for the basic development needs of people, reducing global inequality, and avoiding further degradation of the biosphere. Numerous frameworks have been developed in recent years to address these challenges, including Doughnut Economics, a sustainable development framework that combines several development indicators of human wellbeing with the planetary boundaries to define a “safe and just space” as the goal for global development. In this study, I present a concrete quantitative approach to operationalize Doughnut Economics for use at the local level and within a high-income context, the United States, to address the question: How are U.S. cities and counties performing on the social and ecological indicators of the Doughnut? I collected social and ecological data across 27 U.S. localities and find widespread variation in levels of social shortfall and greenhouse gas emissions between them. My findings suggest that previous Doughnut Economics research at the national level obscures patterns of intra-country social shortfall and inequality, underscoring the need for ongoing local data collection and analysis. I integrate my findings with a comparative case study of Amsterdam’s local application of Doughnut Economics to identify key challenges of applying a global development framework at the local level. My discussion of the shortcomings of these different methodological approaches to downscaling Doughnut Economics underscore how methodological diversity and triangulation are needed to effectively formulate and evaluate local policies based on Doughnut Economics.
Open Access
Endogenous Growth and Property Rights over Renewable Resources
(2015) Suphaphiphat, N; Peretto, PF; Valente, S
We study how different regimes of access rights to renewable natural resources – namely open access versus full property rights – affect sustainability, growth and welfare in the context of modern endogenous growth theory. Resource exhaustion may occur under both regimes but is more likely to arise under open access. Moreover, under full property rights, positive resource rents increase expenditures on manufacturing goods and temporarily accelerate productivity growth, but also yield a higher resource price at least in the short-to-medium run. We characterize analytically and quantitatively the model׳s dynamics to assess the welfare implications of differences in property rights enforcement.
Open Access
Environmental and Economic Impacts of the Belt and Road Initiative on Pakistan’s Energy Sector
(2018-04-27) Reynolds, Carley; Stout, Tara; Wang, Xiaoguan
In 2013, China announced the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), which broadly aims to interconnect over 65 countries in Asia, Europe and Africa through infrastructure investment and economic development. A flagship component of BRI, the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), has a strong focus on energy infrastructure development. Currently, coal-fired plants constitute half of announced CPEC energy generation projects and 69% of capacity, throwing doubt on the environmentally friendly rhetoric surrounding the BRI initiative. This paper seeks to understand the cost and feasibility of using alternative technologies and a different energy mix as compared to emission-intensive CPEC energy projects. The levelized cost of electricity, CO2 emissions, and SO2 emissions were calculated for current CPEC projects using information gathered from Pakistan generation licenses and tariff documents. Generalized plants, based on current projects and other Pakistan power projects, were then used to build an optimization model around LCOE and emissions under different constraints Model results show that there were more cost effective and less polluting options using large re-gasified liquid natural gas plants and hydro projects. A literature review suggests that political and economic situations originating in China, as well as political factors in Pakistan, contribute to the use of coal over other technologies.
Open Access
Envisioning Change: Examining Environmental Amenities and Disamenities in the Southern Sector of Dallas, Texas
(2014-04-23) Owens, Christa
Environmental justice is understood as the disproportionate distribution of environmental harms, primarily in low-income communities of color. Much of the literature on environmental justice focuses on the challenges these communities face and the resources they lack. In this paper, I ask, what unique environmental amenities do environmental justice communities of concern possess? How can the community harness these amenities to facilitate environmental leadership toward sustainable development? I used a single case study design to examine the Highland Hills community in the Southern Sector of Dallas, Texas, and the environmental leadership role that Paul Quinn College, a historically black college or university (HBCU), may play. Using data from focus groups with community leaders and Paul Quinn College students, faculty, and staff, I identified environmental amenities and disamenities in Highland Hills. This project represents the first stage of a multi-stage research partnership between the Nicholas School of the Environment at Duke University and Paul Quinn College. The results are intended to inform future research and may contribute to the creation of a sustainable development plan for Highland Hills.
Open Access
Integrating the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals with Ocean Businesses
(2015-04-23) Robinson, Katelyn
The United Nations (UN) is in the process of launching the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). These 17 aspirational goals, which replace the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), seek to alleviate poverty and promote sustainable development from 2016 to 2030. Under the proposed SDG framework there is a stand-alone goal on oceans. This Ocean SDG along with many other SDGs has numerous implications for the ocean business community. This analysis assesses the potential opportunities and risks for ocean industry involvement with the SDGs. It identifies which goals are relevant to the ocean business community, evaluates which ocean industry sectors will be most affected, and provides suggestions for ocean business community involvement. To determine the opportunities and risks associated with the SDGs for ocean industries, this analysis was conducted in partnership with the World Ocean Council. The World Ocean Council is a consortium of ocean businesses that seeks to ensure “a healthy and productive global ocean and its sustainable use, development, and stewardship by a responsible ocean business community.” It engages a wide range of ocean industries on issues spanning from ocean policy to marine spatial planning.
Open Access
Planning for Green Growth: A Case Study of Gates County, North Carolina
(2011-04-29) Cohen, Brian
In the United States, most discussion surrounding sustainable development has focused on urban areas, but the implementation of sustainable design principles in rural regions is equally important. Gates County, a rural jurisdiction in northeastern North Carolina, is a community proud of its history, agricultural way of life, and unique environmental attributes that include ecologically valuable wetlands, forests, and waterways. With a low median household income and a high poverty rate, however, the region is also in need of economic growth. County residents have been largely united in their opposition to a U.S. Navy proposal to build an Outlying Landing Field (OLF) in the area, and citizens have responded by considering alternative development that would be less environmentally and socially damaging. Citizens and decision makers are therefore faced with the challenge of planning ways in which they can develop sustainably, balancing the needs for economic growth, environmental protection, and cultural preservation. This study identifies residents’ views and opinions of sustainable development, the current strengths and weaknesses of Gates County, and the areas in which growth would be most valuable. Citizens have identified tourism and the establishment of local businesses as vital to green growth and have expressed a strong desire for citizen participation throughout the planning process. When analyzed in light of sustainable development principles and case studies of other rural communities that have overcome similar challenges, these opinions provide insight into how county planners, officials, and residents can satisfy their need for sustained economic improvement while simultaneously ensuring that their environmental and societal resources will persist through future generations. Recommendations are provided as to how Gates County can combine business development, renewable energy, stormwater management, and land use regulations with citizen participation and education to create a comprehensive plan for a sustainable future. While these suggestions are tailored specifically to Gates County, they are designed to serve as a model that can be implemented in other rural areas as well.
Open Access
Sustainable Patterson
(2015-04-21) Thomas, Kyle; Xu, Jingwen; Sun, Xiaochen
The Patterson School Foundation is a nonprofit organization located in Happy Valley, North Carolina. Originally, the Patterson School Foundation operated as a teaching school and farm However, they were forced to discontinue their educational mission in 2009 due to economic difficulties. The Patterson School has partnered with the Nicholas School of the Environment to gain insight regarding development opportunities for their property. Specifically, the Patterson School Foundation has requested an analysis of their property that would investigate the land’s potential for economic and sustainable development. Potential projects must be economical in order to avoid selling parts of their property as debt service. The request for sustainability stems from the Patterson School’s commitment to environmental stewardship. Our team sought to find recommendations that would utilize the preexisting resources at the Patterson School. The foundation has large amounts of land available for development and multiple existing buildings that are currently underutilized. Solutions that could more effectively utilize these resources include renewable energy development and transformation of the school into a sustainability destination. Due to the large amount of land resources available, our team was immediately attracted to renewable energies as a development strategy. However, our research uncovered many possible complications for these projects. First, large-scale solar is not an ideal project for the Patterson School. Large-scale solar energy development would require a large section of land to be dedicated to renewable energy development for multiple decades. The Patterson School is currently not comfortable setting aside large tracts of land for such a long period of time. Similarly, large-scale wind is also not feasible for the Patterson School. The North Carolina Mountain Ridge Protection Act prevents the development of wind turbines larger than 100 feet in height from being developed on mountain ridges. This greatly limits wind power development on mountain ridges, where wind speeds are highest. However, to keep with the sustainability requirement of our task we decided to further investigate small-scale wind and solar development at the Patterson School. We created wind and solar models to provide insight for their decision-making process. Data for the wind model was gathered from the Hickory Regional Airport, which served as a proxy location for the Patterson School. Three years of wind data was analyzed and the observed distribution was used to construct a wind power model. The solar analysis was conducted primarily by using PVWatts, a tool created by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. The analyses of small-scale wind and solar were revealed to be uneconomic options in isolation. Both the wind turbine and solar arrays had a negative net present value. However, we recommend that the Patterson School Foundation construct a small 1 kilowatt wind turbine and a small 15 kilowatt solar array on their property. These renewable energy plays will be used to increase the overall sustainability of the Patterson School. Additionally, they can be leveraged to bring in revenue streams through the introduction of sustainability classes. Since the sustainable energy projects have negative net present values, other revenue streams needed to be pursued. We examined the possibility of introducing small-scale educational classes at the Patterson School. We chose to examine small-scale educational courses for two reasons. First, the Patterson School has the strong educational background to facilitate this type of project. Additionally, our research suggests that there is a strong demand for small scale courses focusing on sustainability. Our team chose to investigate the logistics of offering classes on permaculture and renewable energy. Permaculture was chosen because the Patterson School has expressed interest in this topic, and because their abundant land resources are ideal for demonstration purposes. Renewable energy was chosen as a course topic because we see a strong demand for these types of courses, and because it can leverage the recommended renewable energy installations. To determine the overall economic benefit of the recommended projects a financial model was created. This model considered all expected costs and revenue streams incurred by the renewable energy projects and small-scale educational classes. The model assumes the fixed costs of the projects would be incurred at year zero. Classes are assumed to begin with an enrollment of 10 students per class and grow at a rate of 20 percent each year, until a predetermined class capacity is reached. The variable cost of the course is calculated to grow alongside the class as capacity increases. Under these assumptions the simple payback period of the portfolio was found to be three years when no discount rate was applied. When discounted at a rate of six percent the simple payback period increased to three and half years. After this point in time revenues will grow until the eighth year. After the eighth year, the revenue stream is expected to be steady and generate 52,038 dollars each year. Due to the strong economic performance of the portfolio we recommend that the Patterson School install small-scale renewable energy systems on their property. Additionally, we recommend that the Patterson School introduce small-scale educational courses, starting with classes on permaculture and renewable energy. Our analysis suggests that if the Patterson School Foundation follows these recommendations they will see an increase in the overall sustainability of their organization. Additionally, the portfolio of projects will pay for itself in under four years. This report will examine each project in detail. The proposed plan for the Patterson School takes into consideration the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and risks associated with each recommendation.
Open Access
Sustainable Policy Standards for Tailings Management
(2023-04-24) Chesal, Trevor
As the world progresses toward a green-energy society, the mining industry feels increased pressure to produce minerals like copper, lithium, cobalt, nickel, manganese, aluminum, and rare-earth metals. The energy transition requires these resources for solar systems, wind turbines, electric vehicles, and battery-storage infrastructure. Global megatrends demand mining aligns its growth with Sustainable Development Principles. The industry prioritizes the safe and responsible management of tailings (a waste product left over from mineral processing activities). This paper includes a literature review and summarizes the key international guidelines that dictate responsible management of tailings facilities. It also presents a policy for the design, operation, and closure of tailings-storage facilities.