Historical Context and Present Energy Use in the Global Economy

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-29
Author(s):  
Arturo Molina ◽  
Alberto Mendoza ◽  
Francisco J. Lozano ◽  
Luis Serra-Barragán ◽  
Alejandro Ibarra-Yunez
Keyword(s):  
Global Economy ◽  
Energy Use ◽  
Historical Context

scholarly journals Energetic regimes of the global economy – past, present and future

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew Jarvis ◽  
Carey King
Keyword(s):  
Global Economy ◽  
Energy Use ◽  
Energy Transition ◽  
Primary Energy ◽  
Low Carbon ◽  
Lower Growth ◽  
Economic Productivity ◽  
Thermodynamic Structure ◽  
Gross World Product ◽  
Low Carbon Energy

Abstract. For centuries both engineers and economists have collaborated to attempt to raise economic productivity through efficiency improvements. Global primary energy use (PEU) and gross world product (GWP) data 1950–2018 reveal a the effects of aggregate energy efficiency (AEE) improvements since the 1950's have been characterised by two distinct behavioural regimes. Prior to the energy supply shocks in the 1970s the AEE of the global economy was remarkably constant such that PEU and GWP growth were fully coupled. We suggest this regime is associated with attempts to maximise growth in GWP. In contrast, in the 1970s the global economy transitioned to a lower growth regime that promoted maximising growth in AEE such that GWP growth is maximised while simultaneously attempting to minimise PEU growth, a regime that appears to persist to this day. Low carbon energy transition scenarios generally present the perceived ability to raise growth in AEE at least three fold from 2020 as a tactic to slow greenhouse gas emissions via lower PEU growth. Although the 1970s indicate rapid transitions in patterns of energy use are possible, our results suggest that any promise to reduce carbon emissions based on enhancing the rate of efficiency improvements could prove difficult to realise in practice because the growth rates of AEE, PEU and GWP do not evolve independently, but rather co-evolve in ways that reflect the underlying thermodynamic structure of the economy.

PROSPECTS OF GLOBALIZATION IN THE 21st CENTURY

2021 ◽  
pp. 128-133
Author(s):  
Igor M. Uznarodov
Keyword(s):  
Cold War ◽  
21St Century ◽  
Global Economy ◽  
World Economy ◽  
Historical Context ◽  
Slowing Down ◽  
Single Mechanism ◽  
The World ◽  
The Cold War ◽  
Expert Community

The article considers the issue of the prospects of globalization, which receives ambiguous and contradictory assessments in the expert community and the mass media. Since negative judgments about the future of globalization are mainly based on assessments of the state of the contemporary economy, the article analyzes the trends in the development of the global economy in the context of the stages of globalization. The changes that took place in the world economy are shown, attention to the growth of its unification and uniformity is paid. It is concluded that by the beginning of the 21th century, the successful globalization processes had reached their peak. Then the recession, associated with the two world wars and the emergence of a bipolar world began. After the end of the cold war, a new rise in globalization begins, a single mechanism of the world economy is being formed. In general, it is concluded that the historical context and recent events in the world do not give grounds to talk about the end of globalization. Today, there is only some slowing down of global processes, after which a new recovery should be expected.

South Africa’s International Trade

2021 ◽  
pp. 440-466
Author(s):  
Lawrence Edwards
Keyword(s):  
Open Economy ◽  
Global Economy ◽  
Import Substitution ◽  
Historical Context ◽  
Firm Level ◽  
Tariff Reform ◽  
Rise Of China ◽  
Tariff Liberalization ◽  
The Rise Of China ◽  
The Impact

This chapter uses South Africa’s integration in the global economy as a lens to understand the dynamics behind South Africa’s current economic performance. It first presents the historical context, commencing from the country’s position as a gold exporter pursuing an import substitution industrialization strategy, to its transition to a more open economy with the ending of sanctions and tariff liberalization from the early 1990s. The focus then shifts to a critical assessment of South Africa’s trade performance and trade policy in the post-apartheid period. This covers the impact of government policies, such as the multilateral tariff liberalization from 1994 to 2000, preferential tariff reform from 2000 and sector-driven industrial policy from 2007, as well as the dramatic changes in the global trading order—the rise of China from 2001, and the emergence of global value chains. To illustrate these relationships, the chapter draws on new insights using disaggregated product- and firm-level trade data.

scholarly journals Energy Efficiency in the Supply Chains of the Aluminium Industry: The Cases of Five Products Made in Sweden

Energies ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 245 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joakim Haraldsson ◽  
Maria Johansson
Keyword(s):  
Energy Efficiency ◽  
Focus Group ◽  
Supply Chains ◽  
Global Economy ◽  
Energy Use ◽  
Improve Energy Efficiency ◽  
Increase Energy Efficiency ◽  
Energy Efficiency Improvement ◽  
Group Interviews ◽  
Made In

Improved energy efficiency in supply chains can reduce both environmental impact and lifecycle costs, and thus becomes a competitive advantage in the work towards a sustainable global economy. Viewing the supply chain as a system provides the holistic perspective needed to avoid sub-optimal energy use. This article studies measures relating to technology and management that can increase energy efficiency in the supply chains of five aluminium products made in Sweden. Additionally, energy efficiency potentials related to the flows of material, energy, and knowledge between the actors in the supply chains are studied. Empirical data was collected using focus group interviews and one focus group per product was completed. The results show that there are several areas for potential energy efficiency improvement; for example, product design, communication and collaboration, transportation, and reduced material waste. Demands from other actors that can have direct or indirect effects on energy use in the supply chains were identified. Despite the fact that companies can save money through improved energy efficiency, demands from customers and the authorities would provide the additional incentives needed for companies to work harder to improve energy efficiency.

scholarly journals Environmental Kuznets Curve for the Informal Sector of Turkey (1950-2009)

2014 ◽  
Vol 61 (4) ◽  
pp. 471-485 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ceyhun Elgin ◽  
Oğuz Öztunalı
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Pollution ◽  
Informal Sector ◽  
Global Economy ◽  
Energy Use ◽  
Shadow Economy ◽  
Empirical Relationship ◽  
Weather Conditions ◽  
Kuznets Curve ◽  
Annual Data ◽  
Long Run

In this study we investigate the empirical relationship between the size of the informal sector (as percentage of official GDP), carbon dioxide and sulfur dioxide emissions in Turkey by using annual data from 1950 to 2009 and conducting a time-series analysis using cointegration techniques. This analysis is crucial as pollution emissions may lead to unfavorable weather conditions and potentially cause environmental impacts that may adversely affect the global economy. The empirical analysis shows evidence towards the existence of an inverted-U relationship between relative informal sector size and environmental pollution indicators in the long-run. That is small and large sizes of the shadow economy are associated with little environmental pollution and medium levels of the size of the shadow economy are associated with higher levels of environmental pollution. Moreover, using multivariate cointegration techniques, we suggest and test an economic mechanism to account for this observation. This also helps us to prescribe various policy recommendations regarding pollution and energy use.

Luxury, the Luxury Trades, and the Roots of Industrial Growth: A Global Perspective

2012 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maxine Berg
Keyword(s):  
Global Economy ◽  
Historical Context ◽  
Early Years ◽  
Global Perspective ◽  
Consumer Society ◽  
Industrial Growth ◽  
Science Theory ◽  
Status Seeking ◽  
Long Time ◽  
The 1960S

Luxury and its discontents have become key areas of debate on our social condition in the late twentieth and early years of the twenty-first century. Luxury has become the common parlance of advertising and branding. It is part of the upscaling of consumer aspirations, and a turning away from the mass consumerism that underpinned consumer society from the 1960s to the 1980s. Aspirations are associated with luxury and designer goods, with lifestyle choices of affluence and distinction. Manufacturers give nearly every category of good they produce a premium brand; their products signal distinction and the pursuit of status. This phenomenon of upscaling, branding, and status-seeking through consumer goods has intensified dramatically since the 1980s, but it has also been with us a very long time. This article presents a global perspective on luxury, the luxury trades, and the roots of industrial growth. It examines luxury and consumption in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, social science theory and luxury, luxury's historical context, the debates over luxury goods, luxury and the global economy, and global export ware.

Rapidly Rising Energy Prices: Does the Driver of the Energy Market Imbalance Matter?

2007 ◽  
Vol 199 ◽  
pp. 114-125
Author(s):  
Jared Bebee ◽  
Ben Hunt
Keyword(s):  
Euro Area ◽  
Global Economy ◽  
Energy Use ◽  
Energy Prices ◽  
Industrial Countries ◽  
The United Kingdom ◽  
Tradable Sector ◽  
Macroeconomic Impact ◽  
Macroeconomic Implications ◽  
The Impact

This paper uses a variant of the IMF's Global Economy Model (GEM) to examine the macroeconomic impact of the rise in energy prices since the end of 2003 in the Euro Area, the United Kingdom and the United Sates. The analysis illustrates how the impact varies across these countries based on their level of energy use and energy production. In addition, the analysis uses Euro Area simulations to consider how the macroeconomic implications depend on the factors driving higher energy prices. If labour supply or tradable sector productivity increases in emerging Asian economies are an important factor driving energy price increases, then industrial countries receive some positive terms-of-trade effects coming through non-energy tradable goods that offset some of the negative implications of permanently higher real energy prices. The stronger are the industrial countries' trade links with emerging Asia, the larger will be the offsets.

scholarly journals Twenty-first Century Education: Transformative Education for Sustainability and Responsible Citizenship

2016 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
pp. 48-56 ◽  
Author(s):  
David V. J. Bell
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Global Economy ◽  
Energy Use ◽  
Transformative Education ◽  
First Century ◽  
Education For Sustainability ◽  
Waste Production ◽  
Conventional Teaching ◽  
Twenty First Century ◽  
Global Population

Abstract Many ministries of education focus on twenty-first century education but unless they are looking at this topic through a sustainability lens, they will be missing some of its most important elements. The usual emphasis on developing skills for employability in the current global economy begs the question whether the global economy is itself sustainable over the course of this century. According to the World Business Council on Sustainable Development (WBCSD) whose membership comprises 29 of the largest, most important companies on the planet, it is not. Continuing on the current development path would require approximately 2.3 planets earth to support existing levels of resource and energy use, and waste production, projected out for a global population which will reach 9 billion by 2050. And yet most discussions of 21st century education are premised on servicing, rather than transforming, the current global economy. This paper explores the opportunities and benefits of connecting the discourse on twentyfirst century education with Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) which seeks to prepare learners for the varied and interrelated environmental, social, and economic challenges they will meet as they confront a changing world. ESD emphasizes futures thinking and strategic planning that will enable learners to help create and flourish in a more sustainable economy. Conventional teaching models must also shift to a “transformative” style of education for the twenty-first century in order for humankind to learn how to live more sustainably on this planet.

scholarly journals Reversibility and Durability as Potential Indicators for Circular Building Technologies

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (18) ◽  
pp. 7659 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ernesto Antonini ◽  
Andrea Boeri ◽  
Massimo Lauria ◽  
Francesca Giglio
Keyword(s):  
Global Economy ◽  
Energy Use ◽  
Building Design ◽  
Building Construction ◽  
Status Report ◽  
Construction Sector ◽  
Design Strategies ◽  
Global Status ◽  
Carbon Dioxide Co2 ◽  
Research Stage

According to the Circularity Gap Report 2020, a mere 8.6% of the global economy wascircular in 2019. The Global Status Report 2018 declares that building construction and operationsaccounted for 36% of global final energy use and 39% of energy–related carbon dioxide (CO2)emissions. The Paris Agreement demands that the building and construction sector decarbonizesglobally by 2050. This requires strategies that minimize the environmental impact of buildingsand practices extending the lifecycle of their constituents within a circular resource flow. To ensurethat eective measures are applied, a suitable method is needed to assess compliance in materials,processes, and design strategies within circular economy principles. The study’s assumption is thatsynthetic and reliable indicators for that purpose could be based on reversibility and durabilityfeatures. The paper provides an overview of building design issues within the circular economyperspective, highlighting the diculty in finding circular technologies which are suitable to enhancebuildings’ service life while closing material loops. The results identify reversibility and durability aspotential indicators for assessing circular building technologies. The next research stage aims to furtherdevelop the rating of circularity requirements for both building technologies and entire buildings.

scholarly journals Bridging the gap: The need for a systems thinking approach in understanding and addressing energy and environmental performance in buildings

2018 ◽  
Vol 28 (1) ◽  
pp. 100-117 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. Shrubsole ◽  
I. G. Hamilton ◽  
N. Zimmermann ◽  
G. Papachristos ◽  
T. Broyd ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Quality ◽  
Energy Use ◽  
Systems Approach ◽  
Historical Context ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Energy Performance ◽  
Building Performance ◽  
Indoor Environmental Quality ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Health And Well Being

Innovations in materials, construction techniques and technologies in building construction and refurbishment aim to reduce carbon emissions and produce low-energy buildings. However, in-use performance consistently misses design specifications, particularly those of operational energy use and indoor environmental quality. This performance gap risks reducing design, technology, sustainability, economic, health and well-being benefits. In this paper, we compare settings of the Chinese and the UK buildings sectors and relate their historical context, design, construction and operation issues impacting energy performance, indoor environmental quality, occupant health and well-being. We identify a series of key, common factors of ‘total’ building performance across these two settings: the application of building regulations, the balance between building cost and performance, skills, construction and operation. The dynamic and complex interactions of these factors are currently poorly understood and lead to building performance gaps. We contend that a systems approach in the development of suitable building assessment methods, technologies and tools could enable the formulation and implementation of more effective policies, regulations and practices. The paper illustrates the application of the approach to the UK and Chinese settings. A full application of a systems approach may help to provide a more dynamic understanding of how factor interactions impact the ‘total’ building performance gaps and help address its multiple causes.

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