Australian environmental regulation tensions to worsen

2019 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Conservation Laws ◽  
Environmental Regulation ◽  
Fossil Fuel ◽  
Business Groups ◽  
Project Financing ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Carbon Footprints ◽  
Yearly Cycle ◽  
Mining Projects

Significance The review runs on a ten-yearly cycle and comes as laws will be drafted to stop environmental activists pressuring firms to boycott mining projects, especially those with large carbon footprints. Impacts Fossil fuel miners will find it increasingly hard to secure project financing, as consumer campaigns target banks. Reforming conservation laws will be frustrated by the widening gap between environmentalists and business groups. Long delays faced by investors for project approvals are partly due to poor governance standards and lack of transparency.

Risk assessment of mining projects in Ghana

2017 ◽  
Vol 23 (1) ◽  
pp. 22-38 ◽  
Author(s):  
Charles Teye Amoatey ◽  
Samuel Famiyeh ◽  
Peter Andoh
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Risk Assessment ◽  
Academic Research ◽  
Mining Industry ◽  
Commodity Prices ◽  
Mitigation Measures ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Management Culture ◽  
Mining Project ◽  
Mining Projects

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to assess the critical risk factors affecting mining projects in Ghana. Design/methodology/approach A purposive sampling approach was used in selecting the respondents for the study. These were practitioners working on mining projects in Ghana. Findings The study identified 22 risk factors contributing to mining project failure in Ghana. The five most critical mining project risk factors based on both probability of occurrence and impact were unstable commodity prices, inflation/exchange rate, land degradation, high cost of living and government bureaucracy for obtaining licenses. Mitigation measures for addressing the identified risk factors were identified. Research limitations/implications This paper is limited to data collected from practitioners working on mining projects. Due to geographic and logistical constraints, the study did not include the perception of local communities in quantifying the risk factors. Practical implications This paper has documented the critical risk factor affecting the mining industry in Ghana. Though the identified risk types are also prevalent in other sectors of the construction industry, the key findings of this paper emphasize the need for a comprehensive risk management culture in the mining sector. From an academic research perspective, the paper contributes to a conceptual risk assessment framework. Originality/value The information gathered through this research can be utilized in identifying and understanding risks during the early stages of mining project implementation.

scholarly journals Key drivers for green building project financing in Ghana

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kofi Agyekum ◽  
Chris Goodier ◽  
James Anthony Oppon
Keyword(s):  
Construction Industry ◽  
Qualitative Data ◽  
Green Building ◽  
Green Buildings ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Project Financing ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Comparative Review ◽  
Key Drivers ◽  
Building Project

PurposeThe majority of the literature on green buildings in Ghana focuses on environmental benefits, innovative designs, construction technologies and project management techniques. However, little is known about how such facilities are financed. This issue creates potential knowledge gaps, one of which this study aims to address. This study examines the key drivers for green building project financing in Ghana.Design/methodology/approachThe study uses an explanatory sequential design with an initial quantitative instrument phase, followed by a qualitative data collection phase. An extensive critical comparative review of the literature resulted in the identification of eight potential drivers. One hundred and twenty-seven questionnaire responses based upon these drivers from the Ghanaian construction industry were received. Data were coded with SPSS v22, analysed descriptively (mean, standard deviation and standard error) and via inferential analysis (One Way ANOVA and One-Sample t-Test). These data were then validated through semi-structured interviews with ten industry professionals within the Ghana Green Building Council. Data obtained from the semi-structured validation interviews were analysed through the side-by-side comparison of the qualitative data with the quantitative data.FindingsThough all eight drivers are important, the five key drivers for the Ghanian construction industry were identified as, in order of importance, “high return on investment”, “emerging business opportunity”, “ethical investment”, “conservation of resources” and “mandatory regulations, standards, and policies”. The interviewees agreed to and confirmed the importance of these identified drivers for green building project financing from validating the survey's key findings.Research limitations/implicationsKey limitations of this study are the restrictions regarding the geographical location of the collected data (i.e. Kumasi and Accra); timing of the study and sample size (i.e. the COVID-19 pandemic making it difficult to obtain adequate data).Practical implicationsThough this study was conducted in Ghana, its implications could be useful to researchers, policymakers, stakeholders and practitioners in wider sub-Saharan Africa. For instance, financial institutions can invest in green buildings to expand their green construction and mortgage finance products to build higher value and lower risk portfolios. The findings from this study can provide investors with the enhanced certainty needed to help guide and inform their investment decisions, i.e. what to invest in, and when, by how much and how a scheme being “green” may influence their rate of return. Also, for building developers, it will give them a clearer understanding of the business case for green buildings and how to differentiate themselves in the market to grow their businesses.Originality/valueThis study's findings provide insights into an under-investigated topic in Ghana and offer new and additional information and insights to the current state-of-the-art on the factors that drive green building project financing.

The pathway toward pollution mitigation in EU28 region: does bioenergy growth make a difference?

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohd Alsaleh ◽  
A.S. Abdul-Rahim
Keyword(s):  
Carbon Dioxide ◽  
Carbon Dioxide Emissions ◽  
Fossil Fuel ◽  
Panel Data Analysis ◽  
Random Effect ◽  
Trade Openness ◽  
The Body ◽  
Least Square ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Improved Model

PurposeThis research explores the effect of bioenergy use on carbon dioxide releases in 28 European Union (EU-28) affiliated members starting from 1990 to 2018.Design/methodology/approachApplying panels' fixed effect (FE) estimator and random effect (RE) estimator, the regressed findings are highly validated as they were robust by panel least square dummy variable corrected (LSDVC) and pooled ordinary least square (Pooled OLS) estimators.FindingsThe findings claimed that carbon dioxide releases decrease with an incline in bioenergy use and trade openness. On the other hand, fossil-fuel and economic growth indicators mounting carbon dioxide releases. The result implies that carbon dioxide releases in EU-28 region members can be mitigated significantly by mounting the quantity bioenergy use in generation channel. This will mostly participate in combating environmental pollution.Practical implicationsThe study suggests for EU28 region members to enhance the portion of bioenergy in their fuel access to decrease emitted carbon dioxide. Governors in EU28 members should mainly encourage bioenergy expansion to raise its security and availability. The politicians of the EU28 members must assert on efficacy and productivity of bioenergy production to achieve energy accessibility and decrease dependency on conventional energy.Originality/valueThis research applies the recently improved model, the panel data analysis approach, which considered for the first-class impacts of estimators on the dependent variable and deals with the several problems of the common Pooled OLS estimator's manner and performance. Finally, this research contributes to the previous studies on ecological sustainability by examining the presence correlation among carbon dioxide emissions, bioenergy sustainability, trade openness, fossil fuel and gross domestic product in the EU28 region. Hence, it proves our research novelty, originality and contribution to the body of knowledge.

Research on green innovation countermeasures of supporting the circular economy to green finance under big data

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhao Yaoteng ◽  
Li Xin
Keyword(s):  
Big Data ◽  
Environmental Regulation ◽  
Fixed Time ◽  
Spatial Effect ◽  
Regression Coefficients ◽  
Green Innovation ◽  
Time And Space ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Green Finance ◽  
Lag Model

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to explore the sustainable development strategy of green finance under the background of big data.Design/methodology/approachFrom the perspective of big data, this paper uses quantitative and qualitative analysis methods to judge the correlation among green finance, environmental supervision and financial supervision. Green finance gives the entropy method to calculate the score of green finance and environmental regulation, and establishes the spatial lag model under the double fixed effects of time and space.FindingsSpatial autocorrelation test shows that economic spatial weight matrix has obvious spatial effect on green innovation. Through the model selection test, the space lag model with fixed time and space is selected. The regression coefficients of green finance, environmental regulation and their interaction are 0.1598, 0.0541 and 0.1763, respectively, which significantly promote green innovation. The regression coefficients of openness, higher education level and per capita GDP are 0.0361, 0.0819 and 0.0686, respectively, which can significantly promote green innovation.Originality/valueIn view of the current situation of large-scale application of big data technology in green innovation of domestic energy-saving and environmental protection enterprises, this paper establishes a fixed time lag evaluation model of green innovation. M-test statistics show that the original hypothesis with no obvious spatial effect is rejected.

Financing shortfall will push Oman to uneasy austerity

2021 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Public Sector ◽  
Oil Production ◽  
Oil Price ◽  
Project Financing ◽  
Wage Bill ◽  
Content Type ◽  
One Year ◽  
Gas Fields

Significance A fiscal crunch exacerbated by the pandemic and associated oil-price crash has forced the authorities to step up long-term ‘Omanisation’ efforts, ultimately taking pressure off the bloated public sector wage bill. This comes as Sultan Haitham bin Tariq Al Said, one year into his reign, launches a raft of new political, military and economic initiatives. Impacts Oman will remain compliant with OPEC+ oil production cuts. The sultanate will boost output at its competitive giant Ghazeer and Khazzan gas fields in Block 61 to benefit from high prices. Muscat will prioritise agriculture, fisheries and logistics for non-oil growth but struggle to secure project financing post-pandemic.

LNG use will be crucial to nations’ energy transitions

2021 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Fossil Fuels ◽  
Fossil Fuel ◽  
Developing Economies ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Energy Transition ◽  
Market Volatility ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Market Growth ◽  
Net Zero

Significance LNG is cleaner than most fossil fuels but still incompatible with net zero emissions. India, China and other Asian economies see LNG imports as a ready and economically viable means of displacing coal and oil use. Natural gas and then LNG demand will eventually peak as the energy transition accelerates over the next 20 years. Impacts LNG market growth will embed fossil fuel use and infrastructure in developing economies’ energy mixes. Recent market volatility and record spot LNG prices may reverse the trend of greater reliance on spot transactions than long-term contracts. Although the greenhouse gas (GHG) benefits of LNG use in transport are far from clear, it will gain market share in the next few years. LNG project developers will seek to cut GHG emissions from their projects to prolong LNG's attractiveness in the energy transition.

Optimization of profitability and liquidity for residential projects under debt and equity financing

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 369-391
Author(s):  
Emre Cevikcan ◽  
Yildiz Kose
Keyword(s):  
Linear Programming ◽  
Experimental Design ◽  
Cash Flow ◽  
Programming Model ◽  
Payback Period ◽  
Linear Programming Model ◽  
Project Financing ◽  
Equity Financing ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Space Allocation

PurposeAn appropriate space allocation among different residence types gives higher profitability and liquidity for cash flow management in real estate projects for developers. Thereby, a balance between debt and equity should be kept for capital formation in developers where high level of cost, profit and risk exists. The purpose of this paper is to provide cash flow optimization under debt and equity financing while providing an appropriate space allocation of residence types via synchronous consideration of profitability and liquidity.Design/methodology/approachA novel optimization methodology that includes project financing, optimization and experimental design modules is proposed. The first module, project financing, considers the flexibility of utilizing one or both of debt financing and equity financing when making capital. The optimization module addresses space allocation among different residence types for a construction while maximizing profitability and liquidity using two mixed-integer linear programming models in a pre-emptive manner. The experimental design module assesses the effects of decisive parameters within the methodology via multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA).FindingsThe proposed methodology is applied to a real-life residential project in Istanbul. The optimization module yielded 42.5% profitability via the first linear programming model and 2.2% trade-off between liquidity and profitability while minimizing the payback period by the second linear programming model. Meanwhile, MANOVA results showed that profit per square meter and sale rate trends are the most prominent factors considering their significant effects on net present value and payback period.Originality/valueTo the best knowledge of the author, related papers focused only on profitability under equity financing. Liquidity (as an objective) and equity financing (as a financing method) have not been handled. Hence, this paper not only performs profitability and liquidity-oriented cash flow optimization under debt and equity financing but also optimizes space allocation of residences for the first time.

Does international expansion constrain growth? Business groups, internationalization, institutional distance, and the Penrose effect

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Wen-Ting Lin ◽  
Ying-Yu Chen ◽  
David Ahlstrom ◽  
Linda C. Wang
Keyword(s):  
Information Processing ◽  
Firm Growth ◽  
Business Groups ◽  
Adjustment Costs ◽  
Ordinary Least Squares ◽  
Institutional Distance ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Managerial Resources ◽  
Penrose Effect ◽  
The Relationship

Purpose This paper aims to use the institutional and information-processing perspectives to explore their association with between internationalization and the Penrose effect phenomenon for business groups (BGs). Design/methodology/approach The authors use ordinary least squares regression models to test arguments about data pertaining to 101 Taiwanese BGs’ foreign direct investments. Findings The results indicate that greater levels of depth and scope in the process of internationalization during one period may negatively affect rates of growth in the following period. The results further demonstrate that institutional distance moderates the relationship. Research limitations/implications Using the perspective of information-processing demands, the authors provide alternate explanations regarding the relationship between the process of internationalization (depth, scope and rhythm) and the Penrose effect. Originality/value Owners and managers should focus on both the depth and the scope of internationalization. BGs are likely to incur high dynamic adjustment costs, which then limit the rate of BGs’ growth. Managers should balance international market uncertainty with current managerial resources when determining how deeply and broadly to expand internationally and where to enter. In addition, as recent major panel studies suggest, management capabilities and practices can improve significantly, which has a positive effect on firm growth and performance. This does require the careful development and acquisition of the managerial resources needed for internationalization.

Dynamic linkages amongst ecological footprints, fossil fuel energy consumption and globalization: an empirical analysis

2020 ◽  
Vol 31 (6) ◽  
pp. 1549-1568 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dalia M. Ibrahiem ◽  
Shaimaa A. Hanafy
Keyword(s):  
Economic Growth ◽  
Energy Consumption ◽  
Ecological Footprint ◽  
Fossil Fuel ◽  
Real Income ◽  
Ordinary Least Squares ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Ecological Footprints ◽  
Fossil Fuel Energy ◽  
Fossil Fuel Energy Consumption

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine the dynamic linkages amongst ecological footprints, fossil fuel consumption, real income, globalization and population in Egypt in the period from 1971 to 2014.Design/methodology/approachThe paper uses fully modified ordinary least squares (FMOLS) and dynamic ordinary least squares (DOLS) methods to investigate the long run relationships amongst ecological footprints, economic growth, globalization, fossil fuel energy consumption and population. Moreover, the Toda–Yamamoto approach is conducted to examine the causal relationships between variables.FindingsEmpirical results of FMOLS and DOLS methods show that real income and fossil fuel consumption are responsible for deteriorating the environment, while globalization and population are found to mitigate it. As for Toda–Yamamoto–Granger causal relationship results, unidirectional causal relation from globalization, population and fossil fuel energy consumption to the ecological footprint exists. Moreover, bidirectional causal relation between real income on the one hand and globalization and the ecological footprint on the other hand is found.Originality/valueUsing carbon dioxide emissions has major weakness as carbon dioxide emissions are considered only part of the total environmental deterioration so this study is the first study for Egypt that uses the ecological footprint as an indicator for environmental quality and environmental pollution and links it with globalization, economic growth, population and fossil fuel energy consumption. Moreover, realizing the direction of causality between these variables might help policymakers in designing the policies to promote the shift towards clean energy sources, especially that achieving sustainable economic growth with more contribution to the global economy depending on diversification of energy sources without deteriorating the environment is considered one of the most important objectives of Egypt’s National Vision 2030.

scholarly journals Overcoming African institutional voids: market entry with networks

2019 ◽  
Vol 31 (3) ◽  
pp. 304-316 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kerry Chipp ◽  
Albert Wocke ◽  
Carola Strandberg ◽  
Manoj Chiba
Keyword(s):  
Emerging Markets ◽  
Strategic Alliances ◽  
Market Entry ◽  
Business Groups ◽  
Institutional Voids ◽  
Dominant Form ◽  
Firm Level ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Case Examples ◽  
Mode Of Entry

Purpose Literature on modes of entry has focussed on firm-level strategies. The predominant theories used are institutional theory and the resource-based view. Using an alternate approach – network theory – this paper aims to demonstrate an additional mode of entry: multiple firms entering together as an extension of an existing loose network, known as a bridging network. The extension of an external network across borders is an appropriate mode of entry in emerging markets, with no pre-existing networks or existing networks within a market that are weak, immature or missing. Design/methodology/approach A conceptual review, which develops four propositions, demonstrating that market entry with bridging networks may be the preferred mode of entry in the presence of institutional voids. Alternative modes may not be viable because of costs and risks associated with overcoming such voids. Findings Existing theory and case examples support the contention that market conditions facilitate firms to enter as networks rather than as singular entities. These conditions are found in markets with institutional voids and explain the dominant form of business groups in many countries and the operation of loose strategic alliances in emerging markets. Network entry facilitates market access speed may allow for local ties to remain undeveloped or be a first step in building in-country networks. Originality/value This paper heeds to the call for a network ecosystem approach to market entry, arguing that firms may enter as a collective in subsistence and emerging markets, which would explain the preponderance of business groups and loose alliances found.

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