scholarly journals The electric vehicle revolution: Economic and policy implications for natural resource exporters in developing countries

Author(s):  
Benjamin Jones

The emergence of a mass market for electric vehicles (EVs) offers considerable development opportunities for resource exporters, given their intensive raw material requirements, including for cobalt, nickel, lithium, copper, aluminium, and manganese. To exploit the benefits of new demand, empirical evidence on the ‘resource curse’ increasingly points to the benefits of strengthening institutions for effective policy management and to mitigate the risk of poorly directed, often excessively procyclical, investment. With many developing countries staking major claims for expanding domestic electric vehicle raw material industries, these issues appear highly pertinent, not least given their complexity, opacity, and volatility. This paper analyses both the outlook for electric vehicle demand and associated raw material usage, as well as the key drivers and sensitivities required to track future market transformation. It subsequently assesses key fiscal, regulatory, and institutional reform priorities and market barriers bearing on successful domestic resource mobilization in these resource chains.

2008 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Stefanie Koorey ◽  
Stefan Markowski ◽  
Peter Hall ◽  
Jurgen Brauer

To develop effective policy to reduce the proliferation of illicit small arms in developing countries, it is necessary to have a good understanding of how these weapons are distributed and how illicit stockpiles are formed. This article captures structural characteristics of small-arms supply-chains and, in particular, stylizes the different mechanisms for funneling small arms to illicit users. The article draws on the experience of countries in South and Southeast Asia and of the Melanesian states of the Pacific. By focusing on the structural complexity of supply chains, the article highlights challenges that multichannel supply chains pose for governments in developing countries that seek to curb the flow of small arms into illicit stocks.


2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (5) ◽  
pp. 2847
Author(s):  
Olatunji Abdul Shobande ◽  
Joseph Onuche Enemona

The financial sector plays a critical role in society by mediating resources and assets within the economy between surplus and deficit units. Therefore, they have a great responsibility for the sustainability and prosperity of natural endowments. This study aimed to determine whether sustainable finance matters for the natural resource curse in Nigeria and Ghana. The empirical evidence is based on the Bayer and Hanck combined cointegration tests and Vector Autoregressive/Vector Error Correction Granger causality tests. The study highlights the importance of sustainable financing in natural resources management. Our findings also confirmed the existence of the financial resource curse in Nigeria and Ghana. Likewise, the medium through which sustainable finance affects the natural resource curse has been identified as the human development index (economic welfare). This current study has critical policy implications that suggest the need to establish a vibrant, sustainable financing strategy to assist domestic private investors with a strong interest in natural resource exploration and development, taking into account macroeconomic sustainability. Additionally, it also important to build a strong financial market which allows for policies designed to promote natural resource management.


Energies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (14) ◽  
pp. 4349
Author(s):  
Niklas Wulff ◽  
Fabia Miorelli ◽  
Hans Christian Gils ◽  
Patrick Jochem

As electric vehicle fleets grow, rising electric loads necessitate energy systems models to incorporate their respective demand and potential flexibility. Recently, a small number of tools for electric vehicle demand and flexibility modeling have been released under open source licenses. These usually sample discrete trips based on aggregate mobility statistics. However, the full range of variables of travel surveys cannot be accessed in this way and sub-national mobility patterns cannot be modeled. Therefore, a tool is proposed to estimate future electric vehicle fleet charging flexibility while being able to directly access detailed survey results. The framework is applied in a case study involving two recent German national travel surveys (from the years 2008 and 2017) to exemplify the implications of different mobility patterns of motorized individual vehicles on load shifting potential of electric vehicle fleets. The results show that different mobility patterns, have a significant impact on the resulting load flexibilites. Most obviously, an increased daily mileage results in higher electricty demand. A reduced number of trips per day, on the other hand, leads to correspondingly higher grid connectivity of the vehicle fleet. VencoPy is an open source, well-documented and maintained tool, capable of assessing electric vehicle fleet scenarios based on national travel surveys. To scrutinize the tool, a validation of the simulated charging by empirically observed electric vehicle fleet charging is advised.


2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 1797
Author(s):  
Amber Theeuwen ◽  
Valérie Duplat ◽  
Christopher Wickert ◽  
Brian Tjemkes

In Uganda, the agricultural sector contributes substantially to gross domestic product. Although the involvement of Ugandan women in this sector is extensive, female farmers face significant obstacles, caused by gendering that impedes their ability to expand their family business and to generate incomes. Gender refers to social or cultural categories by which women–men relationships are conceived. In this study, we aim to investigate how gendering influences the development of business relationships in the Ugandan agricultural sector. To do so, we employed a qualitative–inductive methodology to collect unique data on the rice and cassava sectors. Our findings reveal at first that, in the agricultural sector in Uganda, inter-organization business relationships (i.e., between non-family actors) are mostly developed by and between men, whereas intra-organization business relationships with family members are mostly developed by women. We learn that gendering impedes women from developing inter-organization business relationships. Impediments for female farmers include their restricted mobility, the lack of trust by men, their limited freedom in communication, household duties, and responsibilities for farming activities up until sales. Our findings also reveal that these impediments to developing inter-organization business relationships prevent female farmers from being empowered and from attainting economic benefits for the family business. In this context, the results of our study show that grouping in small-scale cooperatives offers female farmers an opportunity to overcome gender inequality and to become economically emancipated. Thanks to these cooperatives, women can develop inter-organization relationships with men and other women and gain easier access to financial resources. Small-scale cooperatives can alter gendering in the long run, in favor of more gender equality and less marginalization of women. Our study responds to calls for more research on the informal economy in developing countries and brings further understanding to the effect of gendering in the Ugandan agricultural sector. We propose a theoretical framework with eight propositions bridging gendering, business relationship development, and empowerment and economic benefits. Our framework serves as a springboard for policy implications aimed at fostering gender equality in informal sectors in developing countries.


2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Pamela E. Kelrick

[ACCESS RESTRICTED TO THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI AT AUTHOR'S REQUEST.] Mancur Olson's theory of collective action has primarily been construed and applied to developed countries with formal economies and (generally) socio-political stability. Yet, he asserted that his theory of collective action would apply in developing countries, even those which are far less stable. This study examined Olson's assertion that collective action applies in developing countries, using South Africa as a case study. The empirical analyses included canonical correlation analysis and generalized additive models, using attribute, spatial, and temporal data to understand the spatial and temporal dynamics between wealth and governance in South Africa. Geographic clustering by race and economic class remains persistent despite democratic reforms and improved governance engagement. In addition, findings of the empirical analyses were used to evaluate Olson's theory of collective action and frame the policy implications. Collective action is consistent with findings, but, in the context of developing countries, ought to include more prominent considerations of path dependency, increasing returns, and historical institutionalism.


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