Publications
Finance, energy and the decoupling: an empirical study Journal Article
Kovacic, Zora; Spanò, Marcello; Piano, Samuele Lo; Sorman, Alevgul H.
In: Journal of Evolutionary Economics, 28 (3), pp. 565–590, 2018, ISSN: 0936-9937.
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: Economic Growth, Economic Theory/Quantitative Economics/Mathematica, Entrepreneurship, Institutional/Evolutionary Economics, Microeconomics, R & D/Technology Policy
@article{Kovacic2018a,
title = {Finance, energy and the decoupling: an empirical study},
author = {Zora Kovacic and Marcello Span\`{o} and Samuele Lo Piano and Alevgul H. Sorman},
url = {https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00191-017-0514-8 http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s00191-017-0514-8},
doi = {10.1007/s00191-017-0514-8},
issn = {0936-9937},
year = {2018},
date = {2018-08-01},
journal = {Journal of Evolutionary Economics},
volume = {28},
number = {3},
pages = {565--590},
publisher = {Springer},
abstract = {This paper investigates the empirical and theoretical basis of the decoupling between energy throughput and economic growth, with a critical view of the use of the decoupling concept as a policy priority. We provide an analysis of the historical trends of the metabolic pattern of European economies over a period of 18 years focusing on the changes in energy throughput and financial assets. The results show that energy consumption per hour of labor has remained constant, suggesting that no significant changes in production processes or technology have taken place in the productive sectors of the economy. The contribution of this paper is to establish a bridge between the economic analysis of financialization and the societal metabolism analysis of the economic process from a biophysical point of view. We argue that this bridge is crucial to draw attention to the biophysical consequences of financialization (a relative decoupling) and critically assess the pertinence of policies aimed at encouraging the decoupling in the context of increasing inequality.},
keywords = {Economic Growth, Economic Theory/Quantitative Economics/Mathematica, Entrepreneurship, Institutional/Evolutionary Economics, Microeconomics, R & D/Technology Policy},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
This paper investigates the empirical and theoretical basis of the decoupling between energy throughput and economic growth, with a critical view of the use of the decoupling concept as a policy priority. We provide an analysis of the historical trends of the metabolic pattern of European economies over a period of 18 years focusing on the changes in energy throughput and financial assets. The results show that energy consumption per hour of labor has remained constant, suggesting that no significant changes in production processes or technology have taken place in the productive sectors of the economy. The contribution of this paper is to establish a bridge between the economic analysis of financialization and the societal metabolism analysis of the economic process from a biophysical point of view. We argue that this bridge is crucial to draw attention to the biophysical consequences of financialization (a relative decoupling) and critically assess the pertinence of policies aimed at encouraging the decoupling in the context of increasing inequality.
Integrating energy and land-use planning: socio-metabolic profiles along the rural–urban continuum in Catalonia (Spain) Journal Article
Ariza-Montobbio, Pere; Farrell, Katharine N.; Gamboa, Gonzalo; Ramos-Martin, Jesus
In: Environment, Development and Sustainability, 16 (4), pp. 925–956, 2014, ISSN: 1387-585X.
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: Ecology, Economic Geology, Economic Growth, Environmental Economics, Environmental Management, Sustainable Development
@article{Ariza-Montobbio2014,
title = {Integrating energy and land-use planning: socio-metabolic profiles along the rural\textendashurban continuum in Catalonia (Spain)},
author = {Pere Ariza-Montobbio and Katharine N. Farrell and Gonzalo Gamboa and Jesus Ramos-Martin},
url = {https://link-springer-com.are.uab.cat/article/10.1007/s10668-014-9533-x http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s10668-014-9533-x},
doi = {10.1007/s10668-014-9533-x},
issn = {1387-585X},
year = {2014},
date = {2014-08-01},
journal = {Environment, Development and Sustainability},
volume = {16},
number = {4},
pages = {925--956},
publisher = {Springer},
abstract = {Abandoning fossil fuels and increasingly relying on low-density, land-intensive renewable energy will increase demand for land, affecting current global and regional rural\textendashurban relationships. Over the past two decades, rural\textendashurban relationships all over the world have witnessed unprecedented changes that have rendered their boundaries blurred and have lead to the emergence of “new ruralities.” In this paper, we analyze the current profiles of electricity generation and consumption in relation to sociodemographic variables related to the use of time and land across the territory of Catalonia, Spain. Through a clustering procedure based on multivariate statistical analysis, we found that electricity consumption is related to functional specialization in the roles undertaken by different types of municipalities in the urban system. Municipality types have distinctive metabolic profiles in different sectors depending on their industrial, services or residential role. Villages' metabolism is influenced by urban sprawl and industrial specialization, reflecting current “new ruralities.” Segregation between work activity and residence increases both overall electricity consumption and its rate (per hour) and density (per hectare) of dissipation. A sustainable spatial organization of societal activities without the use of fossil fuels or nuclear energy would require huge structural and sociodemographic changes to reduce energy demand and adapt it to regionally available renewable energy.},
keywords = {Ecology, Economic Geology, Economic Growth, Environmental Economics, Environmental Management, Sustainable Development},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
Abandoning fossil fuels and increasingly relying on low-density, land-intensive renewable energy will increase demand for land, affecting current global and regional rural–urban relationships. Over the past two decades, rural–urban relationships all over the world have witnessed unprecedented changes that have rendered their boundaries blurred and have lead to the emergence of “new ruralities.” In this paper, we analyze the current profiles of electricity generation and consumption in relation to sociodemographic variables related to the use of time and land across the territory of Catalonia, Spain. Through a clustering procedure based on multivariate statistical analysis, we found that electricity consumption is related to functional specialization in the roles undertaken by different types of municipalities in the urban system. Municipality types have distinctive metabolic profiles in different sectors depending on their industrial, services or residential role. Villages' metabolism is influenced by urban sprawl and industrial specialization, reflecting current “new ruralities.” Segregation between work activity and residence increases both overall electricity consumption and its rate (per hour) and density (per hectare) of dissipation. A sustainable spatial organization of societal activities without the use of fossil fuels or nuclear energy would require huge structural and sociodemographic changes to reduce energy demand and adapt it to regionally available renewable energy.
Pathways of rural change: an integrated assessment of metabolic patterns in emerging ruralities Journal Article
Ravera, F.; Scheidel, A.; Dell'Angelo, J.; Gamboa, G.; Serrano, T.; Mingorría, S.; Cabello, V.; Arizpe, N.; Ariza, P.
In: Environment, Development and Sustainability, 16 (4), pp. 811–820, 2014, ISSN: 1387-585X.
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: Ecology, Economic Geology, Economic Growth, Environmental Economics, Environmental Management, Sustainable Development
@article{Ravera2014,
title = {Pathways of rural change: an integrated assessment of metabolic patterns in emerging ruralities},
author = {F. Ravera and A. Scheidel and J. Dell'Angelo and G. Gamboa and T. Serrano and S. Mingorr\'{i}a and V. Cabello and N. Arizpe and P. Ariza},
url = {https://link-springer-com.are.uab.cat/article/10.1007/s10668-014-9534-9 http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s10668-014-9534-9},
doi = {10.1007/s10668-014-9534-9},
issn = {1387-585X},
year = {2014},
date = {2014-08-01},
journal = {Environment, Development and Sustainability},
volume = {16},
number = {4},
pages = {811--820},
publisher = {Springer},
abstract = {While rural transformations are nothing new in human history, current processes of rural change occur under multiple forces at an unprecedented pace, involving profound and unexpected changes in land use and users, and rapid transformations in the metabolic patterns of rural systems. The present special section aims to shed light on current drivers and pathways of rural change by analyzing, under a common conceptual and theoretical framework, examples of new ruralities that are emerging as responses across different world regions. Within this context, this introduction presents: (1) common research questions of the six presented cases of rural change; (2) the general theoretical and methodological framework of integrated assessment of societal metabolism adopted to analyze rural systems and (3) the main contributions and conclusions that could be drawn from six context-specific case studies from Asia, Latin America and Europe.},
keywords = {Ecology, Economic Geology, Economic Growth, Environmental Economics, Environmental Management, Sustainable Development},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
While rural transformations are nothing new in human history, current processes of rural change occur under multiple forces at an unprecedented pace, involving profound and unexpected changes in land use and users, and rapid transformations in the metabolic patterns of rural systems. The present special section aims to shed light on current drivers and pathways of rural change by analyzing, under a common conceptual and theoretical framework, examples of new ruralities that are emerging as responses across different world regions. Within this context, this introduction presents: (1) common research questions of the six presented cases of rural change; (2) the general theoretical and methodological framework of integrated assessment of societal metabolism adopted to analyze rural systems and (3) the main contributions and conclusions that could be drawn from six context-specific case studies from Asia, Latin America and Europe.
Water use in arid rural systems and the integration of water and agricultural policies in Europe: the case of Andarax river basin Journal Article
Villarejo, Violeta Cabello; Lopez, Cristina Madrid
In: Environment, Development and Sustainability, 16 (4), pp. 957–975, 2014, ISSN: 1387-585X.
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: Ecology, Economic Geology, Economic Growth, Environmental Economics, Environmental Management, Sustainable Development
@article{CabelloVillarejo2014,
title = {Water use in arid rural systems and the integration of water and agricultural policies in Europe: the case of Andarax river basin},
author = {Violeta Cabello Villarejo and Cristina Madrid Lopez},
url = {https://link-springer-com.are.uab.cat/article/10.1007/s10668-014-9535-8 http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s10668-014-9535-8},
doi = {10.1007/s10668-014-9535-8},
issn = {1387-585X},
year = {2014},
date = {2014-08-01},
journal = {Environment, Development and Sustainability},
volume = {16},
number = {4},
pages = {957--975},
publisher = {Springer},
abstract = {Water is a precious resource in arid rural areas with irrigated agriculture. Nonetheless, water and agricultural policies in Europe show different management scopes and objectives, usually translated in divergent drivers of rural change. This paper has a double aim: to propose a specific method for quantitative biophysical analysis of water use in rural systems with the multi-scale integrated analysis of societal and ecosystem metabolism approach and to show the usefulness of this method for the assessment of the integration of water and agricultural policies. The river basin scale is chosen, since it is the socioecological unit for water management established in the water framework directive 2000/60/CE. A multi-scale water use accounting is provided for a Mediterranean river basin in Andalusia, integrating water cycle, ecosystems and social levels. Particularly focusing on agricultural production, a relevant set of indicators is proposed in order to analyze and compare different metabolic patterns. Finally, the integration of water and agricultural planning is assessed in terms of external (biophysical) and internal (economic, institutional) constraints of the new water-use patterns generated by the scenarios posed in these policies. While on a European level water policy is ambitious in terms of ecological conservation, the lack of integration within the common agricultural policy and the entanglement of multiple scales of political and economic organization of local ruralities blur its priority in a rather slow transition to a new water culture.},
keywords = {Ecology, Economic Geology, Economic Growth, Environmental Economics, Environmental Management, Sustainable Development},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
Water is a precious resource in arid rural areas with irrigated agriculture. Nonetheless, water and agricultural policies in Europe show different management scopes and objectives, usually translated in divergent drivers of rural change. This paper has a double aim: to propose a specific method for quantitative biophysical analysis of water use in rural systems with the multi-scale integrated analysis of societal and ecosystem metabolism approach and to show the usefulness of this method for the assessment of the integration of water and agricultural policies. The river basin scale is chosen, since it is the socioecological unit for water management established in the water framework directive 2000/60/CE. A multi-scale water use accounting is provided for a Mediterranean river basin in Andalusia, integrating water cycle, ecosystems and social levels. Particularly focusing on agricultural production, a relevant set of indicators is proposed in order to analyze and compare different metabolic patterns. Finally, the integration of water and agricultural planning is assessed in terms of external (biophysical) and internal (economic, institutional) constraints of the new water-use patterns generated by the scenarios posed in these policies. While on a European level water policy is ambitious in terms of ecological conservation, the lack of integration within the common agricultural policy and the entanglement of multiple scales of political and economic organization of local ruralities blur its priority in a rather slow transition to a new water culture.
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