Technology and Economics Law in Energy Markets and Environmental Problems

A special issue of Laws (ISSN 2075-471X). This special issue belongs to the section "Environmental Law Issues".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (28 February 2023) | Viewed by 24862

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Department of Mathematics and Computer Science, University of Catania, 95124 Catania, Italy
Interests: linear and quasilinear differential equations of elliptic, parabolic, and ultraparabolic type in nondivergence and divergence form; Morrey spaces
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Guest Editor
Photometry Laboratory, Electric Power Division, School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, National Technical University of Athens, 9 Heroon Polytechniou Street, 15780 Athens, Greece
Interests: engineering; environment; energy; renewable energy sources; waste management from organic pollutants; properties of polymer materials; business administration; education; culture; human resource management; psychology; urban and regional development; forest resource management; extroversion and internationalization of small and medium enterprises (SMEs); development economics; environmental systems; circular economy; behavioral ecology
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

In recent years, the rapid technological evolution and the emerging scaling up of technologies for energy production have become determinant factors in the development of national, European, and international law. Therefore, environmental policies, economies of scale, climate change considerations, social skepticism, or opposition to new large-scale infrastructures and technologies in the energy markets all determine the foundation and the implementation of the current and future legislative framework in these fields.

In this Special Issue of Laws, original research articles, reviews, and follow-up studies of contemporary topical, national, and international law are welcome, where research areas may include (but are not limited to) the following dimensions: (1) from the European Union and international contexts and the accompanying regulations regarding diffusion of renewables-based technologies in both energy markets and industrial or manufacturing sectors; (2) from the side of countries (global coverage) that are looking at the interrelation of international, EU, and national legislations on energy and its marketing routes; (3) from the side of manufacturing companies or commercial SMEs on extroversion and internationalization orientation that are characterized by the rapid shift from conventional technologies toward smart, innovative, and flexible modes of energy production. This Special Issue also covers the wider provisional legislation of such large-scale technologies/energy markets on environment, society, education, social cohesion, labor, ecosystems, as well as the consequences of both energy markets and their large-scale technologies to climate change. 

We warmly look forward to receiving your contributions regarding the situation today and the future perspectives of legislation on these particularly challenging issues.

Prof. Dr. Maria Alessandra Ragusa
Dr. Grigorios L. Kyriakopoulos
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • environment law
  • technology law
  • economics law
  • national legislation
  • regulations
  • energy
  • society
  • manufacturing
  • industry
  • ecosystems

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Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

16 pages, 279 KiB  
Article
Regulation of Incentives for Use of Renewable Energy at the Level of Regional Legislation in Federal States, Using the Russian Federation as an Example
by Anna Kirichenko, Ksenia Kirichenko and Evgeniy Kirichenko
Laws 2023, 12(1), 13; https://doi.org/10.3390/laws12010013 - 25 Jan 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2023
Abstract
Effective use of renewable energy requires a system of energy legislation that meets modern challenges. Although, in large countries, climate and socioeconomic factors in different regions can significantly vary and can affect the regional legislation regulating renewable energy sources, careful reproduction of good [...] Read more.
Effective use of renewable energy requires a system of energy legislation that meets modern challenges. Although, in large countries, climate and socioeconomic factors in different regions can significantly vary and can affect the regional legislation regulating renewable energy sources, careful reproduction of good practices and successful experiences of other regions are a good basis for the development of legislation. The comparative method of legal research was the main method used to achieve the objectives set in this study. Based on the results, a number of recommendations were developed to consolidate and expand the powers of regional regulators in the field of renewable energy, to include an economic assessment of the effectiveness of state programs, to use tax incentives for renewable energy projects, and to introduce restrictions on the use of petroleum products. Recommendations were also made to improve regional legislation on renewable energy sources in terms of legal techniques. Further development of this study would contribute to the improvement of regional legal regulation and would accelerate the transition to “green” energy. Full article
18 pages, 6480 KiB  
Article
Vermont Global Warming Solutions Act: The Costs of Inaction from Land Conversions
by Grayson L. Younts, Elena A. Mikhailova, Lili Lin, Zhenbang Hao, Hamdi A. Zurqani, Christopher J. Post, Mark A. Schlautman and George B. Shepherd
Laws 2022, 11(3), 48; https://doi.org/10.3390/laws11030048 - 7 Jun 2022
Viewed by 3780
Abstract
The Vermont (VT) Global Warming Solutions Act (GWSA, 2020) sets greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction targets at 26% below 2005 by 2025, 40% below 1990 by 2030 and 80% below 1990 by 2050 for energy-related emissions only. Vermont’s omission of GHG emissions from [...] Read more.
The Vermont (VT) Global Warming Solutions Act (GWSA, 2020) sets greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction targets at 26% below 2005 by 2025, 40% below 1990 by 2030 and 80% below 1990 by 2050 for energy-related emissions only. Vermont’s omission of GHG emissions from land conversions could result in significant costs of inaction (COI), which could hinder the state’s mitigation and adaptation plans and result in climate crisis-related risks (e.g., credit downgrade). Science-based spatio-temporal data of GHG emissions from soils because of land conversions can be integrated into the conceptual framework of “action” versus “inaction” to prevent GHG emissions. The application of soil information data and remote sensing analysis can identify the GHG emissions from land conversions, which can be expressed as “realized” social costs of “inaction”. This study demonstrates the rapid assessment of the value of regulating ecosystems services (ES) from soil organic carbon (SOC), soil inorganic carbon (SIC), and total soil carbon (TSC) stocks, based on the concept of the avoided social cost of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions for VT by soil order and county using remote sensing and information from the State Soil Geographic (STATSGO) and Soil Survey Geographic Database (SSURGO) databases. Classified land cover data for 2001 and 2016 were downloaded from the Multi-Resolution Land Characteristics Consortium (MRLC) website. These results provide accurate and quantitative spatio-temporal information about likely GHG emissions, which can be linked to VT’s climate action plan. A failure to considerably reduce emissions from land conversions would increase climate change costs and potential legal consequences for VT and beyond its borders. Full article
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16 pages, 7847 KiB  
Article
Delaware’s Climate Action Plan: Omission of Source Attribution from Land Conversion Emissions
by Elena A. Mikhailova, Lili Lin, Zhenbang Hao, Hamdi A. Zurqani, Christopher J. Post, Mark A. Schlautman, Gregory C. Post and George B. Shepherd
Laws 2022, 11(3), 41; https://doi.org/10.3390/laws11030041 - 9 May 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 5550
Abstract
Delaware’s (DE) Climate Action Plan lays out a pathway to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by at least 26% by 2025 but does not consider soil-based GHG emissions from land conversions. Consequently, DE’s climate action plan fails to account for the contribution of [...] Read more.
Delaware’s (DE) Climate Action Plan lays out a pathway to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by at least 26% by 2025 but does not consider soil-based GHG emissions from land conversions. Consequently, DE’s climate action plan fails to account for the contribution of emissions from ongoing land development economic activity to climate change. Source attribution (SA) is a special field within the science of climate change attribution, which can generate “documentary evidence” (e.g., GHG emissions inventory, etc.). The combination of remote sensing and soil information data analysis can identify the source attribution of GHG emissions from land conversions for DE. Traditional attribution science starts with climate impacts, which are then linked to source attribution of GHG emissions. The most urgent need is not only to detect climate change impacts, but also to detect and attribute sources of climate change impacts. This study used a different approach that quantified past soil GHG emissions which are then available to support impact attribution. Study results provide accurate and quantitative spatio-temporal source attribution for likely GHG emissions, which can be included in the DE’s climate action plan. Including the impact of land conversion on GHG emissions is critical to mitigating climate impacts, because without a more complete source attribution it is not possible to meet overall emission reduction goals. Furthermore, the increased climate change impacts from land conversions are in a feedback loop where climate change can increase the rates of GHG emissions as part of these conversions. This study provides a spatially explicit methodology that could be applied to attribute past, future, or potential GHG emission impacts from land conversions that can be included in DE’s GHGs inventory and climate impact assessment. Full article
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19 pages, 4338 KiB  
Article
Massachusetts Roadmap to Net Zero: Accounting for Ownership of Soil Carbon Regulating Ecosystem Services and Land Conversions
by Elena A. Mikhailova, Lili Lin, Zhenbang Hao, Hamdi A. Zurqani, Christopher J. Post, Mark A. Schlautman and Gregory C. Post
Laws 2022, 11(2), 27; https://doi.org/10.3390/laws11020027 - 23 Mar 2022
Viewed by 5022
Abstract
The state of Massachusetts (MA) has passed comprehensive climate change legislation and a roadmap of achieving Net Zero emissions in 2050, which includes the protection of environmental resources (e.g., soil) and green space across the state. Soil resources are an integral part of [...] Read more.
The state of Massachusetts (MA) has passed comprehensive climate change legislation and a roadmap of achieving Net Zero emissions in 2050, which includes the protection of environmental resources (e.g., soil) and green space across the state. Soil resources are an integral part of the land cover/land use. They can be a significant source of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions because of the conversion of “low disturbance” land covers (e.g., evergreen forest, hay/pasture) to “high disturbance” land covers (e.g., low-, medium-, and high-intensity developed land). These often “invisible” GHG emissions can be considered as “negative externalities” and “external costs” because of the difficulty in assigning ownership to the emissions. The combination of remote sensing and soil information data analysis can identify the ownership associated with GHG emissions and therefore expand the range of policy tools for addressing these emissions. This study demonstrates the rapid assessment of the value of regulating ecosystems services (ES) from soil organic carbon (SOC), soil inorganic carbon (SIC), and total soil carbon (TSC) stocks, based on the concept of the avoided social cost of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions for MA by soil order and county using remote sensing and information from the State Soil Geographic (STATSGO) and Soil Survey Geographic Database (SSURGO) databases. Classified land cover data for 2001 and 2016 were downloaded from the Multi-Resolution Land Characteristics Consortium (MRLC) website. The results provide accurate and quantitative spatio-temporal information about likely GHG emissions, which can be linked to ownership. The state of MA can use these remote sensing tools and publicly available data to quantify and value GHG emissions based on property ownership, therefore “internalizing” the costs of these emissions for a cost-effective climate mitigation policy. Full article
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16 pages, 1877 KiB  
Article
Climate Change Planning: Soil Carbon Regulating Ecosystem Services and Land Cover Change Analysis to Inform Disclosures for the State of Rhode Island, USA
by Elena A. Mikhailova, Lili Lin, Zhenbang Hao, Hamdi A. Zurqani, Christopher J. Post, Mark A. Schlautman, Gregory C. Post and Peyton I. Mitchell
Laws 2021, 10(4), 92; https://doi.org/10.3390/laws10040092 - 2 Dec 2021
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 5908
Abstract
The state of Rhode Island (RI) has established its greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction goals, which require rapidly acquired and updatable science-based data to make these goals enforceable and effective. The combination of remote sensing and soil information data can estimate the past [...] Read more.
The state of Rhode Island (RI) has established its greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction goals, which require rapidly acquired and updatable science-based data to make these goals enforceable and effective. The combination of remote sensing and soil information data can estimate the past and model future GHG emissions because of conversion of “low disturbance” land covers (e.g., evergreen forest, hay/pasture) to “high disturbance” land covers (e.g., low-, medium-, and high-intensity developed land). These modeled future emissions can be used as a predevelopment potential GHG emissions information disclosure. This study demonstrates the rapid assessment of the value of regulating ecosystems services (ES) from soil organic carbon (SOC), soil inorganic carbon (SIC), and total soil carbon (TSC) stocks, based on the concept of the avoided social cost of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions for RI by soil order and county using remote sensing and information from the State Soil Geographic (STATSGO) and Soil Survey Geographic Database (SSURGO) databases. Classified land cover data for 2001 and 2016 were downloaded from the Multi-Resolution Land Characteristics Consortium (MRLC) website. Obtained results provide accurate and quantitative spatio-temporal information about likely GHG emissions and show their patterns which are often associated with existing urban developments. These remote sensing tools could be used by the state of RI to both understand the nature of land cover change and likely GHG emissions from soil and to institute mandatory or voluntary predevelopment assessments and potential GHG emissions disclosures as a part of a climate mitigation policy. Full article
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