Technology transfer in the Clean Development Mechanism

Technology transfer is often mentioned as an ancillary benefit of the Kyoto Protocol's Clean Development Mechanism (CDM), but this claim has hardly been researched or substantiated. The question of technology transfer is important, both for developing countries in need for new technology and knowledge and for industrialized countries, as it provides export potential for climate-friendly technologies. To determine what technology transfer means, whether it is occurring through the CDM, and what the value of the associated capital flows is, this article examines technology transfer in the 63 CDM projects that were registered up until 1 January 2006. Technology hardware originates from outside the host country in almost 50% of the evaluated projects, particularly in non-CO₂ greenhouse gas projects, wind energy projects, and a substantial share of the hydropower projects. Bioenergy and projects in the agricultural sector mainly use local technology. The investment value associated with the CDM projects that transferred technology is estimated to be around €470 million, with about €390 million coming from the EU. As the non-CO₂ greenhouse gas projects had very low capital costs, the investment value was highest in the more capital-intensive wind energy and hydropower projects. We also found substantial soft technology transfer, but uncertainties for this finding are greater.     

New lessons for technology policy and climate change: investment for innovation

The direction of UK energy policy requires a renewed impetus if the goal of climate change stabilization is to be met. Cost is not the main issue: a transformation to a low-carbon energy system may be no more expensive than meeting future energy demands with fossil fuels. Institutional barriers are preventing the large-scale adoption of the necessary technologies. New institutions to promote low-carbon technologies have not yet led to investment on the necessary scale. Further changes to the operation of the UK electricity markets to create a ‘level playing field’ for small-scale and intermittent generation are necessary. UK policy can contribute to international agreements following on from the Kyoto Accord, which also need to address the institutional barriers to energy technology development and transfer.     

Kyoto flexibility mechanisms in EU accession countries: will they make a difference?

What potential effect do flexible mechanisms under the Kyoto Protocol have on energy efficiency, fuel switching and the development of renewable energy sources for the eight post-communist EU Member States that accessed in 2004? These countries are chief candidates for hosting Joint Implementation (JI) projects and for participating in international emission trading, which may assist the implementation and financing of projects in these target areas. The potentials and barriers to Joint Implementation are reviewed, as well as the conditions under which international emission trading can influence the energy use of the selling country. Different strategies adopted by the host countries towards the application of these instruments, and their impact on sustainable energy development, are examined. The article concludes that the Kyoto flexibility mechanisms may play a positive, but rather limited, role in the sustainable energy development of the region, but the barriers to Joint Implementation may shift the emphasis towards transactions under the framework of international emission trading. If innovative mechanisms are tied to sustainable development goals, this may mobilize the energyefficiency potentials of these countries. An attractive opportunity exists to achieve energy efficiency and emission reductions, utilizing the revenues from allowance sales through ‘green investment’ schemes.     

Pathways to human well-being in the context of land acquisitions in Lao PDR

Land acquisitions are transforming land-use systems globally, and their characteristics and impacts on human well-being have been extensively analysed through local case studies and regional or global inventories. However, national-level analysis that is crucial for national policy on sustainable agricultural investments and land use is still lacking. This paper conducts an archetype analysis of a unique dataset on land concessions in Lao PDR to provide a national-scale assessment of the impacts of land acquisitions on human well-being in 294 affected villages. The results show that land acquisitions influence human well-being through 18 distinct pathways. These pathways describe how some land acquisitions enhance or maintain well-being, while others elicit adverse impacts or trade-offs between well-being dimensions, particularly food security, income, and livelihood resilience. They further reveal five archetypical processes that mediate the effects of land acquisitions on well-being through: (i) shifting access to land and natural resources; (ii) commercialization of agriculture; (iii) availability of development opportunities; (iv) environmental impacts; and (v) employment opportunities within and outside land acquisitions. These processes affect well-being by shaping livelihood portfolios and dependence on natural resources. The majority of land acquisitions trigger trade-offs or adverse impacts on well-being. The small number of villages where well-being increased despite the presence of land acquisitions were mainly shaped by narrow and rigid preconditions. The archetypical processes and the explanatory factors suggest that it is imperative to protect smallholders’ land-use rights and to avoid large-scale deals, as their adverse impacts outweigh opportunities and are more severe than the impacts of small-scale acquisitions. Employment opportunities may provide additional cash income but should not be exclusively relied upon.     

我国商业保险公司未经营地震保险之原因与对策

我国作为世界上地震灾害损失最重的国家之一，应有比较完备的防灾救灾措施，但至今仍主要靠政府救济，不仅使国家财政不堪重负，而且赔偿率也很低。可见，采取有效措施减少震害已迫在眉睫，商业地震保险将由此而应运而生。本文从我国地震灾情入手，深刻剖析了我国商业保险公司未经营地震保险的原因，并针对问题提出了解决措施。     

PATTERNS OF SPATIAL DISPERSION IN METROPOLITAN COMMUTING

The simultaneous impact of residential and employment decentralization in the form of multinucleations on patterns of commuting concentration and dispersion is examined for the Washington metropolitan area with 1980 data. Because of the area's generally white-collar labor force, the impact of segregated occupational groups is minimized and it is possible to examine strictly the spatial dimensions of commuting dispersion. Commuting becomes increasingly more dispersed from the center of the area to about 12 miles outward. Beyond that point, the patterns of commuting become considerably more complex, responding to a wide range of sizes of employment in a widely dispersed pattern of nucleations. In some sectors, commuting dispersion remains somewhat constant. In one sector, commuting patterns revert to some level of concentration, possibly responding to a somewhat unique situation of employment concentration along a corridor. These findings contribute to the recognition that tomorrow's transit structure cannot rely on its traditional form, but must become more selective.     

Financing Flexibility in a Global Market: The Metropolitan Distribution of Equity Investment1

As firms increasingly rely upon intangible assets such as human capital, innovative capacity, and brand equity, they are less able to tap traditional sources of capital such as bank or debt financing. Equity finance (the offering of ownership shares through public stock markets) is frequently the only means of finance available to knowledge-based firms or firms with few fixed assets. The intent of this research is to chart the spatial patterns of equity investment growth in the U.S. metropolitan system using the market capitalizations of 7,926 U.S. firms. Given the necessity of capital for economic growth, these patterns are of obvious importance to geographers. It is shown that volumes of equity investment are both highly skewed towards large firms, the service and FIRE sectors, and a core of metropolitan headquarters sites. Equity capital was found to flow away from Manufacturing Belt cities and towards cities dominated by smaller firms. In addition, it was found that changes in the volume of equity investment in locally headquartered firms is positively correlated to changes in personal income, population, and total employment.     

Institutions,Location, and Networks of Multinational Enterprises in China: A Case Study of Hangzhou

Based on interviews with local government officials and a survey of 44 foreigninvested enterprises (FIEs), this article examines the significance of local formal institutions for intramunicipal location decisions of multinational enterprises (MNEs) and for network properties of their investments in Hangzhou, China. This study finds that local formal institutions, in terms of municipal district governments and development zone authorities, are a significant force influencing the location decisions of MNEs within Hangzhou. These local entities shape the intramunicipal location decisions of MNEs through three primary vehicles including financial incentives, industrial infrastructures, and attitudes toward foreign investors. The start-up fiscal capability of local formal institutions is therefore central to the foreign investment development efforts. Local formal institutions, however, are a less significant force influencing the network properties of FIEs in Hangzhou. District governments and zone authorities are largely confined to measures for co-locating allied foreign supplier investments to promote FIE local linkages.     

企业所有制与在华外资企业的溢出效应

本研究从企业所有制角度探讨了在华外资对于合资企业的溢出效应。基于大样本企业数据的计量结果表明：（1）没有明显的证据表明外资企业效率高于内资企业,但是私人控股企业效率强于外资企业,也强于国有企业;从产业的角度,一些内资企业低于外资企业生产效率的产业通常也是国有资本比重较高的产业;（2）外资比重的上升可能提高国有控股企业生产率,却不利于提高私人控股的合资企业生产率,确证了企业生产效率存在明显的所有制差异,私营资本的生产效率不弱于外资企业和国有企业,与目前私营企业在获取种种资源上的弱势地位形成对比。因此,要提高中国企业的竞争力,需要改变民营企业在发展中的弱势地位,改变地方政府在引资过程中过于迷信外资的状况,积极为民营企业的建立、融资、发展创造有利条件。     

南非交通基础设施建设的潜力与方向评估

交通基础设施作为经济发展的“先行官”,对国民经济发展具有巨大推动作用。参与南非重大基础设施建设,对加强中国与南非战略合作、推动中国企业走入南非投资兴业具有重要意义。2010年,南非《全国运输总体规划(2005-2050)》（即 NATMAP 2050）正式出台,对南非铁路、公路、航空、港口、管道等基础设施进行了详实的安排,总投资额高达7500亿兰特。本文通过深入解读该规划,识别出南非铁路、港口等交通基础设施领域的投资重点和重大项目。在此基础上,结合南非城镇体系分布、矿产资源开发、国际贸易发展等方面的现状特征分析,系统评价了南非高铁客运通道、大宗货运通道、港口体系的投资潜力和方向,筛选出投资潜力较大的关键项目,以期为我国更好地参与南非经济发展进程提供决策支持,同时也为我国企业到南非投资创业提供参考。