NET JOBS GENERATION AND NET GHG EMISSIONS REDUCTION FROM PARTIAL REPLACEMENT OF FOSSIL FUELS WITH RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES IN SOUTHERN BRAZIL

Gustavo FERRO

Associate Professor and Independent Researcher, Universidad del CEMA (UCEMA) and CONICET

gaf97@ucema.edu.ar; gferro05@yahoo.com.ar

M. Priscila RAMOS

Professor and Researcher, Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Económicas, Departamento de Economía. CONICET-Universidad de Buenos Aires. Instituto Interdisciplinario de Economía Política.

 mpramos@economicas.uba.ar

Carlos A. ROMERO

Professor and Researcher, Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Económicas, Departamento de Economía. CONICET-Universidad de Buenos Aires. Instituto Interdisciplinario de Economía Política.

cromero@economicas.uba.ar

Abstract

In this paper, we explore the reach of net job creation and net emissions reduction from the partial substitution of conventional (fossil) energy sources by renewables in Southern Brazil. We examine a subset of renewable energy sources, namely, biogas. It has been established that biogas requires lower investment and is also more labor-intensive than fossil energies for comparable units. However, gross job generation does not account for job losses in reducing sectors. In order to account for production and industrial chain relationships, input-output analysis allows for ordering information and tracing the interrelations between industries. Concerning jobs and emissions, input-output tables and models are expressed in monetary units. In contrast, jobs are measured in units (full-time equivalent – FTE), and all greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are in MtCO2e. These satellite accounts in physical units join Input-Output tables, transforming conventional into hybrid Input-Output analysis. Once the baseline is established (2018), we consider different scenarios of fossil fuel substitution by biogas and determine values for net job creation and net emissions generation. Results highlight the favorable impacts of the development of biogas to produce electricity generation in terms of greater production and net job creation while saving GHG emissions.

Keywords: biogas, Brazil, input-output, employment, GHG emissions

JEL classification: Q42, R15

pp. 143-153

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A MODULARITY DECOMPOSITION MODEL OF EVOLVING INPUT-OUTPUT SECTORIAL STRUCTURE

Dimitrios TSIOTAS

Assistant Professor, Department of Regional and Economic Development, School of Applied Economics and Social Sciences, Agricultural University of Athens, Neo Ktirio – Nea Poli, 33100, Amfissa (Phocis), Greece

tsiotas@aua.gr

(Corresponding Author)

Elias GIANNAKIS

Assistant Professor, Department of Agricultural Economics and Rural Development, School of Applied Economics and Social Sciences, Agricultural University of Athens, Iera Odos 75, 11855, Athens, Greece

egiannakis@aua.gr

Christos PAPADAS

Professor, Department of Agricultural Economics and Rural Development, School of Applied Economics and Social Sciences, Agricultural University of Athens, Iera Odos 75, 11855, Athens, Greece

cpap@aua.gr

Abstract

This paper builds on the network paradigm to model the evolving input-output (IO) economic structure of Greece into a multiplex network (GION) and unveils structural changes during the period 2005-2015, with reference to the 2008 economic crisis. The results illustrate that the GION resembles to a composition of windmill graphs, it is more clustered at the neighborhood scale, with a tertiary sectorial orientation, a solid performance of the trade and transportation industries, inelastic demand in energy-related economic activities, a neutral profile in communication and manufacturing relevant activities, insufficient connectedness of education, and vulnerable in the construction-related economic activities and the public sector. A major finding describes that the tourism industry is dynamic more due to its dependence on the supportive economies than the intrinsic industrial productivity. The time-series and community detection analysis provide insights into distinguishing three stages in the GION’s evolution: the pre-crisis period (2005-2007), with a centralized topology in terms of outgoing connectivity and degree inequalities; the on-crisis period (2008-2010), with a decentralized topology and a tendency to reduce degree inequalities; and the post-crisis period (2011-2015), with a new state of centralized topology illustrating a recovery process. The analysis also reveals a diversified configuration in the Greek economy compared to the three-sector classical breakdown, composed of “tourism” and “transportation and energy” sector-like components, and the traditional secondary and tertiary sectors. Overall, the analysis shapes a “balloon” waiving pattern in the network evolution and reveals solid and fragment-favorable economic interactions in the GION’s structure, promoting network analysis to the input-output structural modeling.

Keywords: input-output networks, structural analysis, community detection, economic crisis, Greece

JEL classification: R00, R15

 pp. 107-133

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CATALYZING ECONOMIC AND ENVIRONMENTAL INSIGHTS: APPLICATIONS OF IMPLAN’S ENVIRONMENTALLY EXTENDED INPUT-OUTPUT (EEIO) MODELING FOR ENERGY PRODUCTION SCENARIOS

Tuyen PHAM

Assistant Professor of Research, Voinovich School of Leadership and Public Service Ohio University, Athens Ohio, United States of America

tuyen.pham@ohio.edu

G. Jason JOLLEY

Professor of Rural Economic Development, Voinovich School of Leadership and Public Service Ohio University, Athens Ohio, United States of America

jolleyg1@ohio.edu

Paul VALENTINE

Assistant Professor of Instruction, Voinovich School of Leadership and Public Service Ohio University, Athens Ohio, United States of America

valentine@ohio.edu

Joshua C. HALL

Milan Pusker Dean, John Chambers College of Business and Economics West Virginia University, West Virginia, United States of America

Joshua.Hall@mail.wvu.edu

Abstract

In the United States, regional scientists and economists frequently employ IMPLAN, a proprietary input-output (I-O) software, for assessing the economic ramifications of diverse interventions on the local economy. IMPLAN has recently incorporated the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Environmentally Extended Input-Output (EEIO) modeling as an optional extension within their subscription service. In this paper, we compare coal vs. solar production scenarios in Ohio (a state in the United States) as a case study to illustrate the seamless integration of EEIO modeling with traditional I-O modeling, showcasing its enhanced capabilities for evaluating economic and environmental impacts. In the case of Ohio, we found that the state’s plans to increase solar energy capacity and decrease coal energy capacity have a net positive impact on its economy when considering both economic and environmental aspects.

Keywords: Input-output, coal, solar, environmental impact

JEL classification: C67, R15, E01, P18

pp. 99-106

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