The overall objective of LOCOMOTION is to enhance existing Integrated Assessment Models (IAMs) in order to provide policy makers and relevant stakeholders with a reliable and practical model system to assess the feasibility, effectiveness, costs and impacts of different sustainability policy options, and to identify the most effective transition pathways towards a low-carbon society. The official website of the project is the following: LOCOMOTION PROJECT.

The transition to a low carbon economy needs to achieve multiple aims: competitiveness, protection of the environment, creation of quality jobs, and social welfare. Thus policy-makers and other key stakeholders require tools that need to focus beyond the energy sector by including these other domains of economy, society and the environment.  Our project aims to solve the current needs of integration and transparency by developing a leading-edge policy modelling tool based on WoLiM, TIMES and LEAP models and incorporating Input-Output Analysis, that allows for accounting of environmental, social and economic impacts. The modular design of the tool will take into account the necessary flexibility to deal with different levels and interests of stakeholders at great sectorial and spatial detail. (2016-2020). Horizon 2020Call: H2020-LCE-2015-2.

Encouraged by the IPCC recommendations in their successive reports, several international organizations have called for countries to embark on a serious path of energy transition towards a low-carbon economy by 2050. The project aims to analyze these challenges through the design and development of a simulation and integrated evaluation model energy-economy-climate change that allows assessing the energy transition of Spain towards a low-carbon economy (Low-Carbon Economy) in the horizon 2030-2050.

The goals of the network is to contact these national research groups that, from different perspectives and methodological approaches, are working on energy modelling to develop synergies and complementarities, to align priorities adapted to and able to respond to the needs and threats pose by the energy transition, to set up a group of reference at national and international level in energy modelling able to support agents in their process of decision-making, promote the improving the skills on energy modelling, participate on R&D projects together and convey the network research and results to society.

RESILIENCE: PLACES FOR ADAPTING OUR CITIES TO NEW URBAN CHALLENGES

The main objective of the RE-ADAP network is to consolidate the lines of research developed by the eight researchers and a work team, in order to articulate a joint, comprehensive and innovative approach that addresses the challenges of our cities through implementation of urban public policies that incorporate resilience. To articulate a comprehensive approach that allows: a) Identifying what we have called adaptation spaces: opportunities that exist in public policy tools to incorporate new elements that favor governance and resilience, b) incorporate key thematic axes (ecological transition, health, ecosystem services or inclusion) that provide resilience with a holistic vision. The main expected impact of the network is to provide adequate guidelines for the implementation of resilience with sufficient force and to address the challenges faced by today’s cities within the framework of urban policies from different perspectives and disciplines.

This project aims to develop a simulation model of the energy-economy-climate change system based on System Dynamics for Spain, which allows analyzing different scenarios of energy, economic and technological policies. The basic structure of the model is based on the extraction curves of non-renewable energy resources (according to studies on the peak of oil and other depletion profiles) and on the implementation rates of different types of renewable energy and saving technologies. The final result of the project should be a simulation model that allows analyzing the impact of various policies on the Spanish energy supply and the impact that the exhaustion of fossil fuels can have on the economy.

The research will consist of carrying out prospective analysis of the territorial implications of the expansion of renewable energies at a European level. Firstly, applying input-output methodology, the final electricity and energy demand will be evaluated for a number of countries from the territorial point of view as for consumption (i.e. energy footprint). Second, theoretical models will be applied with the aim of evaluating potential land needs – as well as its main characteristics, e.g. irradiance, productivity, etc.- that a 100% renewable energy based system would require for each country. Both static and dynamic (prospective) analyses are planned.

With the theoretical background and the research precedents developed by the project head researchers and its collaborators in the field of socioeconomic metabolism and ecological footprint (Carpintero, 2005; Carpintero, 2006; Carpintero, 2014; Sastre, Carpintero and Lomas, 2015; Di Donato, Lomas and Carpintero, 2015; Huerga, 2014), it is intended to make a diagnosis on the agro-food metabolism and the ecological footprint (water, carbon and territorial) of food consumption in Valladolid.

This research project is carried out by the research Group of Energy, Economicy and System Dynamics at the University of Valladolid for the Entretantos Foundation. The research consists of carrying out a comprehensive inventory of organic farming producers (farmers and operators) in the province of Valladolid, as well as consumer groups and specialized shops for organic products. In this inventory, it is necessary to specify, at least: identification of the producer or operator, age of the farm, surface of the farm or facilities, crops or products and quantities produced and sold, main economic variables of the farm, and temporal evolution. In addition, interviews with producers and consumers and discussion groups will be developed. Finally a global work report shall be prepared.

The objective of the ABIGAME project is to design and implement an innovative, motivating, autonomous, participatory and cooperative learning procedure for teaching the annual course in ecological economics at the UPV / EHU Faculty of Economics and Business (around 40 students per year) . This proposal aims to apply an energy-economy-environment simulation model to adapt a participatory simulation game as the backbone of a research-based learning process.

Cyted is the Ibero-American Program of Science and Technology for Development, created by the governments of Ibero-American countries to promote cooperation in science, technology and innovation issues for the harmonious development of Ibero-America. CYTED’s main objective is to contribute to the harmonious development of the Ibero-American region through cooperation mechanisms that seek scientific and technological results transferable to production systems and social policies. The beneficiaries of CYTED financing instruments can be universities, R&D centers and innovative companies in the member countries.