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Envirnomental impact of household consumption
Mach, Radomír ; Ščasný, Milan (advisor) ; Šauer, Petr (referee) ; Musil, Petr (referee)
The main goal of this dissertation thesis is to quantify the environmental burden associated with household consumption in the Czech Republic. Emissions of three groups of gases were selected to express the burden on the environment, namely emissions causing climate change, acidification and the formation of photosmog. These emissions arise from the consumption of fuels in households, and they are usually referred to as direct household emissions. Or they arise in the production and distribution of goods and services, and they are usually referred to as indirect household emissions. Although indirect emissions come from combustion in energy production and other industrial processes and agricultural activities, not from households, they are a consequence of household demand for final products. Therefore, such emissions are considered to be a consequence of household consumption. The resulting emission values are given for the average household and households divided into expenditure deciles. Emissions increase with expenditure per household member in total consumption and in individual consumption groups across all deciles. In the case of climate change-related emissions, more than half come from heating (41%) and electricity (21%). For acidification, heating (31%) and food (24%) are the dominant...
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Negotiating municipalities-industrial factory wastewater treatment coalition project: an economic laboratory experiment
Šauer, Petr ; Kolínský, Ondřej ; Prášek, Jan
It is often the case that municipalities and industrial plants treat their wastewater separately bringing the municipalities wastewater to be treated at the industrial wastewater treatment plant and reused by the plant creates potential for social costs saving for both the municipalities and the private firm. In an economic laboratory experiment we demonstrate that such voluntary agreement could be achieved even despite the presence of information asymmetry. This follows our previous research on win-win voluntary agreements and the role of information asymmetry. The biggest challenge remaining to be addressed is the distribution of the extra cake, which in our results is mostly seized by the private firm.
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Private subject in wastewater treatment regional coalition project: the case of chemical industry factory
Prášek, Jan ; Šauer, Petr
This paper presents a case study covering the solution to treatment of municipal wastewater originating from small villages located close to each other in a protected landscape area. A high environmental efficiency of treatment is required. Two scenarios of the technical solution are compared. In the first scenario, separate wastewater treatment plants will be built and operated in each of the villages. In the second one, sewerage networks will be built in each village and wastewater will be collected and treated in a wastewater treatment plant of a chemical factory located down the stream; the factory is planning to reconstruct and modernise its wastewater treatment plant. Analyses have shown that the second scenario is environmentally beneficial – ensuring high water quality in watercourses in the protected area, using purified water for industrial purposes primarily, and replenish the water balance and flows in dry periods. The second scenario also appears to be beneficial from a socio-economic point of view. Cost savings, appearing mostly at the side of the factory, creates space for negotiation and an agreement between these entities. The factory image will also improve if implementing the second scenario.
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Public Preferences for Environmental Policies and Behavioural Changes
Zvěřinová, Iva ; Vinopal, Jiří (advisor) ; Vávra, Jan (referee) ; Šauer, Petr (referee)
Iva Zvěřinová PhD Thesis Public Preferences for Environmental Policies and Behavioural Changes Abstract Environmental problems, such as climate change, are generally perceived as serious issues by the public in European countries. However, people tend to assign them a low policy priority and disagree with the introduction of some policy instruments, such as carbon tax. Few people also behave in an environmentally friendly way and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. What are the preferences of the inhabitants of several European countries regarding climate mitigation policies and behavioural changes? What makes these policies more acceptable for the public? Would people from these countries be willing to accept climate mitigation policies or behaviour, and if so, under what conditions? This thesis aims to answer these questions by applying a theoretical framework that integrates attitudes and perceptions with preferences. In the empirical part of the thesis, we analyse data from several questionnaire surveys on public responses to climate policies and climate-related behaviours in several European countries. The thesis contains four empirical studies focusing on: i. public preferences for climate mitigation policies; ii. public preferences for policy instruments to reduce GHG emissions; iii. consumers'...
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Revealed preferences for outdoor recreation in natural areas - Czech and European perspective
Kaprová, Kateřina ; Melichar, Jan (advisor) ; Brůha, Jan (referee) ; Šauer, Petr (referee)
K. Kaprová (2019): Revealed preferences for outdoor recreation in natural areas - Czech and European perspective Abstract of the Doctoral Dissertation The dissertation thesis focuses on the investigation and synthesis of recreation welfare benefits associated with natural areas in the Czech Republic and in Europe. The dissertation thesis consists of five case studies. These represent various geographic levels of analysis: the level of one single recreation locality, the national level that takes into account large natural recreation sites in the Czech Republic (including protected areas), and a synthesis of results of studies on the European level. The methodological approach is based on the theory of environmental economics and employs non-market valuation techniques based on methods of revealed preferences, namely the hedonic pricing method and two types of travel cost modelling. In Study I, we examine how the presence and characteristics of urban greenery affect property prices in Prague. The results confirm that proximity to greenery and its area are important determinants of housing prices in Prague, which means that residents realize the positive values provided by urban greenery, including recreational ecosystem service. Benefits to residents differ with the type of greenery. Urban forests have the...
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Analysis of the Commitment to Development Index
Syrovátka, Miroslav ; Hák, Tomáš (advisor) ; Nováček, Pavel (referee) ; Šauer, Petr (referee)
Analysis of the Commitment to Development Index Miroslav Syrovátka ABSTRACT The Commitment to Development Index aims to measure the effects of wide range of rich countries' policies that support or limit development prospects of poor countries. These policies are grouped into seven components of the index. The thesis analyzes and assesses the methodology of the index construction with the main focus on its environmental component. It is argued that although the environmental component is a legitimate part of the concept behind the index, the difficulties of its implementation limit its information value. This is due to the specific shortcomings of component indicators and the necessity to combine environmental policy indicators with indicators of exploitation of global environmental resources. The scores of Visegrad countries and correlation analysis show the specificity of the environmental component within the whole index and indirectly support the conclusions about its reduced information value. The thesis discusses the options for modification, both at the level of composite index construction and presentation, and at the level of individual indicators of the environmental component.
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Environmental sustainability of Africa in the context of global efforts for sustainable development (with emphasis on good governance)
Hlaváček, Jiří ; Šauer, Petr (advisor) ; Nováček, Pavel (referee) ; Verner, Petr H. (referee)
1 Title: Environmental Sustainability of Africa in the Context of Global Sustainable Development Efforts with a Focus on Good Governance Abstract This research has been conducted with the aim of analyzing African countries sustainable developmental problems at the beginning of the 21st century and contributing to a better understanding of the sustainable development concept and its related politics application, especially environmental ones, as well as of contradictory factors of African continent realities. Due to the scope of this topic and to currently increasing interest of the international community, theorists and practitioners working in the field of sustainable development the research concentrates on governance issues in general and in the field of environmental protection in particular. The governance can be understood as a new cross-cutting issue in sustainable development theory and practice. Based on meta-analysis of a substantial number of relevant sources and literature, African academia studies and scholarly publications in the field of developmental and sustainable developmental theory have been classified into three categories: 1) "global" research performed in the framework of political philosophy of neo-liberalism and institutionalism; 2) "continental" research traditionally affirmative...
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Material flow indicators for the Czech republic: trends, decoupling analysis and uncertainties
Kovanda, Jan ; Moldan, Bedřich (advisor) ; Plesník, Jan (referee) ; Šauer, Petr (referee)
11 Abstract In order for an economic system to function and produce goods and services necessary for meeting human needs, it behaves similarly to a living organism. It absorbs materials from the surrounding environment and transforms them into products, but ultimately all the materials are transformed into some kind of waste and emitted back into the environment. This flow of materials is referred to as industrial or socio-economic metabolism (Baccini and Brunner, 1991; Fischer-Kowalski and Haberl, 1993; Ayres and Simonis, 1994). Extraction of resources, consumption of materials and related emissions exert some pressure on the environment. So far, there has been a positive relation between meeting human needs and this pressure. The overall goal of developed countries within their strategies of sustainable development is to break the relation between pressure exerted on the environment and economic growth, which represents meeting of human needs and improvements in the standard of living. This phenomenon is called decoupling (EC, 2002, 2005, 2006; OECD, 2002; UN, 2002). One of the methods for assessing environmental pressure related to extraction and consumption of resources and materials is material flow analysis. In the case of economy- wide material flow analysis (EW-MFA), this method aims at...
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Aggregated Indicators in Ecological Economics
Syrovátka, Miroslav ; Brůha, Jan (advisor) ; Šauer, Petr (referee)
The aim of the thesis is to analyze three aggregated indicators and put them into the context of Ecological Economics. The second chapter points out that different sustainability perspectives imply distinct sustainability policies. Ecological Economics is outlined in contrast to Environmental Economics. Following three chapters analyze selected aggregated indicators. Aggregated indicators can provide quick insight into complex problems; however, their virtue depends to a large extent on the method of aggregation. Therefore, the interpretation of aggregated indicators should always be conditioned by their specific methodology. The Ecological Footprint is called technologically skeptical indicator of sustainability, applicable rather on a global than a national scale. Even on a lower scale the Ecological Footprint can illustrate demands of a given population for renewable natural resources. A major shortcoming of the Index of Sustainable Economic Welfare is the integration of welfare and sustainability into one indicator since it does not allow for a simple interpretation of its results. High correlation between the Human Development Index and the indicators of economic activity limits the usefulness of the former. Yet, it can serve as a basis for further evolution of the concept and measurement of human...
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Assessment of Policy Changes of the Impacts of Urbanization, Economic Growth and Decentralization of Water Services with Regard to Water Quality in Mexico
Lara Cervantes, René Fernando ; Šauer, Petr (advisor) ; Dvořák, Antonín (referee) ; Hájek, Miroslav (referee)
The thesis studies the case of water quality in Mexico as a crucial factor to prevent water scarcity. This is an important issue for Mexico since more than half of its territory is arid or semi-arid; moreover, the most productive regions are located in areas with significant water resources stress. In this regard, the current situation of water scarcity is studied from the changes in water management derived from the evolution of institutions in the country. The institutional changes were analyzed mostly in the transition from a centralized water supply and sanitation services with strong state intervention to the decentralization of such services that were transferred to municipalities. Decentralization was addressed by analyzing the performance of water supply and sanitation services in urban areas that are expected to continue growing in the near future. The literature shows that the decentralization process has been partial and has not improved as expected the performance of water supply and sanitation services, moreover, due to political reasons, limited human and financial resources it introduced more challenges to the accomplishment of sustainable water management. More importantly, the federal government is still the main agent for the development of the water sector in Mexico. The next part of the analysis consist of a quantitative and qualitative evaluation regarding water quality for the three most productive Hydrological-Administrative Regions (HARs) of Mexico in the period of 2003-2013. The HARs chosen are the HAR VI Río Bravo, HAR VIII Lerma Santiago Pacific and HAR XIII Waters of the Valley of Mexico which are very similar in terms GDP share and water stress degree. Through OLS regression models for each HAR the impacts of demographic, economic, water supply and sanitation services aspects were tested to known their effects on water quality. In order to improve the discussion of the results, additional to the comparison with the results of the literature review, three experts were asked to answer a questionnaire about the regressions outcome. The discussion showed different impacts of the independent variables in the dependent variable of each HAR, sometimes leading to unexpected results. The main conclusions of the thesis relate to the improvement of decentralization of water and sanitation services, to the need to improve data for future analyses and pay more attention to water quality issues. In this regard, decentralization requires to consider contextual differences in order to seize its advantages to improve the performances of water supply and sanitation services, moreover, at the operative level water management decisions must be taken without political interests involved. The statistical analyses stressed the need to develop more reliable data about water management issues to improve the understanding of factors that could potentially affect water quality. In this regard, the creation of useful statistical indicators to assess the evolution towards sustainability in water management. The considerations for future research must consider more seriously water quality issues. This topic has been often ignored, however, it is crucial for water scarcity abatement.
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