Jarmo Vehmas

Relationships of the dimensions of sustainability as measured by the sustainable society index framework

This article presents a study of the interrelationships between the different dimensions of sustainability as measured by the sustainable society index framework. We examine the statistical relationships between the four indices making up the sustainable society index framework. The analysis uses the complete existing data set provided by Sustainable Society Foundation for the years 2006, 2008, 2010 and 2012 and for 151 countries. While the time period where data are available is quite short, we can make some preliminary observations about the apparent trends in the interrelationships of the different dimensions of sustainability. This study shows that the three dimensions of sustainability are far from all being synergic and positively correlated. There is a strong negative correlation between human well-being and environmental well-being. This is problematic from the point of view of the Brundtland Commission’s three-pillar definition of sustainability. However, the trade-off relationship between economic and environmental development measured by the economic well-being index and environmental well-being index is decreasing and the dimensions are becoming more de-linked. This trend is promising from the sustainability perspective.

A Final Solution for a Big Challenge

Finland is one of the first countries to try to solve one of the most important and pressing problems facing mankind: the secure final disposal of high-level radioactive waste. Fortum Oyj and Teollisuuden Voima Oyj (TVO), the two companies that own the existing nuclear power plants in Finland, formed in 1996 a joint company, Posiva Oy, to deal with their nuclear waste. The site and the project to create the final disposal solution is called Onkalo. The construction of the site at Olkiluoto in South-Western Finland began in 2004; the operating company Posiva is aiming to start the disposal of high level waste in 2020.

Energy efficiency as a driver of total primary energy supply in the EU-28 countries – incremental decomposition analysis

Energy efficiency is a common element in European energy and climate policies. In the EU energy policy, energy efficiency is a policy target, and in the EU climate policy, energy efficiency is a means to achieve the CO2 targets. In this paper, energy efficiency trends in the European Union and its 28 countries are analyzed during the period 1990–2015 by using the data provided by international Energy Agency (IEA). Total primary energy supply is decomposed into the effects of change in population, economic activity, final energy intensity, and the ratio between primary and final energy use. This paper introduces an incremental decomposition analysis method based on the Sun-Shapley method. Incremental decomposition provides information about annual changes. Information for longer periods can be obtained by summing up the necessary annual results. The empirical analysis carried out for the EU-28 countries clearly shows the effects of financial crisis 2008–09. When the whole period 1990–2015 is considered, despite of significant decrease in energy intensity, total primary energy supply has decreased only slightly in the EU. Differences between the countries are significant.

Energy Dependence and Potential for Renewables: Analysis of Future Trends and Potential for Renewable Energy Development in Cambodia and Laos

The chapter analyzes the past trends in energy production and consumption in Cambodia and Laos, and constructs their energy scenarios for future. It aims to predict and analyze the energy supply and demand in these countries and tries to assess their dependence on foreign countries for energy and examines the sources of domestic renewable energy sources and compares the data with future energy that can be generated using these resources. The future scenarios were developed with two different planning models: long-range energy alternative planning (LEAP) and long-range integrated development analysis (LINDA) to assess the present and future energy supply/demand. The LEAP model utilizes mainly the household data collected by our research team. The model analyzes the impact of different technological changes at household level with bottom-up approach, while the LINDA model is based on macro level changes in all sectors. Decomposition analysis analyzes the drivers of energy consumption. The chapter analyzes the biomass energy potential of agricultural wastes (especially rice husk and rice straw) in Cambodia and Laos with the existing technologies to evaluate the possibilities of reducing dependence on imported energy.

Scales and Fields of Electricity Production: Sustainability Discourses of Electricity Production in Cambodia and Laos

The article deals with different scales of electricity production in Laos and Cambodia affecting the sustainability discourse. The discourse of local small-scale production emphasising the environmental and social aspects often conflicts with the techno-economic discourse of larger scale and economic efficiency. The article analyses different cases of power production with renewable energy in Laos and Cambodia in off-grid or mini grid situations and the electrification process. The analysis looks at different elements related to social, technical, economic, environmental, political and health aspects of electricity production in different scales of electrification from household level to village level, multiple village level and national level. The aim is to integrate different dimensions of sustainability into a single framework and to deepen the analysis with the use of the STEEPV (social, technical, economic, environmental, political, value) approach.