Additional Incentives Research Articles

Green Economy Evaluation of EOR Projects in Borneo Field: Case of CO2 Injection vs Chemical Injection

PT Borneo Petroleum Company (BPC) as one of the biggest oil and gas company in Indonesia is planning to perform Enhanced Oil Recovery in Borneo Field. It is considering performing chemical injection (CEOR) or CO2 injection. As CO2 injection requires bigger capital investment than CEOR, it becomes less favorable. However, as the campaign for Net Zero Emissions surges and the planning from the government to implement the carbon tax in Indonesia, the company must revisit the economic evaluation of the projects by introducing carbon tax in the calculation. This research uses capital budgeting techniques in evaluating the projects. It is also used to evaluate the impact of green economy implementation to the project valuation. It needs to show whether the projects are feasible with conventional capital budgeting and with green budgeting. The expected finding is that the economic value of CO2 injection will improve significantly and will make it more attractive than CEOR. This study assumes that the carbon tax applied in Indonesia is at US $ 5.25 per ton CO2-equivalent. The CO2 injected is constant at 8.5 MSm3/d. It is also assumed that BPC is adopting the same capital structure as its parent company. The emissions associated with the project is calculated as the function of production rates. The project’s profitability is based on the Net Present Value, Internal Rate of Return, Profitability Index, and Payback Period. Sensitivity analysis is also performed to explore the variables which give significant impact to the project valuation. Monte Carlo simulation is also performed to test all possible scenarios and its impact to the NPV. It is found that the impact of carbon tax is not significant to the economic value, in contrary the potential for additional incentive in terms of Result Based Payment for Carbon Capture Utilization and Storage has significant impact to the economic value of the project. The result is used to make decision on which EOR method to be applied which create more value to the company in terms of economic and sustainability.

Seeds of trust ripe as luscious fruits: Faculty mentorship forum at Aga Khan University Medical College.

Faculty members require mentoring in all stages of their professional development. Aga Khan University (AKU) has initiated mentorship programs for students and faculty at AKU Medical College (AKU- MC) and AKU School of Nursing and Midwifery (AKU-SONAM). This study aimed to explore perceptions of mentors, mentees, administrators (chairs, co-chairs, founder members and coordinators of the mentoring program) and leadership and further investigate the strengths and challenges faced by 'Faculty Mentorship Program' at AKU- MC. We conducted a qualitative exploratory study from February till December 2021 after approval from AKU using purposive criterion sampling. Mentors, mentees, administrators and dean of AKU- MC were included in the study. The interview guide was developed, validated and reviewed by experts. After piloting, four focused group discussions and 8 in-depth interviews were conducted in AKU- MC. The findings described the transition from informal to formal mentorship, identified challenges faced by mentors and mentees and suggested the role of leadership / administrators. The themes identified were "Continuous improvement of mentoring practices", "Building strong foundations for mentoring relationships", and "Growth and development through challenging experiences". The faculty mentorship program at AKU-MC was in line with the goals and vision of the institution. All participants identified the need of additional resources, administrative support, rewards, incentives and recognition of mentors for sustainability of the program.

The Sustainable Approach of Process Intensification in Biorefinery Through Reactive Extraction Coupled with Regeneration for Recovery of Protocatechuic Acid.

In the current scenario, where environmental degradation, global climate change, and the depletion of petroleum feedstock pose significant challenges, the chemical industry seeks sustainable alternatives for manufacturing chemicals, fuels, and bioplastics. Biorefining processes that integrate biomass conversion and microbial fermentation have emerged as preferred approaches to create value-added compounds. However, commercializing biorefinery products is hindered by dilute concentrations of final products and the demand for high purity goods. To address these challenges, effective separation and recovery procedures are essential to minimize costs and equipment size. This article proposes a biorefinery route for the production of protocatechuic acid (PCA) by focusing on in situ PCA separation and purification from fermentation broth. PCA is a significant phenolic molecule with numerous applications in the pharmaceutical sector for its anti-inflammatory, antiapoptotic, and antioxidant properties, as well as in the food, polymer, and other chemical industries. The chemical approach is predominantly used to produce PCA due to the cost-prohibitive nature of natural extraction techniques. Reactive extraction, a promising technique known for its enhanced extraction efficiency, is identified as a viable strategy for recovering carboxylic acids compared to conventional methods. The extraction of PCA has been explored using various solvents, including natural and conventional solvents, such as aminic and organophosphorous extractants, as well as the potential utilization of ionic liquids as green solvents. Additionally, back extraction techniques like temperature swing and diluent composition swing can be employed for reactive extraction product recovery, facilitating the regeneration of the extractant from the organic phase. By addressing the challenges associated with PCA production and usage, particularly through reactive extraction, this proposed biorefinery route aims to contribute to a more sustainable and environmentally friendly chemical industry. The incorporation of PCA in the biorefinery process allows for the utilization of this valuable compound with diverse industrial applications, thus providing an additional incentive for the development and optimization of efficient separation techniques.

Ecotourism and Geopark: A Potential For a Sustainable Symbiosis

This research attempts to highlight the symbiotic relationship between the conservation of geopark natural resources and the competitiveness of ecotourism destinations. While the intrinsic environmental reasons for land protection are losing their appeal due to environmental damage. This research uses descriptive method with qualitative analysis techniques. The results of this study explain that ecotourism can provide greater benefits for the quality of natural resources in an area than considering the use of natural resources based on other factors such as local economic conditions. Through ecotourism visiting sensitive areas such as geoparks, local communities can be provided with additional economic incentives to protect their natural resources that might not exist in the absence of tourism.

Macrophyte growth forms shift along the trophic gradient of lakes

ABSTRACT A shift in phototrophic organisms occurs along lake trophic gradients characterized by a change from macrophyte- to phytoplankton-dominated states. Before lakes reach a turbid and phytoplankton-dominated state, shifts from meadow-forming Characeae to canopy-forming macrophyte species can occur where Characea are present, especially in oligotrophic to mesotrophic lakes with sand or gravel substrate. However, eutrophication intensity causing this shift has not previously been examined. We analysed data from 132 lakes located in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern (Germany) with a generalized linear model (GLM) and random forest (RF) models complemented with grid approximation to determine if (1) species richness of macrophytes declines along eutrophication gradients, (2) the chlorophyll a (Chl-a) concentrations above which the abundance of Characeae declines, and (3) the Chl-a concentrations above which the abundance of canopy-forming species declines. The number of macrophyte taxa declined gradually following a log-linear trend and with increasing Chl-a concentrations. Based on the RF models, the abundance of Characeae decreased abruptly at 5–13 µg L−1 Chl-a, whereas canopy-forming species showed a monotonous and slight unimodal decreasing response at 35–103 µg L−1 Chl-a. The results support the theory of shifts in growth forms along eutrophication gradients in lakes and provide, for the first time, estimates of Chl-a concentrations required for these shifts. Changes in growth forms are obvious indicators for eutrophication and can serve as an additional incentive to improve lake trophic status.

REVOLUTIONIZING CRITICAL CARE NURSING: DEFEATING CHALLENGES AND UNLEASHING THE POTENTIAL OF ADVANCED HOSPITAL TACTICS

Critical care nurses face numerous challenges including ethical dilemmas, moral distress, high patient-to-nurse ratios, and emotional strain. Novel hospital strategies empower nursing excellence by optimizing workload distribution, establishing a positive work environment and culture, fostering emotional and mental well-being support systems, empowering Intensive care Unit (ICU) nurses with tech-driven training, embracing evidence-based nursing practices, collaborative solutions for ICU nursing shortages, promoting continuous process improvement, strengthening leadership and nursing advocacy efforts, and cultivating joy and connection through celebrating special occasions and offering additional incentives.

Design, development, fabrication and evaluation of the dynamics of a graphene based underwater acoustic vector sensor: A simulation and experimental study

In the last decade, the usage of underwater vector sensor has gained a lot of importance in the detection of low frequency underwater acoustic signals, as the noise level radiated by the submarine has been drastically reduced. Acoustic sensor based on Micro Electro Mechanical Systems (MEMS) technology is the recent advancement in the area of underwater acoustic vector sensors. We are reporting the design, fabrication, preliminary characterization and evaluation of the dynamics of a two-dimensional underwater acoustic vector sensor by simulation and experimental study. The vector sensor is realized using Reduced Graphene Oxide (rGO) as sensing element and Kapton as flexible substrate, to yield better sensitivity compared to the conventional acoustic vector sensor. Design of vector sensor is inspired by the biological sensing system of fish. The application of piezoresistive transduction principle and MEMS technology helps in miniaturisation and low frequency acoustic signal detection. The fabrication process is made simple, scalable and cost minimum by using the method of drop casting for the deposition of rGO on flexible substrate kapton, thereby eliminating the requirement of clean room. COMSOL Multiphysics 5.5 version is used to simulate acoustic vector sensors using polysilicon and rGO on substrates, silicon and flexible kapton respectively. The simulation results indicate that the sensitivity of rGO based acoustic vector sensor is −149.47 dB which is better in comparison with the sensitivity of −173.37 dB of conventional polysilicon vector sensor. By simulation, the natural frequency of the sensor is found to be 46.62 Hz, which closely matches with the theoretical value 41.06 Hz of the device as per the design criteria and hence, it could detect the low frequency acoustic signals. The displacement sensitivity of the fabricated sensor is found to be 0.0264 V/mm and 0.0276 V/mm for applied displacements in axial and radial directions respectively. The device is tested for its performance parameters i.e., sensitivity and directivity, by performing an acoustic test in the presence of an elastic medium, water. This test results infer that, the device is able to detect and give smooth output response for the acoustic signals in the low frequency range. The Y and X-channel receiving sensitivity exhibited by the sensor is found to be −128.04 dB to −134.93 dB and −130.61 dB to −136.78 dB respectively. Directivity pattern of the sensor is found to be in the shape of 8 with symmetry. As the device is a vector sensor, in addition to the scalar pressure measurement, it should be able to provide additional incentives such as acoustic particle displacement and acoustic particle velocity at any point in the acoustic field. In this paper, an experimental setup is made to generate deep and intermediate water waves, thereby attempting to simulate ocean conditions in the laboratory. Subsequently the numerical evaluation of the wave kinematics, i.e., fluid particle displacement and fluid particle velocity are performed by applying Airy's theory. An effort is also made to analyse the wave kinematics for various water depths, varying from Surface Water Level (SWL) till the sea bed. In this study, wave kinematics are analysed numerically by using experimental data and also by modelling Fluid-Structure Interactions in COMSOL Multiphysics environment. Our results show that the fluid flow of velocity 0.31 m/s results in fluid particle velocity of 0.125 m/s at time 0.215 s (around f = 5 Hz) by both the methods and fluid particle displacement is found to be 19.66 μm. The experimental test setup and videos are made publicly available1: 1https://sites.google.com/view/smithapaib/downloads

The “Sea Factor” in Regional Cooperation: The Impact of the Russo-Ukrainian War

The “sea factor” has a crucial influence on coastal states’ domestic and foreign policies, and may create additional incentives for regional cooperation and integration. The Russo-Ukrainian War, the largest armed conflict in Europe since World War II, has become a stress test for many regional transport and infrastructure projects. Moreover, this armed conflict has had different effects in different cases. For the Three Seas Initiative, the Russo-Ukrainian war became an additional incentive to strengthen cooperation. It gave the initiative new meaning and even stimulated its expansion through the decision to grant partner status to Ukraine. At the same time, this conflict had negative consequences for China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). The war also led to the emergence of another area of cooperation between Ukraine and Turkey in the Black Sea Grain Initiative.

Differentiation factors of levels of regional insurance market development in Russian conditions

Subject. The article investigates causes of interregional disproportions in the level of insurance market development in modern Russian conditions. Objectives. The aim is to review the effect of economic, social, demographic, and geographical factors on the development of insurance in current realities. Methods. The study employs the regression analysis of panel data to estimate the effect of factors determining the differentiation of the levels of regional insurance markets development. Insurance premiums per capita and the ratio of insurance premiums to gross regional product in the context of various types of insurance serve as explained variables. Results. The most favorable conditions for insurance development are formed in the largest urban agglomerations with high population density, primarily, Moscow and St. Petersburg. The main driver for regional insurance markets development in Russia is the development of the banking system, which stimulates demand for insurance services from borrowers and expands channels for the sale of other insurance products. An increase in the level of education of the population is accompanied by higher risk appetite, and does not lead to increased demand for insurance services. Stable relationship between crime rate and the level of insurance market development is not revealed, which is consistent with results obtained for Eastern Europe. Conclusions. Increasing the role of insurance in the system of economic growth factors requires implementation of measures to improve the financial and insurance literacy of Russian citizens, and additional tax incentives for policyholders' expenses for insurance protection of life and property.

Perimeter control in a mixed bimodal bathtub model

Perimeter control involves monitoring network-wide traffic and regulating traffic inflow to alleviate hypercongestion. Implementation of transit priority with perimeter control measures, which allow transit into a controlled area without queuing at the perimeter boundary, is an effective strategy in bimodal transportation systems. However, travelers’ behavior changes in response to perimeter control strategies, such as shifts in their departure times and transportation modes, have not been fully investigated. Therefore, important questions remain, such as the use of transit during perimeter control with transit priority. This paper examines the travelers’ behavior changes in response to perimeter control with transit priority in a mixed bimodal transportation system with cars and flexible route transit (FRT) vehicles. We model departure time and transportation mode choices in such a transportation system with hypercongestion and discomfort in FRT (called the mixed bimodal bathtub model). Initially, we investigate the properties of dynamic user equilibrium without perimeter control. Then, we study the equilibrium patterns during perimeter control with transit priority. Unlike existing works, we find that the number of FRT passengers decreases with time toward the desired arrival time and that FRT may not be used around the peak of rush hour. Furthermore, transit priority may not be sufficient to promote the use of FRT, and additional incentive such as subsidy for lower fares may be required to encourage FRT use during perimeter control. Finally, we show that operating many FRT vehicles does not always decrease the equilibrium cost, even under perimeter control with transit priority.

Russia-China Relations: An Asymmetrical Partnership?

Due to the breakdown in relations between Russia and major Western countries, Moscow is compelled to take extraordinary measures to reorient its political, trade, and economic ties. Due to its large and diversified economy and geographical proximity, China is increasingly becoming Russia's primary partner. Therefore, assessing the main outcomes of Russian-Chinese cooperation in trade, finance, economics, and science is crucial while identifying their achievements and probable limitations for further development. China has been Russia's largest trading partner for over a decade, importing mainly mineral products while exporting advanced technical products. In 2022, statistics indicate that the roles of Russia and China in bilateral trade have remained unchanged. China has further solidified its position as Russia's primary supplier of high-tech equipment, while Russia continues to be one of China's primary sources of gas and oil. China accounts for around 20% of the total foreign trade volume of the Russian Federation, while Russia's share in Chinese foreign trade turnover is about 3%. Although evaluating mutual direct and accumulated investments is challenging, it can be argued that China is among Russia's largest investors, whereas Russia's direct and accumulated investments in China, while likely higher than official estimates, are still relatively insignificant. The scope of cooperation between the Russian Federation and the People's Republic of China in the scientific and technological sectors is narrowing, although additional incentives for expansion have emerged amid the heightened USChinese strategic rivalry and the crisis between Russia and the West. Russian-Chinese cooperation in the financial sector has had some successes, primarily the expansion of the use of national currencies in bilateral trade. However, this expansion is significantly limited by anti-Russian sanctions. In the current international climate, Russian-Chinese relations have the potential to deepen, but doing so will necessitate the creation of various mechanisms that enable large Chinese companies to avoid secondary sanctions.

Action‐ versus results‐based policy designs for agricultural climate change mitigation

AbstractReducing agricultural greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions is key to achieve overall climate policy goals. Effective and efficient policy instruments are needed to incentivize farmers' adoption of on‐farm climate change mitigation practices. We compare action‐ and results‐based policy designs for GHG reduction in agriculture and account for farmers' heterogeneous behavioral characteristics such as individual farming preferences, reluctance to change and social interactions. An agent‐based bio‐economic modeling approach is used to simulate total GHG reduction, overall governmental spending and farm‐level marginal abatement cost of Swiss dairy and beef cattle farms under both action‐ and results‐based policy designs. We find that total governmental spending associated with the compared policy designs depends on the cost and benefits of the considered measures as well as behavioral characteristics of farmers. More precisely, if farmers are reluctant to change, additional incentives are needed to increase adoption of a win‐win measure. In such a case, targeting the payment on the cost of that particular measure (action‐based design) instead of paying a uniform amount for abated emissions (results‐based design) can lower governmental spending for agricultural climate change mitigation. Farm‐level marginal cost of reducing GHG emissions are lower with results‐based payments independent of the cost of measures. Moreover, we find that farmers' individual preferences and reluctance to change substantially lower the adoption of mitigation measures and hence overall GHG reduction potential of farms.

The prospects of innovative agri-environmental contracts in the European policy context: Results from a Delphi study

Innovative agri-environmental contracts are increasingly studied in the literature, but their adoption has been relatively slow and geographically scattered. Action-based agri-environmental measures remain the predominant policy mechanism across Europe. A three-round Policy Delphi study was conducted with policy makers, scientific experts, farmers’ representatives, and NGOs from across 15 different European countries, to investigate how and under which circumstances novel contractual solutions could be implemented more widely. The expert panel perceived result-based and collective contractual elements as the most promising. Although considered beneficial from several aspects, value chain contracts were perceived less relevant to the policy environment. The Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) Pillar 2 measures were highlighted by the experts as the key policy area to implement novel contracts by national or regional authorities, but Pillar 1 eco-schemes, being launched in the CAP 2023–2027, were also considered as a potentially suitable framework for testing and implementation. The Delphi panel envisaged innovative contracts should be adopted by governments in iterative steps and not as a complete substitute for current payment schemes, but rather as an additional incentive to them. Such an incremental approach allows contractual innovations to capitalise on existing best practices. But it also implies the risk that innovative contracts could remain marginal and fail to substantially change farmers’ behaviour, resulting in a failure to improve environmental conditions.

Environmental credit constraints and pollution reduction: Evidence from China's blacklisting system for environmental fraud

Environmental performance-based credit mechanisms are among the tools policymakers can use to influence the polluting firms' behavior. In this study, we use China's blacklisting system for environmental fraud as a quasi-natural experiment to analyze the pollution-reducing effect of environmental credit constraints (ECCs). We operationalize our approach using a sample of 287 Chinese cities for the period 2008–2018 and find that ECCs help reduce emission intensity—a result that is both statistically significant and robust. Furthermore, our analysis suggests that ECCs can motivate producers to increase investment in technological innovation and optimize their factor allocation structure to improve green total factor productivity, thereby helping reduce their environmental impact. We demonstrate that the ECC-based schemes could be particularly effective in helping reduce pollution in regions with high enterprise credit dependence and relatively heavy presence of the manufacturing industry. In addition, these pollution-reducing effects are significant in regions with relatively strict environmental regulation. Hence, we argue that environmental credit systems could help policymakers provide polluting companies with additional incentives to voluntarily cut their emission levels and thus offer opportunities for diversifying the strategies policymakers can use to mitigate adverse environmental impacts.

Development of tax incentives for non-profit organizations

The subject of the study is to identify possible ways to develop tax incentives for non-profit organizations in Russia. The author focuses on the important role of non-profit organizations in the economic development of the country and the provision of social services to society, improving the quality of life of various segments of the population. This paper examines the theoretical aspects of the functioning of NPOs and their taxation system, analyzes the dynamics of existing and newly created NPOs and the factors influencing it; identifies the main problems in the application of the norms of the Tax Code of the Russian Federation that complicate the activities of non-profit organizations, as well as existing gaps in legislation that cause contradictions in tax practice. A special place in the scientific research is occupied by the development of possible options for reforming existing regulatory legal acts in the field of taxation to stimulate the development of the domestic non-profit sector. Based on the results of the work, a conclusion is made about the inconsistency of tax legislation and the presence of administrative barriers that hinder the development of the non-profit sector in Russia. According to the author, the proposals formulated in this scientific article on changing legislation can be applied in practice and are designed to improve the existing conditions for the functioning of non-profit organizations in Russia, to create additional tax incentives for the development of the non-profit sector in our country.

Relative Wealth Concerns, Executive Compensation, and Managerial Risk-Taking

This paper theoretically examines how relative wealth concerns affect equilibrium contracting and systemic risk-taking. We find that such externalities can generate pay for luck as an equilibrium strategy. In expectation of pay for luck in other firms, tying managerial pay to luck provides insurance to managers against a compensation shortfall relative to executive peers. We also show that an effort-inducing mechanism exists: managers have additional incentives to exert effort in utilizing investment opportunities, which helps them keep up with their peers during industry movements; however, pay for luck that is efficient within firms can nonetheless exacerbate aggregate fluctuations, especially during periods of heightened market risk. (JEL D81, D82, D86, G51, M12, M52)

PO-05-082 ANTITACHYCARDIA PACING IS MORE EFFECTIVE WHEN DELIVERED TO THE LEFT BUNDLE BRANCH COMPARED TO THE RIGHT VENTRICLE IN A CANINE ISCHEMIC VENTRICULAR TACHYCARDIA MODEL

Implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs) can terminate ventricular tachycardia (VT) with Antitachycardia pacing (ATP) delivered to a right ventricular (RV) pacing lead, thereby avoiding painful and damaging high-energy shocks. However, ATP efficacy is limited for fast VT, and ATP can accelerate VT or convert VT to ventricular fibrillation (VF). Physiological pacing delivered to the left bundle branch (LBB) has emerged as a clinically relevant target to minimize ventricular dyssynchrony and pacing-induced heart failure. ATP efficacy and safety delivered to the LBB are yet to be investigated. Evaluate the therapeutic efficacy and safety of ATP delivered to an LBB lead compared to ATP delivered to a conventional RV lead. In 6 anesthetized dogs, pacing leads from two ICDs (CobaltTM XT DR, Medtronic, Inc) were implanted at the RV apex (6947 Sprint Quattro SecureTM, Medtronic, Inc) and the LBB (3830 SelectSecureTM, Medtronic, Inc). A lateral thoracotomy procedure was performed, and a two-hour lateral anterior descending artery ischemia-reperfusion injury was caused. The thoracotomy was closed and on post-infarct day 4, dogs were anesthetized, and sustained VT episodes were induced by programmed electrical stimulation. ATP (up to 5 trains of 8 pulses at approximately 88% of the VT cycle length) was delivered to either the LBB or RV pacing site in a randomized fashion. The success rate of ATP in terminating the VT episodes and the rate of VT acceleration and degeneration into VF from both pacing locations were evaluated. In our canine ischemic VT model, VT was induced 80 times, with a mean VT cycle length of 178±35 ms. ATP was delivered and tested for each episode. For ATP delivered to the RV, the success rate for terminating VT was 54%. The success rate for terminating VT for ATP delivered to the LBB was 73% (Fig. A, p < 0.05). ATP resulted in VT acceleration for 10% and 5% of ATP attempts delivered to the RV and LV, respectively (Fig. B, p = Not Significant, NS). Degeneration to VF occurred for 5% of all ATP attempts delivered to the RV, and there was no such incident for ATP delivered to the LBB (Fig. B). Higher efficacy and lower incidence of VT acceleration were observed with ATP delivered to LBB compared to ATP delivered to the RV in this canine ischemic VT model. Improved performance of ATP delivered to LBB compared to RV provides additional incentive for expanded use of LBB leads for pacing and therapy delivery.

Research on RFID-Based Wallet Detection System

Many of us mostly forget our Wallet, which is a must for all as it allows for the safeguarding very priceless things. Wallet is one of the most belongings, We are thus implementing a Smart Almost following you wallet. When compared to the standard wallets that are sold in the market, the smart wallet has several advantages. It is a contemporary wallet that has a GPS system integrated into it. Simply connect your smartphone to your smart wallet and use the app to track it. There are two operating modes for the Smart Wallet: Normal mode and Lost mode. The Wallet goes into lost mode when it is far away. The misplaced wallet can then be located using a GPS system. While in the default mode, if we travel a particular distance away from our wallet, we receive an alarm or alert message that we neglected to bring our wallet, allowing us to quickly locate it and carry it with us. The smart wallets can do all the tasks that the traditional dumb wallet can, but it also has additional capabilities like mobile charging and anti- theft security. It is always more expensive than a typical wallet, but it is typically well-made, has a sleek appearance, and offers some additional technological incentives. In order to address this, the research report suggests a smart wallet with features including a notification system for users who move away from the wallet.

Techno‐economic and policy analysis of hydrogen and gasoline production from forest biomass, agricultural residues and municipal solid waste in California

AbstractTechno‐economic and policy analyses were performed of hydrogen and gasoline production from forest biomass (FB). They were compared with fuels produced using agricultural residues and municipal solid waste in California. Twelve process designs were analyzed, with and without carbon capture and storage, and life‐cycle analysis was performed, using California's Greenhouse Gases, Regulated Emissions, and Energy Use in Transportation (GREET) 3.0 model, to calculate the average life‐cycle carbon intensity of different process designs for hydrogen and gasoline. Discounted cash flow models were developed to assess profitability in terms of the net present value and internal rate of return (IRR). The results showed that forest‐to‐fuel pathways (positive IRR between 2%−16%) were the least competitive biomass‐based pathway option. Sensitivity analysis was performed on economic parameters including feedstock price and renewable identification number (RIN) credit price. In the case of RIN credits, profitability declined significantly as the proportion of FB from federal lands increased given existing statutory limitations. Given the importance of increasing forest management to reduce wildfire risks, the necessary additional policy incentives were quantified to equalize the cost of forest‐to‐fuels pathways with the other biofuels pathways. To ensure FB‐to‐fuels pathways are cost competitive with agricultural residues, policymakers could increase the low carbon fuel standard (LCFS) credit price for forest fuels (additional credit price support of $41–75 t/CO2e), give additional credit to lifecycle emissions reductions from forest fuels (additional carbon intensity decrease of 19–76 gCO2e MJ−1), provide concessionary debt or equity with a target weighted average cost of capital (WACC) = 3–4%, subsidize capital costs (12–22% of costs), or subsidize FB delivery ($35–66 per dry ton delivered).

An investigation of the nexus between online impulsive buying and cognitive dissonance among Gen Z shoppers: Are female shoppers different?

PurposeThough online impulsive buying emerged mostly in Western cultures, it has been widely expanded as a key pattern among online customers in emerging markets. Interestingly, while few studies suggest that engaging in unplanned purchase actions (i.e. impulsive buying) is not always associated with negative emotions among customers (i.e. postpurchase cognitive dissonance), others suggest that impulsive buying is directly associated with cognitive dissonance. This paper aims to investigate and understand the key antecedents of online impulsive buying among Moroccan Gen Z consumers, and how it contributes to postpurchase dissonance. The authors also try to gain deeper insights by investigating the disparities between males and females using mutigroup analysis.Design/methodology/approachBased on data collected from 333 Moroccan Gen Zers, the hypothesized model was empirically tested using a partial least squares estimation.FindingsFirst, the results confirm that impulsive buying is positively associated with postpurchase dissonance. Second, while hedonic shopping motivation, fear of missing out and materialism were found to significantly impact online impulsive buying, price value and online reviews had no significant effect on online impulsive purchases. The importance–performance matrix also suggests that the fear of missing out is the most important factor leading to online impulsive buying, followed by hedonic shopping motivation and materialism. Finally, the results confirm that female shoppers are more likely to engage in impulsive buying behavior, and this was mainly due to higher fear of missing out, hedonic shopping motivation and materialism.Practical implicationsFirst, the study findings can help online merchants to construct well-designed online shopping platforms and effective e-marketing tactics to stimulate purchase intentions among Gen Z shoppers. Online merchants should also attempt to reduce the negative feelings associated with unplanned buying behavior by introducing additional incentives, effective consumer interactivity and flexible return policies. This would help online suppliers in retaining customers and transforming impulse purchases into more recurrent ones. Second, online retailers should take into consideration the differences between male and female consumers by appealing to the role of gender in purchase situations when marketing their products and services. Finally, the findings offer interesting implications to society by allowing online shoppers to make well-informed purchase decisions without being influenced by personal and products’ traits.Originality/valueWhile prior research assessed the investigated constructs in separate models, the study suggests an integrated framework that incorporates different determinants of online impulsive shopping as well as its impact on postpurchase cognitive dissonance. Additionally, the authors explored the moderating effect of gender to gain deeper insights with regard to the disparities between males and females while engaging in online impulsive buying. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is the first of its kind to investigate the antecedents of online impulsive buying among Gen Z consumers in Arab countries and Africa.