Demand In Countries Research Articles

The US Dollar as a Prerequisite for the Crisis Potential of the Global Monetary and Financial System

The crisis of the global monetary and financial system based on the US dollar has been the focus of attention of the international academic community for a long time. At the same time, modern research does not sufficiently present a comprehensive approach to studying the causes and consequences of the dysfunctionality of the current international monetary standard. The purpose of the paper is to systematize the cause-and-effect relationships of the crisis potential of the global monetary and financial system based on the US dollar as the key reserve currency. Methods of scientific abstraction, system analysis and logical generalization were used. Factors characterizing the crisis potential of the global monetary and financial system are identified: reproduction of global imbalances, chronic capital outflow from countries of the global periphery, growth of global debt and inflation, rupture of global chains and neoprotectionism, destabilization of markets for fuel, raw materials and food products. According to the author, the conservatism of the current international currency standard is due to the lack of real alternatives to the US dollar as international liquidity due to the US control of key institutions and mechanisms of the global financial market. The restrained attitude of the United States towards the need to introduce advanced digital technologies in the sphere of monetary circulation and reluctance to participate in the transformation of the global monetary and financial system reduces the chances of its qualitative reform. It is concluded that the main impulses for the de-dollarization of the global monetary and financial system should be the coordinated demands of the IMF member countries to restore the system of multilateral settlements using a wide range of national currencies; large-scale diversification of their investment portfolios by including emerging market assets; coordinated actions of the BRICS+ countries to create innovative mechanisms for international payments based on modern digital technologies.

Nigeria's Sugar Industry: Challenges, Opportunities, and Prospects for Self-Sufficiency

The sugar industry in Nigeria is relatively young, having been established in the 1960s. However, it has not yet reached its full potential, as it currently only supplies about 5% of the country's sugar demand. This lack of performance has led to the loss of foreign exchange earnings and hundreds of thousands of employment opportunities. The Nigerian Sugar Master Plan (NSMP) predicts that the country's sugar demand will exceed 1.7 million metric tonnes by 2020, and to meet this demand, the country needs to establish 28 sugar factories and cultivate 250,000 hectares of land for sugarcane over the next 10 years. Private investors will provide most of the investment capital. The government has enacted various policy instruments, including fiscal incentives, tariffs, and the Backward Integration Program (BIP), to create a conducive policy environment for the sugar industry's development. The Sugar Levy will also fund research and development studies and essential infrastructure. These policies aim to attract new investors and protect existing and new investments in the sugar sector. The approval of the NSMP and the adoption of the conducive policy environment demonstrate the government's commitment to revitalizing the sugar industry and making it a crucial part of the nation's industrial landscape. This paper highlights the progress made in the first ten years of the NSMP's BIP, the establishment of the Nigeria Sugar Institute, and the expected increase in sugar production in NSMP phase II.

Techno-economic analysis of floating solar photovoltaic plant in reservoir-based hydropower station in India: a case study

ABSTRACT India's grid stability and sustainable energy transition encounter challenges posed by the unpredictable nature of solar power and the low plant load factor (PLF) of hydroelectric stations caused by water scarcity. It is worth noting that traditional energy sources still account for 78% of the country's energy demand. This study aims to present a solution to these problems by analysing the feasibility of a floating solar photovoltaic (FSPV) plant on the reservoir of Tehri hydro plant, Uttarakhand, India. The study determined that a 175 MW FSPV system has the potential to generate 298 million units (MU) of energy and reduce CO2 emissions by 265 million kg. The estimated increase in hydropower production by preventing water loss through evaporation amounts to 7.05 million units per year. The estimated tariff for the proposed 175 MW FSPV is 5.25 US Cents/Unit, in accordance with current regulations. In addition, the System Advisor Model (SAM) software calculates the net present value and payback duration of capital invested to be 18.05 million US$ and 8.8 years, respectively. The analysis also determined that there is no need for additional transmission infrastructure to evacuate FSPV power from the existing Tehri hydro plant. The proposed model of FSPV with hydropower stations enables the reservoirs to function as virtual batteries, hence optimising power generation. Furthermore, the viability of FSPV installations have been assessed at sixteen reservoir-based hydropower stations with a capacity factor less than 30%. Annually, installing FSPV systems at these locations may yield total power output of 11446 MW and generate 17310 MU of electricity. The integration of these sites would lead to substantial reductions in CO2 emissions, amounting to 15406 million kg, as well as an increase in hydropower generation by 341.30 million units per year.

The Asymmetric Impact of Economic Policy Uncertainty on the Demand for Money in the GCC Countries

Heightened uncertainty in global economic policy has sparked a renewed interest in studying people’s demand for money, particularly to explore whether this demand exhibits asymmetry. In this study, we utilize a nonlinear ARDL approach to investigate the asymmetric effects of global economic policy uncertainty on money demand in each GCC country. Understanding the impact of global economic policy uncertainty on money demand in GCC countries is essential for crafting effective monetary policies, especially given that these countries maintain a pegged exchange rate to the US dollar, leaving them susceptible to economic slowdowns and global business cycles. The findings show varying sensitivity to changes in economic policy uncertainty across GCC countries, with most countries demonstrating asymmetric responses. Policymakers should consider incorporating a nonlinear ARDL model when analyzing money demand in these nations.

The challenge of industrialization of a nature-based solution that allows farmers to produce aflatoxin-safe crops in various African countries

In sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), many crops are contaminated by Aspergillus section Flavi fungi with highly toxic, carcinogenic aflatoxins. This contamination has severe negative impacts on health, trade, income, and development sectors, hindering progress toward various objectives of most Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including SDG 2 – Zero Hunger and SDG 3 – Good Health and Wellbeing. Farmers, industries, and governments need sound aflatoxin management strategies to effectively limit aflatoxin contamination throughout the crop value chain. One effective technology is biocontrol using native atoxigenic isolates of A. flavus coated on a carrier that is applied on growing crops. Atoxigenic A. flavus competitively displaces aflatoxin producers in the field, and this form of bioprotection results in reduced aflatoxin in crops. Over 15 years ago, field tests in Nigeria using a manually manufactured biocontrol product showed promising results. However, it became evident that scaling up the manufacturing process was essential to make this bioprotectant widely accessible to millions of farmers and achieve tangible impact in the context of sustainable food systems. The objective of this paper is to document the evolution of biocontrol manufacturing from small-scale, lab-based production to industrial manufacturing at different scales. The improvements in product formulation, and manufacturing processes and design are highlighted to better address “fit-to-scale” product demand in different countries. Industrializing the manufacturing process coupled with incentivization, commercialization strategies, and effective partnerships has allowed the manufacturing of thousands of tons of biocontrol products. This has enabled production of over a million tons of aflatoxin-safe maize, groundnut, and sorghum, contributing to enhanced food safety and security in several countries in SSA. The key lesson learnt is that for any input-based technology to mitigate aflatoxin (or any food safety issue), their large-scale manufacturing and commercialization is crucial for achieving tangible results. Only widespread adoption of any technology can address the great challenge posed by aflatoxins, a critical step toward meeting several SDGs. The urgency to combat aflatoxin contamination is increasing as its impacts are intensifying in several regions across the globe.

Application of Reactor Technology Assessment for Floating Nuclear Power Plant Site Selection

At ATOMEXPO in 2015, Indonesia expressed its interest in building a Floating Nuclear Power Plant (PLTN). As a technology that is starting to be in demand in various countries, until this paper was written, the only Floating NPP operating commercially in the world is the Akademik Lomonosov from Russia. Indonesia will be included as a newcomer country if it realizes the construction of a Floating NPP. In this regard, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) published a reactor technology assessment (RTA) guideline. RTA is a method that newcomer countries can use to select a reactor at a predetermined site. This study demonstrated the application of RTA for a different purpose, namely site selection when the reactor has been determined. This is possible because some parameters in RTA are site-specific. This study compared the total score at each site, where the highest total score means the site that needs to be prioritized. The candidate sites used in this study include Gelasa Island, Ujung Lemah Abang (ULA), North Luwu, and Labuhan Badas, and the type of reactor used is KLT-40S, which is used in the Akademik Lomonosov Nuclear Power Plant. The study results found that the site with the highest score was ULA, with a total score of 3.5772, so this site needs to be considered in the construction of the Floating Nuclear Power Plant. Keywords: Nuclear Power Plant (NPP), Floating Nuclear Power Plant, External Hazards, reactor technology assessment (RTA)

Increasing or Depressing: Animal Diplomacy Impacts on Inbound Tourism of Host Countries --A Natural Experiment Based on Panda Diplomacy

Wildlife holds not only intrinsic value but often carries additional symbolic significance. Wild animals are frequently utilized in political diplomacy as mobile attractions with unique symbolic meanings. This study investigates the influence of animal diplomacy on the inbound tourism of host countries by examining pertinent literature on animal tourism and diplomacy. Utilizing panda diplomacy as a natural experiment, the impact of panda diplomacy on Chinese inbound tourism is analyzed through the multi-period difference-in-differences and synthetic difference-in-differences model. Results indicate that, compared to countries without panda diplomacy, the arrivals to China from countries engaging in panda diplomacy decreased by an average of 39.9%. These findings suggest that animal diplomacy dampens tourism demand in the host country. The multi-period difference-in-differences can overestimate the policy effects of panda diplomacy. This study aims to inform animal diplomacy policymaking and foster inbound tourism development in relevant countries or regions.

The Impact of Studies on Production-Oriented Approach Used in Teaching in College System

The need for innovative teaching methods that are appropriate for today's classrooms has grown as a result of China's internal education system reform. With the ongoing advancements in Chinese education, the conventional method of instruction is no longer appropriate for the country's demands. In addition to fostering a closer relationship between students and instructors in the classroom, the new teaching technique known as POA (Production-Oriented Approach) theory also works to advance China's educational system. The topic of collegiate English teaching in China is the focus of this study, which attempts to investigate the good and bad impacts of the POA theory on the numerous subjects engaged in this particular profession. Therefore, by examining the justifications for the use of the POA theory and its influencing mechanisms, this study employs the literature review approach to describe the benefits and drawbacks of implementing the POA theory.

Grain supply–demand in countries along the “Belt and Road” from 1993 to 2021: spatiotemporal evolution, match, security and driving mechanism

IntroductionThe grain supply-demand balance is a long-standing concern for many countries and is essential to guaranteeing social stability, maintaining economic development and ensuring national grain security.MethodsBased on the data of 65 countries along the “Belt and Road” (B&R) from 1993 to 2021, this paper analyzed the spatiotemporal evolution, the matching relationship, regional grain security situation and driving factors of grain supply-demand by measuring and classifying the grain self-sufficiency rate using methods such as geostatistical analysis and the GTWR model.ResultsThe results indicated the following: (1) The B&R region was still at the primary stage of “food-based and feed-supplemented”. Grain supply and demand in the B&R region showed a steady upward trend, with grain yield contributing more to grain supply than sown area. (2) Overall, the B&R region has been largely self-sufficient since 2007, with grain supply meeting demand, but the level of grain self-sufficiency varied considerably between countries. (3) More than 58% of the countries were in grain insecurity, concentrated in West Asia-Middle East and South-East Asia. The gravity center of both grain supply and demand was near East Asia. (4) In terms of matching supply-demand, most countries fell into the category of high supply-high demand and low supply-low demand, with basically the same level of grain supply and demand. (5) Grain yield had the largest positive impact on grain supply-demand, GDP had the largest negative impact, and temperature change and precipitation change had a relatively small effect. The effects of fertilizer use, grain yield, and GDP on grain supply-demand fluctuated greatly over time.DiscussionThese findings can provide a scientific basis for the country to formulate policies for a sustainable grain supply-demand system.

Bottom-up method to derive cost curves for space heating savings in residential buildings for all European countries

Space heating constitutes approximately a quarter of final energy consumption in the European Union. Aligned with the ambition of the European Green Deal for climate-neutrality by 2050, effective energy system modelling is crucial for shaping strategies. However, integrating energy efficiency within the building sector remains challenging due to limited methodologies and data on specific energy consumption, heated surfaces, and retrofit costs. This paper proposes a methodology that balances accuracy and implementation effort through clustering analysis and relies entirely on open data primarily from the Hotmaps project to compute country-specific cost curves for energy savings in building space heating for each of the EU-27 countries. The aim is to empower energy system modelers to better incorporate energy efficiency measures into scenarios, thus advancing strategies in line with the European Green Deal. Findings indicate that the retrofits considered – insulation of façade, roof, ground floor; windows replacement – can save 40–60 % of space heating energy demand in most countries but marginal costs range widely, from 2 to 180 Eurocents invested per kWh saved over the retrofit lifetime. Climate conditions and existing insulation levels significantly influence the cost-effectiveness of these retrofits. This research provides valuable insights for policymakers and stakeholders working towards climate-neutral objectives.

Green energy transition: Evaluating carbon-to-liquid technologies for 2050 climate goals and energy security

China's coal-to-liquid (CTL) sectors must quickly adjust to a low-carbon economy to meet the energy demand while mitigating environmental and energy security challenges. Similarly, China's climate goals for 2050 are gravely jeopardized if the industry's enormous ecological impact is not addressed. This research develops a conceptual framework for environment-security-economic evaluation of the high-carbon energy sector. Moreover, it constructs a system dynamics material model to predict the upgrade plan's industrial capacity and carbon emission scale. Finally, it calculates the dynamic optimal deployment scale at various epochs based on the sequential decomposition goal of "carbon peak" and "carbon neutrality." These measures are needed to anticipate the development of China's CTL industry. The road map predicts that by 2025, China's CTL industry will be able to meet at least 5 % of the country's total oil demand. The adoption of scale A process will improve the economic and environmental performance of the CTL industry due to the cost savings and efficiency gains at a larger scale. In addition, the industry's overall energy efficiency will rise in 2023 and exceed 50 % after 2035. Findings indicate that the CTL sector will approach a carbon peak in 2029 and neutrality and transition to hydrogen generation by 2050.

Time-Varying Income and Price Elasticities of Oil Demand in OECD Countries

This study examines the long-run income and price elasticities of oil demand in 21 OECD countries using quarterly data from 1980:Q1 to 2021:Q3. We find that oil demand is inelastic with respect to both income and prices at 0.117 and −0.179, respectively. The cointegration tests reveal instability in oil price elasticities over time. The time-varying panel data estimates support these findings, showing significant variations in elasticities influenced by oil market dynamics and global events. Income elasticities reached their highest levels during the COVID-19 pandemic, while price elasticities ranged from −0.396 to 0.275. Significantly, the sign of oil price elasticities shifted from negative to positive after 2015, contrary to the law of demand, probably because of declining oil prices during that period. The largest positive and statistically significant price elasticity occurred in early 2020, which can be attributed to the COVID-19-induced decline in oil prices. Overall, this analysis contributes to understanding oil demand dynamics and highlights the impact of economic and oil market factors on elasticities.

Decomposing the impact of genetically modified organism regulation on bilateral trade: An application to corn trade

AbstractOur study investigates the impact of genetically modified organism (GMO) regulations on international agricultural trade, with a specific focus on GMO approvals. We analyse the effects of GMO regulations on bilateral trade through three main pathways: productivity enhancements in the exporting country, regulatory dissimilarities between trading partners and the influence of GMO approvals on demand in the importing country. Using a panel data set on corn trade and employing advanced econometric techniques, our findings reveal that GMO cultivation approvals in exporting countries have the most substantial and consistent positive effect on trade. Conversely, the impact of GMO demand approvals in importing countries is relatively smaller and negative. Additionally, regulatory dissimilarities between any two countries become negligible when accounting for the effects of cultivation and demand approvals. Thus, GMO approval regulations exert more significant multilateral effects on trade than bilateral ones.

On the Constitutional Protection of Carbon Emission Right as the Right of Development

Since the development of the second human rights, the right to development, as the third human rights advocated by developing countries, has become popular. Under the two-carbon target, some scholars say that the carbon emission right is the right to development, and it is a basic human right for developing countries. To be sure, with the total amount of carbon emissions fixed, both the speed and level of development are closely related to the amount of carbon emissions allocated. But now double carbon joint agreement distribution unclear terms, developed countries and developing countries demand for carbon emissions and carbon neutral ability difference is bigger, the corresponding management of carbon emissions is more policies and regulations, the lack of host rules of supply, constitutional guarantee, has affected the double carbon under the goal of national development and construction. Therefore, as the right to development of carbon emissions protection should be in the constitution respect and safeguard human rights and the principle and the principle of rule of law as the guidance, establish a sound legal system of carbon emissions, reasonable balance production development and double carbon target relationship, concrete refinement to implement the limit of carbon emissions related laws and regulations, realize the constitutionality of the legal order.

Environmental policies and stagnation in a two-country economy

Global warming poses a serious and acute threat to our planet. However, negotiations over the allocation of permissible carbon emissions often lead to conflicts of interest between developed and developing countries. Developing countries claim that global warming results from long-term pollution emissions by developed countries, while developed countries demand that developing countries should make adequate efforts to reduce carbon emissions. Both developed and developing countries generally agree that stricter emission limits will strain their economies due to the associated extra abatement costs. Using a two-country model with wealth preferences, we find that the impacts of a country's emission limit on real consumption and pollution emissions in both countries vary depending on the combination of their business situations. If both countries achieve full employment, one country's stricter emission limit decreases real consumption in both, as expected. However, if one country faces aggregate demand stagnation while the other achieves full employment, a stricter emission limit imposed by the stagnant country increases real consumption in both countries.

Market Capitalization and Economic Growth Nexus A Mediation Analysis for selected countries

The study examined the mediating role of market capitalization in the relationship between economic growth and macroeconomic variables in twenty countries, including foreign direct investment, gross fixed capital formation, government spending, and inflation. The study has used panel data of twenty countries from the period of 2002-2021. The selection of countries involves three criterions, first; the study selected three regions; Asia, Europe, and Mena region. Secondly, among those selected countries, the study tried to select all three categories, higher income countries, middle income countries, and upper middle-income countries. The selection of these countries follows the criteria of GDP growth rate of 2021. Thirdly, these economies are either emerging economies or the economies who have established the stock market and getting its benefits for sustained GDP growth rate e.g. Australia, China, and Germany etc. Panel regression results show that foreign direct investment, gross fixed capital formation, consumption expenditures, inflation, GDP per employed person, and education expenditures all contribute to economic growth in selected countries, whereas an increase in the real effective exchange rate reduces growth. Hayes (2022) employs a mediation analysis approach that confirms market capitalization as a partially mediating variable between the rate of economic growth and various control variables in case of selected 20 countries. Providing more favorable policies for investors and enterprises, such as special economic zones and free tax breaks. Furthermore, emphasis on the money supply and preserving the currency's balance between face and interior worth. Increased foreign direct investment raises the country's workforce demand.

Efficiency evaluation of electricity demand prediction models in lower-income countries: a case study of panama

Abstract Electricity plays a crucial role in the development of countries, serving as the foundation for the functioning of modern societies and as a key indicator of a nation’s level of modernization and overall strength. Predicting a country’s electricity demand provides valuable insights into the evolving patterns of electrical energy provision and usage and helps to improve the flexibility of the energy distribution network. In addition, it provides early warnings and decision support for governments, businesses, and individuals about future electricity consumption. This plays a pivotal function in optimizing power distribution, adjusting the proportion of power generation sources, and ensuring a continuous and secure electricity supply. This paper uses the example of electricity demand in Panama and uses the LSTM model and Prophet model to compare their predictions for electricity demand in lower-income countries, with the aim of improving accuracy. Furthermore, it introduces a data set representing the electricity demand of higher-income countries, using the United Kingdom as a representative, to compare the forecast results between the two countries. The results indicate that within the Panama data set, the Prophet model exhibits better accuracy than the LSTM model. On the contrary, in the data set representing higher-income countries with the United Kingdom as a representative, the LSTM model outperforms the Prophet model. This leads to the conclusion that the selection of a predictive model is specific to each country, influenced by factors such as development status, geographic location, policies, energy markets, and more. A specific model may not be universally applicable due to these unique conditions, requiring tailored-modeling approaches for precise and efficient allocation and scheduling of electricity resources. This approach ensures the improvement of residents’ living standards and quality of life while meeting the typical demands of a country’s economic and social development.

Development of water-based micro-particle enhanced phase change material for cool thermal energy storage systems

ABSTRACT Building accounts over one-third of global energy consumption, mainly for cooling/heating the space, contributing to enormous emission of greenhouse gases. Extensive usage of air-conditioning system in tropical countries demands cool thermal energy storage system for energy management that essentially demands development of novel energy storage materials. In this study, micro-particle enhanced phase change materials (MePCMs) were prepared through two-step method with deionized water as base PCM and natural graphite flakes (NGF) as additive. Heat transfer characteristics of the MePCMs were experimentally analyzed during solidification in a spherical capsule. High specific surface area of the NGF creates more nucleation sites that lead to elimination of subcooling in the MePCM. As a result of enhanced thermal conductivity of MePCM, solidification duration was reduced to 40% with 5 wt.% NGF, compared to base PCM. Accelerated mode of charging was seen in MePCMs, storing 96% of energy during 70% of corresponding solidification duration. In addition to the above fascinating advantages, abundant availability and low cost of the NGF make the MePCM as potential energy storage material for space cooling applications.

Aluminum demand and low carbon development scenarios for major countries by 2050

Aluminum is a widely used energy-intensive material and the second largest source of carbon emissions from metal after steel. Global demand for aluminum has grown rapidly since 1970 and has shown a high correlation with population and economic growth. These factors have posed challenges to carbon reduction of aluminum industry. Therefore, it is crucial to investigate global aluminum demand and emissions to develop low carbon pathways. However, few studies have conducted a comprehensive analysis of the global aluminum industry. We develop different scenarios of joint abatement measures to explore pathways for the aluminum industry to significantly reduce carbon emissions by 2050. Three scenarios are considered, namely, moderate mitigation scenario (MMS), enhanced mitigation scenario (EMS), and deep mitigation scenario (DMS). The results show that: 1) Aluminum industry has a high potential for carbon emission reduction. The emissions in the three scenarios will be reduced by 33%, 77% and 85% by 2050 compared to 2020, respectively. 2) The carbon emission reduction effect of energy structure optimization and low carbon technology application is significant, with the use of clean energy playing a decisive role. 3) There is an inverse U-shaped curve relationship between per capita primary aluminum demand and per capita GDP. The aluminum demand in China and India is still growing at a high rate, and carbon emissions are always at the top. This study will effectively support the development of a low-carbon transition path for the global aluminum industry.

A Prospective Study on the Economic Effects of China-GCC FTA - Simulation and Analyses Based on GTAP Model

In the context of the "Belt and Road" initiative, this paper is based on the China-GCC FTA negotiations, and uses the Global Trade Analysis Model (GTAP) to construct six scenarios of tariff reduction in key sectors and reduction of technical barriers to trade (TBT) between China and the GCC countries, and to assess the impacts of the construction of the FTA on the economies of China and related countries. The paper shows that increased trade liberalization has a positive economic impact on the China-GCC FTA. At the same time, tariff changes in the manufacturing and oil and gas industries dominated the tariff reductions, but the reduction of technical barriers to trade (TBT) has a particularly significant impact compared to tariffs. Bilateral trade will contribute more remarkably to China's continued economic growth than in the GCC countries. Reductions in trade barriers will effectively boost production demand in Chinese and GCC countries, contributing imports, exports and output, which will benefit both economies, specially, China's trade surpluses increasing particularly in various sectors.