Quota Scheme Research Articles

An Adaptive Cloud Resource Quota Scheme Based on Dynamic Portraits and Task-Resource Matching

An Adaptive Cloud Resource Quota Scheme Based on Dynamic Portraits and Task-Resource Matching

Study on regional carbon quota allocation at provincial level in China from the perspective of carbon peak

This paper constructs a carbon quota allocation index that takes into account equity, efficiency and ecological construction, and calculates carbon emissions and energy consumption data in important periods based on the expected carbon emission targets and economic and social development indicators of the Chinese government. Based on the calculated carbon emissions, the zero-sum game data Envelopment model (ZSG-DEA) is used to discuss the initial allocation of regional quotas and the optimal carbon quota scheme. The results show that:(1) there is a large gap between the optimal carbon quota and the initial carbon quota allocation in Shandong, Guangdong, Jiangsu and other provinces in 2025, and the implementation of emission reduction measures should be accelerated. (2) By 2030, the final allocation of Beijing, Tianjin, Inner Mongolia, Qinghai, Shanghai, Ningxia, Liaoning and Xinjiang will be positive. The provinces with negative final allocation should carry out the work of carbon peak as soon as possible to avoid increasing the pressure of emission reduction in the future. (3) The central region faces greater pressure of emission reduction, while the western region can accept the transfer of carbon emissions from other regions over time. The research conclusions have important policy implications for establishing a fair and effective carbon quota allocation mechanism, achieving the national total carbon emission control target, stimulating the vitality of the unified carbon market, and promoting regional coordinated emission reduction.

An inter-provincial carbon quota study in China based on the contribution of clean energy to carbon reduction

Energy consumption is the main source of carbon dioxide emissions. Vigorously promoting the development and utilisation of clean energy and the reasonable distribution of carbon amounts between regions is an important measure for carbon emission reduction. In this paper, the geodetector method is used to quantitatively analyse the impact of the development and utilisation of clean energy on China’s overall carbon emissions. And the carbon quota calculated under the three principles of efficiency, responsibility, and comprehensiveness are compared, and a reasonable inter-provincial carbon quota allocation scheme considering the contribution of clean energy carbon reduction is put forward. Research indicates: (1) Among the driving factors studied in this paper, the proportion of clean energy power generation has the greatest impact on carbon emissions. (2) The development and utilisation of clean energy has a strong impact on the carbon quota in low-value regions. (3) The comprehensive principle carbon quota allocation (which takes into responsibility principle reflecting clean energy factors and efficiency principle) is the most reasonable. A carbon quota scheme that reflects the contribution of clean energy to carbon emission reduction is of great significance for advancing the realization of China's regional and national carbon peaking targets.

Carbon quota scheme for China’s iron and steel industry based on output efficiency

Carbon quota scheme for China’s iron and steel industry based on output efficiency

An Adaptive Management Framework Concept for the Sustainable Use of the Saker Falcon

The Saker Falcon (Falco cherrug) is listed on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List as Globally Endangered. It breeds across continental middle latitudes, with its range spanning over 7,000 km from Central Europe to Western China, and 3,000 north to south. Most populations are migratory and a number of different routes have been confirmed by field observations and satellite tracking. One of the principal threats affecting its global population is unsustainable trapping/harvest on the breeding grounds and along the migration routes. The Saker Falcon is listed in Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), which enables trade subject to the development of a Non-Detriment Finding (NDF). Under the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS), the species is listed under Appendix I (with the exception of the Mongolian population which is listed in Appendix II), meaning that take is generally prohibited, except for the Mongolian population. The Saker Falcon Global Action Plan (SakerGAP) was adopted by CMS Parties in 2014 and a Saker Falcon Task Force (STF) was established to oversee implementation. One of the key aims of the STF is to develop an Adaptive Management Framework (AMF) that moves the current illegal, and presumably unsustainable trapping activity, into a system that is legal, controlled, and sustainable. Such a system will need to be carefully developed, implemented, and monitored, and conforms with requirements under CMS and CITES. To develop such a framework the STF established an Adaptive Management Framework Discussion Group (AMF DG) to conceptualize a modular AMF as a tool to assist the decision-making of stakeholders, especially international partners, and national authorities, on the sustainable use of the Saker Falcon. The objective is to design an international AMF which integrates nine modules: 1) global governance and data management, including effective sustainable use models and a sustainable, international quota scheme, 2) internationally harmonized policy and law-making that ensures sustainability, 3) reinforced law enforcement, 4) effective awareness raising, 5) effective monitoring and research schemes, 6) complementary ex situ conservation measures, 7) compensatory in situ conservation measures, 8) effective stakeholder engagement, cooperation, and networking to respond to the socio-economic and cultural drivers of Saker Falcon use, and 9) the involvement of rural communities in the conservation management of the Saker Falcon. Currently, a significant degree of uncertainty and speculation accompanies the population estimates for certain key Range States, especially in Asia. Therefore, while designing the AMF, the STF is seeking to find a careful balance between the benefits of an internationally coordinated sustainable use framework and the inherent risks of taking Saker Falcons from the wild in large numbers. According to the draft AMF, the legal harvest may conditionally be allowed in larger, stable, or increasing Saker Falcon populations in parts of its global range, only if legal, ecological, and socio-economic safeguards for sustainability are met and the origin of falcons is identifiable. Depleted or decreasing breeding populations may not currently be considered suitable for any harvest and are illegal as currently listed in CMS Appendix 1. However, the AMF must mitigate the illegal taking of wild falcons along the flyways and in wintering areas. This would require an international harmonization of alternative policies, and legal and wildlife management tools. As well as a concerted international data sharing to ensure that harvest that is assessed non-detrimental at the Range State level does not affect negatively the Saker Falcon populations of other Range States.

The disability employment quota, between social policy and antidiscrimination

Many countries worldwide resort to quotas in order to favour the employment of disabled people. Yet, the quota as a policy tool has an ambivalent meaning: while it has been conceived as an advanced form of antidiscrimination policy tool in domains such as gender and racial inequalities, in the sector of disability, it has tended to be theorized as an outdated measure, belonging to a social welfare perspective opposed to the more recent equalitarian policy frame. This article revisits this theoretical debate on the disability employment quota by shifting the focus from a normative discussion to an empirical investigation of the meanings policymakers have endowed it with. I draw on the case of France, where the quota scheme is a cornerstone of disability employment policy: post–World War I provisions were at the origin of a series of reforms extending and reinforcing the quota, in 1957, 1987 and 2005 – leading to the current 6% disabled worker quota imposed to private and public organizations of 20 employees or more. Tracing the historical trajectory of this policy tool and its uses by means of parliamentary debates and secondary sources, I show how quotas in France have had more complex meanings than what the social welfare versus antidiscrimination dichotomy suggests. Before the rise of antidiscrimination policy, they were thought of as a progressive form of social policy, as opposed to more segregative interventions such as pensions or sheltered employment. The adoption of antidiscrimination provisions in 2005 then led to a hybridization between quotas and antidiscrimination policy.

Consumer preferences for the design of a demand response quota scheme – Results of a choice experiment in Germany

Demand response (DR) programs are increasingly discussed as policy options to facilitate an efficient energy transition. More recently, quota schemes, a novel type of incentive-based DR program that aims to restrict electricity consumption of some household appliances at certain times, have received considerable attention as a tool for preventing local grid congestion. However, little is known about the preferences of household consumers regarding the design of DR programs in general and quota schemes in particular. We examined the preferences of 1034 German consumers using data from a choice experiment. Our model results show that respondents’ choices for quota scheme designs are mainly driven by the time period during which consumption is constrained, followed by the financial compensation. That said, the order of importance reverses if consumers are free to choose whether to participate or not, while the frequency and duration of DR measures remain unimportant. This shift in preferences suggests that preferences for certain DR programs may not necessarily translate into willingness to participate. Sociodemographic characteristics explain these preferences only to a limited extent, with female and older persons and persons currently purchasing green electricity showing a slightly higher willingness to participate. We discuss policy implications arising from these findings.

Factors Related to Non-compliance With Non-pharmaceutical Interventions to Mitigate the Spread of SARS-CoV-2: Results From a Survey in the Swiss General Adult Population.

BackgroundNon-pharmaceutical interventions (NPI) play an important role in national efforts to control and contain the spread of SARS-CoV-2, but some people do not comply with these public health measures. The aim of this study was thus to describe this group of noncompliant people.MethodsA random sample of 1,157 people was drawn from the adult general population of Switzerland based on a three-stepped quota scheme considering the variables age (18–31, 32–45, 46–59, and ≥60 years), sex (male and female), and language region (German-, French-, and Italian-speaking Switzerland). We assessed a global scale of non-compliance with NPI based on several individual measures such as wearing face masks and social distancing. As predictor variables we included objective sociodemographic variables (e.g., age, sex) and easy measurable constructs (e.g., fears and worries about COVID-19, trust in medical experts).ResultsOut of 14 predictor variables tested, seven were statistically significantly associated with increased non-compliance with NPI: male sex, younger age, self-identification as low-risk group, judging the consequences of an infection with SARS-CoV-2 as non-serious, less worries and fears about the pandemic, not obtaining regular information from health authorities, and not trusting in medical experts. The most parsimonious multivariable prediction model included the variables younger age, low appraisal of negative consequences, less fear and worries, not obtaining regular information from health authorities, and not trusting in medical experts. The model accounted for 27.9% of variance explained in non-compliance with NPI.ConclusionYoung adults who perceive COVID-19 as mostly harmless/inconsequential and who ignore and/or mistrust information from health authorities and medical experts, are the population most likely to be noncompliant with NPI. These findings may help to target a group of people at high risk of infection and to efficiently concentrate educational and interventional public health measures.

The Challenge of Inequality in University Education: Is the District Quota Scheme Addressing Socio-Economic Disparities in Access to University Education in Uganda?

Access to university education is one of the fundamental educational questions in contemporary educational debates. This is because university education is seen as having an array of benefits to individuals, their households, and their nations. However, the challenge of inequality in terms of gender, income, location, and socio-economic status has constrained some individuals and households to access quality university education. In 2005 the government of Uganda introduced the District Quota Scheme to address the social inequalities in accessing university education. This study examined how the District Quota Scheme is addressing the rural-urban divide in access to university; how the District Quota Scheme has increased access to university education for children with parents who have low levels of education; and whether the District Quota Scheme is improving access to university education for children from low-income families. Following the social constructivist research paradigm and integrating both quantitative and qualitative research methods, the study found a change in access to university education by students from rural areas, students whose parents have lower levels of education, and those from low-income families as a result of introducing the District Quota Scheme. The study recommends that the government of Uganda and other stakeholders in the higher education sector should address the structural challenges to ensure that mainly the socially disadvantaged students take the biggest advantage of this scheme.

Forest harvesting restriction and forest restoration in China

The logging quota scheme was established in 1987 to control over-harvesting and promoting forest restoration in China, and it is expected to remain in place for many years to come. But the scheme has rarely been subject to careful empirical scrutiny. In this paper, we develop and estimate an empirical model to disentangle its potential effects on different dimensions of the forest condition, based on a panel dataset of 28 provinces over the period of 1989–2018. Our estimations show that while the logging quota scheme was effective in halting the country's deforestation and forest degradation from the late 1980s to the early 1990s, it has played a minimal role in promoting forest restoration and regrowth by inhibiting investment in forest management. The tremendous expansions in forest area and stock volume have been driven mostly by the sustained efforts of forest protection/conservation programs and tenure reforms. We suggest the government to phase out the scheme, especially in regions with abundant commercial forests. To start off, policymakers should carry out various piloting and experimentation working with large forestry enterprises and farms.

Provincial Carbon Emission Quota Allocation Study in China from the Perspective of Abatement Cost and Regional Cooperation

To achieve the carbon reduction target, the Chinese government not only requires a quota allocation scheme in line with the current development situation, but also needs to minimize the economic expenditure in the emission reduction work. Therefore, this study integrates the multi-index method and zero-sum gains–data envelopment analysis model to obtain a fair and efficient multi-criteria quota allocation scheme. To ensure the effectiveness of the scheme, the fairness and cost effect of the scheme are quantitatively tested. In addition, regional cooperation factors are introduced into the research framework to providing feasible practical measures. The results show that: (1) After optimization, the eastern region has the largest quota increment, accounting for 45% of the country’s quota. (2) The multi-criteria quota allocation scheme after secondary allocation is a more ideal scheme. The quota scheme not only meets the requirements of fairness and efficiency, but also has lower abatement costs. (3) Regional cooperation should be encouraged by China, especially the eastern region, which can alleviate the reducing emission pressure through cooperation. Although the western region needs to undertake additional emission reduction tasks, it can improve the utilization rate of local renewable resources and be conducive to long-term economic development. These results will provide a reference for China to achieve its carbon reduction targets.

Edge Intelligence Empowered Urban Traffic Monitoring: A Network Tomography Perspective

Efficient urban traffic monitoring is a key enabler for intelligent planning and management of modern cities. Network tomography can monitor the urban traffic with a comparably small number of traffic detectors like cameras, and has become an appealing technique for urban traffic management. However, previous work on network tomography based traffic monitoring focuses primarily on developing estimators using the given end-to-end travel time measurements, while the design of data collection for efficiently distributed collecting and processing the raw monitoring videos to such measurements is often neglected. We fill this gap by exploring the vision of edge intelligence for optimal urban traffic monitoring, and tackle the following two problems in regard of limited telecommunications resources: 1) when the total number of monitoring videos that are successfully processed into the end-to-end travel time measurements is pre-bounded, we employ a Fisher Information Matrix (FIM) to help determine the best quota scheme for the monitoring videos that each traffic detector need to generate and 2) when the centralised processing of monitoring videos alone is insufficient, we make use of the computation capabilities from these edge devices, i.e., traffic detectors, and employ a multi-agent reinforcement learning approach to help them conduct intelligent computation offloading individually. Extensive simulations demonstrate that our proposed scheme effectively reduces the estimation error of network tomography compared to common approaches with either uniform or random strategy.

Employment Legal Framework for Persons with Disabilities in China: Effectiveness and Reasons

In order to promote the employment of persons with disabilities, two dominant legal approaches—anti-discrimination legislation based on the social model of disability and an employment quota scheme based on the medical model—are usually employed on a nation-state basis in disability policies. This article systematically examines the reasons why both the anti-discrimination and employment quota scheme legal frameworks have limited effectiveness in promoting employment of persons with disabilities in China. We found that the lack of a definition of disability, the lack of a definition of discrimination, and the absence of effective enforcement mechanisms are the reasons for poor outcomes of the anti-discrimination legal framework. For the employment quota scheme, conflicts between the mainstream labor market legal framework and the quota scheme legal framework have prompted employers to pay penalties rather than hire persons with disabilities. China should address these issues in the current legal system in the short term. Meanwhile, the CRPD should be more strongly emphasized in China. This article argues for the human rights model espoused by the CRPD, instead of the medical model, to develop a coherent and sustainable disability legal framework for promoting participation of persons with disabilities, rather than focusing on viewing them as recipients of care.

Understanding customers’ battery electric vehicle sharing adoption based on hybrid choice model

Carsharing as a sustainable mode faces many difficulties such as low market share and acceptance rate in developing and developed countries. In order to develop effective promotion strategies, this study provides insights on the effects of the key factors, including customers’ attitude, level of service, and vehicle restriction policies, on the adoption of battery electric vehicle sharing service. The hybrid choice model framework is incorporated to quantify unobserved attitudinal variables and their effects. In the framework, factor analysis methods are used to construct the factor structure for latent attitudinal variables, a multiple-indicator multiple-cause model is incorporated to capture the relationship between observed variables and latent variables, and a multinomial logit model is used to comprehensively investigate the effects of the key factors on carsharing choice. Results indicate that Beijing permanent residency, demand for private cars, travel pattern, and home-work area have the most significant effects on the attitude towards carsharing. Attitudes such as environmental consciousness, social benefits, satisfaction with transport system, and reliability significantly affect the adoption of battery electric vehicle sharing. Vehicle cruising range and free-floating availability are two crucial factors that hinder the adoption of battery electric vehicle sharing against conventional gasoline vehicle sharing. Results also indicate that the quota scheme on private car plate registration improves the adoption intention of carsharing while restrictions on vehicle use owing to license plates significantly affects the adoption of battery electric vehicle sharing. The findings act as a reference for policy-making, promotion strategy, and operation management of carsharing.

Without Subsidy, Will Chinese Renewable Energy Power Generation Have a Bright Future?

ABSTRACT As installed capacity of Chinese renewable energy (RE) power generation has been expanded rapidly, the gap between subsidies and funds is more and more huge. Chinese government has urgently sought other incentive policies in place of subsidy. Considering incentive policies such as RE quota scheme, green certificate trade, and subsidy in scenarios, the performances of RE power generations in the liberalized power market are measured in this article. Centralized renewable energy (CRE) and distributed renewable energy (DRE) generations are distinguished in this study. The results show that even if the subsidy is canceled, there will be no significant reversal of RE power generation. It is best to terminate subsidies after 48 months. With the interaction of the incentive policies, the on-grid market price is rising initially and then falling. The price of tradable green certificate (TGC) fluctuated with electricity demand. Subsidy influences the demand in the TGC market by affecting the amount of power generated by DRE, thereby affecting the profit of the CRE power generation. In addition, the changes in RE quota not only keep the price of TGC at a stable level, but also make the installed capacity of CRE power generation exceed the installed capacity of traditional energy power generation after 80 months.

George Richard (Dick) Potts (1939–2017)

George Richard (Dick) Potts (1939–2017)

Modelling biodiesel production within a regional context – A comparison with RED Benchmark

Biodiesel is an important bridging biofuel for reducing greenhouse gases (GHG). In 2015, Germany introduced a new GHG based quota scheme for biofuels. However, the use of default GHG values for rapeseed cultivation could provide inaccurate for specific regions and locations. Therefore, the aim of this paper was to use RELCA (a REgional Life Cycle inventory Approach) to assess the regional and spatial variation of GHG emissions associated with biodiesel production in Central Germany and to compare these results with the default values of the Renewable Energy Directive (RED), as well as to identify potential mitigation options for biodiesel production. The RELCA simulations indicated GHG emissions of 31.9–39.83 CO2eq./MJ, with emission magnitude changing between biodiesel configurations due to their locations within the CG region. In comparison with typical RED values for biodiesel, the CG simulations showed 13–31% greater mitigation potential. The results also indicated that the configuration of biomass and conversion plant needs to be assessed to develop the most appropriate mitigation strategies. Current GHG mitigation strategies are limited to the energy sector, allowing leakages within the agricultural sector. Therefore, for more spatially targeting GHG accounting to be implemented, sustainability certification should be expanded to other biomass markets.

On the potential remedies for license plate rationing

This paper analyzes three travel demand management policies designed to correct the shortcomings of license plate rationing (LPR). The first policy couples LPR with a new vehicle quota scheme that directly controls auto ownership. The other two policies turn the driving permit into a tradable commodity. They differ, however, in that one policy ties the permit to the license plate while the other bestows all travelers with equal driving permits. All new policies may be viewed as “derivatives” of LPR because they share some key features: simplicity and revenue neutrality. Using a conceptual model that considers two modes (transit and driving) and user heterogeneity, we analyze user equilibrium solutions under each new policy, and for policies based on permit trading, introduce and characterize a function that links individuals' trading behavior to their value of time. Our analysis and numerical experiments show that giving tradable permits to all travelers is more efficient than the other alternatives. Under this policy, travelers who decide to own automobiles will acquire enough permits from those who do not so that the former can drive without any restriction. Consequently, the permit each traveler should receive can be easily determined from the ratio between a desired highway flow level and the total demand. Importantly, when the desired flow level equals the system optimal flow, the policy is revenue-neutral and first-best under idealized conditions.

Impact of inefficient quota allocation under the Canada-U.S. softwood lumber dispute: A calibrated mixed complementarity approach

In this paper, a spatial price equilibrium model developed to shed new light on the economic impact of restrictive trade sanctions adopted in the Canada-U.S. softwood lumber dispute. Mixed complementarity programming is used to solve a 21-region, global trade model that is calibrated to 2011 observed bilateral trade flows using positive mathematical programming. In addition, the model employs a mechanism for analyzing the effects of the tariff rate quota used in the 2006 Softwood Lumber Agreement (SLA). It is estimated that the SLA created an annual deadweight loss of $28 million, paid by U.S. consumers. The quota constrained Alberta lumber producers while BC producers had excess quota. The lack of a proper mechanism for capturing quota rent, such as a tradable quota scheme or quota auction resulted in the survival of high-cost firms, perhaps to the detriment of lower-cost firms in Alberta. In the absence of SLA, it is estimated that Alberta would supply an additional 9% of Canadian softwood lumber to the U.S., eroding the supply share of all other regions while improving aggregate welfare.

The Role of Institutions in the Student Migrant Experience: Norway's Quota Scheme

This paper responds to calls for studies of student migrant experiences and the institutional actors that are involved in international student migration. In particular, we examine the ways in which institutional actors can influence student motivations and experiences through a case study of the Norwegian Quota Scheme. We discuss three main findings. First, institutions play a significant role in determining who migrates and the reasons for migration while shaping the academic experience and future migration plans of international students. Second, state-funded international student migration programmes constrain the future plans of recipients, reflecting potential differences in decision-making among state-funded and self-financed students. Third, international students – as both students and migrants – undergo significant personal growth during the course of their studies. This complicates state goals to return or retain student migrants, as the ambitions of students are likely to change concomitant with their personal development. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.