Description: Fully decarbonising global power supply is essential to meet the objectives of the Paris Agreement. A wide range of inter- and transnational governance institutions exist that work towards the transformation of the power sector. But are these governance efforts sufficient to address the challenges? To address this question the article first identifies governance needs on the basis of systemic sector-specific transformation challenges and discusses the potential for international governance to address them. Second, the paper surveys existing inter- and transnational institutions and assess to what extent they exploit the potential of international governance. The analysis shows that many of the governance needs are already being satisfied to some extent, particularly with respect to the deployment of renewable energy. It also shows that a significant blind spot remains: the phase-out of fossil fuels for electricity generation. The detailed analysis enables us to identify options for enhancing the governance landscape.

Description: Basaltic volcanoes represent a very large portion of active volcanism and exhibit a wide variability in their eruptive style. The basaltic eruptive activity in fact shows either a purely effusive behavior or an explosive character, which can, rarely, also turn into violent Plinian eruptions. The most characteristic explosive activities of basaltic magmatism are represented by Strombolian eruptions and lava fountains. The study of the relationship that exists between the pre-eruptive dynamics (e.g. fractional crystallization, mixing, degassing), the chemicalphysical variations of the magma in the volcanic feeding system and the related outcomes (in terms of eruptive style and geophysical markers) at the surface has been, in the last decades, reason of numerous studies. Nonetheless, the complexity of the volcanic system and its inaccessibility to direct observations still makes it difficult to reconstruct the dynamics of the magmatic system, basing on surface observations of the eruptive activity. A challenging objective of modern volcanology is to quantitatively characterize eruptive/degassing regimes from geophysical signals (in particular seismic and infrasonic), for both research and monitoring purposes. The outcomes of the attempts made so far are still considered very uncertain because volcanoes remain inaccessible when deriving quantitative information on crucial parameters such as plumbing system geometry and magma viscosity. Therefore the realization of laboratory made by several devices, capable to scale and reproduce in a controlled way the degassing dynamics of volcanic systems and measure the relative elastic markers (seismic and acoustic), is an indispensable tool to identify reliable quantitative relationships between the geophysical signals and the related eruptive and outgassing parameters. With the Aeolus project we build an experimental laboratory for the study of degassing dynamics through analogue volcanic eruptions. In particular the laboratory is capable of 1) investigate the relationship between degassing processes and the relative seismo-acoustic signals; 2) study the effect of different degrees of irregularity (i.e. roughness of the internal surface) of volcanic conduits on the eruptive style and/or the associated seismic-acoustic signals; 3) unravel the timescales of cyclic activity at basaltic volcanoes, reproducing the foam collapse model of Jaupart and Vergniolle (1988, 1989), which explains the transition between different explosive terms of the basaltic system (e.g. Strombolian activity and lava fountains), in a range of dimensionless parameters close to the volcanic system.

Description: Published

Description: Parma

Description: 4V. Processi pre-eruttivi

Description: Integrated assessment models (IAMs) are commonly used by decision makers in order to derive climate policies. IAMs are currently based on climate-economics interactions, whereas the role of social system has been highlighted to be of prime importance on the implementation of climate policies. Beyond existing IAMs, we argue that it is therefore urgent to increase efforts in the integration of social processes within IAMs. For achieving such a challenge, we present some promising avenues of research based on the social branches of economics. We finally present the potential implications yielded by such social IAMs.

Description: The impacts of the COVID-19 crisis and the global response to it will co-determine the future of climate policy. The recovery packages responding to the impacts of the pandemic may either help to chart a new sustainable course, or they will further cement existing high-emission pathways and thwart the achievement of the Paris Agreement objectives. This article discusses how international climate governance may help align the recovery packages with the climate agenda. For this purpose, the article investigates five key governance functions through which international institutions may contribute: send guidance and signals, establish rules and standards, provide transparency and accountability, organize the provision of means of implementation, and promote collective learning. Reflecting on these functions, the article finds that the process under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), together with other international institutions, could promote sustainable recovery in several ways.

Description: Energy service companies (ESCOs) play crucial role in building energy efficiency retrofit sector. However limited access to green financing has prevented ESCOs in their expansions in China. This paper, based on a survey of 469 samples and on-site visiting to and interviewing relevant 50 actors of ESCOs, financial institutions and local housing authorities, identifies main barriers of accessing to green financing at both systemic policy level and operational meso and micro level in China, and analyzes good practices at local level that overcome the barriers. The paper concludes that, although there are barriers existing at the policy level in China, substantial attentions and priorities should be given to take actions for overcoming the barriers existed at the operational meso and micro level. The paper suggests that the good practices of capacity building for ESCOs and local financial sector, intensifying participation of intermediate organizations or facilitators and diversifying financial sources and funding mechanisms and models that emerge from the local level should be disseminated in China.