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Author Hoogmartens, R.; Van Passel, S.; Van Acker, K.; Dubois, M. doi  openurl
  Title Bridging the gap between LCA, LCC and CBA as sustainability assessment tools Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2014 Publication Environmental Impact Assessment Review Abbreviated Journal Environ Impact Asses  
  Volume 48 Issue Pages 27-33  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Economics; Engineering Management (ENM)  
  Abstract Increasing interest in sustainability has led to the development of sustainability assessment tools such as Life Cycle Analysis (LCA), Life Cycle Costing (LCC) and Cost-Benefit Analysis (CBA). Due to methodological disparity of these three tools, conflicting assessment results generate confusion for many policy and business decisions. In order to interpret and integrate assessment results, the paper provides a framework that clarifies the connections and coherence between the included assessment methodologies. Building on this framework, the paper further focuses on key aspects to adapt any of the methodologies to full sustainability assessments. Aspects dealt with in the review are for example the reported metrics, the scope, data requirements, discounting, product- or project-related and approaches with respect to scarcity and labor requirements. In addition to these key aspects, the review shows that important connections exist: (i) the three tools can cope with social inequality, (ii) processes such as valuation techniques for LCC and CBA are common, (iii) Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is used as input in both LCA and CBA and (iv) LCA can be used in parallel with LCC. Furthermore, the most integrated sustainability approach combines elements of LCA and LCC to achieve the Life Cycle Sustainability Assessment (LCSA). The key aspects and the connections referred to in the review are illustrated with a case study on the treatment of end-of-life automotive glass. (C) 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000340141900004 Publication Date 2014-05-23  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN (up) 0195-9255 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 3.094 Times cited 93 Open Access  
  Notes ; ; Approved Most recent IF: 3.094; 2014 IF: 2.400  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:127542 Serial 6163  
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Author Maes, D.; Van Passel, S. doi  openurl
  Title Advantages and limitations of exergy indicators to assess sustainability of bioenergy and biobased materials Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2014 Publication Environmental Impact Assessment Review Abbreviated Journal Environ Impact Asses  
  Volume 45 Issue Pages 19-29  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Engineering Management (ENM)  
  Abstract Innovative bioenergy projects show a growing diversity in biomass pathways, transformation technologies and end-products, leading to complex new processes. Existing energy-based indicators are not designed to include multiple impacts and are too constrained to assess the sustainability of these processes. Alternatively, indicators based on exergy, a measure of “qualitative energy”, could allow a more holistic view. Exergy is increasingly applied in analyses of both technical and biological processes. But sustainability assessments including exergy calculations, are not very common and are not generally applicable to all types of impact. Hence it is important to frame the use of exergy for inclusion in a sustainability assessment. This paper reviews the potentials and the limitations of exergy calculations, and presents solutions for coherent aggregation with other metrics. The resulting approach is illustrated in a case study. Within the context of sustainability assessment of bioenergy, exergy is a suitable metric for the impacts that require an ecocentric interpretation, and it allows aggregation on a physical basis. The use of exergy is limited to a measurement of material and energy exchanges with the sun, biosphere and lithosphere. Exchanges involving services or human choices are to be measured in different metrics. This combination provides a more inclusive and objective sustainability assessment, especially compared to standard energy- or carbon-based indicators. Future applications of this approach in different situations are required to clarify the potential of exergy-based indicators in a sustainability context. (C) 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.  
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  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000331924600003 Publication Date 2013-12-05  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN (up) 0195-9255 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 3.094 Times cited 18 Open Access  
  Notes ; ; Approved Most recent IF: 3.094; 2014 IF: 2.400  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:127545 Serial 6147  
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Author Vasilakou, K.; Billen, P.; Van Passel, S.; Nimmegeers, P. pdf  doi
openurl 
  Title A Pareto aggregation approach for environmental-economic multi-objective optimization applied on a second-generation bioethanol production model Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2024 Publication Energy conversion and management Abbreviated Journal  
  Volume 303 Issue Pages 118184-11  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Economics; Engineering sciences. Technology; Engineering Management (ENM); Intelligence in PRocesses, Advanced Catalysts and Solvents (iPRACS)  
  Abstract Multi-objective optimization is an important decision-making tool for energy processes, as multiple targets need to be achieved. These objectives are usually conflicting since a single solution cannot be optimal for all objectives, resulting in a set of Pareto-optimal solutions. Multiple indicators might be available to describe a sustainability objective, such as the environmental impact which is commonly evaluated by performing a life cycle assessment. In this study, Pareto aggregation is proposed as a method which employs a novel multi-objective optimization-based approach as an alternative to the classically used aggregation in life cycle assessment. This method identifies conflicting environmental indicators and performs an aggregation among those that require a trade-off. An environmental-economic optimization of a second-generation bioethanol plant is used to illustrate and evaluate the proposed method. Process parameters from a biochemical conversion pathway flowsheet simulation model are chosen as optimization variables. To reduce the computational time, surrogate models, based on artificial neural networks, are used. Out of the eighteen ReCiPe Midpoint environmental indicators, five were identified as conflicting, resulting in an aggregated environmental objective, which was then traded off with the economic objective function, chosen as the levelized cost of ethanol. Comparison with the widely used single-score EcoIndicator99 showed that the Pareto aggregation method can reduce most of the environmental indicators by up to 6.5%. This research provides an insight on non-redundant objective functions, aiming at reducing the dimensionality of multi-objective optimization problems, while taking into consideration decision-makers’ preferences.  
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  Language Wos 001185718400001 Publication Date 2024-02-10  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN (up) 0196-8904; 1879-2227 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record  
  Impact Factor 10.4 Times cited Open Access  
  Notes Approved Most recent IF: 10.4; 2024 IF: 5.589  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:203046 Serial 9216  
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Author Fitawok, M.B.; Derudder, B.; Minale, A.S.; Van Passel, S.; Adgo, E.; Nyssen, J. pdf  doi
openurl 
  Title Analyzing the impact of land expropriation program on farmers' livelihood in urban fringes of Bahir Dar, Ethiopia Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2022 Publication Habitat International Abbreviated Journal Habitat Int  
  Volume 129 Issue Pages 102674-102679  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Sociology; Law; Art; Engineering Management (ENM)  
  Abstract This paper analyzes the impact of urban land-use changes on farmers' livelihood around the city of Bahir Dar (Ethiopia). Rapid urban expansion in and around the city has resulted in massive land-use changes in its urban fringes, with land expropriation programs affecting communities' livelihood and the environment. A survey was conducted in three urbanizing villages near Bahir Dar, focusing on 150 farmers who were land-expropriated and 180 farmers who were non-land-expropriated. Regression models and propensity matching scoring are applied to examine the livelihood differences of farmers in terms of farm income, off-farm income, primary expenditure type, and perception of urban expansion benefits to farmers. The results reveal that land expropriation in the area has led to (a) a shift to off-farm income for land expropriated farmers; (b) an increase in their household expenditure on staple foods compared to other expenditure types, including farm inputs; and (c) diverging perceptions on whether and how city expansion benefits farmers in the neighboring villages. Our findings provide insight into the need for tighter and impactful policy actions to ensure the sustainability of urbanization through accommodating expropriated farmers' livelihood changes and protecting natural resources in the area.  
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  Language Wos 000866411200001 Publication Date 2022-09-28  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN (up) 0197-3975; 0361-3690 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 2.285 Times cited Open Access OpenAccess  
  Notes Approved Most recent IF: NA  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:191385 Serial 7352  
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Author Admasu, W.F.; Van Passel, S.; Minale, A.S.; Tsegaye, E.A.; Azadi, H.; Nyssen, J. pdf  doi
openurl 
  Title Take out the farmer: An economic assessment of land expropriation for urban expansion in Bahir Dar, Northwest Ethiopia Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2019 Publication Land Use Policy Abbreviated Journal Land Use Policy  
  Volume 87 Issue 87 Pages 104038  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering Management (ENM)  
  Abstract In Ethiopia, the demand for land for urbanisation is primarily met by converting rural land through expropriation. However, land expropriations are adversely affecting the previous land users by reducing the amount of production and their sources of income. In Bahir Dar, one of the fastest-growing cities in Ethiopia, approximately 300 landholdings are expropriated each year, on average, for urban expansion. This paper assesses the land expropriations to examine whether they offer economically appropriate compensation for the previous land users. Land expropriations for urbanisation between 2007/2008 and 2016/2017 were analysed based on data on land expropriation and its compensation payment obtained from the Bahir Dar City Land Administration and Management Office. Data were analysed using an exponential growth model and a stochastic budgeting technique in which Monte Carlo simulations are performed. Between 2007/2008 and 2016/2017, more than 1500 ha of land were included in the city's boundary through expropriation from 2900 landholders. The affected farmers received compensation that represents only 37 per cent of the value of current crop yields and its growth. The current compensation scheme ignores the impact of inflation on the prices of crops and assumes constant yields. It also excludes the value of crop residuals. We propose a workable discounted compensation framework that considers crop price and yield growths. This will make the compensation scheme more appropriate and make the affected farmers better off.  
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  Language Wos 000483419100026 Publication Date 2019-06-15  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN (up) 0264-8377 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record  
  Impact Factor 3.089 Times cited 1 Open Access  
  Notes ; The authors acknowledge the Bahir Dar City Administration for sharing its compensation data, Bahir Dar Zuria Wereda Agriculture Office for sharing yield data, and the Industry and Trade Development Office for sharing crop price data. The Institutional University Cooperation with Bahir Dar University (BDU-IUC), funded by the Belgian authorities, through the Flemish Interuniversity Council University Development Cooperation, funded the research activities. We also thank the two anonymous reviewers and the editor of Land Use Policy for all constructive comments and suggestions. ; Approved Most recent IF: 3.089  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:162837 Serial 6261  
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Author Lizin, S.; Van Passel, S.; Schreurs, E. doi  openurl
  Title Farmers' perceived cost of land use restrictions : a simulated purchasing decision using discrete choice experiments Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2015 Publication Land Use Policy Abbreviated Journal Land Use Policy  
  Volume 46 Issue Pages 115-124  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Economics; Engineering Management (ENM)  
  Abstract This paper reports on the findings from discrete choice experiments designed to estimate farmers perceived costs of land use restrictions, i.e. crop restrictions, additional fertilizing restrictions, and usage restrictions, as opposed to having no such restrictions. To this end, hypothetical land purchasing decisions were simulated based on the information about productivity, lot size, distance to other land, driving time to home, land use restrictions, and price. Farmers from the Campine area (Belgium) were invited to participate in the survey as the agricultural land in this region still faces the effects of historical heavy metal contamination resulting in crop restrictions. For identical pieces of land, we estimate the perceived cost, calculated as a change in the consumer surplus due to having a land use restriction, to be about 46,000 /ha for the crop restriction, 50,000 /ha for the usage restriction, and 70,000 /ha for the fertilizing restrictions. Assuming this cost to represent a perpetuity, then with a discount rate of 5% the yearly fixed costs respectively equal about 2300 /ha, 2500 /ha, and 3500 /ha.  
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  Language Wos 000356110500010 Publication Date 2015-03-03  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN (up) 0264-8377 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 3.089 Times cited 12 Open Access  
  Notes ; The authors would like to thank Boerenbond for their help as well as the farmers for their time in responding to the questionnaire. Additionally, Sebastien Lizin thanks the Research Foundation Flanders (FWO) for funding his postdoctoral fellowship, allowing him to revise the manuscript. The authors would also like to thank the anonymous reviewers for helping us to improve the quality of our work. ; Approved Most recent IF: 3.089; 2015 IF: 2.631  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:129877 Serial 6203  
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Author Admasu, W.F.; Van Passel, S.; Nyssen, J.; Minale, A.S.; Tsegaye, E.A. pdf  doi
openurl 
  Title Eliciting farmers' preferences and willingness to pay for land use attributes in Northwest Ethiopia : a discrete choice experiment study Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2021 Publication Land Use Policy Abbreviated Journal Land Use Policy  
  Volume 109 Issue Pages  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Economics; Engineering Management (ENM)  
  Abstract This study investigates farmers' preferences and willingness to pay for cropland attributes in Bahir Dar, north-west Ethiopia. A choice experiment is used to elicit farmers' preferences between different land use attributes, including a monetary attribute. The study was conducted in the croplands that are threatened by land expro-priation for urban expansion. A survey was undertaken with 144 farmers in four rural kebeles surrounding the city (Addis Alem, Weramit, Wereb and Zenzelima). In the survey, respondents were provided with hypothetical land purchasing decisions, with three alternatives (i.e., two hypothetical parcels and an opt-out option). A choice experiment was undertaken to measure farmers' interest in different types of croplands, which varies with respect to irrigability, number of trees per ha, soil erosion resistance and water holding capacity of the cropland. Estimation of two mixed logit models was carried out. The estimation results show that, although the farmers did not show strong preferences for each attribute of the cropland, many farmers in the area showed interest in the proposed alternative croplands. Farmers show more interest for the land that is irrigable, gentle slope and with medium water holding capacity. The results also indicate that farmers assign highest marginal willingness to pay (MWTP) (79.01 ETB per square meter) for irrigated land, followed by medium water holding capacity with MWTP of 52.13 ETB per square meter. We believe that the results of this study would help land use policy and decision makers in the study area to consider the various attributes of cropland in land use planning, including land expropriation programs, which assures the sustainability of ecosystem services.  
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  Language Wos 000702844000009 Publication Date 2021-07-02  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN (up) 0264-8377 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record  
  Impact Factor 3.089 Times cited Open Access OpenAccess  
  Notes Approved Most recent IF: 3.089  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:182489 Serial 6921  
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Author Birhanu, T.; Deressa, S.B.; Azadi, H.; Viira, A.-H.; Van Passel, S.; Witlox, F. pdf  url
doi  openurl
  Title Determinants of commercial bank loan and advance disbursement : the case of private Ethiopian commercial banks Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2021 Publication International journal of bank marketing Abbreviated Journal  
  Volume 39 Issue 7 Pages 1227-1247  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Economics; Engineering Management (ENM)  
  Abstract Purpose This paper aimed to investigate the determinants of loans and advances from commercial banks in the case of Ethiopian private commercial banks. Design/methodology/approach The study randomly selected seven commercial banks to represent the population stratified on their asset, deposit and paid-up capital amounts. The study utilized an unbalanced panel data model as each bank started operation at a different period of time and considered the period 1995-2016 for secondary details. Findings The findings showed that the deposit size, credit risk, portfolio investment, average lending rate, real gross domestic product (GDP) and inflation rate had significant and optimistic effects on the lending and advancement of private commercial banks. On the contrary, liquidity ratio had significant and negative effects on private commercial bank loans and advances. Finally, the study forwarded a feasible recommendation for concerned organs to focus on deposit size, credit risk, portfolio investment, average lending rate, real GDP, inflation rate and liquidity ratio. The results of this study will help banking industry policymakers and planners understand how to minimize inflation and unemployment by improving development and sustainable economic growth. Originality/value The findings of this study can also affect the general attitudes of a society by increasing knowledge and improve the quality of life for the general public.  
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  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000670351700001 Publication Date 2021-07-07  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN (up) 0265-2323 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record  
  Impact Factor Times cited Open Access OpenAccess  
  Notes Approved Most recent IF: NA  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:179858 Serial 6919  
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Author Van Slycken, S.; Witters, N.; Meers, E.; Peene, A.; Michels, E.; Adriaensen, K.; Ruttens, A.; Vangronsveld, J.; Du Laing, G.; Wierinck, I.; Van Dael, M.; Van Passel, S.; Tack, F.M.G. doi  openurl
  Title Safe use of metal-contaminated agricultural land by cultivation of energy maize (Zea mays) Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2013 Publication Environmental Pollution Abbreviated Journal Environ Pollut  
  Volume 178 Issue Pages 375-380  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Economics  
  Abstract Production of food crops on trace element-contaminated agricultural lands in the Campine region (Belgium) can be problematic as legal threshold values for safe use of these crops can be exceeded. Conventional sanitation of vast areas is too expensive and alternatives need to be investigated. Zea mays on a trace element-contaminated soil in the region showed an average yield of 53 ± 10 Mg fresh or 20 ± 3 Mg dry biomass ha−1. Whole plant Cd concentrations complied with legal threshold values for animal feed. Moreover, threshold values for use in anaerobic digestion were met. Biogas production potential did not differ between maize grown on contaminated and non-contaminated soils. Results suggested favorable perspectives for farmers to generate non-food crops profitably, although effective soil cleaning would be very slow. This demonstrates that a valuable and sustainable alternative use can be generated for moderately contaminated soils on which conventional agriculture is impaired.  
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  Language Wos 000320487700050 Publication Date 2013-04-22  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN (up) 0269-7491 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 5.099 Times cited 30 Open Access  
  Notes ; This research was funded by the Institute for the promotion of Innovation by Science and Technology in Flanders (IWT-Flanders, Grant IWT/CLO/50702). We want to thank OVAM, as the planting and management of this site is part of a demonstration project in the context of the INTERREG-project BENEKEMPEN. Also many thanks to laboratory staff of the departments and to Pioneer and KWS for providing the seeds. ; Approved Most recent IF: 5.099; 2013 IF: 3.902  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:129870 Serial 6247  
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Author Srivastava, A.; Van Passel, S.; Kessels, R.; Valkering, P.; Laes, E. url  doi
openurl 
  Title Reducing winter peaks in electricity consumption: A choice experiment to structure demand response programs Type A1 Journal Article
  Year 2020 Publication Energy Policy Abbreviated Journal Energ Policy  
  Volume 137 Issue Pages 111183  
  Keywords A1 Journal Article; Engineering Management (ENM) ;  
  Abstract Winter peaks in Belgian electricity demand are significantly higher than the summer peaks, creating a greater potential for imbalances between demand and supply. This potential is exacerbated because of the risk of outages in its ageing nuclear power plants, which are being phased out in the medium term. This paper conducts a choice experiment to investigate the acceptability of a load control-based demand response program in the winter months. It surveys 186 respondents on their willingness to accept limits on the use of home appliances in return for a compensation. Results indicate that respondents are most affected by the days of the week that their appliance usage would be curtailed, and by the compensation they would receive. The willingness to enroll in a program increases with age, environmental consciousness, home ownership, and lower privacy concerns. The analysis predicts that 95% of the sample surveyed could enroll in a daily load control program for a compen- sation of €41 per household per year. Thus while an initial rollout among older and more pro-environment homeowners could be successful, a wider implementation would require an explanation of its environmental and financial benefits to the population, and a greater consideration of their data privacy concerns.  
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  Language Wos 000515439900040 Publication Date 2019-12-13  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN (up) 0301-4215 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 9 Times cited Open Access  
  Notes The authors gratefully acknowledge the guidance offered by the Flemish Electricity Regulatory Agency (VREG), the Flemish Department for Environment, Nature, and Energy (LNE), and Guido Pepermans in designing the experiment. We are also grateful for the translations provided by Loic De Weerdt, and the support extended by Macarena MacLean Larrain in pre-testing the experiment. Finally, Roselinde Kes- sels thanks the Flemish Research Foundation (FWO) for her postdoctoral fellowship and the JMP Division of SAS Institute for further financial support. Approved Most recent IF: 9; 2020 IF: 4.14  
  Call Number ENM @ enm @c:irua:167253 Serial 6348  
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Author Vanschoenwinkel, J.; Lizin, S.; Swinnen, G.; Azadi, H.; Van Passel, S. doi  openurl
  Title Solar cooking in Senegalese villages : an application of best-worst scaling Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2014 Publication Energy Policy Abbreviated Journal Energ Policy  
  Volume 67 Issue Pages 447-458  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Sociology; Engineering sciences. Technology; Engineering Management (ENM)  
  Abstract Dissemination programs of nontraditional cookstoves often fail. Nontraditional cookstoves aim to solve problems associated with biomass fuel usage in developing countries. Recent studies do not explain what drives user's cookstove choice. This study therefore builds a holistic framework that centralizes product-specific preferences or needs. The case study identifies product-specific factors that influence rural Senegalese inhabitants to switch to solar cooking, using best worst scaling. Looking at the preferences, the case study classified 126 respondents, in three distinct market segments with different solar cooking expectations. The paper identifies socio-demographic characteristics that explain these differences in the respondents' preferences. Finally, the respondent sample is divided in two groups: solar cooker owners and non-owners. When studied with regard to the same issue, solar cooker owners appear to value benefits of the solar cooker lower than non-owners. This is due to program factors (such as formations, after-sales network) and miscommunication (such as a wrong image of the solar cooker) that highly influenced the respondents' cookstove choice. As a conclusion, solar cookers and solar cooking programs are not always adapted to the needs and requirements of the end-users. Needs-oriented and end-user adopted strategies are necessary in order to successfully implement nontraditional cookstoves programs. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.  
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  Language Wos 000332815300043 Publication Date 2014-01-08  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN (up) 0301-4215; 1873-6777 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 4.14 Times cited 10 Open Access  
  Notes ; The authors thank the VLIR-UOS for their financial support and the Sol Suffit Program for their co-operation during the research. ; Approved Most recent IF: 4.14; 2014 IF: 2.575  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:127544 Serial 6251  
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Author Maes, D.; Van Passel, S. doi  openurl
  Title Interference of regional support policies on the economic and environmental performance of a hybrid cogeneration-solar panel energy system Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2012 Publication Energy Policy Abbreviated Journal Energ Policy  
  Volume 42 Issue Pages 670-680  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Engineering Management (ENM)  
  Abstract This paper assesses unintentional interference between different public policies promoting energy efficiency and renewable energy. The paper develops a methodology to study the interference by analysing the economic and technical behaviour of a hybrid energy system. The hybrid energy system in this case consists of an existing cogeneration unit extended with a new installation of thermal solar panels. This puts two complementary heating technologies in juxtaposition. The two technologies are supported with distinct regional support instruments in each region. The design and operation of the energy system is optimised from the point of view of the investor according to the different support instruments. The optimal configuration is analysed as well as its effect on reduced CO2-emissions during the lifetime of the project. The methodology is applied to a case-study for two neighbouring regions, the Netherlands and Flanders. The policies in the Netherlands show a beneficial synergy. In Flanders, the hybrid energy system is not interesting, indicating unbalanced high support for cogeneration in this case. From the point of view of the authorities, a more balanced regional policy as in the Netherlands provides a larger CO2-emission reduction for a smaller cost. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.  
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  Language Wos 000301616000066 Publication Date 2012-01-14  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN (up) 0301-4215; 1873-6777 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 4.14 Times cited 4 Open Access  
  Notes ; The authors would especially like to thank Davy Duelen for the excellent case-study and data collection that enabled the present paper. The help and information provided by Pierre Gijsen also made the detailed assessment possible. We are also indebted to two anonymous reviewers, whose remarks strongly improved the paper. This project has been financed by the Impulse-project of the tUL (transnational University Limburg). ; Approved Most recent IF: 4.14; 2012 IF: 2.743  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:127558 Serial 6220  
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Author Bjornavold, A.; Van Passel, S. pdf  doi
openurl 
  Title The lock-in effect and the greening of automotive cooling systems in the European Union Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2017 Publication Journal Of Environmental Management Abbreviated Journal J Environ Manage  
  Volume 203 Issue 3 Pages 1199-1207  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering Management (ENM)  
  Abstract As of 2017, the sale and use of the refrigerants most commonly used in automotive cooling systems – hydrofluorocarbons – are entirely banned in all new vehicles placed on the market in the European Union. These refrigerants have been recognised as potent greenhouse gases and, therefore, direct contributors to climate change. It is within this regulation-driven market that the technologies for a sustainable solution have been developed. However, this paper argues that the market for automotive cooling systems has been 'locked-in', which means that competing technologies, operating under dynamic increasing returns, will allow for one – potentially inferior technology – to dominate the market. Whilst such a situation is not uncommon, this paper discusses the way that regulation has reinforced a patented monopoly in 'picking winners': to the advantage of a synthetic chemical, R-1234yf, as opposed to the natural solution, which is CO2. By developing a generic conceptual framework of path dependence and lock-in, the presented evidence seeks to show how a snowballing effect has led to the intensification of differences in market share. We also argue that the automotive industry is potentially promoting short-term fixes, rather than long-term, sustainable and economically viable solutions. (C) 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.  
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  Language Wos 000413886300035 Publication Date 2017-06-24  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN (up) 0301-4797 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 4.01 Times cited 5 Open Access  
  Notes ; ; Approved Most recent IF: 4.01  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:147374 Serial 6268  
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Author Van Passel, S.; Van Huylenbroeck, G.; Lauwers, L.; Mathijs, E. doi  openurl
  Title Sustainable value assessment of farms using frontier efficiency benchmarks Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2009 Publication Journal Of Environmental Management Abbreviated Journal J Environ Manage  
  Volume 90 Issue 10 Pages 3057-3069  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Economics  
  Abstract Appropriate assessment of firm sustainability facilitates actor-driven processes towards sustainable development. The methodology in this paper builds further on two proven methodologies for the assessment of sustainability performance: it combines the sustainable value approach with frontier efficiency benchmarks. The sustainable value methodology tries to relate firm performance to the use of different resources. This approach assesses contributions to corporate sustainability by comparing firm resource productivity with the resource productivity of a benchmark, and this for all resources considered. The efficiency is calculated by estimating the production frontier indicating the maximum feasible production possibilities. In this research, the sustainable value approach is combined with efficiency analysis methods to benchmark sustainability assessment. In this way, the production theoretical underpinnings of efficiency analysis enrich the sustainable value approach. The methodology is presented using two different functional forms: the CobbDouglas and the translog functional forms. The simplicity of the CobbDouglas functional form as benchmark is very attractive but it lacks flexibility. The translog functional form is more flexible but has the disadvantage that it requires a lot of data to avoid estimation problems. Using frontier methods for deriving firm specific benchmarks has the advantage that the particular situation of each company is taken into account when assessing sustainability. Finally, we showed that the methodology can be used as an integrative sustainability assessment tool for policy measures.  
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  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000269022800013 Publication Date 2009-06-24  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN (up) 0301-4797 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 4.01 Times cited 41 Open Access  
  Notes Approved Most recent IF: 4.01; 2009 IF: 2.367  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:136762 Serial 6259  
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Author Compernolle, T.; Van Passel, S.; Lebbe, L. doi  openurl
  Title Bioremediation : how to deal with removal efficiency uncertainty? An economic application Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2013 Publication Journal Of Environmental Management Abbreviated Journal J Environ Manage  
  Volume 127 Issue Pages 77-85  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Economics  
  Abstract Bioremediation is a remediation strategy, which has considerable strength but also certain limitations. Complex and uncertain relationships among biomass, contaminants, and nutrients lead to an uncertain level of removal efficiency. The uncertainty inherent to a bioremediation strategy should be addressed in the remediation selection process. In order to evaluate the bioremediation strategy economically, this study takes into account the reversibility of a decision. A decision tree structures the different remediation strategies, thus giving the possible courses of action open to the decision maker. The option value indicates the importance of having the possibility to reverse a previously made decision. Compared with conventional economic evaluation tools, more information to ground the selection made is revealed.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000322940100010 Publication Date 2013-05-15  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN (up) 0301-4797 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 4.01 Times cited 1 Open Access  
  Notes ; ; Approved Most recent IF: 4.01; 2013 IF: 3.188  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:129868 Serial 6162  
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Author Van Oijstaeijen, W.; Van Passel, S.; Cools, J. pdf  url
doi  openurl
  Title Urban green infrastructure: A review on valuation toolkits from an urban planning perspective Type A1 Journal Article
  Year 2020 Publication Journal Of Environmental Management Abbreviated Journal J Environ Manage  
  Volume 267 Issue Pages 110603  
  Keywords A1 Journal Article; Engineering Management (ENM) ;  
  Abstract As a response to increasing urbanization and changing weather and climatic patterns, urban green infrastructure (UGI) emerged as a concept to increase resilience within the urban boundaries. Given that implementing these (semi-) natural solutions in practice requires a clear overview of the costs and benefits, valuation becomes ever important. A range of decision-support tools for green infrastructure and ecosystem services exist, developed for various purposes. This paper reviews the potential of 10 shortlisted and existing valuation tools to support investment decisions of urban green infrastructure. In the assessment, the functionality is regarded specifically from the urban planning and decision-making viewpoint. The toolkits were evaluated on 12 different criteria. After analyzing the toolkits on these criteria, the findings are evaluated on the (mis)match with specific requirements in the urban planning and management context. Secondly, recommendations and guidelines are formulated to support the design of simple valuation tools, tailored to support the development of green infrastructure in urban areas. Approaching the valuation toolkits biophysically and (socio-)economically provides an integral overview of the challenges and opportunities of the capacities of each framework. It was found that most tools are not designed for the peculiarities of the urban context. Several elements contribute to the hampering uptake of GI valuation tools. Firstly, the limited effort in the economic case for green infrastructure remains a burden to use toolkits to compare grey and green alternatives. Secondly, tools are currently seldom designed for the peculiarities of cities: urban ecosystem (dis)services, multi-scalability, life-span assessments of co-benefits and the importance of social benefits. Thirdly, toolkits should be the result of co-development between the scientific community and local authorities in order to create toolkits that are tailor made to the specific needs in the urban planning process. It can be concluded that current tools, are not readily applicable to support decision making as such. However, if applied cautiously, they can have an indicative role to pinpoint further targeted and in-depth analyses.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000533525100040 Publication Date 2020-04-27  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN (up) 0301-4797 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 8.7 Times cited Open Access  
  Notes Nature Smart Cities across the 2 Seas is an Interreg 2 Seas co-funded project to the value of €6,380,472. It consists of a total of 11 Partners from 4 EU Member States, who will work together to develop a business model that local authorities can use to justify the use of ‘city finance’ to fund their urban greening programmes. This project has received funding from the Interreg 2 Seas programme 2014-2020 co-funded by the European Regional Development Fund under subsidy contract No 2S05-048. Approved Most recent IF: 8.7; 2020 IF: 4.01  
  Call Number ENM @ enm @c:irua:169448 Serial 6384  
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Author Tschulkow, M.; Compernolle, T.; Van Passel, S. pdf  doi
openurl 
  Title Optimal timing of multiple investment decisions in a wood value chain : a real options approach Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2021 Publication Journal Of Environmental Management Abbreviated Journal J Environ Manage  
  Volume 290 Issue Pages 112590  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Economics; Engineering Management (ENM)  
  Abstract A new reductive catalytic fractionation biorefinery process (RCF) is currently being developed transforming wood into high-value end-products. RCF is considered to be in the pilot stage with a technology readiness level of 5–6. Apart from the RCF-process characteristics, the economic feasibility also depends on the investment decisions that are made upstream and downstream within the wood value chain, increasing the level of uncertainty. Two investment options within the value chain are considered: an option to invest in harvesting equipment and an option to invest in the RCF. To understand the impact of multiple sources of uncertainty on the decision to invest in an innovative RCF-driven wood value chain, an analytical two-factor real options model is presented, accounting for correlated cost and price uncertainties. Two different scenarios, separated and united investments in harvesting equipment and RCF, are analyzed. In both scenarios, market uncertainty postpones investment in comparison to the traditional NPV approach. When both investments are considered separately, the investment in RCF is expected to be earlier than the investment in harvesting equipment. When both investment decisions are united, the probability of investment increases. The study reveals that RCF has the potential to stimulate investments from different investors, –upstream and midstream–, within the wood value chain. Besides, the introduced real options model proofs its ability to assess the economic feasibility of innovative technologies (e.g RCF) individually or within the value chain, taking into account multiple sources of uncertainty.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000656438000005 Publication Date 2021-04-25  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN (up) 0301-4797 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record  
  Impact Factor 4.01 Times cited Open Access OpenAccess  
  Notes Approved Most recent IF: 4.01  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:179487 Serial 6937  
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Author Vermeulen, S.; Cools, J.; Staes, J.; Van Passel, S. pdf  doi
openurl 
  Title A review of economic assessments of drought risk reduction approaches in agriculture Type Administrative Services
  Year 2023 Publication Journal of environmental management Abbreviated Journal  
  Volume 345 Issue Pages 118909-118912  
  Keywords Administrative Services; A1 Journal article; Economics; Ecosphere; Engineering Management (ENM)  
  Abstract Due to climate change, the frequency and intensity of droughts are expected to increase. To improve resilience to droughts, proactive drought management is essential. Economic assessments are typically included to decide on the drought risk-reducing investments to make. The choice of both methods and scope of economic assessments influences the outcome, and thus the investment choice. This paper aims to identify how comprehensively economic assessments are applied in practice. Through a systematic literature review, 14 actual economic assessments are identified and their methods are evaluated based on seven criteria for economic assessments as derived from the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). The results show that in practice, economic assessments rarely address all criteria. Applying a limited number of criteria reduces the scope and narrows the approach, possibly leading to the underestimation of drought risk reduction approaches’ related benefits. Applying the seven criteria in practice will improve the results of economic assessments of drought risk reduction measures, allowing for optimal investment selection. Based on the different criteria, a Framework for Economic Assessments of Drought Risk-Reducing Applications (FEADRRA) is proposed. Applying the criteria of the framework can support decision-makers in drought risk management and in carrying out the most fitting drought interventions.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 001080044100001 Publication Date 2023-08-31  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN (up) 0301-4797 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record  
  Impact Factor 8.7 Times cited Open Access  
  Notes Approved Most recent IF: 8.7; 2023 IF: 4.01  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:199661 Serial 9222  
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Author Gezahegn, T.W.; Van Passel, S.; Berhanu, T.; D'haese, M.; Maertens, M. pdf  url
doi  openurl
  Title Do bottom-up and independent agricultural cooperatives really perform better? Insights from a technical efficiency analysis in Ethiopia Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2020 Publication Agrekon Abbreviated Journal Agrekon  
  Volume Issue Pages  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering Management (ENM)  
  Abstract The cooperative landscape in Ethiopia is very heterogeneous with a mixture of remains of the pre-1991 government-controlled system and new post-1991 bottom-up collective action initiatives. This heterogeneity, coupled with a large growth in the number of cooperatives in the country, offers an interesting perspective to study the determinants of the (in)efficiency of cooperatives. In this paper, we analyse the performance of Ethiopian agricultural cooperatives, focusing on the degree of technical (in)efficiency and its determinants. We use the stochastic frontier approach in which we account for heteroskedasticity and the monotonicity of production functions, presenting a methodological improvement with respect to previous technical efficiency studies. The results show that NGO- and government-initiated cooperatives are less efficient than community-initiated ones, implying that governments and NGOs should not interfere too strongly in cooperative formation. Cooperatives with a high degree of heterogeneity in members' participation are found to be about 98% less efficient, while cooperatives that have paid employees are 33% more efficient. Besides, results show that cooperatives in Ethiopia function more efficiently if they incentivize committee members through monetary compensation.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000487651200001 Publication Date 2019-09-24  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN (up) 0303-1853 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 1.3 Times cited Open Access  
  Notes ; The authors acknowledge funding from the VLIR-UOS TEAM Program (VLIR-UOS-ZEIN2015PR406 (13V95615T), Belgium. ; Approved Most recent IF: 1.3; 2020 IF: 0.224  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:163772 Serial 6184  
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Author Rafiaani, P.; Dikopoulou, Z.; Van Dael, M.; Kuppens, T.; Azadi, H.; Lebailly, P.; Van Passel, S. url  doi
openurl 
  Title Identifying Social Indicators for Sustainability Assessment of CCU Technologies: A Modified Multi-criteria Decision Making Type A1 Journal Article
  Year 2020 Publication Social Indicators Research Abbreviated Journal Soc Indic Res  
  Volume 147 Issue 1 Pages 15-44  
  Keywords A1 Journal Article; Engineering Management (ENM) ;  
  Abstract Carbon capture and utilization (CCU) technologies capture CO2 waste emissions and utilize them to generate new products (such as fuels, chemicals, and materials) with various environmental, economic, and social opportunities. As most of these CCU technologies are in the R&D stage, their technical and economic viability are examined with less attention to the social aspect which is an important pillar for a holistic sustainability assessment. The lack of systematic social impact research is mainly due to the difficulty of identifying and quantifying social aspects through the entire life cycle of products. We will fill this gap for CCU technologies and identify the main social indicators. A multi-criteria decision making tool: TOPSIS (technique for order of preference by similarity to ideal solution) was applied to empirically determine which indicators are more relevant for assessing the social impact of a company operating CCU activities within a European context. First, seeing that social impact categories are linked to key stakeholder groups, we considered workers, consumers, and local communities as relevant stakeholders. Second, the main social impact categories and their potential performance indicators associated to each group of stakeholders were listed using the United Nations Environment Program/Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (UNEP/SETAC) guidelines. In the third step, an online questionnaire was distributed to identify the main social categories and indicators for CCU, to which 33 European CCU experts responded. Finally, a modified TOPSIS was applied to rank the indicators based on their relevance. We found that the indicators related to “end of life responsibility” and “transparency” within a CCU company achieved the highest rank affecting the consumers group, whereas “fair salary” and “equal opportunities/discriminations” were determined as the most relevant impact categories for the workers. For the local community group, “secure living conditions” and “local employment” received the highest priority from the experts’ point of view. Furthermore, “health and safety” considerations were identified as one of the most important criteria affecting all three groups of stakeholders. The ranking list of the main social indicators identified in our study provides the basis for the next steps in the social sustainability assessment of CCU technologies; that is, data collection and impact assessment. Our outcomes can also be used to inform the producers regarding the most and least relevant social aspects of CCU so that the potential social impacts caused by their production activities can be improved or prevented.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000511863600002 Publication Date 2019-07-06  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN (up) 0303-8300 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 1.743 Times cited Open Access  
  Notes We would also like to thank James Morrison from the JamesEdits agency for proof reading and editing the article. Approved Most recent IF: NA  
  Call Number ENM @ enm @c:irua:166591 Serial 6354  
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Author Van Dael, M.; Van Passel, S.; Pelkmans, L.; Guisson, R.; Reumermann, P.; Luzardo, N.M.; Witters, N.; Broeze, J. doi  openurl
  Title A techno-economic evaluation of a biomass energy conversion park Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2013 Publication Applied Energy Abbreviated Journal Appl Energ  
  Volume 104 Issue Pages 611-622  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Engineering Management (ENM)  
  Abstract Biomass as a renewable energy source has many advantages and is therefore recognized as one of the main renewable energy sources to be deployed in order to attain the target of 20% renewable energy use of final energy consumption by 2020 in Europe. In this paper the concept of a biomass Energy Conversion Park (ECP) is introduced. A biomass ECP can be defined as a synergetic, multi-dimensional biomass conversion site with a highly integrated set of conversion technologies in which a multitude of regionally available biomass (residue) sources are converted into energy and materials. A techno-economic assessment is performed on a case study in the Netherlands to illustrate the concept and to comparatively assess the highly integrated system with two mono-dimensional models. The three evaluated models consist of (1) digestion of the organic fraction of municipal solid waste, (2) co-digestion of manure and co-substrates, and (3) integration. From a socio-economic point of view it can be concluded that it is economically and energetically more interesting to invest in the integrated model than in two separate models. The integration is economically feasible and environmental benefits can be realized. For example, the integrated model allows the implementation of a co-digester. Unmanaged manure would otherwise represent a constant pollution risk. However, from an investor's standpoint one should firstly invest in the municipal solid waste digester since the net present value (NPV) of this mono-dimensional model is higher than that of the multi-dimensional model. A sensitivity analysis is performed to identify the most influencing parameters. Our results are of interest for companies involved in the conversion of biomass. The conclusions are useful for policy makers when deciding on policy instruments concerning manure processing or biogas production. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000316152700062 Publication Date 2012-12-25  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN (up) 0306-2619 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 7.182 Times cited 45 Open Access  
  Notes ; We would like to thank the editor and the anonymous referees for their helpful suggestions and insightful comments that have significantly improved the paper. Furthermore, the authors gratefully acknowledge the financial support from INTERREG and the province of Limburg (Belgium). Also, we would like to thank all remaining partners of the ECP project (Eloi Schreurs, Dries Maes, Kristian Coppoolse, Han ten Berge, Bert Annevelink, Nathalie Devriendt, Erwin Cornelissen, Hannes Pieper, Pieter Vollaard, Jan Venselaar, and Hessel Abbink Spaink) for their support and contributions. Finally, we would like to express our gratitude towards the organization of the eighth International Conference on Renewable Resources and Biorefineries in Toulouse (France) for giving us the opportunity to present and thereby fine-tune our work. ; Approved Most recent IF: 7.182; 2013 IF: 5.261  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:127552 Serial 6145  
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Author Vasilakou, K.; Nimmegeers, P.; Thomassen, G.; Billen, P.; Van Passel, S. pdf  url
doi  openurl
  Title Assessing the future of second-generation bioethanol by 2030 : a techno-economic assessment integrating technology learning curves Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2023 Publication Applied energy Abbreviated Journal  
  Volume 344 Issue Pages 121263-15  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Economics; Engineering sciences. Technology; Engineering Management (ENM); Intelligence in PRocesses, Advanced Catalysts and Solvents (iPRACS)  
  Abstract Lignocellulosic biomass is the most abundant source of renewable biomass and is seen as a high-potential replacement for petroleum-based resources. The conversion technologies to advanced biofuels are still at a low maturity level, thus allowing for future cost reductions through technological learning. This fact is barely considered in state-of-the-art techno-economic assessments and a structured approach to account for technological learning in techno-economic assessments is needed. In this study, a framework for techno-economic assessments of advanced biofuels, integrating learning curves, is proposed. As a validation of this framework, the economic feasibility of the valorization of corn stover for the production of second-generation bioethanol in Belgium is studied. Process flowsheet simulations in Aspen Plus are developed, with an emphasis on the comparison of four different pretreatment technologies and two plant capacities at 156 dry kt biomass/y and 667 dry kt/y. The dilute acid pretreatment model of the large-scale biorefinery required the lowest minimum learning rate to reach an economically feasible biorefinery by 2030, being 3.9%, almost half as the one calculated for the smaller scale plant. This learning rate seems to be achievable based on learning rates commonly estimated in literature. We conclude that there is a potential for advanced ethanol production in Belgium under the current state of technology for large-scale biorefineries, which require additional biomass imports, when accounting for future cost reductions through learning  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 001007488700001 Publication Date 2023-05-22  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN (up) 0306-2619 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 11.2 Times cited Open Access  
  Notes Approved Most recent IF: 11.2; 2023 IF: 7.182  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:196509 Serial 9186  
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Author Merante, P.; Van Passel, S.; Pacini, C. doi  openurl
  Title Using agro-environmental models to design a sustainable benchmark for the sustainable value method Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2015 Publication Agricultural Systems Abbreviated Journal Agr Syst  
  Volume 136 Issue Pages 1-13  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Economics; Engineering Management (ENM)  
  Abstract Farms contribute heavily to overall sustainability. To date, various frameworks, approaches, methods and indicators have been developed to appraise how much corporations (firms, farms) contribute to sustainability. Among these, the Sustainable Value (SV) method helps to determine by which economic entity resources should be used in order to achieve the highest contributions to sustainability, by comparing company's efficiency of capital use against the efficiency of a benchmark. In this work we argue that the SV benchmark does not include certain crucial environmental concepts, such as the carrying capacity of an ecosystem or the multiple vital functions provided by ecosystem services. Thus, it is not a suitable reference for companies to evaluate their contribution to sustainability. As an alternative benchmark to standard SV applications, we propose a farm whose resource use productivity is correlated to the fulfilment of pre-determined environmental constraints: the Environmentally Sustainable Farm (ESF). To design this farm, we created an agro-environmental farm modelling framework that includes: (i) methods and approaches to assess indicators concerning specific environmental issues; (ii) an integrated ecological-economic model based on linear programming. This farm modelling framework is employed to determine both the environmental performance and the economic returns of two farming systems, conventional (CFS) and organic (OFS), which are compared using the Sustainable Value approach. Despite the fact that the OFS environmentally outperforms the CFS, none of them reaches the sustainable performances achieved by the ESF, both performing a negative Sustainable Value. The environmental constraints forced the ESF towards management choices that, although decreasing the economic performance, increase its environmental sustainability behaviour. Hence, the ESF is a viable benchmark that can be used to evaluate llllfarms' environmental sustainability. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000354503000001 Publication Date 2015-02-25  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN (up) 0308-521x ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 2.571 Times cited 6 Open Access  
  Notes ; We wish to thank all participants to the SVAPPAS project for their inspiring contributions and challenging debates. Furthermore, we are grateful to the financial support from the 6th Framework Programme of the EU (project code: SSPECT – 2006 – DG AGRI). The authors thank the technicians Giovanna Casella and Roberto Vivoli (University of Florence) for their technical contribution. ; Approved Most recent IF: 2.571; 2015 IF: 2.906  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:127536 Serial 6275  
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Author Meul, M.; Van Middelaar, C.E.; de Boer, I.J.M.; Van Passel, S.; Fremaut, D.; Haesaert, G. doi  openurl
  Title Potential of life cycle assessment to support environmental decision making at commercial dairy farms Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2014 Publication Agricultural Systems Abbreviated Journal Agr Syst  
  Volume 131 Issue Pages 105-115  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering Management (ENM)  
  Abstract In this paper, we evaluate the potential of life cycle assessment (LCA) to support environmental decision making at commercial dairy farms. To achieve this, we follow a four-step method that allows converting environmental assessment results using LCA into case-specific advice for farmers. This is illustrated in a case-study involving 20 specialized Flemish dairy farms. Calculated LCA indicators are normalized into scores between 0 and 100, whereby a score of 100 is assumed optimal, to allow for a mutual comparison of indicators for different environmental impact categories. Next, major farm and management characteristics affecting environmental performance are identified using multiple regression and correlation analyses. Finally, comparing specific farm and management characteristics with those of best performing farms identifies farm-specific optimization strategies. We conclude that this approach complies with most of the identified critical success factors for the successful implementation of LCA as a decision support system for farmers. Key aspects herein are (i) the flexibility and accessibility of the model, (ii) the use of readily available farm data, (iii) farm advisors being intended model users, (iv) the identification of key farm and management characteristics affecting environmental performance and (v) the organization of discussion sessions involving farmers and farm advisors. However, attention should be paid (i) to provide sufficient training and guidance for farm advisors on the use of the applied LCA model and the interpretation of results, (ii) to evaluate the correctness of the used data and (iii) to keep the model up-to-date according to new scientific insights and knowledge concerning LCA methodology. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000343955300011 Publication Date 2014-09-15  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN (up) 0308-521x ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 2.571 Times cited 25 Open Access  
  Notes ; ; Approved Most recent IF: 2.571; 2014 IF: 2.906  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:127540 Serial 6238  
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Author Moretti, M.; De Boni, A.; Roma, R.; Fracchiolla, M.; Van Passel, S. pdf  doi
openurl 
  Title Integrated assessment of agro-ecological systems : the case study of the “Alta Murgia” National park in Italy Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2016 Publication Agricultural Systems Abbreviated Journal Agr Syst  
  Volume 144 Issue Pages 144-155  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering Management (ENM)  
  Abstract Several indicators and methods are already applied for sustainability assessment in agriculture. The links between sustainability indicators, agricultural management and policies are not well explained. The aim of this study is to combine biophysical and monetary sustainability assessment tools to support agriculture policy decision-making. Three methodological steps are considered: i) the environmental impacts of farms are assessed using terrestrial acidification, freshwater eutrophication, soil and freshwater ecotoxicity as well as natural land transformation; ii) the most relevant indicators of agriculture damages on ecosystems quality are aggregated into an index; iii) the farms' index scores are integrated with farm assets, land and labor, into the Sustainable Value approach (SVA), as indicator of natural resources used by farms. As a case study, the methodology was applied to arable farms with and without animal husbandry of the “Alta Murgia” National Park. The crop farms, in our sample, have a higher sustainable value using their economic and environmental resources. Mixed farms need to improve their resources use efficiency. Although crop farms have lower land-use efficiency compared to mixed farms, our results suggest supporting, by means of policy options, the specialized crop farms that, on average, perform better in terms of ecosystems quality preservation. Finally, we find that Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) to soundly measure the environmental impacts clearly enriches the SVA. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000373553100014 Publication Date 2016-02-27  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN (up) 0308-521x ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 2.571 Times cited 6 Open Access  
  Notes ; We would like to thank the editor and the anonymous referees for their helpful suggestions and insightful comments that have significantly improved the paper. The authors want to thank the “Alta Murgia” Park Authority for the support in this study and all farmers that collaborated with the authors providing data. Moreover, the authors want to thank Dr. Sylvestre Njakou Djomo for the useful discussion and suggestion to build the LCA model. ; Approved Most recent IF: 2.571  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:133254 Serial 6218  
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Author Pacini, G.C.; Merante, P.; Lazzerini, G.; Van Passel, S. doi  openurl
  Title Increasing the cost-effectiveness of EU agri-environment policy measures through evaluation of farm and field-level environmental and economic performance Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2015 Publication Agricultural Systems Abbreviated Journal Agr Syst  
  Volume 136 Issue Pages 70-78  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Economics; Engineering Management (ENM)  
  Abstract A lot of attention in the debate on the 2014-2020 programming period of the EU CAP and rural development policy revolves around the policy's contribution to enhancing resource use efficiency, decreasing environmental impact, restoring ecosystems and how to ensure more efficient and effective agrienvironmental measures (AEMs). Nevertheless, studies that simultaneously address multiple measures with multiple environmental objectives and targets are underrepresented in the scientific literature. The objectives of the present article are (i) to present an integrated tool-kit for AEM design resulting from the combination of farm modelling with the Sustainable Value Approach (SVA), and (ii) to evaluate the potential of the tool-kit to support AEM design through an application to estimate cost-effective organic agriculture payments for the dairy sector in Mugello, northern Tuscany. Sustainability assessment of organic and conventional farming systems (OFS and CFS, respectively.) under the 2007-2013 EU CAP support schemes and a no EU support scenario show better OFS performances regarding nitrogen leaching (-52% and -47% under the current CAP and the no EU support scenarios, respectively), soil erosion (-24% and -34%), potential pesticide risks (-100%), biodiversity (+13% and +30%). Income foregone for the production of environmental benefits from organic agriculture under a no EU support scenario is equal to 210 Euro/ha. Sustainable value calculations combined with modelling results indicate soil erosion and nitrogen leaching as the environmental processes to be addressed with specific policy measures to further increase the efficiency of organic farming. A new organic agriculture support scheme designed based on such indications further increases the OFS SV and almost closes the GAP with a benchmark farm of the area, featured with ideal performances in terms of environmental and economic indicators. The payment scheme we designed with the support of the integrated tool-kit shows to be more cost-effective and efficient of current AEMs. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000354503000007 Publication Date 2015-03-18  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN (up) 0308-521x ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 2.571 Times cited 12 Open Access  
  Notes ; We wish to thank all participants to the SVAPPAS project for their inspiring contributions and challenging debates. We are furthermore grateful to the financial support from the 6th Framework Programme of the EU (project code: SSPECT – 2006 – DG AGRI). The authors are most grateful to technicians Giovanna Casella and Roberto Vivoli (University of Florence) for their technical contribution. ; Approved Most recent IF: 2.571; 2015 IF: 2.906  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:127537 Serial 6216  
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author van Winsen, F.; de Mey, Y.; Lauwers, L.; Van Passel, S.; Vancauteren, M.; Wauters, E. pdf  doi
openurl 
  Title Cognitive mapping : a method to elucidate and present farmers' risk perception Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2013 Publication Agricultural Systems Abbreviated Journal Agr Syst  
  Volume 122 Issue Pages 42-52  
  Keywords A1 Journal article  
  Abstract Assumptions on the perceptions of risks, made in agricultural economics literature, are recognized to be over-simplistic. For example most studies assume that risks are independent and static, while in reality most risks are interlinked and dynamic. We propose an alternative method to identify and present risk perception, closer to the actual comprehension of risk by farmers. Grounded theory is used to investigate the perceptions of risk by farmers while avoiding prior assumptions. Main findings are: (i) farmers have difficulty to rank or score probability and impact of risks in a (semi)quantitative manner; (ii) farmers attach different meanings to risk, when the focus shifts between, uncertain event, probability or value at stake and; (iii) farmers perceive risks as being interrelated. Based on these findings, we propose that farmers' risk perception can be best understood as a network of interrelated notions of uncertain events, their effects and uncertain outcomes. Furthermore, cognitive mapping is suggested to elucidate and present these networks. We test cognitive mapping, exploring dairy farmers' risk perception, and demonstrate the appropriateness of this methodology for capturing the complexity and context of perceived risk. Advantages are: (i) the qualitative approach, (ii) the focus on interrelations and context, (iii) the applicability at farm level, (iv) the farmer-driven rather than researcher-driven perspective, and (v) the elucidation of the polyvalent use of the risk concept. Cognitive maps can be used as a communication tool, a risk management tool, and a tool to stimulate bi-directional learning amongst farmers, policy makers, researchers and extension agents. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000326910500005 Publication Date 2013-09-12  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN (up) 0308-521x ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 2.571 Times cited 27 Open Access  
  Notes ; We would like to acknowledge the Agency for Innovation by Science and Technology of the Flemish Government (IWT) for funding this research. Furthermore we would like to thank the anonymous reviewers for their valuable input. ; Approved Most recent IF: 2.571; 2013 IF: 2.453  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:112765 Serial 6168  
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Author Annys, S.; Van Passel, S.; Dessein, J.; Adgo, E.; Nyssen, J. pdf  doi
openurl 
  Title From fast-track implementation to livelihood deterioration: The dam-based Ribb Irrigation and Drainage Project in Northwest Ethiopia Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2020 Publication Agricultural Systems Abbreviated Journal Agr Syst  
  Volume 184 Issue Pages 102909-102913  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering Management (ENM)  
  Abstract The 21st century revival of large-scale water resources development projects makes it important to keep assessing their impacts – preferably from an interdisciplinary perspective – in order to not repeat past mistakes and explore whether they could improve livelihood conditions for rural communities. In this study, costs and benefits of the World Bank-funded Ribb Irrigation and Drainage Project (RIDP) were investigated using a unique systems approach. The impact for farmers with different initial farming systems (rainfed – residual moisture – irrigated) was studied using field observations, document analyses, remote sensing, agronomic data and semi-structured interviews (n = 165). Data on project-induced changes to land and water availability, cropping patterns, farming systems and farm-level economics were collected. The results show that dam and dyke construction has reduced flooding, which has resulted in declining rice productivity ( – 42%) and concomitant shifts to lower value cropping systems. Results also reveal that the land redistribution has caused widespread livelihood deterioration as households had to give up 25% of their farmland and the communal grazing land was fully converted into farmland. Due to top-down implementation, nontransparent communication, delayed construction and lagging financial compensation, social resistance has appeared in the command area, impeding the construction works. In addition to these problems, if no rapid change to higher value crops can be realized, 20.5% of the farmers (those who already irrigate) will experience a loss of livelihood, 64.1% of the farmers (those with rainfed and residual moisture cultivation) will be on the verge of livelihood deterioration and only 13.5% of the farmers (those with solely rainfed cultivation) will enjoy RIDP-induced improved livelihoods. The fate of this project stresses the importance of investigating initial farming systems, exploring worthy project alternatives, improving participation, communication and benefit-sharing and strengthening the institutional capacity of implementing authorities.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000564756600013 Publication Date 2020-08-08  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN (up) 0308-521x ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 6.6 Times cited Open Access  
  Notes Approved Most recent IF: 6.6; 2020 IF: 2.571  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:172030 Serial 6927  
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Author Van Nijen, K.; Van Passel, S.; Squires, D. url  doi
openurl 
  Title A stochastic techno-economic assessment of seabed mining of polymetallic nodules in the Clarion Clipperton Fracture Zone Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2018 Publication Marine Policy Abbreviated Journal Mar Policy  
  Volume 95 Issue 95 Pages 133-141  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Economics; Engineering Management (ENM)  
  Abstract Polymetallic nodules found in the Clarion Clipperton Fracture Zone in the NE Pacific contain more nickel, manganese and cobalt than all terrestrial reserves combined. Following the 1982 Law of the Sea Convention and its 1994 Implementing Agreement, the resources of the international seabed beyond the limits of national jurisdiction will be developed for the benefit of mankind by attracting investment and technology, whilst demanding that necessary measures be taken to ensure effective protection of the marine environment. To date, no single commercial seabed mining activity has taken place in international waters, and the development of balanced and stimulating exploitation regulation is needed, based on accurate economic analysis. This paper presents the first detailed, vertically integrated, stochastic techno-economic assessment from a contractor's perspective, and contributes to the development of the world's first exploitation regulations. The economic performance measured by the internal rate of return was compared using deterministic and probabilistic commodity price forecasting models. Different levels of a financial payment regime, comprising of a royalty payment and a payment to internalize environmental costs, were considered. When real growth was included, the internal rate of return remains above the hurdle rate when a transitional, total-cost, financial payment regime is below 2 per cent during the initial period and below 4 per cent for the remaining tenure period. Following a 10-year moving average of commodity prices, including real growth, a 77.51 per cent probability was calculated of achieving a hurdle rate of 18 per cent.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000442190400016 Publication Date 2018-03-17  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN (up) 0308-597x ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 2.235 Times cited 3 Open Access  
  Notes ; The methods and results of this paper were presented at the Deep Seabed Mining Payment Regime Workshop #3 (19-21 April 2017, Singapore): Exploring a Financial Model and Related Topics, organised by RESOLVE and PEW Charitable Trusts, and attended by a wide variety of stakeholders, including contractors, academics and nongovernmental organisations. Furthermore, this project has received funding from the European Union's Seventh Framework Program for research, technological development and demonstration under grant agreement no. 688975 (Blue Nodules). This output reflects only the authors' views and the European Union cannot be held responsible for any use that may be made of the information contained herein. ; Approved Most recent IF: 2.235  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:153697 Serial 6144  
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Author Compernolle, T.; Witters, N.; Van Passel, S.; Thewys, T. doi  openurl
  Title Analyzing a self-managed CHP system for greenhouse cultivation as a profitable way to reduce CO2-emissions Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2011 Publication Energy Abbreviated Journal Energy  
  Volume 36 Issue 4 Pages 1940-1947  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology  
  Abstract To counter global warming, a transition to a low-carbon economy is needed. The greenhouse sector can contribute by installing Combined Heat and Power (CHP) systems, known for their excellent energy efficiency. Due to the recent European liberalization of the energy market, glass horticulturists have the opportunity to sell excess electricity to the market and by tailored policy and support measures, regional governments can fill the lack of technical and economic knowledge, causing initial resistance. This research investigates the economic and environmental opportunities using two detailed cases applying a self managed cogeneration system. The Net Present Value is calculated to investigate the economic feasibility. The Primary Energy Saving, the CO2 Emission Reduction indicator and an Emission Balance are applied to quantify the environmental impact. The results demonstrate that a self-managed CHP system is economic viable and that CO2 emissions are reduced. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000289605900014 Publication Date 2010-04-03  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN (up) 0360-5442 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 4.52 Times cited 19 Open Access  
  Notes ; ; Approved Most recent IF: 4.52; 2011 IF: 3.487  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:127561 Serial 6152  
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