Infrastructure implications of a green economy transition in the Western Cape Province of South Africa: A system dynamics modelling approach

In order to meet future goals in reducing the resulting carbon emissions from transport networks, vast investment in the development of a more energy-efficient and sustainable infrastructure is required. This study investigates the infrastructure implications of a green economy transition in the Western Cape Province of South Africa with a particular focus on the transport sector. Utilising a system dynamics modelling approach, the research effort aimed to improve understanding of how technical, economic, political, social, and environmental factors interact, particularly in the context of the uncertainties encountered during this transition. The key findings of the research indicate that investment in a better public transport system, as well as shifting the movement of freight onto the rail network, would deliver long-term positive effects, including a possible carbon emission reduction of up to 17.89%.     

What is Climate Change Policy Now Trying to Achieve?

Almost all advocates of international climate change policy hope and expect that the Climate Change Conference to be held in Paris in November–December 2015 will reach an agreement to reduce global anthropomorphic greenhouse gas emissions. Yet more than 25 years of international climate change policy has failed to reach such an agreement; emissions, far from having been reduced, have greatly increased. In the author's view, no such agreement will be reached in Paris. Anticipating this, Lord Stern, a highly influential figure in international climate change policy, has restated the case for continuing with this policy while relinquishing the objective of reaching such an agreement, though it had previously been claimed that this was essential to ‘save the world’. Advocating the continuation of climate change policy while disavowing a formerly acknowledged condition of its success seems to represent a further stage in the abandonment of rationality in climate change policy formulation.     

The reform of Joint Labour Committees—the re‐commodification of labour?

The reform of Joint Labour Committees in Ireland is analysed as a victory for neoliberalism within the shell of pluralist traditions in industrial relations: a floor of rights is transformed into an ‘iron ceiling’; worker voice is drastically reduced; reform is consistent with the re‐commodification of labour within the EU.     

Suboptimal segmentation: Assessing the use of demographics in financial services advertising

Marketers routinely make use of demographic-based segmentation as a means of targeting customers of financial services. This article builds on growing evidence that a demographic-based approach is ill-founded. Using a large sample we investigate whether demographic information is of use in segmenting customers and find little support for existing practice. Implications for researchers and managers are discussed.     

金融消费者保护(AEA2011年会哈佛论文,上)

近期的金融危机使得很多人开始质疑企业在提供服务方面的表现,而对于消费者金融市场中存在的问题,监管机构的处理能力也同样受到质疑.本文论述了消费者金融监管问题,重点对市场失灵的监管、金融决策中有限消费理性的监管进行全方位深入地探讨.本文引用了三个案例:按揭市场、发薪日贷款以及退休消费融资,通过案例分析来说明监管的必要性及有限性.我们认为,只有当监管是针对具体问题所设定,并以监管干预的有效性评估研究为辅助,那么此项监管才会是有益的.     

金融消费者保护(AEA2011年会哈佛论文,下)

近期的金融危机使得很多人开始质疑企业在提供服务方面的表现,而对于消费者金融市场中存在的问题,监管机构的处理能力也同样受到质疑.本文论述了消费者金融监管问题,重点对市场失灵的监管、金融决策中有限消费理性的监管进行全方位深入地探讨.本文引用了三个案例:按揭市场、发薪日贷款以及退休消费融资,通过案例分析来说明监管的必要性及有限性.我们认为,只有当监管是针对具体问题所设定,并以监管干预的有效性评估研究为辅助,那么此项监管才会是有益的.