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Non-fossil fuels are receiving increasing attention within the context of addressing global climate challenges. Based on a review of non-fossil fuel consumption in major countries worldwide from 1985 to 2015, the purpose of this paper is to analyze trends for global non-fossil fuel consumption, share of fuel consumption and inequality.

The similarities were obtained between the logarithmic mean divisia index and the mean-rate-of-change index decomposition analysis methods, and a method was proposed for complete decomposition of the incremental Gini coefficient.

Empirical analysis showed that: global non-fossil fuel consumption accounts for a small share of the total energy consumption, but presents an increasing trend; the level of global non-fossil fuel consumption inequality is high but has gradually declined, which is mainly attributed to the concentration effect; inequality in global non-fossil fuel consumption is mainly due to the difference between nuclear power and hydropower consumption, but the contributions of nuclear power and hydropower to per capita non-fossil fuel consumption are declining; and population has the greatest influence on global non-fossil fuel consumption during the sampling period.

The main contribution of this study is its analysis of global non-fossil fuel consumption trends, disparities and driving factors. In addition, a general formula for complete index decomposition is proposed and the incremental Gini coefficient is wholly decomposed.

This study aims to develop a price policy for fossil fuel consumption, as it is an effective instrument to manage the demand-side of energy economics.

This research estimates the demand elasticities of diesel, gasoline, fuel oil and kerosene by using static, dynamic and error-correction models in log-linear form.

The findings show that fossil fuel demand responds to price changes less than income changes, as fuel price is inelastic, but income is elastic. In that respect, the impact of price change decreases constantly with increasing energy price, followed by subsidy reform. Subsidy removal and price policy reformation is the UN recommendation for subsidizing countries, including Iran, to reduce fossil fuel consumption, whose intensity depends on the price elasticities.

As a result of this price policy, diesel, gasoline and liquefied petroleum gas prices should increase at least 1.8%–7.3%, 4.4%–6.4% and 7%–8.6%, respectively, and gradually within 2018–2030. The price policy improves all the pillars of sustainable development, including economy, environment and social (health). Overall, such a target can potentially save 3%–29% of diesel, 34%–56% of gasoline and 15%–20% of liquefied petroleum gas, as well as reduce 15%–40% of CO₂ emissions annually, and can save potentially more than 510,000 lives annually. Thus, the energy price policy can fundamentally improve sustainability.

The estimated elasticities outline the required prices to decrease the fossil fuels, according to the UN mitigation targets, as price policy recommendation.

This research uses the social science perspectives of institutions, ecological modernization and social movements to analyze the rationale used by the early-adopting universities of fossil fuel divestment in the USA.

Through analysis of qualitative data from interviews with key actors at the universities that divested their endowments from fossil fuels, the paper examines how institutions navigate competing logics and frame their rationale.

The results show that while many institutions relied on ecological values embedded in their missions to justify their decision to divest, many also continued to embrace an altered version of market logic.

This research is primarily limited by its small population size. If the number of adoptees increases in the future, quantitative analysis should look for statistically robust trends.

The implications of this research are that we can expect more universities to commit to divesting from fossil fuels if their mission statements provide them with cultural material to rationalize the decision, but also expect them to couch the decision in continued goals and concerns for fiduciary responsibility and the subsequent growth of their endowment.

Social actors engaged in the fossil fuel divestment campaign may take this research and conclude that they need to build their arguments around the existing institutional logics and cultural identity.

This paper contributes original primary data documenting how institutional actors confront dominant logics using both a mixture of internal cultural identity and the reframing of the legitimated market logics.

The purpose of this paper is to explore the scope of applications and benefits of sustainability accounting for the production and industrial use of biomass as an energy source and substitute for fossil‐fuel use. As environmental degradation and unacceptable social impacts not only increase from the production and use of fossil‐fuel based energy, but also from alternative energy sources, the monitoring, controlling and measuring of the (un‐)sustainability of alternative energy production and use emerges as an area in critical need of research.

The paper presents a review of the issues surrounding the accounting for the (un‐)sustainability of industrial biomass production and use, considering what biomass is, the current and forecast importance of industrial biomass, different approaches to its production, and the subsequent measurement and monitoring of its potential (un‐)sustainability.

The paper finds that it is insufficient to conclude in general terms, as is often done or assumed in policy documents and statements, that industrial production and use of biomass is sustainable (or unsustainable) and that accounting for biomass must recognise the broader ecological and social system of which the production and use form a part. A further finding of the paper is that from agricultural or industrial production of biomass through to consumption and industrial use of biomass, the accounting issues surrounding biomass production and use are essential to determining its (un‐)sustainability.

The paper provides an overview of the importance of and problems with the production of biomass for industrial use, and related sustainability issues. It discusses possibilities for and limitations of accounting to address these sustainability issues as well as the need for and the challenges in measuring the (un‐)sustainability of biomass production for industrial use and the accounting for sustainability improvements.

This chapter examines SDG 13 which deals with efforts to combat climate change. The chapter begins by outlining the targets related to this goal, the trend towards increased heating of the planet and failures to curtail carbon emissions. This is framed using criminological concepts such as state-corporate crime and carbon criminality. The major concern of the rest of the chapter is to outline a climate action plan. As part of this, it discusses a range of initiatives currently underway intended to pressure governments to take more concerted action around climate change. These include activist interventions and climate litigation. The chapter concludes by exploring the possibilities and obligations of global community action to address the most important issue of our era.

To promote the development of renewable energy, the Chinese Government adopts the policy of Feed-in Tariff and subsidy. However, the high purchase price and the intermittence limit the development of renewable energy source electricity (RES-E). The purpose of this paper is to discuss the pricing strategy for system operators to stimulate the development of the RES-E industry under the scenario of uncertain supply and demand.

The authors establish a two-echelon supply chain investment model led by a power grid operator considering the uncertainties in both demand and supply, and study the impact of the power purchase price designed by a system operator using Stackelberg’s model.

There is an optimal capacity for RES-E generators, that is, independent of the market demand. Besides, the optimal order of grid operators is independent of the uncertain RES-E supply and the purchase price of fossil fuel. By properly setting the purchase prices, the system operator can stimulate the capacity investment in renewable energy. Finally, increasing the punishment in power shortage can stimulate the capacity investment in RES-E under certain conditions.

The result of this paper can mitigate the phenomenon of power abandonment in the RES-E industry and promote the grid integration of RES-E.

Both uncertain demand and supply are considered in this paper. A heuristic algorithm is provided to compute the optimal purchase price combination.

There is growing apprehension about climate change and the role played by fossil fuels. Exploration of renewable sources of energy as an alternative to fossil fuels reveals that there is no path forward toward a true green economy that does not have negative environmental side effects. Thus, the improvement of managerial and financial accounting to provide more environmental information and accountability by governmental and nongovernmental institutions is increasingly important in guiding us toward wiser choices. Since the 1970s, the increasing concerns about the environment in the United States have led to improved regulation and more comprehensive environmental reporting requirements and accounting standards. Also, global institutions have been created to foster voluntary reporting of both direct and indirect environmental impacts of their activities by institutions. However, evidence suggests that, while some large global firms have found it useful to engage in sustainability reporting throughout their operations, in general, the US organizational environmental reporting is not strong and is oriented toward the legal minimum when present. If we are to take account of the many direct and indirect ways in which our production choices affect our environment, then our institutions need to play a larger role in informing our choices. Both the Environmental Managerial Accounting Initiative and an enhanced balanced scorecard approach are recommended as frameworks for future efforts; public and private institutions must also include life cycle analysis in decision-making systems in order to enhance their ability to help achieve sustainable economic progress.

This paper aims to highlight the drivers and trends of carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions from fossil fuels of 21 Mediterranean countries, and suggest some policy recommendations to help mitigate them and fostering energy partnership within the studied area.

Simplified Kaya identity was used to analyse the drivers and trends of CO₂ emission from fossil fuels. Data used were retrieved from the US Energy Information Administration and Carbon Dioxide Information Analysis Centre. The analysis considers Northern rim countries and Southern‐Eastern rim countries (SERCs) as separate groups, as well as all together.

The total fossil fuel emissions between 1980 and 2005, the emissions growth rate in 1980s, 1990s, and 2000‐2006 were assessed. The findings put emphasis on the drivers and trends of fuel emissions considering per capita emission, gross domestic product and carbon intensity.

Despite their low contribution to global anthropogenic CO₂ emissions (∼7 percent), the growing energy demands in the Mediterranean countries – especially in the SERCs – shows that there is an urgent and tremendous effort that needs to be addressed at national and regional levels in order to slow down the increasing emissions without impacting the development growth. This paper puts special emphasis on the importance of regional energy and climate‐related frameworks as a systematic approach to endure the impacts of climate change through sustainable ways.

The purpose of this paper is to give an answer to the questions whether China can make the quantum leap in automotive technology from engines that burn fossil‐fuel to those that do not and whether China will take an “alternative Asian path of development.”

This paper is based on a sociological approach to prove potential technical innovations reflecting the social conditions of radical innovations like post‐fossil mobility concepts.

Innovations like a post‐fossil car concept consist of more than new technical infrastructures and mere imitations, they require decentralized spaces for incubation and experimentation. Translated into conditions governing the policy milieu, that need means that potential promoters of innovations need fundamental political freedoms, equality before the law, legal certainty, and the advancement and protection of personal rights vis‐à‐vis the state. In a sociological perspective, China needs social modernization in the sense of differentiation, individualization, and internalization of external constraints.

This paper reflects the opportunities and restrictions of radical change in car technology in china. It does not give evidence for the future of conventional mass motorization as the continuance of the state of the art in car technologies.

This paper implies – as a practical consequence – that the established car industry in the triad is furthermore responsible for progress in car and motor concepts being more energy efficient and less dependent from oil.

The original contribution of this paper is that it connects the technical debate on the future of cars and their drive system with the discussion of social and political terms of collective capacity of radical innovations.