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Towards the development of bias-corrected rainfall erosivity time series for Europe
No full textRainfall erosivity maps for (near) real-time soil erosion predictions require the integration of (combinations of) reanalysis products and satellite-retrievals of rainfall, and the overcoming of potential bias related to their simplified spatial and temporal scale. Across Europe, we evaluate: 1) the European Meteorological Observations (EMO) dataset to simulate the localised characteristics of rainfall erosivity at the event scale (EI30), and 2) different implementations of quantile delta mapping (QDM) bias correction to improve the prediction skill. Between 1990 and 2014, evaluations were made at several spatial (location-specific, climatic zone and pan-European) and temporal (event, annual and long-term annual average) scales. The uncorrected EMO predictions demonstrated: 1) a slight overprediction of the number of EI30 events, 2) a reduced coefficient of variation in the EI30 (CV EMO = 1.57, CV REDES = 2.5), and 3) a relatively low (R2 = 0.22, n = 139,306) location-specific predictive skill, with higher discrepancies in all cases in Southern Europe. Following QDM, the EI30 predictions significantly better represented the large-sample variability of EI30 per climate region and improved the monthly correspondence. At specific locations, station-wise bias correction was the only implementation to improve the event (R2 = 0.24, n = 139,306), annual (R2 = 0.51, n = 14,248) and average annual (R2 = 0.76, n = 1142) predictions. While bias correction can improve rainfall erosivity predictions, applications should consider possibly large error propagation into subsequent predictions, regional disparities in performance, and the potential to improve the large-sample statistical correspondence but degrade the location-specific time series prediction.JRC.D.3 - Land Resources and Supply Chain Assessment
Understanding collaborative governance of biodiversity-inclusive urban planning: Methodological approach and benchmarking results for urban nature plans in 10 European cities
No full textThe EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030 aims to restore Europe's biodiversity for the benefit of people, climate and the planet. Target 14 mandates that cities with at least 20,000 inhabitants should develop an ambitious urban greening plan. The Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework promotes biodiversity-inclusive urban planning through a stronger governance approach, that includes people and public participation across all levels and sectors. Recent policies encourage cities to develop urban greening plans, together with mechanisms for monitoring the progress toward EU and global biodiversity targets. This research proposes quality criteria against which EU cities could be evaluated while establishing ambitious urban nature plans. An analytical framework was developed consisting of 30 criteria across six macro categories: urban biodiversity goals and targets, collaborative governance, institutional support, public participation, financing mechanisms, and monitoring and evaluation aspects. The framework was applied to assess urban green plans for a sample of ten cities with existing urban green or nature plan for at least 3 years. Policy and research experts were consulted on the selected criteria and the cities’ results. It emerges that public participation and collaborative governance are rarely considered integral part from the beginning of established plans except in a few cities despite EU guidelines advocating for adoption of co-creation approaches. Only 4 out of the 10 cities performed well across all the 6 macro categories. Moreover, 7 out of the 10 cities showed evidence on a lack of monitoring and evaluation, and financial mechanisms to promote urban greening and collaborative governance of biodiversity. These results can help local authorities to build ambitious, yet robust, urban greening plans and support national/regional authorities to monitor progress toward EU and global biodiversity policies.JRC.D.6 - Nature Conservation and Observation
Scientific Technical and Economic Committee for Fisheries (STECF) – Methodologies for Mediterranean stock assessments and the estimation of reference points (STECF-24-02)
Get PDFCommission Decision of 25 February 2016 setting up a Scientific, Technical and Economic Committee for Fisheries, C(2016) 1084, OJ C 74, 26.2.2016, p. 4–10. The Commission may consult the group on any matter relating to marine and fisheries biology, fishing gear technology, fisheries economics, fisheries governance, ecosystem effects of fisheries, aquaculture or similar disciplines. This report addresses two main issues. On the one hand, in preparation of the full implementation of the Western Mediterranean EU Multiannual Plan (Regulation (EU) 2019/1022) in January 2025, a methodology to deliver FMSY or FMSY proxy targets and their corresponding ranges for the key stocks within the West Med EU MAP is proposed. This work is built upon framework to define the conservation reference points established by STECF EWG 22-03. Overall, the EWG made proposals of FMSY proxy target and ranges for 12 stocks depending on the shape of the equilibrium production curves. The procedure shall be applied by the STECF stock assessment EWG 24-10 in September to provide final FMSY ranges for these stocks. On the other hand, the report contains an evaluation of the R tools developed in the QualiTrain project (FRAMEWORK CONTRACT - EASME/EMFF/2020/OP/021, Specific Contract No. 3), regarding their usefulness in assisting Member States to identify and eventually reduce data issues and to make suggestions for improvements.JRC.D.2 - Ocean and Wate
European green bonds, carbon tax and crowding-out: The economic, social and environmental impacts of the EU's green investments under different financing scenarios
No full textThis study provides novel insights into the economic, social and environmental impacts of green energy investments in the European Union using MAGNET, a computable general equilibrium model of the world economy. MAGNET was extended to include sector-specific investment allocation, investment risk premiums adjustment, and technology learning effects to endogenize productivity growth in renewable and bioenergy sectors. In line with the proposals on climate neutrality and the Green Deal, the study simulates an increase in investments in renewable energy and bioeconomy sectors (additional 15 % increase in capital stock) starting in 2025. Three alternative financing scenarios are compared; the European Green Bonds scenario, carbon tax scenario and the crowding-out scenario (assuming green investments are financed from existing resources). It is found that additional green energy investments bring generally positive GDP, social and emission-saving effects. In the case of GDP, the deviation from the baseline reaches +0.9 % in 2050 for the EU if financed from the Green Bond. The other scenarios show that when green investments are not crowding-out other investments in the EU, the economic impacts at EU level are still positive. It is also shown that, on average, the investment policy would increase the size of bioeconomy sector by between 3.2 % and 4.2 % in 2050. However, the impacts across particular countries and industries are very heterogenous.JRC.D.4 - Economics of the Food Syste
Scientific Technical and Economic Committee for Fisheries (STECF) – Evaluation of work plans for data collection and data transmission issues (STECF 24-15)
Get PDFCommission Decision of 25 February 2016 setting up a Scientific, Technical and Economic Committee for Fisheries, C (2016) 1084, OJ C 74, 26.2.2016, p. 4–10. The Commission may consult the group on any matter relating to marine and fisheries biology, fishing gear technology, fisheries economics, fisheries governance, ecosystem effects of fisheries, aquaculture or similar disciplines. This report on the evaluation of work plans has been reviewed by STECF during the 2024 winter plenary meeting.JRC.D.2 - Ocean and Wate
Transformative Innovation for better Climate Change Adaptation - Case Study: Nord-Vest and Cluj-Napoca, Romania
Get PDFThe objective of this report is to investigate the potential for harnessing key features of Transformative Innovation (TI) to improve the design and the implementation of Climate Change Adaptation (CCA) strategies in the specific territory - region Nord-Vest and the city of Cluj-Napoca in Romania.The report belongs to a series of case studies which all draw on the conceptual framework on transformative innovation for better CCA previously defined in the JRC report, that also articulated the methodology for territorial case studies. The series of case studies comprises various biogeographical regions with a variety of climate risks, various institutional contexts, different ranges of population sizes, and demonstrating a diversity of approaches to transformative innovation and CCA, based on empirical analyses. A full list of the case studies is provided in Annex 3. The framework of the analysis against conceptual framework of transformative innovation for better CCA takes the form of an analytical grid, structured into seven dimensions, each of them representing one of the key features of the TI approach where the dimensions are understood as essential conditions for the design and implementation of the transformative CCA strategies. These TI dimensions are as follows: - Directionality; - Articulating instrument portfolios and defining synergies between funding sources; - Ensuring cross-domain synergies; - Increasing breadth and depth of stakeholder involvement; - Setting up effective multi-level governance models; - Making
room for experimentation; and - Securing high levels of policy intelligence, learning and strategic capacity. Each section sets out the main questions to be addressed in the territory in relation to its respective transformative innovation feature. This Report provides the findings for the city of Cluj-Napoca and the region of Nord-Vest in Romania, taking into account multilevel governance also at national level, as at November 2023 and is the result of a collaboration between the Joint Research Centre (JRC), DG CLIMA and DG RTD. The revision of the policy documents, of measures introduced and the interviews with the policy makers signposted that despite numerous CCA measures have been put in place in Cluj-Napoca and the Nord-Vest region, lots of actions linked to the established TI for CCA conceptual framework will still need to be put in place in order to assure climate resilience of the territory. While this study proposes numerous specific practical ways forward within each TI dimension, an overall recommendation is that a systematic, quantitative climate risk and adaptation assessments will be needed at various territorial levels in order to make the CCA more transformative. For that aim, the JRC has developed a Self-Assessment Framework that will be thoroughly explained in the upcoming policy brief.JRC.B.7 - Innovation Policies and Economic Impac
Can solar electric vehicles disrupt mobility? A critical literature review
No full textElectro-mobility plays a key role to achieve climate neutrality. Electric vehicles, partially powered by vehicle-integrated photovoltaics, are now emerging in the market. This study reviewed more than 270 articles on solar electric vehicles. Eight main topics were identified: solar races, vehicle design, powertrain systems, photovoltaic systems, system integration, control strategies, performance estimations and data, and market and environmental assessments. From 1985 to today the number of articles on solar electric vehicles published each year has grown from below two to above twenty-five. While the first years were largely dominated by articles on solar racing, the topics diversified from 2010 onwards. Now, articles on vehicle design, performance estimations, photovoltaics, and control systems constitute the majority of articles. The topic market and environmental assessments of solar electric vehicles emerged in 2010 and has increased its share rapidly. This review highlights underexplored aspects that should be studied and further developed, for example the durability and robustness of photovoltaic modules under frequent vibration and mechanical shocks during vehicle operation or fusing the photovoltaic control systems with the vehicle controllers. Advancements on performance and cost reduction are needed, as well as standardisation and certification protocols. It is concluded that full solar electric vehicles are not yet viable for mainstream market applications. Niche applications and electric cars with photovoltaic roofs as well as delivery vehicles with photovoltaic modules are more likely options for now. For many vehicle duty profiles charging with stationary photovoltaics may be a better option than solar electric vehicles.JRC.C.2 - Energy Efficiency and Renewable
Reference measurements from AERONET-OC to assess Earth Observation data
Get PDFOcean colour remote sensing provides a diverse suite of data products of relevance for monitoring marine ecosystems and understanding their dynamics and role in ecology and climate. Reference field measurements of the primary ocean colour product, the remote sensing reflectance RRS, are required to characterize its uncertainties. In support of the Copernicus programme, the collection of reference field measurements of RRS is among the objectives of the Fiducial Ocean and Land Earth Observations (FOLEO) JRC project. For that purpose, the JRC is currently managing, in close collaboration with Member States, the operations of autonomous radiometers part of the Ocean Color component of the Aerosol Robotic Network (AERONET-OC) on off-shore structures at nine sites (six in European seas, one in a Swedish lake, one in the Canary Islands and one offshore Kenya). After a brief description of the sites, the measurement protocol and the data processing are described. The data collection relies on a significant logistical effort, including shipping instruments and installations on the distributed sites, as well as laboratory work like calibration of instruments; the related activities are summarized for the years 2023 and 2024. Then, the data collected and their application for the validation of Copernicus Sentinel-3 RRS data are illustrated, again with a focus on the period 2023-2024. Considering the last year of operation for each site, approximately 200 additional validation points were obtained for both Sentinel-3A and -3B.JRC.D.2 - Ocean and Wate
Solar Cell Efficiency Tables (Version 65)
No full textConsolidated tables showing an extensive listing of the highest independently confirmed efficiencies for solar cells and modules are presented. Guidelines for inclusion of results into these tables are outlined, and new entries since July 2024 are reviewed.JRC.C.2 - Energy Efficiency and Renewable
Mitigating biomethane losses in European biogas plants: A techno-economic assessment
No full textThe use of biogas for heat and electricity generation, and particularly biogas upgraded to biomethane, are expected to have an increasing share in the European energy mix. However, due to the high global warming potential of methane, it is essential to minimize accidental biomethane releases from biogas plants to ensure the sector effectively contributes to mitigating climate change. Addressing biomethane leaks helps to mitigate biogas's carbon intensity and prevents the loss of methane that could otherwise be utilized as fuel or energy purposes. Measures to minimize emissions, including regular leak detection campaigns, technology assessments and optimization, and the adoption of operational best practices, are essential to achieve greenhouse gases (GHG) emission savings from biogas and biomethane production. This work provides a comprehensive and structured review aimed at identifying and quantifying methane losses and evaluating their impact on the carbon intensity of biogas or biomethane. The economic opportunity of adopting a Leak Detection and Repair (LDAR) programme is explored on the basis of the outcomes of this review, and evaluated by considering its cost and the additional income from increased biogas yield to estimate its payback time. For this scope, a calculation script has been specifically developed, gathering set of data from literature, recent projects and interviews with stakeholders. The results show that the adoption of a LDAR programme and the alignment to the best practices available to reduce methane losses, would bring both additional revenues to operators and significant climate benefits.JRC.C.2 - Energy Efficiency and Renewable