Gonçalo Santinha, Jéssica Tavares (p), Marta Ferreira Dias, Marlene Amorim, André Nunes

Tomoyasu Tanaka

The energy transition is not merely a technological shift but a socio-political challenge with profound implications for territorial justice and inclusiveness. While Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G) technology offers a promising avenue towards a more sustainable and resilient energy system by enabling electric vehicles (EVs) to function as mobile storage units, its benefits and accessibility remain unevenly distributed. Low-income communities often encounter greater structural barriers to adopting EVs and engaging with V2G systems. In the absence of adequate policy frameworks, these innovations risk reinforcing existing socio-spatial inequalities rather than mitigating them.
Despite growing academic and policy interest in V2G technology, research has predominantly focused on its technical and economic dimensions, such as grid integration, battery degradation, and market mechanisms. However, studies examining user perceptions, social acceptance, and the broader societal implications of V2G remain scarce. This knowledge gap is particularly significant given the disparities in awareness, access, and willingness to adopt new mobility and energy technologies across different socioeconomic groups.
This study examines citizens’ perceptions of EVs and V2G technology through a case study in Aradas, a peri-urban district in Portugal. A qualitative approach was adopted, involving three focus group sessions with 33 participants selected based on age, employment status, housing situation, and driving experience. Discussions explored attitudes towards sustainable mobility, perceived barriers to V2G adoption, and expectations regarding public policies that could enable its equitable implementation.
Findings reveal stark inequalities in mobility access and technology adoption. While electric vehicles are more commonly associated with wealthier households, mobility patterns vary across socio-economic and demographic groups. Participants highlighted that financial constraints often lead lower-income individuals to rely more on second-hand fossil-fuel vehicles or shared transport options, while younger and immigrant populations tend to make greater use of public and ride-hailing services. Cost constraints, concerns over the environmental impact of battery production, and the lack of accessible infrastructure emerge as key obstacles to adoption. Additionally, participants expressed strong reservations about the fairness of compensation mechanisms, fearing that V2G could disproportionately benefit wealthier users with private charging capacity, thereby exacerbating existing social divides. The study also highlights spatial disparities in awareness and engagement with sustainable mobility, reinforcing the need for locally tailored policy interventions.
These findings emphasise the importance of integrating social equity considerations into sustainable mobility policies. To prevent V2G adoption from deepening socio-spatial inequalities, policymakers must move beyond a purely technology-driven approach and implement community-driven initiatives.

Tomoyasu Tanaka (p)

Paul Lewin

In Japan, sewerage services are owned and managed by municipal governments. At present, a lot of sewerage operators have serious problems. Firstly, sewerage operators are confronted with severe financial conditions. Water demand cannot increase due to population decline and widespread use of water-saving equipment. Therefore, revenue from sewage charge has been gradually decreasing. On the other hand, because sewer facilities are aging and natural disasters (e.g. earthquake, flood) frequently occur, operators need to maintain and repair facilities and take measures against disasters. Accordingly, capital cost has been gradually increasing. Secondly, sewerage operators are facing a labor shortage because of downsizing the number of employees in municipal governments. It is particularly difficult for some small operators to continue to provide sewerage services.
In order to solve these problems, in 2014, the Japanese government requested each operator to formulate a management strategy, which is a medium- to long-term operational and financial plan and to strengthen its management base through improved income and expenditure. As a result, each operator is required to prepare and publish management strategy and is expected to operate its sewerage services efficiently and sustainably in accordance with that strategy.
Under these circumstances, in this paper, we examine the effectiveness of management strategy. We estimate cost function using annual data on sewerage operators during FY 2010 – FY 2019. We investigate whether the preparation and publication of management strategy has contributed to cost savings and efficiency gains. The aim of this study is to assess the effectiveness of policies to create sustainable sewerage systems.

Paul Lewin (p), Nadeeka Weerasekara

Yan-shu Lin

This study examines the dynamics of poverty in America, distinguishing between persistent and temporary poverty through an asset-based approach. Traditional poverty measures often fail to capture long-term poverty persistence, overlooking key structural factors determining economic mobility. We argue that some individuals experience temporary poverty due to short-term economic shocks, while others remain trapped in poverty due to insufficient capital endowments. By incorporating asset-based poverty measurement, we can better differentiate between these groups and identify targeted policy interventions.

Capital endowments play a crucial role in shaping individuals’ economic positions and their ability to escape poverty. Those in persistent poverty lack the necessary assets to achieve sustained financial stability, whereas those in temporary poverty possess sufficient assets to recover from economic setbacks. This distinction is essential for policy design, as persistent poverty requires structural interventions that help individuals surpass critical asset thresholds, while temporary poverty can be addressed with short-term income support policies.

To refine poverty measurement and inform policy, we adopt the Rural Wealth Framework, which expands the focus from income to wealth and asset ownership. This framework considers multiple forms of capital—natural, cultural, human, intellectual, social, political, built, and financial—that influence economic mobility. By incorporating this broader perspective, we enhance our understanding of how capital endowments impact poverty persistence and recovery.

The research is conducted in three phases. First, we construct an asset index to measure structural and stochastic poverty levels in rural and urban settings. Second, we analyze household characteristics to distinguish between structural and temporary poverty. Third, we investigate asset thresholds required for households to transition out of poverty, using regression models and poverty transition matrices.

This study contributes to poverty research by offering a more precise framework for identifying long-term poverty risks. The findings will help design more effective policies, ensuring that interventions align with the distinct needs of structurally and temporarily poor households.

Yan-shu Lin (p)

Jéssica Tavares

Climate change has been a major issue in the past decade. In 2015, world leaders adopted the Paris Agreement to limit global warming to 1.5℃ above pre-industrial levels. To achieve this, global emissions must be reduced by 43% by 2030 and reach net-zero by 2050. This agreement improved upon the Kyoto Protocol by involving developing nations.

The primary cause of rising global temperatures is anthropogenic CO₂ emissions, mainly from burning fossil fuels, agriculture, and waste. While the earth naturally recycles carbon, human emissions surpass this capacity. Fossil fuels account for approximately 86% of global energy, releasing carbon that traps heat in the atmosphere. Key sectors such as transportation, manufacturing, and electricity rely on these energy sources, making the transition to cleaner energy essential.

Government policies are key to this transition. One widely recognized mechanism is carbon trading, or emissions trading schemes (ETS). According to the World Bank, carbon pricing currently covers 23% of global emissions, with trading making up 75% of that share. Unlike standard regulations that impose direct limits, carbon trading allows companies to buy or sell emissions allowances.

The EU launched its ETS in 2005, covering 10,000 installations in the energy and manufacturing sectors, as well as aviation within the EU. China introduced its nationwide carbon trading scheme in 2021, covering 40% of its annual emissions—about 4 billion tons of CO₂. These systems differ in methodology: the EU employs an absolute cap, while China uses an intensity-based standard.

Our study examines the implications of absolute caps versus intensity standards, incorporating firms' abatement capabilities. Our model finds that intensity standards lead to higher emissions prices and encourage production expansion. Although absolute caps generate higher producer surplus, intensity standards increase consumer surplus, which may offset lower producer gains. When abatement efficiency is low, responsible firms may benefit more from intensity-based systems.