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The public perception of renewable energy sources is generally positive, due to their role in air pollution and CO2 emission mitigation policies. However, there are local environmental detrimental effects, and empirical evidence is not consistent as to the support of local communities. In the present paper, we analyse the antecedents of public generic perceptions of renewables grounded on objective location-related factors. Personal location-related factors can originate in the involvement of individuals with renewable energy sources. Regional location-related factors concern the importance of the renewable energy source in the district of residence and in relation to other renewables. We implement a questionnaire on public perceptions of renewable energy sources by the general population in mainland Portugal and complement respondent-level responses with renewable energy district information. Regression analysis shows that these objective location-related factors, both personal and regional, help explain public perceptions of renewables and thus we find empirical support for the proposed approach. These results can inform and guide policymakers in tackling future social acceptance issues of renewable energy policies towards lower carbon emissions and less polluting energy production.
Lígia Pinto; Sara Sousa; Marieta Valente. Explaining the Social Acceptance of Renewables through Location-Related Factors: An Application to the Portuguese Case. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 2021, 18, 806 .
AMA StyleLígia Pinto, Sara Sousa, Marieta Valente. Explaining the Social Acceptance of Renewables through Location-Related Factors: An Application to the Portuguese Case. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2021; 18 (2):806.
Chicago/Turabian StyleLígia Pinto; Sara Sousa; Marieta Valente. 2021. "Explaining the Social Acceptance of Renewables through Location-Related Factors: An Application to the Portuguese Case." International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 18, no. 2: 806.
Environmental taxation represents a key tool in a country’s sustainable development strategy, being an important factor of conciliation between environmental protection and economic growth. As a result of high population growth, intense industrialization and fossil fuels’ overuse, the world deals with serious environmental problems, namely unacceptable values of greenhouse gas emissions and severe climate changes. Its mitigation and resolution depend on the adoption of a set of concrete measures and policies to combat pollution and promote deep changes in polluters’ behavior and, in this context, we highlight the key role of the environmental taxation policy. Some years after one of the most important reforms, this research proposes to analyze and interpret some of the main statistics on the environmental taxation in Portugal. The final aim is to provide policy makers with more information, allowing them to consolidate an efficient strategy regarding the promotion of a more sustainable development, through the application of an efficient environmental taxation.
Sara Sousa. Environmental Taxation in Portugal: A Contribution to Sustainability. Financial Environment and Business Development 2021, 369 -382.
AMA StyleSara Sousa. Environmental Taxation in Portugal: A Contribution to Sustainability. Financial Environment and Business Development. 2021; ():369-382.
Chicago/Turabian StyleSara Sousa. 2021. "Environmental Taxation in Portugal: A Contribution to Sustainability." Financial Environment and Business Development , no. : 369-382.
Sara Sousa; Elisabete Correia; Joana Leite; Clara Viseu. Environmental knowledge, attitudes and behavior of higher education students: a case study in Portugal. International Research in Geographical and Environmental Education 2020, 1 -18.
AMA StyleSara Sousa, Elisabete Correia, Joana Leite, Clara Viseu. Environmental knowledge, attitudes and behavior of higher education students: a case study in Portugal. International Research in Geographical and Environmental Education. 2020; ():1-18.
Chicago/Turabian StyleSara Sousa; Elisabete Correia; Joana Leite; Clara Viseu. 2020. "Environmental knowledge, attitudes and behavior of higher education students: a case study in Portugal." International Research in Geographical and Environmental Education , no. : 1-18.
The construction of hydropower plants, particularly of large ones, is far from being a consensual decision: advocates defend their construction based on the unquestionable benefits hydropower provides, while critics argue that these facilities are far from harmless and cause adverse impacts on the environment, being not only against the construction but also demanding the destruction of existing ones. We review a selection of recent empirical studies concerning impacts of hydropower developments, to make a case for the consideration of non-use values in the economic valuation of the environmental and social impacts of hydropower plants, through the use of non-market valuation methodologies. Additionally, we present data from a case study of hydropower economic valuation, where different subgroups of the population with differing degrees of contact and familiarity with hydropower rate their perception of impacts. Respondents with more contact are less penalizing of hydropower than other respondents. We conclude that non-use values are non-negligible and can be valued through stated preference methods, but researchers should take into consideration perceptions and the role of users and non-users. Non-use values should thus not be neglected by policy makers and regulators at the planning and public consultation stages or as part of the decommissioning decision.
Sara Sousa; Anabela Botelho; Lígia M. Costa Pinto; Marieta Valente. How Relevant Are Non-Use Values and Perceptions in Economic Valuations? The Case of Hydropower Plants. Energies 2019, 12, 2986 .
AMA StyleSara Sousa, Anabela Botelho, Lígia M. Costa Pinto, Marieta Valente. How Relevant Are Non-Use Values and Perceptions in Economic Valuations? The Case of Hydropower Plants. Energies. 2019; 12 (15):2986.
Chicago/Turabian StyleSara Sousa; Anabela Botelho; Lígia M. Costa Pinto; Marieta Valente. 2019. "How Relevant Are Non-Use Values and Perceptions in Economic Valuations? The Case of Hydropower Plants." Energies 12, no. 15: 2986.
Despite the often mentioned environmental benefits associated with transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy sources, their use for electricity production has non-negligible negative environmental impacts. The most commonly mentioned in surveys concern different types of landscape impacts, impacts on the fauna and flora, and noise. These impacts differ by size and location of plants, and by source of energy, rendering the policy decision complex. In addition, there are other welfare issues to take into consideration, as positive and negative environmental impacts are not evenly distributed among population groups. This paper proposes to compare the welfare impacts of renewable energy sources controlling for the type of renewable as well as the specific environmental impact by source. To this end, two discrete-choice experiments are designed and applied to a national sample of the Portuguese population. In one case, only individual negative impacts of renewables are used, and in another case, the negative impacts interact with a specific source. Results show the robustness of discrete-choice experiments as a method to estimate the welfare change induced by the impacts of renewable energy sources. Overall, respondents are willing to pay to reduce the environmental impacts, thus making compensation for local impacts feasible. Moreover, the estimations reveal that respondents are significantly sensitive to the detrimental environmental effects of specific renewable energy sources, being willing to pay more to use these sources of energy relative to others.
Anabela Botelho; Lina Lourenço-Gomes; Lígia M. Costa Pinto; Sara Sousa; Marieta Valente. Discrete-choice experiments valuing local environmental impacts of renewables: two approaches to a case study in Portugal. Environment, Development and Sustainability 2018, 20, 145 -162.
AMA StyleAnabela Botelho, Lina Lourenço-Gomes, Lígia M. Costa Pinto, Sara Sousa, Marieta Valente. Discrete-choice experiments valuing local environmental impacts of renewables: two approaches to a case study in Portugal. Environment, Development and Sustainability. 2018; 20 (S1):145-162.
Chicago/Turabian StyleAnabela Botelho; Lina Lourenço-Gomes; Lígia M. Costa Pinto; Sara Sousa; Marieta Valente. 2018. "Discrete-choice experiments valuing local environmental impacts of renewables: two approaches to a case study in Portugal." Environment, Development and Sustainability 20, no. S1: 145-162.
Table of Content - Article Detail - Proceedings of the 43rd International Academic Conference, Lisbon
Sara Sousa. THE REVEALED PREFERENCE METHODS IN ECONOMIC VALUATION OF ENVIRONMENTAL GOODS: A REVIEW. Proceedings of the 43rd International Academic Conference, Lisbon 2018, 248 -248.
AMA StyleSara Sousa. THE REVEALED PREFERENCE METHODS IN ECONOMIC VALUATION OF ENVIRONMENTAL GOODS: A REVIEW. Proceedings of the 43rd International Academic Conference, Lisbon. 2018; ():248-248.
Chicago/Turabian StyleSara Sousa. 2018. "THE REVEALED PREFERENCE METHODS IN ECONOMIC VALUATION OF ENVIRONMENTAL GOODS: A REVIEW." Proceedings of the 43rd International Academic Conference, Lisbon , no. : 248-248.
Renewable energy sources for electricity generation are unequivocally more environmentally friendly than the traditional sources, but are not impact-free. Given the potential for solar photovoltaic energy to contribute to the energy mix in some countries, it is timely to carefully consider the potential environmental costs of operation of photovoltaic farms, which are experienced by the local population, while the general benefits accrue to all. We apply the contingent valuation method to a sample of local residents close to three selected photovoltaic farms in Portugal. Also, we design a discrete choice experiment to elicit the valuation of specific adverse impacts of electricity generation through photovoltaic energy by national residents. Our results show that the value elicited in the vicinity of the photovoltaic farms is non-negligible. On the other hand, national residents ponder the trade-offs implied by the choice sets and value positively the different adverse local impacts. Both of these estimates, in conjunction or independently, can be used to fully account for this often neglected cost of solar energy. Furthermore, we argue that when studying the public acceptance of renewables, using stated preference methods explicitly presents the trade-offs between negative impacts and costs, contributing to more realistic portrayal of public opinion.The authors gratefully acknowledge the financial support from PTDC/EGE-ECO/122402/2010.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
Anabela Botelho; Lina Lourenço-Gomes; Lígia Pinto; Sara Sousa; Marieta Valente. Accounting for local impacts of photovoltaic farms: The application of two stated preferences approaches to a case-study in Portugal. Energy Policy 2017, 109, 191 -198.
AMA StyleAnabela Botelho, Lina Lourenço-Gomes, Lígia Pinto, Sara Sousa, Marieta Valente. Accounting for local impacts of photovoltaic farms: The application of two stated preferences approaches to a case-study in Portugal. Energy Policy. 2017; 109 ():191-198.
Chicago/Turabian StyleAnabela Botelho; Lina Lourenço-Gomes; Lígia Pinto; Sara Sousa; Marieta Valente. 2017. "Accounting for local impacts of photovoltaic farms: The application of two stated preferences approaches to a case-study in Portugal." Energy Policy 109, no. : 191-198.
Article in pressThe production of electricity from hydropower results in several environmental impacts that, in only some instances, have been analysed from an economic valuation approach. Moreover, as environmental impacts largely depend on the specific characteristics of the case study, benefit transfer techniques are inadequate for valuation. The present paper demonstrates through the review of valuation studies on the environmental impacts of this technology, and the analysis of the different environmental impacts associated with hydropower for specific case studies that in fact benefit transfer should not be applied as each hydropower plant has specific and different impacts. The paper demonstrates the importance of a case study approach, for defining priorities with respect to alternative hydropower production facilities. Finally, the paper demonstrates that choice experiments are particularly suited for valuing the identified environmental impacts, being relevant for policy planning purposes
Anabela Botelho; Paula Ferreira; Fátima Lima; Lígia Pinto; Sara Sousa. Assessment of the environmental impacts associated with hydropower. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews 2017, 70, 896 -904.
AMA StyleAnabela Botelho, Paula Ferreira, Fátima Lima, Lígia Pinto, Sara Sousa. Assessment of the environmental impacts associated with hydropower. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews. 2017; 70 ():896-904.
Chicago/Turabian StyleAnabela Botelho; Paula Ferreira; Fátima Lima; Lígia Pinto; Sara Sousa. 2017. "Assessment of the environmental impacts associated with hydropower." Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews 70, no. : 896-904.
Demanding EU targets for renewables create challenges for governmental decisions regarding energy sources and plant sitting. In this study we explore perceptions of the Portuguese general population regarding renewable energy power plants. In particular we study how these are affected by dimensions such as home distance to the power plant and its visibility, familiarity with the different energy sources, involvement in terms of employment, and socioeconomic characteristics. We find considerable differences in perception depending on familiarity and involvement with energy sources, environmental friendliness, and specific environmental impacts. Assessment of public perceptions of renewables should thus include these different dimensions.The authors gratefully acknowledge the financial support from FCT Fundacao para a Ciencia e Tecnologia with Grant Number PTDC/EGE-ECO/122402/2010
Anabela Botelho; Lígia Pinto; Lina Lourenço-Gomes; Marieta Valente; Sara Sousa. Public Perceptions of Environmental Friendliness of Renewable Energy Power Plants. Energy Procedia 2016, 106, 73 -86.
AMA StyleAnabela Botelho, Lígia Pinto, Lina Lourenço-Gomes, Marieta Valente, Sara Sousa. Public Perceptions of Environmental Friendliness of Renewable Energy Power Plants. Energy Procedia. 2016; 106 ():73-86.
Chicago/Turabian StyleAnabela Botelho; Lígia Pinto; Lina Lourenço-Gomes; Marieta Valente; Sara Sousa. 2016. "Public Perceptions of Environmental Friendliness of Renewable Energy Power Plants." Energy Procedia 106, no. : 73-86.
Sustainability is frequently defined by its three pillars: environmental, economic and social. Consequently the evaluation of the sustainability of a decision, public or private, requires information on these three dimensions. This paper focuses on social sustainability. In the context of renewable energy sources, the consideration of social sustainability requires the analysis of not only the efficiency but also the equity of the welfare impacts, including spatially differentiated impacts. The present paper proposes and applies a methodology to generate the information necessary to conduct a more complete welfare analysis of the social sustainability of renewable energy production facilities, so that equity considerations are treated alongside efficiency issues. The analysis focuses on the case of investments in renewable energy electricity production facilities, where the impacts on local residents’ welfare are often significantly different from the welfare effects on the general population. We apply the contingent valuation method to specific facilities across the different renewable energy sources in operation in Portugal and conclude that local residents acknowledge the damage sustained differently depending on the type, location and operation of the facilities. The results from these case studies attest to the need of acknowledging and quantifying the negative impacts on local communities so as to be able to assess the social sustainability of renewable energy projects, alongside the two other pillars of sustainability.
Anabela Botelho; Lígia M.C. Pinto; Lina Lourenço-Gomes; Marieta Valente; Sara Sousa. Social sustainability of renewable energy sources in electricity production: An application of the contingent valuation method. Sustainable Cities and Society 2016, 26, 429 -437.
AMA StyleAnabela Botelho, Lígia M.C. Pinto, Lina Lourenço-Gomes, Marieta Valente, Sara Sousa. Social sustainability of renewable energy sources in electricity production: An application of the contingent valuation method. Sustainable Cities and Society. 2016; 26 ():429-437.
Chicago/Turabian StyleAnabela Botelho; Lígia M.C. Pinto; Lina Lourenço-Gomes; Marieta Valente; Sara Sousa. 2016. "Social sustainability of renewable energy sources in electricity production: An application of the contingent valuation method." Sustainable Cities and Society 26, no. : 429-437.
As a renewable energy source, the use of forest biomass for electricity generation is advantageous in comparison with fossil fuels; however, the activity of forest biomass power plants causes adverse impacts, affecting particularly neighbouring communities. The main objective of this study is to estimate the effects of the activity of forest biomass power plants on the welfare of two groups of stakeholders, namely local residents and the general population. To this end, we apply two stated preference methods: contingent valuation and discrete choice experiments, respectively. The former method was applied to estimate the minimum compensation residents of neighbouring communities of two forest biomass power plants in Portugal would be willing to accept. The latter method was applied among the general population to estimate their willingness to pay to avoid specific environmental impacts. The results show that the presence of the selected facilities affects individuals’ well-being. On the other hand, in the discrete choice experiments conducted among the general population all impacts considered were valued, in particular odour and fauna and flora impacts. The results of this study stress the importance of performing an equity analysis of the welfare effects on different groups of stakeholders from the installation of forest biomass power plants, as their effects on welfare are location and impact specific. Policy makers should take into account the views of all stakeholders either directly or indirectly involved when deciding crucial issues regarding the sitting of new forest biomass power plants, in order to achieve an efficient and equitable outcome.
Anabela Botelho; Lina Lourenço-Gomes; Lígia Pinto; Sara Sousa; Marieta Valente. Using stated preference methods to assess environmental impacts of forest biomass power plants in Portugal. Environment, Development and Sustainability 2016, 18, 1323 -1337.
AMA StyleAnabela Botelho, Lina Lourenço-Gomes, Lígia Pinto, Sara Sousa, Marieta Valente. Using stated preference methods to assess environmental impacts of forest biomass power plants in Portugal. Environment, Development and Sustainability. 2016; 18 (5):1323-1337.
Chicago/Turabian StyleAnabela Botelho; Lina Lourenço-Gomes; Lígia Pinto; Sara Sousa; Marieta Valente. 2016. "Using stated preference methods to assess environmental impacts of forest biomass power plants in Portugal." Environment, Development and Sustainability 18, no. 5: 1323-1337.
Renewable energy sources for electricity generation are unequivocally more environmentally friendly than the traditional sources, but are not impact-free. Given the potential for solar photovoltaic energy to contribute to the energy mix in some countries, it is timely to carefully consider the potential environmental costs of operation of photovoltaic farms, which are experienced by the local population, while the general benefits accrue to all. These adverse impacts should be identified and acknowledged. This paper proposes and applies economic valuation methods to estimate the value of those environmental impacts. We apply the contingent valuation method to a sample of local residents close to three selected photovoltaic farms in Portugal. We design a discrete choice experiment to elicit the valuation of specific adverse impacts of electricity generation through photovoltaic energy by national residents. Our results show that the value elicited in the vicinity of the photovoltaic farms is non-negligible and national residents value positively and differently the different adverse local impacts. Both of these estimates, in conjunction or independently, can be used to fully account for this often neglected cost of solar energy. The asymmetric equity implications of photovoltaic projects should not be neglected when deciding their construction and location.
Anabela Botelho; Lina Sofia Lourenço-Gomes; Lígia Costa Pinto; Sara Sousa; Marieta Valente. Accounting for local impacts of photovoltaic farms: two stated preferences approaches. 2016, 1 .
AMA StyleAnabela Botelho, Lina Sofia Lourenço-Gomes, Lígia Costa Pinto, Sara Sousa, Marieta Valente. Accounting for local impacts of photovoltaic farms: two stated preferences approaches. . 2016; ():1.
Chicago/Turabian StyleAnabela Botelho; Lina Sofia Lourenço-Gomes; Lígia Costa Pinto; Sara Sousa; Marieta Valente. 2016. "Accounting for local impacts of photovoltaic farms: two stated preferences approaches." , no. : 1.
Despite their well-known benefits in electricity production, dams are also responsible for some adverse environmental impacts affecting particularly the wellbeing of residents of the local communities. These environmental damages have not been included in the cost-benefit analysis of hydropower developments mainly because of the difficulty to determine their value. The prime objective of this paper is to measure the economic values of several environmental impacts due to the dams’ activity in Portugal, using a discrete choice experiments approach. With the results of this research paper, we expect to contribute to a more efficient and thorough cost-benefit analysis within the complex process of deciding the optimal location of future dams to be built not only in Portugal, but elsewhere. The addition of this stage to the decision-making process allows the integration of economic, social and environmental dimensions, promoting a richer and more informed decision proces
Anabela Botelho; Lina Lourenço-Gomes; Lígia M.C. Pinto; Patrícia Sousa; Sara Sousa; Marieta Valente. Using Choice Experiments to Assess Environmental Impacts of Dams in Portugal. AIMS Energy 2015, 3, 316 -325.
AMA StyleAnabela Botelho, Lina Lourenço-Gomes, Lígia M.C. Pinto, Patrícia Sousa, Sara Sousa, Marieta Valente. Using Choice Experiments to Assess Environmental Impacts of Dams in Portugal. AIMS Energy. 2015; 3 (3):316-325.
Chicago/Turabian StyleAnabela Botelho; Lina Lourenço-Gomes; Lígia M.C. Pinto; Patrícia Sousa; Sara Sousa; Marieta Valente. 2015. "Using Choice Experiments to Assess Environmental Impacts of Dams in Portugal." AIMS Energy 3, no. 3: 316-325.
Sustainability is frequently defined by its three pillars: economically viable, socially equitable, and environmentally bearable. Consequently the evaluation of the sustainability of any decision, public or private, requires information on these three dimensions. This paper focuses on social sustainability. In the context of renewable energy sources, the examination of social sustainability requires the analysis of not only the efficiency but also the equity of its welfare impacts. The present paper proposes and applies a methodology to generate the information necessary to do a proper welfare analysis of the social sustainability of renewable energy production facilities. This information is key both for an equity and an efficiency analysis. The analysis focuses on the case of investments in renewable energy electricity production facilities, where the impacts on local residents’ welfare are often significantly different than the welfare effects on the general population. We apply the contingent valuation method to selected facilities across the different renewable energy power plants located in Portugal and conclude that local residents acknowledge differently the damage sustained by the type, location and operation of the plants. The results from these case studies attest to the need of acknowledging and quantifying the negative impacts on local communities when assessing the economic viability, social equity and environmental impact of renewable energy projects.
Anabela Botelho; Lina Sofia Lourenço-Gomes; Lígia Costa Pinto; Sara Sousa; Marieta Valente. Annoyance and welfare costs from the presence of renewable energy power plants: an application of the contingent valuation method. 2015, 1 .
AMA StyleAnabela Botelho, Lina Sofia Lourenço-Gomes, Lígia Costa Pinto, Sara Sousa, Marieta Valente. Annoyance and welfare costs from the presence of renewable energy power plants: an application of the contingent valuation method. . 2015; ():1.
Chicago/Turabian StyleAnabela Botelho; Lina Sofia Lourenço-Gomes; Lígia Costa Pinto; Sara Sousa; Marieta Valente. 2015. "Annoyance and welfare costs from the presence of renewable energy power plants: an application of the contingent valuation method." , no. : 1.
As a renewable energy source, the use of forest biomass for electricity generation is advantageous in comparison with fossil fuels, however the activity of forest biomass power plants causes adverse impacts, affecting particularly neighbouring communities. The main objective of this study is to estimate the effects of the activity of forest biomass power plants on the welfare of two groups of stakeholders, namely local residents and the general population and we apply two stated preference methods: contingent valuation and discrete choice experiments, respectively. The former method was applied to estimate the minimum compensation residents of neighbouring communities of two forest biomass power plants in Portugal would be willing to accept. The latter method was applied among the general population to estimate their willingness to pay to avoid specific environmental impacts. The results show that the presence of the selected facilities affects individuals’ well-being. On the other hand, in the discrete choice experiments conducted among the general population all impacts considered were significant determinants of respondents’ welfare levels. The results of this study stress the importance of performing an equity analysis of the welfare effects on different groups of stakeholders from the installation of forest biomass power plants, as their effects on welfare are location and impact specific. Policy makers should take into account the views of all stakeholders either directly or indirectly involved when deciding crucial issues regarding the sitting of new forest biomass power plants, in order to achieve an efficient and equitable outcome.
Anabela Botelho; Lina Sofia Lourenço-Gomes; Lígia Costa Pinto; Sara Sousa; Marieta Valente. Using stated preference methods to assess environmental impacts of forest biomass power plants in Portugal. 2015, 1 .
AMA StyleAnabela Botelho, Lina Sofia Lourenço-Gomes, Lígia Costa Pinto, Sara Sousa, Marieta Valente. Using stated preference methods to assess environmental impacts of forest biomass power plants in Portugal. . 2015; ():1.
Chicago/Turabian StyleAnabela Botelho; Lina Sofia Lourenço-Gomes; Lígia Costa Pinto; Sara Sousa; Marieta Valente. 2015. "Using stated preference methods to assess environmental impacts of forest biomass power plants in Portugal." , no. : 1.