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Better understanding the capacity of farmers to react to the COVID-19 pandemic shock requires analyzing their coping mechanisms. This study investigates the relationship between coping style and coping behaviors with COVID-19, identifying the psychological factors affecting them based on the cognitive theory of stress. Perceived government support is added to the original model as a predictor for coping style and behavior. Cross sectional survey data was collected among farmers living in Dashtestan county of Bushehr province in southern Iran (N = 377). To determine the strength of the model, structural equation modeling (SEM) was performed. We find that demand appraisal and perceived collective efficacy have a positive, direct, and significant effect on coping style and an indirect effect on behaviors. Coping style and perceived government support are significantly related to behavior. The research model predicts 63% and 31% of variance changes in coping style and behavior, respectively. The results of this study provide empirical evidence on how people cope with the COVID-19 shock as well as useful information for designing and implementing health and social programs and policies in the agricultural communities.

Many countries seemed to a large extent to have been unprepared for the COVID-19 pandemic and national governments often acted uncoordinated resulting in many inconsistencies in the mitigation processes. The acknowledgement of the multiple factors at stake in handling the crisis has more often than not been omitted from public communication, where public officials’ statements mostly framed the problem unilaterally, basing their narratives on warnings coming from the medical and public health scientific community. In this article, we propose a model for policymaking regarding hazardous events, such as a pandemic, to, in advance, forming better response strategies for future similar scenarios. We describe how an epidemic model can be integrated into a multi-stakeholder multi-criteria framework and how a more integrated analysis can be done, even under significant uncertainties.

Sierra Leone is faced with adverse climate change impacts and committed to climate change mitigation policy. Currently, this country has a double challenge: to decarbonize its energy generation and to provide energy access to those who are still lacking it. Solar energy, such as solar photovoltaic (PV) system, is one of the cleanest and most abundant renewable energy sources which can provide a viable energy supply not only in rich developed countries but also in developing countries. Sierra Leone has good geographical conditions and potentials for solar projects, but the potentials are currently not realized. With proper planning, the large-scale implementation of solar PV can cause transformation of the entire energy sector of the country and can lead to economic growth, promotion of productive activities, and improvement of living standards. The major question is how these potentials can be realized and what are the major drivers and barriers for deployment of solar PV in Sierra Leone. The methodology of this chapter includes various methods such as stakeholders’ dialogue and case studies of existing projects. The empirical data collection is based on participatory process in the country. Based on innovative participatory governance methods, the further aim of this work was to identify and to design as well as to develop recommendations for implementation of energy-policy-related measures to overcome the barriers for further PV deployment in the country. The developed recommendations included the areas of awareness raising, education, capacity building, and regulations for further deployment of solar PV. These recommendations can provide further insights to the Government of Sierra Leone as well as the guidance in the planning of initiatives for solar PV energy electrification to rural communities across the country.

Highlights • Large-scale survey and comprehensive sampling of all social groups in two regions of Austria. • Results showing attitudes towards renewable energies. • Results showing level of awareness. • Results on willingness to engage into energy policy. • Recommendations on polycentric governance in energy policy.

Misinformation in social media is an actual and contested policy problem given its outreach and the variety of stakeholders involved. In particular, increased social media use makes the spread of misinformation almost universal. Here we demonstrate a framework for evaluating tools for detecting misinformation using a preference elicitation approach, as well as an integrated decision analytic process for evaluating desirable features of systems for combatting misinformation. The framework was tested in three countries (Austria, Greece, and Sweden) with three groups of stakeholders (policymakers, journalists, and citizens). Multi-criteria decision analysis was the methodological basis for the research. The results showed that participants prioritised information regarding the actors behind the distribution of misinformation and tracing the life cycle of misinformative posts. Another important criterion was whether some one intended to delude others, which shows a preference for trust, accountability, and quality in, for instance, journalism. Also, how misinformation travels is important. However, all criteria that involved active contributions to dealing with misinformation were ranked low in importance, which shows that participants may not have felt personally involved enough in the subject or situation. The results also show differences in preferences for tools that are influenced by cultural background and that might be considered in the further development of tools.

We discuss a computationally meaningful process for evaluating misinformation detection tools in the context of immigration in Austria, admitting for the wide variety of qualitative and quantitative data involved. The evaluation machinery is based on a library of tools to support the process in both the elicitation and evaluation phases, including automatized preference elicitation procedures, development of result robustness measures as well as algorithms for co-evaluating quantitative and qualitative data in various formats. The focus of our work is on the Austrian limited profit housing sector, which makes up 24% of the total housing stock and more than 30% of the total of new construction, with a high share of migrants as tenants. We describe the results from workshops analysing the existing misinformation on migration issues in Austria, where we also introduced a co-creation phase. To better understand the stakeholder ecosystem and the lifecycle of misinformation towards social conflicts, we applied a software for integrated multi-stakeholder-multi-attribute problems under risk subject to incomplete or imperfect information, based on the evaluation machinery. Perceived counter-measures of importance turned out to be institutional and regulatory measures in combination with the creation of info-points, measures to raise awareness and stimulate critical thinking, production of tools to deal with misinformation, provision of reliable sources of information, and creation of a culture of thinking.

This article tackles the complexity of assessing the vulnerability of digitized socio-technological systems by application of Entropy weight method. We present the application of a powerful and universal mathematical tool to data-driven applied systems analysis by bridging the socio-technological gap between organizational structures and system development. As information entropy can be significantly reduced, the assessment of the weaknesses in the structure of a socio-technological system improves proportionally to the reduction in information redundancies and losses, as well as to the improvement in information accuracy and efficiency.

Energy transition is a so-called wicked policy problem which requires involvement of stakeholders and laypeople. This support should go beyond social acceptance, which is a rather passive attitude, and should include social factors such as willingness to participate in energy transition and willingness to use renewable energy sources. However, moving from awareness to action is a complex process and requires understanding of social factors. Until recently scientific research was mainly focused on technical and economic factors of energy transition however the volume of scientific results published by social science energy research is growing. The focus of this paper is on how people are making choices and which factors are influencing their choices. Research based on social sciences and behavioral economics shows preferences and rationalities of people when it comes to the question of available in frames of energy transition alternatives. The results of this paper are based on large-scale surveys, decision-making experiments and interviews conducted in Germany, Austria, Finland, Morocco, Jordan and Iran. The results show high level of awareness about the need of climate change mitigation across countries, which is decreasing with the level of details about the projects or the energy transition processes. The results also show dominance of economic rationality with concerns about energy prices and socio-economic impacts from energy transition over other concerns such as environmental protection. Also, such factors as maintenance and reparation of technology and possibility to participate in decision-making processes have impact on willingness to support energy transition which goes beyond social acceptance.

The paper discusses the issues of using the tools of affective computations in the management of energy facilities, taking into account the emotional state of operators. The analysis of known approaches in this direction of research is carried out. A diagram of the decision support process and a complex of management mechanisms are proposed, taking into account the use of emotionally colored information. The results of a computational experiment for the problem of classifying emotionally colored information are considered. To assess the emotional state of the operator, the best results can be obtained using a neural convolutional network.

Social media have created communication channels between citizens and policymakers but are also susceptible to rampant misinformation. This new context demands new social media policies that can aid policymakers in making evidence-based decisions for combating misinformation online. This paper reports on data collected from policymakers in Austria, Greece, and Sweden, using focus groups and in-depth interviews. Analyses provide insights into challenges and identify four important themes for supporting policy-making for combating misinformation: a) creating a trusted network of experts and collaborators, b) facilitating the validation of online information, c) providing access to visualisations of data at different levels of granularity, and d) increasing the transparency and explainability of flagged misinformative content. These recommendations have implications for rethinking how revised social media policies can contribute to evidence-based decision-making.

The water and energy sectors are fundamentally linked. In Jordan, especially in the face of a changing climate, the water–energy nexus holds a number of challenges but also opportunities. A key point in exploring synergies is the identification of such, as well as the communication between the water and energy sectors. This paper promotes the importance of using a co-creative approach to help resolve opposing views and assessing stakeholder preferences in the context of the water–energy nexus in Jordan. A computer-supported, co-creative approach was used to evaluate stakeholder preferences and opinions on criteria and future scenarios for the energy and water sector in Jordan, identifying common difficulties and possibilities. The criteria describe socio-ecological aspects as well as techno-economic aspects for both systems. Discussing a set of preliminary scenarios describing possible energy and water futures ranked under a set of sector relevant criteria, a consensus between both stakeholder groups is reached. The robustness of results is determined, using a second-order probabilistic approach. The results indicate that there are no fundamental conflicts between the energy and water stakeholder groups. Applying a participatory multi-stakeholder, multi-criteria framework to the energy-water nexus case in Jordan promotes a clear understanding of where different stakeholder groups stand. This understanding and agreement can form the basis of a joint water–energy nexus policy used in the continued negotiation process between and within national and international cooperation, as well as promoting and developing acceptable suggestions to solve complex problems for both sectors.

A key factor in the development of the Arctic is the projects aimed at the development of oil and gas-bearing offshore and onshore fields, whose reserves are estimated at 13% of the world’s proven reserves and 43% of the undiscovered reserves. Arctic oil production and oil and gas engineering projects in the coming years will become drivers of oil and gas industry development in the world due to the huge mineral resource base. Efficient development of new fields under conditions of low temperatures, harsh climate and lack of necessary infrastructure is impossible without innovative technological solutions capable of ensuring hydrocarbon recovery and competitive energy prices on the market. The oil and gas industry is gradually becoming more progressive in terms of digital transformation, which makes it possible to state the fact that a large customer is emerging in the market of innovative technological solutions, capable of becoming in the near future a locomotive in the field of digital technologies. The program of technological transformations requires a forecast of digital technologies application in oil and gas projects in the Arctic. Technological forecasts for the development of oil production and oil and gas mechanical engineering for the development of Arctic hydrocarbons have revealed the need to prioritize digital transformation with an emphasis on the development of remote drilling and production control systems, technologies for monitoring production facilities with the help of drones and machine vision, the creation of corporate data processing and analysis centers, the use of artificial intelligence in the construction of effective logistics routes and identification of hydrocarbon accumulation sites.

Industrial development is often considered to be a major engine of economic growth. Kyrgyzstan is an open, small, landlocked, developing economy in Central Asia. In 2018 the Government of Kyrgyzstan decided to elaborate a new industrial development strategy that would facilitate economic growth, reduce the country’s dependence on foreign financing, and increase the welfare of inhabitants. This paper presents a set of plausible scenarios of industrial development of Kyrgyzstan to 2040. The scenarios were used as a basis for a Strategy for the Sustainable Development of Industry in Kyrgyzstan for 2019–2023, prepared by co-authors of this paper in collaboration with local experts in 2018. This strategy was officially adopted by the Government of Kyrgyzstan in September 2019. To construct scenarios, we used an approach developed by Roland Berger and Leipzig Graduate School of Management (HHL) Center for Strategy and Scenario Planning within the Intuitive Logics scenario planning paradigm. This approach relies on a systematic step-by-step scenario-building process that can be carried out when time and resources are limited. We augmented this approach by revealing and utilizing causal relationships among drivers. We also considered a denser spectrum of scenarios. The outcomes of each scenario-planning step were validated in consultations with local stakeholders. We also designed a monitoring dashboard based on well-established publicly available development indicators. These can help policymakers identify which scenario the system under consideration is tending toward, so that necessary policy interventions can be executed in a timely manner.

In the face of today’s global challenges, oil and gas companies must define long-term priorities and opportunities in implementing complex Arctic offshore projects, taking into account environmental, economic, technological and social aspects. In this regard, ensuring strategic sustainability is the basis for long-term development. The aim of the study is to analyze existing approaches to the concept of “strategic sustainability” of an offshore Arctic oil and gas project and to develop a methodological approach to assessing the strategic sustainability of offshore oil and gas projects. In the theoretical part of the study, the approaches to defining strategic sustainability were reviewed, and their classification was completed, and the most appropriate definition of strategic sustainability for an offshore oil and gas project was chosen. The method of hierarchy analysis was used for strategic sustainability assessment. Specific criteria have been proposed to reflect the technical, geological, investment, social and environmental characteristics important to the offshore oil and gas project. The strategic sustainability of 5 offshore oil and gas projects was analyzed using an expert survey as part of the hierarchy analysis method. Recommendations were made on the development of an offshore project management system to facilitate the emergence of new criteria and improve the quality of the strategic sustainability assessment of offshore projects in the Arctic.

Jordan is currently facing a serious problem of water scarcity. It is the fourth water-scarce country in the world. The sustainability of water supply in Jordan is affected not only by the depletion of water reserves but also by increasing electricity tariffs. In this paper, we present some results regarding the water-energy nexus governance in Jordan using a computer-supported co-creative approach for evaluating stakeholder preferences on criteria and possible scenarios of development for the sectors. We describe a decision support tool and a methodology for evaluating stakeholder preferences for both sectors and on possible scenarios of development for the water and energy sectors. We rank possible energy and water futures ranked under a set of sector-relevant criteria while considering entire ranges of possible alternative values and criteria weights. Using second-order probabilistic considerations, we furthermore analyse how plausible it is that a scenario outranks the others.

Nepal could rely on its huge renewable energy potentials to meet its energy demand sustainably. Also, renewable energy sources are considered by several national policy makers and international organizations as an engine for socio-economic development of the country, which can provide access to electricity to everybody and stimulate economic activity and economic growth. Several efforts were taken by the national government to stimulate deployment of renewable energy electricity generation capacities. However, the country is still not able to cover its energy needs with renewable energy despite decades of efforts for their deployment. The assumption of this research was that uncertainty in energy policy and planning gaps in Nepal are connected with the dominance of a limited number of discourses and ignorance of other voices which might be helpful. Nowadays, evidence exists that a multi-stakeholder and multi-sector perspective is extremely important for sustainable development. We provide evaluation of various perspectives, including technical, social, economic, environmental, and political. We collect empirical data in frames of a comprehensive stakeholders’ process in Nepal. The stakeholders’ preferences are analyzed through various methods of decision support sciences such as multi criteria decision analysis. To fast track hydropower development, the government has classified them into five categories based on their generation capacity. Assessment of each category and their collective comparison on multiperspectives has never been tried. Hence, such an assessment leading towards their prioritization is the objective of the study. It may help to identify a suitable strategy or policy to maximize national benefits. The study carried within the framework of five alternatives (categories) of hydropower schemes and nine different hydropower perspectives applicable in Nepalese context. The scoring method based is on secondary source evidence is applied for assessment.

Social opposition to renewable energy (RE) projects has become a significant issue both for the deployment of RE technologies and the social justice of this process. However, the policy tools oriented to address this issue have received little research attention, particularly in the Global South. Thus, this research analyses the effectiveness of the social impact assessment (SIA) in Mexico's RE sector. In 2014 the government of Mexico introduced the SIA in response to the social conflicts around RE projects. The SIA has generated some favorable changes in the sector's social management. Yet, its effectiveness is constrained by diverse issues related to its institutional and regulatory design, government implementation, practices of companies and consultants, and restricted social involvement. Moreover, the sector's socio-technical arrangement (priorities, organization, experience, and policies) strongly influences the performance of SIAs and accounts for the lack of consideration of social aspects in project design and planning. We argue that without a substantial internalization of the social dimension in the priorities, policy, and planning of RE, the SIA would be limited to a problem-fixing role, which would constrain the effective management of social impacts.

The paper is focused on energy transition and stakeholders’ discourses about it in three Austrian Climate and Energy Model Regions (Baden, Ebreichsdorf, and Freistadt). The theoretical basis of the paper is in the theory of plural rationalities. The data were collected from in-depth qualitative interviews with different stakeholders’ groups in each region, identified through comprehensive stakeholders mapping. The data were analyzed with qualitative data analysis software NVivo to identify elements and narratives of various discourses. The key words and meanings were embedded in the coding of context for different discourses following the content analysis techniques. The results, based on word clouds, identified major elements of hierarchical, egalitarian, or individualistic discourses. Based on identified discourses, energy policy measure can be developed to turn awareness about energy transition into action and to develop compromise solutions, which address narratives of various discourses.

To achieve a low-carbon transition in the electricity sector, countries combine national-scale policies with regional renewable electricity (RES-E) initiatives. Taking Austria as an example, we investigate the economy-wide effects of implementing national-level feed-in tariffs alongside local-level ‘climate and energy model (CEM) regions’, taking account of policy externalities across the two governance levels. We distinguish three types of CEM regions by means of a cluster analysis and apply a sub-national Computable General Equilibrium (CGE) model to investigate two RES-E scenarios. We find that whether the net economic effects are positive or negative depends on three factors: (i) RES-E potentials, differentiated by technology and cluster region; (ii) economic competitiveness of RES-E technologies relative to each other and to the current generation mix; and (iii) support schemes in place which translate into policy costs. We conclude that the focus should mainly be on economically competitive technologies, such as PV and wind, to avoid unintended macroeconomic side-effects. To achieve that, national support policies for RES-E have to be aligned with regional energy initiatives.

In our research, we focus on the reliability of the interconnected electricity supply system of three countries of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU)—Russia, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan. We apply a mathematical model to evaluate the reliability of the electricity supply system under the threat of earthquakes. Earthquakes can damage elements of electricity grids and, considering the interconnectivity of electricity supply systems in the EAEU, effects in the aftermath of earthquakes can be far-reaching and even transboundary. This necessitates the development of coordinated policies and risk management strategies to deal with electricity outage risks in the EAEU. In our study, the earthquake probability is derived from seismic zone maps, while damage events are computed using maps of energy power systems. In addition, we determine which elements of the system are susceptible to failure due to an earthquake of a given magnitude. We conduct a scenario analysis of earthquakes and their impacts on the reliability of the power supply system, considering potential energy losses and threats to energy security. An analysis of the resilience of electricity transmission grids allows us to determine the critical interconnection lines in terms of exposure to earthquake risk, as well as exposure to total systemic loss. We also identify the most critical interconnection lines where power outages can lead to the destabilization of the entire power supply system. Some examples of such lines are at the border of Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan, where power outages can lead to serious economic costs and electricity outages.

Ambitious goals for climate change mitigation and energy security policies are driving deployment of renewable energy sources globally. However, the deployment of renewable energies at scale requires not only public but also private capital, such as foreign direct investment (FDI). Many countries with favourable conditions for renewables, such as the countries of the Middle East and North African (MENA) region, are not attracting sufficient FDI. Risk perceptions of FDI stakeholders are one of the reasons. This paper discusses the de-risking approach as a possible tool to address subjective risk perceptions and assesses with a Computable General Equilibrium (CGE) model macroeconomic feedback-effects of employing a de-risking strategy for FDI into a particular kind of renewable electricity (RES-E) technology, concentrated solar power, in the MENA region. Our results show that the application of a de-risking approach reduces the costs for deployment of CSP, and therefore, also volumes of subsidies that would be needed to make CSP cost competitive with fossil fuel based electricity generation. This, in turn, leads to positive GDP and welfare effects in the MENA region. Our results allow us developing of recommendations for energy policy the implementation of the de-risking approach as a potential consensual option with high political feasibility to reduce climate change mitigation costs.

Agricultural professionals play an important role in informing and educating farmers about biofuel through teaching or extension work. One of the questions commonly asked is if they are knowledgeable and possess positive attitude towards renewable energy sources. The aim of this article is to investigate Agricultural professionals’ attitude and willingness towards biofuel using a random sample of professionals (n =180) in a survey conducted in Zanjan province in Iran. Structural equation modeling showed that “Outcome efficacy”, “problem perception” and “perceived benefits” can significantly predict just about 38% variance of Agricultural professionals’ personal norm. In turn, personal norm can predict 35% variance of Agricultural professionals’ willingness. The findings yield public policy recommendations for stimulating biofuel extension and deployment among Agricultural professionals.

Background Morocco is facing major challenges in terms of its future energy supply and demand. Specifically, the country is confronted with rising electricity demand, which in turn will lead to higher fossil fuel import dependency and carbon emissions. Recognizing these challenges, Morocco has set ambitious targets for the deployment of renewable energy sources for electricity generation (RES-E). The realization of these targets will lead to a fundamental transition of the Moroccan electricity sector and requires substantial public and private investment. However, different risks constitute barriers for private RES-E investments and lead to high financing costs, which may eventually discourage capital-intensive RES-E projects. Methodology While the existing literature has mainly focused on assessing the impact of financing costs on the economic competitiveness of individual technologies, the aim of this research is to assess the techno-economic feasibility of different electricity generation portfolios. To recognize the social dimension of the sustainable energy system transition, the electricity scenarios for Morocco have been jointly developed with stakeholders in a scenario building workshop in Rabat, employing a downscaled version of the open source electricity market model renpassG!S, augmented by a weighted average cost of capital (WACC) module. Results In the stakeholder workshop, four different electricity scenarios for Morocco were co-developed. Each of these scenarios describes a consensual and technologically feasible future development path for the Moroccan energy system up to 2050, and comprises conventional fossil fuel-based technologies, as well as RES-E technologies in varying shares. Employing the downscaled renpassG!S model, we find that total system costs, as well as average levelized costs of electricity (LCOE) can be reduced substantially with low-cost financing. Conclusions Our results indicate that de-risking RES-E investments can lead to cost