The main objective of the thesis is to identify appropriate approach to evaluation of impacts of the first phase of the ecological tax reform in the Czech Republic, its consequent adaption and application for the particular purpose. The input-output analysis has been found as the most convenient solution for such a sort of analysis. The analysis has been used for the evaluation of impacts on final production prices of each NACE sector resulting from introduction of new taxes on electricity, solid fuels, natural gas and some other kinds of gases in the Czech Republic. Because of unavailability of information about the final impact of taxes on particular objects in the economy, the analysis is conducted on the basis of five incidence assumptions about the impact of taxes on distributors and customers. While the aforementioned analysis is the essential chapter of the thesis, the work starts with a theoretical introduction related to optimal tax theories and theories about possible positive effects of environmental tax implementation. Additionally, energy tax implementation in the Czech Republic and in the European Union is mentioned. Furthermore, an important starting point in finding the most convenient model was to summarize various approaches to modelling energy tax impacts on the economy. Therefore, theoretical description of particular models is provided when history of the models, type of equations and dependences in the model are described. Moreover database requirements and possibilities to use the model for another purpose are discussed. The thesis also comprises of the analysis of pros and cons and additional important characteristics of relevant models together with the summary for which purpose was the particular model used in the Czech Republic. The introduction of energy tax in the Czech republic on the final production prices was proved to be unimportant and with only exceptions (namely the sector of production and distribution of electricity, natural gas and water) an increase in final production prices does not exceed 0,2 % and for a half of all the sectors the increase does not exceed 0,1 %.

Thesis (MScEng)--Stellenbosch University, 2011. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Reconfigurable Manufacturing Systems (RMSs) have the ability to reconfigure hardware and control resources at all of the functional and organizational levels. This allows for quick adjustment of production capacity and functionality in response to sudden changes in market or in regulatory requirements. This study evaluates the characteristics and operation of automated reconfigurable assembly lines using discrete event simulation. The assembly line uses a conveyor system which transports pallets to various machines to perform the assembly process. Different conveyor configurations are developed for the same assembly process using Simio simulation software. A part family consisting of five variants are assembled on the same assembly line with a large variation in the production quantities for each product. This requires the assembly system to be able to quickly adjust its functionality and capacity. Multi-objective optimization is performed on the models through the use of a Pareto exhaustive search experiment. The two contradicting objectives used are the throughput rate of the system and the average work in progress, with the aim of maximizing the former and minimizing the latter. From the Pareto exhaustive search experiment, a Pareto front is constructed showing which configuration is preferred under certain operation conditions. However it is concluded that the Pareto front can be tailored to fit the specific needs of the decision maker, depending on what the decision maker is willing to pay. An experiment that evaluates the effect of changing the conveyor speed is performed. It is established that under certain operating conditions, increasing the conveyor speed higher than the ceiling value will not improve the performance of the system. A production scenario was also developed which include different order sizes for each of the five parts of the part family. The configurations have to alter their capacities based on the order sizes to test which system performs the best under these operating conditions. For this experiment, the ramp-up time was of interest but the best system was chosen based on the combination of throughput rate and the average work in progress. From the results of the different experiments, it is recommended to first determine the maximum capacity and the operating logic before choosing one of the configurations. Once this is decided, the information gathered from the experiments can then be tailored for the decision maker to establish the best operating conditions for the chosen con guration. The developed simulation models are used as a Decision Support System for future research on the topic. It is recommended for future research to focus on using Automated Guided Vehicles (AGVs) instead of a conveyor system as transportation method. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Herkonfigureerbare Vervaardigingstelsels (HVSs) het die vermoee om alle hardeware en beheer hulpbronne, op alle funksionele en organisatoriese vlakke te herkonfigureer. Dit maak dit moontlik vir vinnige verstellings aan produksie kapasiteit en funksionaliteit, indien daar 'n skielike verandering in die mark of wetgewing is. Hierdie studie evalueer die karakteristieke en werking van outomatiese herkon gureerbare monteerlyne met behulp van diskrete gebeurtenis simulasie. Die monteerlyne gebruik vervoerbande om pallette na verskeie masjiene te vervoer, sodat die parte aanmekaar gesit kan word. Simio simulasie sagteware is gebruik om verskillende vervoerband kon gurasies vir dieselfde monteringsproses te ontwikkel. 'n Part familie van vyf variante word op dieselfde monteerlyn aanmekaargesit. Daar is 'n groot variasie in die produksie hoeveelhede van elk van die vyf variante, dus moet die monteerlyne vinnig die kapasiteit en funksionaliteit kan aanpas. Multi-doelwitoptimering is toegepas op die modelle deur 'n Pareto alomvattende soek eksperiment uit te voer. Die twee teenstrydige doelwitte wat gebruik is, is die deurset tempo van die stelsel asook die gemiddelde werk-in-proses. Die doel is om die deurset tempo te maksimeer en terselfde tyd die gemiddelde werk-in-proses te minimeer. Die Pareto alomvattende soek eksperiment word verder gebruik om 'n Pareto front te skep wat uitwys watter vervoerband kon gurasies verkies word onder sekere bedryfstoestande. Die Pareto front kan egter aangepas word om die spesi eke behoeftes van die besluitnemer te pas. 'n Eksperiment is uitgevoer om die uitwerking van die vervoerbandspoed op die stelsel te toets. Resultate het getoon dat onder sekere bedryfstoestande die werkverrigting van die stelsel nie verbeter indien die spoed 'n maksimum grenswaarde oorskry nie. 'n Eksperiment wat 'n produksie scenario voorstel is ontwikkel waarin die vraag na die vyf part variante gevarieer word. Die vervoerband konfigurasies moet dan die kapasiteit aanpas gebaseer op die vraag na die parte. Die doel van die eksperiment is om te toets watter kon gurasie die beste vaar onder hierdie bedryfstoestande. Die tyd wat dit neem vir die stelsel om weer op dreef te kom na 'n verandering in kapasiteit is ondersoek in hierdie eksperiment, maar die beste stelsel is nog steeds gekies gebaseer op die kombinasie van deurset tempo en die gemiddelde werk-in-proses. Gegewe die resultate van die verskillende eksperimente, word dit voorgestel dat die besluitnemer eers die maksimum kapasiteit en die bedryfstoestande vasstel, voordat 'n vervoerband kon gurasie gekies word. Sodra dit besluit is, kan die inligting wat tydens die eksperimente ingesamel is, aangepas word om die beste bedryfstoestande vir die kon gurasie wat gekies is, vas te stel. Die simulasie modelle wat ontwikkel is word gebruik as 'n besluitnemingsondersteuningstelsel vir toekomstige navorsing oor die onderwerp. Dit word voorgestel dat toekomstige navorsing die moontlikheid van geoutomatiseerde begeleide voertuie (GBV), in plaas van vervoerbande as vervoermiddel, ondersoek.

A warmer climate is expected to increase the risks of natural disasters globally. China is one of the hotspots of climate impacts since its infrastructures and industries are often hard hit. Yet little is known about the nature and the extent to which they are affected. This thesis builds novel system-of-systems risk assessment methodologies and data for China, representing infrastructures (energy, transport, waste, water and digital communications) as interdependent networks that support spatially distributed users of infrastructure services. A unique national-scale geo-spatial network database containing 64,834 existing infrastructure assets is assembled. For the first time, flood and drought exposure maps of China's key infrastructures are created, highlighting the locations of key urban areas to understand how its infrastructures and population could be exposed to climate impacts. To deepen the understanding of how climate change will affect the Chinese infrastructure system and hence its economy, economic impact modelling is applied. The research combines a detailed firm-level econometric analysis of 162,830 companies with a macroeconomic input-output model to estimate flood impacts on China's manufacturing sector over the period 2003 - 2010. It is estimated that flooding on average reduces firm output by 3.18% - 3.87% per year and their propagating effects on the Chinese macroeconomic system to be a 1.38% - 1.68% annual loss in total direct and indirect output, which amounts to 17,323 - 21,082 RMB billion. Several infrastructure sectors - electricity, the heat production and supply industry, gas production and supply, the water production and supply industry - are indirectly affected owing to the effects of supply chain disruptions. Taking the above analysis one step further, this thesis explores how climate disaster risks may change over the period 2016 - 2055, using flooding as a case study. A global river routing (CaMa-Flood) model at a spatial resolution of 0.25° x 0.25° is applied and downscaled for China, using the daily runoff of 11 Atmospheric and Oceanic General Circulation Models (AOGCMs). Combining the flood analysis with the infrastructure database, this research demonstrates the changing locations of exposed infrastructures and their dependent customers. We find that by 2055, the number of infrastructure assets exposed to increasing probability of flooding under RCP 4.5 are 41, 268, 115, 53, 739, 1098, 432 for airports, dams, data centres, ports, power plants, rail stations, reservoirs respectively - almost 8% of all assets for each sector. The lengths of line assets exposed to increasing flood hazards are 14,376 km, 32,740 km, 102,877 km and 25,310 km oil pipelines, rail tracks, roads and transmission lines respectively. Under RCP 8.4, the numbers increase to 51, 301, 137, 71, 812, 1066, 424 for point assets. Linear assets increase to 19,938 km, 39,859 km, 122,155 km and 30,861 km. Further, we demonstrate that indirect exposure of customers reliant on those infrastructure assets outside the floodplain could also be high. The average number of customers affected by increasing flood probabilities are 54 million, 114 million and 131 million for airports, power plants and stations respectively. However, within this aggregate increase there is large spatial variation, which has implications for spatial planning of adaptation to flood risk to infrastructure. This is a first substantial study of flood impacts to infrastructure both in terms of direct exposure and their indirect implications. Lastly, to shed some light on the potential vulnerability of China's infrastructure system to climate impacts, this thesis develops a framework that identifies the drivers of infrastructure development in China using evidence from policy documents and a unique geospatial dataset for the years 1900 - 2010. Understanding these drivers will provide a useful foundation for future research in terms of developing infrastructure models that could project the locations of future infrastructure assets and networks in China, thereby quantifying how China's infrastructure exposure and vulnerability will change over time. Overall this research provides an integrated system-of-systems perspective of understanding network and economic vulnerabilities and risks to Chinese energy, transport, water, waste and digital communication infrastructures due to climate change. This is crucial in informing the long-term planning and adaptation in China.

Orientador: Mariano Francisco Laplane / Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Instituto de Economia / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-18T16:22:33Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Rocha_IgorLopes_M.pdf: 3022565 bytes, checksum: 9cac3492f05843b98f4a1f753bcefd3f (MD5) Previous issue date: 2011 / Resumo: O desenvolvimento da estrutura produtiva brasileira durante as décadas de 1930 a 1980 e sua importância como eixo dinâmico da economia foram objetos de diversos estudos. Com a crise da dívida externa e a fragilidade fiscal e financeira do Estado, um novo modelo de desenvolvimento passou a ganhar adeptos, ensejando uma reviravolta na estratégia até então adotada. A política econômica empreendida, especialmente a partir da década de 1990, forjou um período de grandes mudanças no ambiente produtivo e competitivo, com reflexos ainda contemporâneos. É com base nessas acepções que o objetivo central deste trabalho se volta à investigação da dinâmica estrutural da economia brasileira, particularmente no que se refere ao seu padrão comercial e produtivo. A fim de consubstanciar a análise histórica e teórica, recorre-se ao referencial de insumo-produto, a partir das matrizes estimadas para os anos de 1995 a 2008. Destaca-se o comportamento dos coeficientes de comércio e de insumos importados, em grande medida associados ao descompasso entre a estrutura de oferta e os ciclos de demanda, assim como a rigidez estrutural da indústria nacional em termos produtivos e comerciais. Observam-se ainda neste processo os componentes dinamizadores do valor adicionado e do emprego na demanda agregada / Abstract: The development of Brazilian productive structure between the 1930?s and 1980?s and its importance as a dynamic hub of the economy were subject of several studies. After the external debt crisis and the fiscal and financial fragility of the State, a new development model began to gain adepts entailing a turnaround in strategy then adopted. The economic policy undertaken, especially from the 1990's onwards, forged a period of great changes in productive and competitive environment, with still contemporary consequences. Based on these references, the aim of this study is to investigate Brazilian structural dynamics, particularly what refers to the commercial and productive pattern. In order to support the historical and theoretical analysis, the input-output approach is used to estimate matrices from 1995 to 2008. It is highlighted the evolution of trade and imported input coefficients, largely associated with the gap between supply structure and demand cycles, as well as the structural rigidity of domestic industry in terms of production and trade. It is also observed in this process the dynamic components of aggregate demand for value-added and employment / Mestrado / Ciências Economicas / Mestre em Ciências Econômicas

This study examines how federal farm policies, specifically crop Insurance, have affected the farm economic structure of North Dakota's agriculture sector. The system of derived input demand equations is estimated to quantify the changes in North Dakota farmers' input use when they purchase crop insurance. Further, the cumulative rolling regression technique is applied to capture the varying effects of the farm policies over time. Empirical results from the system of input demand functions indicate that there is no moral hazard since North Dakota farmers will increase fertilizer and pesticide use in the presence of crop insurance. Results also indicate that farmers in this state will not increase the use of land.

More and more local governments (municipalities and county councils) include the indirect climate impacts of consumption in their environmental work. Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is an established tool for inventorying both direct and indirect impacts of a product or service, but when the climate impact of an entire organization's consumption of products and services is of interest, the inventory of data can easily become excessive. Through the years, various methods for enabling life cycle inventory on the organizational level have been developed. Hybrid-LCA is one of them where the term "hybrid" comes from that the method combines a so-called bottom up with a top down approach of the data inventory. The practical application of hybrid-LCA and the usefulness of the assessment results for local governments are not self-evident. This study aims to investigate the practical application of hybrid-LCA as a tool for inventorying climate impact for municipalities’ and county councils’ consumption. The purpose includes identifying the challenges associated with the practical procedure when conducting a hybrid-LCA and evaluating the inventory results’ usefulness in municipalities and county councils’ climate work. The results of the study are based on semi-structured interviews, a case study in which hybrid LCA is applied and a workshop where the case study is evaluated. The results show that the hybrid-LCA enables both a holistic approach to the climate impact and a level of detail for selected areas, making it possible to prioritize areas and identify measures to reduce the climate impact from consumption. The main challenges that arise in the practical procedure of the hybrid-LCA are associated with inventory and verification of foreground data and matching purchases of product groups to standardized classifications. To simplify the execution, increase transparency and facilitate monitoring, local governments are recommended to investigate the possibility of coordinating purchasing system and labeling product groups, in accordance with standardized classifications. It is also recommended to request information about a products weight and material content from suppliers. The uncertainties associated with the outcome of a hybrid-LCA are and remain large, therefore it is important that the results are communicated in terms of potential environmental impacts.

With the current trend in cloud computing and virtualization, more organizations are moving their systems from a physical host to a virtual server. Although this can significantly reduce hardware, power, and administration costs, it can increase the cost of analyzing performance problems. With virtualization, there is an initial performance overhead, and as more virtual machines are added to a physical host the interference increases between various guest machines. When this interference occurs, a virtualized guest application may not perform as expected. There is little or no information to the virtual OS about the interference, and the current performance tools in the guest are unable to show this interference. We examine the interference that has been shown in previous research, and relate that to existing tools and research in root cause analysis. We show that in virtualization there are additional layers which need to be analyzed, and design a framework to determine if degradation is occurring from an external virtualization layer. Additionally, we build a virtualization test suite with Xen and PostgreSQL and run multiple tests to create I/O interference. We show that our method can distinguish between a problem caused by interference from external systems and a problem from within the virtual guest.

綠色稅制改革始於1990年代，在此前歐美主要稅收所得來源為所得稅，隨著歐美國家面臨經濟與財政困境，課稅項目漸漸地轉向環境稅，最先實施的國家為北歐國家，目前我國正面臨經濟衰退，且新政府上任後，增稅政策屢屢遭到民眾的反彈，有些學者認為，環境稅有辦法達成「雙重紅利」，既能增進環境品質且改善所得分配，不失為一向好的課稅工具。 本研究以民國100年行政院主計處的「產業關聯表」與「家庭收支調查報告」估計綠色稅制改革的所得重分配效果，利用投入產出分析法，估計環境稅對於消費支出項目價格影響，再將環境稅稅收金額作為所得稅減免與移轉收入減免用途，最後估計吉尼係數，觀察實施綠色稅制改革後的所得重分配效果。 實證結果顯示，環境稅是一具有累退性質之租稅，故單純課徵環境稅會造成所得分配惡化，且課徵越高之金額，所得分配惡化越嚴重；實施綠色稅制改革後，所得分配都較原始值平均，且綠色稅制改革金額越大之方案，改善所得分配效果則越好。

La thèse se concentre sur le secteur non-électrique agrégé couvert par le SCEQE. La contribution du secteur non-électrique aux variations des émissions de CO2 pendant les deux premières phases du marché (2005-2012), tant du point de vue de la demande finale que de celui de l’offre, est comparée à celle du secteur électrique. Les implications du mode d’allocation gratuite de quotas au secteur non-électrique durant la troisième phase du marché (2013-2020) sont examinées, ce qui constitue l’une des premières évaluations approfondies des benchmarks institués en Phase 3. Il est montré que, tant du point de vue de la demande finale que de celui de l’offre, le secteur non-électrique, du fait de ses interdépendances et de son niveau d’activité, a davantage contribué aux variations des émissions de CO2 que ne l’a fait le secteur électrique, au cours la période 2005-2012. Il est également montré que, en dépit de ses effets redistributifs, le mode d’allocation gratuite par benchmarks tel qu’il a été défini, demeure imparfait et n’est ainsi pas à la hauteur du rôle central du secteur non-électrique dans le fonctionnement du marché. / The thesis focuses on the aggregated non-power sector covered under the EU ETS. First, the non-power sector contribution to CO2 emissions changes in the first two phases of the Scheme (2005-2012), both from a final demand perspective and a supply perspective, is compared to that of the power sector at first. Then, the implications of the non-power sector specific free allocation methodology in the third phase of the Scheme (2013-2020) are scrutinized, which constitutes one of the first thorough assessment of Phase 3 benchmarking. It is showed that both from a final demand perspective and a supply perspective, the non-power sector, through its interrelated character and its activity levels, has contributed to changes in EU ETS CO2 emissions more than the power sector did, over the 2005-2012 period. It is also showed that, despite its free allocation redistribution effects, benchmark-based Phase 3 free allocation remains flawed and may benefit from further improvements to be up to the central role of the non-power sector in the EU ETS dynamics.

The work observes the positive relationship between culture and tourism and quantifies the economic and social (or socio-economic) impacts of cultural tourism in the Czech Republic. The first part showcases successful cultural projects in the Czech Republic and abroad, which attract tourists and provide destinations with financial resources and create new jobs. The author characterizes these positive economic and social impacts and benefits on the development of the region and analyzes existing studies of socio-economic impacts, normally processed abroad for cultural organizations and attractions. While in the Czech Republic, these studies are not yet very widespread, they represent a a useful document for the organization itself, but also for providers of grants and financial contributions, or for agencies and authorities designing concepts of culture and tourism. The work presents the basic methodologies used by the economic impact studies and further elaborates the most accurate and also the most demanding method of calculating the impacts, input-output analysis. Using this method, the author proposes a comprehensive model for calculating the economic and socio-economic impacts and benefits. The model uses statistical data of Czech national accounts and is intended for Czech cultural organizations attracting visitors. After using financial data of the surveyed organization and the expenditure of visitors, the model can easily determine the impacts of the organization to increase production, gross value added, employment and income of workers in the Czech Republic. The work builds on a lot of foreign findings, which seeks to apply in domestic conditions while using local data.