Linking Reduced Deforestation and a Global Carbon Market: Impacts on Costs, Financial Flows, and Technological Innovation

25 p.

Regional IAM: analysis of risk-adjusted costs and benefits of climate policies

23 p.

Traditional budgeting during financial crisis

[EN] This study examines the evolution of budgeting practices in the extremely difficult Spanish economic environment. In order to analyse if companies are still maintaining their budgeting process and if, right now, they are facing more difficulties in forecasting accurate indicators, two similar web surveys were addressed over two periods of time, firstly in 2008 at the beginning of the financial crisis, and secondly in 2013 after five years of a downward trend. In addition, in-depth interviews were conducted to investigate how companies brought more flexibility to their budgeting process in order to cope with environmental uncertainty. The survey indicates that 97% of respondents are still using a traditional budgeting process being this result similar to the one found in 2008. However, 2013 showed that the reliance on forecasted information is being increasingly questioned. Furthermore the study revealed that the respondents are bringing more flexibility to their processes, being able to modify the objectives once the budget is approved and to obtain new resources outside the budgeting process. This paper contributes to revealing information about difficulties in setting reliable objectives in a turbulent environment and provides data about the evolution of budgeting practices over five years during an austere economic crisis.

Embedding quantum simulators

79 p.

Modeling Innovative Power Take-Off Based on Double-Acting Hydraulic Cylinders Array for Wave Energy Conversion

One of the key systems of a Wave Energy Converter for extraction of wave energy is the Power Take-Off (PTO) device. This device transforms the mechanical energy of a moving body into electrical energy. This paper describes the model of an innovative PTO based on independently activated double-acting hydraulic cylinders array. The model has been developed using a simulation tool, based on a port-based approach to model hydraulics systems. The components and subsystems used in the model have been parameterized as real components and their values experimentally obtained from an existing prototype. In fact, the model takes into account most of the hydraulic losses of each component. The simulations show the flexibility to apply different restraining torques to the input movement depending on the geometrical configuration and the hydraulic cylinders on duty, easily modified by a control law. The combination of these two actions allows suitable flexibility to adapt the device to different sea states whilst optimizing the energy extraction. The model has been validated using a real test bench showing good correlations between simulation and experimental tests.

Precariedad laboral en Europa

[ES] Tras una primera visión del concepto de precariedad y acotación del término en el ámbito europeo, este trabajo trata, por un lado, de exponer los factores y el marco social en el que se crea dicha precariedad laboral y, por otro lado, de analizar mediante diversos indicadores de calidad del empleo la incidencia en el caso de la Unión Europea y España. Se exponen la flexibilidad laboral y otros cambios empresariales, reformas legales o transformaciones en el contexto del mercado del trabajo como causantes del aumento de empleos atípicos, los cuales tiendes a ser de peor calidad. En cuanto a los indicadores de calidad utilizados destacan las tasas de actividad, la temporalidad, la estructura de la renta y el salario mínimo, el porcentaje del trabajo a tiempo parcial con respecto al total o las malas condiciones de trabajo, entre otros. Además se hace referencia a la crisis comenzada en 2007 y al efecto agravatorio de esta en la situación, especialmente en el caso de los jóvenes. Por último, se mencionan ciertas propuestas y políticas laborales.