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Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) member states have abounded underground fossil fuel resources and high potentials for renewable energy (RE). However, given the Peak Oil Theory and the international climate change regulations and protocols, investments in RE became a first-class candidate. The current conceptualized study investigates barriers, risk, and opportunities associated with the transition to RE generation in member states of GCC. The study deploys secondary data extracted from published statistics and related literature. Via an interpretive, exploratory and explanatory approach, we conclude that there is a long-term need to expand uptake of RE technologies in order to meet the possible medium to long-terms energy and economic securities. Bureaucratic inefficiency and fuel subsidies along with absence of both suitable investment framework and supporting energy policies for investments in RE were found to be significant barriers to RE deployment in the GCC states. The current paper argues that the GCC has a specific climate advantage for RE. Therefore, if RE options are utilised ideally by the GCC member states they can play a significant role in substituting conventional energy sources and in sustaining energy and economic securities of the GCC member states. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

On-farm anaerobic digestion (AD) can deliver renewable energy, improved management of farm wastes and the production of fertilizer, offering cost-savings, environmental improvements and potentially also revenue generation. The research reported here provides an in-depth exploration, in the UK's East Midlands region, of the factors behind the limited uptake of on-farm AD, compared with other on-farm renewable energy sources, and what stakeholders would like to see to change this. Data collection has been undertaken in three stages – a questionnaire sent to farmers, 18 interviews with stakeholders from the industry and policy sides of the AD debate, and a stakeholder workshop. The many barriers identified were grouped into political & institutional, AD awareness, and economic & technical. A range of incentives and policy responses are identified to increase on-farm AD uptake, notably coordinated information gathering and dissemination, streamlined planning processes, improved access to finance, and stable policies. • On-farm uptake of anaerobic digestion in the UK is low. • In the UK East Midlands region, multiple barriers to uptake are identified. • These are institutional & political, lack of awareness, and economic & technical. • Multiple responses are therefore required to provide a holistic solution to improving uptake. • These include coordinated information, planning, access to finance, and stable policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Renewable energy in Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, particular solar energy, can be connected to Europe to provide the Northern neighbouring countries with electricity. To achieve this long term objective, it is necessary to understand the local domestic consumption of electricity in the MENA region as the main consumer of energy. The understanding of current and future trends could help to provide a complete picture of the energy situation in MENA region and the feasibility of exporting energy to Europe. For this reason, this paper investigates the domestic energy use and occupants’ energy behaviour in Libya. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effect of domestic energy consumption and householders’ awareness, attitudes and behaviour on the overall energy consumption in Libya and how this could affect the peak demand, capacity, future trends and government energy budget. The paper also investigates the sustainability aspect of consumer products and the awareness and attitude of consumers towards consumption and demand. A comprehensive survey has been conducted to evaluate several aspects of domestic energy demand and characteristics in Libya. The findings have indicated that there is a significant increase in energy demands in the household sector in Libya and it is significant to have a clear strategy to reduce carbon emission and energy use by improving occupants’ behaviour as well as utilising other sustainable measures. Minor adjustment in householders’ energy consumption behaviour and the technology used to generate energy could provide significant financial savings and contribute significantly to the reduction in carbon emission and energy consumption. This will allow significant benefit to the local economy and the energy sector in Libya but at the same time could provide sustainable energy resources for Europe on the long term. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In addition to conventional taxes, host oil and gas producing countries impose a "crypto tax", including sustainability-related taxes similar to environmental taxes and social sphere development costs. These taxes aim to maximize government taxes which are collected to ensure operational efficiency and sustainable development. In contrast, multinational oil companies look beyond conventional taxes by performing a thorough assessment of "crypto tax" while deciding investment locations. Extractive industry taxation literature is limited in offering a scrupulous index. In particular, how a robust index is constructed and tested for these quasi-taxes. Therefore, the issues surrounding the construction and testing of Crypto Tax Assessment Index (C-TAI) underpins the relevance and motivations of this study. Specifically, this study aims to examine the construction and testing of a C-TAI in guiding policymakers and investors concerning crypto taxes. A properly constructed Index would enable governments to undertake environmental and sustainability assessment, knowing that the index suited their particular petroleum fiscal policy. The Malaysian marginal oil field sector was established to test internal and external validities and model fit indices of the C-TAI through surveying the opinions of experts in this field. Taking these views and opinions into consideration, in constructing an appropriate C-TAI, researchers can use the index address possible questions relating to the effects of crypto taxes on individual oil and gas projects or the overall petroleum sector of a country. For instance, how useful the constructed C-TAI could be in the examination the effect of crypto taxes on the profitability of a mature basin? How does the constructed C-TAI could be used in relation to the effect of crypto taxes on the profitability of marginal oil fields and the investment climate of a frontier petroleum basin? In answering these questions, it is anticipated that a properly constructed and robust C-TAI would help to guide policymakers and investors in understanding the importance of a C-TAI for crypto taxes, including sustainable developments. • In addition to conventional taxes, host countries impose "crypto tax" to maximize tax take, ensure production efficiency and sustainable development. • Multinationals look beyond the glary conventional taxes while deciding investment locations. • However, a robust and valid index for these "crypto tax" is yet to be constructed. • Crypto Tax Assessment Index(C-TAI) is constructed and validated through empirical analyses. • The Index can be utilized by policymakers, oil and gas companies and researchers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]