Sustainable energy changeover in Pakistan: prospects, progress, and policies.

Fossil fuels will still dominate energy in twenty years despite green power rising. The aim of the study is to analyze the factor substitution, emission mitigation, and technological progress among energy and non-energy inputs in Pakistan. The trans-log production method is employed to analyze the viability of energy substitution and then measure the CO2 emission reduction possibility that comes from such adoption. The results suggest the following: (1) the influence of renewable energy and nonrenewable energy on economic growth is optimistic and is increasing return to scale. However, it has the potential to contribute a 7% growth-share if capital investment is doubled beyond the present levels. (2) Output elasticity between renewable and nonrenewable energy factors is elastic and, on average, is estimated by 0.096 and 1.007. (3) Energy substitution is possible with an average of 0.852, which presents that Pakistan has the capability of moving from nonrenewable energy to renewable energy. (4) Two investment scenarios show significant results and suggest that nonrenewable energy substitution for renewable energy has the potential to lessen CO2 emissions without reducing the economy. Finally, energy substitution is possible from technical perspectives and inputs show strong convergence differences in technical progress. Comprehensive capital growth, technological progress, and low-carbon technological efforts can be a better fit for attaining carbon-reduction and sustainable economic growth.

Caregivers' willingness to pay for digital support services: Comparative survey.

BACKGROUND: Considering the substantial information needs experienced by informal caregivers, the increased availability of digital support services for caregivers as well as the potential they offer, further understanding of caregivers' willingness to pay for digital support services is needed. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study is to identify associations between informal caregiver's characteristics and their willingness to pay for digital support services in two countries: Italy and Sweden. METHODS: A sample of 378 respondents participated in a cross-sectional survey. Respondents were recruited by the Italian National Institute of Health and Science on Ageing and the Swedish Family Care Competence Centre. A two-part regression model was used. In the first part, logistic regression analysis was applied to investigate the association between willingness to pay and sets of independent variables (caregiver's demographics, caregiver's socioeconomic resources and caregiving context). In the second part, a generalized linear model (log-link and gamma distribution) was applied to determine the adjusted mean willingness to pay. RESULTS: More than half of the participants from both countries of our study were willing to pay out of pocket for digital support services. A recommendation by a healthcare professional was the top factor that may motivate caregivers' willingness to pay an additional amount for a paid version of a digital support service. In both countries, the majority of the respondents believe that the government should allocate more funds for digital support services and for improving digital infrastructures. Caregiver' s gender, care recipient relationship to the caregiver, care duration, the total household income and the amount spent per month on professional caregiving services are all associated with willingness to pay. For every additional 10 Euro increase in the amount spent per month on professional caregiving services, the odds of willingness to pay an additional Euro for a digital support service increased by 0.60 % in the Italian sample (p= 0.002, 95% CI: 1.002, 1.009) and 0.31% in the Swedish sample (p=0.015, 95% CI: 1.006, 1.057). CONCLUSIONS: Factors such as demographics, socioeconomic resources and the caregiving context may play a role in caregivers' willingness to pay for digital support services. The digital and social divide may negatively affect caregivers' willingness to pay for digital support services. Policy makers and insurance providers should consider innovative policies to fund digital support services that have been shown to be effective at supporting and improving caregivers' health outcomes via subsidies or other incentives. Future research that evaluates the cost-effectiveness of digital support services is needed in a context of a growing number of informal caregivers and ever scarcer resources.