Towards a low carbon ASEAN: an environmentally extended MRIO optimization model.

BACKGROUND: Economic growth is dependent on economic activity, which often translates to higher levels of carbon emissions. With the emergence of technologies that promote sustainable production, governments are working towards achieving their target economic growth while minimizing environmental emissions to meet their commitments to the international community. The IPCC reports that economic activities associated with electricity and heat production contributed most to GHG emissions and it led to the steady increase in global average temperatures. Currently, more than 90% of the total GHG emissions of the ASEAN region is attributable to Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam. These regions are expected to be greatly affected with climate change. This work analyzes how ASEAN nations can achieve carbon reduction targets while aspiring for economic growth rates in consideration of interdependencies between nations. We thus develop a multi-regional input-output model which can either minimize collective or individual carbon emissions. A high-level eight-sector economy is used for analyzing different economic strategies. RESULTS: This model shows that minimizing collective carbon emissions can still yield economic growth. Countries can focus on developing sectors that have potentials for growth and lower carbon intensity as new technologies become available. In the case study examined, results indicate that the services sector, agriculture, and food manufacturing sector have higher potential for economic growth under carbon reduction emission constraints. In addition, the simultaneous implementation of multiple carbon emission reduction strategies provides the largest reduction in regional carbon emissions. CONCLUSIONS: This model provides a more holistic view of how the generation of carbon emissions are influenced by the interdependence of nations. The emissions reduction achieved by each country varied depending on the state of technology and the level of economic development in the different regions. Though the presented case focused on the ASEAN region, the model framework can be used for the analysis of other multi-regional systems at various levels of resolution if data is available. Insights obtained from the model results can be used to help nations identify more appropriate and achievable carbon reduction targets and to develop coordinated and more customized policies to target priority sectors in a country. This model is currently limited by the assumption of fixed technical coefficients in the exchange and interdependence of different regions. Future work can investigate modelling flexible multi-regional trade where regions have the option of substituting goods and products in its import or export structure. Other strategies for reducing carbon emission intensity can also be explored, such as modelling transport mode choices, or establishing sectors for waste management. Hybrid models which integrate the multi-regional input-output linear program model with data envelopment analysis can also be developed.

Sustainable supply chain management towards disruption and organizational ambidexterity: A data driven analysis.

Balancing sustainability and disruption of supply chains requires organizational ambidexterity. Sustainable supply chains prioritize efficiency and economies of scale and may not have sufficient redundancy to withstand disruptive events. There is a developing body of literature that attempts to reconcile these two aspects. This study gives a data-driven literature review of sustainable supply chain management trends toward ambidexterity and disruption. The critical review reveals temporal trends and geographic distribution of literature. A hybrid of data-driven analysis approach based on content and bibliometric analyses, fuzzy Delphi method, entropy weight method, and fuzzy decision-making trial and evaluation laboratory is used on 273 keywords and 22 indicators obtained based on the experts' evaluation. The most important indicators are identified as supply chain agility, supply chain coordination, supply chain finance, supply chain flexibility, supply chain resilience, and sustainability. The regions show different tendencies compared with others. Asia and Oceania, Latin America and the Caribbean, and Africa are the regions needs improvement, while Europe and North America show distinct apprehensions on supply chain network design. The main contribution of this review is the identification of the knowledge frontier, which then leads to a discussion of prospects for future studies and practical industry implementation.

An AHP-based evaluation method for teacher training workshop on information and communication technology.

The emergence of information and communication technology (ICT) has created opportunities for enhancing the learning process at different educational levels. However, its potential benefits can only be fully realized if teachers are properly trained to utilize such tools. The rapid evolution of ICT also necessitates rigorous assessment of training programs by participants. Thus, this study proposes an evaluation framework based on the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) to systematically evaluate such workshops designed for teachers. The evaluation model is decomposed hierarchically into four main criteria namely: (1) workshop design, (2) quality of content of the workshop, (3) quality of delivery of the content of the workshop, and the (4) relevance of the workshop. These criteria are further disaggregated into 24 sub-indicators to measure the effectiveness of the workshop as perceived by the participants based on their own expectations. This framework is applied to a case study of ICT workshops done in the Philippines. In this case, relevance of the workshop is found to be the most important main criterion identified by the participants, particularly on the new ICT knowledge that promotes teachers' professional growth and development. The workshop evaluation index (WEI) is also proposed as a metric to support decision-making by providing a mechanism for benchmarking performance, tracking improvement over time, and developing strategies for the design and improvement of training programs or workshops on ICT for teachers.

State of the art in risk analysis of workforce criticality influencing disaster preparedness for interdependent systems.

The objective of this article is to discuss a needed paradigm shift in disaster risk analysis to emphasize the role of the workforce in managing the recovery of interdependent infrastructure and economic systems. Much of the work that has been done on disaster risk analysis has focused primarily on preparedness and recovery strategies for disrupted infrastructure systems. The reliability of systems such as transportation, electric power, and telecommunications is crucial in sustaining business processes, supply chains, and regional livelihoods, as well as ensuring the availability of vital services in the aftermath of disasters. There has been a growing momentum in recognizing workforce criticality in the aftermath of disasters; nevertheless, significant gaps still remain in modeling, assessing, and managing workforce disruptions and their associated ripple effects to other interdependent systems. The workforce plays a pivotal role in ensuring that a disrupted region continues to function and subsequently recover from the adverse effects of disasters. With this in mind, this article presents a review of recent studies that have underscored the criticality of workforce sectors in formulating synergistic preparedness and recovery policies for interdependent infrastructure and regional economic systems.