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STB > Future Energy Supply Challenges and Social Issues in Electronics Industries > Flashcards

Future Energy Supply Challenges and Social Issues in Electronics Industries Flashcards

1
Q

What are the advantages/disadvantages of unbated cleaner fossil fuels?

A

Advantages:

Dispatchable
Cheap and easy to roll out
Well characterised

Disadvantages:

Not that clean, even gas
Future cost/availability is unknown

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2
Q

What are the advantages/disadvantages of nuclear energy?

A

Advantages:

Low carbon
Meets baseload needs

Disadvantages:

Long lead-in times
Bad public opinion due to waste
Sometimes expensive when compared to other clean fuels

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3
Q

What are the advantages/disadvantages of intermittent renewables? (solar/wind)

A

Advantages:

Well characterised
Short lead-in times
On-shore wind is now relatively cheap

Disadvantages:

Solar + off-shore wind are expensive when compared to gas, but not with nuclear
Public opinion
Land requirements for on-shore technologies

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4
Q

What are the advantages/disadvantages of dispatchable renewables? (biomass/hydro)

A

Advantages:

Short lead-in times
Well characterised
Relatively cheap
Role for pumped storage

Disadvantages:

Land requirements for biomass
Lack of suitable sites for hydro in the UK
Theoretical max of 2% of total demand

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5
Q

What are the advantages/disadvantages of carbon capture and storage?

A

Advantages:

Dispatchable

Disadvantages:

Expensive
Unproven and inefficient
Relies of fossil fuels

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6
Q

What is the ‘duck curve’?

A
  • Duck curve is a result of the rise in intermitted renewables, particularly solar power
  • Day time increase in power from solar results in supply exceeding demand and causes a sharp drop in the price per kWh
  • Evening demand increases and the supply matches this through the use of dispatchable energy sources resulting in a sharp increase in price per kWh
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7
Q

What are the main challenges faced with electricity supply?

A
  • More reliance on intermittent renewables
  • Could be huge amounts of baseload to sell if nuclear goes big
  • Demand may triple if transport and heating becomes electrified
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8
Q

How are customers affected by electricity supply challenges?

A

Carrot and stick approach:

Incentivise to change demand throughout the day, pay people to reduce consumption during times of peak demand and lower prices during times of low demand. Increase prices during times of high demand.

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9
Q

How does an organisation such as the University of Bristol control its energy supply?

A

Energy efficiency is cheaper than generation.

  • Voltage optimisation
  • Reboilering
  • Insulation
  • Lighting controls
  • HVAC
  • Control
  • Difficulties are that changes are restricted due to buildings being listed
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10
Q

How can energy storage help overcome the energy supply challenges?

A
  • Storage can manage the power supply to create a more resilient energy infrastructure and generate cost savings to utilities and consumers.
  • Store energy when its cheap/plentiful/excessive and discharge when it is expensive/scarce.
  • Can be on a grid or local level.
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11
Q

How can EVs help with the energy supply challenge?

A
  • 90% of cars are parked at any one time
  • Energy stored in the battery can be discharged to the grid at peak demand
  • It requires two way electric chargers and an agreement with the owner
  • Owners will likely be incentivised
  • Transport must not be compromised
  • Technically viable now
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12
Q

Why was the Ethical Trading Initiative (ETI) formed?

A
  • Stakeholder concern
  • Working rights
  • Working conditions
  • Child labour
  • CSR agenda
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13
Q

What does the Fairtrade label mean and what problems did it face?

A

Fairtrade is focuses on the living wage issue particularly for small producers in developing countries.

It was problematic because consumers begn to think anything without Fairtrade must be a bad/unethical product.

Accusations of pursuing western corporate agenda.

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14
Q

What is the ETI Base Code?

A
  1. Employment is freely chosen (no physical or financial coercion)
  2. Freedom of association and the right to collective bargaining are respected
  3. Working conditions are safe/hygienic
  4. Child labour is prohibited (under 15 y/o)
  5. Living wages are paid
  6. Working hours are not excessive (under 60 hours per week)
  7. No discrimination is practised
  8. Regular employment is provided
  9. No harsh or inhumane treatment is allowed (sexual or physical abuse)
  10. Provisions of the code are minimums, companies should be allowed to exceed these standards
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15
Q

What are the principles of the ETI Membership?

A
  1. Demonstrate a clear commitment to ethical trade
  2. Integrate ethical trade into core business principles
  3. support suppliers to improve working conditions
  4. Report openly and accurately about their activities
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16
Q

What must the ETI Members report on?

A
  1. Who is driving the company’s ethical trade strategy.
  2. How much money they have spent on ethical trade activities.
  3. What progress they have made.
  4. How they assess the working conditions of suppliers.
  5. How they ensure any improvements requested of their suppliers have been made and recorded.
17
Q

How does ETI Membership benefit businesses?

A

Increased working with suppliers leads to a more productive relationship and uncovers cost saving opportunities/innovation.

Action to address problems at suppliers levels reduces the risk of claims being made against them in the future.

Non-ETI Members will will have their reputations challenged first.

Poor reputation on these matters can make it harder to recruit the best talent.

18
Q

What is the Conflict-free Sourcing Initiative?

A

It is a response to concern and pressure from NGOs.

More than 200 corporate members that deal in Tantalum, Gold, Tin and Tungsten.

Initial focus is on smelters as this is the point closest to material exploitation where the material origin can be influenced.

19
Q

How does the Conflict-free initiative work?

A
  1. Establish strong company management systems.
  2. Identify and assess risks in the supply chain.
  3. Design and implement a strategy to respond to identified risks.
  4. Carry out independent third-party audit of supply chain due diligence.
  5. Report on supply chain due diligence.
20
Q

What is the Modern Slavery Act?

A

Became law in October 2015
Companies with turnover > £36mn required to issue a statement
Statement should include policies relating to anti-slavery, supply chain due diligence, high risk areas and mitigation strategies
Statement must be approved by the Board of Directors
Statement must be available online

21
Q

What is the Public Services Act?

A

Implemented in January 2013
Requires suppliers to consider choosing service providers based on their social value
For most public sector tenders, 10-20% of the score is given based on social value

22
Q

What is the Responsible Business Alliance?

A
  • Used to be EICC
  • Code of conduct where members must at a minimum require their next tier suppliers to acknowledge and implement the code
  • Provides tools and training to support conformance and auditing
    Auditing may be internal.

5 Areas:

Labour, H+S, Environment, Ethics, Management System

23
Q

What does the RBA Validated Audit Process consist of?

A
  • Standardised approach
  • Actionable results
  • Demonstrate company’s leadership
24
Q

What are some of the criticisms of the RBA?

A
  • Members only need to demonstrate working towards compliance
  • Vague about unions and collective bargaining
  • Independent verification not required
  • RBA does hold its members accountable
  • No requirement to make findings public
  • NGOs argue the RBA has set the bar low with wages, not needing to meet the living wage requirements of the International Labour Organisation
25
Q

What are the strengths of RBA?

A
  • Common high standard audit process
  • Common EICC code of conduct
  • Independent 3rd party audits
  • Common auditor training which highlights hard to spot violations
  • Shared audit findings
  • Reduces supplier audit fatigue

STB (5 decks)

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