Dr Leticia Ozawa-Meida

Job: Senior Research Fellow

Faculty: Computing, Engineering and Media

School/department: School of Engineering and Sustainable Development

Research group(s): Institute of Energy and Sustainable Development (IESD)

Address: De Montfort University, The Gateway, Leicester, LE1 9BH, United Kingdom

T: +44 (0)116 257 7970

E: lozawa-meida@dmu.ac.uk

W: www.dmu.ac.uk/research/centres-institutes/iesd/index.aspx

Close all sections

Open all sections

Personal profile

Greenhouse gas accounting (national, regional, local and organisational level), end use energy demand analysis, estimation and analysis of energy and greenhouse gas indicators, scope 3 emissions.

Research group affiliations

Institute of Energy and Sustainable Development

Publications and outputs

Integrating the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) into Urban Climate Plans in the UK and Japan: A text analysis
dc.title: Integrating the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) into Urban Climate Plans in the UK and Japan: A text analysis dc.contributor.author: Ozawa-Meida, L.; Ortiz-Moya, Fernando; Painter, B.; Hengesbaugh, Matthew; Nakano, Ryoko; Yoshida, Tetsuro; Zusman, Eric; Bhattacharyya, Subhes dc.description.abstract: Cities are increasingly adopting potentially sustainable climate plans. Integrating the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) into these plans could help stabilize the climate while generating jobs, narrowing equity gaps, fostering innovation, and delivering other sustainability benefits. Yet, how much cities are integrating the SDGs into climate plans remains poorly understood. This article shed light on this question with a text analysis of SDG “keywords” in climate plans for two British and two Japanese cities. The results revealed that none of the surveyed cities have connected climate with socioeconomic priorities covered in SDG1 (poverty), SDG8 (employment), SDG5 (gender), and SDG10 (inequalities). Meanwhile, the United Kingdom cities made more connections between climate and responsible consumption and production (SDG12) than the Japanese cities. Further, Kyoto, Japan shares a climate-SDGs linkages profile that resembles the United Kingdom cities more than Kawasaki. Though not without limitations, text analysis can facilitate the city-to-city peer learning needed to make urban climate plans sustainable within and across countries. dc.description: open access article
Supporting Decentralised Energy Management through Smart Monitoring Systems in Public Authorities
dc.title: Supporting Decentralised Energy Management through Smart Monitoring Systems in Public Authorities dc.contributor.author: Stuart, Graeme; Ozawa-Meida, L. dc.description.abstract: Energy infrastructure in large, multi-site organisations such as municipal authorities, is often heterogeneous in terms of factors such as age and complexity of the technology deployed. Responsibility for day-to-day operation and maintenance of this infrastructure is typically dispersed across large numbers of individuals and impacts on even larger numbers of building users. Yet, the diverse population of stakeholders with an interest in the operation and development of this dynamic infrastructure typically have little or no visibility of energy and water usage. This paper explores the integration of utility metering data into urban management processes via the deployment of an accessible “smart meter” monitoring system. The system is deployed in three public authorities and the impact of the system is investigated based on the triangulation of evidence from semi-structured interviews and case studies. The research is framed from three perspectives: the bottom-up micro-level (individual and local), the top-down macro-level (organisation-wide and strategic) and intermediate meso-level (community-focused and operation). Evidence shows that improved communication across these levels enables a decentralisation and joining-up of energy management. Evidence points to the importance of reducing the cognitive load associated with monitoring systems. Better access to information supports more local autonomy, easier communication and cooperation between stakeholders and fosters the conditions necessary for adaptive practices to emerge. dc.description: open access article
Analysing climate action plans of selected UK cities for their SDG alignment
dc.title: Analysing climate action plans of selected UK cities for their SDG alignment dc.contributor.author: Ozawa-Meida, L.; Painter, B.; Bhattacharyya, Subhes dc.description.abstract: In UK, the Climate change Act of 2008 has placed a binding target of reducing the net carbon emission in 2050 by at least 80% compared to the 1990 baseline. With a high share of urban population, the contribution of cities and urban areas towards climate change mitigation and adaptation becomes crucial. UK being a signatory to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) in 2016, there is a new emphasis on the sustainability of cities as well. In this paper, a preliminary analysis of climate action initiatives of three UK cities (Bristol, Leicester and Milton Keynes) and their alignment with the SDG is presented. We used a text mining approach to analyse the climate action plans and then use this to map the alignment with the SDGs. We find that climate action plans have not focused on the sustainable development goals or the SDGs and their focus remains limited mainly to mitigation activities through promotion of renewable energies at homes and in buildings and actions on transport. However, climate action plans could influence a significant number of SDGs and an integrated approach could be beneficial for the cities and their residents.
Implementation of analytic hierarchy process in evaluation of vulnerable critical oil and gas infrastructures to climate change impacts
dc.title: Implementation of analytic hierarchy process in evaluation of vulnerable critical oil and gas infrastructures to climate change impacts dc.contributor.author: Udie, Justin; Bhattacharyya, Subhes; Ozawa-Meida, L.; Bhattacharyya, Subhes dc.description.abstract: The Niger Delta oil and gas infrastructures are under severe threat of climate change impacts exacerbated by frequent flood activities, rising temperature, surging Atlantic tides, persistent heavy rainfall, and windstorms. This requires sustainable adaptation mechanisms to cope with vulnerabilities, but experts are challenged with the scale of vulnerability and ability to prioritise adaptation responses according to system criticality. Through a systematic review and synthesise of criticality assessment criteria, this paper applied multiple input analytic hierarchy process (Mi-AHP) in prioritising the criticality of seven stratified vulnerable infrastructures to ease adaptation planning. The result indicates that oil terminals, flow stations and roads/bridges are most critical infrastructures with an EV value = 0.27, 0.19, and 0.15 respectively. The result further indicated that transformers/high voltage cables are the fourth most critical systems obtaining EV = 0.14 while Pipelines, loading bays and wellheads were ranked fifth, sixth, and seventh with EV = 0.11, 0.09 and 0.05. Accordingly, the study emphasised the need for sustainable and pragmatic adaptation planning leveraging the outcome of the study to effectively manage and reduce the vulnerability of climate change impacts on oil and gas infrastructures in the Niger Delta.
Vulnerability Assessment of Climate Change Impact on Critical Oil/Gas Infrastructure: A Decision-Maker’s Perception in the Niger Delta
dc.title: Vulnerability Assessment of Climate Change Impact on Critical Oil/Gas Infrastructure: A Decision-Maker’s Perception in the Niger Delta dc.contributor.author: Bhattacharyya, Subhes; Ozawa-Meida, L.; Udie, J. dc.description.abstract: The impacts of climate change arising from flooding, the intrusion of high saline tidewater, rising temperature, wind storms, and rising Atlantic level are exacerbating significant threats to oil and gas critical installations in the Niger Delta. Understanding the hierarchies of vulnerable critical infrastructure could help assets managers in the industry to adopt sustainable adaptation measures against the looming impacts of climate change–induced stress on systems. In this article, the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) is implemented in prioritising vulnerable critical oil and gas infrastructure in the Niger Delta for effective and sustainable adaptation planning and response. A mix of an exploratory investigation involving interdisciplinary participants’ engagement in focus groups were conducted in four multinational oil companies in the Niger Delta to elicit data for analysis. Participants in the study compared seven selected critical installations using an AHP questionnaire. A Mi-AHP spreadsheet analysis of stakeholders’ perceptions revealed infrastructure vulnerability in hierarchical form: pipelines, terminals, roads/bridges, flow stations, loading bays, transformers/high voltage cables, and wellheads. The study shows that the vulnerability in the region is influenced by exposure, the presence of climate burdens, and proximity to inundated coastal areas below 4.5 meters above sea level. It also shows that critical systems are vulnerable due to interdependence and level of linkages that exist between directly vulnerable and non-directly vulnerable assets. Results also show that vulnerability in the region is due to critical perception, age and obsolescence, and weak adaptive capacity. This study furnished decision-makers in the oil and gas sector with information on which infrastructure is to be protected in terms of adaptation planning, investment, and implementation with particular attention on climate change. dc.description: The file attached to this record is the author's final peer reviewed version. The Publisher's final version can be found by following the DOI link.
Evaluation of Oil/Gas Infrastructure Exposure to Climate Change Burdens in the Niger Delta
dc.title: Evaluation of Oil/Gas Infrastructure Exposure to Climate Change Burdens in the Niger Delta dc.contributor.author: Udie, J.; Bhattacharyya, Subhes; Ozawa-Meida, L. dc.description.abstract: Climate change extreme weather events such as flood, rising temperature and windstorms pose significant threats to oil and gas infrastructure in the Niger. Due to a gap in evaluation of assets exposure in the region, little is known about their level of exposure hierarchies. In this paper, analytic hierarchy process (AHP) is used to evaluate the exposure of selected oil and gas infrastructure to prevailing climate burdens for sustainable adaptation planning. A combination of observational and interdisciplinary stakeholder decision-making process in four (4) multinational oil companies was used to elicit data through focus group and face-to-face interviews. Participants pairwise compared selected infrastructure using AHP questionnaire for pairwise comparison of infrastructure in a matrix system. Multiple-input (Mi-AHP) analysis revealed assets exposure to climate burdens in the following order; pipelines, terminals, roads/bridges, flow stations, loading bay, transformers/HVC and oil well-heads. Exposure is forces vulnerability of infrastructure to flood and direct heatwaves while the presence of climate burdens and proximity to areas below 4.5 m above sea level further exacerbate exposure. The research also found that interdependence, criticality, obsolescence, and adaptive capacity are other factors responsible for exposure and vulnerability of infrastructure in the Niger Delta. The result further revealed that infrastructure with weak adaptive capacities and significant obsolescence are more vulnerable if exposed to severe climate burdens. The outcome of this investigation provide hands-on data for responsible stakeholders and policymakers in the oil and gas industry for effective and sustainable planning and prioritisation of adaptation investment strategies.
A conceptual framework for vulnerability assessment of climate change impact on critical oil and gas infrastructure in the Niger Delta
dc.title: A conceptual framework for vulnerability assessment of climate change impact on critical oil and gas infrastructure in the Niger Delta dc.contributor.author: Udie, J.; Bhattacharyya, Subhes; Ozawa-Meida, L. dc.description.abstract: The impact of climate change on the Niger Delta is severe as extreme weather events have inflicted various degrees of stress on critical oil/gas infrastructure. Typically, assets managers and government agencies lack of a clear framework for evaluating the vulnerability of these systems. This paper presents a participatory framework for the vulnerability assessment of critical oil/gas infrastructure to climate change impacts in the Niger Delta context. Through a critical review of relevant literature and triangulating observational and exploratory data from the field, this paper has developed a conceptual framework with three elements: 1) a preliminary scoping activity 2) the vulnerability assessment, and 3) mainstreaming the results into institutional asset management codes. Scoping involves the definition of research aim and objectives, review of prevailing climate burdens and impacts, exploratory investigation, screening for new (planned) assets and selection of relevant infrastructure. The emphasis on screening for planned infrastructure is to facilitate the incorporation of sustainable adaptive capacities into the original design of identified systems. Vulnerability assessment is presented as a robust systematic iterative model for the evaluation of selected assets using an appropriate methodology. In this study, the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) is used. Mainstreaming as part of the research framework is emphasised to aid a commercial implementation in an expert-based perspective. The study recommends the use of other suitable methodologies and systematic approaches to test the flexibility of framework. dc.description: Open access article
Institutional, social and individual behavioural effects of energy feedback in public buildings across eleven European cities
dc.title: Institutional, social and individual behavioural effects of energy feedback in public buildings across eleven European cities dc.contributor.author: Ozawa-Meida, L.; Wilson, Caroline; Fleming, P. D.; Stuart, Graeme; Holland, Carl dc.description.abstract: Better understanding of the factors influencing how people use energy in public buildings can help deliver more effective CO2 reduction strategies. This paper describes the institutional, social and individual behavioural effects of communication campaigns in over 500 public buildings in 11 European cities. These campaigns involved engaging with staff to reduce energy use through feedback services based on information from sub hourly meter readings. A summative evaluation was conducted to understand impacts of different information provision in these cities. Qualitative data were gathered through a set of interviews with 40 building professionals at the central or building level. These interviews identified differences in how the energy efficiency communication-based campaigns were implemented at each site and elicited factors to explain how users’ perceptions and understanding changed as a result of the interventions. The evaluation framework helped to identify not only improvements in the delivery of communication-based campaigns, but also the communication factors that impacted on individual behaviour change. The research highlighted the influence of institutional and social effects on individual beliefs and norms. To achieve more effective change in attitudes to reduce use, energy feedback needs to be supported with engagement activities, such as energy coaches, campaigns, and interactive online fora. dc.description: The file attached to this record is the author's final peer reviewed version. The Publisher's final version can be found by following the DOI link.
Summative behaviour change evaluation of up-to-date metered energy feedback in European public buildings
dc.title: Summative behaviour change evaluation of up-to-date metered energy feedback in European public buildings dc.contributor.author: Ozawa-Meida, L.; Wilson, Caroline; Holland, Carl; Fleming, P. D.; Stuart, Graeme dc.description.abstract: Energy consumption practices and behaviour are increasingly an important focus of attention, for energy efficiency measures. Such is the demand caused by behaviour at the level of the individual, it may cancel out the benefits of engineering solutions, such as more energy efficient appliances (Adua, 2010). This paper focuses on an evaluation of the SMARTSPACES project and its effect on energy-related behaviour change. The project provided two services: an energy management service (EMS) and an energy decision support service (EDSS). These services were implemented in over 450 public buildings across 11 European cities in 8 European countries (Serbia, France, Germany, Italy, The Netherlands, Spain, Turkey and United Kingdom). Building professionals (energy managers) primarily used the EMS and building staff used the EDSS. These services intended to inform, support and enable target audiences to use up-to-date metered feedback to reduce energy use in public buildings. The theory of change that underpins the evaluation framework is based in the Elaboration Likelihood Model which aims to understand how communication can influence attitudes and the Theory of Planned Behaviour that examines which attitudes are more likely to predict intentions and behaviours (Wilson, 2014). The paper presents results of ex-ante and ex-post surveys to building staff about their levels of awareness, attitudes, perceived control behaviour and intentions in three selected cities: Bristol, Leicester and Venlo. Outcomes varied across the examined cities depending upon the type of information presented, the level of engagement of users with the energy saving campaigns and the amount of previous energy management work undertaken by buildings’ facilities and energy management professionals.
Utility-service provision as an example of a complex system
dc.title: Utility-service provision as an example of a complex system dc.contributor.author: Strzelecka, A.; Janus, T.; Ozawa-Meida, L.; Ulanicki, Bogumil; Skworcow, P. dc.description.abstract: Utility–service provision is a process in which products are transformed by appropriate devices into services satisfying human needs and wants. Utility products required for these transformations are usually delivered to households via separate infrastructures, i.e., real-world networks such as, e.g., electricity grids and water distribution systems. owever, provision of utility products in appropriate quantities does not itself guarantee hat the required services will be delivered because the needs satisfaction task requires not only utility products but also fully functional devices. Utility infrastructures form complex networks and have been analyzed as such using complex network theory. However, little research has been conducted to date on integration of utilities and associated services within one complex network. This paper attempts to fill this gap in knowledge by modelling utility–service provision within a household with a hypergraph in which products and services are represented with nodes whilst devices are hyperedges spanning between them. Since devices usually connect more than two nodes, a standard graph would not suffice to describe utility–service provision problem and therefore a hypergraph was chosen as a more appropriate representation of the system. This paper first aims to investigate the properties of hypergraphs, such as cardinality of nodes, betweenness, degree distribution, etc. Additionally, it shows how these properties can be used while solving and optimizing utility– service provision problem, i.e., constructing a so-called transformation graph. The transformation graph is a standard graph in which nodes represent the devices, storages for products, and services, while edges represent the product or service carriers. Construction of different transformation graphs to a defined utility– service provision problem is presented in the paper to show how the methodology is applied to generate possible solutions to provision of services to households under given local conditions, requirements and constraints.

Click here for a full listing of Leticia Ozawa-Meida's publications and outputs.

Key research outputs

Ozawa-Meida L, Brockway P, Letten K, Davies J, and Fleming P. (in press). “Measuring carbon performance in a UK University through a consumption-based carbon footprint: De Montfort University case study” in Journal for Cleaner Production, UK. (article in press).

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2011.09.028

Sheinbaum C, Ruiz BJ, and Ozawa L. (2011). “Energy consumption and related CO₂ emissions in five Latin American countries: changes from 1990 to 2006 prospects” in Energy, volume 36, issue 6, pp. 3629-3638.

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.energy.2010.07.023

Sheinbaum C, Ozawa L, and Castillo D. (2010). “Decomposition analysis of energy use and carbon dioxide emissions in Mexico's iron and steel industry using the logarithmic mean Divisia index” in Energy Economics, volume 32, issue 6, pp. 1337-1344.

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.eneco.2010.02.011

Ozawa-Meida L, Fransen T, and Jiménez-Ambriz R.M. (2008). “The Mexico GHG Programme: corporate responses to climate change initiatives in a ‘Non-Annex I’ Country”, in Corporate Responses to Climate Change, Achieving Emissions Reductions through Regulation, Self-Regulation, and Economic Incentives, R. Sullivan (editor), Chapter 9, Greenleaf Publishing, London, United Kingdom.

Worrell E, Price L, Martin N, Hendriks C, Ozawa-Meida L. (2001). “Carbon Dioxide Emissions from the Global Cement Industry” in Annual Review of Energy and Environment, vol. 26, November, p. 303-329.

Research interests/expertise

Corporate climate strategies, industrial energy use and climate change mitigation.

Areas of teaching

Integrated Environmental Strategies, MSc Climate Change and Sustainable Development.

Qualifications

Eng, MEng, PhD

Courses taught

Integrated Environmental Strategies, MSc Climate Change and Sustainable Development.

Honours and awards

As a DMU team (IESD, Estates and Procurement Departments) jointly with ARUP

Name of the award: MCA Award (consultancy awards)

Date: April 2011

Reason conferred: ‘Environment’ and ‘Times Award for Best Consultant/Client team’ for the application submitted “Breaking New Ground in Higher Education Carbon Footprinting”.

Conference attendance

Conference Title: “1^st International Conference On Revisiting the Socio-Political and Technological Dimensions of Climate Change”

Dates: 19-20 May 2011

Location: University of Central Lancashire

Title of contribution: De Montfort University’s comprehensive consumption-based carbon footprint and sustainability initiatives

Authors: Ozawa-Meida, L. Brockway, P., Letten, K., Hudson, B., Bull, R. and Fleming, P.

Type of contribution: Presentation and refereed conference paper

Funded by: JISC

Associated research grant: “Re-engineering procurement (PRO) Reducing carbon dioxide emissions (CO2) and enabling sustainability” (_PROCO2)

Consultancy work

4/2007-6/2009 Energy and climate change independent consultant in Mexico

The following are a list of projects in different topics related to climate change:

Adaptation to Mexico of the Livestock Project Protocols of the Climate Action Reserve, through a performance standard analysis and supported by a stakeholder process.

Identification of the building blocks of implementing sectoral agreements on GHG emissions from a program perspective and from a company perspective.

Collaboration in the development of the content of a distance learning course on Climate Change and Sustainable Development focused on advisors that guide the teaching of young and adult people with low education or educational gaps.

Road-test the cement sector proposal template developed by Ecofys and GTripleC for Mexico and organization of technical and policy workshops on “Sectoral No-Lose Targets” in Mexico.

Estimation of GHG emissions from the category of Industrial Processes and Use of Products for Mexico’s National Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory 1990-2006.

Analysis of energy efficiency and climate change mitigation options for the pharmaceutical industry in Mexico.

Editorial and technical support for the elaboration and publication of the Mexico’s National Strategy on Climate Change.

At DMU:

Project title: “Measuring and monitoring Scope 3 carbon emissions (procurement and estates)”

Client (funding source): HEFCE
Dates: February – August 2011
Role in the project: Researcher
Collaborators: DMU Estates Department, DMU Finance Department (Procurement), ARUP
Currently available to undertake consultancy

Current research students

Taofeeq Ibn-Mohammed

Mode: Attending Living Lab PhD

Supervisory role: 2^nd supervisor

Working title of Research Programme: “Optimal ranking sequencing of retrofit options for greenhouse gas emissions reductions in non-domestic buildings”

Externally funded research grants information

Project title: “Face your elephant; engaging festival goers in the Science and Engineering of reducing their carbon footprint”

Funding Agency: ESPRC
Dates: August 2009 – April 2011
Role in the project: Researcher

Project title: “Re-engineering procurement (PRO) Reducing carbon dioxide emissions (CO2) and enabling sustainability” (_PROCO2)

Funding agency: JISC
Dates: February 2011 - May 2012
for the PROCO2 project
Role in the project: Researcher
Collaborators: ARUP

Project title: “All in One: Feasibility Analysis of Supplying All Services Through One Utility Product”

Funding agency: ESPRC
Dates: October 2011 – March 2013
Role in the project: Researcher
Collaborators: Cranfield University, University of Leicester and University of Sheffield

Internally funded research project information

Project title: De Montfort University Carbon footprint research study

Funding source: RIF
Dates: April – July 2010
Role in the project: Researcher
Collaborators: DMU Estates Department, DMU Finance Department (Procurement), ARUP

Professional esteem indicators

Name of the journal: Energy Policy
Reviewer
Date: November 2011 - March 2012

Name of the journal: Carbon management
Reviewer
Date: November 2011

Name of the publication: Mexico's National Strategy on Climate Change
Editorial and technical support
Date: 2007

Case studies

Title of the case study	Measuring scope 3 carbon emissions in the Higher Education (HE) Sector.
Impact	The consumption-based methodology developed in projects can now be applied to other Higher Education Institutions in England to gain a better understanding of their major greenhouse gas emissions and the actions.
Impact indicator	Environment and informing public policy in the Higher Education sector through HEFCE.
Research which led to impact	Carbon footprinting at DMU (2010) and in the HE sector (2011) by ARUP and DMU.
References to key output which underpin impact	Ozawa-Meida L, Brockway P, Letten K, Davies J. and Fleming P. (in press). “Measuring carbon performance in a UK University through a consumption-based carbon footprint: De Montfort University case study” in Journal for Cleaner Production, UK. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2011.09.028
Evidence of impact	http://www.hefce.ac.uk/pubs/rereports/year/2012/scope3carbon/