scholarly journals A Comprehensive Engineering Approach to Shaping the Future Energy System

2021 ◽  
pp. 245-258
Author(s):  
Zofia Lukszo ◽  
Samira Farahani
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Complex System ◽  
Free Energy ◽  
Energy Transition ◽  
Energy System ◽  
Paris Agreement ◽  
Social Changes ◽  
Average Temperature ◽  
Current Energy

AbstractThe urgency to significantly reduce the impacts of climate change is felt around the globe. By signing the Paris agreement in 2016, 195 governments have agreed on a long-term goal of keeping the increase in global average temperature below 2 °C above preindustrial levels and on aiming to limit the increase to 1.5 °C. To reach these goals, major technological, organizational, and social changes in different sectors and their services are needed. To understand and steer the transition from the current energy system towards a carbon-free energy system, we propose a comprehensive engineering framework that integrates different aspects, such as technical, economic, cyber-physical, social, institutional and political, that are needed in the design of such a complex system. We explain the importance of combining different disciplines to provide comprehensive models and tools in order to support and achieve a sustainable, affordable, reliable and inclusive energy transition.

scholarly journals Assessment of Energy Transition Policy in Taiwan—A View of Sustainable Development Perspectives

Energies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (15) ◽  
pp. 4402
Author(s):  
Chun-Kai Wang ◽  
Chien-Ming Lee ◽  
Yue-Rong Hong ◽  
Kan Cheng
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Power Generation ◽  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Energy Transition ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Adaptive Policy ◽  
Electricity Saving ◽  
Transition Policy ◽  
Development Perspective

Energy transition has become a priority for adaptive policy and measures taken in response to climate change around the world. This is an opportunity and a challenge for the Taiwan government to establish a climate-resilient power generation mixed to ensure electricity security as well as climate change mitigation. This study adopted a sustainable development perspective and applied optimal control theory to establish a cost-effective model to evaluate a long-term (2050), climate-resilient power generation mix for Taiwan. Furthermore, this study applies the STIRPAT approach to predict the demand of electricity by 2050 for the demand side management. The results not only showed the share of various power generation mixed, but also recommended the trajectory of electricity saving by 2050.

scholarly journals Is Green Recovery Enough? Analysing the Impacts of Post-COVID-19 Economic Packages

Energies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (17) ◽  
pp. 5567
Author(s):  
Pedro R. R. Rochedo ◽  
Panagiotis Fragkos ◽  
Rafael Garaffa ◽  
Lilia Caiado Couto ◽  
Luiz Bernardo Baptista ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Energy Use ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Energy Transition ◽  
Energy System ◽  
Paris Agreement ◽  
Investment Planning ◽  
Climate Policies ◽  
Climate Action ◽  
Support Employment ◽  
Societal Changes

Emissions pathways after COVID-19 will be shaped by how governments’ economic responses translate into infrastructure expansion, energy use, investment planning and societal changes. As a response to the COVID-19 crisis, most governments worldwide launched recovery packages aiming to boost their economies, support employment and enhance their competitiveness. Climate action is pledged to be embedded in most of these packages, but with sharp differences across countries. This paper provides novel evidence on the energy system and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions implications of post-COVID-19 recovery packages by assessing the gap between pledged recovery packages and the actual investment needs of the energy transition to reach the Paris Agreement goals. Using two well-established Integrated Assessment Models (IAMs) and analysing various scenarios combining recovery packages and climate policies, we conclude that currently planned recovery from COVID-19 is not enough to enhance societal responses to climate urgency and that it should be significantly upscaled and prolonged to ensure compatibility with the Paris Agreement goals.

scholarly journals Coal, Climate Justice, and the Cultural Politics of Energy Transition

2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (2) ◽  
pp. 149-168 ◽  
Author(s):  
Benjamin Brown ◽  
Samuel J. Spiegel
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Cultural Politics ◽  
Power Plants ◽  
Fossil Fuel ◽  
Energy Transition ◽  
Paris Agreement ◽  
Climate Justice ◽  
The World ◽  
Phase Out ◽  
Development Agendas

In the wake of the Paris Agreement on climate change, promises to phase out coal-fired power have suggested cause for optimism around energy transition globally. However, coal remains entangled with contentious development agendas in many parts of the world, while fossil fuel industries continue to flourish. This article discusses these entanglements through a climate justice lens that engages the cultural politics surrounding coal and energy transition. We highlight how recent struggles around phasing out coal have stimulated renewed critical debates around colonialism, empire, and capitalism more broadly, recognizing climate change as an intersectional issue encompassing racial, gender, and economic justice. With social movements locked in struggles to resist the development or expansion of coal mines, power plants, and associated infrastructure, we unpack tensions that emerge as transnational alliances connect disparate communities across the world. Our conclusion signals the need for greater critical engagement with how intersecting inequalities are coded into the cultural politics of coal, and how this shapes efforts to pursue a just transition.

Navigating the Energy Transition

2009 ◽  
Vol 108 (714) ◽  
pp. 26-32
Author(s):  
Michael T. Klare
Keyword(s):  
Energy Transition ◽  
Energy System ◽  
Current Energy

The transition from our current energy system to one based largely on renewables will be fraught with danger and crisis. …

The scalability challenge: pathways to future decarbonisation and the impact on the oil and gas industry

2020 ◽  
Vol 60 (2) ◽  
pp. 548
Author(s):  
Gavin Thompson
Keyword(s):  
Business Models ◽  
Oil And Gas ◽  
Energy Transition ◽  
Oil And Gas Industry ◽  
Energy System ◽  
Paris Agreement ◽  
Gas Industry ◽  
Alternative Technologies ◽  
Multiple Challenges ◽  
The Impact

How will the global energy system move sharply towards a pathway compatible with the goals of the Paris Agreement by 2030? Despite great efforts on cost reductions in renewables, alternative technologies, advanced transportation and supportive government policies, progress to date is not enough. The challenge is now one of scalability. Although some technologies required for a 2°C future are economic and proven, many others are not. Optimists look at the cost of solar and wind and say we have all we need to achieve our targets. The reality is that significant additional investment is needed to get them to material scale, globally. And too often huge challenges are downplayed in sectors beyond power and transport, including industry, aviation, shipping, heating and agriculture. Given the criticality of climate change, these multiple challenges must now be addressed. Consequently, any accelerated pace of decarbonisation represents an existential challenge to the oil and gas industry, including in Australia. If companies are to remain investible through the long term, all will need to transition to business models that are aligned with the goals of the Paris Agreement. This paper considers what the path to decarbonisation could look like and how oil and gas companies must respond in order to prosper through the energy transition.

scholarly journals A Mathematical Description of Selected Energy Transition Scenarios in the 21st Century, Intended to Realize the Main Goals of the Paris Climate Agreement

Energies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (9) ◽  
pp. 2558
Author(s):  
Askar A. Akaev ◽  
Olga I. Davydova
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Renewable Energy ◽  
Energy Consumption ◽  
21St Century ◽  
Mathematical Description ◽  
Energy Transition ◽  
Hydrocarbon Fuels ◽  
Paris Climate Agreement ◽  
Great Energy

On 4 November 2016, the historic Paris Climate Agreement of the United Nations entered into force, requiring signatory countries to maintain global warming at the level of 1.5–2 °C. According to the calculations of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), to achieve this goal, a 2/3 reduction in greenhouse gas energy emissions into the atmosphere compared with gaseous energy-related emissions in 2019 (33.3 Gt) by about 2050 (1.5 °C) or by 2070 (2 °C) is required. According to the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), this is only possible with the implementation of a great energy transition from the use of currently dominant fossil hydrocarbon fuels—coal, oil, and natural gas—to the predominant use of renewable energy sources (RES) by 2040–2050, when the share of renewable energy in the total energy balance will reach 40% and above. In this work, mathematical description of an upcoming energy transition has been carried out, including long-term scenario writing of the world’s demographic dynamics and global energy demand, calculation of the dynamics of industrial CO2 emissions and CO2 accumulation in the Earth’s atmosphere, as well as the corresponding changes in the average global temperature of the Earth’s surface in the 21st century. A mathematical description of the impact of energy consumption on climate change was carried out taking into account long-term trends in the dynamics of energy consumption. Using the performed mathematically-oriented scenario writing, it is suggested that a great energy transition with the achievement of the goals of the Paris Agreement is possible only by 2060. Renewable energy could sufficiently displace and replace hydrocarbon fuels to achieve climate safety without compromising economic development. As a result, humanity will receive an environmentally friendly decentralized distributed energy system, connected by «smart» grids, controlled by intelligent digital technologies.

scholarly journals Legal Provisions and Market Conditions for Energy Communities in Austria, Germany, Greece, Italy, Spain, and Turkey: A Comparative Assessment

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (20) ◽  
pp. 11212
Author(s):  
Mehmet Efe Biresselioglu ◽  
Siyami Alp Limoncuoglu ◽  
Muhittin Hakan Demir ◽  
Johannes Reichl ◽  
Katrin Burgstaller ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Renewable Energy ◽  
Social Acceptance ◽  
Energy Transition ◽  
Active Role ◽  
Energy System ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Horizon 2020 ◽  
Legal Provisions ◽  
The Eu

The Climate Pact and the European Green Deal constitute the main components of the European Union (EU)’s climate change policy. Energy transition, that is, transformation to a zero-carbon global energy system, is one of the main pillars of climate change mitigation policies. This transformation, coupled with the empowerment of individuals within the energy system, shifts citizens from their roles as customers towards a more active role. Within this framework, energy communities stand out as significant facilitators for the participation of individuals and communities in the energy system, promoting self-consumption and contributing to the social acceptance of renewable energy initiatives, among other direct and indirect benefits. The main directives introducing energy communities into the EU legal system are RED II and ED 2019. This study, conducted as a part of a Horizon 2020-funded eCREW project, assessed the adaptability and implementability of these two directives within national legislation, along with the associated legal and administrative frameworks, utilizing evidence from Austria, Germany, Greece, Italy, Spain, and Turkey. The comparative analysis also enhances the understanding of the concept of renewable energy communities and citizen energy communities, both in the EU and in nonmember countries. The results of the analysis revealed that none of the countries studied had yet completed the process of harmonizing their legislation concerning energy communities.

scholarly journals New Discourses on Energy Transition as an Opportunity for Reconciliation? Analyzing Indigenous and Non-Indigenous Communications in Media and Policy Documents

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 1-27
Author(s):  
Carelle Mang-Benza ◽  
Jamie Baxter ◽  
Romayne Smith Fullerton
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Indigenous People ◽  
News Media ◽  
Energy Transition ◽  
Paris Agreement ◽  
Truth And Reconciliation Commission ◽  
Policy Documents ◽  
Reconciliation Commission ◽  
Truth And Reconciliation ◽  
Before And After

This article examines energy issues articulated by Indigenous and non-Indigenous people in Canada and analyzes the energy transition as a locus of reconciliation therein. Using content and discourse analysis of policy documents, white papers, and news media articles, we draw attention to reconciliation and energy discourses before and after 2015, the year that marked the release of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada (TRC) report and the Paris Agreement on climate change. We find a three-fold expansion of those discourses, which encompass issues of inclusion and exclusion, dependency, and autonomy, as well as colonial representations of Indigenous people, after 2015. We also find that non-Indigenous voices are more prominent in those conversations. We suggest that the prospects of mutual benefits could turn the energy transition into an opportunity to bring together Indigenous and non-Indigenous people in Canada. 

scholarly journals The geopolitics of the European Green Deal

2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. 204-235
Author(s):  
Mark Leonard ◽  
◽  
Jean Pisani-Ferry ◽  
Jeremy Shapiro ◽  
Simone Tagliapietra ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Oil And Gas ◽  
Raw Materials ◽  
Energy Transition ◽  
Energy System ◽  
The United States ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Trade Patterns ◽  
The Eu ◽  
Border Adjustment

The European Green Deal is a plan to decarbonise the EU economy by 2050, revolutionise the EU’s energy system, profoundly transform the economy and inspire efforts to combat climate change. But the plan will also have profound geopolitical repercussions. The Green Deal will affect geopolitics through its impact on the EU energy balance and global markets; on oil and gas-producing countries in the EU neighbourhood; on European energy security; and on global trade patterns, notably via the carbon border adjustment mechanism. At least some of these changes are likely to impact partner countries adversely. The EU needs to wake up to the consequences abroad of its domestic decisions. It should prepare to help manage the geopolitical aspects of the European Green Deal. Relationships with important neighbourhood countries such as Russia and Algeria, and with global players including the United States, China and Saudi Arabia, are central to this effort, which can be structured around seven actions: 1) Help neighbouring oil and gas-exporting countries manage the repercussions of the European Green Deal. The EU should engage with these countries to foster their economic diversification, including into renewable energy and green hydrogen that could in the future be exported to Europe; 2) Improve the security of critical raw materials supply and limit dependence, first and foremost on China. Essential measures include greater supply diversification, increased recycling volumes and substitution of critical materials; 3) Work with the US and other partners to establish a ‘climate club’ whose members will apply similar carbon border adjustment measures. All countries, including China, would be welcome to join if they commit to abide by the club's objectives and rules; 4) Become a global standard-setter for the energy transition, particularly in hydrogen and green bonds. Requiring compliance with strict environmental regulations as a condition to access the EU market will be strong encouragement to go green for all countries; 5) Internationalise the European Green Deal by mobilising the EU budget, the EU Recovery and Resilience Fund, and EU development policy; 6) Promote global coalitions for climate change mitigation, for example through a global coalition for the permafrost, which would fund measures to contain the permafrost thaw; 7) Promote a global platform on the new economics of climate action to share lessons learned and best practices.

Prospects for climate change in 2021

2020 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Paris Agreement ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Climate Policies ◽  
Net Zero ◽  
Near Term ◽  
Better Than

Significance US re-entry into the Paris Agreement will signal renewed climate engagement by Washington. Prospects for climate cooperation are better than they seemed a year ago, with net-zero targets being more widely adopted, alongside long-term ambition statements. Credibility will depend on substantial changes in near-term climate policies and the pursuit of ‘green recoveries’.

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