Climate talks highlight shortcomings in global efforts

2021 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Natural Gas ◽  
Private Sector ◽  
Fossil Fuel ◽  
Paris Agreement ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Net Zero ◽  
The Us ◽  
Climate Action ◽  
Trump Administration ◽  
Credibility Gap

Significance Washington has re-joined the Paris agreement and announced new climate commitments, but still faces a credibility gap. It must demonstrate by November’s COP26 summit, how it can meet its new goals. Impacts Private sector companies will face increasing pressure to set net-zero targets. The use of natural gas as a transition fossil fuel will face greater scrutiny as pressure for drastic climate action increases. Fossil fuel subsidy reform is likely to return to G20 priorities after having been neglected during the US Trump administration.

US backsliding will drag on global climate progress

2017 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Global Warming ◽  
Global Climate ◽  
Paris Agreement ◽  
Donald Trump ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Federal Support ◽  
The Us ◽  
The World ◽  
Climate Action

Subject The Paris Agreement and US withdrawal. Significance President Donald Trump announced his intention to withdraw from the Paris Agreement on climate change on June 1, prompting criticism from around the world. While current pledges are unlikely to change and the agreement will not see flight or withdrawal by other countries, US withdrawal imperils the ability of the agreement’s structure to accelerate climate action to a scale necessary to meet its objective of limiting global warming to below 2 degrees centigrade by 2100. Impacts The US private sector and sub-national polities will increase their climate action, though the loss of federal support will still be felt. A future US administration could re-enter the agreement, but substantial momentum will be lost diplomatically in the intervening years. Calls for greater adaptation -- rather than mitigation -- funds from climate-vulnerable states will grow more strident.

Pressure for drastic climate action to build post-COP

2021 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Greenhouse Gases ◽  
Methane Emissions ◽  
Paris Agreement ◽  
Rapid Expansion ◽  
Carbon Credits ◽  
Climate Governance ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Net Zero ◽  
Climate Action

Significance The agreement has been widely criticised for its shortcomings, not least its failure to secure commitments to end coal use and to make major breakthroughs in climate governance. Progress has nevertheless been made on some issues, such as deforestation and methane emissions. Precedents have been set, symbolic milestones achieved and foundations for future progress laid. Impacts The Global Methane Pledge will foster increased attention on non-CO2 greenhouse gases. Comprising more than 450 institutions, the Glasgow Financial Alliance for Net Zero could boost funding for decarbonisation. The finalisation of the Paris Agreement ‘rulebook’ will prompt a rapid expansion in carbon credits.

COVID-19 to hinder international climate diplomacy

2020 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Renewable Energy ◽  
Presidential Elections ◽  
Paris Agreement ◽  
Policy Support ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Us ◽  
Climate Action ◽  
International Climate ◽  
Made In

Subject Climate diplomacy. Significance Amid frustration at the limited outcomes of last year’s COP25 conference in Madrid, hopes had been building that new commitments on climate action would be made in 2020. The global COVID-19 crisis has broken momentum towards such goals, seeing several international climate conferences postponed, including COP26, which was to take place in Glasgow in November. With political energy now focused completely on COVID-19, hopes that COP26 would increase ambitions to meet Paris Agreement temperature goals have been dashed. Impacts Trends of increasing renewable energy will remain consistent, given policy support. Climate ‘emergency’ rhetoric will run into public fatigue after the health emergency. The US withdrawal from the Paris Agreement on November 4 will be a flashpoint in presidential elections.

Firms’ net-zero plans are key to meeting climate goals

2020 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Financial Stability ◽  
Stress Test ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Paris Agreement ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The United Kingdom ◽  
Climate Targets ◽  
Net Zero ◽  
The Us ◽  
The Impact

Significance To achieve the 2015 Paris agreement climate targets, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions must be net-zero by 2050. While the Paris agreement was a commitment by governments, businesses account for a substantial proportion of emissions. Firms have often had to plan without clear government guidance. Impacts The Network of Central Banks for Greening the Financial System has 83 members; the US Fed joining this month may give the scheme impetus. The United Kingdom, euro-area and Australia plan to stress test the impact of climate change on financial stability; others may follow. Banks will target net-zero emissions by 2050 from loans, deals and operations; Barclays, HSBC and JP Morgan have made plans since October. Better tools to measure the emissions indirectly produced or financed by firms will help executives adopt more targeted strategies.

Pandemic will not stop international climate action

2020 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Presidential Election ◽  
Paris Agreement ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Net Zero ◽  
Climate Action ◽  
Business Cases ◽  
International Climate ◽  
Us Presidential Election ◽  
Global Carbon

Significance This has deprived social movements of opportunities to mobilise public opinion. However, a recent surge of major economies and businesses setting long-term ‘net zero’ emission targets offers hope that 2019 might have been the peak year for global carbon emissions. Impacts Campaigners will bring more litigation cases to press for more ambitious national policies. Carbon border pricing will become more attractive in higher-ambition jurisdictions, but it will also trigger geopolitical pushback. Efficiency investments in energy and transport will slow as demand falls and capital becomes tighter, affecting their business cases. A confirmed Biden win in yesterday’s US presidential election would see US withdrawal from the Paris Agreement reversed.

Banking Beyond Climate Commitments: Transforming Client Engagement and Products & Services for a Net-Zero Emissions Future

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jacob Waslander ◽  
Julie Bos ◽  
Yili Wu
Keyword(s):  
Private Sector ◽  
Greenhouse Gas ◽  
Business Model ◽  
Paris Agreement ◽  
Greenhouse Gas Mitigation ◽  
Client Engagement ◽  
Net Zero

This paper focuses on answering the following question: how can a private sector bank—one that has already committed to shifting its business model towards net-zero emissions—change its client engagement strategy and update its offerings? This paper analyzes action already taken by banks and identifies additional steps private sector banks should take to align their business model with the Paris Agreement (greenhouse gas mitigation objective) and cater to their clients’ needs in a manner that fosters a net-zero transition.

LNG use will be crucial to nations’ energy transitions

2021 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Fossil Fuels ◽  
Fossil Fuel ◽  
Developing Economies ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Energy Transition ◽  
Market Volatility ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Market Growth ◽  
Net Zero

Significance LNG is cleaner than most fossil fuels but still incompatible with net zero emissions. India, China and other Asian economies see LNG imports as a ready and economically viable means of displacing coal and oil use. Natural gas and then LNG demand will eventually peak as the energy transition accelerates over the next 20 years. Impacts LNG market growth will embed fossil fuel use and infrastructure in developing economies’ energy mixes. Recent market volatility and record spot LNG prices may reverse the trend of greater reliance on spot transactions than long-term contracts. Although the greenhouse gas (GHG) benefits of LNG use in transport are far from clear, it will gain market share in the next few years. LNG project developers will seek to cut GHG emissions from their projects to prolong LNG's attractiveness in the energy transition.

Comparing US public university and US private sector project costs

2019 ◽  
Vol 17 (2) ◽  
pp. 220-234
Author(s):  
Kelly Strong ◽  
Scott Glick ◽  
Gazala Syhail
Keyword(s):  
Public Sector ◽  
Private Sector ◽  
Public University ◽  
Small Sample ◽  
Cost Data ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Starting Point ◽  
Project Costs ◽  
The Us

Purpose This study aims to focus on the factors influencing project cost at US public universities and compares them to similar projects in the US private sector. It also presents an analysis of the potential reasons for the difference or similarities in the two sectors. Design/methodology/approach This study utilized an exploratory, comparative case study methodology performed on a small sample of public university projects and two sources of private sector cost data. Findings The results infer that most of the US public projects have comparable costs to that of their US private sector counterparts. The cost data from the university projects were further examined to explore if there were any possible relationships between the types of delivery methods used, sustainability certifications achieved and two project performance indexes – cost and duration. Research limitations/implications A more thorough analysis with a larger dataset is required to make generalizable conclusions. However, the process used in this study does provide a good overview of how facility managers could organize their own cost comparison study to evaluate their project expenditures. Practical implications This research provides a starting point for future research into the topic of US public sector project costs when compared to US private sector counterparts and the impact of delivery system and sustainability on cost of US public sector projects. Originality/value Research on this topic is scant; as such, this paper provides a starting point for future research and offers insights into the potential impacts of project delivery method and choice of following a sustainability certification option.

Impact of fossil fuel prices on electricity prices in Mexico

2019 ◽  
Vol 46 (2) ◽  
pp. 356-371 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bruno Bernal ◽  
Juan Carlos Molero ◽  
Fernando Perez De Gracia
Keyword(s):  
Natural Gas ◽  
Crude Oil ◽  
Fossil Fuel ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Electricity Price ◽  
Electricity Prices ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Fuel Prices ◽  
Electricity Rates ◽  
Domestic Electricity

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of fossil fuel prices – crude oil, natural gas and coal – on different electricity prices in Mexico. The use of alternative variables for electricity price helps to increase the robustness of the analysis in comparison to previous empirical studies. Design/methodology/approach The authors use an unrestricted vector autoregressive model and the sample covers the period January 2006 to January 2016. Findings Empirical findings suggest that crude oil, natural gas and coal prices have a significant positive impact on electricity prices – domestic electricity rates – in Mexico in the short run. Furthermore, crude oil and natural gas prices have also a significant positive impact on electricity prices – commercial and industrial electricity rates. Originality/value Two are the main contributions. First, this paper explores the nexus among crude oil, natural gas, coal and electricity prices in Mexico, while previous studies focus on the US, UK and some European economies. Second, instead of using one electricity price as a reference of national or domestic electricity sector, the analysis considers alternative Mexican electricity prices.

scholarly journals Achieving Carbon Neutrality for A Future Large Greenhouse Gas Emitter in Quebec, Canada: A Case Study

Atmosphere ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (8) ◽  
pp. 810
Author(s):  
Patrick Faubert ◽  
Sylvie Bouchard ◽  
Rémi Morin Chassé ◽  
Hélène Côté ◽  
Pierre-Luc Dessureault ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Natural Gas ◽  
Literature Review ◽  
Greenhouse Gas ◽  
Paris Agreement ◽  
Liquefied Natural Gas ◽  
Potential Solution ◽  
Carbon Neutrality ◽  
Net Zero ◽  
Zero Carbon

To reach the Paris Agreement targets of holding the global temperature increase below 2 °C above the preindustrial levels, every human activity will need to be carbon neutral by 2050. Feasible means for industries to achieve carbon neutrality must be developed and assessed economically. Herein we present a case study on available solutions to achieve net-zero carbon from the get-go for a planned liquefied natural gas (LNG) plant in Quebec, which would classify as a large Canadian greenhouse gas (GHG) emitter. From a literature review, available options were prioritized with the promoter. Each prioritized potential solution is discussed in light of its feasibility and the associated economic opportunities and challenges. Although net-zero carbon is feasible from the get-go, results show that the promoter should identify opportunities to reduce as much as possible emissions at source, cooperate with other industries for CO2 capture and utilization, replace natural gas from fossil sources by renewable sources and offset the remaining emissions by planting trees and/or buying offsets on the compliance and voluntary markets. As some of these solutions are still to be developed, to ensure timely net-zero pledge for the lifespan of the LNG plant, a portfolio and progressive approach to combine offsets and other options is preferable.

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