Climate change to hit development in the global south

2021 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Climate Change Impacts ◽  
Energy Transition ◽  
Clean Energy ◽  
International Aid ◽  
Financial Assistance ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Carbon Neutrality ◽  
Transition Costs ◽  
Developed Nations

Significance In a scenario in which it becomes increasingly evident that carbon neutrality will not be reached by 2050, governments may switch the focus of spending from the energy transition towards measures designed to address a changing climate. This is more likely in the developing world, which has less chance of reaping the economic opportunities of energy transition. Impacts Governments will have to incorporate both transitioning to clean energy and resilience against climate change impacts into their policies. As economies recover from the pandemic, developing countries' calls for financial assistance with energy transition costs will rise. Developed nations will emerge from the pandemic with stretched budgets, and some will face pressure to spend less on international aid. The need for heightened international cooperation to deliver the energy transition worldwide will test existing institutions.

scholarly journals Possibilities for De-carbonizing the Heating and Cooling Sector in the Island of Crete, Greece

2021 ◽  
Vol 2 (3) ◽  
pp. 49-56
Author(s):  
John Vourdoubas
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Fossil Fuels ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Energy Transition ◽  
Clean Energy ◽  
Renewable Electricity ◽  
Carbon Neutrality ◽  
Heating And Cooling ◽  
Cost Efficient ◽  
Wind Energy Resources

Clean energy transition in islands is important and urgent in the current era of climate change. The possibility of de-carbonizing the heating and cooling sector in the island of Crete, Greece has been investigated. Fossil fuels are used in Crete in electricity generation, in heat and cooling production as well as in transportation. The use of various renewable and non-renewable fuels as well as the technologies used in heat and cooling generation has been examined together with the annual changes in fossil fuels consumption during the last years. Various renewable energies like solar energy, biomass and low enthalpy geothermal energy combined with renewable electricity could cover all the heating and cooling requirements in Crete totally eliminating the use of fossil fuels. Their technologies are mature, reliable, and cost efficient.  Renewable and low cost electricity can be easily generated by the abundant solar and wind energy resources in Crete powering electric systems generating heat and cooling. Current work indicates that the heating and cooling sector in Crete can be de-carbonized. This would result in the mitigation of climate change complying with the European goal for carbon neutrality in Europe by 2050.

Suriname and Guyana face oil-driven climate challenges

2022 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Renewable Energy ◽  
Economic Trend ◽  
Climate Change Impacts ◽  
Clean Energy ◽  
Change Initiatives ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Current Climate ◽  
Investment Opportunities ◽  
Mitigate Climate Change

Significance Both economies now look set to be driven by oil investment and production for at least the next decade. This economic trend is the opposite of that experienced by many other economies which are attempting to transition towards clean energy in an effort to mitigate climate change impacts. Impacts Submission of Guyana’s second Paris Commitment goals will spark greater scrutiny of current climate change initiatives. Extractives companies operating in Guyana and Suriname may look to fund climate change initiatives there to bolster their reputations. Guyana’s renewable energy commitments will lead to new investment opportunities in this sector from 2022.

The path to net zero by 2050 is narrow and challenging

2021 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Oil And Gas ◽  
Energy Transition ◽  
The Philippines ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Carbon Neutrality ◽  
Net Zero ◽  
Oil And Natural Gas ◽  
Speed Up ◽  
The Many ◽  
Developed Nations

Significance The IEA describes the technological necessities and the many challenges, noting that the energy transition will require unprecedented international cooperation. The scale of the actions needed, coupled with current trends, suggest that the world is unlikely to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. Impacts Carbon standards may divide global trade, with developing nations unable to afford to export products to developed nations in key sectors. Pressure on western oil and gas companies to align their spending with net zero carbon targets will grow. Energy transition technologies will attract sizeable government funding to speed up deployment and reap the benefits of early leadership. Japan, Australia and the Philippines have said they will ignore the IEA roadmap and still invest in coal, oil, and natural gas projects.

Retooling the Energy Charter Treaty for climate change mitigation: lessons from investment law and arbitration

2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 75-87
Author(s):  
Elena Cima
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Climate Change Mitigation ◽  
Energy Transition ◽  
Clean Energy ◽  
Careful Analysis ◽  
Energy Trade ◽  
Energy Charter Treaty ◽  
Scope Of Application ◽  
Modernization Process ◽  
Change Mitigation

Abstract In 2017, the Energy Charter Treaty (ECT) began a modernization process aimed at updating, clarifying, and modernizing a number of provisions of the Treaty. Considering the scope of application of the Treaty—cooperation in energy trade, transit, and investment—there is hardly any doubt that the modernization kicked off in 2017 offers a springboard for constructive reform and a unique opportunity to bring the Treaty closer in line with the objectives of the Paris Agreement. Although none of the items selected by the Energy Charter Conference and open for discussion and reform mention climate change or clean energy, a careful analysis of the relevant practice in both treaty drafting and adjudication can provide valuable insights as to how to steer the discussions on some of the existing items in a climate-friendly direction. The purpose of this article is to rely on this relevant practice to explore promising avenues to ‘retool’ the Treaty for climate change mitigation, in other words, to imagine a Treaty that would better reflect climate change concerns and clean energy transition goals.

Extreme weather highlights longer-term Canada concerns

2022 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Indigenous Peoples ◽  
Clean Energy ◽  
Focused Attention ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Weather Patterns ◽  
Extreme Cold ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Ways Of Life ◽  
Impacts Of Climate Change

Significance The extreme cold comes as the province is still dealing with the damage caused by unprecedented levels of heat and wildfires last summer and then record levels of rainfall and flooding in November. Its experience has focused attention on Canada’s wider vulnerability to the impact of shifting weather patterns and climate change. Impacts The natural resource sectors that are vital to Canada’s economy face an increasingly difficult environment for extraction. Indigenous peoples across the country will see their traditional ways of life further disrupted by climate change. The increasingly evident impacts of climate change on day-to-day life will see voters demand greater action from government. Significant investment in green initiatives, clean energy and climate resiliency initiatives will boost green industries.

Mineral raw material requirements and associated climate-change impacts of the French energy transition by 2050

2019 ◽  
Vol 208 ◽  
pp. 1198-1205 ◽  
Author(s):  
Antoine Beylot ◽  
Dominique Guyonnet ◽  
Stéphanie Muller ◽  
Stéphane Vaxelaire ◽  
Jacques Villeneuve
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Climate Change Impacts ◽  
Energy Transition ◽  
Raw Material ◽  
Mineral Raw Material ◽  
Material Requirements

scholarly journals Assessing the energy transition in China towards carbon neutrality with a probabilistic framework

2022 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Shu Zhang ◽  
Wenying Chen
Keyword(s):  
Energy Transition ◽  
Energy System ◽  
Monte Carlo Analysis ◽  
Primary Energy ◽  
Consumption Pattern ◽  
Peak Time ◽  
Carbon Neutrality ◽  
Transition Costs ◽  
Welfare Losses ◽  
Removal Technologies

AbstractA profound transformation of China’s energy system is required to achieve carbon neutrality. Here, we couple Monte Carlo analysis with a bottom-up energy-environment-economy model to generate 3,000 cases with different carbon peak times, technological evolution pathways and cumulative carbon budgets. The results show that if emissions peak in 2025, the carbon neutrality goal calls for a 45–62% electrification rate, 47–78% renewable energy in primary energy supply, 5.2–7.9 TW of solar and wind power, 1.5–2.7 PWh of energy storage usage and 64–1,649 MtCO2 of negative emissions, and synergistically reducing approximately 80% of local air pollutants compared to the present level in 2050. The emission peak time and cumulative carbon budget have significant impacts on the decarbonization pathways, technology choices, and transition costs. Early peaking reduces welfare losses and prevents overreliance on carbon removal technologies. Technology breakthroughs, production and consumption pattern changes, and policy enhancement are urgently required to achieve carbon neutrality.

scholarly journals Using building adaptation to deliver sustainability in Australia

2009 ◽  
Vol 27 (1) ◽  
pp. 46-61 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sara J. Wilkinson ◽  
Kimberley James ◽  
Richard Reed
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Decision Making ◽  
Office Building ◽  
Building Stock ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Carbon Neutrality ◽  
Building Adaptation ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Decision Making Tool

PurposeThis paper seeks to establish the rationale for existing office building adaptation within Melbourne, Australia, as the city strives to become carbon neutral by 2020. The problems faced by policy makers to determine which buildings have the optimum adaptation potential are to be identified and discussed.Design/methodology/approachThis research adopts the approach of creating a database of all the buildings in the Melbourne CBD including details of physical, social, economic and technological attributes. This approach will determine whether relationships exist between attributes and the frequency of building adaptation or whether triggers to adaptation can be determined.FindingsThis research provided evidence that a much faster rate of office building adaptation is necessary to meet the targets already set for carbon neutrality. The findings demonstrate that a retrospective comprehensive examination of previous adaptation in the CBD is a unique and original approach to determining the building characteristics associated with adaptation and whether triggers can be identified based on previous practices. The implication is that a decision‐making tool should be developed to allow policy makers to target sectors of the office building stock to deliver carbon neutrality within the 2020 timeframe.Practical implicationsDrastic reductions in greenhouse gas emissions are required to mitigate global warming and climate change and all stakeholders should be looking at ways of reducing emissions from existing stock.Originality/valueThis paper adds to the existing body of knowledge by raising awareness of the way in which the adaptation of large amounts of existing stock can be fast tracked to mitigate the impact of climate change and warming associated with the built environment, and in addition it establishes a framework for a decision‐making tool for policy makers.

scholarly journals A critical analysis of the carbon neutrality assumption in life cycle assessment of forest bioenergy systems

2018 ◽  
Vol 26 (1) ◽  
pp. 93-101 ◽  
Author(s):  
Weiguo Liu ◽  
Zhen Yu ◽  
Xinfeng Xie ◽  
Klaus von Gadow ◽  
Changhui Peng
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Life Cycle Assessment ◽  
Life Cycle ◽  
Critical Analysis ◽  
Climate Change Impacts ◽  
Carbon Accounting ◽  
Carbon Neutrality ◽  
Forest Residue ◽  
Assess Climate Change ◽  
Accounting Errors

This study presents a critical analysis regarding the assumption of carbon neutrality in life cycle assessment (LCA) models that assess climate change impacts of bioenergy usage. We identified a complex of problems in the carbon neutrality assumption, especially regarding bioenergy derived from forest residues. In this study, we summarized several issues related to carbon neutral assumptions, with particular emphasis on possible carbon accounting errors at the product level. We analyzed errors in estimating emissions in the supply chain, direct and indirect emissions due to forest residue extraction, biogenic CO2 emission from biomass combustion for energy, and other effects related to forest residue extraction. Various modeling approaches are discussed in detail. We concluded that there is a need to correct accounting errors when estimating climate change impacts and proposed possible remedies. To accurately assess climate change impacts of bioenergy use, greater efforts are required to improve forest carbon cycle modeling, especially to identify and correct pitfalls associated with LCA accounting, forest residue extraction effects on forest fire risk and biodiversity. Uncertainties in accounting carbon emissions in LCA are also highlighted, and associated risks are discussed.

Focus on African wildlife protection will grow

2018 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Fossil Fuels ◽  
Climate Change Impacts ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Wildlife Trade ◽  
Intergovernmental Panel ◽  
Wildlife Protection ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Illegal Wildlife Trade ◽  
Ipcc Report

Subject African illegal wildlife trade. Significance A recent UK-hosted conference on the Illegal Wildlife Trade (IWT) and a UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report have highlighted the importance of wildlife and wilderness protection in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) and the integral connections between wildlife protection and climate change. Pressure is starting to grow on governments and businesses to protect irreplaceable biodiversity but progress faces several obstacles. Impacts The EU may increase aid for African biodiversity protection as climate change impacts risk increased African migrant numbers to Europe. Growing pressure may encourage institutional investors to divest from fossil fuels towards the renewable energy sector and ecotourism. Civil society pressure could mount to redirect global aid budgets partially towards wilderness landscape preservation. A South African ruling overturning government approval for a coal mine on critical biodiversity-protecting land may set a major precedent.

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