Introduction to this special section: The role of geophysics in a net-zero-carbon world

2021 ◽  
Vol 40 (4) ◽  
pp. 244-244
Author(s):  
Ismael Himar Falcon-Suarez ◽  
Arpita Pal Bathija
Keyword(s):  
Special Section ◽  
Ecological Impacts ◽  
Gas Release ◽  
Novel Technologies ◽  
Net Zero ◽  
Zero Carbon ◽  
Earth’S Climate ◽  
Near Future ◽  
Global Carbon

Human activities are changing the earth's climate, causing increasingly disruptive social and ecological impacts. These impacts can be reduced if global carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions reach net zero in the near future. A net-zero-carbon world can be achieved by using energy more efficiently and responsibly; transitioning toward energy sources, products, and services that minimize greenhouse gas release; and implementing existing and novel technologies to remove and store CO2 from the atmosphere.

Regulatory Oversight of Climate Governance of Companies and Institutional Investors

2020 ◽  
pp. 145-198
Author(s):  
Janis Sarra
Keyword(s):  
Financial Services ◽  
Policy Making ◽  
Indigenous Communities ◽  
Low Carbon ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Regulatory Oversight ◽  
Net Zero ◽  
Zero Carbon ◽  
Women's Role

Chapter 6 examines a number of regulatory challenges for climate change, particularly in terms of international regulatory oversight. It offers positive models from the European Union and explores why fairness and equity should inform regulatory choices. It discusses the emerging use of ‘green taxonomies’ as a tool to assure investors about where their capital is being directed and to encourage sustainable investing. The chapter engages in a discussion about carbon pricing as a regulatory tool, including low carbon benchmarks, carbon budgets, and statutory requirements for net zero carbon emissions. It explores the potential governance role of debt in the transition to net zero carbon and what the appropriate oversight role is for financial services supervisors. The chapter canvasses capacity building for women’s role in policy-making and examines the critically important issue of meaningful partnership with Indigenous communities.

scholarly journals Microbial evolution reshapes soil carbon feedbacks to climate change

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elsa Abs ◽  
Scott R. Saleska ◽  
Regis Ferriere
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Soil Carbon ◽  
Evolutionary Model ◽  
Microbial Evolution ◽  
Evolutionary Mechanisms ◽  
Microbial Decomposition ◽  
Microbial Responses ◽  
Earth’S Climate ◽  
Global Carbon

AbstractMicrobial decomposition of soil organic matter is a key component of the global carbon cycle. As Earth’s climate changes, the response of microbes and microbial enzymes to rising temperatures will largely determine the soil carbon feedback to atmospheric CO2. However, while increasing attention focuses on physiological and ecological mechanisms of microbial responses, the role of evolutionary adaptation has been little studied. To address this gap, we developed an ecosystem-evolutionary model of a soil microbe-enzyme system under warming. Constraining the model with observations from five contrasting sites reveals evolutionary aggravation of soil carbon loss to be the most likely outcome; however, temperature-dependent increases in mortality could cause an evolutionary buffering effect instead. We generally predict a strong latitudinal pattern, from small evolutionary effects at low latitude to large evolutionary effects at high latitudes. Accounting for evolutionary mechanisms will likely be critical for improving projections of Earth system responses to climate change.

ROLE OF TERRESTRIAL SEQUESTRATION IN MEETING KYOTO TARGETS

2001 ◽  
Vol 41 (1) ◽  
pp. 703
Author(s):  
I.R. Noble
Keyword(s):  
Greenhouse Gases ◽  
Kyoto Protocol ◽  
Terrestrial Ecosystems ◽  
Political Debate ◽  
Geological Sequestration ◽  
Greenhouse Gasses ◽  
Reduce Emissions ◽  
Earth’S Climate ◽  
Global Carbon

There is strong scientific consensus that the concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere is increasing due to human activities and that this is leading to changes in the Earth’s climate. Fluxes between terrestrial ecosystems and the atmosphere are a significant component of the global carbon cycle and actions to increase net storage in terrestrial ecosystems (often called sinks) will delay the build up of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. There is still political debate as to which sinks may be accounted in compliance with the Kyoto Protocol. The decisions made will affect the total costs of compliance with the Kyoto Protocol by a factor or two to four. Geological sequestration may also reduce emissions by an amount of the same order as sequestration in terrestrial sinks. Biological and geological sequestration offer a significant opportunity to buy several decades of time to make an efficient transition to technologies and economies that release less greenhouse gasses to the atmosphere from energy production and industrial processes.

Introduction to this special section: The role of advanced modeling in enhanced carbon storage

2021 ◽  
Vol 40 (6) ◽  
pp. 408-412
Author(s):  
Josef Paffenholz
Keyword(s):  
Carbon Capture ◽  
Fossil Fuels ◽  
Special Section ◽  
Intergovernmental Panel ◽  
Carbon Capture And Sequestration ◽  
Net Zero ◽  
The Cost ◽  
Term Monitoring

To limit the warming of the planet to no more than a 2°C increase, models show that net-zero release of anthropomorphic CO2 must be achieved by the middle of the century. For the foreseeable future, the majority of the world's energy will still be provided by fossil fuels, so other methods, besides expanding the contribution of renewable energy, are needed in order to achieve this goal. According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) is one such method, without which the cost to achieve the 2°C target would more than double. To achieve this climate goal, CCS efforts must increase by approximately 100-fold from current levels within the next 20 years. Geophysical simulations on suitable geologic models will provide an important tool to streamline and accelerate the vast expansion of geophysical site characterization and long-term monitoring tasks required for industrial-scale CCS to succeed.

scholarly journals The role of UK local government in delivering on net zero carbon commitments: You've declared a Climate Emergency, so what's the plan?

Energy Policy ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 154 ◽  
pp. 112245
Author(s):  
Peter Gudde ◽  
Justine Oakes ◽  
Peter Cochrane ◽  
Nicholas Caldwell ◽  
Nic Bury
Keyword(s):  
Local Government ◽  
Net Zero ◽  
Zero Carbon

The Role of the Faculty System in Achieving Net-Zero Carbon Emissions by 2030

2021 ◽  
Vol 23 (1) ◽  
pp. 50-66
Author(s):  
Jacqueline Humphreys
Keyword(s):  
Carbon Emissions ◽  
Church Of England ◽  
Status Quo ◽  
Present System ◽  
Net Zero ◽  
The Status ◽  
Zero Carbon ◽  
The Church ◽  
Church Buildings

The Church of England has committed itself to achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2030. An important element required for success in this aim will be to amend the legislation around the management of church buildings and in particular the operation of the faculty jurisdiction. While aspects of the present system can and do facilitate some necessary change, to achieve the swift and widespread changes required within the timescale envisaged a more radical overhaul is required because the present faculty system favours the status quo, however bad that is from a carbon emissions perspective.

The role of digital technologies to unleash a green recovery: pathways and pitfalls to achieve the European Green Deal

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Rohit Sharma ◽  
Ana Beatriz Lopes de Sousa Jabbour ◽  
Vranda Jain ◽  
Anjali Shishodia
Keyword(s):  
Design Methodology ◽  
Web Of Science ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Digital Technologies ◽  
Recovery Process ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Net Zero ◽  
Zero Carbon ◽  
Recovery Pathways

PurposeThe article aims to concern identification and development of pathways for a green recovery process post pandemic taking into account the role of digital technologies for unleashing the policies planned within the European Green Deal (EGD).Design/methodology/approachThe study is based on a systematic literature review (SLR). The electronic databases Scopus and Web of Science (WoS) were surveyed. The authors followed the SLR guidelines laid down by Tranfield et al. (2003) and the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-analysis (PRISMA) framework and 65 articles were found eligible after thorough reading and inclusion in the analysis.FindingsThe article presents an innovative framework containing the digital technologies and their roles in enabling the achievement of the EGD policies and the barriers to their adoption.Originality/valueThe proposed framework would guide organizations and policymakers' decisions to pursue a pathway in which a green recovery is possible, mainly after the consequences of the current pandemic, considering the pitfalls of the journey. The article is original as it provides an up-to-date guidance toward an emerging theme, which is a green recovery economy including a net-zero carbon worldwide target.

Just transition on the ground: Challenges and opportunities for social dialogue

2020 ◽  
Vol 26 (4) ◽  
pp. 367-382
Author(s):  
Béla Galgóczi
Keyword(s):  
Trade Unions ◽  
Industrial Relations ◽  
Policy Framework ◽  
Labour Relations ◽  
Social Dialogue ◽  
Net Zero ◽  
Challenges And Opportunities ◽  
Zero Carbon ◽  
Carbon Economy

The process leading to a net zero carbon economy by mid-century will have massive effects on jobs, labour relations and income distribution. The idea of just transition – that achieving the ambitious objectives to bring climate change under control will only be possible if the transition to a net-zero carbon economy is balanced and just – has evolved in the last four decades from a union initiative to a complex policy framework adopted by international organizations, and also referred to in the COP21 Paris Agreement (UNFCCC, 2015). Building on literature analysis, this article deconstructs the concept of ‘just transition’ by discussing its various interpretations and dimensions and highlighting the role of trade unions in applying it. Based on sectoral case studies, concrete examples from two key sectors of the European economy – energy and automobile – are given, where massive employment transitions are under way and social dialogue plays a key role. Conclusions about the changing role of trade unions and the importance of co-operative industrial relations are drawn.

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