scholarly journals Does Resource Abundance Require Special Approaches to Climate Policies? The Case of Russia

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Igor Makarov
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Fossil Fuels ◽  
Fossil Fuel ◽  
Global Climate ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Emissions Reduction ◽  
Climate Policies ◽  
Net Zero ◽  
Structural Differences ◽  
Global Movement

Abstract As the world’s largest fossil fuels exporter, Russia is one of the key countries for addressing global climate change. However, it has never demonstrated any significant ambitions to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. This paper applies ideational research methodology to identify the structural differences in economic, political, and social normative contexts between industrialized fossil fuel importing economies and Russia that lead to the fundamental gap in motivations driving decarbonization efforts. Consequently, Russia is unlikely to replicate the approach to the green transition and use instruments of climate policies which are utilized in energy-importing countries. In order to launch decarbonization in Russia, interested stakeholders need to frame climate policies in Russia differently. Specifically, the framing must address the priority of diversification as a means to adapting the national economy to a new green landscape, the combination of diverse channels for decarbonization, the promotion of energy-efficiency, closer attention to climate-related forest projects and linkage of climate change with other environmental problems. Moreover, considering Russia’s emissions as a part of the global economic system and shifting from a simplistic national focus on GHG emissions reduction would help coordinate policies through dialogue between exporters and importers of fossil fuels energy-intensive goods, which is essential for the global movement towards a net-zero future.

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.

scholarly journals Trends in fossil fuel extraction

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ploy Achakulwisut ◽  
Peter Erickson
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Fossil Fuels ◽  
Fossil Fuel ◽  
Oil And Gas ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Vice President ◽  
The United States ◽  
Gas Production ◽  
Fuel Production ◽  
Phase Out

At present, most global GHG emissions – over 75% – are from fossil fuels. By necessity, reaching net zero emissions therefore requires dramatic reductions in fossil fuel demand and supply. Though fossil fuels have not been explicitly addressed by the UN Framework on Climate Change, a conversation has emerged about possible “supply-side” agreements on fossil fuels and climate change. For example, a number of countries, including Denmark, France, and New Zealand, have started taking measures to phase out their oil and gas production. In the United States, President Joe Biden has put a pause on new oil and gas leasing on federal lands and waters, while Vice President Kamala Harris has previously proposed a “first-ever global negotiation of the cooperative managed decline of fossil fuel production”. This paper aims to contribute to this emerging discussion. The authors present a simple analysis on where fossil fuel extraction has happened historically, and where it will continue to occur and expand if current economic trends continue without new policy interventions. By employing some simple scenario analysis, the authors also demonstrate how the phase-out of fossil fuel production is likely to be inequitable among countries, if not actively and internationally managed.

Building Blocks for a Low-Carbon Economy: Catalytic Policy and Infrastructure for Decarbonizing the United States by 2050

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Devashree Saha ◽  
Greg Carlock ◽  
Rajat Shrestha ◽  
John Feldmann ◽  
Haley Leslie-Bole
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Building Blocks ◽  
The United States ◽  
Emissions Reduction ◽  
Low Carbon ◽  
Low Carbon Economy ◽  
Working Paper ◽  
Climate Policies ◽  
Net Zero

This working paper identifies key climate policies and investments and estimates their emissions-reduction potential and associated costs, which can enable the United States to reduce economy-wide greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 50–52% compared to 2005 levels by 2030 and reach net-zero GHG emissions by midcentury, the goals set by the Biden administration.

scholarly journals Low-Carbon Futures for Bioethylene in the United States

Energies ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (10) ◽  
pp. 1958
Author(s):  
Gillian Foster
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Fossil Fuels ◽  
Fossil Fuel ◽  
Global Climate ◽  
The United States ◽  
Low Carbon ◽  
Regional Energy ◽  
Development Pathway ◽  
Ecological Changes ◽  
Corn Grain

The manufacture of the chemical ethylene, a key ingredient in plastics, currently depends on fossil-fuel-derived carbon and generates significant greenhouse gas emissions. Substituting ethylene’s fossil fuel feedstock with alternatives is important for addressing the challenge of global climate change. This paper compares four scenarios for meeting future ethylene supply under differing societal approaches to climate change based on the Shared Socioeconomic Pathways. The four scenarios use four perspectives: (1) a sustainability-focused pathway that demands a swift transition to a bioeconomy within 30 years; (2) a regional energy-focused pathway that supports broad biomass use; (3) a fossil-fuel development pathway limited to corn grain; and (4) a fossil-fuel development pathway limited to corn grain and corn stover. Each scenario is developed using the latest scientifically informed future feedstock analyses from the 2016 Billion-Ton report interpreted with perspectives on the future of biomass from recent literature. The intent of this research is to examine how social, economic, and ecological changes determining ethylene supply fit within biophysical boundaries. This new approach to the ethylene feedstocks conundrum finds that phasing out fossil fuels as the main source of U.S. ethylene is possible if current cellulosic ethanol production expands.

scholarly journals Duty to Address Climate Change Litigation Risks for Australian Energy Companies—Policy and Governance Issues

Energies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (23) ◽  
pp. 7838
Author(s):  
Prafula Pearce
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Fossil Fuels ◽  
Institutional Investment ◽  
Address Climate Change ◽  
Climate Policies ◽  
Net Zero ◽  
Company Directors ◽  
The Government ◽  
Energy Companies ◽  
The Impact

The transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy requires cooperation from all, including corporations, shareholders, and institutional investors. The purpose of this paper is to explore climate change litigation risks for Australian energy companies and investors from a policy and governance perspective. Companies are increasingly reporting their climate policies to satisfy their shareholders and investor demands. In addition, the government and judiciary are making laws and decisions to support the Paris Agreement. This paper explores whether company directors can and, in some cases, should be considering the impact of climate change litigation risks on their business, or else risk breaching their obligation to exercise care and diligence under the Corporation Act 2001 (Cth, Australia). The paper concludes that in addition to reducing climate change litigation risks, Australian energy companies and institutional investment bodies that invest in Australian energy companies can make informed climate risk decisions by aligning their investments with the goal of net-zero or reduced emissions.

scholarly journals New institutional framework for global climate change prevention

2018 ◽  
Vol 26 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 29-38
Author(s):  
A. C. Presse
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Global Climate Change ◽  
Fossil Fuels ◽  
Fossil Fuel ◽  
Design Method ◽  
Global Climate ◽  
Economic Incentive ◽  
Global Commons ◽  
Trading Scheme ◽  
National Governments

Purpose. This conceptual paper takes the firms’ perspective about practical implications of the theory of the global commons. Global commons are the areas and resources defined as those being beyond national jurisdictions. Their governance, today, however, is still coordinated largely by national states. Design/Method/Approach. This paper introduces a firm's perspective based on the global commons approach. Findings. At present, companies deal with national governments concerning their emissions and, perhaps, the international emissions trading scheme. Theory argues about the need to shift the responsibility from the national to global governmental levels, i. e. the United Nations. Theoretical implications. Given the input orientation put forward by this approach, companies – except fossil fuel extractors – would not actually have to deal with any governmental or regulatory bodies but can focus their capabilities on what they are best at: serving the needs of their customers. Fossil fuel extracting companies, in order to sell these fossil fuels, will have to purchase the amount of emission rights before they sell the fuel into the economic cycle. This approach establishes an economic incentive for companies to employ technologies with low or zero fossil fuel consumption while making the transition path predictable. The underlying concept, therefore, can also be referred to as an immissions scheme (from Latin immissio, “to let in”). Originality/Value. Governing a global common through national structures is inappropriate and does not reflect the nature of the underlying resource. This paper proposes a solution to the problem of global climate change. Further research. Further research is needed to address the effect of this strategy on different industries, and how those are affected based on the degree to which they employ fossil fuels. Paper type – сonceptual.

scholarly journals Mapping the irrecoverable carbon in Earth’s ecosystems

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Monica L. Noon ◽  
Allie Goldstein ◽  
Juan Carlos Ledezma ◽  
Patrick R. Roehrdanz ◽  
Susan C. Cook-Patton ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Indigenous Peoples ◽  
Fossil Fuels ◽  
Global Climate ◽  
Climate Impacts ◽  
Land Use Conversion ◽  
Planetary Scale ◽  
Ecosystem Carbon ◽  
Net Zero ◽  
Carbon Recovery

AbstractAvoiding catastrophic climate change requires rapid decarbonization and improved ecosystem stewardship at a planetary scale. The carbon released through the burning of fossil fuels would take millennia to regenerate on Earth. Though the timeframe of carbon recovery for ecosystems such as peatlands, mangroves and old-growth forests is shorter (centuries), this timeframe still exceeds the time we have remaining to avoid the worst impacts of global warming. There are some natural places that we cannot afford to lose due to their irreplaceable carbon reserves. Here we map ‘irrecoverable carbon’ globally to identify ecosystem carbon that remains within human purview to manage and, if lost, could not be recovered by mid-century, by when we need to reach net-zero emissions to avoid the worst climate impacts. Since 2010, agriculture, logging and wildfire have caused emissions of at least 4.0 Gt of irrecoverable carbon. The world’s remaining 139.1 ± 443.6 Gt of irrecoverable carbon faces risks from land-use conversion and climate change. These risks can be reduced through proactive protection and adaptive management. Currently, 23.0% of irrecoverable carbon is within protected areas and 33.6% is managed by Indigenous peoples and local communities. Half of Earth’s irrecoverable carbon is concentrated on just 3.3% of its land, highlighting opportunities for targeted efforts to increase global climate security.

Climate change justice

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Idil Boran ◽  
Corey Katz
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Global Warming ◽  
Global Climate Change ◽  
Human Activities ◽  
Fossil Fuels ◽  
Global Climate ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Climate Action ◽  
Political Communities

Climate change justice is a branch of philosophical inquiry concerned with fair terms of cooperation for addressing global climate change. Global climate change refers to the adverse effects of rising average global temperature on meteorological, environmental, and societal systems due to human activities. Independent observations show a rising trend in average global surface temperature since 1880, with most of the relevant global warming occurring since the 1980s. These climatic changes are the outcome of heightened concentrations of greenhouse gases (GHGs) – e.g., carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide – in the atmosphere. These gases are produced by a wide range of human activities, from the burning of fossil fuels for energy at both the industrial and the consumer level to overall land use. The fundamental relation between concentrations of GHGs in the atmosphere and global warming is well understood. And yet, achieving effective and fair international coordination to respond to the problem of global climate change has been far more challenging than expected. One of the reasons for this is that any attempt to address global climate change raises complex problems of justice. First, those communities that are most vulnerable to the risks and harms of climate change have contributed the least to the problem. Second, economic capacity to address the problem is not distributed equally around the globe. Third, political communities and generations have clashing interest claims in relation to the burdens of addressing climate change. These circumstances raise pressing questions about how to coordinate global and intergenerational cooperation. The debate over climate change justice has been primarily concerned with what counts as a just allocation of burdens and benefits in the global response to the problem of climate change. To a large extent, philosophical interest in these questions developed against the backdrop of the international effort to reach a global agreement. A prominent discussion within this debate is concerned with the allocation of duties and rights with regard to climate action. Broadly speaking, there are two distinct categories of climate change action. One is mitigation, which refers to efforts to reduce GHG emissions; the other is adaptation and refers to a wide range of actions to help adjust social systems to a changing climate. Much of the philosophical debate has revolved around the allocation of mitigation duties. More recently, questions of justice for adaptation along with alternative perspectives that challenge the allocative framework have been attracting interest.

scholarly journals Accelerating Net Zero from the perspective of Optimizing a Carbon Capture and Utilization System

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhimian Hao ◽  
Magda Barecka ◽  
Alexei Lapkin
Keyword(s):  
Carbon Capture ◽  
Fossil Fuels ◽  
Raw Materials ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Emissions Reduction ◽  
Low Carbon ◽  
Carbon Capture And Utilization ◽  
Net Zero ◽  
Cradle To Gate ◽  
The Cost

Net zero requires an accelerated transition from fossil fuels to renewables. Carbon capture and utilization (CCU) can be an effective intermediate solution for the decarbonization of fossil fuels. However, many research works contain renewables in the design of CCU systems, which may mislead stakeholders regarding the hotspots of CCU systems. In this work we build a model of a CCU system with no renewables involved, and evaluate its greenhouse (GHG) emissions based on the life cycle assessment with a cradle-to-gate boundary. To pursue the best system performance, an optimization framework is established to digitalize and optimize the CCU system regarding GHG emissions reduction. The optimized CCU can reduce GHG emissions by 13% compared with the conventional process. Heating is identified as the most significant contributor to GHG emissions, accounting for 60%. Electrifying heating fully by low-carbon electricity can further reduce GHG emissions by 47%, but such extreme conditions will significantly sacrifice the economic benefit. By contrast, the multi-objective optimization can show how the decisions can affect the balance between GHG emissions and profit. Further, this work discusses the dual effect of carbon pricing on the CCU system – raising the cost of raw materials and utilities, but also gaining credits when emissions are reduced in producing valued products.

scholarly journals Energy Security and Climate Change: India’s Responses to the Challenges

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. Vinodan ◽  
Anju Lis Kurian
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Energy Security ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Fossil Fuels ◽  
Global Climate ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Low Carbon ◽  
Agrarian Economy ◽  
Developed World

Energy is the prominent navigator of climate change as it contributes to most of the greenhouse gases (GHGs) and the burning of fossil fuels are the foremost sources of GHG emissions. Climate change is a major challenge for developing countries like India that face large scale climate variability and are exposed to enhanced risks from climate change. Few countries in the world are as vulnerable to the effects of climate change as India is with its vast population that is dependent on the growth of its agrarian economy, its expansive coastal areas and the Himalayan region and islands. The vulnerabilities of climate change and energy insecurity are directing a global changeover towards a low carbon and sustainable energy path. In the UNFCC, India has cleared its stand that it would not make any commitments to trim down its GHG emissions as it has one of the least per capita emissions and in the fi rst place the developed world is responsible for the dilemma and the developing world requires the carbon space to spring up. But by being a responsible and progressive member of the international community, India demonstrated the flexibility towards the endeavours to trim down climate change causalities. India is endowed with diverse natural resources such as solar, wind, water and biomass; these are the promising resources to meet up the energy requirements of the coming years. The present paper attempts to analyse the linkages between climate change and energy security. The paper also aims to project India’s response to the global climate regime. The paper argues that the problems of climate change and energy security are the major obstacles for India’s energy policy while they open gargantuan opportunities to shift its people to cleaner energy trajectories and know-how in the long term.  

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