scholarly journals Empirical Analysis of BRICS Countries Pathway Toward Low-Carbon Environment

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Li Cai ◽  
Agyemang Kwasi Sampene ◽  
Fredrick Oteng Agyeman ◽  
Lincoln Abraham Ayisi ◽  
Robert Brenya
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
South Africa ◽  
Hydrological Cycle ◽  
Paris Agreement ◽  
Ocean Current ◽  
Human Society ◽  
Low Carbon ◽  
Energy Investment ◽  
Brics Countries

Abstract Background: The rising sea level, the lasting variations on the surface ocean current, vulnerable ecosystems, hydrological cycle, extreme weather conditions, and the like are subjects emanating from the rising emission in the atmosphere. Global climate change has emerged as humanity's greatest challenge, affecting both the earth's natural security and the long-term growth of human society. Yet, the reckless pursuit of economic gains put social and ecological environmental safety at a severe demerit. This practice has brought grave consequences to humanity in environmental pollution, climate change, health hazards depletion, etc. Protecting the environment and fostering long-term growth while reducing carbon emissions has become a global concern. The BRICS countries (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa) are participating in the fight against climate change through LCE promotion. In this study, we use content analysis to discusses some of the policies, plans, programs outlined by the various governments in the BRICS that can help them reach to help them accomplish LCE. Results: The study discussion indicates that Brazil has adopted the (National Energy Plans 2030 and 2050), Russia (Energy strategy 2035 for Russia), India actions and plans also include (Apex Committee for Implementation of Paris Agreement of India, China (Pollution Control, Energy Conservation, and Carbon Reduction and South Africa (Economic Reconstruction and Recovery Plan). The result from the study also indicates that currently Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa are rated "Insufficient," "Critically Insufficient," "Compactible" "incompatible," and "Highly Insufficient" respectively in their commitment to Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) to the Paris Agreement. Conclusion: The paper recommends that BRICS countries reach LCE through; expansion in low-carbon investments and financing, focus on taxation extends beyond energy, investment in low-carbon cities, adapting to a circular economy and low-carbon technology, a revisitation of the electricity markets, and the promotion of climate-friendly international trade among the BRICS countries.

scholarly journals Analysis of the BRICS countries’ pathways towards a low-carbon environment

2021 ◽  
Vol 2 (4) ◽  
pp. 77-102
Author(s):  
Agyemang Sampene ◽  
Cai Li ◽  
Fredrick Agyeman ◽  
Robert Brenya
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
South Africa ◽  
Electricity Markets ◽  
Global Climate ◽  
Human Society ◽  
Low Carbon ◽  
Brics Countries ◽  
Nationally Determined Contributions ◽  
Low Carbon Technologies

Global climate change has emerged as humanity’s greatest challenge, affecting both the natural security of the earth and the long-term growth of human society. Protecting the environment and fostering long-term growth while reducing carbon emissions has become a global concern. The BRICS countries (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa) are participating in the fight against climate change through the promotion of low-carbon environment (LCE). In this study, we use content analysis to discuss some of the policies, plans, and programs outlined by the various governments in the BRICS that can help them implement an LCE. The study indicates that currently Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa are rated as “insufficient,” “critically insufficient,” “compatible,” “incompatible,” and “highly insufficient” respectively in their commitment to nationally determined contributions (NDC) to the Paris Agreement. The paper recommends that the BRICS countries achieve an LCE through expanding low-carbon investments and financing, focusing on taxation that goes beyond energy, investing in low-carbon cities, adapting to a circular economy and low-carbon technologies, expanding electricity markets, and promoting climate-friendly international trade among the BRICS countries.

scholarly journals China’s pathway to a low carbon economy

2019 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Wenjuan Yang ◽  
Rongqin Zhao ◽  
Xiaowei Chuai ◽  
Liangang Xiao ◽  
Lianhai Cao ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Local Governments ◽  
Carbon Emission ◽  
Carbon Sink ◽  
Policy Recommendations ◽  
Low Carbon ◽  
Low Carbon Economy ◽  
Trading Market ◽  
Carbon Economy

AbstractClimate change has emerged as one of the most important environmental issues worldwide. As the world’s biggest developing country, China is participating in combating climate change by promoting a low carbon economy within the context of global warming. This paper summarizes the pathways of China’s low carbon economy including the aspects of energy, industry, low carbon cities, circular economy and low carbon technology, afforestation and carbon sink, the carbon emission trading market and carbon emission reduction targets. There are many achievements in the implementation of low carbon policies. For example, carbon emission intensity has been reduced drastically along with the optimizing of energy and industry structure and a nationwide carbon trading market for electricity industry has been established. However, some problems remain, such as the weakness of public participation, the ineffectiveness of unified policies for certain regions and the absence of long-term planning for low carbon cities development. Therefore, we propose some policy recommendations for the future low carbon economy development in China. Firstly, comprehensive and long-term planning should be involved in all the low carbon economy pathways. Secondly, to coordinate the relationship between central and local governments and narrow the gap between poor and rich regions, different strategies of carbon emission performance assessment should be applied for different regions. Thirdly, enterprises should cooperate with scientific research institutions to explored low carbon technologies. Finally, relevant institutions should be regulated to realize comprehensive low carbon transition through reasonable and feasible low carbon pathways in China. These policy recommendations will provide new perspectives for China’s future low carbon economy development and guide practices for combating climate change.

Addressing Climate Change in Southern Africa: Any Role for South Africa in the Post-Paris Agreement?

2016 ◽  
Vol 72 (4) ◽  
pp. 395-409 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lere Amusan ◽  
Oluwole Olutola
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
South Africa ◽  
Development Strategy ◽  
Southern Africa ◽  
Global Climate ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Green Energy ◽  
Paris Agreement ◽  
Global Challenge ◽  
Southern Africa Development Community

Climate change is a global challenge. Its ramifying effects on both natural and human systems cut across different regions of the world. While Africa as a whole is being confirmed to be more affected by climate change due in part to a relatively low(er) mitigation and adaptive capacity, coupled with a situation where majority of its population depends mainly on natural resources, Southern Africa is singled out as a potentially vulnerable subregion for other additional factors. Representing a milestone in the trajectory of the global climate change process, the 21st session of the Conference of Parties (COP-21) resolved with a consensual climate change deal known as the Paris Agreement. The Agreement, through the instrumentality of a ratchet up mechanism, otherwise described as Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDCs), seeks significant cuts in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions effectively from 2020. In essence, it calls for a novel though gradual shift from carbon-emission approach to low emission development strategy. This, no doubt, is indispensable to sustainable development at all levels. Beyond national commitments as obligatory for parties, there is a need for regional cooperative efforts which should bring about shared appropriate policy responses that promote green energy as well as seize opportunities inherent in it for national and deterritorialised gains. Adopting neoliberal and green theories, the institutional framework of the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) where South Africa is expected to take a lead is examined in this article.

scholarly journals Depth Space and the Theory of Depth Space Control Power

2011 ◽  
Vol 361-363 ◽  
pp. 895-905 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yi Ming Cai
Keyword(s):  
Human Society ◽  
Material Base ◽  
Low Carbon ◽  
Control Power ◽  
Development And Utilization ◽  
Great Relevance ◽  
Common Problems ◽  
Resource And Environment ◽  
Human Kind

Abstract: The ideas of energy-saving, environmental protection and low-carbon and all kinds of disciplines are of great relevance. Lack of resources and environmental deterioration are the serious but common problems that mankind are facing now. Being the first scholar to put forward the theory of breadth and depth of space to divide ocean development resources and other resources, the author once again originally found the depth space resources of the development and utilization of plant energy and other renewable resources on land and the characteristics of depth space resources, and also discussed his theoretical view on depth space resources control power deeply. In future, people who can scientifically and rationally develop and use energy and other resources will both own the key to harmonious development with nature concerning energy and other resources exploration of nations and human kind, and the key to peace and primary material base controlling the fate of the world and human. The article focuses on the depth space development and the regarding new resources which will bring a broad and long-term interests and influence on resource and environment problems, the harmony of human society and sustainable development, as well as play a significant role in the area of economy and new geopolitics in the future.

scholarly journals Carbon Risk Analysis Of The South African Banks’ Lending To The JSE100 CDP Companies

2015 ◽  
Vol 5 (4) ◽  
pp. 123-137
Author(s):  
Alfred Bimha
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
South Africa ◽  
South African ◽  
Carbon Emissions ◽  
Stock Exchange ◽  
Public Information ◽  
Economic Transformation ◽  
The Other ◽  
Carbon Intensity

There is a pertinent concern over the continued lending to companies that are still pursuing projects that increase the amount of carbon emissions in the atmosphere. South Africa has most of its energy generation being done through coal thermal powered turbines. More so there are a number of new power stations being built in South Africa that are coal powered. Coal on the other hand is deemed as having the highest amount of carbon that contributes to the greenhouse effect which in turn affects the climate leading to climate change consequences. There is also a growing concern on the uptake of renewable energy initiatives by companies that are deemed carbon intensive. Banks are being castigated for not using their economic transformation role to champion the agenda of combating climate change caused by carbon emissions. In this study, the extent of lending in the short and long term to carbon intensive companies by South African banks is examined. Using a sample of the Johannesburg Stock Exchange top 100 companies that participate in Carbon Disclosure Project, an analysis is done through four carbon metrics –carbon intensity, carbon dependency, carbon exposure, carbon risk. The analysis used public information from the banks’ websites, South African Reserve Bank reports and other public databases that contain sustainability information of the JSE100 companies. The analysis was done by comparing the carbon metrics of the recognized seven (7) sectorial industry catergories (SIC) on the JSE, mainly Energy & Materials, Industrials, Consumer Staples, Consumer Discretionary, Financials, IT & Telecoms and Health Care. The major finding of the research is that there is a high carbon risk in short term loans compared to long term loans across the JSE100 companies that are analysed. More so, the Energy & Materials sector seem to have the highest carbon risk compared to the other sectors.

scholarly journals GLOBALLY INCREASED CROP GROWTH AND CROPPING INTENSITY FROM THE LONG-TERM SATELLITE-BASED OBSERVATIONS

2018 ◽  
Vol IV-3 ◽  
pp. 45-52 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bin Chen
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Cropping System ◽  
Crop Growth ◽  
Lower Latitude ◽  
Climate Change Scenarios ◽  
Human Society ◽  
Multiple Cropping ◽  
Growth Trend ◽  
Cropping Intensity

Understanding the spatiotemporal change trend of global crop growth and multiple cropping system under climate change scenarios is a critical requirement for supporting the food security issue that maintains the function of human society. Many studies have predicted the effects of climate changes on crop production using a combination of filed studies and models, but there has been limited evidence relating decadal-scale climate change to global crop growth and the spatiotemporal distribution of multiple cropping system. Using long-term satellite-derived Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and observed climate data from 1982 to 2012, we investigated the crop growth trend, spatiotemporal pattern trend of agricultural cropping intensity, and their potential correlations with respect to the climate change drivers at a global scale. Results show that 82.97&amp;thinsp;% of global cropland maximum NDVI witnesses an increased trend while 17.03&amp;thinsp;% of that shows a decreased trend over the past three decades. The spatial distribution of multiple cropping system is observed to expand from lower latitude to higher latitude, and the increased cropping intensity is also witnessed globally. In terms of regional major crop zones, results show that all nine selected zones have an obvious upward trend of crop maximum NDVI (<i>p</i>&amp;thinsp;&amp;lt;&amp;thinsp;0.001), and as for climatic drivers, the gradual temperature and precipitation changes have had a measurable impact on the crop growth trend.

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’.

Simulating the impact of future climate change on runoff processes in selected catchments of Slovakia

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Roman Výleta ◽  
Milica Aleksić ◽  
Patrik Sleziak ◽  
Kamila Hlavcova
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Air Temperature ◽  
Climate Model ◽  
Hydrological Cycle ◽  
Future Climate Change ◽  
Time Horizons ◽  
The Future ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Impacts Of Climate Change

&lt;p&gt;The future development of the runoff conditions, as a consequence of climate change, is of great interest for water managers. Information about the potential impacts of climate change on the hydrological regime is needed for long-term planning of water resources and flood protection.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;The aim of this study is to evaluate the possible impacts of climate change on the runoff regime in five selected catchments located in the territory of Slovakia. Changes in climatic characteristics (i.e., precipitation and air temperature) for future time horizons were prepared by a regional climate model KNMI using the A1B emission scenario. The selected climatic scenario predicts a general increase in air temperature and precipitation (higher in winter than in summer). For simulations of runoff under changed conditions, a lumped rainfall-runoff model (the TUW model) was used. This model belongs to a group of conceptual models and follows a structure of a widely used Swedish HBV model. The TUW model was calibrated for the period of 2011 &amp;#8211; 2019. We assumed that this period would be similar (to recent/warmer climate) in terms of the average daily air temperatures and daily precipitation totals. The future changes in runoff due to climate change were evaluated by comparing the simulated long-term mean monthly runoff for the current state (1981-2010) and modelled scenarios in three time periods (2011-2040, 2041-2070, and 2071-2100). The results indicate that changes in the long-term runoff seasonality and extremality of hydrological cycle could be expected in the future. The runoff should increase in winter months compared to the reference period. This increase is probably related to a rise in temperature and anticipated snowmelt. Conversely, during the summer periods, a decrease in the long-term runoff could be assumed. According to modelling, these changes will be more pronounced in the later time horizons.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;It should be noted that the results of the simulation are dependent on the availability of the inputs, the hydrological/climate model used, the schematization of the simulated processes, etc. Therefore, they need to be interpreted with a sufficient degree of caution&lt;/p&gt;

Modeling of climate change impact on hydrological regime in small headwater mountainous catchments in Slovakia

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kamila Hlavcova ◽  
Martin Kubán ◽  
Patrik Sleziak ◽  
Jan Szolgay
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Air Temperature ◽  
Climate Changes ◽  
Hydrological Cycle ◽  
Differential Evolution Algorithm ◽  
Hydrological Regime ◽  
Model Parameters ◽  
Climatic Data ◽  
Reference Period

&lt;p&gt;Assessment of the impacts of climate change on hydrological regime is important for sustainable water resources management. The objective of this study is to assess the impacts of future climate changes on the hydrological regime of the headwater catchment of the Vistucky Creek (area 9.8 km2) in south-western Slovakia. Changes in climatic characteristics (i.e. precipitation and air temperature) for periods 2022-2060 and 2062-2100 were prepared by two regional climate models KNMI and MPI using the A1B emission scenario (average related to fossil carbon production). Both climatic scenarios assume increase in the air temperature and precipitation (higher in winter than in summer). A lumped conceptual rainfall-runoff model (the HBV-based TUW model) was used to simulate the catchment hydrological behaviour. The TUW model was calibrated for the reference period of 1982 &amp;#8211; 2008. The calibration of the model was performed 50 times with a differential evolution algorithm. After obtaining the collection of the 50 parameter sets, the best set (in terms of Nash-Sutcliffe efficiency and the volume error) was chosen. This set of model parameters was used for the simulation of long-term mean monthly runoff for the three periods (i.e. 1982-2008, 2022-2060, and 2062-2100). The results show that changes in the long-term runoff seasonality and extremality of hydrological cycle could be expected in the future if the climate changes as the scenarios assume. The runoff should increase in autumn and winter months (i.e. from September to February) and decrease in spring and summer months (i.e, from April to August) compared to the reference period. Peakflows should increase in period 2062-2100 while discharge minima should slightly decrease (only for the climatic data from the KNMI model). It indicates possible increase in flow extremality. Catchment water storage as expressed by the soil moisture index and baseflow should decrease in period 2062-2100, especially according to climatic data from the KNMI model. Our contribution will discuss these changes in hydrological regime in the climate change context.&lt;/p&gt;

scholarly journals Narratives and Pathways towards an Ecological Civilization in Contemporary China

2018 ◽  
Vol 236 ◽  
pp. 1175-1196 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sam Geall ◽  
Adrian Ely
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
The United States ◽  
Paris Agreement ◽  
Low Carbon ◽  
Ecological Civilization ◽  
Political Narratives ◽  
Policy Narratives ◽  
The Government ◽  
Do So

AbstractSince the United States committed to withdraw from the UN Paris Agreement on climate change, international observers have increasingly asked if China can take the lead instead to raise global ambition in the context of a world leadership vacuum. Given the country's increasing economic and strategic focus on sustainable and low-carbon innovation, China might seem well placed to do so. However, much depends on the direction of governance and reform within China regarding the environment. To better understand how the government is seeking to make progress in these areas, this article explores key political narratives that have underpinned China's policies around sustainable development (kechixu fazhan) and innovation (chuangxin) within the context of broader narratives of reform. Drawing on theoretical insights from work that investigates the role of power in shaping narratives, knowledge and action around specific pathways to sustainability, this article explores the ways in which dominant policy narratives in China might drive particular forms of innovation for sustainability and potentially occlude or constrain others. In particular, we look at ecological civilization (shengtai wenming) as a slogan that has gradually evolved to become an official narrative and is likely to influence pathways to sustainability over the coming years.

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