scholarly journals Energy efficiency in universities: the need for guidance and a strategic approach

2011 ◽  
pp. 161-168
Author(s):  
Sean Murray

The leaders of many countries are discussing ambitious targets for reducing emissions of greenhouse gases (GHGs) as a means of mitigating the worst impact of climate change on the environment and our economies. In 2007, EU leaders endorsed an integrated approach to climate change and energy policy. They committed Europe to transforming itself into a highly energy-efficient low carbon economy through their 20-20-20 targets, according to the European Commission, Climate Action. These targets are ambitious and consist of: Figure 1, below, shows that the carbon dioxide equivalent of all greenhouse gases (CO2 eq.) from the energy sector is the second greatest contributor of greenhouse gases. This fact creates an opportunity to explored ways to reduce the emissions from the energy sector. However, the methods need to be target the most significant culprits in a cost-effective manner in order to the have maximum affect on the reduction of emissions from the ...

Author(s):  
Joseph Nyangon

The Paris Agreement on climate change requires nations to keep the global temperature within the 2°C carbon budget. Achieving this temperature target means stranding more than 80% of all proven fossil energy reserves as well as resulting in investments in such resources becoming stranded assets. At the implementation level, governments are experiencing technical, economic, and legal challenges in transitioning their economies to meet the 2°C temperature commitment through the nationally determined contributions (NDCs), let alone striving for the 1.5°C carbon budget, which translates into greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) gap. This chapter focuses on tackling the risks of stranded electricity assets using machine learning and artificial intelligence technologies. Stranded assets are not new in the energy sector; the physical impacts of climate change and the transition to a low-carbon economy have generally rendered redundant or obsolete electricity generation and storage assets. Low-carbon electricity systems, which come in variable and controllable forms, are essential to mitigating climate change. These systems present distinct opportunities for machine learning and artificial intelligence-powered techniques. This chapter considers the background to these issues. It discusses the asset stranding discourse and its implications to the energy sector and related infrastructure. The chapter concludes by outlining an interdisciplinary research agenda for mitigating the risks of stranded assets in electricity investments.


2021 ◽  
Vol 44 (112) ◽  
pp. 140-156
Author(s):  
Selenge Khishgee

As part of the nationally determined contribution to the implementation of the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, Mongolia aimsto reduce greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs) by 2.7% by 2030. The country’s per capita of greenhouse gas emissions are 2.7 times higher than the world average and relatively high in the region, and this is becoming a major issue. This is due to the fact that coal alone accounts for more than 90% of primary energy production, whereas renewable energy accounts for a smallproportion of total energy sources. Therefore, the role of the energy sector that emits the most greenhouse gas is important in reducing its fossil fuel consumption.This study addresses the key issues facing Mongolia’s energy sector in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and identifies opportunities for further actions. Furthermore, this will contribute to other studies on sustainable development, transition to a low-carbon economy, and implementation of energy policy recommendations.   Монгол орны уур амьсгалын өөрчлөлтийг сааруулах боломж, тулгарч буй сорилт (Эрчим хүчний салбарын жишээн дээр) Хураангуй: Уур амьсгалын өөрчлөлтийн тухай Парисын хэлэлцээрийг хэрэгжүүлэх үндэсний хэмжээнд тодорхойлсон хувь нэмрийн (ҮХТХН/ NDC) хүрээнд манай улс хүлэмжийн хийн ялгарлыг (ХХЯ) 2030 он гэхэд 22,7% бууруулахаар зорилт тавин ажиллаж байна. Монгол Улсын нэг хүнд ногдох ХХЯ нь дэлхийн дунджаас даруй 2,7 дахин их, бүс нутгийн хэмжээнд харьцангуй өндөр байгаа нь тулгамдаж буй асуудал болж байна. Үүний гол шалтгаан нь анхагдагч эрчим хүчний бүтээгдэхүүний үйлдвэрлэлийн 90 гаруй хувийг нүүрс дангаараа бүрдүүлж, сэргээгдэх эрчим хүчний эх үүсвэр нь нийт эрчим хүчний эх үүсвэрт багахан хувийг эзэлж байгаатай холбоотой юм. Тиймээс ХХЯ-ыг хамгийн ихээр ялгаруулж буй эрчим хүчний салбарын хатуу түлшний хэрэглээг багасгахад гүйцэтгэх үүрэг чухал байна. Энэхүү өгүүлэлд хүлэмжийн хийг бууруулахад манай улсын эрчимхүчний салбарт тулгамдаж буй гол гол асуудлыг хөндөж цаашид авч хэрэгжүүлэх боломж, гаргалгааг тодорхойлохыг зорьлоо. Ингэснээр тогтвортой хөгжил, бага нүүрстөрөгчийн эдийн засагт шилжих, эрчим хүчний бодлогын зөвлөмжийг хэрэгжүүлэх бусад судалгаанд хувь нэмэр оруулахад оршино. Түлхүүр үгс: Монгол Улс, Уур амьсгалын өөрчлөлт, Эрчим хүчний салбар, боломж, сорилт


2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 603
Author(s):  
Darija Gajić ◽  
Slobodan Peulić ◽  
Tim Mavrič ◽  
Anna Sandak ◽  
Črtomir Tavzes ◽  
...  

Sustainable approaches for retrofitting buildings for energy efficiency are becoming necessary in a time when the building sector is the largest energy consumer. Retrofitting building stock is effective for reducing global energy consumption and decreasing resource exploitation. Less developed EU member states and neighboring developing countries show reluctance towards healthy and renewable materials. Implementation of sustainable materials for energy retrofitting is slowed down due to gaps in legislation and effective strategic programs, availability of bio-based materials, lack of knowledge regarding use and maintenance of renewable products, and marketing lobbies. Use of bio-based materials in refurbishment is important due to their negative or low global warming potential (GWP), low primary energy (PEI) need for production, cost-effective benefits, and recycling/reuse potential. Role of environmentally friendly solutions and low-carbon economy growth is particularly relevant in developing countries, such as Bosnia-Herzegovina, that cannot afford innovative energy recovery systems, yet possess a significant amount of poorly managed building stock. This research aims to analyze frameworks regarding retrofitting of residential buildings in Bosnia-Herzegovina and Slovenia. The analysis tackles indirect causes, studies the legal background, and examines strategic frameworks; thus, it indicates potential barriers for implementation of recommended retrofitting solutions based on renewable materials.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Deepthi Swamy ◽  
Apurba Mitra ◽  
Varun Agarwal ◽  
Megan Mahajan ◽  
Robbie Orvis

India is currently the world’s third-largest emitter of greenhouse gases (GHGs) after China and the United States and is set to experience continued growth in its population, economy, and energy consumption. Exploring low-carbon development pathways for India is therefore crucial for achieving the goal of global decarbonization. India has pledged to reduce the emission intensity of its gross domestic product (GDP) by 33–35 per cent relative to 2005 levels by 2030 through its Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC), among other related targets for the renewable energy and forestry sectors. Further, countries, including India, are expected to respond to the invitation of the Conference of the Parties (COP) to the Paris Agreement to communicate new or updated NDCs with enhanced ambition and long-term low-GHG development strategies for 2050. To design effective policy packages to support the planning and achievement of such climate targets, policymakers need to identify policies that can reduce GHG emissions in a timely and cost-effective manner, while meeting development-related and other national objectives. The India Energy Policy Simulator (India EPS), an open-source, system dynamics model, can enable an integrated quantitative assessment of different cross-sectoral climate policy packages for India through 2050 and their implications for key variables of interest such as emissions, GDP, and jobs. The tool was developed by Energy Innovation LLC and adapted for India in partnership with World Resources Institute. It is available for open access through a Web interface as well as a downloadable application. This technical note describes the structure, input data sources, assumptions, and limitations of the India EPS, as well as the setup and key results of its reference scenario, referred to as the business-as-usual (BAU) scenario in the model. It is intended as an update to the first technical note on the India EPS (Mangan et al. 2019) and accounts for the changes incorporated into the model since the first version.


2019 ◽  
Vol 27 (2) ◽  
pp. 185-199 ◽  
Author(s):  
James W.N. Steenberg ◽  
Peter N. Duinker ◽  
Irena F. Creed ◽  
Jacqueline N. Serran ◽  
Camille Ouellet Dallaire

In response to global climate change, Canada is transitioning towards a low-carbon economy and the need for policy approaches that are effective, equitable, coordinated, and both administratively and politically feasible is high. One point is clear; the transition is intimately tied to the vast supply of ecosystem services in the boreal zone of Canada. This paper describes four contrasting futures for the boreal zone using scenario analysis, which is a transdisciplinary, participatory approach that considers alternative futures and policy implications under conditions of high uncertainty and complexity. The two critical forces shaping the four scenarios are the global economy’s energy and society’s capacity to adapt. The six drivers of change are atmospheric change, the demand for provisioning ecosystem services, the demand for nonprovisioning ecosystem services, demographics, and social values, governance and geopolitics, and industrial innovation and infrastructure. The four scenarios include: (i) the Green Path, where a low-carbon economy is coupled with high adaptive capacity; (ii) the Uphill Climb, where a low-carbon economy is instead coupled with low adaptive capacity; (iii) the Carpool Lane, where society has a strong capacity to adapt but a reliance on fossil fuels; and (iv) the Slippery Slope, where there is both a high-carbon economy and a society with low adaptive capacity. The scenarios illustrate the importance of transitioning to a low-carbon economy and the role of society’s adaptive capacity in doing so. However, they also emphasize themes like social inequality and adverse environmental outcomes arising from the push towards climate change mitigation.


Author(s):  
I. Alieksieiev ◽  
A. Mazur ◽  
О. Storozhenko

Abstract. The article examines the features of sustainable development processes in Ukraine. In particular, the works of scientists on the issues of sustainable transformations of the economy, the problems of establishing a mechanism for the transition to the use of renewable energy sources and reducing carbon dioxide emissions are analyzed. The basic principles of legislative regulation of the processes of sustainable transformation in the context of Ukraine’s integration into the international model of sustainable development according to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change are studied. The research objective is to study the mechanism of implementation of sustainable transformations in the economy of Ukraine, identification of the main problems of low-carbon strategy establishment in the context of harmonization of international and state legislation and identification of effective mechanisms for financing sustainable development processes. During the research, methods were used, such as: the dialectical method and methods of analysis and synthesis — to carry out a comparative analysis of legislation that regulates the processes of sustainable development, ways to implement a low-carbon strategy, study trends in carbon emissions in Ukraine; statistical method — to analyse the targets for changing the greenhouse gas emissions of Ukraine in 2020—2030 and the proposed target for 2050; structural and logical analysis — to study effective mechanisms of financing the processes of sustainable development in Ukraine, identify the ways of sustainable development projects funding. In general, the article reveals a number of problems that Ukraine faces as a signatory to the Kyoto Protocol. The main tools of the country’s transition to a low-carbon strategy have been identified. The economic mechanisms to ensure the fulfillment of the country’s obligations under the Kyoto Protocol have been studied. Possible ways of financing the processes of sustainable transformation are considered, among which, in particular, we can highlight the scheme of «green» investments. Keywords: sustainable economic development, Framework Convention on Climate Change, Kyoto Protocol, low carbon economy, mechanism for financing sustainable development. JEL Classification Q01, Q4, Q5 Formulas: 0; fig.: 1; tabl.: 0; bibl.: 36.


2009 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 201-208 ◽  
Author(s):  
Samuel Fankhauser ◽  
David Kennedy ◽  
Jim Skea

Author(s):  
Stephen C. L. Gough

The increasing worldwide incidence and prevalence of diabetes is placing substantial pressures on health care systems and economies. As a consequence individuals involved in the care of people with diabetes are looking at services currently being provided and examining ways in which care can be organized in the most cost-effective manner. Whilst the degree to which diabetes care is delivered differs from country to country, similar fundamental questions are being asked by those involved in the delivery of care, including: What are we currently providing? What do we need to provide? What are we able to provide? Although the answers to these questions are quite different not just between countries but often within specific localities within a country, the ultimate aim is the same: to provide the best possible care to as many people with diabetes as possible. The global diversity of diabetes health care need is enormous and while the solutions will be equally diverse, the approach to the development of a diabetes service will, for many organizations, be similar. The main focus of this chapter is based upon the model or the strategic approach developed in the UK, but many of the individual component parts are present in most health care settings.


Proceedings ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 2 (15) ◽  
pp. 557 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas Messervey ◽  
Marco Calderoni ◽  
Angel Font ◽  
Mikel Borras ◽  
Ray Sterling ◽  
...  

GEOFIT, “Deployment of novel GEOthermal systems, technologies and tools for energy efficient building retrofitting,” is a recently launched 4-year H2020 project funded by the Innovation and Networks Executive Agency (INEA) under the call topic LCE-17-2017: Easier to install and more efficient geothermal systems for retrofitting buildings. GEOFIT is a part of INEA’s Energy Portfolio Low Carbon Economy (LCE), Renewable Energy Technologies (RET) and brings together 24 partners from 10 European countries to work on the development of novel and smart shallow geothermal systems. This paper introduces the project.


2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 141-156 ◽  
Author(s):  
Haifeng Deng ◽  
Paolo Davide Farah

Abstract National energy security, parallel with the ultimate goal of emissions reductions, is of utmost priority for the Chinese government. In order to comply with the requirements set by the Kyoto Protocol, the Chinese government announced, on 25 November 2009, that 2020’s CO2 emissions would be reduced by 40–45 per cent in accordance with the data collected from 2005. Said goal was met three years ahead of schedule. Even in light of such an accomplishment, however, commentators suggest that the overall nationally determined contributions (NDCs) made by the Parties belonging to the Paris agreement are not enough to reduce global warming by even 2°C. This article focuses on the concept of energy security in assessing whether, and how, the priorities related to climate change are gradually changing. After analysing climate change’s impact on China, conducted via an analysis of the study’s available literature and through the support of international data, this article mainly focuses on the concept of energy security, itself. Under the second section, based on the examination of China’s efforts to transition towards a low-carbon economy, the authors provide a holistic definition of energy security through the lens of three dimensions: energy supply security, energy economy and energy ecological security. The third section, in turn, addresses the relationship between energy security and climate change. The results presented in the conclusion insist that, in order to strengthen environmental protection in China, it is crucial to reform the highly inefficient and strictly regulated national energy market. In doing so, China’s transition to a low-carbon society and economy could prove less painful, as China’s available resources offer the potential for a strengthened ecological dimension and sustained socio-economic development.


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