scholarly journals Transitioning to Low-Carbon Economies under the 2030 Agenda: Minimizing Trade-Offs and Enhancing Co-Benefits of Climate-Change Action for the SDGs

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (19) ◽  
pp. 10774
Author(s):  
Gabriela Ileana Iacobuţă ◽  
Niklas Höhne ◽  
Heleen Laura van Soest ◽  
Rik Leemans
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Climate Change Mitigation ◽  
Policy Design ◽  
Paris Agreement ◽  
Mitigation Measures ◽  
Extensive Literature ◽  
2030 Agenda ◽  
Trade Offs ◽  
Change Mitigation

The 2030 Agenda with its Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Paris Agreement on climate change were adopted in 2015. Although independently defined, the two agreements are strongly interlinked. We developed a framework that scores the impacts of climate-change actions on all SDG targets based on directionality (i.e., trade-offs or co-benefits) and likelihood of occurrence (i.e., ubiquitous or context-dependent), and categorizes them by dependence on four key context dimensions—geographical, governance, time horizon and limited natural resources. Through an extensive literature review, we found that climate-change mitigation measures directly affect most SDGs and their targets, mostly through co-benefits. Improving energy efficiency, reducing energy-services demand and switching to renewables provide the most co-benefits. In contrast, carbon capture and storage and nuclear energy likely lead to multiple trade-offs. We show how understanding the relevant context dimensions facilitates policy design and policy mixes that enhance co-benefits and minimize trade-offs. Finally, by assessing the prevalence of climate-change mitigation measures in G20 countries, we found that measures with more co-benefits are more frequently adopted. Our study advances the knowledge of climate–SDG interactions, contributing to climate and sustainable development governance research, and facilitating policy design for a joint implementation of the Paris Agreement and the 2030 Agenda.

Water, land and climate nexus of electricity from biomass

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nariê Souza ◽  
Thayse Hernandes ◽  
Karina M. B. Bruno ◽  
Daniele S. Henzler ◽  
Otávio Cavalett
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Life Cycle Assessment ◽  
Life Cycle ◽  
Climate Change Mitigation ◽  
Energy Systems ◽  
Electricity Production ◽  
Renewable Energy Systems ◽  
Trade Offs ◽  
Change Mitigation

<p>Driven by the expected population growth, the world faces now the challenge of meeting energy demands of about 9 billion people on the next decades and avoid dangerous climate change effects. In this context, Renewable Energy Systems (RES) are a key strategy to decarbonize the power sector and contribute to the climate change mitigation targets. In the Special Report on Climate Change and Land, IPCC calls attention to possible trade-offs, adverse side-effects and implications to sustainable development that the large-scale deployment of bioenergy may cause. A comprehensive understanding of the sustainability profile along the entire life-cycle of electricity production is fundamental if we want to realize the transition to cleaner technologies in the energy sector. In this study we analyze the water, land and climate impacts of electricity production systems in the context of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). We focus our analysis in the electricity production from sugarcane straw in Brazil, since there is a great opportunity for better using this lignocellulosic material for bioenergy applications. We relate appropriate Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) indicators to multiple SDGs, considering attainable and potential sugarcane yields, derived from agroclimatic modeling. When discussing the sustainability of bioenergy production, a broader sustainability analysis, as provided by the SDGs, can help to identify water, land and climate nexus and suggest possible technological solutions for minimizing possible trade-offs among the different impacts. Our analysis demonstrates the nexus implications of electricity production from sugarcane biomass to the context of the SDGs, as well as the spatially explicit environmental implications of electricity production form sugarcane biomass.</p><p>Keywords: renewable energy systems, life cycle assessment, climate change mitigation, sustainable development</p>

Black Carbon Particles Needs Attention in Climate Change Mitigation Policies

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ram Lal Verma ◽  
Balram Ambade
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Global Warming ◽  
Black Carbon ◽  
Emission Reduction ◽  
Climate Change Mitigation ◽  
Water Security ◽  
Paris Agreement ◽  
Mitigation Measures ◽  
Health Security ◽  
Change Mitigation

Abstract Climate change poses enormous challenges to human civilization in food security, water security, and health security. Anthropogenic emissions of Greenhouse Gases (GHGs) are made responsible for climate change. The climate change mitigation agreements and treaties, from the Kyoto Protocol (1997) to the Paris Agreement (2015), are mainly focusing on emission reduction of GHGs. The Copenhagen Accord (2009) set the target of emission reduction of GHGs to the level of 1990, intending to keep the global warming below 2-degree centigrade (°C) above the temperature level of the pre-industrial era. The Paris Agreement (2015) further pursued efforts to limit the temperature increase to 1.5°C by reducing emissions of GHGs to 40 Gigatonne (Gt CO-eq) by 2030. However, assuming the countries will achieve the target of emission reduction of GHGs by 2030, the target of keeping global warming below 1.5°C is unlikely to achieve because the Paris Agreement (2015) has not included emission reduction of black carbon (BC) particles in the intergovernmental negotiation. The BC particles are strong climate warming agents whose climate forcing is more than half of that of carbon dioxide (CO2) – the main GHG. This article argues for the inclusion of BC mitigation measures in the climate change mitigation measures. As BC also causes severe health impacts, BC mitigation will bring multiple co-benefits for health and environment, including a quick fixing of climate change problems in a few weeks, since the residence time of BC in the atmosphere is about a week.

scholarly journals Identifying integrated options for agricultural climate change mitigation

2014 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 192-211 ◽  
Author(s):  
John Tzilivakis ◽  
Kathleen Lewis ◽  
Andrew Green ◽  
Douglas Warner
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Climate Change Mitigation ◽  
Effective Means ◽  
Integrated Approach ◽  
Management Options ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Mitigation Options ◽  
Trade Offs ◽  
Environmental Objectives ◽  
Change Mitigation

Purpose – In order to achieve reductions in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, it is essential that all industry sectors have the appropriate knowledge and tools to contribute. This includes agriculture, which is considered to contribute about a third of emissions globally. This paper reports on one such tool: IMPACCT: Integrated Management oPtions for Agricultural Climate Change miTigation. The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach – IMPACCT focuses on GHGs, carbon sequestration and associated mitigation options. However, it also attempts to include information on economic and other environmental impacts in order to provide a more holistic perspective. The model identifies mitigation options, likely economic impacts and any synergies and trade-offs with other environmental objectives. The model has been applied on 22 case study farms in seven Member States. Findings – The tool presents some useful concepts for developing carbon calculators in the future. It has highlighted that calculators need to evolve from simply calculating emissions to identifying cost-effective and integrated emissions reduction options. Practical implications – IMPACCT has potential to become an effective means of provided targeted guidance, as part of a broader knowledge transfer programme based on an integrated suite of guidance, tools and advice delivered via different media. Originality/value – IMPACCT is a new model that demonstrates how to take a more integrated approach to mitigating GHGs on farms across Europe. It is a holistic carbon calculator that presents mitigation options in the context other environmental and economic objectives in the search for more sustainable methods of food production.

scholarly journals Two Faces of Foreign Affairs Federalism and What They Mean for Climate Change Mitigation

AJIL Unbound ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 112 ◽  
pp. 274-278
Author(s):  
Jean Galbraith
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Climate Change Mitigation ◽  
Practical Importance ◽  
Paris Agreement ◽  
Foreign Affairs ◽  
Outer Face ◽  
Legal Practice ◽  
Combat Climate Change ◽  
International Engagement ◽  
Change Mitigation

President Trump has done the impossible: he has made the international community enthusiastic about U.S. federalism. Even as they express dismay at Trump's plan to abandon the Paris Agreement, foreign leaders and internationalists have praised the efforts of  U.S. states and cities to combat climate change mitigation in accordance with the Agreement's goals. These leaders are responding to what I will call the outer face of foreign affairs federalism—the direct international engagement undertaken by U.S. states and cities. This outer face has gained visibility in recent years, spurred on not only by the exigencies of climate but also by developments in legal practice. Less noticed internationally but of great practical importance is the inner face of foreign affairs federalism—the ways in which U.S. states and cities interact with the federal government. In this contribution, I first describe these two faces of foreign affairs federalism as they relate to climate and then suggest some ways in which foreign leaders and internationalists could expand the outer face and respond to the inner face.

scholarly journals Afforestation for climate change mitigation: Potentials, risks and trade‐offs

2019 ◽  
Vol 26 (3) ◽  
pp. 1576-1591 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jonathan C. Doelman ◽  
Elke Stehfest ◽  
Detlef P. Vuuren ◽  
Andrzej Tabeau ◽  
Andries F. Hof ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Climate Change Mitigation ◽  
Trade Offs ◽  
Mitigation Potentials ◽  
Change Mitigation
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