Growing our future: Assessing the outcome of afforestation programs in Ontario, Canada

The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) requires its signatories, including Canada, to estimate and report their annual greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and removals. Forests are an important natural resource as they slow the accumulation of atmospheric carbon through the process of carbon sequestration. Due to the role of forests as carbon sinks, governments consider afforestation projects as feasible climate change mitigation strategies. This article outlines a spatially-explicit approach to validating afforestation data in Ontario, Canada. Validation is a user-supervised process that uses satellite imagery, remote sensing tools, and other auxiliary data to confirm the presence of seedlings planted through Forests Ontario’s 50 Million Tree program. Of the 12 466 hectares assessed, 83% is identified as afforested, 6% is not afforested and 10% is not determined. The area classified as successful afforestation is used as input for the Generic Carbon Budget Model (GCBM), to simulate afforestation effects on carbon stocks. Our findings show the afforestation activities will create a small carbon sink by 2060. From this project, it is evident that spatial validation of afforestation data is feasible, although the collection of additional standardized auxiliary data is recommended for future afforestation projects, if carbon benefits are to be reported.

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Evaluating the Link between Low Carbon Reductions Strategies and Its Performance in the Context of Climate Change: A Carbon Footprint of a Wood-Frame Residential Building in Quebec, Canada

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su10082715 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 10 (8) ◽

pp. 2715 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Alejandro Padilla-Rivera ◽

Ben Amor ◽

Pierre Blanchet

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Carbon Footprint ◽

Climate Change Mitigation ◽

Ghg Emissions ◽

Mitigation Strategies ◽

Quebec City ◽

Baseline Scenario ◽

Low Carbon ◽

Building Sector ◽

Change Mitigation

The design and study of low carbon buildings is a major concern in a modern economy due to high carbon emissions produced by buildings and its effects on climate change. Studies have investigated (CFP) Carbon Footprint of buildings, but there remains a need for a strong analysis that measure and quantify the overall degree of GHG emissions reductions and its relationship with the effect on climate change mitigation. This study evaluates the potential of reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from the building sector by evaluating the (CFP) of four hotpots approaches defined in line with commonly carbon reduction strategies, also known as mitigation strategies. CFP framework is applied to compare the (CC) climate change impact of mitigation strategies. A multi-story timber residential construction in Quebec City (Canada) was chosen as a baseline scenario. This building has been designed with the idea of being a reference of sustainable development application in the building sector. In this scenario, the production of materials and construction (assembly, waste management and transportation) were evaluated. A CFP that covers eight actions divided in four low carbon strategies, including: low carbon materials, material minimization, reuse and recycle materials and adoption of local sources and use of biofuels were evaluated. The results of this study shows that the used of prefabricated technique in buildings is an alternative to reduce the CFP of buildings in the context of Quebec. The CC decreases per m2 floor area in baseline scenario is up to 25% than current buildings. If the benefits of low carbon strategies are included, the timber structures can generate 38% lower CC than the original baseline scenario. The investigation recommends that CO2eq emissions reduction in the design and implementation of residential constructions as climate change mitigation is perfectly feasible by following different working strategies. It is concluded that if the four strategies were implemented in current buildings they would have environmental benefits by reducing its CFP. The reuse wood wastes into production of particleboard has the greatest environmental benefit due to temporary carbon storage.

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Climate Change Mitigation Strategies in the Nigerian Housing Sector: The Role of Life Cycle CO2eq Assessment

International Journal of Architecture Engineering and Construction ◽

10.7492/ijaec.2018.024 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 7 (4) ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Emmanuel Udomiaye ◽

Chukwuemeka Basil Chukwuali

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Life Cycle ◽

Climate Change Mitigation ◽

Mitigation Strategies ◽

Housing Sector ◽

Change Mitigation

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Climate change mitigation and adaptation in agriculture: the case of the olive

Journal of Water and Climate Change ◽

10.2166/wcc.2018.023 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 9 (4) ◽

pp. 633-642 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

G. Montanaro ◽

V. Nuzzo ◽

C. Xiloyannis ◽

B. Dichio

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Climate Change Mitigation ◽

Management Practices ◽

Ghg Emissions ◽

Tree Biomass ◽

Climatic Impact ◽

Soil C ◽

Mitigation And Adaptation ◽

Change Mitigation

Abstract Agriculture might serve as a mitigation solution through carbon (C) sequestration in soil, in tree biomass and reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Increased C is beneficial for some soil structures and functions, improving the use of water and in turn the crop adaptation. This study reports on the synergy between mitigation and adaptation in agriculture through the paradigm of the olive (Olea europaea). Through data on net ecosystem productivity and soil respiration, the role of olive groves to store C in tree biomass (from 0.36 to 2.78 t CO2 ha−1 yr−1) and into soil (∼8.5 t CO2 ha−1 yr−1) is reviewed. The influence of some management practices on that role is also discussed. The overall climatic impact of olive fruit and oil production has been evaluated also considering GHG emissions by field operations (e.g., pruning, mulching of cover crop, fertilization, harvest, etc.) and by the extraction and bottling of oil. Soil C as interface between climate change mitigation and adaptation has been delineated, linking C-induced improvements in soil properties to increased water storage and reduced run-off and erosion. The outcomes may strengthen the environmental role of agriculture and promote synergistic mitigation and adaptation policies assisting in soil and water resources conservation.

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Uncertainty of the role of carbon capture and sequestration within climate change mitigation strategies

Greenhouse Gas Control Technologies 7 ◽

10.1016/b978-008044704-9/50094-x ◽

2005 ◽

pp. 931-939 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

N BAUER ◽

O EDENHOFER ◽

H HELD ◽

E KRIEGLER

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Carbon Capture ◽

Climate Change Mitigation ◽

Mitigation Strategies ◽

Carbon Capture And Sequestration ◽

Change Mitigation

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Promoting Renewable Energy to Cope with Climate Change—Policy Discourse in Israel

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su13063170 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (6) ◽

pp. 3170

Author(s):

Avri Eitan

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Renewable Energy ◽

Greenhouse Gas Emissions ◽

Greenhouse Gas ◽

Climate Change Mitigation ◽

Renewable Energies ◽

Mitigation Strategies ◽

Policy Discourse ◽

Policy Makers ◽

Change Mitigation

Evidence shows that global climate change is increasing over time, and requires the adoption of a variety of coping methods. As an alternative for conventional electricity systems, renewable energies are considered to be an important policy tool for reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and therefore, they play an important role in climate change mitigation strategies. Renewable energies, however, may also play a crucial role in climate change adaptation strategies because they can reduce the vulnerability of energy systems to extreme events. The paper examines whether policy-makers in Israel tend to focus on mitigation strategies or on adaptation strategies in renewable energy policy discourse. The results indicate that despite Israel’s minor impact on global greenhouse gas emissions, policy-makers focus more on promoting renewable energies as a climate change mitigation strategy rather than an adaptation strategy. These findings shed light on the important role of international influence—which tends to emphasize mitigation over adaptation—in motivating the domestic policy discourse on renewable energy as a coping method with climate change.

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Investigating the effects of environmental patents and climate change mitigation technologies on sustainable economic growth in the Middle East

International Journal of Low-Carbon Technologies ◽

10.1093/ijlct/ctab007 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Sadegh Abedi ◽

Mehrnaz Moeenian

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Economic Growth ◽

Middle East ◽

Climate Change Mitigation ◽

Developed Countries ◽

Factors Affecting ◽

Middle East Countries ◽

Sustainable Economic Growth ◽

Change Mitigation

Abstract Sustainable economic growth and identifying factors affecting it are among the important issues which have always received attention from researchers of different countries. Accordingly, one of the factors affecting economic growth, which has received attention from researchers in the developed countries over recent years, is the issue of environmental technologies that enter the economic cycle of other countries after being patented through technology transfer. The current research investigated the role of the environment-related patents and the effects of the patented technological innovations compatible with climate change mitigation on the economic growth and development in the Middle East countries within a specific time period. The required data were gathered from the valid global databases, including Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development and World Bank and have been analyzed using multi-linear regression methods and econometric models with Eviews 10 software. The obtained results with 95% confidence level show that the environmental patents (β = 0.02) and environment management (β = 0.04) and technologies related to the climate change mitigation (β = 0.02) have a significant positive impact on the sustainable economic development and growth rate in the studied countries. Such a study helps innovators and policymakers in policy decisions related to sustainable development programs from the perspective of environmentally friendly technologies by demonstrating the role of patents in three important environmental areas, namely environmental management, water-related adaptation and climate change mitigation, as one of the factors influencing sustainable economic growth.

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