Operation of the Egyptian Power Grid with Maximum Penetration Level of Renewable Energies Using Corona Virus Optimization Algorithm

Countries around the world are looking forward to fully sustainable energy by the middle of the century to meet Paris climate agreement goals. This paper presents a novel algorithm to optimally operate the Egyptian grid with maximum renewable power generation, minimum voltage deviation and minimum power losses. The optimal operation is performed using Corona Virus Algorithm (CVO). The proposed CVO is compared to the Teaching and Learning-Based Optimization (TLBO) algorithm in terms of voltage deviation, power losses and share of renewable energies. The real demand, solar irradiance and wind speed in typical winter and summer days are considered. The 2020 Egyptian grid model is developed, simulated, and optimized using DIgSILENT software application. The results have proved the effectiveness of the proposed CVO, compared to the TLBO, to operate the grid with the highest share possible of renewables. The paper is a step forward to achieve Egyptian government targets to reach 20% and 42% penetration level of renewable energies by 2022 and 2035, respectively.

Climate Change: International Legal Regulation Development

The paper is devoted to the development of international legal regulation in the field of combating climate change. Over the years, states, in the face of scientific uncertainty, have been trying to find ways to keep global warming at 1.5 °C by establishing international commitments of various configurations.When cooperating in the fight against climate change, additional substantive discussions arise, related, for example, to the implementation of international trade measures or the provision of human rights. However, the main direction remains the one covered by the context of sustainable development, ESG principles for business, government and society, strategies for energy policies of states, cooperation in adaptation and assistance to developing countries.Approaches to the international legal regulation of cooperation in the field of combating climate change began to form when the international community started to pay much attention to the international legal protection of atmospheric air and the protection of the ozone layer. As early as the preamble to the 1987 Montreal Protocol, the emphasis was placed on the potential climate impact of ozone-depleting substance emissions.The international legal regime established by the 1992 UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, in fact, outlined guidelines for finding optimal forms of cooperation, taking into account changes not only in the state of the environment, but also in the economic agenda. The Conference of the Parties has been identified as the key institutional platform for cooperation. Currently in conjunction with the 1992 Framework Convention and the 2015 Paris Climate Agreement the Conference of the Parties provides the conditions for their implementation.

Evaluation of Heat Decarbonization Strategies and Their Impact on the Irish Gas Network

Decarbonization of the heating sector is essential to meet the ambitious goals of the Paris Climate Agreement for 2050. However, poorly insulated buildings and industrial processes with high and intermittent heating demand will still require traditional boilers that burn fuel to avoid excessive burden on electrical networks. Therefore, it is important to assess the impact of residential, commercial, and industrial heat decarbonization strategies on the distribution and transmission gas networks. Using building energy models in EnergyPlus, the progressive decarbonization of gas-fueled heating was investigated by increasing insulation in buildings and increasing the efficiency of gas boilers. Industrial heat decarbonization was evaluated through a progressive move to lower-carbon fuel sources using MATLAB. The results indicated a maximum decrease of 19.9% in natural gas utilization due to the buildings’ thermal retrofits. This, coupled with a move toward the electrification of heat, will reduce volumes of gas being transported through the distribution gas network. However, the decarbonization of the industrial heat demand with hydrogen could result in up to a 380% increase in volumetric flow rate through the transmission network. A comparison between the decarbonization of domestic heating through gas and electrical heating is also carried out. The results indicated that gas networks can continue to play an essential role in the decarbonized energy systems of the future.

ACHIEVING CARBON NEUTRALITY THROUGH THE INTRODUCTION OF TAXATION TOOLS

The ESG-agenda is becoming more significant, the authorities and large corporations are paying more attention to the greening of business. The issue of decarbonization of the economy has become acute at the international level after the entry into force of the Paris Climate Agreement in 2016. The purpose of the work: to study the proposed initiatives to achieve carbon neutrality and to study the impact of carbon regulation mechanisms on the development of industry in Russia, in accordance with it, the following tasks are formed: to describe the mechanism of cross-border carbon regulation (Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism, CBAM), to give an economic assessment of the impact of industrial sectors in Russia, as well as to consider domestic initiatives to create carbon regulation.

Green Bond: A Systematic Literature Review for Future Research Agendas

Green bonds (or climate bonds) are one of the most used sustainable investment instruments, and under the Paris Climate Agreement of 2015, the climate bond market is expected to thrive in the near future. Green bonds are gaining increasing popularity between environmentally responsible investors, as well as investors who “simply” attempt to benefit from portfolio diversification, including green issuances, that are close to other fixed bonds. This paper aims to take advantage of previous literature contributions on the green bond market to indicate the way forward for future research. Herein, through a systematic literature review on the green bond market, our ultimate goal is to provide investors, main markets actors, and policymakers with some helpful insight on the role of environmental investments in reshaping the financial markets and fostering the sustainability of the economy.

Policy Guidelines for Integrated Sustainable Transport Planning to meet Greenhouse Gas Targets for Wellington, New Zealand and Possible Effects on the Built Environment

<p>The increasing concentration of greenhouse gases (GHGs) in the Earth's atmosphere is resulting in an increase in the temperature of the Earth. The accumulation of GHGs is due to emissions from burning of fossil fuels for energy generation and transportation, from industrial and manufacturing processes, as well as from agriculture and other activities. To meet the requirements of the Paris Climate Agreement, to which New Zealand is a signatory, will require emissions to be cut by at least 80% from current levels by or before 2050. The transport sector through its reliance on oil accounts for approximately 15% of overall greenhouse gas emissions. Global CO₂ emissions from transport have grown by 45% from 1990 to 2007. At the same time the International Energy Agency (2013) state that by 2050 under a Business‐as‐Usual scenario global urban passenger mobility will more than double. Around half of the global population is now living in urban regions, i.e. where the environment is largely comprised of buildings and their connecting infrastructure, and this same half contributes 70% of global carbon emissions while more than 60% of the global gross domestic product is created by the revenue of only 600 cities. In order to see whether the demands for transport and the requirement of the Paris Agreement can be met simultaneously, the approach in this study is to establish goals for CO₂ emissions reduction together with Business‐as‐Usual as a benchmark, and then to see how, and the extent to which, existing mobility services for the city of Wellington could be supplied within these targets. The forms of transport that might be needed for provision of these mobility services are also described. The bottom line of this study is that we are dealing with a long run problem and now is the time to think of what structure (in terms of built environment, technological improvement and behavioural changes) should be adopted for Wellington's transport at the earliest possible time since this structure will determine energy and emissions intensities for many years to come. While it may not be desirable or feasible to entirely remove motor vehicles for the sake of sustainability the baseline situation (Business‐As‐Usual) should not be permitted as much acceleration as it is currently showing. Improving vehicle efficiencies, substituting lower carbon fuels for existing fossil fuels, shifting and avoiding strategies, human behavioural improvements, and national, regional and local policy frameworks all need to work together for mitigation of emissions. Coordinated policies within the transport portfolio, combining land use and transport agencies are needed which will produce outcomes perhaps only after 10 to 20 years to meet objectives of the sustainable transport journey towards a greener future. This research explores the possibility of significantly lower emission urban transport without significantly curtailing mobility services in terms of per capita distance travelled while meeting the overall level of emissions that will satisfy the requirements of the Paris Climate Agreement. It does this for a single city in a particular geographic location but its findings have implications for cities across the world.</p>

Policy Guidelines for Integrated Sustainable Transport Planning to meet Greenhouse Gas Targets for Wellington, New Zealand and Possible Effects on the Built Environment

<p>The increasing concentration of greenhouse gases (GHGs) in the Earth's atmosphere is resulting in an increase in the temperature of the Earth. The accumulation of GHGs is due to emissions from burning of fossil fuels for energy generation and transportation, from industrial and manufacturing processes, as well as from agriculture and other activities. To meet the requirements of the Paris Climate Agreement, to which New Zealand is a signatory, will require emissions to be cut by at least 80% from current levels by or before 2050. The transport sector through its reliance on oil accounts for approximately 15% of overall greenhouse gas emissions. Global CO₂ emissions from transport have grown by 45% from 1990 to 2007. At the same time the International Energy Agency (2013) state that by 2050 under a Business‐as‐Usual scenario global urban passenger mobility will more than double. Around half of the global population is now living in urban regions, i.e. where the environment is largely comprised of buildings and their connecting infrastructure, and this same half contributes 70% of global carbon emissions while more than 60% of the global gross domestic product is created by the revenue of only 600 cities. In order to see whether the demands for transport and the requirement of the Paris Agreement can be met simultaneously, the approach in this study is to establish goals for CO₂ emissions reduction together with Business‐as‐Usual as a benchmark, and then to see how, and the extent to which, existing mobility services for the city of Wellington could be supplied within these targets. The forms of transport that might be needed for provision of these mobility services are also described. The bottom line of this study is that we are dealing with a long run problem and now is the time to think of what structure (in terms of built environment, technological improvement and behavioural changes) should be adopted for Wellington's transport at the earliest possible time since this structure will determine energy and emissions intensities for many years to come. While it may not be desirable or feasible to entirely remove motor vehicles for the sake of sustainability the baseline situation (Business‐As‐Usual) should not be permitted as much acceleration as it is currently showing. Improving vehicle efficiencies, substituting lower carbon fuels for existing fossil fuels, shifting and avoiding strategies, human behavioural improvements, and national, regional and local policy frameworks all need to work together for mitigation of emissions. Coordinated policies within the transport portfolio, combining land use and transport agencies are needed which will produce outcomes perhaps only after 10 to 20 years to meet objectives of the sustainable transport journey towards a greener future. This research explores the possibility of significantly lower emission urban transport without significantly curtailing mobility services in terms of per capita distance travelled while meeting the overall level of emissions that will satisfy the requirements of the Paris Climate Agreement. It does this for a single city in a particular geographic location but its findings have implications for cities across the world.</p>

Potential for the Development of Productive Activities of the Russian Penal System in the Context of Achieving National Goals Under the Paris Climate Agreement

One of the key tasks of the penal and correctional system is not only to socially isolate convicts and organize acceptable living conditions for them, but also to ensure their adequate resocialization after serving their sentence. The solution of this problem requires new approaches to the conduct of production activities by the institutions of the Federal Penitentiary Service of Russia. Among others, priority should be given to the areas of traditional economic specialization of the penitentiary system, which include, for example, logging and woodworking. The national contribution of the Russian Federation to the implementation of the goals of the Paris Climate Agreement implies the fullest possible use of the carbon-absorbing capacity of Russian forests. This task is solved, among other things, by a significant increase in the volume of artificial reforestation, which requires the development of a network of tree nurseries throughout the country. The article analyzes in detail the experience of a joint pilot project on forest nursery creation based on one of the institutions of the Federal Penitentiary Service with the participation of business association in the field of forest industry in Krasnoyarsk Krai. It is shown that the project is not only effective, but also has high indicators of economic efficiency, characterized by low payback period under the condition of ensuring decent working conditions for inmates. It emphasizes the importance of scientific and methodological support of the work performed by universities and research institutes, including within the program of creating world-class scientific and educational centers of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation