The impacts of information and communication technology,energy consumption,financial development,and economic growth on carbon dioxide emissions in 12 Asian countries

This study aims to investigate the effects of information and communication technology (ICT), energy consumption, economic growth, and financial development on carbon dioxide emissions using 1993–2013 panel data from 12 Asian countries. The study employs a panel unit root test accounting for the presence of cross-sectional dependence and found that Internet usage is stationary and carbon dioxide emissions, energy consumption, gross domestic production (GDP), and financial development are first-difference stationary. The results form Pedroni panel cointegration test confirms that the variables are cointegrated. The results of the cointegration test indicate that the ICT-energy-GDP-carbon dioxide emissions nexus has long-run equilibrium. Both energy consumption and GDP have significant, positive impacts on carbon dioxide emissions; energy consumption and GDP have an effect on carbon dioxide emissions growth. ICT has a significantly negative effect on carbon dioxide emissions; the promotion of ICT becomes one of the important strategies introduced to mitigate carbon dioxide emissions for various countries. Causality results show that energy consumption, GDP, and financial development cause more carbon dioxide emissions. Energy consumption, GDP, and carbon dioxide emissions cause ICT. GDP causes financial development, whereas energy consumption and GDP are interdetermined. The feedback hypothesis exists in the region; those countries need to develop alternative energy to replace fossil fuels. ICT does not threaten the environment and ICT policy can be seen as a part of carbon dioxide emissions reduction policy.     

Co-control of carbon dioxide and air pollutant emissions in China from a cost-effective perspective

With increases in the economy and standards of living, energy consumption has grown significantly in China, which has resulted in serious local air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. Because both carbon dioxide (CO₂) and air pollutant emissions mainly stem from fossil energy use, a co-control strategy is simulated and compared with single control in China, using an integrated assessment model (Global Change Assessment Model-Tsinghua University (GCAM-TU)) in this paper. We find that end-of-pipe (EOP) control measures play an important role in reducing air pollution in the near future, but in the long run, optimizing the energy system is an effective way to control both emissions. Reducing air pollutant might take a “free-ride” of decarbonizing the energy system. Compared with a single control of air pollutants, a co-control strategy is likely to reduce the requirement of EOP control measures. The result guides the Chinese government to consider a systemic and scientific plan for decarbonizing the energy system and co-controlling CO₂ and air pollutant, in order to avoid duplicate investments in infrastructure and lockup effect. The solution could be extended to many other developing countries, such as India and Africa, which is helpful to realize the goals of United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Agenda.

     

Minimising emissions and energy wastage by improved industrial processes and integration of renewable energy

This article provides an introduction to this Special Issue of Journal of Cleaner Production (JCLP), which contains thirteen, carefully selected articles from the 12th Conference, “Process Integration, Modelling and Optimisation for Energy Saving and Pollution Reduction” – PRES'09. This issue builds upon the multi-year co-operation between the PRES conference planners and the JCLP. The articles cover important subjects of increased efficiency in energy generation and usage and in improvements in industrial process optimisation. The first group of five papers focuses upon recent advances in emissions reduction and the resulting energy penalties. The second group of four papers deals with improving the efficiency and reliability in the utilisation of renewable energy, where hydrogen and biodiesel are the key energy carriers. The final group of three papers focus on process integration challenges of sustainable energy systems and upon the challenges of industrial/societal integration of sustainable energy systems into regional sustainable development planning.     

Errors and uncertainties in a gridded carbon dioxide emissions inventory

Emission inventories (EIs) are the fundamental tool to monitor compliance with greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and emission reduction commitments. Inventory accounting guidelines provide the best practices to help EI compilers across different countries and regions make comparable, national emission estimates regardless of differences in data availability. However, there are a variety of sources of error and uncertainty that originate beyond what the inventory guidelines can define. Spatially explicit EIs, which are a key product for atmospheric modeling applications, are often developed for research purposes and there are no specific guidelines to achieve spatial emission estimates. The errors and uncertainties associated with the spatial estimates are unique to the approaches employed and are often difficult to assess. This study compares the global, high-resolution (1 km), fossil fuel, carbon dioxide (CO₂), gridded EI Open-source Data Inventory for Anthropogenic CO₂ (ODIAC) with the multi-resolution, spatially explicit bottom-up EI geoinformation technologies, spatio-temporal approaches, and full carbon account for improving the accuracy of GHG inventories (GESAPU) over the domain of Poland. By taking full advantage of the data granularity that bottom-up EI offers, this study characterized the potential biases in spatial disaggregation by emission sector (point and non-point emissions) across different scales (national, subnational/regional, and urban policy-relevant scales) and identified the root causes. While two EIs are in agreement in total and sectoral emissions (2.2% for the total emissions), the emission spatial patterns showed large differences (10~100% relative differences at 1 km) especially at the urban-rural transitioning areas (90–100%). We however found that the agreement of emissions over urban areas is surprisingly good compared with the estimates previously reported for US cities. This paper also discusses the use of spatially explicit EIs for climate mitigation applications beyond the common use in atmospheric modeling. We conclude with a discussion of current and future challenges of EIs in support of successful implementation of GHG emission monitoring and mitigation activity under the Paris Climate Agreement from the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) 21st Conference of the Parties (COP21). We highlight the importance of capacity building for EI development and coordinated research efforts of EI, atmospheric observations, and modeling to overcome the challenges.

     

我国海洋能开发利用情况分析

根据能源短缺问题已经严重制约了我国沿海及海岛地区经济发展和人民生活水平提高的现实情况,客观分析和评价了国内外海洋能研究和开发的经验,提出了我国海洋能发展思路及对策建议。     

Towards sustainable development in Austria: renewable energy contributions

Besides energy conservation, theexploration of renewable energy sources, inparticular biomass and solar energy, arecentral aspects of the Austrian energypolicy, regarded as an optimal option forachieving CO₂-emission reductionobjectives.The market penetration of RenewableEnergy Technologies in the last twentyyears was supported by the AustrianEnergy Research Programme. The result ofsuccessful developments of biomass heating,solar thermal, solar electrical and windenergy technologies is the key for themarket development of these renewableenergy technologies.With the market penetration of renewableenergy technologies new business areas wereestablished and employment created.Today, some renewable energy technologiesin Austria have reached economiccompetitiveness. Some technologies notreached commercialisation, and need moredevelopment to improve efficiency,reliability and cost to become commercial.This would include material and systemdevelopment, pilot plants or fieldexperiments to clarify technical problems,and demonstration plants to illustrateperformance capabilities and to clarifyproblems for commercialisation.     

Planning hydrological restoration of peatlands in Indonesia to mitigate carbon dioxide emissions

Extensive degradation of Indonesian peatlands by deforestation, drainage and recurrent fires causes release of huge amounts of peat soil carbon to the atmosphere. Construction of drainage canals is associated with conversion to other land uses, especially plantations of oil palm and pulpwood trees, and with widespread illegal logging to facilitate timber transport. A lowering of the groundwater level leads to an increase in oxidation and subsidence of peat. Therefore, the groundwater level is the main control on carbon dioxide emissions from peatlands. Restoring the peatland hydrology is the only way to prevent peat oxidation and mitigate CO₂ emissions. In this study we present a strategy for improved planning of rewetting measures by dam constructions. The study area is a vast peatland with limited accessibility in Central Kalimantan, Indonesia. Field inventory and remote sensing data are used to generate a detailed 3D model of the peat dome and a hydrological model predicts the rise in groundwater levels once dams have been constructed. Successful rewetting of a 590 km2 large area of drained peat swamp forest could result in mitigated emissions of 1.4–1.6 Mt CO₂ yearly. This equates to 6% of the carbon dioxide emissions by civil aviation in the European Union in 2006 and can be achieved with relatively small efforts and at low costs. The proposed methodology allows a detailed planning of hydrological restoration of peatlands with interesting impacts on carbon trading for the voluntary carbon market.     

Agricultural bio-char production,renewable energy generation and farm carbon sequestration in Western Australia: Certainty,uncertainty and risk

Reducing the vulnerability of agriculture to climate change while increasing primary productivity requires mitigation and adaptation activities to generate profitable co-benefits to farms. The conversion of woody-wastes by pyrolysis to produce bio-char (biologically derived charcoal) is one potential option that can enhance natural rates of carbon sequestration in soils, reduce farm waste, and substitute renewable energy sources for fossil-derived fuel inputs. Bio-char has the potential to increase conventional agricultural productivity and enhance the ability of farmers to participate in carbon markets beyond traditional approach by directly applying carbon into soil. This paper provides an overview of the pyrolysis process and products and quantifies the amount of renewable energy generation and net carbon sequestration possible when using farm bio-waste to produce bio-char as a primary product. While this research provides approximate bio-char and energy production yields, costs, uses and risks, there is a need for additional research on the value of bio-char in conventional crop yields and adaptation and mitigation options.     

A decomposition analysis of carbon dioxide emissions in the Chinese nonferrous metal industry

The nonferrous metal industry (NMI) of China consumes large amounts of energy and associated emissions of carbon dioxide (CO ₂) are very high. Actions to reduce CO ₂ emissions and energy consumption are warranted. This study aims to analyze current China NMI trends of CO ₂ emissions and energy consumption including the underlying regional driver characteristics. We analyze the changes of CO ₂ emissions in the NMI based on the Logarithmic Mean Divisia Index (LMDI) method from 2000 to 2011. Then, a classification system is used to study the regional differences in emission changes from the NMI. The results show that the emissions of the Chinese NMI increased rapidly at an average annual growth rate of 31 million metric tons. The economic scale and energy intensity are the main driving factors responsible for the change in the emissions, while carbon emission coefficients make only a small contribution toward decreasing the emissions, and the energy structure has a volatile effect. Emissions and energy intensity of 29 China provinces were divided into five categories. The change in the trend of each region is indicated in this paper. Hebei is one of the provinces that achieved the best performance, and Chongqing achieved the worst performance among all of the regions. The analysis suggests that the main emphasis of CO ₂ emission mitigation should be focused on controlling the economic scale and improving the energy intensity. Developing the use of clean energy technologies and policies in both the NMI and power industries is important.     

Carbon dioxide direct air capture for effective climate change mitigation based on renewable electricity: a new type of energy system sector coupling

Pathways for achieving the 1.5–2 °C global temperature moderation target imply a massive scaling of carbon dioxide (CO₂) removal technologies, in particular in the 2040s and onwards. CO₂ direct air capture (DAC) is among the most promising negative emission technologies (NETs). The energy demands for low-temperature solid-sorbent DAC are mainly heat at around 100 °C and electricity, which lead to sustainably operated DAC systems based on low-cost renewable electricity and heat pumps for the heat supply. This analysis is carried out for the case of the Maghreb region, which enjoys abundantly available low-cost renewable energy resources. The energy transition results for the Maghreb region lead to a solar photovoltaic (PV)-dominated energy supply with some wind energy contribution. DAC systems will need the same energy supply structure. The research investigates the levelised cost of CO₂ DAC (LCOD) in high spatial resolution and is based on full hourly modelling for the Maghreb region. The key results are LCOD of about 55 €/t_CO2 in 2050 with a further cost reduction potential of up to 50%. The area demand is considered and concluded to be negligible. Major conclusions for CO₂ removal as a new energy sector are drawn. Key options for a global climate change mitigation strategy are first an energy transition towards renewable energy and second NETs for achieving the targets of the Paris Agreement.

     

Migrants,land markets and carbon emissions in Jambi,Indonesia: Land tenure change and the prospect of emission reduction

Policies designed to reduce land-based carbon emissions require a good understanding of the complex connections between state-sanctioned concessions, forest conversion, informal land markets and migrants. Our case study in the peat forests of the Tanjung Jabung Barat (TanJaBar) regency of Jambi, Indonesia aimed to explore relations between four key stakeholder groups: the state, local communities, migrants, and state-sanctioned concessions. We hypothesized that current land use patterns are shaped by insecurity in formal forest tenure alongside informal land tenure arrangements with migrants. In analyzing the six two-way relationships between the four stakeholder groups, we found that interactions between the stakeholders have changed local norms and practice, causing land conflicts and contested claims that need to be explicitly addressed in efforts to reduce carbon emissions in TanJaBar. Relational concepts of land rights between migrants and local community leaders are informed by social identity, expectations of investment opportunities, insecure customary forest tenure and competing land use policies. Migrants act as intermediaries in shaping the land tenure system and shift the balance of power between local communities, the state, and business concessions. We conclude that effective and equitable implementation of national Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation+ (REDD+) programs will need to recognize underlying land ownership dynamics, power struggles and strategic positioning among stakeholders across scales. Obtaining free and prior informed consent (FPIC) from all relevant stakeholders is a major challenge given this complexity. Low emission development strategies will require recognition of a reality beyond large-scale concessions and traditional local communities.     

促进我国再生资源产业发展的思路与对策

讨论了政府如何适应变化了的回收体系的管理和服务需要,国际通行的“废物丢弃付费”制度为什么在我国难以实行,如何改变利废企业技术水平低和二次污染等问题。提出以下建议：整顿和规范回收体系;发展二手货市场;加大再生资源加工利用技术开发的投入力度;制定优惠政策,激励再生资源产业发展;对进口废料实行园区化管理;完善法律法规和标准,做好基础性工作;加强能力建设,提高公众意识和参与能力。     

Climate change and sandy land development in Qinghai Lake Watershed, China

The Qinghai Lake Watershed, containing the largest saline lake in northwest of China, has suffered from severe sandy land development in recent years. This paper analyzes its daily precipitation, temperature, and wind from 1958 to 2001, and the spatial and temporal distributions of sandy land through the interpretation of remote sensing images covering four years (1977, 1987, 2000, and 2004). Results showed that since the middle of the 1960s, the daily precipitation (P) of 0<P⩽5 mm decreased, while the P>20 mm increased significantly (S<0.05) in their annual total amounts and days. The maximum daily precipitation also increased significantly. Both the maximum dry spell and the total dry spell of more than ten days had a significant upward trend. Since the beginning of the 1960s, all the extremely high, extremely low and mean temperatures increased significantly (S<0.01), at a rate of 0.1°C/10a, 0.2°C/10a, and 0.2°C/10a, respectively. The days with extremely high temperature had a significant upward trend, while the days with extremely low temperature had a significant downward trend. The Qinghai Lake was significantly shrinking (S<0.01) and provided abundant sediments for Aeolian erosion. The NNW wind prevailed in the watershed, and the largest scale wind was from the west and concentrated on the dry months. As a result, the sandy land was mainly born on the east bank of Qinghai Lake. The total sandy land area in the watershed had grown from 587.4 km², 660.7 km², 697.6 km² to 805.8 km², accordingly, its area percentage growing from 2.0%, 2.2%, 2.4% to 2.7%, respectively.     

Quantification of carbon dioxide and methane emissions in urban areas: source apportionment based on atmospheric observations

Anthropogenic emissions of carbon dioxide (CO₂) and methane (CH₄) in the atmosphere constitute an important component of the related carbon budget. The main source of anthropogenic CO₂ is burning of fossil fuels, especially in densely populated areas. Similar emissions of CH₄ are associated with the agricultural sector, coal mining, and other human activities, such as waste management and storage and natural gas networks supplying methane to large urban, industrial centers. We discuss several methods aimed at characterizing and quantifying atmospheric loads and fluxes of CO₂ and CH₄ in Krakow, the second largest city in Poland. The methods are based on atmospheric observations of mixing ratios as well as isotopic composition of the investigated gases. Atmospheric mixing ratios of CO₂ and CH₄ were measured using gas chromatography (GC) and cavity ring-down spectroscopy (CRDS). The isotopic composition of CO₂ and CH₄ was analyzed using isotope ratio mass spectrometry (IRMS), accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS), and CRDS techniques. These data, combined with auxiliary information characterizing the intensity of vertical mixing in the lower atmosphere (height of the nocturnal boundary layer [NBL] and atmospheric ²²²Rn concentration), were further used to quantify emission rates of CO₂ and CH₄ in the urban atmosphere of Krakow. These methods provide an efficient way of quantifying surface emissions of major greenhouse gases originating from distributed sources, thus complementing the widely used bottom-up methodology based on emission statistics.

     

Evaluating multiple emission pathways for fixed cumulative carbon dioxide emissions from global-scale socioeconomic perspectives

Recent climate modeling studies have concluded that cumulative carbon emissions determine temperature increase, regardless of emission pathways. Accordingly, the optimal emission pathway can be determined from a socioeconomic standpoint. To access the path dependence of socioeconomic impacts for cumulative carbon emissions, we used a computable general equilibrium model to analyze impacts on major socioeconomic indicators on a global scale for 30–50 pathways with different emission reduction starting years, different subsequent emission pathways, and three different cumulative 2100 emission scenarios (emissions that meet the 2 °C target, the 2 °C target emissions plus 10 %, and emissions producing radiative forcing of 4.5 W/m²). The results show that even with identical cumulative emission figures, the resulting socioeconomic impacts vary by the pathway realized. For the United Nations 2 °C target, for example, (a) the 95 % confidence interval of cumulative global gross domestic product (GDP) is 1355–1363 trillion US dollars (2010–2100, discount rate = 5 %), (b) the cumulative GDP of pathways with later emission reduction starting years grows weaker (5 % significance level), and (c) emissions in 2100 have a moderate negative correlation with cumulative GDP. These results suggest that GDP loss is minimized with pathways with earlier emission reduction followed by more moderate reduction rates to achieve lower emission levels. Consequently, we suggest an early emission peak to meet the stringent target. In our model setting, it is desirable for emissions to peak by 2020 to reduce mitigation cost and by 2030 at the latest to meet the 2 °C target.