EU countries lead the way to decarbonization and decoupling of economic growth and carbon emissions

 Czech Republic, Finland, Germany, Netherlands, and Sweden are among those EU countries who achieved the success in growing their economies and, at the same time, reducing CO2 emissions during last 30 years.

IEA plans to make all its data freely available

 International Energy Agency (IEA) IS GOING TO FREE ITS ALL GLOBAL ENERGY DATA, Quantum Commodity Intelligence informed today. This will significantly improve data transparency in the energy sector as the world prepares to reduce dependency on fossil fuels and move towards a low-carbon future. 

The proposal still needs to be supported by member countries at the next ministerial meeting to be held 2-3 February. 

IEA proposes technological and policy pathways allowing transition to a net zero energy system by 2050

The energy sector is the source of about 75% of GHG emissions today and holds the key to preventing the worst effects of climate change.

In its recent report NET ZERO BY 2050: A ROADMAP FOR THE GLOBAL ENERGY SECTOR, IEA proposes technological and policy pathways allowing transition to a net zero energy system by 2050 while ensuring stable and affordable energy supplies, providing universal energy access, and enabling robust economic growth.

The path to net-zero emissions is challenging: staying on it requires immediate and intensive deployment of all available clean and efficient energy technologies.

IRENA presented the outline of World Energy Transitions Outlook till 2050

 Recently published preview of IRENA’s World Energy Transitions Outlook presents an outline of the global strategies towards carbon-neutrality and leads way to a climate-safe 1.5°C pathway by 2050.

It is projected that over 70% of all decarbonization solutions will involve renewable energy through the direct supply of low-cost power, efficiency, renewable-powered electrification in end-use. Carbon capture and removal technologies in combination with bioenergy will deliver the ‘remaining reductions towards a net-zero energy system.

Energy efficiency is not sufficient for the transition to low carbon buildings

 Energy efficiency, which reduces only buildings' operational carbon footprint, is not enough for transition to low carbon buildings.

67-76% of the total buildings' GHG emissions are embodied, i.e. associated with the extraction, transportation, and manufacture of materials and elements, as well as with construction processes and services.
The report [https://lnkd.in/gfYRHc4] published by Architects Climate Action Network proposes a set of policies, regulations, and actions to be urgently adopted for the dramatic reduction of embodied carbon emissions in the UK.
According to World Green Building Council [https://lnkd.in/g2nXm8J], currently, buildings account for 39% of energy-related global CO2 emissions.
Architecture 2030 estimates that new construction creates more than 3.7 billion metric tons of embodied carbon emissions annually [https://lnkd.in/gACCNx2].

Federal government will invest $183 million in Low Carbon Cities Canada

                        Source: http://lc3.ca/

Low Carbon Cities Canada (LC3)  is an initiative that will support and accelerate urban carbon emission reduction actions, helping Canada meet the 2030 and 2050 climate change mitigation targets. LC3 is a partnership between  the Federation of Canadian Municipalities and seven local centers located in largest metropolitan areas -  Vancouver and the Lower Mainland, Edmonton, Calgary, the Greater Toronto & Hamilton Area, Ottawa, Montreal Metropolitan Community, and the Halifax region, representing 43 per cent of the country’s population, and working in partnership with the Federation of Canadian Municipalities. These centers will be serving more than 100 cities and towns all over the country. 

Life cycle CO2 emissions for EVs are twice lower than for gasoline cars

Currently EV production results in higher emissions than the making of gasoline cars - mostly due to manufacturing of the EV lithium-ion battery.

Based on the average U.S. electricity grid emissions, producing a midsize, mid-range (84 miles per charge) EV similar to a Nissan LEAF typically results in 15 percent greater emissions than in manufacturing a similar gasoline vehicle. At the same time, replacing gasoline use with electricity reduces overall emissions by 51 percent over the life of the car.

A full-size long-range (265 miles per charge) EV similar to a Tesla Model S, increases manufacturing emissions by 68 percent over the gasoline version.

How to boost the transition to low carbon technologies?

Source: UK BEIS, 2019

Luck of the strategic incentives is an important reason behind the slow progress in the transition to low carbon technologies. Three major overlapping transition phases may explain where and how technological transition actually occurs: emergence of new technology, diffusion through markets, and reconfiguration of socioeconomic systems.
Based on the detailed analysis of these transitional phases, authors of the report Accelerating the Low Carbon Transition considered ten key economic sectors (see above figure) in a broad sense, including not just the technology and its production, but also the systems of its use, financing, ownership, infrastructure and governance.
The key message for policymakers on a national level is that it is not enough just put a price on carbon or adopt ambitious emissions reduction goals.

Do you need to own a car to have a ride?

And the answer, of course, is no; there are better options even if not considering using public transport. 

When owning a car, you have a bunch of duties, responsibilities, and costs (see the table above). You have to manage car financing and insurance, service and repair, maintenance and cleaning, garage and parking, etc. Shared mobility services like car share, car rental, city car schemes, and taxi ride-share are the viable options which allow you to avoid car ownership. 

WRI: to what extent multilateral development banks supporting a low-carbon future?

WRI’s working paper analyses approved and planned in 2015-2016 energy supply investments of three MDBs - the World Bank, International Finance Corporation (IFC) and Asian Development Bank (ADB),  which represent about 300 infrastructure projects with $35 billion of finance in developing countries.

Pan-Canadian Framework on Clean Growth and Climate Change combines carbon price and output-based credit

In recent publication Technical paper: federal carbon pricing backstop, Canadian Government proposes combination of carbon price and output-based credit to reduce GHG emissions and address the business competitiveness problem at the same time.

Limiting global warming whilst extending energy access requires both - energy decarbonization and better energy productivity

Recent Energy Transitions Commission’s report presents achievable pathways to limit global warming to well below 2˚C while stimulating economic development and social progress. The transition to a new global energy system should:

Pembina Institute proposes ‘low-carbon transition’ pathway for buildings in British Columbia

Recommendations published by the Pembina Institute are based on discussions during the two days forum attended by over 120 participants from 90 organizations. Experts proposed that the building sector in British Columbia should aim to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the operation of buildings by 40-50% below 2007 levels by 2030, and 80-100% by 2050.

OECD report: current carbon prices are too low to ensure needed GHG emissions reduction

The OECD released the report about pricing CO2 through taxes and emissions trading systems, which presents a new data on “effective carbon rates” on CO2-emissions for energy use across six economic sectors in 41 countries. The study analyzed OECD countries responsible for some 80 percent of global carbon dioxide emissions and found a major gap between current carbon pricing policies and what should be the minimum estimated cost for carbon given its climate impact.

Low carbon technologies are now cost competitive with fossil fuels

The Lloyd’s Register Technology Radar – Low Carbon, analyses the outlook for renewables, nuclear, grid and infrastructure, and energy storage, based on opinions of almost 600 professionals and experts around the world. The report examines the technological future of low carbon across power generation, transmission, distribution and energy storage.

Now we are living in a 400 ppm CO2 world...

September 2016 is a major milestone for the world’s climate change history - according to Mauna Loa CO2 program at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, the monthly value of atmospheric carbon dioxide failed to drop below 400 parts per million. It means, that 2016 will be the year that CO2 officially passed the symbolic 400 ppm mark, never to return below it in our lifetimes.

Average price for carbon offsets looks like a good deal for companies trying to reduce their climate risk

A new report by Forest Trends’ Ecosystem Marketplace “Buying in: Taking Stock of the Role of Carbon Offsets in Corporate Carbon Strategies” found that companies buy carbon offsets to accelerate their deep economic transformation, rather than just to create a good environmental reputation.

Scientists from Iceland convert carbon dioxide into basaltic rock

Turning Carbon Emissions to Stone from Earth Institute on Vimeo.

According to a paper published in the journal Science, carbon dioxide emissions from an   geothermal electric power plant have been captured, pumped underground and solidified. Scientists, working on a project called CarbFix were able to turn CO2 into a chalk-like solid material in two years, while earlier studies suggested it could take thousands of years for large amounts of carbon dioxide to be converted to chalk.

Carbon cap and trade system is the core of Ontario’s new climate action plan

Source: www.ontario.ca/page/climate-change-action-plan

Ontario Government made announcement about the province’s Climate Change Action Plan, which commits up to $8.3-billion over five years to driving down greenhouse gas emissions. It contains 76 new programs, including financial incentives for homeowners and landlords to retrofit buildings and for drivers to buy electric vehicles. A mid-term goal is to cut province’s GHG emissions by 37% below 1990 levels by 2030.

Should carbon metrics continue to shape climate policy?

Publication by Project Syndicate questions a simplistic approach, when “climate change” has become almost synonymous with “carbon emissions”, and states that such approach alone cannot resolve the highly complex and interconnected ecological crises that world currently faces.