Search

Carbon neutrality strategies have a significant role in climate mitigation efforts. As global concerns regarding climate change continue to increase, achieving carbon neutrality has emerged as a paramount objective for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and limiting the adverse impacts of anthropogenic activities on the environment. This research investigates a wide range of scholarly works to conduct an in-depth analysis and synthesis of the relevant information about carbon neutrality strategies. The review introduces carbon neutrality principles and terminologies, highlighting their importance in climate mitigation. It then proceeds to explore the wide range of strategies employed across different sectors and industries, investigating their effectiveness, scalability, and potential challenges. A multidimensional analysis contrasts the United States Nationally Determined Contributions pathway 2023, China's Nationally Determined contributions 2023, and the EU Directive 2023/2413, assessing their economic, environmental, political, and social impacts. The study evaluates strategies' effectiveness, scalability, and innovation for transitioning to a sustainable, low-carbon future. It fills a gap by analyzing global approaches across the US, China, and the EU, which account for about 50% of the world's total GHG emissions. It evaluates the novel application of diverse strategies, from renewable energy transitions to innovative policy measures, highlighting their potential to mitigate climate change effectively. By providing a multidimensional analysis of these strategies' impacts, the research not only enhances understanding of effective carbon neutrality tactics but also underscores the importance of international cooperation in realizing a sustainable, low-carbon future. • Identifies and analyzes carbon neutrality strategies, emphasizing the need for diverse US, Chinese, and EU approaches. • Evaluate renewable energy, carbon capture, and policy tools for carbon reduction effectiveness, scalability, and innovation. • Highlights the study's novelty in synthesizing current knowledge on carbon neutrality, addressing a significant research gap. • Concludes with strategic ideas for international collaboration and policy development for low-carbon futures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The depth and breadth of the climate crisis is well known, all sectors, industry, government and the individual have the potential to reduce emissions to slow or stop catastrophic climate change. To determine and evaluate the (revealed) preferences of the public in reducing their personal carbon emissions, a conjoint analysis survey, using the PAPRIKA (Potentially All Pairwise RanKings of all possible Alternatives) method, was distributed to the public in a city in the south of England (Southampton). Knowledge of the deep-seated preferences of the public makes a fundamental contribution to future climate actions because it enables publicly acceptable system change to be developed. Results showed the public were unwilling to make large-scale lifestyle changes, even if they would cause large emission reductions. There was a clear preference for making relatively easy, convenient changes to behaviour rather than making more difficult personal lifestyle changes involving diet and transportation. A significant value-action gap is evident, with the public showing high awareness of the seriousness of climate change but showing an unwillingness to make deep cuts to their personal emissions. Demography and personal factors had a relatively low influence over preferences with trends generally staying the same across demographic groups, aside from income brackets. Participants believed that reductions in emissions should come from a 'group effort' from all levels of government, business, environmental groups and individuals. Few participants placed themselves as individual drivers of carbon emission reduction. In order to reduce emissions some form of intervention needs to be made, as the public are not personally willing to make large-scale reductions in carbon emissions, regardless of their environmental awareness or demography. • Public's views on approaches to carbon reduction investigated via conjoint analysis. • Preference for low intensity, 'easy' behaviours not challenging lifestyle changes. • Demographic & personal factors have low influence on carbon reduction preferences. • High awareness of severity of climate change, impacts/priority; also high anxiety. • Desire to consume & "carry on as normal" outweighs self-reported concerns/attitudes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main objective of this study is to analyze and compare greenhouse gas emission profiles, dynamics thereof, and the climate change mitigation efforts of the major players in the global climate change arena, namely the G7 and BRICS countries that are accounting for more than 60% of the world greenhouse gas emissions as in 2017. Given that the energy sector is the major source of the greenhouse emissions in these countries, the framework of sustainable energy development indicators was applied to the comparative analysis. The analysis revealed the differences among the groups of countries in terms of greenhouse gas emission profiles and development trends of these profiles. The convergence of greenhouse gas emission profiles can be noticed between G7 and BRICS countries during 1990–2017 period. Greenhouse gas emissions per capita has decreased in G7 countries and increased in BRICS countries. Energy intensity, economic growth and carbon factor are the main drivers of greenhouse gas emissions per capita growth in both groups of countries. Carbon factor represents carbon intensity of a country's energy sector and is measured by greenhouse gas emissions per unit of total primary energy supply. The impact of carbon factor was least significant among the main drivers in both groups. Energy intensity was the major driver of decrease in greenhouse gas emissions per capita for both groups, however, the economic growth exceeded the contribution of energy intensity in BRICS countries and greenhouse gas emissions have increased in this group during investigated period. The comparative analysis of greenhouse gas emission profiles development trends and the main drivers of these trends in both groups of countries provides important insights in shaping future climate change mitigation policies and developing greenhouse gas emission reduction targets. Due to the high greenhouse gas profiles, low GHG reduction commitments and insufficient climate change mitigation the Perform, Achieve and Trade (PAT) scheme in India efforts in both groups there is danger of postponing implementation of Paris commitments and achieving the 1.5° target. The policies implemented in high ranked countries, like or Integrated Resources Planning in South Africa or measures under Energy efficiency directive in EU can be applied in low ranked countries by providing the substantial contribution to the country's climate targets. Image 1 • The GHG profiles of G7 and BRICS were converging during 1990–2017. • GHG/capita has decreased in G7 countries and increased in BRICS countries. • Energy intensity, economic growth and carbon factor - the main drivers of GHG/capita. • Energy intensity - the major driver of decrease in GHG/capita for both groups. • However, the economic growth exceeded the contribution of energy intensity in BRICS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Cities, the core of the global climate change mitigation and strategic low-carbon development, are shelters to more than half of the world population and responsible for three quarters of global energy consumption and greenhouse gas (GHG). This special volume (SV) provides a platform that promotes multi- and inter- disciplinary analyses and discussions on the climate change mitigation for cities. All papers are divided into four themes, including GHG emission inventory and accounting, climate change and urban sectors, climate change and sustainable development, and strategies and mitigation action plans. First, this SV provides methods for constructing emission inventory from both production and consumption perspectives. These methods are useful to improve the comprehensiveness and accuracy of carbon accounting for international cities. Second, the climate change affects urban sectors from various aspects; simultaneously, GHG emissions caused by activities in urban sectors affect the climate system. This SV focuses on mitigation policies and assessment of energy, transport, construction, and service sectors. Third, climate change mitigation of cities is closely connected to urban sustainable development. This SV explores the relationships between climate change mitigation with urbanization, ecosystems, air pollution, and extreme events. Fourth, climate change mitigation policies can be divided into two categories: quantity-based mechanism (e.g., carbon emission trading) and price-based mechanism (e.g., carbon tax). This SV provides experiences of local climate change mitigation all over the world and proposes the city-to-city cooperation on climate change mitigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sub-national and regional greenhouse gas (GHG) mitigation policies are being stimulated by the Paris Agreement. Several low carbon studies have been conducted for important emitters such as California State in the US and Chinese provinces. At the same time, carbon mitigation studies have focused on the industrial sector, especially in developing countries. In comparison to the national scenario, the Sao Paulo state in Brazil shows a distinct emission profile. The industry in Sao Paulo is responsible for 14.7% of the total emissions, and this share increases to 31.5% considering energy indirect emissions. Therefore, Sao Paulo mitigation efforts depend on industry’s leadership such as in other parts of the world. The present study has evaluated the Sao Paulo state’s industry mitigation potential between 2014 and 2030 based on a Marginal Abatement Cost (MAC) curve. In contrast to previous MAC studies, the MAC-SP study has also considered cement related emissions released outside its jurisdictions but that are driven by industrial choices within its boundary. Nine out of seventeen technologies show a negative MAC value, and energy efficiency technologies yield the lowest cost with a weighted average value of -$122/metric ton of CO 2 . Considering only the territorial based approach, the Sao Paulo state’s Industry would avoid 78.4 million metric ton of CO 2 until 2030. Although emissions under Sao Paulo’s responsibility increase 27%, if the consumption-based approach is adopted, the assessed mitigation potential enhances 83% and entails US$ 2.3 billion savings until 2030. In conclusion, the mitigation potential for São Paulo state’s industry is sizeable and consumption-based strategies are worthwhile, especially when regional policies are considered. Results can assist in formulating climate change policies and innovative incentive mechanisms to maximize the regional mitigation potential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Paris Agreement aims to limit global mean temperature rise this century to well below 2 °C above pre-industrial levels. This target has wide-ranging implications for Europe and its cities, which are the source of substantial greenhouse gas emissions. This paper reports the state of local planning for climate change by collecting and analysing information about local climate mitigation and adaptation plans across 885 urban areas of the EU-28. A typology and framework for analysis was developed that classifies local climate plans in terms of their alignment with spatial (local, national and international) and other climate related policies. Out of eight types of local climate plans identified in total we document three types of stand-alone local climate plans classified as type A1 (autonomously produced plans), A2 (plans produced to comply with national regulations) or A3 (plans developed for international climate networks). There is wide variation among countries in the prevalence of local climate plans, with generally more plans developed by central and northern European cities. Approximately 66% of EU cities have a type A1, A2, or A3 mitigation plan, 26% an adaptation plan, and 17% a joint adaptation and mitigation plan, while about 33% lack any form of stand-alone local climate plan (i.e. what we classify as A1, A2, A3 plans). Mitigation plans are more numerous than adaptation plans, but planning for mitigation does not always precede planning for adaptation. Our analysis reveals that city size, national legislation, and international networks can influence the development of local climate plans. We found that size does matter as about 80% of the cities with above 500,000 inhabitants have a comprehensive and stand-alone mitigation and/or an adaptation plan (A1). Cities in four countries with national climate legislation (A2), i.e. Denmark, France, Slovakia and the United Kingdom, are nearly twice as likely to produce local mitigation plans, and five times more likely to produce local adaptation plans, compared to cities in countries without such legislation. A1 and A2 mitigation plans are particularly numerous in Denmark, Poland, Germany, and Finland; while A1 and A2 adaptation plans are prevalent in Denmark, Finland, UK and France. The integration of adaptation and mitigation is country-specific and can mainly be observed in two countries where local climate plans are compulsory, i.e. France and the UK. Finally, local climate plans produced for international climate networks (A3) are mostly found in the many countries where autonomous (type A1) plans are less common. This is the most comprehensive analysis of local climate planning to date. The findings are of international importance as they will inform and support decision-making towards climate planning and policy development at national, EU and global level being based on the most comprehensive and up-to-date knowledge of local climate planning available to date. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate-conscious development is a topic which has received widespread attention. One consequence of this is the prominence of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction targets set at various administrative levels (i.e. global, national, provincial and local governments). Despite the global interest, current models are incapable of integrating GHG emission reduction into the urban planning. This study presents lessons learned from a climate conscious growth study conducted for a fast-growing municipality in Okanagan, British Columbia, Canada, offering a model for local government target-setting generalizable across networks of communities, leading to significant cumulative GHG reductions at global scale. The study uses the results of engineering-based research to evaluate multiple planning scenarios developed to explore options for the subject municipality’s future urban form and the associated GHG emissions for the target year 2040. Overall municipal GHG emissions for each scenario were simulated in the study considering the residential and transportation emissions projections. The findings indicated that the lowest emissions scenario was the ultra-compact growth model without area structure plan (ASP) allocations. Accordingly, it was concluded that a densified growth strategy with a higher share of multi-unit residential development is technically the best path forward in municipal growth planning to meet climate action targets. Negative public perception of increased densification in urban areas remains an obstacle to the technically best solution. Moreover, per capita basis could be a more feasible approach for GHG emissions target setting. This study’s outcomes are expected to inform public sector institutions and decision makers in setting GHG targets and climate action planning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biomass plays a dual role as an energy source and a solution for climate change mitigation. There are complexities surrounding decentralized electricity generation, and Ghana could not achieve its 10% renewable energy target in 2020. The paper assesses the greenhouse gas mitigation potential and economic impact of electricity from major food crop residues subjected to anaerobic digestion technology in 16 regions and 88 districts in Ghana from 2017 to 2020. Buswell equation was applied to calculate the biogas and methane yield. The environmental impact assessment was expressed as global warming potential, and the economic feasibility was conducted. The results showed that crop residues' annual theoretical and technical potential was 28.92 Mt and 17.24 Mt. The top four residues with the largest share of technical potential were maize (5.41 Mt), yam (3.58 Mt), plantain (3.05 Mt) and cassava (2.39 Mt). Biogas and electricity potentials were 1,912.74 Mm3 and 3,068.34 GWh, which could offset 15.56% of electricity consumption in Ghana. The Ashanti (478.18 GWh), Eastern (430.20 GWh), Bono East (318.29 GWh) and Northern (314 GWh) regions demonstrated the highest electricity potential. Ghana could generate the highest electricity potential of 46.52 GWh in the districts and a minimum potential of 0.89 GWh annually. Power generation potential from anaerobic digestion had a diesel displacement capacity of 923.35 × 10 6 L with a GHG emissions reduction of 2,507.35 kt CO 2 eq. The largest GHG reduction potential was 38.15 kt CO 2 eq at the district level. The findings show that the project is economically viable, with an average net present value of $ 10,105,904 per region and an electricity cost of $ 0.0321/kWh. The study provides critical insights to policymakers and industry developers for decentralized biomass-based electricity generation in Ghana. • A sustainable crop residue assessment is conducted in Ghana. • The total biogas-based electricity is 3,068.34 GWh. • Ashanti region has high electricity (478.18 GWh) than Greater Accra (9.82 GWh). • The total GHG mitigation is estimated as 2507.35 kt CO 2 eq. • The project is economically viable at a cost of $ 0.0321/kWh. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To translate scientific evidence into policy decisions, a universal, integrate and rapid–calculation model is needed for estimating the air quality associated health co–benefits of climate change mitigation strategies. This study developed such a greenhouse gas policy assessment model (GHG–PAM) based upon the annually published energy balances tables. To examine the applicability of this model, we select Suzhou, one of the national low-carbon pilot cities located in the east of China, as a case study. It was determined that carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) emissions in Suzhou would increase from 148 million tons in 2010 to 297, 284, 180, and 173 million tons in 2020 under Business As Usual (BAU), Industrial Structure Dominated (ISD), Technology Dominated (TD), and Integrate Carbon Reduction (ICR) scenarios, of which only ICR scenario meets its carbon intensity target. Under the ICR scenario, the implementation of greenhouse gas policies reduces the air pollution associated burden of diseases, measured by Disability-Adjusted Life Years (DALY), by 44.1% in 2020 compared to BAU, although even with this scenario the burden of diseases would still be higher than that in 2010. In addition, the model can also identify sectors and industries with greater health co–benefits per unit CO 2 emission reduction, which provides a useful guide for Suzhou's climate policy makers to formulate cost–effective measures. However, it should be carefully used where there is a mismatch between sectors with high potential for CO 2 emission reductions and sectors with high health co–benefits per unit CO 2 emission reduction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Finance has become a crucial agenda in climate change negotiations in recent years. Meanwhile, multilateral negotiations on climate change as a whole are making meager progress, and increasingly observed are activities by national governments and transnational non-state actors. The purpose of this paper is to illustrate how investment towards low-carbon development could be materialized in Asia. A thorough review of current financial assistance for developing countries in Asia was conducted, and the amount of funding proved to be relatively modest to achieve the aim. We then examined financial policy instruments that could be implemented in the region. We estimated that USD125–149 billion per year would be needed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the region by 2035. We also estimated that more than a half of this amount of funding could be achieved by public sector if several key policy instruments were agreed upon and enacted at regional and national levels in Asia. The role of private sector investment was also found to be indispensable in fulfilling all the long-term investment needs related to climate mitigation in the region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions is an urgent challenge for mankind. However, as aggregate emissions continue to rise, necessary changes in industrial practices are lagging behind. The article addresses this discrepancy by exploring how the issue of GHG reduction is channeled from policy to industry, in one of the more GHG intensive sectors, agriculture. We adopt the translation perspective to analyze and discuss how the climate issue travels between contexts. Our study explores the activities involved as advisors, functioning as translating agents within Swedish agri-policy, inform producers about the issue of GHG reduction. The study sheds new light on the effectiveness of mitigation policy in promoting practice change and illustrates how translation is an analytical framework suitable for studying this within different industries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Geoengineering, which is the intentional large-scale manipulation of the environment, has been suggested as an effective means of mitigating global warming from anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions. In this paper, we will review and assess technical and theoretical aspects of land-based, atmosphere-based, ocean-based and space-based geoengineering schemes as well as their potential impacts on global climate and ecosystem. Most of the proposed geoengineering schemes carried out on land or in the ocean are to use physical, chemical or biological approaches to remove atmospheric CO 2 . These schemes are able to only sequester an amount of atmospheric CO 2 that is small compared with cumulative anthropogenic emissions. Most of geoengineering schemes carried out in the atmosphere or space are based on increasing planetary albedo. These schemes have relatively low costs and short lead times for technical implementation, and can act rapidly to reduce temperature anomalies caused by greenhouse gas emissions. The costs and benefits of geoengineering are likely to vary spatially over the planet with some countries and regions gaining considerably while others may be faced with a worse set of circumstances than would be the case without geoengineering. Since current research on geoengineering is limited and various international treaties may limit some geoengineering experiments in the real world, the Geoengineering Model Intercomparison Project (GeoMIP) provides a framework of coordinated experiments for all earth system modeling groups to test geoengineering schemes. However, these experiments used on a global scale have difficulty with accurate resolution of regional and local impacts, so future research on geoengineering is expect to be done by combining earth system models with regional climate models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With increased understanding of the impacts of climate change, institutions across the world are committing to achieve carbon neutrality and other emissions reduction targets. Within academia, the American College & University Presidents' Climate Commitment was created as a highly visible public contract with over 300 active signatories. Existing climate action planning tools rely on significant subjectivity and previously conducted project analysis. This work presents an optimization framework that develops a long-term planning tool tailored for use by academic institutions. Further, we highlight the potential for ecological solutions and land management as economically competitive actions for campuses. The presented tool, known as DCARB (Designing Climate Action and Regulations for sustainaBility), features an ability to quickly optimize multiple pathways towards carbon neutrality based on user-input and parameter variability. We showcase DCARB through an application for The Ohio State University to demonstrate the outputs of the tool based on current projects outlined in the institution's climate action plan. Additionally, parameter variability is analyzed to explore how solutions might change due to data uncertainty or application to other campuses. The results encourage urgent action as they can provide cheaper pathways towards neutrality, including immediate consideration of land-based actions. Additionally, applications of the tool highlight challenges for achieving neutrality such as a reliance on market-based offsets, future market volatility, proper carbon credit accounting, and planning for future social and behavioral actions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The reduction of agricultural greenhouse gas emissions relies on farmers' active involvement in mitigation actions. However, little is known about farmers' capability of engaging with climate change mitigation. This study addresses the gap by delineating an actor-centered, capability-based, and multi-dimensional framework of farmers' carbon capability to elucidate how and to what extent farmers are equipped to engage in climate change mitigation. A structural equation model and farm-level data collected from China are used to explore the structural relationships between the carbon capability constructs. The results show that farmers' intrapsychic constructs are pro-environmental, and their cognitive knowledge about pro-climate farming practices is moderate. However, the performance of pro-climate farming is largely not under farmers' behavioral control. Farmers generally have a weak tendency to perform stable pro-climate farming behaviors, while they are slightly more inclined to behave pro-environmentally in social interactions. In addition, farmers' behavioral control capability emerges as the strongest predictor of the behavioral capability of farming, which, in turn, is an essential prerequisite for both the behavioral capability of socializing and influence capability. The findings of this study have important strategic implications for policymakers seeking to reduce agricultural greenhouse gas emissions. • A conceptual framework of farmers' carbon capability is proposed and tested. • Analyses elucidate the aspects in and extent to which farmers are equipped to engage in climate change mitigation. • Pro-climate farming is largely not under farmers' behavioral control. • Farmers' control over pro-climate farming matters to their own behaviors but also to peers' responses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agricultural activities and associated land use change are a major contributor to global anthropogenic greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, making climate change mitigation in the agricultural sector all the more critical. However, farmers' willingness to adopt GHG abatement depends, to a large extent, on the financial implications of new practices. Climate change mitigation is unlikely to be adopted without external (financial, socio-cultural, or other) incentives. The research presented in this paper considers farmers' preferences for financing climate change mitigation practices through public crowdfunding. As a first study of its kind, we investigate farmers' attitudes towards climate change mitigation, knowledge of crowdfunding as a fundraising method, and interest in using public crowdfunding campaigns to finance on-farm mitigation practices. Based on a choice experiment survey with 443 Norwegian farmers, we show that knowledge about crowdfunding as an alternative finance method is generally low. Respondents who are interested in using crowdfunding prefer donation- or reward-based crowdfunding models that cover the full cost of mitigation over a loan-based model or campaigns that only fund a proportion of the costs. A financially secure farming business, previous exposure to crowdfunding, and a strong sense of responsibility to abate climate change are associated with higher farmers' interest in using crowdfunding. We find that farmers in Norway are hesitant to be publicly presented as recipients of crowdfunding, which suggests that crowdfunding is best set up as joint campaigns (e.g. with other farmers) that are run by intermediary organisations (rather than by individual farmers). Our findings highlight that, while opportunities to use crowdfunding as a fundraising method for agricultural climate change may be limited, properly designed campaigns can provide an effective instrument to engage certain groups of farmers in on-farm climate change mitigation. • Crowdfunding can be used to raise funds for agricultural climate change mitigation. • There is currently no research on farmers' interest in crowdfunding. • We conduct a choice experiment survey of Norwegian farmers. • About 25% of farmers would be interested in crowdfunding to finance mitigation measures. • Donation- or reward-based models, and campaigns that collaborate with other farmers are preferred. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from agriculture, forestry and other land uses (AFOLU sector) cover the 24% of global emissions, representing the second hot spot in the contribution to climate change after the energy sector. Thus, the land sector plays a crucial role in the context of climate change, being both a contributor to the problem and part of its solution, particularly thanks to the capacity of soils and biomass to sequester atmospheric carbon. The challenge of this paper is to understand the extent to which sustainable land management can be a valuable solution for increasing the mitigation potential of the land sector, particularly at small-scale rural landscape level.The paper presents and tests a land-based approach to be applied at small-scale rural landscape level, aiming at reducing and offsetting GHG emissions from the livestock activities, one of the main sources of GHG emissions of the whole agricultural sector. The proposed land-based approach builds on an ensemble of methodologies, including Geographic Information System (GIS) elaboration, Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and methodologies from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), that allow estimating livestock GHG emissions and the mitigation potential of sustainable land-use options applied in the same small-scale rural landscape.Results from a case study in Italy show that land-based mitigation options applied at small-scale rural landscape level can reduce and completely offset the GHG livestock emissions of the same area, leading to carbon neutral livestock systems. Thus, this study confirms that the land sector can strongly contribute to climate change mitigation if sustainable land-use options are applied. • Land-based mitigation options at small-scale landscape level can lead to carbon neutral livestock systems. • Land sector can strongly contribute to climate change mitigation if sustainable land-based options are applied. • Land-based mitigation options can be applied in the immediate proximity of the livestock GHG emissions source. • Land-based climate change mitigation contributes also to a wide range of ecological co-benefits at landscape level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]