A Polycentric Approach for Coping with Climate Change

This paper proposes an alternative approach to addressing the complex problems of climate change caused by greenhouse gas emissions. The author, who won the 2009 Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences, argues that single policies adopted only at a global scale are unlikely to generate sufficient trust among citizens and firms so that collective action can take place in a comprehensive and transparent manner that will effectively reduce global warming. Furthermore, simply recommending a single governmental unit to solve global collective action problems is inherently weak because of free-rider problems. For example, the Carbon Development Mechanism (CDM) can be ‘gamed’ in ways that hike up prices of natural resources and in some cases can lead to further natural resource exploitation. Some flaws are also noticeable in the Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation in Developing Countries (REDD) program. Both the CDM and REDD are vulnerable to the free-rider problem. As an alternative, the paper proposes a polycentric approach at various levels with active oversight of local, regional, and national stakeholders. Efforts to reduce global greenhouse gas emissions are a classic collective action problem that is best addressed at multiple scales and levels. Given the slowness and conflict involved in achieving a global solution to climate change, recognizing the potential for building a more effective way of reducing green house gas emissions at multiple levels is an important step forward. A polycentric approach has the main advantage of encouraging experimental efforts at multiple levels, leading to the development of methods for assessing the benefits and costs of particular strategies adopted in one type of ecosystem and compared to results obtained in other ecosystems. Building a strong commitment to find ways of reducing individual emissions is an important element for coping with this problem, and having others also take responsibility can be more effectively undertaken in small- to medium-scale governance units that are linked together through information networks and monitoring at all levels. This paper was prepared as a background paper for the 2010 World Development Report on Climate Change.

Better information on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and mitigation potential in the agricultural sector is necessary to manage these emissions and identify responses that are consistent with the food security and economic development priorities of countries. Critical activity data (what crops or livestock are managed in what way) are poor or lacking for many agricultural systems, especially in developing countries. In addition, the currently available methods for quantifying emissions and mitigation are often too expensive or complex or not sufficiently user friendly for widespread use.The purpose of this focus issue is to capture the state of the art in quantifying greenhouse gases from agricultural systems, with the goal of better understanding our current capabilities and near-term potential for improvement, with particular attention to quantification issues relevant to smallholders in developing countries. This work is timely in light of international discussions and negotiations around how agriculture should be included in efforts to reduce and adapt to climate change impacts, and considering that significant climate financing to developing countries in post-2012 agreements may be linked to their increased ability to identify and report GHG emissions (Murphy et al 2010, CCAFS 2011, FAO 2011).

Taking Stock of Strategies on Climate Change and the Way Forward: A Strategic Climate Change Framework for Australia

Mitigating Curtailment and Carbon Emissions through Load Migration between Data Centers

Coalitions that Clash: California's Climate Leadership and the Perpetuation of Environmental Inequality

Major US electric utility climate pledges have the potential to collectively reduce power sector emissions by one-third

Bioenergy from perennial grasses mitigates climate change via displacing fossil fuels and storing atmospheric CO2 belowground as soil carbon. Here, we conduct a critical review to examine whether increasing plant diversity in bioenergy grassland systems can further increase their climate change mitigation potential. We find that compared with highly productive monocultures, diverse mixtures tend to produce as great or greater yields. In particular, there is strong evidence that legume addition improves yield, in some cases equivalent to mineral nitrogen fertilization at 33–150 kg per ha. Plant diversity can also promote soil carbon storage in the long term, reduce soil N2O emissions by 30%–40%, and suppress weed invasion, hence reducing herbicide use. These potential benefits of plant diversity translate to 50%–65% greater life-cycle greenhouse gas savings for biofuels from more diverse grassland biomass grown on degraded soils. In addition, there is growing evidence that plant diversity can accelerate land restoration. Bioenergy from perennial grasses mitigates climate change via displacing fossil fuels and storing atmospheric CO2 belowground as soil carbon. Here, we conduct a critical review to examine whether increasing plant diversity in bioenergy grassland systems can further increase their climate change mitigation potential. We find that compared with highly productive monocultures, diverse mixtures tend to produce as great or greater yields. In particular, there is strong evidence that legume addition improves yield, in some cases equivalent to mineral nitrogen fertilization at 33–150 kg per ha. Plant diversity can also promote soil carbon storage in the long term, reduce soil N2O emissions by 30%–40%, and suppress weed invasion, hence reducing herbicide use. These potential benefits of plant diversity translate to 50%–65% greater life-cycle greenhouse gas savings for biofuels from more diverse grassland biomass grown on degraded soils. In addition, there is growing evidence that plant diversity can accelerate land restoration.

Climate-smart livestock production at landscape level in Kenya

I. BACKGROUND II. CLIMATE CHANGE IMPACTS IN ARIZONA III. EXECUTIVE ORDER 2005-02 AND THE CLIMATE CHANGE ADVISORY GROUP IV. EXECUTIVE ORDER 2006-13 V. ARIZONA'S CLEAN CAR GHG STANDARDS VI. ARIZONA'S RENEWABLE ENERGY STANDARD VII. THE WESTERN CLIMATE INITIATIVE VIII. OTHER REGIONAL EFFORTS A. Arizona-Sonora Climate Change Initiative B. Southwest Climate Change Initiative C. The Climate Registry IX. OTHER ARIZONA EFFORTS A. Executive Order 2005-05 B. Smart Growth & the Growth Scorecard X. CONCLUSION I. BACKGROUND In the absence of meaningful federal action, it has been up to the states to show leadership on this critical issue. And that is exactly what we have done. Governor Janet Napolitano (1) Arizona is one of the newest and fastest growing states in the country. Over the last twenty years, Arizona's population has nearly doubled. (2) During that same time, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in Arizona have skyrocketed, due substantially to the state's population growth. An inventory and forecast of Arizona's GHG emissions prepared in 2005 for the Arizona Climate Change Advisory Group (CCAG) at the direction of then-Governor Janet Napolitano found that, between 1990 and 2005, Arizona's net GHG emissions increased by nearly 56 percent, from an estimated 59.3 million metric tons carbon dioxide equivalent (MMtCO2e) to an estimated 92.6 MMtCO2e. (3) Two sectors directly related to Arizona's rapid population growth--transportation and electricity--accounted for nearly 80 percent of Arizona's total GHG emissions in 2005. (4) Both sectors are growing at relatively high rates as Arizona's population grows. Indeed, with Arizona's population expected to continue to grow at a vigorous pace in the decades ahead, (5) the 2005 inventory and forecast projected that Arizona's GHG emissions would increase 148 percent over 1990 levels by 2020 if steps are not taken to reduce the emissions. (6) Because of Arizona's reliance on gasoline-fueled automobiles and demand for electricity produced by coal-fired power plants, Arizona's GHG emissions increased at a rate more than twice the national average during 1990-2005. (7) Further, Arizona's projected 148 percent growth-rate between 1990 and 2020 is more than three times the projected national average over the same period. (8) Arizona's forecasted GHG increase is the highest known projected emissions growth rate in the country. (9) On the other hand, because of Arizona's mild winters and relative absence of manufacturing and heavy industry, the state's per capita GHG emissions (the total level of statewide emissions divided by state population) is significantly less than the national average: 14 MtCO2e versus 22 MtCO2e. (10) Moreover, while the percentage of GHG emissions from electricity production in Arizona is greater than the national average, Arizona gets slightly less electricity from coal and more from low-GHG-emitting sources, such as nuclear power, hydroelectric power and renewable energy (such as solar and biomass). (11) While Arizona's high emissions growth rate presents challenges, it also provides major opportunities. Because nearly 80 percent of Arizona's GHG emissions are directly related to energy and transportation, Arizona can significantly reduce its GHG emissions by focusing on those sectors. Improved energy efficiency, increased use of renewable energy sources, building new infrastructure right, and increased use of cleaner transportation modes, technologies and fuels are key elements in accomplishing these reductions. They are also all essential ingredients of a new, greener economy toward which the state must move in any event. (12) II. CLIMATE CHANGE IMPACTS IN ARIZONA It is critical that Arizona take action to reduce its GHG emissions because the scientific evidence is clear that Arizona and the Southwest will be especially hard-hit by the impacts of climate change in the future. …

A New Perspective on Combating Global Climate Change

Global economic development has highlighted the issue of climate change, which is one of the most important environmental issues plaguing human beings. It is widely agreed that excessive greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are important factors contributing to global warming. Many countries have formulated corresponding GHG emission reduction plans to deal with climate change issues. An important GHG emission source is released from sewage-sludge treatment systems. However, there has not been a comprehensive quantitative GHG emissions evaluation system in the case of sewage-sludge treatment systems, due to multiple emission sources, complex processes, and different standards. In previous studies, the Guidelines for National Greenhouse Gas Inventories (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, IPCC, 2006) and Chinese Greenhouse Gas Inventory (National Center for Climate Change Strategy and International Cooperation, NCSC, 2005) were widely applied to estimate GHG emissions from sewage-sludge treatment. However, IPCC does not consider CO2 emissions from sewage treatment, and NCSC does not consider CO2 emissions from the sewage treatment and N2O emissions from sludge treatment. Therefore, the following have been conducted in this study: (1) A GHG estimation model basing on Life Cycle Thinking (LCT) was constructed, and the research objects were CH4, N2O, and CO2 that were produced by the sewage-sludge treatment system. The estimation model of CO2 and N2O, which were ignored in the IPCC report, were analyzed and discussed. The models of the GHG emission estimation were summarized and improved in the urban sewage-sludge treatment system under the different sewage-sludge treatment process scenarios. (2) The GHG emission load of major urban sewage-sludge treatment processes was analyzed, and the level and key links of environmental impacts generated by different processes were identified. This helps to understand and compare the environmental impacts of different treatment processes and provides suggestions for the sustainable development of wastewater treatment processes. (3) The GHG emission characteristics of nine scenarios of different sewage-sludge treatment processes were analyzed, and the environmental impacts caused by energy consumption and chemicals consumption were studied. Consequently, the sewage-sludge treatment process under low carbonization and low environment impact were proposed.

There are two types of approaches for analyzing various aspects related to green-house gas (GHG) emissions, i.e., top-down and bottom-up approaches. Although the top-down approach focuses on macro-economic perspectives, the bottom-up approach is more suitable to investigate GHG emissions at an industry level utilizing domain-specific knowledge. For example, a bottom-up analysis requires a wide variety of data such as energy demands, conversion factors, and energy efficiency, which may be obtained by analyzing industrial process data. This study aims to provide a bottom-up approach for analyzing GHG emissions from shipbuilding processes in Korea. Reference energy system and energy balance for shipbuilding processes are derived for bottom-up modeling. Based on the midterm forecast on energy demands of the Korean shipbuilding industry, it is shown that the business-as-usual GHG emissions may be obtained. Relevant mitigation measures are then investigated to analyze their mitigation potentials for low-carbon ship production. 1. Introduction Global climate change has recently drawn an increasing attention due to its adverse effects on our environment. Since the inception of Kyoto Protocol to the United Nations Frame-work conventions on climate change, local and international experts have long called for more international cooperation in coping with global warming. The main idea of international cooperative efforts is to impose binding obligations for greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions on participating countries. Even though some countries have withdrawn their commitment and others have been reluctant to adopting definite targets for emission reduction, many countries have already established a designated national authority to manage their GHG emissions. Korea has also established a national authority called "GHG Inventory and Research Center (GIR)" in 2010. One of the most important roles of GIR is to manage the national GHG emission levels and set the abatement target of various sectors through an efficient and integrated management of GHG-related information. Recently, GIR has conducted a series of research projects to analyze GHG emissions of industrial sectors in cooperation with a group of experts. This study presents the results from the analysis of GHG emissions and mitigation potentials for the shipbuilding processes in Korea. It should be noted that the scope of this study is limited to constructions processes in a shipyard even though the shipbuilding industry may encompass a broader range of industrial sectors such as steel production and transport. Adopting Model for Energy Supply Strategy Alternatives and their General Environmental Impacts (MESSAGE) developed by International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis in 1980s (Messner 1997), a bottom-up mathematical programming model is generated to derive the business-as-usual (BAU) GHG emissions in the construction processes in a shipyard. Abatement potentials of several technical abatement measures are also analyzed to help shipbuilders effectively cope with the issue of climate change.

Health Care and Climate Change: Challenges and Pathways to Sustainable Health Care.

Identifying effective agricultural management practices for climate change adaptation and mitigation: A win-win strategy in South-Eastern Australia

ABSTRACTAgriculture is responsible for the bulk of Ireland’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. However, the potential to mitigate some of these emissions through the adoption of more efficient farm management practices may be hampered by farmers’ awareness and attitude towards climate change and agriculture’s role in contributing to GHG emissions. This paper presents results from a survey of 746 Irish farmers in 2014, with a view to understanding farmers’ awareness of, and attitudes to, climate change and GHG emissions. Survey results show that there was a general uncertainty towards a number of questions related to agricultural GHG emissions, e.g. if tilling of land causes GHG emissions, and that farmers were reluctant to take action to reduce GHG emissions on their farm. To further explore farmers’ attitudes towards climate change, a multinomial logit model was used to examine the socio-economic factors that affect farmers’ willingness to adopt an advisory tool that would show the potential reduction in GHG emissions from the adoption of new technologies. Results show that farmers’ awareness of human-induced global climate change was positively related to the tool’s adoption.Key policy insightsIrish farmers are generally not sufficiently aware of the impact of their activities on climate change.A quarter of farmers believed that climate change will only impact on their business in the long-term; such an attitude may lead to a reluctance amongst these farmers to adopt management practices that reduce GHG emissions.Awareness of climate change affects positively the adoption of new tools to reduce GHG emissions on farmers’ farms.IT literacy affects willingness to adopt new tools to address GHG emissions.Reception of agri-environmental advice can have a positive influence on farmers’ willingness to adopt new GHG emission abatement tools.Farmers in receipt of environmental subsidies are more likely to adopt new abatement tools, either because they are more environmentally conscious or because the subsidy raised their environmentally consciousness.Willingness to adopt differs between different farm enterprises; operating dairy enterprise increases the willingness to adopt new advisory mitigation tools.