Climate Change Conference Research Articles

Renewable energy, forest cover, export diversification, and ecological footprint: a machine learning application in moderating eco-innovations on agriculture in the BRICS-T economies.

The United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) recommended that the member nations enhance their technological progression and structural transformation to mitigate the problems of climate change. The BRICS-T countries consisting of Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, and Turkey agreed to implement COP26's policy suggestions. These countries accounted for 40% of global greenhouse gas emissions in 2017, thus posing severe threats to the global environment. The current study explores the role of renewable energy, forest depletion, eco-innovations, and export diversification in impacting the ecological footprint for those BRICS-T countries. We further examine the moderating effect of eco-innovations on agriculture on the BRICS-T nations. The study contributes to the existing literature by providing newer empirical insights on how eco-innovations and export diversification, along with renewable energy, forest cover, and agriculture, affecting the ecological footprint in the BRICS-T nations. It utilizes novel empirical methods like parametric and non-parametric techniques to derive the short-run and long-run empirical results. The empirical findings based on the augmented mean group and the kernel regularized least square methods document that economic growth, agriculture value added, and forest depletion increase the ecological footprint. In contrast, renewable energy and eco-innovations decrease the level of ecological footprint. In the long run, a 1% rise in GDP leads to a rise in the ecological footprint by 0.64% using the augmented mean group (AMG) estimation. The mean marginal effects are - 0.27%, 0.29%, and 0.17% for renewable energy; agriculture and forest cover, respectively, using the kernel-based regularized least square methods. The study suggests that policies designed for controlling the ecological footprints focus on the use of energy efficient technologies, particularly in the agricultural sector.

Carbon-Based Synthesized Materials for CO2 Adsorption and Conversion: Its Potential for Carbon Recycling

During the last half-century, the CO2 concentration in the world’s atmosphere has increased from 310 p.p.m. to over 380 p.p.m. This is due to the widespread usage of fossil fuels as a main source of energy. Modeling forecasts have shown that this trend will continue to rise and reducing CO2 emissions is a challenging task for multi-stakeholders, including research institutions. The UN Climate Change Conference in Glasgow (COP26) has stressed that stakeholders need to work together to achieve a NetZero target. Technologies involving absorbents for the capture of CO2 from a gas mixture are energy-intensive. Carbon adsorption and conversion (CAC) approaches have been gaining attention recently since these technologies can mitigate CO2 emissions. In this review, materials ranging from advanced carbon-based materials to natural resources-based materials will be reviewed. Adsorption and conversion capacities as well as the scalability possibility of these technologies for solving the CO2 emission problem will be investigated. The review, therefore, is timely and meaningful concerning the net zero emission targets set by countries and developmental organizations worldwide.

Sustainable surgery: innovative movement to impact the needs of the COP27 climate change conference through surgery

Sustainable surgery: innovative movement to impact the needs of the COP27 climate change conference through surgery

Policy innovation through local, sustainable development evaluation

The global political agenda has included some high-profile environmental summits over the past few months. Three of these events stand out. The 2022 United Nations (UN) Climate Change Conference in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, was held from 6–20 November 2022. This was followed from 7–19 December 2022 by the UN Biodiversity Conference in Montréal, Canada, and the UN-Water Summit at UN Headquarters in New York City from 22–24 March 2023. Of these three events, the Biodiversity Summit made the most impact as delegates committed to protecting 30% of land and 30% of coastal and marine areas by 2030. This pledge is remarkable because it re-establishes political commitments to protect biodiversity, which is a key component of climate action. At the same time, many observers of the summit questioned how nation-states will implement this goal. Like the SDGs, the “30 by 30” commitment is long on aspirations but short on operationalization details. This observation is not a criticism of the agreement per se but a recognition of the challenges preventing ambitious biodiversity conservation plans from being fully implemented.

Relationship between carbon emissions, economic growth, renewable energy consumption, foreign direct investment, and urban population in Vietnam

At the 26th UN Climate Change Conference in late 2021, Vietnam set a target of achieving net-zero carbon (CO2) emissions by 2050. However, the country’s rapid economic growth, urbanization, and industrialization have historically relied on coal-based energy, a source of significant greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Although contributing only 0.8% of the world’s emissions over the last two decades, Vietnam currently has one of the fastest increasing GHG emissions rates per capita. Over the 2000–2015 period, Vietnam’s per capita gross domestic product increased from $390 to $2,000, and CO2 emissions nearly quadrupled. Hence, this research explores the causal relationships among CO2 emissions, economic growth, foreign direct investment, renewable energy usage, and urban population in Vietnam over the period from 1990 to 2018 using the Environment Kuznets Curve. An autoregressive distributed lag bounds testing technique for measuring integration is utilized to investigate the long-run relationship. Results indicate that economic growth increases with CO2 emissions until a certain threshold level and then CO2 emissions decrease, thereby supporting the environmental Kuznets curve theory for Vietnam. Furthermore, this study examines the causal relationship among variables using a Granger causality model and determines that FDI, urban population, and renewable energy consumption play an important role and have substantial impact on carbon emission in Vietnam.

Strategy for Climate Crisis: Introducing Innovative System for CO2 Fixation and Storage

The so-called Paris Agreement was reached at the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP20) in 2015. This agreement was based on the requirement to keep the increase in the mean global temperature below 2°C relative to the temperature prior to the industrial revolution, and preferably less than 1.5°C. At present, this goal is challenging based solely on the development of carbon-neutral energy systems. The concept of the carbon-neutral society by 2050 seems to be far too late. Herein, we propose an innovative system based on simple chemical reactions using NaOH and CaCl2 via the electrolysis of NaCl or seawater. The generated H2 from the electrolysis of NaCl can be used as a clean energy source for fuel batteries, supplying electricity for the operation of the system. When other renewable energy sources power the system, H2 can be generated as a clean energy alternative. Furthermore, this system produces stable and harmless CaCO3 as a final product, along with NaCl, which can be reused as an electrolysis starting material. The proposed system provides a safe and inexpensive approach for simultaneous CO2 fixation and storage.

Spotlight on the Youth and Early Career Special Interest Group

Spotlight on the Youth and Early Career Special Interest Group

Animals and climate change: A visual and discourse network analysis of Instagram posts

ABSTRACTAnimals featured prominently during the United Nations’ 2021 Climate Change Conference (COP26), both within the meeting and outside during protests. This begs the question: How are animals portrayed in climate change discourse? To answer this question, we conduct visual and discourse network analysis of animal-related Instagram posts collected around COP26. We present a typology of four ways in which animals are framed as (1) metaphors for climate-related concerns, (2) citizens with interests worth respecting, (3) biodiversity or key ecosystem components, and (4) resources for human use, showing how each framing connects to various discourses and organizations/collective actors. Compared to previous research on climate communication, our findings reveal a broader range of animals are integrated into climate change discourse, and humans are often framing animals in multiple ways at once for various eco-political purposes. In addition, our analysis suggests that, compared with other sectors of society, governmental organizations are giving much less attention to animal issues in their climate communications. Finally, our results show how engaging a diversity of perspectives about animals – and eschewing the dominant resource-framing of animals – can enhance climate change discourse by broadening the range of discussions and potential solutions to the current ecological crisis.

Testing the role of digital financial inclusion in energy transition and diversification towards COP26 targets and sustainable development goals

This study investigates the impact of digital financial inclusion, energy transition, and diversification on achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Climate Change Conference (COP26) targets in the context of emerging seven economies (E-7). The SDGs include objectives related to sustainable energy consumption, the availability of sustainable energy, economic growth, sustainable development through technology, and climate change actions. This research employs novel econometric panel quantile regression and ordinary least square methods for benchmark estimations and pooled mean group for causality analysis. The empirical results indicate that energy transition and diversification, technological innovation, and foreign direct investment negatively correlate with CO2 emissions across all quantiles. Conversely, digital finance inclusion, energy consumption, and economic growth are the primary contributors to the environmental deterioration in the E-7 region. The PMG causality findings demonstrate a feedback effect for the indicators. Furthermore, our results are robust to alternative measures by Augmented Mean Group (AMG) and Common Correlated Effect Mean Group (CCEMG), which may assist policymakers in developing long- and short-term environmental protection initiatives. Based on the outcomes, we suggest that strategies to reduce carbon emissions and achieve the SDGs and COP26 targets should prioritize sustainable energy, and policymakers should enhance incentives for inclusive green funding. The findings recommend a comprehensive policy framework through which E-7 states may proceed toward reaching the SDGs (7-8-9-11-12 and 13) and COP26 commitments.

Updated Comprehensive Framework for Disaster Evaluation Typologies

Introduction:The Comprehensive Framework for Disaster Evaluation Typologies (CFDET) was originally developed in 2017 with minor updates in 2018 (CFDET2.0). CFDET was created to unify and provide agreement on the identification, structure and relationships between multiple evaluation typologies found in the disaster setting. Since the publication of this framework, the world has witnessed unprecedented disaster-related events including two (2) Public Health Emergencies of International Concern (PHEIC): COVID-19 and Monkey Pox as well as the emergence and continuation of armed conflict in various countries around the world. This work presents CFDET3.0 which incorporates updates on international disaster frameworks, disaster health updates and evaluation guidelines.Method:A scoping literature review on international disaster frameworks, disaster health updates and evaluation guidelines has been undertaken and included reviewing peer-reviewed and grey literature.Results:The scoping literature review revealed updates on the following important publications:World Health Organization (WHO) Health Emergency Disaster Risk Management (H-EDRM) (2019); International Health Regulations;Universal Health Coverage (UHC);Climate Change Conference (COP27);Fragile and Conflict-affected Contexts (FCAC);Public Health Emergencies of International Concern, andUpdated evaluation standards, guidelines, evidence-based reviews and knowledge management. Conclusion:Incorporation of these international updates into CFDET2.0, strengthens global health and international disaster health responses with a focus on disaster health evaluation. The updated framework will be referred to as CFDET3.0. Future research is scheduled to develop a series of toolkits that will support an improved disaster evaluation process.

'Loss and damage' agreement in Egypt

The United Nations Climate Change Conference COP27 closed with what has been described as a ‘breakthrough agreement to provide loss and damage’ funding for vulnerable countries hit hard by climate disasters.

Climate risk and financial systems: A nonlinear network connectedness analysis

To deeply analyze and understand the macro-financial impact of climate change, this paper investigates the effect of climate risk on systemic financial risks by employing a network approach. The results demonstrate that climate risk not only affects a single financial market but also induces risk co-movement, which aggravates potential systemic financial risks. Specifically, the system-wide connectedness across the financial system respectively increased by 2.52% and 1.76% after the withdrawal of the US from the Kyoto Protocol and the Copenhagen UN Climate Change Conference. The bond and stock markets are the primary transmitters of climate shocks, while the forex and commodity markets appear to be more sensitive to climate-related information. In addition, the vulnerability of financial asset price fluctuations to climate risk changes substantially over time. Quantile regressions reveal the positive impact of climate risk on total connectedness across the financial system. This study provides novel insight into how the financial system responds to climate-related information and how systemic risk dynamics materialize.

COP27 Climate Change Conference: urgent action needed for Africa and the world

No Abstract

Analysis of Corporate Strategic Marketing Functions for Sustainable Water Resources Management: A Case of Water Resources Commission, Ghana

Water resource management has been a bane to most nations globally, and Ghana is no exception. However, the case of Ghana is exacerbated to the extent that the few rivers in the nation which supply raw water to users for treatment and then serve homes and offices are seriously being threatened through pollution, and subsequently, destruction. Most rivers in Ghana are not pleasant to the eye, due to the turbid nature of the resource. ‘Galamseyers’, fishing folks and sand winners have been destroying the water resource of Ghana; their activities should be curtailed immediately to protect the commodity. As the saying goes, water is life and once it is destroyed the implications are disastrous, as diseases and death of the populace are the outcome. The Water Resources Commission (WRC) is well positioned by the government of Ghana, according to the Act 522, to make sure the resource is not destroyed, but protected for use by all. Every support needed to fight the destruction currently going on in the river bodies should be mobilized to nib in the bud the activities of the ‘galamseyers’, to protect the resource for future generations. Globally, the environment has been affected through human destructive activities and the climate change being observed currently globally, is a testimony for all to see. COP26, the UN Climate Change Conference held at Glasgow, 2021, issued a final declaration to keep alive the ambition of curtailing global temperature increases to not go beyond 1.5oC by 2100. Governments should therefore, do well to help protect the environment, including rivers and make life comfortable for all.

MAPPING INDIA’S POSITION IN UNITED NATIONS FRAMEWORK CONVENTION ON CLIMATE CHANGE CONFERENCES (UNFCCC) – WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO COP-26

One of the crucial challenges of the 21s century is Climate Change that has severe impact all over the world. It is a universal phenomenon with local effects. So, the issue should be determined by collective efforts. The United Nations voiced concern about this in the 1970s and called for an international summit in Stockholm, which caused in the establishment of global environmental governance in 1972 and the creation of the United Nations Environment Program (UNDP).Later, The First Global Climate Conference was planned for in 1979. From October 29 to November 7, 1990, Geneva hosted the Second International Climate Conference. Its primary duty was to evaluate the WCP (World Climate Program) that WCC-1 had established. It was an important phase towards a inclusive climate accord. The WCC-2 called for the establishment of a climate convention along with foster international efforts to address climate change that led to the establishment of United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC) in 1992 that implemented in 1994 by singing of 154 countries. Since then from 1995 onwards Parties to the Convention, i.e, called Conference of Parties (COP), the ultimate body have met annually to access and review in dealing with climate change. Significantly, from the starting, India has been very concern in the environmental degradation and took part every global environmental conferences with binding coomitments. However, this paper seeks to study India’s Response in United Nations Climate Change Conferences in General and trying to analyse India’s stance in COP – 26 that was held in Glasgow, Scotland in particular.

NET ZERO EMISSIONS AND FREE TRADE AGREEMENTS: EFFORTS AT INTEGRATING CLIMATE GOALS BY THE UNITED KINGDOM AND AUSTRALIA

AbstractThe negotiation of the free trade agreement (FTA) between Australia and the United Kingdom promised to integrate trade and climate policies. As a leader of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) conference in Glasgow, the UK seemed well-placed to exert pressure on Australia, a country that was yet to embrace a target of net zero emissions by 2050. This article asks whether the FTA achieves this aim. It explains the link between trade liberalisation and climate change, referring to the scale and composition of economic activity and drawing upon examples from energy, agriculture, building and transportation sectors, as well as strategic factors. It provides an original analytical framework to assess the FTA's contributions to climate change goals, pointing to: (1) provisions to strengthen climate commitments, including net zero targets; (2) provisions to facilitate trade and investment in climate-related areas; and (3) provisions relating to enforcement and cooperation. It compares selected initiatives of other FTAs, including the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), the European Union–Canada Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA), the UK–New Zealand FTA and the Singapore–Australia Green Economy Agreement. It reviews the FTA's negotiating process and its aftermath, including complaints about public participation. The article's conclusion that the FTA makes minimal contribution to climate change mitigation has implications for the broader quest for mutually supportive trade and climate policies, and, now that a net zero target has been legislated by the newly elected Australian Parliament, for the FTA's future implementation.

How does environmental policy stringency influence green innovation for environmental managements?

In the struggle to limit global climate change and rising temperatures, the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP27) was held in Egypt last November. Bringing together nations to recognize climate change as a global concern and to create new “building blocks” to enhance the implementation of the Paris Agreement through actions that can move the world toward a greener, and carbon free future. This study examines a panel of high-income economies from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) to investigate the empirical linkage between Green Innovations (GI), Disaggregated trade (exports and imports), Environmental policy stringency (EPS), and Consumption-based carbon dioxide emissions from 1990 to 2020. We proceed with the panel cointegration check based on the results of the diagnostic tests. The method of moment quantile regressions (MMQR) is used to investigate the relationships between CCO2 and various variables in different quantiles. The data show that GI, export, imports, and EPS are major contributors in explaining the substantial variance in CCO2 emissions in the chosen panel. Specifically, severe environmental rules boost the benefits of green technologies through the use of environmentally friendly technology. Imports, on the other hand, have been determined to be harmful to environmental quality. As a result, member economies should reform their environmental policies to include consumption-based emissions objectives and discourage people’ desire for carbon-intensive items from developing countries. This will eventually result in a decrease in consumption-based carbon emissions, assisting in the achievement of true emissions reduction goals and COP27 targets.

OPTIMIZATION OF VACUUM SYSTEM ENERGY CONSUMPTION IN AN INDUSTRIAL ENVIRONMENT

Greenhouse emissions are increasing, and the future of the earth and humanity is at stake. Many governments in the world have committed to reduce carbon emissions. At the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP21) in Paris, France, an agreement has been reached to hold the increase in the global average temperature to well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels. Vacuum systems are very present in industry (agrifood, pharmaceuticals, chemicals) and energy consumers. There is a lack in the literature on this subject. This study includes an in-depth analysis of the possibilities for reducing energy consumption on vacuum systems and the financial savings as well. It is demonstrated that energy consumption can be reduced between 90% and 99% (depending on the application).

Life cycle impact on climate change caused by metal production from deep sea manganese nodules versus land-based deposits

At the "UN Climate Change Conference" (COP27), France called for a ban on deep sea mining. The topic has gained momentum over the last years as some businesspeople and politicians are promoting the mining of manganese nodules as a less CO2-intensive way to meet the rising demand for the battery metals nickel, copper, cobalt and manganese. In this study, we modelled the impact on climate change caused by metal production from manganese nodules vs. mining on land. The total climate impact of producing these metals from manganese nodules (∼2.0 kg CO2eq/kg dry nodules) compared to current land-based projects is about 27% lower. Comparing it to values reported in the literature by industry associations and by the ecoinvent database, the climate impact from manganese nodules is about 16% lower or 28% higher, respectively. Based on their monetary values, the allocation of the total climate impact to each metal assigns the highest contribution to FeMn. Our research shows that producing Ni, Cu, Co and FeMn from manganese nodules could lead to higher or lower impact on climate change depending on the model input data and methodological choices. The authors share the opinion that climate change should not be the central argument regarding the realization of manganese nodule projects. The discussion should instead explicitly include further environmental impacts, e.g., biodiversity or plumes as well as economic considerations.

Rapid decarbonization in the Chinese electric power sector and air pollution reduction Co-benefits in the Post-COP26 Era

The 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) has promulgated pivotal climate change mitigation goals for our planet. Decarbonization efforts that align the COP26 goals are underway, especially in high emission sectors. Decarbonization plays a role in reducing air pollution from power plants because of co-benefits. This study proposes a new method to quantify the co-benefits of air pollution reduction by integrating two models, where the effects of reduced air pollution from end-of-pipe measures and climate strategies are disentangled. Results show that in a more rapid future decarbonization scenario in the Chinese electric power sector (International Energy Agency's Sustainable Development Scenario), climate strategies bring about 10–87 times more co-benefits of reduced air pollution than in a slower decarbonization scenario (International Energy Agency's New Policies Scenario). The fossil fuel use factor contributes the most to the additional co-benefits of air pollution reduction from decarbonizing. Substitution of non-fossil energy sources for fossil fuels plays a pivotal role in facilitating these co-benefits. Future decarbonization policies, such as increased end-use efficiency and generation efficiency in power plants can also reduce additional air pollution from power plants as they accelerate the decarbonization process.