Climate Change Mitigation Actions Research Articles

Investing into climate change mitigation despite the risk of failure

In order to convince both policy makers and the general public to engage in climate change mitigation activities, it is crucial to communicate the inherent risks in an effective way. Due to the complexity of the system, mitigation activities cannot completely rule out the possibility of the climate reaching a dangerous tipping point but can only reduce it to some unavoidable residual risk level. We present an online experiment based on a sample of US citizens and designed to improve our understanding of how the presence of such residual risk affects the willingness to invest into climate change mitigation. We found that, far from reducing them, the presence of residual risk actually increases investments into mitigation activities. This result suggests that scientists and policy makers should consider being more transparent about communicating the residual risks entailed by such initiatives.

The role of climate finance beyond renewables: demand-side management and carbon capture, usage and storage

ABSTRACTMobilizing climate finance for climate change mitigation is a crucial part of meeting the ‘well-below’ 2°C goal of the Paris Agreement. Climate finance refers to investments specifically in climate change mitigation and adaptation activities, which involve public finance and the leveraging of private finance. A large proportion of climate finance is Official Development Assistance (ODA) from OECD countries to ODA-eligible countries. The evidence shows that the largest proportion of climate finance for climate change mitigation has been channelled to the development of renewable energy, with a much smaller proportion flowing to other crucial forms of clean energy-related measures, such as demand-side management (DSM) (particularly sustainable cooling) and carbon capture, usage and storage (CCUS). This forms the rationale and aim of this synthesis paper: to review the role of climate finance to develop clean energy beyond renewables. In doing so, the paper draws on practical policy and programme experiences of some donor countries, such as the UK, and Development Finance Institutions (DFIs). This paper argues that a greater amount of climate finance from OECD countries to ODA-eligible fossil fuel-intensive emerging economies and developing countries is required for sustainable cooling and CCUS, particularly in the form of technical assistance and clean energy innovation.Key policy insightsDemand-side management (DSM) and carbon capture, usage and storage (CCUS) are underfunded in climate finance compared with the promotion of renewables.Climate finance for sustainable cooling, in particular, represents just 0.04% of total ODA, despite cooling projected to represent 13% of global emissions by 2030.Public investment in CCUS is limited at US $28 billion since 2007, despite the costs of meeting the Paris Agreement estimated to be 40-128% more expensive without CCUS.Additional climate finance for these sectors should not come at the expense of funding for renewables but should be complementary to it.

Program unggulan kampung iklim (proklim) berbasis pemberdayaan masyarakat

T This paper is intended to present a comparative analysis of the implementation of a community empowerment based Kampung Climate's Leading Program (ProKlim) in Jati Village, East Jakarta and Kebon Kosong Village, Central Jakarta. The result of this research indicates that both in Kebon Kosong Village and Kelurahan Jati have emphasized aspects of community empowerment in the implementation of ProKlim mainly in climate change adaptation and mitigation activities. Empowerment and participation of communities in Jati Village is considered improperly managed, while in Kebon Kosong Village, the implementation of ProKlim is more coherent and sustainable. However in substance, ProKlim has been well implemented in each locus. Further in practice, ProKlim, with a persistent management, is perceived to be able to manage a microclimate which gives a wider impact on temperature deterioration in the capital city. DOI : https://doi.org/10.26905/pjiap.v4i1.2364

Those Who Care CCS -Results from Japanese Survey on Public Understanding of CCS-

The Japanese social survey conducted in 2015 showed that the majority of the Japanese general public did not know much about CCS, but were interested in CCS without any opinion on CCS as a part of climate policy portfolio. In terms of implementation of CCS, the NIMBY perception on CCS influenced opinions, while about half of the respondents did not have clear opinions on a hypothetical plan of implementing offshore CCS near their house. The survey found that some of the characteristics of indifferent people toward CCS were low consciousness on climate change issues (our climate target in 2030, etc.) and politically passive on national political issues. Respondents were categorized to 4 groups and the points of communication for each group were discussed. We found it was important to inform Japanese general public about technological maturity, positive and negative influences or risks of CCS, and necessity of climate change mitigation actions.

Those who care about CCS—Results from a Japanese survey on public understanding of CCS-

In order to assess the present status of the general public’s awareness and opinion on Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) and to analyze attributes of groups who have different opinions on CCS, a Japanese social survey was conducted in 2015. The results of the survey showed that the majority of the Japanese general public did not know much about CCS but were interested in CCS without any opinion on CCS as a part of climate policy portfolio. In terms of implementation of CCS, the Not in My Backyard (NIMBY) perception on CCS influenced opinions, while about half of the respondents did not have clear opinions on a hypothetical plan of implementing offshore CCS near their home.Respondents were categorized to four groups, who were consistently positive, consistently negative, changeable or fundamentally indifferent to CCS, and the points of communication for each group were discussed to get a consensus on CCS policy and implementation. The survey found that some of the characteristics of indifferent people toward CCS had a low level of consciousness regarding concerns on climate change issues and politically passive on national political issues. Required information to communicate CCS issues for each group were identified by the analysis. The results of our analysis highlighted the importance of informing the Japanese general public about the technological maturity, positive and negative impacts or risks of CCS, and the necessity of climate change mitigation action in communicating the issues surrounding CCS implementation.

Is the Australian construction industry prepared for climate change?

Research examining the construction industry demonstrates that it is the source of a large percentage of global greenhouse gas emissions, subject to future climate change risks, and that there is limited evidence of adaptation. This paper explores the preparedness of the Australian construction industry to adapt to climate change risks, through twenty-one key stakeholder interviews. The interviews addressed participants' perceptions of the industry's: climate change risk awareness, analytical capacity to address climate change risk, and current actions to address these risks. The main risk participants identified was extreme weather during construction (e.g. heat and wind) with impacts for occupational health and safety, supply chain reliability, project delivery delays, and profit. The impact of these risks was somewhat down played. While a high level of perceived analytical capacity to respond to climate change was observed, real action was limited by systemic, outdated regulations, lack of client motivation, and perceived costs. The climate change actions which were undertaken were predominantly climate change mitigation activities, largely focussing on organisational processes, rather than adaptations to built form. The results indicate that if Australia's built form is to be well adapted to climate change, greater preparedness to facilitate tangible and systemic actions to address climate change risk in the Australian construction industry is needed. Specifically, interviewees responses imply that increased awareness of the impacts of climate change, better translation of existing solutions into practice, and regulatory reform are needed.

Upscaling from the grassroots: potential aggregate carbon reduction from community-based initiatives in Europe

Anthropogenic activities are mainly responsible for the accelerated pace and magnitude of global environmental and climate change. Although several programs aiming at fuelling climate change mitigation have been adopted internationally in the last decades and localized improvements have been observed, the results expected by international institutions are regrettably still out of reach. Meanwhile, societies have experienced a significant proliferation of community-based initiatives (CBIs) fostering sustainable societal transition through different practices. Some studies claim that bottom-up activities may address sustainability issues more efficiently than top-down policies when appropriately scaled up. However, these are based mostly on anecdotal local evidence, and a systematic evaluation of the extent of CBIs’ potential contribution to climate change mitigation action at a larger scale has never been investigated. This paper elaborates a scaling-up exercise for CBIs’ carbon reduction at a broader scale and presents results about potential implications for European countries. Our findings suggest that, although varying greatly among countries, CBIs’ contribution to reach GHG reduction targets at the European scale can be important. However, a carbon reduction of such magnitude requires a substantial societal engagement in sustainable activities. Although societies cannot rely solely on the scaling-up of lifestyle changes promoted by CBIs to fulfill future environmental targets, policy makers should not neglect the large potential of societal engagement and should try to facilitate synergies between CBIs, industries, and institutions in developing climate change mitigation action.

Global water availability under high-end climate change: A vulnerability based assessment

Abstract Global sustainability is intertwined with freshwater security. Emerging changes in global freshwater availability have been recently detected as a combined result of human interventions, natural variability and climate change. Expected future socio-economic and climatic changes will further impact freshwater resources. The quantification of the impacts is challenging due to the complexity of interdependencies between physical and socio-economic systems. This study demonstrates a vulnerability based assessment of global freshwater availability through a conceptual framework, considering transient hydro-climatic impacts of crossing specific warming levels (1.5 °C, 2 °C and 4 °C) and related socio-economic developments under high-end climate change (RCP8.5). We use high resolution climate scenarios and a global land surface model to develop indicators of exposure for 25,000 watersheds. We also exploit spatially explicit datasets to describe a range of adaptation options through sensitivity and adaptive capacity indicators according to the Shared Socioeconomic Pathways (SSPs). The combined dynamics of climate and socio-economic changes suggest that although there is important potential for adaptation to reduce freshwater vulnerability, climate change risks cannot be totally and uniformly eliminated. In many regions, socio-economic developments will have greater impact on water availability compared to climate induced changes. The number of people under increased freshwater vulnerability varies substantially depending on the level of global warming and the degree of socio-economic developments, from almost 1 billion people at 4 °C and SSP5 to almost 3 billion people at 4 °C and SSP3. Generally, it is concluded that larger adaptation efforts are required to address the risks associated with higher levels of warming of 4 °C compared to the lower levels of 1.5 °C or 2 °C. The watershed scale and country level aggregated results of this study can provide a valuable resource for decision makers to plan for climate change adaptation and mitigation actions.

Framing Cuisine with Food Loss and Waste as a Combined Nutrition Public Health Priority and Climate Change Mitigation Action

This paper proposes that fortifying honored traditional recipes with natural foods in tandem with preventing food loss and waste adds a new dimension to sustainable food management—nutrient recovery and bioavailability—while reducing the global prevalence of anemia and other diet-induced maladies. Using the complementarity of iron and Vitamin C as an example, this paper demonstrates that we can recover bioavailable nutrients to ensure recovery is efficient. The authors show by example that returning food loss and waste into a healthy food environment can meet the daily and monthly needs of iron-deficiency in substantial portions of the populations with significant need and in all countries. Further, maximizing the availability of key nutrients, like iron, will reduce the stress of animal husbandry on the environment, reduce greenhouse gas emissions; and thereby, reduce agriculture impacts to climate change and global warming. Considering the quality, quantity, and convenience of food recovery, from farm—and beyond fork—to gut, is key for global policy development in nutrition public health and actions that are ready to implement today.

The resilience paradox: flooding experience, coping and climate change mitigation intentions

ABSTRACTClimate change is projected to increase the frequency, intensity and unpredictability of extreme weather events across the globe and these events are likely to have significant mental health implications. The mental health literature broadly characterises negative emotional reactions to extreme weather experiences as undesirable impacts on wellbeing. Yet, other research in psychology suggests that negative emotional responses to extreme weather are an important motivation for personal action on climate change. This article addresses the intersection of mental health and functional perspectives on negative emotions, with a specific focus on the potential that reduced negative emotional responses to extreme weather may also translate to diminished motivation to undertake climate change mitigation actions – which we term the ‘resilience paradox’. Using survey data gathered in the aftermath of severe flooding across the UK in winter 2013/2014, we present new evidence indicating that self-appraised coping ability moderates the link between flooding experience and negative emotions and thereby attenuates the indirect link between flooding experience and climate change mitigation intentions. We conclude that support for flood victims should extend beyond addressing emotional, physical and financial stresses to include acknowledgement of the involvement of climate change and communication of the need for action to combat future climate risks.Key policy insightsPsychological resilience to flooding and other extreme weather events can translate to diminished motivation to mitigate climate changeNegative emotional reactions need to occur at an optimal level to enable people to respond appropriately to climate risks.Flood victims’ subjective appraisal of their ability to cope does not necessarily encompass consideration of the role played by climate change. Therefore, support for victims of extreme weather should include explicit acknowledgement of the involvement of climate change and the need for action to mitigate future climate risks.

What Affects Chinese Residents’ Perceptions of Climate Change?

The theme of global sustainable development has changed from environmental management to climate governance, and relevant policies on climate governance urgently need to be implemented by the public. The public understanding of climate change has become the prerequisite and basis for implementing various climate change policies. In order to explore the affected factors of climate change perception among Chinese residents, this study was conducted across 31 provinces and regions of China through field household surveys and interviews. Combined with the residents’ perception of climate change with the possible affected factors, the related factors affecting Chinese residents’ perception of climate change were explored. The results show that the perceptive level of climate change of Chinese residents is related to the education level and the household size of residents. Improving public awareness of climate change risk in the context of climate change through multiple channels will also help to improve residents’ awareness of climate change. On the premise of improving the level of national education, improving education on climate change in school education and raising awareness of climate change risk among dependents will help to improve the level of Chinese residents’ awareness of climate change, which could be instrumental in promoting public participation in climate change mitigation and adaptation actions.

Integration of multi-resource remotely sensed data and allometric models for forest aboveground biomass estimation in China

Quantification of forest aboveground biomass density (AGB) is useful in forest carbon cycle studies, biodiversity protection and climate-change mitigation actions. However, a finer resolution and spatially continuous forest AGB map is inaccessible at national level in China. In this study, we developed forest type- and ecozone-specific allometric models based on 1607 field plots. The allometric models were applied to Geoscience Laser Altimeter System (GLAS) data to calculate AGB at the footprint level. We then mapped a 30 m resolution national forest AGB by relating the GLAS footprint AGB to various variables derived from Landsat images and Phased Array L-band Synthetic Aperture Radar (PALSAR) data. We estimated the average forest AGB to be 69.88 Mg/ha with a standard deviation of 35.38 Mg/ha and the total AGB carbon stock to be 5.44 PgC in China. Our AGB estimates corresponded reasonably well with AGB inventories from the top ten provinces in the forested area, and the coefficient of determination and root mean square error were 0.73 and 20.65 Mg/ha, respectively. We found that the main uncertainties for AGB estimation could be attributed to errors in allometric models and in height measurements by the GLAS. We also found that Landsat-derived variables outperform PALSAR-derived variables and that the textural features of PALSAR better support forest AGB estimates than backscattered intensity.

Climate change mitigation policy in Ecuador: Effects of land-use competition and transaction costs

This paper develops an econometric model to estimate the economic determinants of forest land conversion in Esmeraldas, Ecuador and evaluates the effect that transaction costs have on incentive-based climate change mitigation activities. Using a logistic share model, the results show a high extent of competition for the use of land between agricultural production for palm oil processing and land-based carbon mitigation through avoided emissions from deforestation. Our results show that the current policy of introducing conservation payments in Ecuador is not sufficient to significantly reduce deforestation, but that payment levels based on a plausible international carbon price would make an appreciable difference in the net sequestration contribution of forests in northern Ecuador. Knowledge generated from this research can inform site-specific land use policy design aimed at addressing the opportunity costs of tropical forest conservation as an important component of climate mitigation strategies.

English

Semi-arid areas in developing countries continue to depend on rain-fed agriculture which is exacerbated by climate change and poor governance. Despite efforts and investments by governmental and non-governmental organizations to address the issue of food insecurity in the semi-arid areas of Kenya, the problem still persists. The communities have designed themselves to be resource poor whereas they are not. This paper argues that the communities have accepted their incapability to utilize their naturally occurring resources and foot their own development. Yet, there exist transformational models that have involved empowering communities to realize and reframe opportunities. The purpose of this paper was to document outcomes of transformational leadership model and its effectiveness on community participation and engagement in improving food security and climate change adaptation outcomes. The study involved key informant interviews and showed that the community Christian Impact Mission had transformed, engaged and empowered communities through mind-set change and green farming technologies with the locally available resources. Without any donor support, a semi-arid community in Yatta sub-county has since successfully footed their own development, realized food security and engaged in sustainable and climate smart agricultural technologies. The study argues therefore, that participation and inclusivity of communities by development organizations is imperative for realization of food security and climate change mitigation and adaptation actions.     Key word: Community, empowerment, food security, transformational, leadership. &nbsp

Creating a climate for learning-experiences of educating existing and future decision-makers about climate change

Climate change is one of the most serious issues to affect modern society. What originated as a scientific question has evolved into a complex political and social issue. The policy context recognises the pivotal role of education in encouraging effective engagement and behavioural responses to projected climate changes. It is relatively easy to nod assent to the principles of climate change education and engagement, but harder to deliver. This paper explores experiences of educating and engaging current and future decision makers, namely pupils, teachers, charity workers, small business owners and councillors on the subject of climate change in Wales. It draws conclusions about the existing climate for learning as well as the potential for overcoming challenges associated with information needs of these existing and future decision-makers. It considers the broader issue of whether current climate change information and education frameworks are fit for purpose and able to support effective climate change mitigation and adaptation activities. The findings suggest that many climate change communications from international organisations are not being received or understood at local levels, indicating a need for further and simpler ‘translation’ of science. Despite a strong formal education system in Wales, there are variations in basic skills (such as map reading and graph interpretation), required for simple climate change science interpretation. Finally, our results point to a need for climate literacy to be gained through interactive long-term learning rather than one-off training, particularly given some of the entrenched views of the older age groups involved in the study.

Capturing complexity: Forests, decision-making and climate change mitigation action

Managed forests can play an important role in climate change mitigation due to their capacity to sequester carbon. However, it has proven difficult to harness their full potential for climate change ...

The mismatch between the in-country determinants of technology transfer, and the scope of technology transfer initiatives under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change

Despite decades of international political emphasis, little is known about the in-country determinants of technology transfer for climate change mitigation. We draw upon the conclusions of a series of standardised, official governmental statements of technology priorities, coupled with questionnaire-based data collection, to shed light on the nature of those determinants. We find that there is a disconnect between what developing country governments perceive as the key enablers of, and barriers to, technology transfer, and what bilateral and multilateral technology transfer programmes can offer, given budgetary constraints and the logic of development aid spending. We show that the well-established notion of making climate change mitigation actions an integral part of sound development plans is especially relevant for technology transfer. We offer pointers as to how this might be done in practice, in the context of the ‘technology action plans’ developed as part of the United Nations-sponsored technology needs assessment process.

Air Traveler's Willingness to Pay to Offset Their CO2 Emission in Pokhara

This study aims to investigate if there are a significant number of people who are ready for climate change mitigation action in case of air travelers in Pokhara city. Using the primary information to answer 46 structured questions from 142 respondents of Pokhara city in 2014, the study has estimated the air travelers’ willingness to pay (WTP) to offset their CO2 emission during their flight. The study has showed that with the mean value of 5.53% of their air fare, there is 78.16% probability of willingness to pay voluntarily to offset their CO2 emission caused by their activities by the air travelers in Pokhara. Besides, knowledge and attitude as major determinants of WTP, majority (about 83 percent) of the respondents have both high level of knowledge about carbon emission and high level of attitude towards its adverse impact. The study has also showed that foreigners are more likely to pay to offset their CO2 emission than that of Nepali citizens. Therefore, the findings could be a good information for making pricing, carbon taxing and mitigation policy at any level.

Shrimp ponds lead to massive loss of soil carbon and greenhouse gas emissions in northeastern Brazilian mangroves.

Mangroves of the semiarid Caatinga region of northeastern Brazil are being rapidly converted to shrimp pond aquaculture. To determine ecosystem carbon stocks and potential greenhouse gas emissions from this widespread land use, we measured carbon stocks of eight mangrove forests and three shrimp ponds in the Acaraú and Jaguaribe watersheds in Ceará state, Brazil. The shrimp ponds were paired with adjacent intact mangroves to ascertain carbon losses and potential emissions from land conversion. The mean total ecosystem carbon stock of mangroves in this semiarid tropical landscape was 413 ± 94 Mg C/ha. There were highly significant differences in the ecosystem carbon stocks between the two sampled estuaries suggesting caution when extrapolating carbon stock across different estuaries even in the same landscape. Conversion of mangroves to shrimp ponds resulted in losses of 58%–82% of the ecosystem carbon stocks. The mean potential emissions arising from mangrove conversion to shrimp ponds was 1,390 Mg CO2e/ha. Carbon losses were largely from soils which accounted for 81% of the total emission. Losses from soils >100 cm in depth accounted for 33% of the total ecosystem carbon loss. Soil carbon losses from shrimp pond conversion are equivalent to about 182 years of soil carbon accumulation. Losses from mangrove conversion are about 10‐fold greater than emissions from conversion of upland tropical dry forest in the Brazilian Caatinga underscoring the potential value for their inclusion in climate change mitigation activities.

The impact of the Tokyo Metropolitan Emissions Trading Scheme on reducing greenhouse gas emissions: findings from a facility-based study

ABSTRACTThis paper provides a detailed analysis of the Tokyo Metropolitan Emissions Trading Scheme (Tokyo ETS), Japan’s first emissions trading scheme with mandatory cap initiated by the government of Tokyo. Unlike trading schemes in other countries, the Tokyo ETS covers indirect emissions from the commercial sector. It is well known that a variety of market barriers impede full realization of energy efficiency opportunities, especially in the commercial sector. Experiences with the Tokyo ETS should therefore provide important lessons for the design of climate change mitigation policies, especially when targeting the commercial sector. The emissions from covered entities have been drastically reduced from those at the scheme’s outset, with an average 14% reduction as of the end of the first commitment period of five years (2010–2014) compared with 2009 levels. This paper shows that the Tokyo ETS alone did not cause these reductions; there were other drivers. Among them, the energy savings triggered by the Great East Japan Earthquake in 2011 were crucial. The contribution of credit trading, in contrast, was limited since most of the covered entities reduced emissions by themselves. Through an investigation of official reports, an assessment of the emissions data from the covered entities compared to those of uncovered entities and in-depth interviews with firms covered by the scheme, this paper confirms that the main drivers of emissions reductions by covered entities were separate from the ETS. In fact, the advisory aspect of the scheme seems to be much more important in encouraging energy-saving actions.Key policy insightsMost of the observed emission reductions were not caused by the Tokyo ETS alone.An advisory instrument was crucial to the effectiveness of the Tokyo ETS.The experience of the Tokyo ETS suggests that making full use of the advantages of emissions trading is difficult in the case of the commercial sector.Price signals have not provided a stimulus to climate change mitigation actions, which implies that establishing a cap to yield effective carbon prices poses a challenge.