Climate Planning Research Articles

Политика Индии в области смягчения последствий изменения климата: трудности и перспективы

India is one of the largest emitters of greenhouse gases in the world, largely due to its high dependence on coal. However, since the early 2000s, New Delhi has introduced various tools to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions. In 2022, a new climate plan was adopted that, for the first time, set a goal to achieve carbon neutrality by 2070. To achieve the goal of reducing greenhouse gases in the energy sector, India is using several market-based schemes, which will become the basis of the Indian emissions trading system in the nearest future. Environmentally friendly transport is actively developing. Insights from research in the field of industrial decarbonization, carbon capture, and storage systems and forest protection and afforestation programmes are being implemented. However, the implementation of the identified areas is fraught with difficulties, leading to the implementation of controversial measures on the part of the state which are economically justified but contrary to the climate strategy. This study examines the main directions of Indian climate policy, and prospects and difficulties in their implementation to achieve the goal of carbon neutrality

Role of local governments in EU member states’ climate policy and legislation

This article provides a better understanding of the opportunities and challenges that local governments have in achieving climate objectives, both within EU member states’ national climate policy and national climate law, and how this relates to the literature on multi-level governance. More specifically, the differences and similarities between the national climate plans and national climate legislation of four selected member states (Germany, Ireland, Netherlands and Spain) have been examined. The findings from this can be related to the literature on multi-level governance when it comes to opportunities and challenges regarding the role that local governments fulfill. On the one hand, local governments are often seen as potential key drivers that can successfully work together and whose involvement can lead to more effective climate governance. On the other hand, local governments are legally and financially dependent on higher levels of government in the implementation of their assigned climate-related tasks and responsibilities.

Emergency preparedness in healthcare systems: the “policy-effect” of COVID-19

Abstract The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted that health services preparedness is crucial. Indeed, effective planning enables streamline operations, optimized resource allocation, and transparent communication during crises. Within this context, our analysis aims to assess EU countries’ healthcare systems preparedness, by policies analysis and capacity factor analysis, and relationship with COVID-19. We reviewed policies regarding influenza, antimicrobial resistance (AMR), and climate change in EU countries, using a web-screening of national and international authorities and institutions. Furthermore, we performed a factor analysis on WHO’s States Party Self-Assessment Reporting (SPAR) and evaluated the results using an iterated principal factor analysis with promax rotation. Few countries updated their policies after the pandemic, particularly regarding influenza plans. Italy stands out as an exception, having updated its national plan in 2021, while other countries maintain pre-COVID plans. Regarding AMR, only few countries, including Sweden, Netherlands, Malta, Germany, Spain, Belgium, and France, updated their plans post-pandemic, while Estonia and Romania lack plans entirely. Addressing the climate crisis and its impacts on health and healthcare resilience, all EU countries aligned with the EC regulation on climate action through National Energy and Climate Plans in 2023. Moreover, EU countries had average preparedness level of 75.77 (SD: 8.23), calculated on SPAR 2022, with significant disparities. Three major factors contribute to preparedness levels: planning, service delivery, and specific subtopics (e.g. food safety, radiation, infectious diseases). Our findings reveal the complexity of preparedness, showing diverse approaches across countries, despite EU regulations and WHO guidelines. International collaboration is crucial to standardize policies and enable countries to leverage successful examples, improving public health outcomes. Key messages • Health services preparedness, underscored by the COVID-19 pandemic, is crucial for effective planning and crisis management. • The analysis demonstrates varying levels of preparedness across EU countries, with differences in policy updates and adherence to international guidelines.

The sufficiency-based, the de-growth, and the official – Critical remarks of the electricity chapter of the Hungarian national energy and climate plan based on a comparison to alternative scenarios

Hungary relies heavily on fossil and nuclear fuel imports from Russia. An urgent challenge is to develop a more sustainable and more independent energy system. There is a 2019 and a 2023 (draft) version of the National Energy and Climate Plan (NECP) but they arguably do not follow this direction. However, there are also alternative scenarios for Hungary that propose more comprehensive changes. This paper compares the targets proposed by the Hungarian NECPs to those proposed in two alternative studies: the sufficiency-based European-focused CLEVER (Collaborative Low Energy Vision for the European Region) scenario (created by a research team including 26 partner organisations from 20 European countries), and the de-growth-based “This Way Ahead” (TWA) scenario (which is the result of a Hungarian inter-university research, coordinated by the ELTE University's energy geography research group). A new element of this recent study is the simulation of hourly electricity supply and demand in these scenarios using EnergyPLAN to compare import requirements, potential surplus generation, and self-sufficiency. The review shows that the NECPs need to be reconsidered to increase the share of decentralized renewable electricity supply in a way that allows progress without increasing energy use and environmental burdens. Priority must be given to the rapid expansion of wind energy capacity by at least 10–20 times, which should be complemented by biogas-based flexible energy supply.

A Stochastic Approach to the Power Requirements of the Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure: The Case of Spain

Battery electric vehicles represent a technological pathway for reducing carbon emissions in personal road transport. However, for the widespread adoption of this type of vehicle, the user experience should be similar to that of combustion engine vehicles. To achieve this objective, a robust and reliable public charging infrastructure is essential. In Spain, the electric recharging infrastructure is growing quickly in metropolitan areas but much more slowly on roads and highways. The upcoming charging stations must be located along high-volume traffic corridors and in proximity to the Trans-European Transport Network. The main contribution of this research is to offer a method for examining the essential electricity infrastructure investments required in scenarios involving substantial electric vehicle adoption. The methodology includes a sensitivity analysis of fleet composition and market share, recharging user behavior, charging station density, and vehicle efficiency improvements. To this end, the authors have developed a simplified probabilistic model, addressing the effect of the involved parameters through a comprehensive scenario analysis. The results show that the actual number of high-capacity charging plugs on Spanish roads is significantly lower than the European regulation requirements for the year 2030 considering an electric vehicle market share according to the Spanish Integrated National Energy and Climate Plan 2021–2030 objectives and it is far from the necessary infrastructure to cover the expected demand according to the traffic flow. Under these circumstances, the charging peak power demand reaches over 7.4% of the current Spanish total power demand for an electric vehicle fleet, which corresponds to only 12% of the total.

How is feasibility in local climate politics constructed? Balancing between appropriateness and consequence in advancing urban low-carbon plans

ABSTRACT How does ambitious climate action become politically feasible? The literature has tended to understand political feasibility through interactions between citizens and governing institutions, conditioned by the various costs and benefits for the actors involved. Instead, by considering the work of bureaucratic actors, this paper examines the practices of constructing feasibility in local climate planning. We draw on sociological institutionalism, focusing on the dynamics of fine-tuning between logics of appropriateness and consequence in achieving what is deemed ‘politically feasible.’ Taking climate politics in the City of Bergen (Norway) as a case study, this paper advances that what is deemed politically feasible is a product of calibrating (1) relevant policies with the city’s climate ambitions, (2) specific actions with open and inclusive processes, and (3) radical and ambitious solutions with the city’s current political climate. We discuss the implications of these results for the legitimization of climate planning locally.

Soil-Based Emissions and Context-Specific Climate Change Planning to Support the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) on Climate Action: A Case Study of Georgia (USA)

Soil-based emissions from land conversions are often overlooked in climate planning. The objectives of this study were to use quantitative data on soil-based greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions for the state of Georgia (GA) (USA) to examine context-specific (temporal, biophysical, economic, and social) climate planning and legal options to deal with these emissions. Currently, 30% of the land in GA has experienced anthropogenic land degradation (LD) primarily due to agriculture (64%). All seven soil orders were subject to various degrees of anthropogenic LD. Increases in overall LD between 2001 and 2021 indicate a lack of land degradation neutrality (LDN) in GA. Besides agricultural LD, there was also LD caused by increased development through urbanization, with 15,197.1 km2 developed, causing midpoint losses of 1.2 × 1011 kg of total soil carbon (TSC) with a corresponding midpoint social cost from carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions (SC-CO2) of USD $20.4B (where B = billion = 109, $ = U.S. dollars (USD)). Most developments occurred in the Metro Atlanta and Coastal Economic Development Regions, which indicates reverse climate change adaptation (RCCA). Soil consumption from developments is an important issue because it limits future soil or forest carbon (C) sequestration potential in these areas. Soil-based emissions should be included in GA’s carbon footprint. Understanding the geospatial and temporal context of land conversion decisions, as well as the social and economic costs, could be used to create incentives for land management that limit soil-based GHG emissions in a local context with implications for relevant United Nations (UN) initiatives.

Assessment of climate change mitigation potential of the Kosovo energy and transport sector

The Energy and transport sector in Kosovo are the main emitter of greenhouse gases (GHG) with a share of about 85% in total annual emissions. In energetic sector, 95-97% of emissions are associated with the electricity generation due to the predominant role of lignite fuelled power plants. The electricity sector contributes about 80% of total CO2 emissions in Kosovo. Those make the energy and transport sector the main emitters of CO2 and also the main target for CO2 emissions reduction. The National Energy and Climate Plan 2021-2030 aims to ensure a reliable supply of energy for Kosovo and proposes targets for renewable, energy efficiency, and greenhouse gas reductions. This paper presents analyses of different time frame scenarios for development of the Kosovo energy system in relation to climate change mitigation potential of the Kosovo energy and transport sector. The national energy system of Kosovo is modelled using EnergyPLAN software which integrates energy for electricity, transport and heat, and includes hourly fluctuations of energy demand and energy production. Three scenarios of Kosovo Energy system are modelled; starting point scenario 2019 and two long term scenarios 2030 with 23.3% and 41.8% share of renewable. An analysis of the overall energy system costs and security of supply with a main focus in electricity sector of the three scenarios is performed.

Klímasemleges energiatermelés – Kilátások Magyarországon 2024-ben

In order to protect our planet's climate, it is important to reduce humanity's carbon dioxide emissions significantly. The energy sector is one of the most polluting industries, but the rapid spread of renewable energy sources over the past 20 years can significantly contribute to the reduction of carbon dioxide emissions. The study examined which energy sources are used to produce electricity in Hungary, and how the proportion of renewable energy has developed in recent years compared to more polluting energy production methods. There is a strong negative exponential relationship between the share of renewable energy and the carbon dioxide emissions of the energy sector, based on which the carbon dioxide emissions of the energy sector can be significantly reduced by increasing the share of renewable energy. A forecast was made for the renewable share based on past data and the revised state of the National Energy and Climate Plan in 2023, and a linear forecast was made for the energy sector's emissions. There is a strong exponential relationship between the data series. Both models examined in the study had strong explanatory power, but neither model supports the possibility of climate-neutral energy production by 2030.

Driving Carbon Capture in Parallel with Industrialization in Developing Countries: Opportunities, Challenges and Strategies

Purpose: This paper reviews the potential of carbon capture and storage (CCS) technologies to help developing nations decrease carbon emissions as they undergo the industrialization required for development. It also identifies the related opportunities, challenges, and strategies for effectively integrating CCS during this process by drawing lessons from the experiences of developed and developing countries that have achieved success. Materials and Methods: The study employs a thorough literature review, statistical analysis of data, and examination of real-world case studies. Comparing Norway, South Korea, the United States, China, and India's experiences, it focuses on successful models and key factors influencing CCS adoption in different regions, offering insights for other developing nations. Findings: The review and analysis show that developed countries have made considerable advancements in utilizing CCS technologies to lower emissions, whereas developing nations encounter significant obstacles due to financial constraints, insufficient expertise, and inadequate regulations. Nevertheless, underdeveloped nations can employ CCS technologies for enduring economic expansion with appropriate global cooperation, financial assistance, and technology sharing. Finally, it pinpoints effective tactics and models developing nations can use to improve their CCS capabilities. Implications to Theory, Practice and Policy: This research has implications for theory, practice, and policy by enhancing understanding of how CCS can help promote sustainable industrial growth in developing nations and providing a template for integrating CCS into national climate plans. It also mentions the importance of detailed and effective regulatory frameworks, financial incentives, and global cooperation required in addressing CCS challenges in developing countries.

Sufficiency in European Climate Policies, four country NECPs analysed

Backgrounds Sufficiency, a concept acknowledged by the International Panel of Climate Change (IPCC), is often not included in climate-mitigation strategies. Its elements are, however, well known in different policy areas. Thus, there are good reasons to elevate sufficiency to a central element of national and international sustainability strategies. Methods This article, through the lens of the FULFILL project, aims to elucidate sufficiency and evaluate its integration into climate strategies via the National Energy and Climate Plans (NECPs) of four European countries: Denmark, France, Germany, and Italy. This shall offer insights into the current status of sufficiency policies and identify the best practices and areas for improvement. The analysis is based on the studies of sufficiency policies, identifying specific sufficiency measures. This leads to the development of a comprehensive overview and comparative analysis of how the four analysed countries incorporate sufficiency within their NECPs and to proposals for additional national sufficiency policies. The analysis focuses on policies that regulate social, infrastructural, and regulatory conditions that influence individual and collective behaviours. Results The article presents a clear and comprehensive analysis of the current tole of sufficiency policies in NECPs and their unused potential. Sufficiency policies are introduced in the countries analysed, but far from their potential to mitigate climate change. It also shows that existing sufficiency policies are primarily aiming at changing consumption and not to reduce consumption, such as reduced transport, reduced size of buildings. Another result is that some sufficiency policies are only introduced on local level by municipalities. Conclusion The conclusion is that some sufficiency policies are already integrated in national climate policies but their potentials are far from exhausted while other policies are hardly used, in particular policies to reduce consumption. This gives a large potential to increase sufficiency measures to strengthen climate policies and actions.

Evaluating the effectiveness of urban sustainability and climate objectives: a comparative approach

This study takes a unique approach to analyzing the sustainability and climate planning in major Hungarian cities. It conducts a qualitative analysis, examining the selected cities' sustainability and climate strategy objectives/goals. The aim is to comprehensively assess the extent of harmony between these objectives and identify potential hindering factors. An impact series with six distinct levels (+ + , + , 0, NR, −, –) was established for this analysis, from which positive (+ + , +), neutral (0, NR), and negative (−,–) categories were formulated. The main result of the study presents the efficiency score of the sustainability and climate goals, in which only the ratio of the positive impacts are covered. The findings reveal that the impacts of sustainability objectives show significant differences among the cities, particularly concerning positive and neutral effects. However, climate objectives present a more modest discrepancy regarding positive, neutral, and negative effects observed among the cities. There was no clear regional pattern in terms of sustainability and climate planning efficiency; on the other hand, Budapest, Győr, and Nyíregyháza emerged with outstanding performances.

El impacto de las energías renovables sobre el precio mayorista de la electricidad

Rationale Renewable electricity generation capacity is rising significantly in Spain. Given the merit order pricing system used in the wholesale electricity market, this could have profound implications for electricity price dynamics. Takeaways •The share of wind and solar energy in total electricity generation increased from 26% in 2019 to over 40% in 2024 H1. In the first half of this year, wholesale electricity prices were more than 40% lower than they would have been had wind and solar generation remained at 2019 levels. •The model estimated in this article suggests that under the renewable generation deployment scenarios envisaged in the update of the National Energy and Climate Plan, wholesale electricity prices could drop by an additional 50% by 2030. •In any event, the future behaviour of these prices is subject to considerable uncertainty, influenced by various supply-side factors and how demand responds to the new levels of renewable generation.

Enhancing Adaptive Capacity by Engaging and Empowering Frontline Workers: A Case Study From a Water Utility

AbstractWater utility crews, including those who perform system maintenance and operations at drinking water, wastewater, and stormwater utilities, are experiencing the impacts of changing rainfall characteristics first‐hand. These frontline crews have relevant, experiential knowledge about changing climate‐related risks and adaptation needs that, to date, are not included in utilities' strategic climate planning or implementation efforts, resulting in critical knowledge systems and action gaps. In this co‐production case study with Seattle Public Utilities (SPU), a municipal public water utility in Washington State, we use surveys and interviews to document barriers and opportunities for frontline crew engagement to enhance SPU's climate adaptation strategies to extreme rainfall. We find that 66% of crew workers perceive changes to rainfall intensity over the past decade and 59% report responding more to rainfall‐related issues. These frontline crews are coping with changes in extreme precipitation by increasing preventative maintenance, working overtime during major storm events, and doing more pre‐storm planning and preparation. Crews identified several aspects limiting their ability to respond to and prepare for extreme rainfall. To enhance their adaptive capacity, crews documented needs for infrastructure improvement, workforce facilities improvement, increased access to appropriate personal protective equipment, improved communication and coordination across the utility, and enhanced workforce capacity, including increased staff numbers. Findings suggest that for more effective, equitable, and responsive climate adaptation, water utilities should explicitly solicit and include crews' knowledge and lived experiences in adaptation planning while prioritizing strategies that enhance frontline crews' capacity and working conditions as a form of reciprocal action.

Are we going towards an effective integration of air quality and climate planning? A comparative analysis for Italian regions

Climate change mitigation and adaptation along with air pollution are key challenges that require a comprehensive planning approach able to promote win-win strategies and avoid transferring environmental pressures from one sector to another. The joint approach is widely advocated at the policy level while the scientific research investigates the role of co-benefits in planning processes. A methodological framework was developed with the twofold aim of (i) assessing the current integration degree between regional Air Quality Plans and Climate Plans and (ii) providing useful hints for pursuing greater air-climate integration. Its application to the Italian case study provides useful policy implications for strengthening the role of co-benefits as drivers of planning processes. Results show that a greater air-climate integration can be achieved by enhancing the role of regional authorities in supporting the implementation of local-scale plans and actions. This is especially important in contexts where an integrated planning framework is lacking and the mainstreaming within sectoral sub-regional plans turns out to be crucial.

Militarized climate planning: what is left?

Militarized climate planning: what is left?

Implementation of the District Heating Delignification Project in Western Macedonia, Greece: A Comparative Analysis of the Alternative Solutions

The main goal of this article is to give an overview of the importance of district heating and specifically emphasize its continued use with alternative fuels in the upcoming post-lignite era. The results of the cost–benefit analysis for district heating in the transition period after show promise and positivity. By examining key aspects undergoing changes and conducting a SWOT analysis related to this shift, this study sheds light on various benefits for the economy, society, and the environment in sustaining district heating post-lignite era. Additionally, it introduces a solution tailored to meet all district heating needs in Western Macedonia, Greece, during both the transitional phase and after phasing out existing lignite units as, per Greek National Energy and Climate Plan requirements. This devised solution ensures comprehensive coverage of all district heating demands.

Decarbonisation at least cost: an analysis of the optimal portfolio of instruments

Purpose This paper aims to propose a methodology for assessing an optimal portfolio of investment instruments that minimise the social costs of decarbonising economic activity while improving the environmental objectives proposed in EU legislation. Design/methodology/approach The methodology defines the net social cost of decarbonisation related to a portfolio of four instruments: installation of solar PV and wind generation, thermal insulation of households and deployment of heat pumps. The social cost is minimised by restricting it to the minimum level of the targets proposed in the Spanish National Energy and Climate Plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, increase generation from renewable sources and reduce energy consumption. The empirical approach also includes differences between regions according to the expected effect for instruments. Findings The application of this methodology to the environmental objectives defined in the current Spanish National Energy and Climate Plan for 2030 concludes that it is clearly possible to reduce the social cost of decarbonisation while improving environmental performance through a reorientation of investment instruments. In this case, such a reorientation would be based on a minimisation of efforts in thermal insulation of households and a maximisation of measures aimed at the installation of heat pumps. Originality/value The paper proposes a novel methodology for a social cost assessment that improves the allocation of a portfolio of environmental instruments. This portfolio could be extended in further work to include instruments related to transport or support for industrial decarbonisation, such as the deployment of renewable hydrogen, among others.

Implementing EU energy and climate governance: Germany and Sweden as frontrunners?

A core element in the EU’s Governance regulation (Regulation 2018/1999) is the regular production of National Energy and Climate Plans (NECPs). The process involves a dialog with the European Commission intended to lead to changed and improved plans. This new policy mechanism has been characterised as ‘harder soft governance’. Although member states are not obliged to specify binding targets for renewables and energy efficiency, they must report their contribution to fulfilling the overall European target. Furthermore, they must develop a plan for how to reach these contributions (the NECP). In this article we discuss NECP implementation in the first round of establishing NECPs in two traditional climate-policy frontrunners in the EU: Germany and Sweden. A key finding is that both countries did not perceive the NECP process as particularly important for national policy-making. Central targets and measures were mainly based on policies developed independently of the Governance Regulation. However, interaction with the Commission was more important for ‘reluctant’ Sweden than ‘Governance supporter’ Germany. Our study shows that both countries eventually produced the required contributions and plans, lending support to the argument that this new regulation has some ‘harder soft governance’ elements that will influence member states.

Hydrogen Use in a Dual-Fuel Compression Ignition Engine with Alternative Biofuels

Recent progress has been made towards decarbonisation of transport, which accounts for one quarter of global carbon dioxide emissions. For the short to medium term, new European Union (EU) and national energy and climate plans agree on a strategy based on the combination of increasing shares of electric vehicles with the promotion of sustainable fuels, especially if produced from residual feedstock and routes with low or zero net carbon emission. Hydrogen stands out among these fuels for its unique properties. This work analyses the potential of using hydrogen in a dual-fuel, compression ignition (CI) engine running with three diesel-like fuels (conventional fossil diesel, advanced biodiesel (BD) and hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO)) and different hydrogen energy substitution ratios. The results were confronted with conventional diesel operation, revealing that dual-fuel combustion with hydrogen demands higher exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) rates and more advance combustion, leading to a remarked reduction of NOx emission at the expense of a penalty in energy consumption due mainly to unburnt hydrogen and wall heat losses. Unreacted hydrogen was ameliorated at high load. At low load, the use of BD dual combustion permitted higher hydrogen substitution ratios and higher efficiencies than diesel and HVO.