Global Greenhouse Gas Mitigation Research Articles

‘Climate Healing Stones’: Common Minerals Offer Substantial Climate Change Mitigation Potential

This review proposes that mineral-based greenhouse gas (GHG) mitigation could be developed into a substantial climate change abatement tool. This proposal was evaluated via three objectives: (1) synthesise literature studies documenting the effectiveness of geological minerals at mitigating GHG emissions; (2) quantify, via meta-analysis, GHG magnitudes that could be abated by minerals factoring-in the carbon footprint of the approach; and (3) estimate the global availability of relevant minerals. Several minerals have been effectively harnessed across multiple sectors—including agriculture, waste management and coal mining—to mitigate carbon dioxide/CO2 (e.g., olivine), methane/CH4 (e.g., allophane, gypsum) and nitrous oxide/N2O (e.g., vermiculite) emissions. High surface area minerals offer substantial promise to protect soil carbon, albeit their potential impact here is difficult to quantify. Although mineral-based N2O reduction strategies can achieve gross emission reduction, their application generates a net carbon emission due to prohibitively large mineral quantities needed. By contrast, mineral-based technologies could abate ~9% and 11% of global CO2 and CH4 anthropogenic emissions, respectively. These estimates conservatively only consider options which offer additional benefits to climate change mitigation (e.g., nutrient supply to agricultural landscapes, and safety controls in landfill operations). This multi-benefit aspect is important due to the reluctance to invest in stand-alone GHG mitigation technologies. Minerals that exhibit high GHG mitigation potential are globally abundant. However, their application towards a dedicated global GHG mitigation initiative would entail significant escalation of their current production rates. A detailed cost-benefit analysis and environmental and social footprint assessment is needed to ascertain the strategy’s scale-up potential.

Intermediate irrigation with low fertilization promotes soil nutrient cycling and reduces CO2 and CH4 emissions via regulating fungal communities in arid agroecosystems

The field practices, including irrigation and fertilization, strongly affect greenhouse gas emissions and soil nutrient cycling from agriculture. Understanding the underlying mechanism of greenhouse gas emissions, soil nutrient cycling, and their impact factors (fungal diversity, network characteristics, soil pH, salt, and moisture) is essential for efficiently managing global greenhouse gas mitigation and agricultural production. By considering abundant and rare taxa, we determine the identities and relative importance of ecological processes that modulate the fungal communities and identify whether they are crucial contributors to soil nutrient cycling and greenhouse gas emissions. The research is based on a 4-year field fertigation experiment with low (300 kg/ha P2O5 with 150 kg/ha urea) and high (600 kg/ha P2O5 with 300 kg/ha urea) fertilization level and three irrigation levels, that is, low (200 mm), medium (300 mm), and high (400 mm). The α-diversity (richness and Shannon index) of fungal subcommunities was significantly higher under medium irrigation (300 mm) and low fertilization (300 kg/ha P2O5 with 150 kg/ha urea) than under other treatments. Intermediate irrigation with low fertilization treatment yielded the most significant higher multinutrient cycling index and the lowest CO2 and CH4 emissions. The null model indicated that abundant taxa are mainly regulated by stochastic processes (dispersal limitation), and rare taxa are mainly regulated by environmental selection, especially by soil salinity. The co-occurrence network of rare taxa explained the changes in the entire fungal network stability. The abundant taxa played vital roles in regulating soil nutrient status, owing to the stronger association between their network and multinutrient cycling index. Furthermore, we have confirmed that soil moisture and fungal network stability are crucial factors affecting greenhouse gas emissions. Together, these results provide a deep understanding of the mechanisms that reveal fungal community assembly and soil fungal-driven variations in nutrient status and network stability, link fungal network characteristics to ecosystem functions, and reveal the factors that influence greenhouse gas emissions.

Offshore Wind Power Resource Assessment in the Gulf of North Suez

Growing population, industrialization, and power requirements are adversely affecting the environment through increased greenhouse gases resulting from fossil fuel burning. Global greenhouse gas mitigation targets have led nations to promote clean and self-renewable sources of energy to address this environmental issue. Offshore wind power resources are relatively more attractive due to high winds, less turbulence, minimal visualization effects, and no interaction of infrastructure. The present study aims at conducting an offshore wind power resource assessment (OWPRA) at some locations in the Gulf of North Suez. For this purpose, the long-term hourly mean wind speed (WS) and wind direction above mean sea level (AMSL), as well as temperature and pressure data near the surface, are used. The data is obtained from ERA5 (fifth generation global climate reanalysis) at six (L1–L6) chosen offshore locations. The data covers a period of 43 years, between 1979 and 2021. The WS and direction are provided at 100 m AMSL, while temperature and pressure are available near water-surface level. At the L1 to L6 locations, the log-term mean WS and wind power density (WPD) values are found to be 7.55 m/s and 370 W/m2, 6.37 m/s and 225 W/m2, 6.91 m/s and 281 W/m2, 5.48 m/s and 142 W/m2, 4.30 m/s and 77 W/m2, and 5.03 and 115 W/m2 and at 100 m AMSL, respectively. The higher magnitudes of monthly and annual windy site identifier indices (MWSI and AWSI) of 18.68 and 57.41 and 12.70 and 42.94 at the L1 and L3 sites, and generally lower values of wind variability indices, are indicative of a favorable winds source, which is also supported by higher magnitudes of mean WS, WPD, annual energy yields, plant capacity factors, and wind duration at these sites. The cost of energy for the worst and the best cases are estimated as 10.120 USD/kWh and 1.274 USD/kWh at the L5 and L1 sites, corresponding to wind turbines WT1 and WT4. Based on this analysis, sites L1, L3, and L2 are recommended for wind farm development in order of preference. The wind variability and windy site identifier indices introduced will help decision-makers in targeting potential windy sites with more confidence.

Finance “Blending” and NDC achievement under the Paris agreement

Climate finance, funded by governments of high-income (H) countries, can be used to purchase assets in the international carbon market for offset trading, thus “blending” with such transactions. In this paper it is shows analytically that when there are no distortions in credit markets, finance blending leads to too little greenhouse gas (GHG) mitigation in H countries, and too much in L countries. The offset market is then distorted by climate finance blending, given that all offset credits are attributed to the carbon market participants. This distortion is removed when such “blended” climate finance resources are instead attributed in proportion to their finance shares. Adding climate finance to the carbon market has no impact on global GHG mitigation as long as the trading countries’ targets for emissions reductions (their “climate ambition”) is not changed; higher ambition levels are thus always required for climate finance to contribute to a reduction in global GHG emissions. When L country market participants have limited access to credit markets, blending can increase global greenhouse-gas mitigation by adding climate finance resources to the carbon market, thus facilitating L country market participants’ access to funding of their planned mitigation projects.

Machine Learning Predicts the Methane Clumped Isotopologue (12CH2D2) Distributions Constrain Biogeochemical Processes and Estimates the Potential Budget.

Methane (CH4) is a matter of environmental concern; however, global methane isotopologue data remain inadequate. This is due to the challenges posed by high-resolution testing technology and the need for larger sample volumes. Here, worldwide methane clumped isotope databases (n = 465) were compiled. We compared machine-learning (ML) models and used random forest (RF) to predict new Δ12CH2D2 distributions, which cover valuable and hard-to-replicate methane clumped isotope experimental data. Our RF model yields a reliable and continuous database including ruminants, acetoclastic methane, multiple pyrolysis, and controlled experiments. We showed the effectiveness of utilizing a new data set to quantify isotopologue fractionations in biogeochemical methane processes, as well as predicting the steady-state atmospheric methane clumped isotope composition (Δ13CH3D of +2.26 ± 0.71‰ and Δ12CH2D2 of +62.06 ± 4.42‰) with notable biological contributions. Our measured summer and winter water emitted gases (n = 6) demonstrated temperature-driven seasonal microbial community evolution determined by atmospheric clumped isotope temporal variations (Δ 13CH3D ∼ -0.91 ± 0.25 ‰ and Δ12CH2D2 ∼ +3.86 ± 0.84 ‰), which in turn is relevant for future models quantifying the contribution of methane sources and sinks. Predicting clumped isotopologues translates our methane geochemical understanding into quantifiable variables for modeling that can continue to improve predictions and potentially inform global greenhouse gas emissions and mitigation policy.

A systematic review protocol for identifying the effectiveness of greenhouse gas mitigation interventions for health care systems in low- and middle-income countries.

Background: Climate change is predicted to be our century's most significant health threat. In 2021, 46 countries committed to environmentally sustainable low carbon health care systems. Of those, 34 were from low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Currently, health systems are responsible for 4.4% of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, with health systems in high-income countries (HICs) contributing the largest proportion to the sector's GHG emissions. However, future increases are predicted in LMICs in the absence of robust GHG mitigation. This systematic review aims to identify evidence-based GHG mitigation interventions to guide the transformation of health care systems towards net zero, specifically in LMICs. Additionally, potential synergies between interventions that aid adaption to climate change and mitigate GHG emissions will be investigated. Methods: This protocol will follow the 'Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic review and Meta-Analysis Protocols (PRISMA-P) checklist of recommended items to address in a systematic review protocol'. A comprehensive search will be conducted on electronic databases identified as relevant. Search terms were identified to capture all relevant peer-reviewed, primary research published between 1990 and 2022. The risk of bias will be assessed, and the quality of evidence graded. The eventual narrative synthesis will feed into a theory of change framework on GHG mitigation of health care systems in LMICs. Discussion: This systematic review will synthesise the existing evidence around GHG mitigation interventions across all scopes of emissions, including scope 1 (health care operations), scope 2 (energy), and scope 3 (supply chains). It can be used to inform recommendations on how health care systems in LMICs can reduce emissions while prioritising which actions to take to gain the most significant reductions in GHG emissions, considering ease of implementation, scope and cost. Finally, this can catalyse further research in this area which is urgently needed.

Life cycle assessment of earth-abundant photocatalysts for enhanced photocatalytic hydrogen production

Hydrogen (H2) can play a critical role in global greenhouse gas (GHG) mitigation. Photocatalytic water splitting using solar radiation is a promising H2 technology. Titanium dioxide (TiO2) and carbon nitride (g–C3N4)–based photocatalysts are the most widely used photocatalytic materials because of their activity and abundance. Several attempts have been made to improve the photocatalytic performance of these materials in terms of their activity level, life span, response to visible radiation, and stability. However, the environmental impacts of these modifications are often not included in existing studies. This research, therefore, develops a cradle-to-grave life cycle assessment (LCA) framework to evaluate and compare the GHG footprints of four alternative pathways: TiO2 nanorods and fluorine-doped carbon nitride quantum dots embedded with TiO2 (CNF: TNR/TiO2), g-C3N4, and g-C3N4/BiOI composite. Unlike most studies that focus only on certain stages such as laboratory-scale photocatalytic fabrication, this study includes utility-scale cell production, assembly, operation, and end of life to give a more accurate and precise environmental performance estimation. The results show that g-C3N4/BiOI has the lowest GHG footprint (0.38 kg CO2 eq per kg of H2) and CNF: TNR/TiO2 has the lowest energy payback time (0.4 years). In every pathway, energy use in material extraction processes makes up the largest GHG contribution, between 83% and 89%. Sensitivity and uncertainty analyses were conducted under the impact of various input parameters on the life cycle GHG emissions of hydrogen production. Photocatalytic water splitting is highly feasible for adaptation as a mainstream hydrogen production pathway in the future.

Leaders or laggards in climate action? Assessing GHG trends and mitigation targets of global megacities

Urban areas account for between 71% and 76% of CO2 emissions from global final energy use and between 67–76% of global energy use. The highest emitting 100 urban areas (defined as contiguous population clusters) account for 18% of the global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. To date there is no comprehensive study of megacities (10 million+ population) analysing their historic population, economic and emission patterns and contributions to global GHGs. A key challenge is that a majority of these megacities (33 out of 41) are located in developing countries, making it challenging to track their rapidly mounting emissions. In this research, we capitalize on recently released open-access datasets—the Global Human Settlements Database (R2019A) and the World Urbanization Prospects (2018) for analyzing megacity development and GHG trends, vis-à-vis the mitigation targets outlined in their climate action plans. We find that as leading political and economic centres in their nations, though most megacities have initiated climate action plans, the aggregate impact of megacities on global emissions is limited. Based on this evidence, we explore how rapidly growing megacities can hedgehop to effectively reduce their GHG emissions while urbanizing and developing economically.

Global warming intensity of biofuel derived from switchgrass grown on marginal land in Michigan

AbstractEnergy crops for biofuel production, especially switchgrass (Panicum virgatum), are of interest from a climate change perspective. Here, we use outputs from a crop growth model and life cycle assessment (LCA) to examine the global warming intensity (GWI; g CO2 MJ−1) and greenhouse gas (GHG) mitigation potential (Mg CO2 year−1) of biofuel systems based on a spatially explicit analysis of switchgrass grown on marginal land (abandoned former cropland) in Michigan, USA. We find that marginal lands in Michigan can annually produce over 0.57 hm3 of liquid biofuel derived from nitrogen‐fertilized switchgrass, mitigating 1.2–1.5 Tg of CO2 year−1. About 96% of these biofuels can meet the Renewable Fuel Standard (60% reduction in lifecycle GHG emissions compared with conventional gasoline; GWI ≤37.2 g CO2 MJ−1). Furthermore, 73%–75% of these biofuels are carbon‐negative (GWI less than zero) due to enhanced soil organic carbon (SOC) sequestration. However, simulations indicate that SOC levels would fail to increase and even decrease on the 11% of lands where SOC stocks >>200 Mg C ha−1, leading to carbon intensities greater than gasoline. Results highlight the strong climate mitigation potential of switchgrass grown on marginal lands as well as the needs to avoid carbon rich soils such as histosols and wetlands and to ensure that productivity will be sufficient to provide net mitigation.

Global oil refining's contribution to greenhouse gas emissions from 2000 to 2021

The refining industry is the third-largest source of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from stationary sources, so it is at the forefront of the energy transition and net zero pathways. The dynamics of contributors in this sector such as crucial countries, leading enterprises, and key emission processes are vital to identifying key GHG emitters and supporting targeted emission reduction, yet they are still poorly understood. Here, we established a global sub-refinery GHG emission dataset in a long time series based on life cycle method. Globally, cumulative GHG emissions from refineries reached approximately 34.1 gigatons (Gt) in the period 2000-2021 with an average annual increasing rate of 0.7%, dominated by the United States, EU27&UK, and China. In 2021, the top 20 countries with the largest GHG emissions of oil refining accounted for 83.9% of global emissions from refineries, compared with 79.5% in 2000. Moreover, over the past two decades, 53.9-57.0% of total GHG emissions came from the top 20 oil refining enterprises with the largest GHG emissions in 12 of these 20 countries. Retiring or installing mitigation technologies in the top 20% of refineries with the largest GHG emissions and refineries with GHG emissions of more than 0.1 Gt will reduce the level of GHG emissions by 38.0%-100.0% in these enterprises. Specifically, low-carbon technologies installed on furnaces and boilers as well as steam methane reforming will enable substantial GHG mitigation of more than 54.0% at the refining unit level. Therefore, our results suggest that policies targeting a relatively small number of super-emission contributors could significantly reduce GHG emissions from global oil refining.

A systematic review protocol for identifying the effectiveness of greenhouse gas mitigation interventions for health care systems in low- and middle-income countries

Background: Climate change is predicted to be our century's most significant health threat. In 2021, 46 countries committed to environmentally sustainable low carbon health care systems. Of those, 34 were from low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Currently, health systems are responsible for 4.4% of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, with health systems in high-income countries (HICs) contributing the largest proportion to the sector's GHG emissions. However, future increases are predicted in LMICs in the absence of robust GHG mitigation. This systematic review aims to identify evidence-based GHG mitigation interventions to guide the transformation of health care systems towards net zero, specifically in LMICs. Additionally, potential synergies between interventions that aid adaption to climate change and mitigate GHG emissions will be investigated. Methods: This protocol will follow the 'Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic review and Meta-Analysis Protocols (PRISMA-P) checklist of recommended items to address in a systematic review protocol'. A comprehensive search will be conducted on electronic databases identified as relevant. Search terms were identified to capture all relevant peer-reviewed, primary research published between 1990 and 2022. The risk of bias will be assessed, and the quality of evidence graded. The eventual narrative synthesis will feed into a theory of change framework on GHG mitigation of health care systems in LMICs. Discussion: This systematic review will synthesise the existing evidence around GHG mitigation interventions across all scopes of emissions, including scope 1 (health care operations), scope 2 (energy), and scope 3 (supply chains). It can be used to inform recommendations on how health care systems in LMICs can reduce emissions while prioritising which actions to take to gain the most significant reductions in GHG emissions, considering ease of implementation, scope and cost. Finally, this can catalyse further research in this area which is urgently needed.

City-Level Determinants of Household CO2 Emissions per Person: An Empirical Study Based on a Large Survey in China

Studies have shown that household consumption accounts for more than 60% of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Reducing household CO2 emissions (HCEs) can help combat climate change globally and can provide a wide range of environmental, financial and public health benefits. Here, we present data from a large survey on 14,928 households in eighty-eight Chinese cities to investigate the spatial patterns in HCEs per person (PHCEs) and the drivers behind these patterns based on a multi-scale geographically weighted regression (MGWR) model. We found that higher PHCEs were mainly in northern cities with a severe and cold climate. Our findings suggest that PHCEs could be modeled as a function of household size, education level, income level, consumption tendency and HCEs intensity. HCEs intensity was identified as the most important determinant, and its effect increased from eastern cities to central and western cities in China. The quantification of city-level PHCEs and their drivers help policy makers to make fair and equitable GHG mitigation polices, and they help achieve many of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, including affordable and clean energy, sustainable cities and communities, and climate action.

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

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

Greenhouse gas emissions in British Columbia: Production versus consumption accounting from 2010 to 2015

As a result of carbon-pricing policies, a number of jurisdictions across the world claim to be decoupling their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from their gross domestic product (GDP). In British Columbia (BC), Canada, in what appears to be decoupling from 2007 to 2018, GHGs with respect to GDP declined by 16% ( BC Government 2020 ). This finding, however, is the result of a production-based method of accounting—the predominant global approach for allocating emissions—and not a consumption-based method. In this study, we compare these two accounting methods with respect to British Columbian decoupling. We calculate consumption-based emissions through a multi-regional input-output analysis from 2010 to 2015. In our results for 2015, we find total consumption emissions of 82.5Mt of CO 2 e; when compared to the total production emissions of 73.7Mt of CO 2 e, we find BC to be a net consumer of emissions by 8.8Mt of CO 2 e for 2015. Although BC has had this net consumer status since at least 2004 ( Dobson and Fellows, 2017 ), this orientation is in decline primarily due to the decarbonizing trends of China and the USA. In short, for BC from 2010–2015, on a per capita basis, both production and consumption accounts of emissions declined (even as GDP rose), but per capita consumption accounts declined more than production accounts and mostly due to emissions reductions from trade partners. Finally, this study may be of interest to policymakers and scientists, and like other scholars, we recommend that consumption-based inventories accompany production-based accounts when designing and assessing global GHG mitigation policy.

Comprehensive analysis method of determining global long-term GHG mitigation potential of passenger battery electric vehicles

Abstract The development of electric vehicles can help reduce the use of fossil fuels and further mitigate greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. A comprehensive method is proposed for estimating the GHG mitigation potential of passenger battery electric vehicles (PBEVs) continentally and globally, considering the electricity consumption, energy transition, and other main influencing factors. The future energy transition is considered to change the electricity generation structures, improve the share of clean power, and further increase the GHG mitigation potential of electric vehicles based on a life-cycle analysis. An uncertainty analysis is performed to investigate the main influencing factors, such as energy intensity, battery size, autonomous vehicles, charging infrastructure, carpooling and ridesharing, and the development of other competitive vehicles on the electricity consumption and mitigation potential. Results show that the global stock of PBEVs will reach 1.2 × 108 and 1.0 × 109 vehicles in 2030 and 2050, respectively, and the global electricity consumption will be 250–480 TWh in 2030 and 1140–2840 TWh in 2050, equivalent of saving 3.4–6.5 × 108 barrel of gasoline in 2030 and 1.6–3.9 × 109 barrel of gasoline in 2050. The calculated global GHG mitigation potentials of PBEVs are 40–215 Mt CO2e and 340–1380 Mt CO2e in 2030 and 2050, respectively, which will accelerate the decarbonization transition in the transport sector and help achieve the global temperature control goals in the Paris Agreement and sustainable development goals.

Assessment of the environmental impact of timber and its potential to mitigate embodied GHG emissions

Currently, the world is undergoing the biggest wave of urban growth in history. To accommodate this unprecedented growth, adding more than 230 billion m2 of new floor area to the global building stock by 2060 is expected. As embodied emissions are responsible for 11% of annual greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions globally, an increase in embodied emissions from new construction will put tremendous additional pressure on the natural environment. To investigate the environmental impact of timber and potential of mitigating the increase in embodied GHG emissions from new residential constructions, a life cycle assessment (LCA) is performed for the production stage of three low-energy modular buildings. The results suggested that by substituting reinforced concrete (RC) and masonry (M) with cross-laminated timber (CLT) in the building structure, 14.62% and 12.94% of emissions could be avoided on a building level, respectively. However, the substitution leads to a significant increase in land use impact. In order to get a sense of mitigation potential on the larger scale, the mitigation potential of embodied GHG emissions is investigated for an expected residential building stock new floor area growth predictions depending on the regional residential building structural material choice in the world key regions for periods from 2017 to 2060. Under the assumptions made, the preliminary results suggest that by 2060 a certain amount of emissions could be avoided if conventional structural materials were substituted with CLT, however, emissions from new floor area additions are still substantial. Moreover, global GHG mitigation potential raises new concerns and questions that need to be further investigated. In addition, the importance of considering the land use impact in the LCA studies of bio-based construction materials is highlighted.

Impact of irrigation and fertilization regimes on greenhouse gas emissions from soil of mulching cultivated maize (Zea mays L.) field in the upper reaches of Yellow River, China

Greenhouse gas emissions from agricultural soil are strongly affected by the field practices including fertilization, irrigation and cultivation model. Understanding the mechanism of greenhouse gas emissions from soil and their impact factors is essential for cleaner agricultural production and global greenhouse gas mitigation. This paper investigated greenhouse gas emissions from soil of mulching cultivated maize (Zea mays L.) field under different irrigation and fertilization regimes. Border and drip irrigation with different schedules were implemented in the upper reaches of Yellow River, China. Border irrigation included three different irrigation depths (180, 315 and 450 mm), and drip irrigation was controlled by a tensiometer and triggered by three different matric potentials (−15, −25 and −35 kPa). Three nitrogen fertilizer levels (350, 250 and 150 kg ha−1) were applied for the drip irrigation triggered by the matric potential of −25 kPa. Soil acted as a sink of CH4 in the semiarid site regardless of irrigation and nitrogen fertilization regimes. Irrigation scheduling had no significant influence on CO2 emissions, but the irrigation method did have. Cumulative CO2 emissions increased by 24.7% for drip irrigation compared with border irrigation at the same water and nitrogen fertilizer levels. Cumulative CO2 emissions for the high nitrogen fertilizer treatment (350 kg ha−1) increased by 19.3% in comparison with the medium and low levels under drip irrigation. N2O emissions were positively related to the irrigation depth under both drip and border irrigation. Cumulative N2O emissions reduced by 23.5% for drip irrigation compared with border irrigation at the same water and nitrogen fertilizer levels. N2O emissions increased with the increase in nitrogen fertilizer application under drip irrigation. Drip irrigation with high frequency (−15 kPa) and medium nitrogen fertilization (250 kg ha−1) obtained the best economic and environmental performance through comprehensive evaluation of the yield, water and fertilizer productivity, global warming potential, greenhouse gas intensity and net ecosystem economic budget. The findings can provide an opportunity for greenhouse gas mitigation without crop yield reduction following the proper irrigation and fertilization regimes in the semiarid region.

Toward a Low-Carbon Transport Sector in Mexico

Considering that the world transport sector is the second largest contributor of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions due to energy use and the least decarbonized sector, it is highly recommended that all countries implement ambitious public policies to decarbonize this sector. In Mexico the transport sector generates the largest share of greenhouse gas emissions, in 2014 it contributed with 31.3% of net emissions. Two original scenarios for the Mexican transport sector, a no-policy baseline scenario (BLS) and a low carbon scenario (LCS) were constructed. In the LCS were applied 21 GHG mitigation measures, which far exceeds the proposals for reducing transport sector GHG emissions that Mexico submitted in its National Determined Contributions (NDC). As a result, the proposed LCS describes a sector transformation path characterized by structural changes in freight and passenger mobility, new motor technologies for mobility, introduction of biofuels, price signals, transportation practices and regulations, as well as urban planning strategies, which altogether achieve an accumulated reduction of 3166 MtCO2e in a 25 year period, producing a global net benefit of 240,772 MUSD and a GHG emissions’ reduction of 56% in 2035 in relation to the BLS.

“Dark” Materials for a Brighter Energy Future

Clean energy is essential for meeting global greenhouse gas mitigation targets, but the technology requires increasing quantities of minerals, the mining of which can inflict social, political, and environmental damage. Local environmental issues and global emission reductions present a trade-off that could prove pivotal for future mineral supply.

How to slash greenhouse gas emissions in the freight sector: Policy insights from a technology-adoption model of Canada

Freight or goods-movement transportation accounts for 6% of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and 10% of emissions in our case study of Canada – mostly from heavy-duty trucks. Little research has explored the types of policies needed to achieve 2050 GHG mitigation goals in the land freight sector, i.e., 80% reductions from 2005 levels. We use a behaviourally-realistic technology-adoption model (CIMS-Freight) to simulate the GHG impacts of several climate policies, individually and in combinations, on the land freight sector (trucking and rail). Results indicate that current policies in Canada (including standards and carbon pricing) will not achieve GHG reduction targets for this sector – in fact, emissions continue to rise. Further, no individual policy has a high probability of achieving 2030 or 2050 GHG targets, including more stringent versions of the carbon tax, fuel efficiency standards, low-carbon fuel standard (LCFS), or a zero-emissions vehicle (ZEV) mandate for trucks. Finally, we identify several policy combinations that have a high probability of achieving 2050 goals, in particular a stringent ZEV mandate for trucks complemented by a stringent LCFS. While other effective policies and policy combinations are possible, Canada's present and proposed policies are not stringent enough to reach deep GHG targets.