Greenhouse Gas Emission Reduction Targets Research Articles

The implications of the European Green Deal stemming from the REPowerEU plan for Brazil–European Union relations in the sustainable fuels sector (2019–2024)

This article examines the implications of the European Green Deal and the REPowerEU program on Brazil-European Union bilateral relations in the sustainable fuels sector from 2019 to 2024. The research is based on the global relevance of the environmental agenda, Brazil’s strategic role as a bioenergy supplier, and the EU’s position as a leader in the pursuit of energy transition and greenhouse gas emission reduction targets. The adopted methodology combines a literature review and documentary analysis, thus enabling the mapping of European and Brazilian policies, as well as an assessment of their impacts on Brazilian exports. Among the findings, the strengthening of Brazil-EU relations stands out, particularly in the development of Sustainable Aviation Fuels and green hydrogen, driven by regulations and incentives on both sides. However, first-generation biofuels face regulatory challenges, which limit their access to the European market. This study aims to contribute to a deeper understanding of energy transition dynamics and their effects on international relations.

Biowaste to biochar: a techno-economic and life cycle assessment of biochar production from food-waste digestate and its agricultural field application

Biochar has high potential for long-term atmospheric carbon storage in terrestrial environments, contributing to meeting the UK and global greenhouse gas emission reduction targets. This study investigates the greenhouse gas emissions and techno-economics associated with biochar produced from food waste anaerobic digestate using hydrothermal carbonisation followed by high-temperature post carbonisation. Owing to high moisture contents, digestates are challenging to valorise. However, these low-value feedstocks have steady availability with minimal competition for other applications. The study focuses on food waste digestate supply, biochar production, biochar agricultural field application, and transportation activities. Minimising digestate transport through co-locating biochar production facilities with anaerobic digestion displayed greenhouse gas mitigation costs of < £100 tCO2eq−1 (125 USD tCO2eq−1). The 88% stable carbon fraction of the biochar, which is resistant to degradation in soil, is primarily responsible for the effective removal of atmospheric greenhouse gases. This results in net emissions reductions of 1.15–1.20 tCO2eq per tonne of biochar, predominantly due to the long-term storage of durable carbon (1.7 tCO2eq per tonne of biochar). Using 50% of the UK’s projected available food waste digestate by 2030 offers a sequester potential of 93 ktCO2eq p.a., requiring 28 biochar facilities at 20 kt p.a. capacity. Sensitivity analysis emphasises the influence of the gate fee charged to process digestate, highlighting its importance for economic success of the biochar production. Further studies are needed to investigate the potential technology enhancements to reduce fossil-fuel use and provide greater certainty of the co-benefits of biochar application in agricultural soil.Graphical

Opportunities and Challenges in Developing Livestock Waste as Transportation Fuel

In 2023, Indonesia became a top 10 carbon emitter, which is contradictory to its net zero emissions agenda. One of the causes is the use of fossil energy, and it is necessary to transition energy sustainably, especially for the transportation sector, which is the largest contributor to emissions. New renewable energy sources from livestock manure waste can be used as fuels in the transportation sector. Many livestock produce waste that needs to be utilized. Livestock manure waste is widely used as biogas for household-scale applications but is rarely utilized as a biofuel in the transportation sector. This study aimed to analyze the potential and challenges of developing biofuels from livestock waste in Brebes Regency (Indonesia). Biofuel development must be conducted at the regional level to support the acceleration of greenhouse gas emission reduction targets. This research uses data sources in the form of literature studies and interviews, the Analytical Hierarchy Process was used to formulate sustainable energy transition policies. The results of this study describe the opportunities and challenges of developing livestock manure waste as transportation fuel. The Brebes Regency Government can encourage this through policies to accelerate the energy transition. Keywords: biogas, energy transition, livestock waste, transportation fuel

Evaluating public health co-benefits of New York state’s climate leadership and community protection act

Evaluating public health co-benefits of New York state’s climate leadership and community protection act

Accelerating the EU's climate transformation: The European Green Deal's Fit for 55 Package unpacked

AbstractThis article analyses the qualitative changes made to European Union (EU) climate law through the ‘Fit for 55’ legislative package, which aims to implement the EU's upgraded greenhouse gas emission reduction target of at least 55% compared with 1990 levels. The Package consists of 19 pieces of legislation. We investigate the Package's impact on key aspects of EU climate governance, including (a) ambition and stringency, (b) sectoral reach and (c) policy mix. We find that the Package has strengthened and detailed the EU's climate and energy targets and consolidated oversight of Member State implementation (ambition and stringency). The Package has also significantly expanded the reach of EU climate law to new sectors and policy areas. Finally, the Package has enriched the EU's climate policy mix, especially by introducing new economic and regulatory instruments. If fully implemented, the Package should enable the EU to achieve its 2030 emission reduction target. However, full implementation cannot be taken for granted given the current public backlash against climate policies in Europe. This enhances the importance of upgrading the EU framework for procedural climate governance, including with respect to public participation and deliberation. Overall, the Package must be complemented by further development of EU climate law and governance towards 2040 and beyond.

Strategic Reduction Method for Energy Input and CO2 Emissions: Direct Supply of Underground Seawater for Land-Based Aquaculture Systems in South Korea

This study addresses the challenges of and opportunities for achieving the ambitious greenhouse gas emissions reduction target of the fishery sector of the Republic of Korea, set at 96% by 2030. We also focus on the current status of land-based aquaculture and underground seawater resource development, quantitatively compare energy inputs for land-based fish cultivation, and evaluate the potential of underground seawater to reduce CO2 emissions. Since 2010, 762 underground seawater boreholes have been developed, yielding a cumulative daily pumpage of 125,780 m3. Jeollanam-do was found to have the highest daily pumpage, with an annual energy requirement of 131,205,613 Mcal. Despite the fact that the energy demands for underground seawater are higher in some months, it provides a 22.6% reduction in total annual energy consumption compared to surface water. The use of underground seawater for heating or cooling resulted in a 24.1% reduction in the required input energy. However, energy requirements increase due to the relatively high surface water temperature in some regions and seasons. This study also highlights the utilization of underground seawater in heating or cooling surface water via indirect applications using geothermal heat pumps. This innovative research broadens the methods of greenhouse gas mitigation, particularly in the agriculture, livestock, and fisheries industries.

원자력 활용 수소생산의 제도화 방안에 관한 연구

In order to actively combat the climate crisis, recent decisions requiring governments to set greenhouse gas emission reduction targets have included the Dutch Urgenda decision and the German Constitutional Court decision (BVerfG, NVwZ 2021, 954, Rn. 109.) and The achievement of carbon neutrality through the production of green energy, as determined by the Constitutional Court decision (2020 Constitutional Court 389). is an important and urgent issue, and the production of green hydrogen is desirable to achieve “2050 Carbon Neutral”, but green hydrogen is green hydrogen is difficult to produce in reality, so producing hydrogen energy utilizing nuclear power recognized as clean energy nuclear energy, which is recognized as a clean energy source, could be an alternative. Nuclear hydrogen energy can be produced by utilizing the under-dispatch of electricity caused by the rigidity of nuclear power and the transmission constraints caused by the lack of transmission lines, thus increasing the efficiency of overall energy. However It is a variant of nuclear power that has the same limitations as nuclear power, such as the cost of radioactive waste disposal and the risk of accidents such as the Fukushima nuclear disaster, as well as the claim of replacing the hydrogen industry as one of the rationales for building new nuclear power plants. This paper aims to increase the proportion of hydrogen energy generation through the existing hydrogen power generation bidding system (CHPS) and the mandatory clean hydrogen power generation system, and to improve the existing system by introducing Japan's power purchase agreement (PPA) along with Germany's power generation difference auction system, and to examine the introduction of hydrogen energy supply certificates (HEC) and the activation of certificate trading. On the other hand, issues related to safety were summarized and legislation was considered as there were no safety standards for hydrogen power generation facilities utilizing nuclear power plants such as high-temperature gas cooling furnaces. In addition, we examine the legal basis of the Hydrogen Act and administrative law issues, and the attitudes of precedents and theories on the legal nature of public law acts and exceptional approvals of hydrogen product manufacturing business licenses and registration and signatures of the Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy. In addition, this article examines the legal basis of the Hydrogen Act and administrative law issues, and the attitudes of precedents and theories on the legal nature of public acts and exceptional approvals of hydrogen product manufacturing business licenses and registration and signature of the Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy. On the other hand, issues related to safety were summarized, and since the current “Hydrogen Act” does not have regulations on safety standards for nuclear power plant hydrogen generation facilities and facilities such as high-temperature gas cooling furnaces, it was considered to enact a separate law. In addition, as an institutional complement to nuclear hydrogen production, the report recommends prioritizing the supply of surplus electricity from transmission constraints to nuclear hydrogen industrial complexes, compensation for local benefits of nuclear power plants, fair production cost calculation, expansion of the direct power purchase agreement (PPA) system, and a differential electricity price system by distance. Finally, the main body of this paper and the appendix contain the draft of the “Special Act on Nuclear Hydrogen Production” (tentative title), which stipulates the implementation system and safety standards for nuclear hydrogen production.

Carbon Dioxide Seabed Storage Technology and Development

With the acceleration of global industrialization, the massive use of fossil fuels led to a sharp rise in atmospheric CO2 concentrations, triggering a series of environmental problems such as global warming and sea level rise. As an important component of carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) technology, offshore carbon sequestration held significant importance for achieving global emission reduction targets. This study focused on CO2 seafloor storage technology and its development, describing four methods of CO2 ocean storage: ocean water column storage, ocean sediment storage, CO2 replacement gas hydrate storage, and ocean fertilization. The feasibility of seabed sequestration technology was discussed from three perspectives: policy background, economic costs and benefits, and technological application conditions. Additionally, the study analyzed the bottlenecks in applying this technology and proposed coping strategies. As an indispensable part of the CCUS strategy, offshore carbon sequestration played a crucial role in achieving global greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reduction targets.

Analysis of the Physical Characteristics of Helical Heat Exchangers for Reducing CO2 Emissions into the Atmosphere

This research aims to analyze heat transfer behavior and evaluate the potential for reducing carbon dioxide emissions of elliptical cross-section helical coil heat exchangers. The study employs experimental testing and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations under constant surface temperature conditions. The investigation focuses on the influence of physical characteristics, particularly the percent ovality (δ) and the hydraulic diameter to coil diameter ratio ????ℎ???????????????????? on heat transfer efficiency.Empirical results demonstrate that helical coils with high δ values (66.67%) and smaller surface areas exhibit higher heat transfer coefficients and Nusselt numbers. A mathematical model in the form of ????????=0.0327????????0.8595????????0.4 was developed, achieving a correlation coefficient of 99.04%. Furthermore, exergy analysis reveals that the optimized design can reduce carbon dioxide emissions by up to 175.54 kg per year per unit, assuming 8-hour daily operation.These findings can be applied to the development of high-efficiency, environmentally friendly air conditioning systems for buildings and residences, aligning with greenhouse gas emission reduction targets set by the Paris Agreement.

Green hydrogen blending in natural gas: A global review and a local analysis on Türkiye based on greenhouse gas emission reduction targets

Green hydrogen blending in natural gas: A global review and a local analysis on Türkiye based on greenhouse gas emission reduction targets

10.F. Skills building seminar: How public health professionals can use the right to health to advance climate action and justice

Abstract The climate crisis is the single biggest threat to global health, peace and security, a crisis multiplier, and a significant driver of health inequalities. In many areas of public health policy, legal action and litigation have delivered significant and long-lasting impacts. In April 2024, the European Court of Human Rights concluded that Switzerland had violated the right to health of older women in Switzerland by failing to meet its past greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction targets and set future GHG targets. State-of-the-art public health evidence provided by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and Lancet Countdown on Health and Climate Change were vital to the Court’s decision, which has implications for all Council of Europe member states, and globally. Rigorous scientific evidence of health harms, including but not limited to heat stress, can inform other climate litigation grounded in the right to health. Public health researchers and practitioners are essential to this litigation. In recognition of this emerging role, in November 2023 the Faculty of Public Health (UK) and the Aletta Jacobs School of Public Health launched ‘From analysis to action: climate change litigation. A guide for public health professionals’ at the 16th European Public Health Conference. The guide was also endorsed by ASPHER, ASPPH, EUPHA, Global Consortium on Climate and Health Education, Global Network for Academic Public Health, Lancet Countdown, Public Health Ethics and Law Global Network, and WFPHA. This workshop will familiarise participants with recent rights-based climate litigation and explore the role of public health professionals in identifying, collecting, storing, assessing and presenting this evidence in a form that is accessible to court officials without medical training. First, there will be short presentations on 1) the role of the law in climate action and the role of scientific evidence of health harms in human rights litigation, and 2) How to collect and use scientific evidence of health harms in climate litigation (15 minutes). Small group discussions will follow, addressing questions such as: The health harm of climate change-related heat stress was a major factor in the 2024 decision of the European Court of Human Rights in KlimaSeniorinnen v. Switzerland: What other health harms could support future cases? In what population groups? What opportunities do you see today for public health researchers and practitioners to compile such evidence to make the most compelling case? How can public health researchers and practitioners work more closely with legal experts and affected communities to bring this evidence to court? (20 minutes) The workshop will conclude with a plenary discussion of these questions and the small group responses. (25 minutes) As a result of the workshop, participants will be better prepared to identify opportunities to contribute compelling evidence of health harms in climate litigation. Key messages • Rigorous scientific evidence of climate change-related health harms is proving central to success in rights-based climate litigation. • Public health professionals have a key role in identifying and presenting compelling evidence of health harms in climate litigation. Speakers/Panelists David Patterson University of Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands Farhang Tahzib Faculty of Public Health, Haywards Heath, UK

On the legality of national carbon pricing instruments alongside the new EU ETS 2

With the EU ETS 2 a new EU-wide emissions trading system is introduced that covers the greenhouse gas emission of the buildings and road transport sectors, i.e. sectors the decarbonization of which has so far been the responsibility of the Member States under the Effort Sharing Regulation. Since they will remain responsible for the achievement of their national greenhouse gas emission reduction targets under that regime, the question arises whether the Member States can maintain or introduce additional carbon pricing instruments alongside the new EU ETS 2. Hence, this paper examines the legality of such an approach, by assessing relevant provisions of EU secondary and primary law. Without going deep into the economic and political considerations, it concludes that from a legal perspective, the coexistence of national carbon pricing instruments and the EU ETS 2 is not prohibited.With the latest reform of the EU Emissions Trading System Directive (ETS Directive), the European Union (EU) has introduced a new EU emissions trading system for buildings and road transport (EU ETS 2)1. The decarbonization of those sectors traditionally falls within the responsibility of the EU Member States under the regime of the Effort Sharing Regulation (ESR). The ESR introduces legally binding national greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reduction targets. Hence, over the last few years, the Member States have introduced different measures in order to reach their targets. Those include carbon pricing instruments, understood as measures that put a price on the emission of GHG and thus create an incentive to reduce those emissions. Carbon pricing instruments include carbon taxes, as well as emissions trading systems2. With the introduction of the new ETS 2, the question arises whether the Member States can maintain (or introduce) such national carbon pricing instruments in parallel to the new EU ETS 2.

Fantastic wetlands and why to monitor them: Demonstrating the social and financial benefit potential of methane abatement through salt marsh restoration.

Salt marsh restoration has the potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions thereby providing an opportunity for blue carbon crediting, but implementation has been limited to date because of insufficient data and validation. In this paper, we demonstrate the potential scale of methane emissions that could be avoided if salinity-reducing impairments are mitigated by applying findings from six salt marsh restoration sites in Massachusetts combined with a previously demonstrated application of the salt marsh salinity-methane relationship. We used calculations of these avoided emissions to estimate the social benefit of salt marsh restoration by calculating avoided costs. Of the six sites selected, restorations at two sites were successful in improving salinity which we used as a methane proxy. Our approach and findings demonstrate the potential benefits in developing consistent accounting methodologies to better track, prioritize, and implement wetlands restoration strategies to mitigate methane emissions and contribute toward state-level emissions reduction targets across some of the 475 Massachusetts salt marches with an existing tidal restriction. We found the potential for $12 -$26M in added social benefit from 176 tons of avoided methane across 932 hectares of degraded salt marsh in Massachusetts. A significant limitation in estimating benefits, however, is the lack of coordinated, widespread monitoring strategies to infer methane and other GhGs at scale. While not insurmountable, these challenges will need to be addressed for GhG emissions reduction and/or sequestration through salt marsh restoration to be accepted as an effective strategy. We conclude that while carbon crediting may offer benefits to marsh restoration and state greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets, there remain significant limitations because of a lack of project monitoring and data validation. In the worst case, this could result in the offsetting of actual greenhouse gas emissions with credits that are supported by indirect and less-than-rigorous monitoring data.

Risk assessment of achieving greenhouse gas emission reduction target in the maritime industry

Risk assessment of achieving greenhouse gas emission reduction target in the maritime industry

Comparing the ambition of EU companies with science-based targets to EU regulation-imposed reductions

Companies can support governments in bridging the emissions gap between current policies and the Paris goals by adhering to voluntary greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reduction targets that align with or surpass those implied by domestic policies. To this end, we assessed the potential impact of EU companies that set targets through the Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTi) in 2020 relative to an EU reference policies scenario that represents the estimated impact of the ETS and ESR policy instruments applicable at that time, with the aim of achieving a 40% reduction relative to 1990 by 2030. Two scenarios were assessed that incorporate the SBTi targets under these instruments: one assuming no additional reductions in the ETS sector due to the waterbed effect, and one with flanking measures to ensure additional emissions reductions regulated by ETS are materialised. Depending on the assumption made about these flanking measures, EU companies with SBTi-approved targets are projected to achieve a 4% or 14% reduction by 2030 compared to the EU 2020 policies scenario. Our findings illustrate that companies with SBTi-approved targets in 2020 were at most in line or modestly more ambitious than the 40% reduction target. This study highlights that voluntary reductions from SBTi companies regulated by ETS display higher estimated reductions than those solely regulated by ESR. Furthermore, this analysis indicates that more policy details are crucial for assessing the potential additional reduction of voluntary targets, and additional reductions under ETS should be assumed zero if a conservative estimate is required.

Quantifying the Financial and Climate Impacts of Greenhouse Gas Abatement Pathways in Residential Space Heating

New York State (NYS) has set strict greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reduction targets across all sectors of its economy, including the heating sector. This study examines the financial value and environmental impacts of the residential space heating sector in NYS under different GHG abatement options by comparing the existing natural gas heating pathway with three potential GHG abatement pathways: renewable natural gas (RNG), hydrogen blended into RNG, and air-source heat pumps (ASHPs). These pathways are analyzed via a comparative net present value (NPV) framework from 2022 to 2042 with the emission reduction represented as a revenue stream that serves as a function of the social cost of GHGs. The investment timing of each of these pathways is also accounted for to reflect the pathways’ varying deployment timelines. The ASHP pathway with a 10% financial discount rate and a 2% social cost of the GHG discount rate achieves the lowest NPV. The RNG pathway achieves the highest NPV. A sensitivity analysis determines the impact of key factors on the NPV results. This study aims to inform policymakers, homeowners, and stakeholders of the potential benefits and costs of each of the four pathways to aid them in their decision-making process.

Review of the marine energy environment-a combination of traditional, bibliometric and PESTEL analysis

Review of the marine energy environment-a combination of traditional, bibliometric and PESTEL analysis

Belgian public authorities held liable for flawed climate policy: Klimaatzaak case

The judgment handed down in the Klimaatzaak case by the French-speaking Court of First Instance of Brussels on 17 June 2021 was largely confirmed by the well-reasoned 160-page judgment of the Brussels Court of Appeal of 30 November 2023. This judgment raises fundamental issues relating to the judicial review of inaction by public authorities that leads to a failure to mitigate greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. In reviewing the Belgian climate change policies in the light of the fundamental rights to life and private and family life and the general duty of care inherent in fault-based civil liability, the Court of Appeal narrowed the gap between Belgian GHG emission reduction targets and public mitigation measures. It follows that political rhetoric must be fleshed out into legal instruments that are properly designed to counter the impacts of climate change on life and privacy.

Regulation Mechanism for Designing Decarbonization Pathways in the Copper Industry Toward Carbon Neutrality.

The transformation of the global power structure caused by the carbon neutrality goal will promote copper consumption. It is crucial to explore the decarbonization pathways of the copper industry to help fulfill greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reduction targets. This study utilized material flow analysis and life cycle assessment methods to investigate 12 different subscenarios based on international trade, circular economy, technology evolution, and environmental market factors. Policy combination scenario is employed to reveal the mechanism of decarbonization. The results show that refined copper consumption in China is expected to increase by 62.3% in 2060 compared to 2020. The GHG emissions of China's copper industry will reach 9.1 million tonnes (Mt) CO2e in 2060, technology evolution and environmental market are crucial for realizing carbon neutrality goal of this industry, accounting for 26.4 and 47.2% of emissions reductions, respectively, between 2020 and 2060. International trade and circular economy play important roles in the high-quality carbon peaking stage; however, imported copper and domestic secondary copper will constitute the basic supply of copper resources in China in the long run, and the comparative advantages of them will gradually weaken. Policy combination scenario can achieve the incentive synergy effect, with GHG reduced to 0.5 Mt CO2e in 2060. The enhanced application of policies such as material substitution and carbon emission trading will further promote industry to achieve net-zero GHG emission. We suggest regulating the industry's structure based on the international systemic circulation pattern and accelerating the construction of a green circular chain in the short term to achieve sustainable copper supply and high-quality carbon peaking. Promoting a high-quality technology development strategy and enhancing the environmental markets are recommended in the long term to achieve carbon neutrality.

Unlocking the potential of the bioeconomy for climate change reduction: The optimal use of lignocellulosic biomass in Germany

AbstractThe concept of a circular bioeconomy has become a new economic leitmotif for reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Its central narrative rests on the idea of replacing fossil resources with biobased ones for a broad spectrum of products including, for example, heat, electricity, fuels, plastics, or chemicals. Yet, the amount of available bio‐resources is limited, rendering some technologies successful while leaving behind others. Lignocellulosic biomass (LBM) is a key resource already used on a large scale for heating purposes or electricity production and increasingly for the production of chemicals and biofuels. Because market mechanisms do not necessarily drive a cost‐optimal use with respect to their GHG‐reduction potential, a new bi‐objective linear optimization model under long‐term scenarios was developed for Germany accounting for competition with non‐biobased technologies. In the biofuels and biochemicals sectors, multi‐output processes that address industrial symbiosis and fossil references are used to compute profits and GHG emission savings of biobased products. However, in the absence of a reference for heat, a detailed representation of the heat sector is used in which heat demand for 19 subsectors is met, thus deriving costs and emission savings endogenously. When explicitly accounting for GHG emission reduction targets, biomass is optimally used in high‐temperature industries whereas heat pumps dominate in building heat. Because of the optimal use of biomass in industrial usage, subsidies for biomass heating are found to be inefficient in the building sector. Catalytic hydropyrolysis to produce biogasoline and biodiesel using LBM dominates the production of biofuels while biochemicals—strongly depending on oil price developments—will become competitive on a large scale after 2030.