Low-carbon Energy Transition Research Articles

How just are just transition plans? Perceptions of decarbonisation and low-carbon energy transitions among peat workers in Ireland

The concept “just transition” refers to the principle important to underpin policies to mitigate negative socioeconomic consequences that arise during the transition to a low-carbon society. However, the concept has been subject to different interpretations and currently lacks theoretical and practical clarity. As a result, a just transition plan can fail to deliver intended justice and mitigate adverse outcomes. This paper seeks to examine how the overarching aim of a just transition is translated into practice. We use distributive, procedural and restorative justice as an explanatory framework to analyse how a just transition programme can be designed based on theory. We illustrate this by using a case study that involves a just transition process taking place in the Irish Midlands. More specifically, we used qualitative research methods to collect data to look at how workers perceived the just transition programme designed to provide them with a just transition. We discuss how discrepancies in the interpretation of justice and its theoretical and practical application can lead to tensions between stakeholders, which may obstruct the just transition process in general. We argue that the discrepancy between the “theory” and “practice” can be attributed to the absence of structure in a just transition process. This process is needed to safeguard the design of a practical just transition programme based on the theoretical interpretations. This article elaborates on what such a process might look like for the benefit of all.

Analysis of international nickel flow based on the industrial chain

Nickel is one of six key metals needed for the global low-carbon energy transition. In recent years, with the rapid rise of the new energy vehicle industry, the imbalance between the global nickel resource supply and demand has become increasingly obvious. The intensification of the contradiction between supply and demand can easily lead to security concerns regarding the supply of resources, and supply shortages will endanger the healthy and orderly development of the whole industrial chain. Understanding the trade structure characteristics of the industrial chain and the correlation between adjacent layers can provide a certain reference for decision makers to prevent supply risks. Hence, based on the trade data related to the nickel industry chain, combined with complex network theory and the material flow analysis method, the multi-layer trade network of the nickel industry chain is constructed. Through the analysis of network characteristics, it is found that global competition for intermediate nickel products is fiercest. Under the influence of two driving factors, the core trading countries in each layer show two different export patterns. In addition, China's nickel industry chain development is the most vulnerable in the world. At the same time, the further down the nickel chain, the stronger the correlation between adjacent layers are, and the integrity of a national industrial chain can provide a certain reference for preventing supply risks. Finally, corresponding policy suggestions are provided for different types of countries participating in the nickel resource trade.

A niche technique overlooked in the Danish district heating sector? Exploring socio-technical perspectives of short-term thermal energy storage for building energy flexibility

This research explores socio-technical perspectives of the demand-side management strategy of using the built environment for short term thermal energy storage. Here conceptualised as a niche innovation within the Danish socio-technical district heating landscapes, the research explores potentials and limitations of this building energy flexibility strategy from the perspective of district heating sector professionals, actors at the centre of the low-carbon energy transitions. Results of the mixed-methods abductive research enquiry suggest that this energy flexibility strategy facilitates (I) solving local network congestion challenges in smaller parts of existing networks and (II) reduces needed network capacity in new heat supply areas. Sector professionals assess this (III) energy flexibility strategy as most practicable in large-scale/commercial buildings and industries. Challenges include hardware balancing, service and maintenance, and the sometimes counterproductive incentive structures among stakeholders involved. Research evidence suggests that business models appealing to environmental values and priorities may incentivise sustainable heat-use behaviours more than economic benefit alone among some groups of end users. Building energy flexibility and demand-side management strategies may become integral to future ‘smart’ energy systems throughout the world. However, their successful implementation necessitates understanding the local socio-technical dynamics involved. Multidisciplinary research approaches as the one taken here facilitate these necessary insights.

Rethinking the position of natural gas in a low-carbon energy transition

Calls to phase out fossil fuels and shift to renewable energy-based solutions dominate the global discussion on low-carbon energy transition. However, the nature of this transition may vary across different countries on account of opportunities for innovative solutions that balance socio-economic and environmental sustainability goals. This piece argues that natural gas (NG) still has a vital role in the near to long-term future energy mix. This position implies that the objective of quickly phasing out NG needs reassessing. We further argue that there remains an opportunity for NG to be a key enabler of a “just” future net-zero emission energy system by mid-century, especially with the political-economic realities of certain countries and new technological innovations around NG utilisation. In this case, we argue that an essential element of “justice” could mean that nations at various levels of economic development adopt different approaches to the energy transition. Thus, decarbonisation efforts must consider socio-economic realities and the different contexts of technology application. The proposed uniform reduced energy demand and the blocking of public financing to NG projects lack the nuance of a sustainable solution, especially related to Sub-Saharan Africa. Accordingly, our analysis suggests that the one-size-fits-all approach to climate action in the context of natural gas commercialisation needs a rethink and countries should be allowed to define low-carbon pathways considering their local circumstances.

Social movements in energy transitions: The politics of fossil fuel energy pathways in the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and Poland

Pathways towards low-carbon energy transitions have become a priority in 21st century Europe. The commitment to lowering carbon dioxide emissions have triggered changes to current fossil fuel-based energy systems. Over the past decade, fossil fuel energy pathways have been characterized by closures of sites, continued extractions and new explorations, demonstrating processes of (dis)continuation. This paper contributes to the recent line of work that draws attention to the contentious politics in sustainability transitions and the role of social movements by drawing on case study work in which we trace social mobilizations alongside key policy and industry developments linked to onshore oil and gas and coal projects in the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and Poland over the past ten years. Drawing on the notion of scalar practices, we identify political strategies and opportunities for the discontinuation of fossil fuels, but we also examine how political spaces are impinged and closed down to support continuation processes. Our analysis demonstrates how decision-making powers and possibilities for scrutinizing and taking actions against fossil fuels are negotiated between local and central government, local communities and residents, grassroots movements, national NGOs, and fossil fuel industries. We conclude that all actors are involved in scalar practices, and non-fossil energy pathways remain challenging if the government and industry actors keep trying to displace the politics linked to fossil fuel energy.

Industrial policies and the competition for low-carbon manufacturing

The low-carbon energy transition sees countries compete about where the low-carbon products are manufactured. In their recent <i>Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews</i> article, Sharma, Surana, and George ask whether imposing unilateral anti-dumping tariffs helps the imposing country move more of the value chain into its own country and answer in the negative. Their analysis raises larger questions about how industrial policies can help advance the global low-carbon transition.

Life cycle assessment shows that retrofitting coal-fired power plants with fuel cells will substantially reduce greenhouse gas emissions

Life cycle assessment shows that retrofitting coal-fired power plants with fuel cells will substantially reduce greenhouse gas emissions

Strategies for improving the environmental performance of nickel production in China: Insight into a life cycle assessment

Nickel is a critical metal for global low-carbon energy transition, but its production processes require massive energy inputs and emit large amounts of pollutants. This study constructed life cycle inventories of the mainstream electrolytic nickel production chains in China at the industrial level and subsequently evaluated their environmental performance via a regionalised life cycle impact assessment method. Results show that environmental indicator results of the electrolytic nickel production from the leaching electrowinning method were 17.7%–40.2% lower than those from the grind and flotation electrolytic method. At the endpoint level, the nickel mining and beneficiation stages contributed 54.7%–65.91% of human health damage, 83.0%–84.7% of ecosystem quality damage and 80.8%–83.7% of resources damage. The key processes, including direct processes, cement input and energy consumption (e.g., electricity and coal), accounted for more than 62.1% of the impacts in the key midpoint categories. The potential environmental damage of China's nickel mining and beneficiation industry increased by 29.2% from 2010 to 2018 because of the growing trend of nickel ore demand. In the case that China's nickel metal recovery rate reaches the global average level, then approximately 3.83 × 102 Daly of human health damage, 59.83 Species·year of ecosystem quality damage and 1.64 × 108 $ of resources damage can be avoided annually. Strategies for promoting the full assimilation of renewable electricity, applying the clinker-free cemented backfill materials in the mining process, precious recovery by bioleaching from tailings and reusing waste rock as building materials are recommended. Meanwhile, extended producer responsibility should to be comprehensively implemented in the nickel-related industries to alleviate the environmental implications and nickel supply pressures from geo-mining.

Distributed peer-to-peer energy trading based on game theory in a community microgrid considering ownership complexity of distributed energy resources

With the ambitions of reducing carbon emissions across the globe, the integration of distributed energy resources (DERs) into community microgrids is being widely promoted. Peer-to-peer (P2P) energy trading, which enables participants with DERs to trade energy with directly each other (without the need for an intermediary), plays a fundamental role in the proliferation of system flexibility for low-carbon energy transitions. Because the ownership complexity feature of DERs greatly impacts P2P energy trading, this study developed a game-theory-based decentralized trading scheme to examine the effects of DER ownership on the benefit of each participant in the P2P trading market. The results indicate that: i) the benefit of an agent with high self-sufficient-rate (SSR) or the drawback of an agent with low SSR is maximized if the agent is the only prosumer in the market, and gradually decreases as the capacity of Photovoltaic (PV) owned by other agents increases; ii) P2P trading generally benefits each participating agent in the market from the economic aspect, but economic loss may occur in communities with high penetration-rates of PV; and iii) the way to increase the economic benefits of P2P seller/buyers in the market is to either increase the supply/demand of themselves, or decrease the supply/demand of competitors.

Current state and call for action to accomplish findability, accessibility, interoperability, and reusability of low carbon energy data

With the continued digitization of the energy sector, the problem of sunken scholarly data investments and forgone opportunities of harvesting existing data is exacerbating. It compounds the problem that the reproduction of knowledge is incomplete, impeding the transparency of science-based targets for the choices made in the energy transition. The FAIR data guiding principles are widely acknowledged as a way forward, but their operationalization is yet to be agreed upon within different research domains. We comprehensively test FAIR data practices in the low carbon energy research domain. 80 databases representative for data needed to support the low carbon energy transition are screened. Automated and manual tests are used to document the state-of-the art and provide insights on bottlenecks from the human and machine perspectives. We propose action items for overcoming the problem with FAIR energy data and suggest how to prioritize activities.

Future of battery metals supply

The low-carbon energy transition is becoming a major driver of the global demand for metals. In particular, energy storage is an essential component of the global electrification trend, and it relies on the supply of battery metals. The International Energy Agency assesses that, in a scenario that meets the Paris Agreement goals, global installation of utility-scale battery storage is set for a 25-fold increase within the next two decades, and battery demand from electric vehicles grows by nearly 40 times (International Energy Agency (IEA) 2021). Under such scenario, overall demand for metals would grow by 30 times. Most of these metals will need to be sourced from primary ores, and the mining sector to grow as a result. As countries accelerate their efforts to reduce emissions, they need to make sure their energy systems remain resilient, secure, and sustainable. Numerous studies have highlighted the increased impacts of sourcing those metals from conventional mines (Watari et al., 2020). An increasing body of research have shown that current estimates of primary supply do not consider the likelihood that some deposits may never achieve production because of both technical and non-technical , also known as Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG), challenges (Éléonore et al., 2020; Valenta et al., 2019). Against this backdrop, there is a need to develop a better understanding of future demand for battery metals, including an analysis of technology development trends which may influence the degree to which factors such as recycling, demand reduction and alternative technologies affect demand scenarios. In addition, there is a need for a rigorous estimate of future primary metal supply which includes an assessment of the proportion of known resources which may be inaccessible due to both technical and ESG challenges

Pore-scale dynamics for underground porous media hydrogen storage

Underground hydrogen storage (UHS) has been launched as a catalyst to the low-carbon energy transitions. The limited understanding of the subsurface processes is a major obstacle for rapid and widespread UHS implementation. We use microfluidics to experimentally describe pore-scale multiphase hydrogen flow in an aquifer storage scenario. In a series of drainage-imbibition experiments we report the effect of capillary number on hydrogen saturations, displacement/trapping mechanisms, dissolution kinetics and contact angle hysteresis. We find that the hydrogen saturation after injection (drainage) increases with increasing capillary number. During hydrogen withdrawal (imbibition) two distinct mechanisms control the displacement and residual trapping – I1 and I2 imbibition mechanisms, respectively. Local hydrogen dissolution kinetics show dependency on injection rate and hydrogen cluster size. Dissolved global hydrogen concentration corresponds up to 28% of reported hydrogen solubility, indicating pore-scale non-equilibrium dissolution. Contact angles show hysteresis and vary between 17 and 56° Our results provide key UHS experimental data to improve understanding of hydrogen multiphase flow behaviour.

Greening the road: China’s low-carbon energy transition and international trade regulation

AbstractThis article offers one of the first comprehensive analyses of China’s emerging practice in subsidizing the low carbon energy (LCE) transition by using the new energy vehicles (NEVs) industry as a case study. It puts forward a fresh framework for this analysis by dividing the NEV value chain into three segments: upstream, midstream, and downstream. Based on this framework, it expounds a strategic shift of China’s subsidization strategy across the NEV value chain, that is, from disproportionately subsidizing the midstream segment that produces NEVs and parts to increasingly subsidizing the upstream and downstream segments to promote research and development (R&amp;D) and expansion of NEV infrastructure and consumption throughout the economy. It argues that this shift mainly comes out of the evolution of China’s industrial policies and economic priorities, which will continue to play a decisive role in the future restructuring and transformation of the NEVs sector. This shift may also reflect China’s intention to reduce potential trade conflicts and maximize WTO-compliance but only to the extent that doing so would not unduly constrain its capacity to pursue its economic goals and industrial policies. In addition, while the WTO rules and jurisprudence may accommodate some of these subsidies (e.g., NEV infrastructure subsidies), the relevant rules will need to be further developed to provide more policy space for other types of subsidies used worldwide (e.g., R&amp;D subsidies). Until then, it remains debatable as to whether the WTO provides sufficient room for countries to facilitate a green recovery in the post-pandemic era.

A Comprehensive Planning Method for Low-Carbon Energy Transition in Rapidly Growing Cities

Coping with climate change requires promoting low-carbon energy transition (LCET) in cities. However, the planning method of LCET for rapidly growing cities deserves further study because it involves dynamicity and interactions of multiple factors. This paper aims to put forward a comprehensive methodology to fill that gap. First, a theoretical framework of “energy system–sustainability–governance–operation of rapidly growing cities” is put forward to explain the general mechanism of LCET. Second, a three step method is built for LCET planning, including energy system analysis based on low emissions analysis platform modeling, operation analysis applying multilevel perspective and stakeholder theories, and governance evaluation by policy review. To verify this method, a city in Western China, Chengdu, was selected as the case study. The results show that Chengdu’s energy related CO2 emissions are expected to peak in 2025 under timely and aggressive measures. The main obstacles lie in three aspects: techno–economic insufficiencies, lack of social cognition, and problems of institution and policy. To realize this scenario, Chengdu must incorporate the target and pathway of a carbon peak as soon as possible into its policy system and enhance the coordination among governmental departments.

Assessment of the Possibilities and Challenges of Shale Gas in the Global Energy Transition

The improvement of horizontal drilling techniques and hydraulic fracturing makes shale gas exploration an option economically. Shale gas has the potential to reshape energy policy at national and international levels. Shale gas development can be an effective path to a low-carbon energy transition because natural gas, conventional or unconventional, has relatively lower emissions than other fossil fuels, as well as lower cost and abundant global reserves. This paper uses the SWOT analysis method to identify possibilities and challenges that shale gas development may face. To prepare the analysis, an advanced search was carried out on the Science Direct platform, investigating the strengths (S), weaknesses (W), opportunities (O), and threats (T) of the development of shale gas linked to the energy transition context. The most cited strength was abundant availability, followed by increased energy security. Regarding weaknesses, the most evident were environmental impacts and pollution. The most-reported opportunity for shale gas development was the prospect of replacing other sources, and the threat was public skepticism and less support than there is for renewables, although the ban was also included. A possible path for the development of shale gas, in an energy transition context, is an opportunity to replace other sources, such as coal, taking advantage of its abundance and energy security. However, for development to become relatively clean, fugitive emissions and other negative aspects of exploration must be mitigated.

Site Selection of Offshore Solar Farm Deployment in the Aegean Sea, Greece

Offshore solar energy presents a new opportunity for low-carbon energy transition. In this research, we identify and rank suitable Offshore Solar Farm (OSF) sites in the Aegean Sea, Greece, considering various constraints and assessment criteria. The methodology includes two distinct phases. In the first phase, Geographic Information Systems (GIS) are used to spatially depict both incompatible and compatible marine areas for OSF deployment, while in the second phase, two models based on different combinations of multi-criteria decision-making methods are deployed to hierarchically rank the eligible areas for OSF deployment. The first model (Objective Model—OM) attributes weights to assessment criteria using an entropy-based weight method, while the second model (Subjective Model—SM) utilizes the pairwise comparison of the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) method. Both models use TOPSIS (Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution) to prioritize the suitable OSF sites. The results indicate the existence of nine suitable OSF marine areas in the Greek marine environment (total surface area of 17.25 km2) and a different ranking of these sites depending upon the deployed model (OM or SM). The present approach provides useful guidelines for OSF site selection in Greece as well as in other countries.

Comparative analysis on similarities and differences of hydrogen energy development in the World's top 4 largest economies: A novel framework

A low-carbon energy transition is permeating many industrialized countries due to the overuse of fossil fuels and the climate change. Some countries stress the hydrogen energy in optimizing their energy structures. This article examines both the markets and the policies of the hydrogen industry in the World's Top 4 largest economies. To make the comparative analysis more logical, a novel conceptual model for energy transition -- the institution-economics-technology-behavior framework -- has been adopted to make a multi-dimensional discussion. The results show that: (1) From the perspective of strategic intention, developing hydrogen energy is conductive to the energy transition. (2) From the horizontal comparison, each country has its own advantages, however, the main driving factors are different. (3) From the vertical comparison, the hydrogen energy development in each country is still in the stage of quantitative change, and the inflection point of qualitative change has not been reached yet. • A novel conceptual model -- IETB framework -- is adopted. • Hydrogen energy serves three functions in the energy transition. • The World's Top 4 largest economies are used for comparative analysis. • Each country has different advantages of developing its own hydrogen energy. • Qualitative inflection point of hydrogen energy development has not yet reached.

Role of climate goals and clean-air policies on reducing future air pollution deaths in China: a modelling study

Over 3 million people die every year from diseases caused by exposure to outdoor PM2·5 air pollution, and more than a quarter of these premature deaths occur in China. In addition to clean-air policies that target pollution emissions, climate policies aimed at reducing fossil-fuel CO2 emissions (eg, to avoid 1·5°C of warming) might also greatly improve air quality and public health. However, no comprehensive accounting of public health outcomes has been done under different energy pathways and local clean-air management decisions in China. We aimed to develop an integrated method for quantifying the health co-benefits from different climate, energy, and clean-air policy scenarios and to assess the relationship between climate and clean-air policies and future health burdens in China, where an ageing population will further exacerbate the effects of air pollution. For this modelling study, we used a China-focused integrated assessment model and a dynamic emission projection model to project future Chinese air quality in scenarios spanning a range of global climate targets (1·5°C, 2°C, national determined contributions [NDC], unambitious, baseline, and 4·5°C) and national clean-air actions (termed 2015-pollution, current-pollution, and ambitious-pollution). We then evaluated the health effects of PM2·5 air pollution in the scenario matrix using the air quality model and the latest epidemiological concentration-response functions from the 2019 Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study. We found that, without ambitious climate mitigation (eg, under current NDC pledge), Chinese deaths related to PM2·5 air pollution might not always decrease-and might often grow-by 2050 compared with the base year of 2015, regardless of clean-air policies and air quality improvements. For example, in the scenario that tracks China's current NDC pledge and uses the best available pollution control technologies (the ambitious-pollution and NDC goals scenario), PM2·5-related deaths in China would decrease slightly by 2030 to 1·23 million per year (95% CI 0·95-1·51) from 1·25 million (1·04-1·46) in 2015, but would not decrease further by 2050 (1·21 million, 0·86-1·60) despite substantial and continuous improvements in population-weighted air quality (from 27·2 μg/m3 in 2030 to 16·0 μg/m3 in 2050). The contrary trends of improving air quality and increasing PM2·5-related deaths in many of our scenarios revealed the extent to which extra efforts are needed to compensate for the increasing age of China's population in the future. With the scenarios that included ambitious clean-air policies and met international climate goals to avoid 1·5°C and 2°C of warming (the ambitious-pollution-2°C goals scenario and the ambitious-pollution-1·5°C goals scenario), we observed substantial decreases in China's PM2·5-related deaths of 0·32-0·55 million deaths compared with NDC goals in 2050, and age-standardised death rates decreased by 10·2-14·2 deaths per 100 000 population per year. Our results show that ambitious climate policies (ie, limiting global average temperature rise to well below 2°C) and low-carbon energy transitions coupled with stringent clean-air policies are necessary to substantially reduce the human health effects from air pollution in China, regardless of socioeconomic assumptions. Our findings could help policy makers understand the crucial links between climate policy and public health. The National Natural Science Foundation of China.

An analysis of China's energy policy from 1981 to 2020: Transitioning towards to a diversified and low-carbon energy system

Looking back at four decades of China's energy policy (1981–2020), three momentous shifts can be said to have taken place. From the Sixth Five-Year Plan (1981) to the Ninth Five-Year Plan (2000), the focus was exclusively on improving energy efficiency. Subsequently, from the Tenth Five-Year Plan (2001) to the Eleventh Five-Year Plan (2010), energy security also became a major objective, as awareness of the gradual depletion of fossil fuels grew. From 2011 onwards (Twelfth and Thirteenth Five-Year Plans), China's energy policy has also aimed to ward off climate change. This policy evolution suggests that the Chinese economy has initiated a low-carbon energy transition since 2011. Nevertheless, this transition cannot be considered sustainable because the local government are reluctant to apply stringent institutional limitations to wealth-creating processes within their jurisdiction and because China's energy consumption is not decoupled from its economic growth and total environmental costs of renewable energy are not taken account. In seeking to usher in a sustainable energy system, the Chinese government needs to overcome three challenges: 1/an institutional challenge; 2/an economic challenge and 3/an environmental challenge.

Necessary, welcome or dreaded? Insights on low-carbon transitions from unionized energy workers in the United States

The Green New Deal resolution in 2019 focused the United States on the need to quickly phase out fossil fuel use. Unionized energy workers, important actors in low-carbon energy transition, are theorized as being concerned about the environment and much affected by the energy transition, but US energy workers are understudied and their concerns and needs are not well understood. In this study, part of a larger project on labor and energy, we focus on in-depth interviews conducted in 2019 and 2020 with 48 labor union members and leaders in varied occupations from eight national unions located in New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania. Energy workers' views on climate change were varied, but contrary to stereotypes about blue-collar workers “climate skeptic” views were held by only a few. Despite political polarization in the US, energy workers' political identity did not seem to be as important regarding what type of energy system they thought the US should adopt. Energy workers' views on how they would be affected by low-carbon energy transition varied according to the degree to which their skills were a good match for skills needed in renewable energy industries and whether their bargaining power was enhanced or disempowered by conditions in renewable energy industries. Our findings emphasize the need for the Multi-Level Perspective to incorporate a way to examine power relations in renewable energy industries. We argue that the needs and opinions of these workers should be central to deliberations and planning for energy transition in the U.S.