Climate Change Mitigation Options Research Articles

Granular satellite data to assess the potential for nature based solutions at a national scale: a proof of concept with data from Rwanda and Lesotho

ABSTRACT Nature-based Solutions (NbS) form a substantial part of cost-efficient climate change mitigation options. However, public financial flows towards NbS have been limited. Among the factors impeding investments in NbS are challenges in reliable remote project identification and comparison. In this article, we demonstrate a technological solution to these challenges. Using cloud-based satellite data processing and the proliferation of open geospatial data, we developed a methodology to map NbS suitability based on a set of biophysical, pedological, hydrological and climatological criteria. To provide a proof of concept, we identify potential project areas for eight types of NbS in Rwanda and Lesotho. Building on these spatially-explicit NbS suitability data layers (accessible at https://wb-nbs.users.earthengine.app/view/ncs-potential), we develop marginal abatement cost curves for projects in Rwanda and Lesotho. We thus provide a proof of concept for remote identification and project comparison. These technological developments can help investors, such as multilateral donors or governments, alleviate additionality concerns that are implied by local project selection. Key Policy Insights Investment in climate change mitigation through Nature-based Solutions (NbS) is limited, in spite of the large, cost-efficient potential for achieving national and global goals. Remote project identification and comparison can help alleviate some of the impediments to international investment in NbS. Such remote identification and comparison of NbS projects is now possible because of breakthroughs in cloud-based satellite data processing technologies and increased availability of geospatial data. We present a proof of concept, establishing marginal abatement cost curves for climate change mitigation through NbS in Rwanda and Lesotho. Coupled with the institutional improvements necessary to create a reliable intergovernmental carbon credit market, these technological developments have the potential to boost international investment in NbS.

Amount of carbon fixed, transit time and fate of harvested wood products define the climate change mitigation potential of boreal forest management—A model analysis

Boreal forests are often managed to maximize wood production, but other goals, among which climate change mitigation, are increasingly important. Hence, it is necessary to examine synergies and trade-offs between forest production and its potential for carbon sequestration and climate change mitigation in forest stands. To this aim, we develop a novel mass-balanced process-based compartmental model that allows following the carbon path from its photosynthetic fixation until its return to the atmosphere by autotrophic or heterotrophic respiration, or by being burnt as wood product. Following carbon in the system allows to account for how long forest ecosystems and wood products retain carbon away from the atmosphere (i.e., the carbon transit time). As example, we apply the model to four management scenarios, i.e., mixed-aged pine, even-aged pine, even-aged spruce, and even-aged mixed forest, and contrast metrics of performance relative to wood production, carbon sequestration, and climate change mitigation potential. While at the end of an 80 yr rotation the even-aged forests held up to 31% more carbon than the mixed-aged forest, the mixed-aged forest was superior during almost the entire rotation when factoring in the carbon retention time away from the atmosphere, i.e., in terms of climate change mitigation potential. Importantly, scenarios that maximize production or amount of carbon stored in the ecosystems are not necessarily the most beneficial for carbon retention away from the atmosphere. These results underline the importance of considering carbon transit time when evaluating forest management options for potential climate change mitigation.

Efficient data-driven prediction of household carbon footprint in China with limited features

Household carbon footprints significantly contribute to global carbon emissions, yet the limited features hinder the accurate assessment in regions with inadequate data. In this study, we developed a data-driven model for evaluating household carbon footprint in China based on a nationwide questionnaire survey. Employing explainable machine learning, we identified the most influential features impacting the model outputs, which were utilized to assess household carbon footprints across Chinese provinces and cities from 2006 to 2021. Additionally, we constructed 27 scenarios with varying peak carbon times, technological evolution pathways, and cumulative carbon budgets to analyze climate change mitigation options for policymakers. The results demonstrate that using the XGBoost-TPE method, the model constructed with only five pivotal features achieves a confidence level of 87.4%. From 2006 to 2021, China's provinces exhibited fluctuating growth trends in household carbon footprints, with economically developed and eastern regions demonstrating higher per capita household carbon footprints. Scenario modelling reveals that combining multiple moderate scenarios yields a 26% increase in effectiveness compared to a single scenario. Promoting low-carbon household food, energy, and transport policies earlier or more aggressively can result in an earlier peak in household carbon footprints and a 2.5% greater carbon reduction.

Inequalities in Air Pollution Exposure and Attributable Mortality in a Low Carbon Future

AbstractUnderstanding the costs and benefits of climate change mitigation and adaptation options is crucial to justify and prioritize future decarbonization pathways to achieve net zero. Here, we quantified the co‐benefits of decarbonization for air quality and public health under scenarios that aim to limit end‐of‐century warming to 2°C and 1.5°C. We estimated the mortality burden attributable to ambient PM2.5 exposure using population attributable fractions of relative risk, incorporating projected changes in population demographics. We found that implementation of decarbonization scenarios could produce substantial global reductions in population exposure to PM2.5 pollution and associated premature mortality, with maximum health benefits achieved in Asia around mid‐century. The stringent 1.5ºC‐compliant decarbonization scenario (SSP1‐1.9) could reduce the PM2.5‐attributable mortality burden by 29% in 2050 relative to a middle‐of‐the‐road scenario (SSP2‐4.5), averting around 2.9 M annual deaths worldwide. While all income groups were found to benefit from improved air quality through a combination of decarbonization and air pollution controls, the smallest health benefits are experienced by the low‐income population. The disparity in PM2.5 exposure across income groups is projected to reduce by 2100, but a 30% disparity between high‐ and low‐income groups persists even in the strongest mitigation scenario. Further, without additional and targeted air quality measures, low‐ and lower‐middle‐income populations (predominantly in Africa and Asia) will continue to experience PM2.5 exposures that are over three times the World Health Organization Air Quality Guideline.

Does rice paddy management increase soil organic carbon in the warm temperate and tropical regions?

Enhancing soil organic carbon (SOC) storage in agricultural fields is an effective option for climate change mitigation and food security. In temperate regions, rice farming under paddy is known to increase SOC stock due mainly to the reduced decomposition caused by prolonged submerged conditions compared to the cropping practices under non-flooded conditions. It remains unclear, however, if and to what extent rice paddy management increases SOC storage in warmer climate regions where decomposition is much faster. We thus examined the factors controlling the SOC stock and the net change in SOC normalized to the duration under paddy (ΔSOC) at paddy fields in warm temperate (21 sites) and tropical climatic regions (11 sites) from peer-reviewed literature which was concentrated to Asia. Using collected data (e.g., SOC content, bulk density, mean annual temperature (MAT), precipitation, management duration, soil management, crop rotation), we evaluated predictor variables that account for ΔSOC variability (i.e., mean decrease accuracy) by random forest regression. The mean paddy duration for all data (n = 170) was 22 years. Average SOC stock and ΔSOC at 0–20 cm depth were 38 ± 1.45SE Mg C ha−1 and 0.34 ± 0.04SE Mg C ha−1 yr−1, respectively, indicating that continuous paddy management had a positive effect on SOC storage in both climatic regions. SOC stock was two-fold higher and ΔSOC was four-fold higher in the warm temperate region compared to the tropical region (p < 0.05). The best predictor variables for ΔSOC were MAT followed by soil management and then paddy duration. While organic amendment including both straw and manure increased ΔSOC in both warm temperate and tropical paddies, we did not detect a positive effect of chemical fertilizer application alone or crop rotation type (e.g., rice-upland vs rice-rice). Despite high variability, ΔSOC in the warm temperate region significantly declined over time from 0.82 ± 0.10 Mg C ha−1 yr−1 (< 20 yrs) to 0.22 ± 0.06 Mg C ha−1 yr−1. While SOC stock was 50% lower, the tropical paddies showed no clear decline in ΔSOC up to 41 years (0.04–0.21 Mg C ha−1 yr−1). These results suggest that SOC accretion might have reached equilibrium after 20 years of paddy practice in the warm temperate region and, if so, ΔSOC is likely to diminish to zero in the near future. In tropical paddy fields, on the other hand, slow SOC build-up may continue for a longer term although the ΔSOC value itself is not high. While the current study showed the efficacy of paddy management on SOC build-up under the warmer climate regions, further study on the rate and qualitative changes is necessary to evaluate the trade-offs between soil fertility improvement (e.g., soil N build-up) and methane emission.

Regional water cycle sensitivity to afforestation: synthetic numerical experiments for tropical Africa

Afforestation as a climate change mitigation option has been the subject of intense debate and study over the last few decades, particularly in the tropics where agricultural activity is expanding. However, the impact of such landcover changes on the surface energy budget, temperature, and precipitation remains unclear as feedbacks between various components are difficult to resolve and interpret. Contributing to this scientific debate, regional climate models of varying complexity can be used to test how regional climate reacts to afforestation. In this study, the focus is on the gauged Nzoia basin (12,700 km2) located in a heavily farmed region of tropical Africa. A reanalysis product is dynamically downscaled with a coupled atmospheric-hydrological model (WRF-Hydro) to finely resolve the land-atmosphere system in the Nzoia region. To overcome the problem of Nzoia river flooding over its banks we enhance WRF-Hydro with an overbank flow routing option, which improves the representation of daily discharge based on the Nash-Sutcliffe efficiency and Kling-Gupta efficiency (from −2.69 to 0.30, and −0.36 to 0.63, respectively). Changing grassland and cropland areas to savannas, woody savannas, and evergreen broadleaf forest in three synthetic numerical experiments allows the assessment of potential regional climate impacts of three afforestation strategies. In all three cases, the afforestation-induced decrease in soil evaporation is larger than the afforestation-induced increase in plant transpiration, thus increasing sensible heat flux and triggering a localized negative feedback process leading to more precipitation and more runoff. This effect is more pronounced with the woody savannas experiment, with 7% less evapotranspiration, but 13% more precipitation, 8% more surface runoff, and 12% more underground runoff predicted in the Nzoia basin. This study demonstrates a potentially large impact of afforestation on regional water resources, which should be investigated in more detail for policy making purposes.

Demand-driven climate change mitigation and trade-offs from wood product substitution: The case of Swedish multi-family housing construction

Multi-family housing construction (MFHC) with wood instead of concrete as frame material results in lower greenhouse gas emissions. Hence, substituting wood for concrete in MFHC in Sweden until 2030, and onwards to 2070, could be a promising climate change mitigation option. But to what extent, and how would it impact Sweden's forests? Here we assess climate and biodiversity implications - in terms of the area of old forest - of a completely wood-based future MFHC in Sweden. The wood required is assumed to be exclusively sourced as additional fellings in Swedish forests, thus carbon leakage from wood imports as well as displacement of other wood uses can be disregarded. Different types of timber frame systems and the role of varying future dwelling sizes are considered. We find that the wood needed for a complete substitution of concrete would result in very minor increases in harvests. We further register slight net additional climate change mitigation, irrespective of the wood construction system. There is a small tradeoff between climate change mitigation and biodiversity, as the area of old forest reduces slightly. The largest climate benefit, and lowest impact on Swedish forests, is provided when using timber-light frame combined with reduced dwelling size.

Links between renewable and non-renewable energy consumption, economic growth, and climate change, evidence from five emerging Asian countries.

One of the greatest challenges facing humanity in the current millennium is the need to mitigate climate change, and one of the most viable options to overcome this challenge is to invest in renewable energy. The study dynamically examines the links between renewable energy consumption, non-renewable energy consumption, climate change, and economic growth in five emerging Asian countries during the period 1975-2020. Variables selected in the model have long-term cointegration, as explored by the Pedroni cointegration test and the Westerlund cointegration test. The long-term estimated parameters of the augmented mean group (AMG) method show that renewable energy consumption significantly reduces climate change, while non-renewable energy consumption significantly promotes climate change. The results also show that GDP, investment in transport infrastructure, and urbanization can significantly contribute to climate change in selected emerging Asian countries. Moreover, the results validate the inverted U-shaped EKC hypothesis for emerging Asian economies. Country-specific analysis results using AMG estimates shows that renewable energy consumption reduces climate change in selected emerging Asian countries. Non-renewable energy consumption and investment in transport infrastructure have had significant progressive impacts on climate change in all countries. Urbanization contributes significantly to climate change, with the exception of Japan, which does not have any significant impact on climate change. GDP contributes significantly to climate change in all countries; however, GDP2 has significant adverse effects on climate change in India, China, Japan, and Korea, validating the inverted U-shaped EKC assumption for all countries except Bangladesh. Moreover, the Dumitrescu and Hurlin causality test confirmed a pairwise causal relationship between non-renewable energy consumption and GDP, supporting the feedback hypothesis. The results suggest that the best option for climate change mitigation in selected emerging Asian countries is to transition from non-renewable to renewable energy sources.

No detectable upper limit of mineral-associated organic carbon in temperate agricultural soils.

Soil organic carbon (SOC) sequestration is a promising climate change mitigation option. In this context, the formation of the relatively long-lived mineral-associated organic carbon (MAOC) is key. To date, soils are considered to be limited in their ability to accumulate MAOC, mainly by the amount of clay and silt particles present. Using the comprehensive German Agricultural Soil Inventory, we selected 189 samples with a wide range of SOC (5-118 g kg-1 ) and clay contents (30-770 g kg-1 ) to test whether there is a detectable upper limit of MAOC content. We found that the proportion of MAOC was surprisingly stable for soils under cropland and grassland use across the whole range of bulk SOC contents. Soil texture influenced the slope of the relationship between bulk SOC and MAOC, but no upper limit was observed in any texture class. Also, C content in the fine fraction (g C kg-1 fraction) was negatively correlated to fine fraction content (g kg-1 bulk soil). Both findings challenge the notion that MAOC accumulation is limited by soil fine fraction content per se.

Beyond synergies: understanding SDG trade-offs, equity and implementation challenges of sectoral climate change mitigation options

Mitigation actions needed to achieve the ambitions of the Paris agreement to limit global temperature rise to 1.5 °C or below 2 °C have to align with sustainable development. In the near term, this implies a better understanding of context-specific challenges in integrating sustainability with climate policies during the designing, planning, implementation and financing stages. Through a review of selected studies across regions, this paper draws out conclusions focussing on mitigation–sustainable development goal (SDG) trade-offs, with implications on costs and equity for different development contexts. Studies show that trade-offs depend on how the option is implemented and at what scale; mitigation options such as afforestation, biomass production and digitalisation are examples of this. Some options could also result in significant adverse environmental impacts as in the case of battery waste and raw material resources for electric vehicle (EV) or air pollution associated with compact urban development. We find the most important factors influencing equity include unequal access (e.g. urban green spaces and public transportation), high costs (e.g. EV) and financial constraints. Major knowledge gaps include (i) limited empirical evidence of SDG-related trade-offs associated with scaling up mitigation options, (ii) limited understanding of the extent to which benefits are experienced by different groups, (iii) an understanding of the extent to which local context was considered when assessing mitigation–SDG interaction, including the engagement of stakeholders and (iv) synergies and trade-offs associated with cross-sectoral policies. The paper recommends ex-post analysis of detailed and place-based cases that document how synergies and trade-offs emerged and how these were addressed.

Chemical Promoter Performance for CO2 Hydrate Growth: A Molecular Perspective.

Carbon dioxide (CO2) hydrates, which contain a relatively large amount of captured CO2 (almost 30 wt % of CO2 with the balance being water), represent a promising CO2 sequestration option for climate change mitigation. To facilitate CO2 storage via hydrates, using chemical additives during hydrate formation might help to expedite formation/growth rates, provided the additives do not reduce the storage capacity. Implementing atomistic molecular dynamics, we study the impact of aziridine, pyrrolidine, and tetrahydrofuran (THF) on the kinetics of CO2 hydrate growth/dissociation. Our simulations are validated via reproducing experimental data for CO2 and CO2 + THF hydrates at selected operating conditions. The simulated results show that both aziridine and pyrrolidine could perform as competent thermodynamic and kinetic promoters. Furthermore, aziridine seems to exceed pyrrolidine and THF in expediting the CO2 hydrate growth rates under the same conditions. Our analysis unveils direct correlations between the kinetics of CO2 hydrate growth and a combination of the free energy barrier for desorption of CO2 from the hydrate surface and the binding free energy of chemical additives adsorbed at the growing hydrate substrate. The detailed thermodynamic analysis conducted in both hydrate and aqueous phases reveals molecular-level mechanisms by which CO2 hydrate promoters are active, which could help to enable the implementation of CO2 sequestration in hydrate-bearing reservoirs.

No-till is more of sustaining the soil than a climate change mitigation option

No-till is often referred to as a climate change mitigation option, possibly with a stronger conviction, than as a practice to manage soil organic C (SOC) content. We conducted a global meta-analysis to evaluate the effect of no-till (NT) on SOC concentration (SOCc, g C kg−1 soil) and stock (SOCs, Mg C ha−1 land) across climate, soil texture, cropping systems, and no-till duration to appraise the priority-setting. Compared to conventional tillage, NT favoured a significant rise (ΔSOCc) of 38% in the 0–5 cm soil layer and a much lesser 6% increase in the 5–10 cm layer and no change beyond 10 cm. The temperate climate had nearly twice ΔSOCc in the 0–5 cm layer compared to other climates, while the tropical climate favoured sub-surface accumulation. Coarse- and medium-textured soils and the inclusion of legumes in crop rotation facilitated larger positive ΔSOCs under NT. The microbial biomass C was the most abundant C pool, with 61% and 23% increases under NT in 0–5 and 5–10 cm layers. A large ΔSOCc in aggregates also characterized the top 0–5 cm layer. The difference in SOCs was realized to a maximum 30 cm depth (5.4 Mg ha−1 or 14%) in favour of NT, although varying with the duration of its adoption. The contribution of NT in mitigating global anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions is meagre, although it can substantially offset emissions from agriculture (17–58%). The benefit of NT in improving SOC is primarily restricted to the surface layer, which is potentially exposed, and therefore an increase could be short-lived. Nevertheless, a short-term gain in SOC is likely to enhance soil quality and crop productivity. Thus, NT may be promoted as a sustainable agricultural management practice rather than emphasizing its role as a potential climate change mitigation option.

Potential of land-based climate change mitigation strategies on abandoned cropland

Natural revegetation, afforestation, and lignocellulosic crops for bioenergy, possibly coupled with a developing technology like carbon capture and storage, are the most common land-based climate change mitigation options. However, they can compete for land and threaten food security or nature conservation. Using abandoned cropland for their deployment can minimize these risks, but associated potentials are unclear. Here, we compare alternative land-based mitigation options by integrating historical and future (up to 2050) abandoned cropland with site-specific biomass yields and life-cycle emissions. Considering natural revegetation in biodiversity priority areas and different measures in the remaining land can achieve a mitigation potential of 0.8–4.0 GtCO2-equivalents yr−1 (2–11% of 2021 global CO2 emissions). Afforestation generally provides larger climate benefits than bioenergy, but bioenergy with carbon capture and storage delivers the highest mitigation in most locations. Overall, these results offer refined estimates of mitigation potentials from abandoned cropland and highlight opportunities for context-specific mitigation measures.

Effect of Compost Derived from Urban Waste on Chard (Beta vulgaris L., var cycla) Yield and Soil GHG Fluxes in a Mediterranean Agricultural System

The use of recycled materials as soil amendments and fertilizers is an important priority in the agronomic sector to valorize waste from a circular economic perspective and reduce waste disposal, reduce dependence on external inputs, and provide better climate change mitigation options. In this study, we evaluated the agroecological performance of compost derived from recycled organic matrices of urban waste (mixed composted amendment, MCA) of the metropolitan area of Rome. MCA is available in big quantities and might represent an interesting option to substitute conventional mineral nitrogen fertilizer (CF). The effect of MCA, CF, and a combination of both (MIX 1:1) was tested on crop yield and greenhouse gas emissions in a field trial on a common Mediterranean crop (Swiss chart, one season, two crop cycles). The MCA effect on crop yield was positive and comparable to CF and MIX treatments, while MCA treatment showed the lower soil mineral nitrogen (N) content. GHG emissions in the MCA treatment were comparable to those observed in CF and MIX, being overall quite low. The soil acted as a weak net CH4 sink in all treatments (−12.6 ± 6.1 μg CH4 m−2 h−1); no differences in CO2 emissions between MCA and CF or MIX treatments were observed (range 0.1−0.2 g m−2 h−1). The N2O emission intensity of MCA was slightly lower than MIX and CF treatments (0.09, 0.011, and 0.011 g N2O kg−1 crop dry weight, respectively). Overall, MCA seemed a valid alternative to CF for the tested agro-environmental indicators in the spring/summer Mediterranean conditions.

AHP Analyser: A decision-making tool for prioritizing climate change mitigation options and forest management

Agricultural and Forest Research and Environmental Management entail significant decisions that can impact research findings. Better findings come from well-managed research. In the research and management, a practical methodology approach is used to improve decision-making and prioritise numerous possibilities and research programmes. However, most research scientists need help setting the priority for the research project. A web-based decision-making system, i.e., the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) methodology, provides support and solutions in prioritising the research project options based on multi-criteria decisions in order to eliminate these barriers in agricultural research and management. Considering these factors, the National Academy of Agricultural Research Management (NAARM), Hyderabad, Telangana, India, devised and developed “AHP Analyser”, a web-based group decision-making tool for prioritising the climate change mitigation options of research projects using an analytic hierarchy approach. It was created with PHP, JavaScript, and MySQL and is available at https://naarm.org.in/ahp/. In the present research article, we have briefly discussed the AHP methodology, analytics of publication on AHP usage, primary features of the AHP Analyser, which was built by using AHP methodology, and a case study that shows how the AHP Analyser was used to mitigate climate change in the forestry sector. Study concluded that AHP methodology can be widely applicable in various sectors for decision making, portfolio management and prioritisation; also contributes to the sustainable development goals (SDGs). Therefore, creating awareness on the advantages of AHP methodology among the researchers is critical to bring quality outputs in the research field.

Afforestation of agricultural land affects soil structural stability and related preconditions to resist drought

Afforestation is important for the EU forest management strategy. Afforestation of abandoned and marginal arable land is a favourable non-agricultural land use option for climate change mitigation. It may prevent threats of drought or erosion e.g. by affecting the water balance in soil via increased structural stability. The structural stability control in afforested soil is related to i.a. organic matter content, nutrient content, soil reaction, planted tree species prosperity, and amelioration. A four-year field small-plot experiment on afforestation was carried out with Chernozem covered with deciduous (oak), coniferous (pine) or mixed planting, amended with 3 doses (no-application, 0.5 kg×m&lt;sup&gt;–2&lt;/sup&gt;, and 1.5 kg×m&lt;sup&gt;–2&lt;/sup&gt;) of alginite. In 2013 and 2016, soil reaction pH&lt;sub&gt;H2O&lt;/sub&gt;, mean weight diameter (MWD), organic matter content (LOI) and total organic carbon (TOC) were determined and related to the soil structural stability to evaluate the soil precondition to sustain drought twice per vegetation period (spring and autumn). Afforestation significantly improved MWD compared to the field soil between 2013 and 2016 from 1.63 ± 0.04 mm to 1.85 ± 0.05 mm. Tree planting significantly neutralized the soil pH&lt;sub&gt;H2O&lt;/sub&gt;, mixed planting appeared to improve LOI and TOC. Four-year afforestation led also to higher structural stability, less alkaline pH and deciduous tree-related increase in LOI, which may indicate better soil sustainability to drought.

Bacurú Drõa: Indigenous forest custody as an effective climate change mitigation option. A case study from Darién, Panama

Efforts to naturally remove atmospheric CO2 demand that largely intact forests be maintained. Our inter-cultural research initiative tested the hypothesis that Indigenous custody of the land is compatible with the maintenance of intact forests. Here we combined traditional knowledge, phytolith analysis, remote sensing, and tree inventories to study old-growth forests in Panama's Darién. Phytoliths served to elucidate historical vegetation, remote sensing revealed the current and past Indigenous footprints while tree stature and identity characterised the forest. Until now there has been very little to no human impact within these forests and current Indigenous footprint is both small and stable. Large trees accounted for 13% of trees in the plots that we established. For over half of the species, the measured tree height was taller than previously published maximum heights, leading us to conclude that these forests are a truly exceptional ecological refugium. Noting that the local communities are not rewarded for their custody of these exceptional forests we call to revisit the Good Practice Guidance for Land Use Land Use Change and Forestry to include intact forest land. In the context of sub-optimal carbon finance options, we also propose matching as a methodology that could prove additionality of forest conservation initiatives in climate mitigation portfolios.

Too much consumption or too high emissions intensities? Explaining the high consumption-based carbon footprints in the Nordic countries

Consumption-based carbon footprints have been widely used to examine how different demand-side solutions can reduce the emissions from personal consumption. This study not only utilized consumption-based carbon footprints to examine how people living in affluent nations like the Nordic countries can live 1.5 degree warming compatible lifestyles, but it also expanded on this analysis by focusing on which level of GHG intensity per monetary unit of expenditure it is possible to remain below a 1.5-degree compatible target level at different levels of consumption expenditure. To analyze the GHG intensity per monetary unit of consumption, first, the consumption-based carbon footprints from around 8,000 survey responses from the Nordic countries were calculated. Then the average carbon intensity per unit of monetary spending was calculated across the income deciles in each country and compared to target levels that align with the 1.5-degree compatible reduction pathways by 2030. Finally, the intensities for selected low-carbon consumption choices (vegan/vegetarian diet, driving an EV, renewable electricity for the home, not owning a car, and no air travel) were calculated and compared to the same baseline targets. Our results showed that all of the average carbon footprints and GHG intensities were above the target levels in all of the countries. However, when comparing respondents having adopted two or more low-carbon consumption choices, there were examples of average intensities that met the target levels. The adoption rates of these low-carbon consumption choices were low though, which illustrates the necessity for high adoption rates of multiple low-carbon consumption choices in order to materialize the potential of demand-side climate change mitigation options. Our findings highlight the importance of examining the GHG intensity of per monetary unit expenditure to inform future policies on demand-side solutions and to improve the climate-literacy of consumers, so they can make more informed decisions on consumption choices.

Changing seasonal temperature offers a window of opportunity for stricter climate policy

Environmental catastrophes, including the increased severity and frequency of climate extremes, can act as “windows of opportunities” that challenge citizens’ mental models and motivate them to engage in reflective processes, challenging their pre-conceived ideas. Less well understood is whether experiencing changing weather conditions, common in mid-latitudes, can have a similar effect and increase the citizens’ concerns about climate change and their willingness to accept more stringent climate policies. In this paper, we investigate the effects of changing seasonal temperature on the perceived seriousness of climate change and willingness to mitigate climate change. We use data from four yearly waves of a spatially explicit representative population survey in Germany and weather records from the postal code areas in which they live. To our knowledge, this study is the first analysis to link individual perceptions towards climate change and different mitigation options with seasonal temperature changes at specific locations in Europe. The analyzed perceptions were strongly influenced by socio-demographic characteristics and broader societal changes, as well as individual experiences of seasonal temperatures. The results show that experienced seasonal temperature change influences personal climate change concerns as well as the willingness to mitigate climate change, although with a weaker effect. The results indicate that it is the absolute temperature variation experienced that is important, rather than whether it is getting colder or warmer than usual. Considering the influences identified in this study can offer a window of opportunity for more stringent and targeted climate change policy.

Climate risk, natural resources, and climate change mitigation options in BRICS: implications for green recovery.

The study tests the dynamic nexus between climate risk, natural resource exploration strategy in BRICS economies, and climate change mitigation. The study further extended the research aim and presented the recommendations for greening the globe by suggesting green recovery. Climate change protection and climate risk reduction may be efficiently funded using climate risks and natural resources. Still, it is vital to look at the carbon risk in BRICS countries as an example. The researchers used the GMM analysis technique to infer the study findings. According to the study's findings, environmental mitigation was significant at 17%, and financial strength and carbon risks were significant at 22.0%. In addition, the 20.5% association between climate risks and environmental drift in the BRICS nations highlights climate change concerns. A state's financial strength is essential to execute green economic recovery strategies, one of the most highly regarded measures to reducing climate change and guaranteeing long-term economic status at the national level. As a result of the study on green economic growth, decision-makers are provided with specific policy recommendations.