Suchergebnisse

Access to sufficient amounts of energy is a prerequisite for development of human well-being. Analysis presented in this paper shows that multiple sustainable development targets are linked to per capita access to electricity in particular and demonstrate a threshold behavior below which sustainable development targets have not been met historically. The present work relates to the broad literature on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), recognizing the interconnectedness of energy access (SDG7) and other development goals. Although targets are provided for each of the 17 goals, not all targets are quantified, leaving room for ambiguity in fulfilling, for example, the goal of ―ensuring access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all.‖ The focus of this work is an extension of our previous finding that a per capita societal electricity consumption threshold of about 400kWh is strongly related to meeting outcomes for health indicators related specifically to SDG targets. In this contribution we further examine this quantitative relationship between electricity access as correlated with education, sanitation, food security and health outcomes, posing the question in the form, ―Below what minimum societal per capita access to electricity is a country very unlikely to meet SDG targets?

Given their historic emissions and economic capability, we analyze a leadership role for representative industrialized regions (EU, US, Japan, and Australia) in the global climate mitigation effort. Using the global integrated assessment model REMIND, we systematically compare region-specific mitigation strategies and challenges of reaching domestic net-zero carbon emissions in 2050. Embarking from different emission profiles and trends, we find that all of the regions have technological options and mitigation strategies to reach carbon neutrality by 2050. Regional characteristics are mostly related to different land availability, population density and population trends: While Japan is resource limited with respect to onshore wind and solar power and has constrained options for carbon dioxide removal (CDR), their declining population significantly decreases future energy demand. In contrast, Australia and the US benefit from abundant renewable resources, but face challenges to curb industry and transport emissions given increasing populations and high per-capita energy use. In the EU, lack of social acceptance or EU-wide cooperation might endanger the ongoing transition to a renewable-based power system. CDR technologies are necessary for all regions, as residual emissions cannot be fully avoided by 2050. For Australia and the US, in particular, CDR could reduce the required transition pace, depth and costs. At the same time, this creates the risk of a carbon lock-in, if decarbonization ambition is scaled down in anticipation of CDR technologies that fail to deliver. Our results suggest that industrialized economies can benefit from cooperation based on common themes and complementary strengths. This may include trade of electricity-based fuels and materials as well as the exchange of regional experience on technology scale-up and policy implementation. ; BMBF, 03EK3046A, Verbundvorhaben START: Strategic Scenario Analysis (START) - A first German-Australian focus project ; EC/H2020/730403/EU/Innovation pathways, strategies and policies for the Low-Carbon Transition in Europe/INNOPATHS ; EC/H2020/838667/EU/resIlieNT EneRgy systems for climAte Change and susTaInable develOpmeNt/INTERACTION

A range of studies on nationally determined contributions (NDC) of parties to the Paris Agreement disclose, that temperature objectives of the Paris Agreement are not in reach if current NDCs are implemented. A new study, commissioned by German Environment Agency, compares pre2015 and latest levelized cost projections and shows, that certain key mitigation technologies, i.e. power generation from renewables and lithium batteries, will become substantially cheaper by 2025/2030 since the preparation of NDCs. Thus, parties to the Paris Agreement are now in the position to review and strengthen their NDCs by 2020 during the Talanoa Dialog.