Post-fifth assessment report urban climate planning: Lessons from 278 urban climate action plans released from 2015 to 2022

Cities respond to climate concerns mainly through climate action plans (CAPs). The IPCC Fifth Assessment Report (AR5) was the first report from the international climate body that gave worldwide attention to urban climate change. Yet, a global situation of the content and structure of urban CAPs adopted or published after AR5 is not well represented in the literature. This literature void presents a difficulty in holistically understanding the strengths and weaknesses of existing urban CAPs, hence painting a clearer picture for future urban climate planning. Here, we performed detailed qualitative content analyses on CAPs from 278 cities worldwide. This study sought to achieve two specific objectives;(1) to critically analyse the content and structure of urban CAPs adopted or published from 2015 to 2022, and (2) to examine the extent to which sampled urban CAPs align with selected climate action best practices. There have been variations in the adoption or publication of urban CAPs from 2015 to 2022 across city types and world regions. Our analysis showed a rise in the number of CAPs adopted or published during the global COVID-19 lockdown period as compared to the post and pre-COVID-19 lockdown period. We also observed a transition from developing mainly mitigation-focused CAPs pre-COP21 to both mitigation and adaptation CAPs. About 96% of the sampled urban CAPs are focusing on the transport sector to achieve climate objectives. More than half (55%) of cities with climate change mitigation-related urban CAPs (147 urban CAPs of 267 urban CAPs) do not have deep decarbonization pledges, with less than a quarter of the pledges likely to be achieved by 2030. We found that about 81% of 120 cities with deep decarbonization pledges are more likely to report baseline emission inventory in their urban CAPs. A lack of inclusiveness, transparency and verification, evidence-based climate planning, comprehensiveness, and integration were the most common areas of non-alignment with best practices. The explicit consideration of synergies, trade-offs, or conflicts is significantly low. The evidence is a catalyst for understanding the dynamics in existing urban CAPs to shape future urban climate action planning. © 2023 Elsevier B.V.

Financing a Sustainable Economy in Hungary, Opportunities and Challenges: Decarbonisation, Green Transition, Sustainable Finance, Central Bank

today's prolonged crisis situations, such as the Covid-19 pandemic, the Russian-ukrainian conflict, and the energy and climate crisis call for climate neutrality in Hungary, although they make transition difficult in the short term. A number of studies suggest that Hungary will be able to reach the target by 2050 at the latest, and that the benefits, on the whole, will outweigh the macroeconomic sacrifices. Nevertheless, green transition, including the Hungarian economy, requires a huge amount of investment and financing, which makes it necessary to involve the private sector, and which central banks can assist effectively. Fortunately, a variety of solutions to finance green and sustainable investments have emerged recently, although we are still at the beginning of the process. The Central Bank of Hungary (Magyar Nemzeti Bank, MNB) has taken a number of measures – and is planning to take further ones – to promote green finance in Hungary, which, in addition to the development of a sustainable financial system will contribute to Hungary's transition to an environmentally sustainable economy. © 2023 Seventh Sense Research Group®

‘Why would you swap your nice warm van, where you can eat your butties and listen to the radio?' Mainstreaming a niche of cycle logistics in the United Kingdom

Due to a high level of dependency on fossil fuels, transport is not only a priority for decarbonsation but also a particularly challenging sector to decarbonise. Significant low-carbon energy transitions in mobility will require changes in practices, technologies, infrastructure and policy. Cycle logistics is a growing economic sector. E-cargo bikes have the potential to replace some delivery and service journeys and to be used in combination with other transport modes to form a network of low-carbon deliveries. In comparison with conventional cargo bikes, e-cargo bikes are adapted with electric assist motors, thereby enabling the carriage of heavier loads over longer distances with lower physical strain on the rider. This study positions e-cargo bikes as an emerging technology within the Multilevel Perspective (MLP), a framework for understanding sustainable transitions that is structured around three levels: niche, regime and landscape. The Covid-19 pandemic has caused a landscape-level shock that has prompted an interest in increasing active travel and local deliveries. E-cargo bikes are a niche technology, and, although they respond to landscape-level trends, such as decarbonisation and air pollution reduction, the development of cycle logistics faces challenges stemming from the dominant automobility regime. There are limitations with e-cargo bikes themselves, although the technology and practice of e-cargo bike use are developing rapidly;there are factors that relate to the ability of the regime to accommodate and support the niche;there are considerations relating to practices and perceptions;and, finally, there are policy choices that reflect a lack of proactivity in encouraging and enabling e-cargo bike use. The paper explores experiences and perceptions of actual and potential e-cargo bike use and configures the MLP and the relationship between niche, regime(s) and landscape in relation to mobility transitions. © 2023 The Authors

Smart Meter Data Analytics for Building Monitoring System: A Case Study

Decarbonization, decentralization, and digitalization are the prominent paths for the energy sector in the future. The rise of smart meters across consumers, and industries led to a massive collection of fine-grained energy and electricity consumption-related data. A data science challenge is to analyze the Smart Meter data for the benefit of both the energy providers and the consumers. In this paper, An attempt has been made to analyze the smart meter collected from the IIT Hyderabad campus and presented the analysis into descriptive, predictive, and prescriptive analytics. The data collected from more than 50 meters over a period of one year have been analyzed and results obtained. Interesting trends such as the impact of COVID-19 on campus energy consumption have been examined. The framework for energy data analytics presented in this paper will be useful for any campus in general, and the recommendations presented will save energy expenses. © 2023 IEEE.

Holistic and integrated systemic policies and practices for decarbonization

A bold, visionary, transforming, systemic, holistic, integrated, caring, inclusive, equitable, sustainable, and resilient paradigm for fast transitions toward a clean energy and decarbonized future is imperative and urgently needed. Business as usual and silo approaches are not viable with the changes that are occurring. These changes are linked and interacting systems of physical, natural, health, social, economic, finance, governance, and institution. The effects and impacts are dire, existential, and pervasive. The 2021 IPCC Report Physical Science Basis: Summary for Policymakers, in clear language stated "it is unequivocal that human influence has warmed the atmosphere, oceans and land”. The scientific communities in the US, Europe, Asia and other regions all subscribe to this situation. Well documented global empirical evidence is also confirming the profound systems and systemic transformations that are occurring. Business, industry, and the general public, in particular youths, worldwide are all increasingly demanding actions – that transcend words of what needs to be done to deeds of how and now. In the US, the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act, would allocate US 370 billion for combating climate change and clean energy production. The IRA is the largest climate spending package ever. President Biden has called for 100% clean electricity by 2035 and pledged to cut carbon emissions by 50%–52% below 2005 levels by the end of this decade, doubling the previous target. A decarbonized future was endorsed by Leaders at the 2021 G-7 Carbis, UK Summit. There is growing realization that the global climate change crisis requires strengthened and expanded global cooperation with new, innovative and non-bureaucratic mechanisms for collaboration. The 2021 IPCC Report summarized that global surface temperature will continue to increase until at least the mid- century under all emissions' scenarios considered. "Global warming of 1.5 and 2°C will be exceeded during the 21st century unless deep reductions in CO2 and other greenhouse gas emissions occur in the coming decades.” The UNEP and IEA contends reducing anthropogenic methane emissions will help mitigate climate change and is a cost-effective proposition. The release of methane and micro-organisms from melting of permafrost needs to be better studied and understood., The confluence of increased heat, humidity, fine particulates air pollution, water contaminants and the COVID pandemic, will exacerbate health burdens. This will have serious consequences for human wellbeing, and cascading into national and global security. With climate change, therapeutics and vaccines will not work. The article provides a brief overview of the unprecedented climate related hurricanes, storms, floods and wildfires disasters occurring in all regions of the world. It highlights of some of the key effects, impacts and consequences with current policies and practices with regard to the energy-climate conundrum. There is an imperative to change course toward a decarbonized future. A number of systemic expeditious interventions are delineated. These include actions by all on:. The* fundamental need to change behavior;*afforestation, reforestation, rehabilitation of wetlands, mangroves, wastelands and coral reefs to restore ecosystem functions which would also create significant number of employment and livelihoods' opportunities;*retrofitting existing structures to be more energy efficient, incorporate increasing renewable energy, sustainability and resiliency criteria, – to "build back better” and provide jobs;*the life cycle of food and agriculture practices need to be systemically examined to reduce adverse impacts on climate, Energy, environment and health. There are difficulties and challenges. The commensurate opportunities and benefits of a decarbonized paradigm include clean and safe jobs;healthy quality of life;and a sustained and resilient future for current and future generations. © 2023 American Institute of Chemical Engineers.

ROMANIAN COAL BETWEEN DECARBONIZATION PROGRAMS, EXPLOITATION CLOSURE AND ENERGY CRISIS

The energy crisis triggered globally in the last quarter of 2021, forced Romania to go through a winter with liberalized electricity and gas prices, a period unprecedented in terms of consumer prices, accentuated by the result of closing energy targets that coal-fired operations as a result of the imposition of EU conditions for the restructuring of the mining and energy sector. The year before, 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic, with restrictions imposed, produced a decrease in electricity demand, a decline in coal-fired power consumption, greatly reduced the share of gas in the energy mix, using preferential renewable energy sources. Subsequently, Russian gas prices have risen to record highs and, as a result, coal-fired power generation has returned to the European Union in 2021, although coal became more expensive and emission allowance prices doubled. In the context of the armed conflict between Russia and Ukraine, major price increases are expected worldwide, generating new risks of exposing the economy and new challenges in terms of ensuring Romania's independence and energy security. Against this background of these situations, can Romania still respect the European commitments of the Green Pact, meet these challenges and respond to the needs of the communities affected by the projected programs? The present paper aims at a critical assessment of the current situation of the Romanian coal mining and future trends of using a "clean coal” as a variant to respond to the requirements of the environmental concerns. © 2022 International Multidisciplinary Scientific Geoconference. All rights reserved.

Post-pandemic lessons for EU energy and climate policy after the Russian invasion of Ukraine: Introduction to a special issue on EU green recovery in the post-Covid-19 period.

The key policy priority for governments around the world during the 2020-2021 period was the response to the Covid-19 pandemic. However, this was swiftly replaced by an even graver urgent need to respond to Russia's full-scale attack on Ukraine in February 2022. This special issue aims to study the post-pandemic response and how related policy choices influence decarbonisation and energy transition efforts in the EU. While the special issue was initially conceived before Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the question of policy responses to critical situations remains even more relevant in the face of Russia's attempt to redraft the political landscape of Europe by force. The dichotomy of existing views on whether the crisis caused by the pandemic is an opportunity or a threat to the energy transition is also present in the discussion and perception of the EU's energy and climate policy after the Russian invasion at least temporarily shifted energy security and decarbonisation priorities. Analysing energy and climate dimensions of the EU's post-pandemic recovery can provide policy implications applicable to the energy security crisis connected to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

A critique on the UK's net zero strategy

Before the Covid-19 pandemic UK passed net-zero emission law legislation to become the first major economy in the world to end its contribution to global warming by 2050. Following the UK's legislation to reach net-zero emissions, a long-term strategy for transition to a net-zero target was published in 2021. The strategy is a technology-led and with a top-down approach. The intention is to reach the target over the next three decades. The document targets seven sectors to reduce emissions and include a wide range of policies and innovations for decarbonization. This paper aims to accomplish a much needed review of the strategy in heat and buildings part and cover the key related areas in future buildings standard, heat pumps and use of hydrogen as elaborated in the strategy. For that purpose, this research reviews key themes in the policy, challenges, recent advancement and future possibilities. It provides an insight on the overall development toward sustainability and decarbonization of built environment in the UK by 2050. A foresight model, Future Wheels is also used to visualize the findings from the review and provide a clear picture of the potential impact of the policy. © 2023

Ship carbon dioxide emission estimation in coastal domestic emission control areas using high spatial-temporal resolution data: A China case

It is necessary to accurately calculate ship carbon emissions for shipping suitability. The state-of-the-art approaches could arguably not be able to estimate ship carbon emissions accurately due to the uncertainties of Ship Technical Specification Database (STSD) and the geographical and temporal breakpoints in Automatic Identification System (AIS) data, hence requiring a new methodology to be developed to address such defects and further improve the accuracy of emission estimation. Firstly, a novel STSD iterative repair model is proposed based on the random forest algorithm by the incorporation of13 ship technical parameters. The repair model is scalable and can substantially improve the quality of STSD. Secondly, a new ship AIS trajectory segmentation algorithm based on ST-DBSCAN is developed, which effectively eliminates the impact of geographical and temporal AIS breakpoints on emission estimation. It can accurately identify the ships' berthing and anchoring trajectories and reasonably segment the trajectories. Finally, based on this proposed framework, the ship carbon dioxide emissions within the scope of domestic emission control areas (DECA) along the coast of China are estimated. The experiment results indicate that the proposed STSD repair model is highly credible due to the significant connections between ship technical parameters. In addition, the emission analysis shows that, within the scope of China's DECA, the berthing period of ships is longer owing to the joint effects of coastal operation features and the strict quarantine measures under the COVID-19 pandemic, which highlights the emissions produced by ship auxiliary engines and boilers. The carbon intensity of most coastal provinces in China is relatively high, reflecting the urgent demand for the transformation and updates of the economic development models. Based on the theoretical models and results, this study recommends a five-stage decarbonization scheme for China's DECA to advance its decarbonization process. © 2022 Elsevier Ltd

BORON-HYDROGEN MATERIALS TOWARDS DECARBONISATION

Boron-hydrogen (B-H) materials are used as hydrogen and heat sources, due to their reducing potential. It has been shown again with the COVID-19 pandemic that greenhouse gas activities are anthropogenic in origin. In particular, the conversion of carbon dioxide (CO2) into valuable chemicals has an important place in the fight against the climate crisis. The conversion of anthropogenic CO2 into valuable chemicals has important implications for a habitable world. In many studies in the literature, boron hydrides have been used to produce, hydrogen and convert carbon dioxide into valuable chemicals. Formic acid and methanol obtained by hydrogenation can be seen as the clean energy movement of the future with its value in hydrogen storage. The type of valuable chemicals that will be formed by the hydrogenation of CO2 is directly related to the method to be followed. The type of catalyst used, or how much hydrogen molecule interacts with CO2, determines the valuable chemical that will form. Disturbances in the thermodynamics of the hydrogenation of CO2 have been tried to be eliminated by various types of catalysts and necessary condition optimizations. Many catalysts and methods developed for the hydrogenation of CO2 were examined. This study discusses the use of B-H materials via catalytic conversion of CO2 into valuable chemicals in terms of critical factors such as reaction conditions, selection of catalyst, and solvent. © 2022 Proceedings of WHEC 2022 - 23rd World Hydrogen Energy Conference: Bridging Continents by H2. All rights reserved.

SAFE ENERGY RELATIONS: UNFOLDING THE PRECAUTIONARY PRINCIPLE WITH THE ADVENT OF HYDROGEN TECHNOLOGIES

Proposals on the inclusion of hydrogen as an energy vector into the large-scale energy socio-technical system has gained considerable momentum along with the effects of the climate crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic. This study examines the conflict between various dimensions of decarbonization with hydrogen agenda within the conceptual framework of international environmental law and policies. Firstly, we carry out a general due diligence of the technical, economic, and legal aspects of the hydrogen economy particularly in Europe. Subsequently, via textual analyses of European Union's strategic documents, the incompatibility of the hydrogen risk chain with the hydrogen value chain is revealed. Finally, as one remedy to this incompatibility;the precautionary principle, its relation to science, technology and society studies, and its possible policy applications in the context of hydrogen technologies are discussed. © 2022 Proceedings of WHEC 2022 - 23rd World Hydrogen Energy Conference: Bridging Continents by H2. All rights reserved.

Navigating through an energy crisis: Challenges and progress towards electricity decarbonisation, reliability, and affordability in Italy

Following Russia's invasion of Ukraine and amidst COVID-19 recovery efforts, the energy crisis has put enormous pressure to policymakers to balance climate action, sustainable development, and management of the impacts of fuel supply disruptions and price shocks. Policy and market responses, such as liquefied natural gas infrastructure investments and use of every available fossil-fuel lever to make up for Russian gas supply cuts, are feared to trigger new lock-ins, jeopardising decarbonisation. This is also the case in Italy, which is highly dependent on Russia-imported gas. Energy models typically used to support such decisions take time to produce meaningful scenarios and, in times of crisis, are largely driven by highly uncertain parameters. This study uses fuzzy cognitive maps to engage with experts in a workshop and elicit their knowledge and perceptions with the aid of a questionnaire, towards simulating the impact of selected strategies and important uncertainties on the three pillars of Italy's progress to electricity-sector sustainability: decarbonisation, affordability, and reliability. In a framework of deliberation and simulation, experts displayed strong preference for renewable energy, compared to new gas infrastructure. Renewables were notably deemed to have positive impacts across all three sustaina-biltiy dimensions and were found more robust against uncertainties, such as regulatory and political instability, which was highlighted as the biggest risk. Critically, despite their expectedly positive impact, demand-side transformations including demand reductions and broader behavioural shifts-a core component of the EU's current approach-may prove inadequate, should large system pressures from negative socio-and techno-economic developments persist.

Navigating through an energy crisis: Challenges and progress towards electricity decarbonisation, reliability, and affordability in Italy

Following Russia's invasion of Ukraine and amidst COVID-19 recovery efforts, the energy crisis has put enormous pressure to policymakers to balance climate action, sustainable development, and management of the impacts of fuel supply disruptions and price shocks. Policy and market responses, such as liquefied natural gas infrastructure investments and use of every available fossil-fuel lever to make up for Russian gas supply cuts, are feared to trigger new lock-ins, jeopardising decarbonisation. This is also the case in Italy, which is highly dependent on Russia-imported gas. Energy models typically used to support such decisions take time to produce meaningful scenarios and, in times of crisis, are largely driven by highly uncertain parameters. This study uses fuzzy cognitive maps to engage with experts in a workshop and elicit their knowledge and perceptions with the aid of a questionnaire, towards simulating the impact of selected strategies and important uncertainties on the three pillars of Italy's progress to electricity-sector sustainability: decarbonisation, affordability, and reliability. In a framework of deliberation and simulation, experts displayed strong preference for renewable energy, compared to new gas infrastructure. Renewables were notably deemed to have positive impacts across all three sustainabiltiy dimensions and were found more robust against uncertainties, such as regulatory and political instability, which was highlighted as the biggest risk. Critically, despite their expectedly positive impact, demand-side transformations including demand reductions and broader behavioural shifts—a core component of the EU's current approach—may prove inadequate, should large system pressures from negative socio- and techno-economic developments persist.

COVID-19 and impacts of the evolving city models on mobility

During the recent pandemic, the progressive weakening of the networks of proximity services for citizens lead to the loss of city functions. It stems the need to define new policy frameworks for the city that puts the user/citizen and urban economies at the center, allowing local regenerative strategies to be implemented and shared between public administrations, business associations, mobility service companies, and citizens. Moreover, recent climate change and the COVID-19 pandemic have highlighted the need to rethink city planning and mobility planning, in particular, ensuring respect for social distancing and supporting the decarbonization strategies dictated by the Green Deal and the Paris Agreement. Local governments can better analyze such critical urban issues from a bottom-up approach through participatory planning. Furthermore, the dissemination of models such as 15-minute and smart cities can ensure that users can reach services with the shortest distance without using a private vehicle. At the same time, the dissemination of technology could allow for greater control of urban activities and transport flows, making it possible to mitigate the impacts of carbon emission and that generated by possible accidents or vehicle congestion. Based on literature review, this study focuses on exploring the diffusion of smart city and 15min city models and the technologies connected to mobility and what that means for the future dynamics of the smart cities. © 2022 Author(s).

The crises of a crisis: The impact of Covid-19 on localised decarbonisation ambitions in the United Kingdom.

Responding to crises leads to a shift in priorities and actions, with this affecting the achievement of longer-term strategic ambitions. This paper contributes to understandings of governing crises by exploring the tension between short-term crisis response and the achievement of longer-term policy goals, through the discussion of the Covid-19 pandemic and localised decarbonisation ambitions in Greater Manchester. Prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, Greater Manchester outlined ambitions to achieve carbon neutrality by 2038 through the use of a place-based approach. Greater Manchester has been subject to a range of lockdown restrictions throughout the pandemic, with all aspects of society being impacted including decarbonisation ambitions. Thus providing a useful case study for understanding the impact that Covid-19 has had on the development and implementation of Greater Manchester's decarbonisation ambitions. Within this focus is placed on the opportunities and constraints experienced. A total of 22 semi-structured interviews were conducted with stakeholders associated with Greater Manchester's decarbonisation ambitions between October 2020 and April 2021. Stakeholders interviewed included regional and local government, academics, community organisations, non-profit organisations and activist groups. Novel insights obtained through the stakeholder interviews highlight how Covid-19 has simultaneously constrained and provided opportunities for decarbonisation in Greater Manchester. Based upon the experiences of the stakeholders interviewed, 4 crises which have affected the achievement of longer-term decarbonisation ambitions have been identified - a communication crisis, an engagement crisis, a participation crisis and crises of temporality. The crises identified and discussed either emerged or intensified as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. Although these crises are discussed in relation to the impact of Covid-19 on decarbonisation, the learnings identified can be applied to other crises and long-term strategic ambitions.

Overcoming barriers for decarbonisation of multi residential buildings with Energy service company (ESCO) model - Is the REPowerEU plan game changer for ESCO model?

Due to climate change, the EU Green deal and initiatives from Glasgow COP 26 require intensive mitigation measures toward decarbonisation of the buildings sector. One of the biggest challenges for achieving CO2 reduction goals will be the residential sector, especially multi residential buildings. Although there are well-known technologies and energy efficiency (EE) measures that can greatly contribute to decarbonisation of buildings, experience shows that the main barriers for implementation of EE measures originate from the potential client side and have social, economic and regulatory character. These barriers include: lack of awareness about climate change and necessity for urgent actions and long payback period for investment. On the other hand, market and ESCO company side barriers predominantly have economic and technical character, such as a lack of integrator who has professional capability to implement deep renovation projects as well as financial capability for investing in energy service through ESCO model with a long return of investment. Although there is different definition of ESCO model in the world and it is evolving and the model has been implemented for decades there is a little progress in implementation of such model in multi residential building sector. Additionally, there is a necessity for deep renovation of buildings where ESCO model is not desirable due to long payback period. However, there is a new reality now after two years of COVID pandemic and recent EU decision to dramatically decrease its dependency on fossil fuels through the REPowerEU plan. These have created new circumstances and drivers for intensive rethinking of implementation of ESCO model in multi residential buildings. This paper discusses barriers and drivers with associated risks for implementation of ESCO model in the residential sector and gives future direction of actions for implementation of this model in multi residential buildings. Barriers and drivers discussed in this paper also reflect practice and experience on the ESCO market in Croatia. © 2022 University of Split, FESB.

The Theoretical, Practical, and Technological Foundations of the 15-Minute City Model: Proximity and Its Environmental, Social and Economic Benefits for Sustainability

Conventional and emerging paradigms of urbanism require new responses under the current circumstances, especially in relation to the integration of sustainability dimensions and technology advances. The escalating rate of urbanization, coupled with the climate emergency, fundamentally indeed disrupt the challenges that urbanism research and practice deal with, calling for adopting more innovative approaches to urban planning and design. With cities contributing around 65% of Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions and experiencing an unprecedented growth of population, contemporary urban policy needs to be redefined and re-assessed accordingly. While numerous urban models, such as the Compact City, the Eco-City, the Sustainable City, and the Smart City, have emerged in response to the challenges of sustainability and urbanization, the 15-Minute City has recently gained a steep popularity. This paper explores the theoretical, practical, and technological foundations of the 15-Minute City, with a particular focus on the proximity dimension of mixed land-use and its environmental, social, and economic benefits of sustainability as supported by smart technologies. We argue that this evolving model of urbanism has the potential to gain more expansion and success in regard to building more sustainable, efficient, resilient, equitable, and inclusive cities in line with the global agendas of Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 11, as it adds a strategic value to the amalgam of the prevailing and emerging paradigms of urbanism and their synergies with respect to increasing the benefits of sustainability while emphasizing its environmental dimension.

Research and Development on Power Supply Systems for a Sustainable Society

Carbon neutrality is a necessary goal as a countermeasure against climate change. Therefore, it has become more important to promote further energy saving and the use of energy storage systems in railway systems. Notwithstanding, falls in passenger traffic due to COVID-19 have had a significant impact on railway management, and reducing infrastructure maintenance costs has become an urgent issue. This paper presents recent research and development on power supply systems, especially for decarbonizing the railways and reducing resources required for maintenance of overhead contact line systems. © 2022 Ken-yusha Inc.. All rights reserved.

Decarbonization pathways of the top 10 greenhouse gas emitters developed and developing countries

Global warming will result in the melting of glaciers and frozen soil, as well as increasing sea levels, endangering not only natural ecosystems but also humanity's survival. Therefore, the world should speed up its response to climate change and low-carbon transition. However, there are conflicts of interest between developed and developing countries, and some contradictions are deep-rooted. In order to find the future survival path of humanity, all countries need to make concessions to realise joint cooperation. The article studied the two significant issues facing international cooperation to achieve low-carbon and examined the difficulties faced by the world's top ten greenhouse gas emitting developed and developing countries in the process of the low-carbon transition. Based on the research analyse and Covid-19 impact, some feasible suggestions for individuals and countries are put forward to achieve decarbonisation. © 2022 SPIE.