ABSTRACT
Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in shipping have been receiving growing concerns in the maritime industry. Recently, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) is considering the introduction of a global shipping carbon tax, which has become the most talked-about topic in both industry and academia. To assess the potential impact of the carbon tax on maritime trades, a trade-volume-based model of shipping carbon emissions was developed. Considering that bulk shipping is the second-largest carbon emitter in the maritime industry and the low value-to-weight nature of bulk cargoes, the model was applied to analyze the dry bulk trade in China, one of the leading countries in the global dry bulk trade. The results show that the introduction of the carbon tax could have significant impacts on freight rates and commodity prices. Depending on the trading regions and the carbon charges, shipping freight rates would increase by 10–30%, which is equivalent to 1–4% of the trading prices. Additionally, since shorter shipping distances may have less emission per trading tonnage, the shipping carbon tax may significantly change the dry bulk trade patterns, resulting in China’s increasing reliance on nearby countries, e.g., India and Australia, for the import of key commodities. These findings can help shipping companies and sectors make better carbon reduction responses, such as redeploying their fleets, promoting the development of low-carbon shipping technologies, and increasing investments in Australia, as well as South and Southeast Asia.
ABSTRACT
Speed read Time to spur a clean industrial revolution, says UN environment and faith advisor Need to transition to resilient, local, urban agro-ecological farming, producing food with less energy and water Post-COVID19 economic shift requires incentivising rapid growth of sustainable production Much has been made of the brief respite in carbon emissions that coronavirus has given the world. Fossil fuels, agriculture and deforestation The first priority must shift trillion-dollar fossil fuel subsidies into the renewable energy sector. Agriculture is also one of the biggest carbon emitters, with huge inputs of fossil fuels involved in manufacturing pesticides and fertiliser, plus processing, packaging and distribution.
ABSTRACT
Aviation has been identified as one of the crucial hard-to-abate sectors, as long-range aviation in particular will continue to depend on liquid fuels for the foreseeable future. The sector was also one of the fastest growing emitters of fossil CO2 emissions until 2019 but experienced sharply reduced demand during the COVID-19 pandemic, making future demand outlooks more uncertain. While past studies have looked at the variation in future aviation demands due to variations in demographics, income levels, and pricing policies, an exploration of potentially more sustainable demand futures does not yet exist. Here we use an open-source model with a detailed representation of country-level aviation demand per international/domestic and business/leisure segments to analyze a range of scenarios based on a consistent and comprehensive interpretation of the qualitative narratives related to behavioural aspects as well as the socioeconomic data from different shared socioeconomic pathways (SSPs). Our results show a potential stabilization of global aviation demand at roughly twice the 2019 level in an SSP1 scenario, a weakened growth for an SSP2 scenario, while an SSP5 scenario projects an aviation future virtually unaffected by the COVID-19 shock, resulting in continued high growth rates. Further results show that without specific interventions that change the past demand growth patterns, the aviation sector could grow to levels that are very challenging to defossilize in a sustainable manner. Therefore, policies aiming at less frequent flying seem to be an important component of long-term decarbonisation strategies, and decisions regarding airport extensions should carefully assess the risk of stranded infrastructure.
ABSTRACT
PurposeThis paper aims to investigate potential impact of internal carbon pricing in emission reduction in Higher education institutions (HEIs). Over the past century, human activities have increased greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the atmosphere. If GHG emissions continue their upward trend, this will disturb the natural balance and trigger abrupt changes in all components of the climate system. Limiting climate change would require a substantial and sustained reduction in GHG emissions from all sectors. HEIs, as major emitters, indeed need to respond to the demand to become more sustainable by making practical changes to the way their institution is run.Design/methodology/approachUsing emission data associated with campus waste, this study describes how HEIs can take the lead on emission reduction through the implementation of carbon pricing.FindingsSpecifically, this study estimates the cost of emissions from campus waste to illustrate the primary benefits of internal carbon pricing for scaling up campus carbon neutrality initiatives and describes practical implications for enhancing sustainable waste management in a university setting. This study will contribute to identifying the potential for emissions reduction through waste management using a carbon pricing mechanism in university settings.Originality/valueWhile carbon pricing has long been regarded as an alternative approach to tackling carbon pollution, it has not been thoroughly explored with regard to waste management.