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The EU has set the ambitious target of raising the share of EU energy consumption produced from renewable resources to 32% by 2030, with a target of climate neutrality by 2050. The aim of this paper is to assess the role of biomass usage in the context of these targets. The paper identifies the progress made between 2013 and 2022 by focusing on a selection of EU countries. The largest bioenergy increments of 130, 77, and 60 PJ were reported for Poland, Sweden, and the Netherlands. This study evaluates the crucial role of co-generation and heat in EU regions, with biomass usage between 55 and 80% of the combined heat and power (CHP) energy in Nordic countries. The future perspectives for bioenergy based on EU policies, biomass resources, and technical issues were addressed. The EU possesses around 9% of the global biomass supply, ensuring a certain level of biomass resource dependence. Thus, the biomass usage demand in energy production, non-energy sectors, and transport is expected to rise, leading to increments of 13–76% on biomass imports. It appears that bioenergy development is mostly limited by economic issues and uneven support for bioenergy in different EU countries as well as environmental issues. The study shows a promising and sustainable potential of bioenergy in the EU as a renewable energy source while minimizing negative impacts on the environment and the economy. By 2050, liquid biofuels are likely to be increasingly used in the transport sector. Non-energy sector usage of biomass is still in an early stage of development, except for the pulp and paper industry, and significant use of biomass in non-energy sectors seems unlikely in the near future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The process of carbon neutrality does have economic costs; however, few studies have measured the cost and the economic neutral opportunities. This paper uses a dynamic computable general equilibrium (CGE) model to simulate China's carbon neutrality path from 2020 to 2060 and analyzes its economic impact. This paper innovatively adjusts the CGE modeling technology and simulates the boundary of the Porter hypothesis on the premise of economic neutrality. The results show that the carbon neutrality target may reduce the annual GDP growth rate by about 0.8% in 2020–2060. To make the carbon pricing method under the carbon neutrality framework meet the strong version of the Porter hypothesis (or economic neutrality), China must increase its annual total factor productivity by 0.56–0.57% in 2020–2060; this is hard to achieve. In addition, the study finds that China's 2030 carbon target has little impact on the economy, but the achievement of the 2060 carbon neutrality target will have a significant effect. Therefore, the paper believes that the key to carbon neutrality lies in the coexistence of technological innovation and carbon pricing to ensure that we can cope with global warming with the lowest cost and resistance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The conversion of coal-fired power plants to nuclear power stations is a potential method for decarbonizing coal power and offers a pathway for low-carbon development in China's power industry. This paper focuses on retrofitting China's coastal coal-fired power stations and compares the potential nuclear reactor technologies for the retrofit: China's mainstream pressurized water reactor and the commercially operated fourth-generation high-temperature gas-cooled reactor (HTGR). The analysis compares the degree of matching between the two technologies and coal-fired power stations in terms of unit capacity, thermal system parameters, unit speed, structural dimensions, and weight, which significantly impact the retrofit scheme. The results indicate that HTGR is more compatible with coal-fired power plants and is recommended as the type of nuclear reactor technology to be retrofitted. The study selected the 210 MWe High-Temperature Gas-Cooled Reactor Pebble-Bed Module (HTR-PM) as the reactor technology for retrofitting a typical 300 MW class subcritical coal-fired unit. Based on the concept of subcritical parameters upgrading, the potential analysis and strategy study of retrofit is carried out in terms of the turbine, the main heat exchange equipment, the main pumps, and the main thermal system pipelines in the conventional island. The results indicate that the conventional island of the HTR-PM nuclear power plant has significant potential for retrofitting, which can be a crucial research direction for nuclear retrofitting of coal-fired power plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The income gap and global warming have always been topics of common concern to scholars worldwide. Internationally, there is no consensus yet about the impact of the income gap on carbon emissions, and there are few studies about that in China. To explore the effect of the income gap on carbon emissions at the provincial level in China, this paper first theoretically and qualitatively analyzes the non-linear impact of the income gap on carbon emissions. Then, the Gini coefficient of the resident income of different regions in China from 2010 to 2019 is calculated. Finally, a threshold regression model is used to quantitatively test the existence of a threshold effect between the income gap and carbon emission intensity in China. The threshold value is the per capita disposable income of residents. The results show that the income gap is positively related to carbon emission intensity in poor regions. In high-income areas, the widening income gap inhibits the increase in carbon emission intensity. Based on this, this paper proposes policy recommendations to narrow the income gap and reduce the intensity of carbon emissions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Frequency response performance in power systems is becoming vulnerable due to the transition toward the higher penetration of renewable energy such as achieving carbon neutrality. In particular, reducing power system inertia energy as the asynchronous generation increases could result in violating the frequency stability constraint when a disturbance occurs in the power systems. In order to control the rapidly fluctuating frequency of the power system with low inertia, it is necessary to introduce fast frequency response resources such as a Battery Energy Storage System (BESS). This paper proposes a method to calculate the required capacity of BESS for compensating the frequency control performance of the power system using inertia energy. For calculating the required capacity of BESS, the inertia energy in the critical power system, where frequency control performance marginally satisfies frequency stability constraint, should be calculated. Also, the inertia energy in the evaluated power system having deficit inertia energy should be calculated. By comparing power systems that respond with different dynamics when the same disturbance occurs, the proposed calculation corresponds to the ratio of inertia energy deficiency based on critical power system inertia energy within the power imbalance. Through various case studies employing Korean power systems, the effectiveness of the inertia energy-based calculation method for the required BESS is verified by the fact that the BESS integrated power system marginally satisfies the frequency stability constraint. In these study cases, it is found that the instant response of BESS is very effective for compensating the frequency control performance of the low inertia power system. By applying the proposed method, it is also found that about 840 MW of BESS can achieve carbon neutrality in the Korean power system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes a practical framework for developing a net-zero electricity mix scenario (NEMS), which considers detailed conditions for supply of each energy. NEMS means a path scenario for power generation amount by year of each generation resource required to achieve carbon neutrality in 2050. NEMS framework refers to a methodological framework that contains procedures and requirements to continuously update the NEMS by comprehensively reflecting policy changes. For evaluation of NEMS, indicators such as a system inertia resource ratio (SIRR) and a fuel conversion rate (FCR) are proposed. The proposed framework and indicators are applied for the 2050 NEMS in Korea's electricity sector. The SIRR, indicating the ratio of inertial resources to total resources, projects values of 49% and 15% for the years 2030 and 2050, respectively. Furthermore, the FCR, reflecting the ratio of fuel conversion for resources undergoing this process, predicts that all targeted resources will have completed conversion by the year 2043. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Australia has clear aspirations to become a major global exporter of hydrogen as a replacement for fossil fuels and as part of the drive to reduce CO2 emissions, as set out in the National Hydrogen Strategy released in 2019 jointly by the federal and state governments. In 2021, the Australian Energy Market Operator specified a grid forecast scenario for the first time entitled "hydrogen superpower". Not only does Australia hope to capitalise on the emerging demand for zero-carbon hydrogen in places like Japan and South Korea by establishing a new export industry, but it also needs to mitigate the built-in carbon risk of its export revenue from coal and LNG as major customers, such as Japan and South Korea, move to decarbonise their energy systems. This places hydrogen at the nexus of energy, climate change mitigation and economic growth, with implications for energy security. Much of the published literature on this topic concentrates on the details of what being a major hydrogen exporter will look like and what steps will need to be taken to achieve it. However, there appears to be a gap in the study of the implications for Australia's domestic energy system in terms of energy security and export economic vulnerability. The objective of this paper is to develop a conceptual framework for the implications of becoming a major hydrogen exporter on Australia's energy system. Various green hydrogen export scenarios for Australia were compared, and the most recent and comprehensive was selected as the basis for further examination for domestic energy system impacts. In this scenario, 248.5 GW of new renewable electricity generation capacity was estimated to be required by 2050 to produce the additional 867 TWh required for an electrolyser output of 2088 PJ of green hydrogen for export, which will comprise 55.9% of Australia's total electricity demand at that time. The characteristics of comparative export-oriented resources and their interactions with the domestic economy and energy system are then examined through the lens of the resource curse hypothesis, and the LNG and aluminium industries. These existing resource export frameworks are reviewed for applicability of specific factors to export-oriented green hydrogen production, with applicable factors then compiled into a novel conceptual framework for exporter domestic implications from large-scale exports of green hydrogen. The green hydrogen export superpower (2050) scenario is then quantitatively assessed using the established indicators for energy exporter vulnerability and domestic energy security, comparing it to Australia's 2019 energy exports profile. This assessment finds that in almost all factors, exporter vulnerability is reduced, and domestic energy security is enhanced by the transition from fossil fuel exports to green hydrogen, with the exception of an increase in exposure of the domestic energy system to international market forces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Green hydrogen is gaining increasing attention as a key component of the global energy transition towards a more sustainable industry. Chile, with its vast renewable energy potential, is well positioned to become a major producer and exporter of green hydrogen. In this context, this paper explores the prospects for green hydrogen production and use in Chile. The perspectives presented in this study are primarily based on a compilation of government reports and data from the scientific literature, which primarily offer a theoretical perspective on the efficiency and cost of hydrogen production. To address the need for experimental data, an ongoing experimental project was initiated in March 2023. This project aims to assess the efficiency of hydrogen production and consumption in the Atacama Desert through the deployment of a mobile on-site laboratory for hydrogen generation. The facility is mainly composed by solar panels, electrolyzers, fuel cells, and a battery bank, and it moves through the Atacama Desert in Chile at different altitudes, from the sea level, to measure the efficiency of hydrogen generation through the energy approach. The challenges and opportunities in Chile for developing a robust green hydrogen economy are also analyzed. According to the results, Chile has remarkable renewable energy resources, particularly in solar and wind power, that could be harnessed to produce green hydrogen. Chile has also established a supportive policy framework that promotes the development of renewable energy and the adoption of green hydrogen technologies. However, there are challenges that need to be addressed, such as the high capital costs of green hydrogen production and the need for supportive infrastructure. Despite these challenges, we argue that Chile has the potential to become a leading producer and exporter of green hydrogen or derivatives such as ammonia or methanol. The country's strategic location, political stability, and strong commitment to renewable energy provide a favorable environment for the development of a green hydrogen industry. The growing demand for clean energy and the increasing interest in decarbonization present significant opportunities for Chile to capitalize on its renewable energy resources and become a major player in the global green hydrogen market. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper discusses existing trends and prospects for decarbonization in the Commonwealth of Independent States (the CIS), an international organization that regroups Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. The CIS occupies a significant share of Eurasia, representing a large share of global energy consumption and production with a corresponding carbon footprint. These countries and their decarbonization prospects are rarely discussed in the English-language scientific literature. This paper fills in this gap by offering a comprehensive analysis based on statistical data, policy documents, and scenario-based future projections. The results underline that revisiting Nationally Determined Contributions, increasing energy efficiency, and decoupling GDP growth from greenhouse gas emissions are essential to the implementation of the Paris Agreement. The future energy mix should include larger shares of renewable energy, hydrogen, fossil fuels (highly efficient with carbon capture), and nuclear energy to achieve energy security and decarbonize the economy of the region in the long term. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Republic of Korea has unique geographical characteristics similar to those of an island, resulting in an isolated power system. For this reason, securing sufficient operating reserves for the system's stability and reliability in the face of the intermittency of increasing variable renewable energy (VRE) is paramount, and this will pave the way to achieving the nation's decarbonization target and carbon neutrality. However, the current reserve-operation method in Republic of Korea does not take into account energy-system conditions, such as the intermittency of the VRE. Therefore, this paper presents an analysis of the impact of changes in reserve-operation methods on the electricity market in the future Republic of Korean power system, with the increased levels of VRE that are currently envisioned. Specifically, three reserve-operation methods, including Korea's current reserve-power-operation standards, were applied to the two power-system plans announced by the Korean government to analyze the annual generator operation and costs. The analysis results show that securing reserves proportional to the VRE would exert negative effects, such as increased power-generation costs and the curtailment of nuclear and VRE generation. These results can contribute to the estimation of operational reserves needed for high levels of VRE and to the design of new the Korean reserve market, to be introduced in 2025. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Enhancing carbon emission mitigation and carbon utilization have become necessary for the world to respond to climate change caused by the increase of greenhouse gas concentrations. As a result, carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) technologies have attracted considerable attention worldwide, especially in China, which plans to achieve a carbon peak before 2030 and carbon neutrality before 2060. This paper proposed six priorities for China, the current world's largest carbon emitter, to achieve its dual carbon strategy in the green energy transition process. We analyzed and summarized the challenges and potentialities of conventional carbon utilization (CU), carbon capture utilization (CCU), and CCUS. Based on the current development trend, carbon dioxide capture, circular utilization, and storage (CCCUS) technology that integrates carbon circular utilization and partial sequestration, with large-scale underground energy storage were proposed, namely biomethanation. Technically and economically, biomethanation was believed to have an essential contribution to China's renewable energy utilization and storage, as well as the carbon circular economy. The preliminary investigation reveals significant potential, with a corresponding carbon storage capacity of 5.94 × 108 t~7.98 × 108 t and energy storage of 3.29 × 1012 kWh~4.42 × 1012 kWh. Therefore, we believe that in addition to vigorously developing classical CCUS technology, technical research and pilot projects of CCCUS technology that combined large-scale underground energy storage also need to be carried out to complete the technical reserve and the dual-carbon target. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In response to global climate change, China has committed to peaking carbon emissions by 2030 and achieving carbon neutrality by 2060, commonly known as the "30–60 Dual Carbon". Under the background of "30–60 Dual Carbon", this article takes the electric power industry, which is the main industry contributing to China's carbon emission, as the research object, explores the time and peak value of the carbon peak of the electric power industry, and analyzes whether carbon neutrality can be realized under the peak method, so as to get the carbon neutrality path of the electric power industry and serve as the theoretical basis for the formulation of relevant policies. The Environmental Kuznets Curve inspection and the relationship analysis are carried out, then the system dynamics model is constructed, the carbon emissions from 2020 to 2040 are simulated, and the peak time is predicted. Three different scenarios are set to explore the path of electricity carbon neutralization under the premise of a fixed peak. It is shown that Gross Domestic Product per capita index factors have the largest positive contribution, and thermal power share index factors have the largest negative contribution to electricity carbon emissions. Based on the current efforts of the new policy, carbon emissions can achieve the peak carbon emissions' target before 2030, and it is expected to peak in 2029, with a peak range of about 4.95 billion tons. After the power industry peaks in 2029, i.e., Scenario 3, from coal 44%, gas 9% (2029) to coal 15%, gas 7% (2060), where the CCUS technology is widely used, this scenario can achieve carbon neutrality in electricity by 2060. Adjusting the power supply structure, strictly controlling the proportion of thermal power, optimizing the industrial structure, and popularization of carbon capture, utilization, and storage technology will all contribute to the "dual carbon" target of the power sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes a novel regional carbon emission inequality (RCI) index based on a special kind of general distribution. Using the proposed RCI index and based on China's county-level panel data over the time span of 1997–2017, the regional carbon emission inequality of China is evaluated at intra-provincial, sub-national, and national levels. Based on that, the dependence between regional carbon inequality and carbon efficiency is studied by using copula functions and nonlinear dependence measures. The empirical results show that: (1) Shanghai, Tianjin, and Inner Mongolia have the worst carbon inequalities; while Hainan, Qinghai, and Jiangxi are the three most carbon-equal provinces; (2) there is a divergence phenomenon in RCI values of municipalities over the past decade; (3) from the national-level perspective, the inter-provincial carbon emission inequality is much greater than that at the intra-provincial level; (4) from the sub-national-level perspective, the east region has the highest RCI value, followed by the northeast, west, and the central regions; (5) there is a so-called "efficiency-equality (E-E) trade-off" in each provincial administrative unit, meaning that the higher carbon efficiency generally comes with higher carbon inequality, i.e., carbon efficiency comes at a price of carbon inequality; and (6) by re-grouping provincial units via the efficiency-equality cost and industrial structure, respectively, both carbon equality and carbon efficiency can be achieved in some regions simultaneously, thereby getting out of the "E-E trade-off" dilemma. The empirical evidence may provide valuable insight regarding the topic of "equality and efficiency" in environmental economics, and offer policy implications for regional economic planning and coordination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the exponential growth of traffic demand, ultra-dense networks have been proposed to cope with such demand. However, the increase of the network density causes more power use, and carbon neutrality becomes an important concept to decrease the emission and production of carbon. In cellular networks, emission and production can be directly related to power consumption. In this paper, we aim to achieve carbon neutrality, as well as maximize network capacity with given power constraints. We assume that base stations have their own renewable energy sources to generate power. For carbon neutrality, we control the power consumption for base stations by adjusting the transmission power and switching off base stations to balance the generated power. Given such power constraints, our goal is to maximize the network capacity or the rate achievable for the users. To this end, we carefully design the objective function and then propose an efficient Deep Deterministic Policy Gradient (DDPG) algorithm to maximize the objective. A simulation is conducted to validate the benefits of the proposed method. Extensive simulations show that the proposed method can achieve carbon neutrality and provide a better rate than other baseline schemes. Specifically, up to a 63% gain in the reward value was observed in the DDPG algorithm compared to other baseline schemes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Global warming is a critical crisis threatening human survival and development. International organizations and countries worldwide are introducing policies and practices to achieve carbon neutrality. In China, numerous carbon neutrality policies have been established; however, a systematic understanding of the underlying policy logic is lacking. Using the institutional analysis and development (IAD) framework, this paper analyzes selected carbon neutrality policies in China. We conducted a bibliometric visualization analysis of the texts of 20 policies and matched their logic to the elements of the IAD framework. We established 90 keywords with occurrences of no less than 10 times in China's carbon neutrality policies. The network visualization analysis identified six clusters. We discuss implementation challenges of China's carbon neutrality policies, address the policy implementation, and finally outline impacts on China's carbon neutrality governance. This study responds to the global concern over China's carbon neutrality commitments by clarifying the institutional logic of China's policies and actions. This study could provide a reference for countries worldwide that are designing and introducing carbon neutrality policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The EU has several directives aiming toward carbon neutrality and is attempting to promote and encourage individual electricity consumers to participate in this endeavor. The key idea behind consumer awakening and activation is to push consumers to become aware of their electricity consumption behavior. The purpose of this paper was to examine the current consumption behavior of Finnish electricity consumers and their intention to support the goals of carbon neutrality through energy efficient consumption. The aim was to reveal how far the consumption behavior of people was from the intention to tackle climate change. To reach this goal, a qualitative research method was applied to evaluate the consumer awareness and intentions. A consumer survey was conducted to enable standardized and consistent data collection. The research utilized a key performance indicator (KPI) approach to evaluate the results: the social KPIs connected with qualitative values provide a comprehensive approach. According to the results, the awareness of consumers of their consumption behavior was not very high, and some data needs can be identified. In addition, clear intentions can be detected among the residents to support the environment and to save energy. However, the consumers did not seem to be aware of the available data and existing services that could help them to improve their energy efficiency. Therefore, more motivation and communication is still required to affect the electricity consumption behavior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To avoid the potential adverse impacts of climate change from global warming, it is suggested that the target of net zero emissions should be reached by this mid-century. Thailand is aiming to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. Since electricity generation is one of the largest producers of carbon dioxide emission, the associated emissions must be greatly reduced to achieve the targets mentioned above. Thus, new generation expansion plans must be well developed. This paper discusses the development of generation expansion plans considering Thailand's latest policies along with enhancement of the existing multi-period linear programming model, allowing new electricity generation technologies having low emissions, e.g., solar PV with battery and hydrogen blending in natural gas, to be integrated into generation expansion planning. Then, four generation expansion plans with different levels of hydrogen blending in natural gas are proposed and discussed. It is found that Thailand can achieve carbon neutrality by 2050 by promoting more use of renewable energy altogether with trade-off between land for solar PV installation and amount of hydrogen blended in natural gas. The lesson learned from this study provides crucial information about possible pathways to achieve carbon neutrality in the electricity sector for policy makers in other countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To combat global warming, "carbon neutrality" has gradually become a consensus. Some countries have constructed domestic and regional carbon trading markets, and links to global carbon markets are receiving increasing attention. Blue carbon, an important component of nature-based solutions (NbS), has not received the attention it deserves and is still isolated from the carbon trading market. Based on summarizing the existing achievements of blockchain application in carbon trading, this paper analyzes how to make each participating body provide services in the process of blue carbon production, circulation and trading, and designs the architectural diagram of the blue carbon system under peer-to-peer (P2P) transactions based on the theoretical framework of blockchain 3.0. Utilizing the advantages of decentralization, high transparency and non-tamperability of blockchain, we can realize a highly efficient, low-cost and intelligent blue carbon trading management system. Thus, we can make the world pay more attention to the development and utilization of marine resources and increase investment in blue carbon sink projects; and promote the development of blue carbon market, enrich the carbon trading market, and help achieve "emission reduction without reduction in production". [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Green innovation has become an important support to promote the strategic goals of peak carbon dioxide emission and high-quality economic development. This paper systematically examines whether internal control can effectively drive enterprise green innovation and achieve the "win–win" result of enterprise economic development and environmental protection. We found that internal control can significantly improve the green innovation level of enterprises, which is mainly reflected in the mandatory disclosure stage of internal control information and the other four elements of internal control, except the control environment. The mechanism test found that internal control can promote green innovation by reducing enterprise risks, alleviating agency conflicts, relieving financing constraints, and improving the rationality of innovation investment. The heterogeneity test found that the promotion effect of internal control on green innovation is more significant in large enterprises and private enterprises; internal control can effectively supervise the maintenance of relationship resources, and relationship resources positively regulate the promotion effect of internal control on green innovation; excessive executive power will weaken the internal control supervision and punishment of executives, and weaken the positive effect between internal control and green innovation; internal control can improve the utilization rate of government subsidies, and government subsidies positively regulate the positive effect of internal control on green innovation. The research conclusions enrich the market-oriented research on the driving factors of enterprise green innovation, and provide empirical evidence for enhancing the competitiveness of enterprise green innovation and achieving carbon neutrality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change has become a major agenda item in international relations and in national energy policy-making circles around the world. This review studies the surprising evolution of the energy policy, and more particularly the energy transition, currently happening in the Arabian Gulf region, which features some of the world's largest exporters of oil and gas. Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and other neighboring energy exporters plan to export blue and green hydrogen across Asia as well as towards Europe in the years and decades to come. Although poorly known and understood abroad, this recent strategy does not threaten the current exports of oil and gas (still needed for a few decades) but prepares the evolution of their national energy industries toward the future decarbonized energy demand of their main customers in East and South Asia, and beyond. The world's largest exporter of Liquefied Natural Gas, Qatar, has established industrial policies and projects to upscale CCUS, which can enable blue hydrogen production, as well as natural carbon sinks domestically via afforestation projects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research investigates the energy efficiency of a novel double-glazing system incorporating solid–solid phase change materials (SSPCMs), which offer significant advantages over traditional liquid–solid phase change materials. The primary objective of this study is to develop a 3D numerical model using the finite volume method, which will be followed by a parametric study under real climatic boundary conditions. A proposed double-glazing setup featuring a 2 mm layer of SSPCM applied on the inner glass pane within the air gap is modeled and analyzed. The simulations consider various transient temperatures and ranges of the SSPCM to evaluate the energy performance of the system under different weather conditions of Miami, FL during the coldest and hottest days of the year, both in sunny and cloudy conditions. The results demonstrate a notable improvement in energy performance compared to standard double-glazing windows (DGWs), with the most efficient SSPCM configuration exhibiting a phase transition temperature and range of 25 °C and 1 °C, respectively. This configuration achieved energy savings of 24%, 26%, and 23% during summer sunny, winter sunny, and winter cloudy days, respectively, relative to DGWs during cooling and heating degree hours. However, a 3% energy loss was observed during summer cloudy days. Overall, the findings of this study have shown the potential for energy savings by incorporating SSPCM with suitable thermophysical properties into double-glazing systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: Integration of decentralized models with a centralized national energy system framework. Strategic reduction in photovoltaic (PV) installation requirements and system cost through decentralized approaches. Optimization of self-consumption to minimize grid reinforcement needs. Identification of key trade-offs in PV integration and the importance of energy storage and grid management. Exploration of electrification strategies, power-to-methane technologies, and the use of existing gas grids to bridge decentralized and centralized systems. The transition towards renewable and decentralized energy systems is propelled by the urgent need to address climate concerns and advance sustainable development globally. This transformation requires innovative methods to integrate stochastic renewable sources such as solar and wind power and challenging traditional energy paradigms rooted in centralized and continuous energy production. The present study focuses on the Swiss energy system to explore the optimization of energy planning strategies that incorporate decentralized energy production within a centralized framework. Here, we show that a strategic approach to decentralization can significantly reduce annual system costs by 10% to CHF 1230 per capita and increase self-consumption to 68% of the decentralized PV production, emphasizing the need for a hybrid energy-planning model that balances centralized and decentralized models for enhanced system resilience, efficiency, and cost-effectiveness. This research underscores the strategic importance of diversifying energy sources, enhancing energy storage, improving grid flexibility, and laying a foundational framework for policy making and strategic planning. It encourages further investigation into climate impacts, technology synergy, and the integration of district heating, aiming to establish a resilient, sustainable, and autonomous energy future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The building operation sector in China represents 22% of the national energy consumption and 22% of the carbon emission, of which urban residential buildings accounted for 24% in 2019. Such figures for the housing sector are projected to increase sharply in the near future, while China aims to peak CO2 emissions by 2030 and reach neutrality before 2060. To reduce the impacts of the urban housing sector and address the energy use and waste generated by large-scale demolition and reconstruction, the central government started promoting the energy retrofit of urban residential buildings, raising such policies to the national strategic level. Jiangsu Province is one of the most urbanised, with a rapid growth in the energy consumption of residential buildings. The Multi-Danyuan and Single-Danyuan Apartment built in 1980–1999 are the most representative residential types in its urban areas. While still adequate functionally, they were designed and built to low energy standards and show significant potential for energy retrofit. Nonetheless, their current performance and energy-saving potential are under-researched, while more detailed and reliable data would be critical to support retrofit design and policy making. This study investigates and characterises the typical use and energy performance of the two building types. Additionally, seven measures and six retrofit scenarios were identified based on the optimal energy reductions and regulations from selected countries. The simulations indicate that, without intervention, the energy consumption of the typical urban residential buildings can reach 122 kWh/m2 under the typical high-energy user scenario. By selecting a set of effective energy-saving measures, the operational energy use for heating and cooling can be reduced by up to 52.4%. Current local standards prove cost-efficient, although less effective in reducing energy use compared to international best practices, indicating potential improvements to the contribution of building retrofit towards achieving the national carbon reduction goals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When solar panels reach end-of-life, the disposal of solar panel waste is an issue of concern because it creates environmental pollution if it is improperly disposed of. It is expected that such waste will probably be increasing as the widespread use of renewable energy is adopted by taking measures associated with carbon neutrality. Thus, accurate prediction of solar panel waste with future demands for renewable energy is urgently needed for sustainable waste management. This study examined the amounts of solar panels to be retried by 2050 under three scenarios (S1-BAU, S2, S3). The amounts of solar panels to be retired are estimated by using the PBM (population balance model) with the Weibull distribution. According to the carbon neutral scenario (S3), the total amounts of solar panels to be retired are anticipated to be around 172 kt in 2030, 932 kt in 2040, and 3146 kt in 2050. The total volume of retired solar panels was projected to be 168 kt in 2030, 820 kt in 2040, and 2331 kt in 2050 under the government-led scenario (S2). The average recovery of end-of-life solar panels produced by the three scenarios in 2050 is 1531 kt, 337 kt, 535 kt, and 22 kt for glass, aluminum, silicon, and copper, respectively. Economic benefits by resource recovery of retired solar panels in 2050 range from $25.6 million in S1 to $519.1 million in S3. Based on the sensitivity analysis with the weight of solar panel (5% and 10% reduction), the results indicated that the annual volumes of retired solar panels mostly fell within the range of 4.9% to 10.0% in 2050. To confirm the predicted volumes of retired solar panels in this study, a further study is warranted because they can be influenced by other factors (e.g., weight, technology development, early loss rate, or reuse and recycling options). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the modern age, where global warming is intensifying year by year, carbon reduction has long been an issue that countries all over the world must pay attention to. Therefore, governments have established a carbon tax and trading system to control the total carbon emissions of each country. According to the European Container Glass Federation (FEVE), every 10% recycled waste glass can reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 5%. Recycling waste glass will not only save the cost of raw materials but also make a significant contribution to sustainable development. This study uses the circular economy concept in the glass industry to recycle waste glass. It combines activity-based costing (ABC) and the Theory of Constraints (TOCs) to establish a production decision-making model, including carbon tax and trading. The objectives of this study are to solve the problem through mathematical programming to explore the impact of the carbon tax and carbon rights cost on corporate profits and to provide the government with the results as a reference for establishing a carbon tax system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In a global context where sustainable growth is imperative, understanding carbon emissions in significant regions is essential. Henan Province, being a vital region in China for population, agriculture, industry, and energy consumption, plays a crucial role in this understanding. This study, rooted in the need to identify strategies that not only meet China's broader carbon neutrality objectives but also offer insights regarding global sustainability models, utilizes the STIRPAT model combined with scenario analysis. The aim was to forecast carbon emission trajectories from 2020 to 2060 across the key industries—electricity, steel, cement, transportation, coal, and chemical—that are responsible for over 80% of the total emissions in Henan. The findings suggest a varied carbon peak timeline: the steel and cement industries might achieve their peak before 2025, and the transportation, coal, and chemical sectors might achieve theirs around 2030, whereas that of the power industry could be delayed until 2033. Significantly, by 2060—a landmark year for Chinese carbon neutrality ambitions—only the electricity sector in Henan shows potential for zero emissions under an extreme scenario. This study's results underscore the importance of region-specific strategies for achieving global carbon neutrality and offer a blueprint for other populous, industrialized regions worldwide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A micro gas turbine (MGT) is an advanced technology with a simple structure and fast load response. It represents a good choice for the next generation of distributed power systems, where fossil fuels are going to be largely replaced by biofuels and renewable sources. In this context, this work aims to investigate and compare the performance of gradually more complex energy systems integrating a micro gas turbine plant: simple cogenerating asset, integrating a solar field, presence of a gasifier, and the addition of a bottoming ORC. In all cases, a thermo-economic analysis has been carried out for an application in the agricultural sector. Agricultural waste can be used to create a syngas as fuel for MGT through a gasifier, promoting the utilization of carbon-neutral alternative fuels to reduce harmful emissions. The authors considered the electrical and thermal needs of a hypothetical agri-food company to build the electrical and thermal load curves. The new and more complex cogeneration plant, designed by using the Thermoflex 30 software, leads to an increase in electrical power, recovered thermal power, overall electrical efficiency, carbon neutrality, and cogeneration indexes. In particular, the presence of the solar field promotes a reduction in fuel consumption as well as greater heat input to the thermal unit. The addition of a bottoming ORC system increases the electrical power by 36.4%, without significantly penalizing the thermal unit. Moreover, thanks to the gasifier that offsets the fuel reduction costs, through an economic analysis of the entire plant, a payback time of the investment of less than 4 years is obtained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The escalating concerns over climate change have propelled industries worldwide to seek innovative strategies for mitigating greenhouse gas emissions. Within the energy sector, Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) technology emerges as a promising solution to curtail emissions and foster sustainable development aims for the net zero approach. This research delves into the role of government support in expediting CCS adoption for the maximum potential of 9.79 MtCO2 storage from six major refinery plants. The refineries mentioned above are anticipated to necessitate an initial capital investment of approximately 18,307 million THB. This research focuses on potential business model proposals appropriate for a country's context, specifically, applying CCS technology to the Thai oil refining sector. To achieve the realization of CCS within the context of this study, a combination of three essential measures will be required: tax incentives, carbon credits, and grants. This process will commence with the implementation of tax incentives, followed by an increase in the carbon price within the country. Finally, the establishment of a dedicated fund, funded through deductions from oil excise tax revenue, will play a pivotal role in facilitating the necessary financial support for the emergence of CCS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Brownfields or objects of accumulated environmental damage are a complex object characterized by both the absorption and release of uncontrolled energy (for example, biogas or hydrothermal energy). The brownfield redevelopment process provides unique opportunities to ensure efficient energy transfer and maintain environmental stability. However, the implementation of these solutions depends on the quality of the assessment of the cumulative impact of unspent deposits, namely, the assessment of the damage caused to the environment, which, in turn, gives an understanding of how to ensure the elimination of damage to energy efficiency and environmental safety from uncontrolled carbon dioxide emissions. In this article, we consider the problems of assessing the cumulative effect of waste management activities, as a result of which abandoned deposits or objects of accumulated environmental damage appear. A cycle of measures to achieve socio-economic efficiency through the re-development of brownfields and their integration within energy-efficient systems and environmentally balanced systems is proposed, and a new concept of identifying the negative occurrence of brownfields under the influence of climate change is substantiated. Particularly, we assess the possibilities of integrating brownfields or objects of accumulated environmental damage into energy-efficient and environmentally balanced systems for goals of sustainable development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urban activities, including urban mobility, play a crucial role in climate change mitigation. Urban mobility is currently at a crossroads. In a business as usual scenario, CO2 emissions from urban transportation will grow by one fourth by 2050. Nevertheless, during this period, it may drop by about one third. To make the drop happen, we need to introduce comprehensive policies and measures. Electrifying urban transit is one feasible solution. This study investigates whether and how urban water transit systems have been electrified—a means of transport which has not been well researched in this respect. A multilevel perspective and the comparative case study method were employed to answer the research questions. The comprehensive study focussed on 24 cities representing the current experience in planning and operating water transport, based mainly on secondary, primarily qualitative, data, such as industry reports, feasibility studies, urban policies, and scientific papers. The primary outcome is that urban electric passenger ferries left their market niches and triggered a radical innovation, diffusing into mainstream markets. However, urban diversity results in various paths to electrification, due to the system's physical characteristics, local climate and transport policies, manufacturing capacity, green city branding, and the innovativeness of international ferry operators. Three dominant transition pathways were identified—a comprehensive carbon neutral policy, a transport sector policy, and a research and development policy. From a multilevel perspective, cities can be considered a bridge between niches and regimes that provide the actual conditions for implementing sociotechnical configurations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research article provides a comprehensive scenario analysis of key structural changes in Kazakhstan's fuel and energy complex subsectors until 2060, focusing on decarbonization efforts. The background places the issue of decarbonization in a broader context, considering the country's vast size and sparse population. The study's purpose involves analyzing the development of the climate agenda by comparing two scenarios: a "reference" scenario without decarbonization measures and a carbon neutrality scenario until 2060 (CN2060). A mathematical technical-economic model based on the TIMES paradigm (The Integrated MARKAL-EFOM System) serves as the method to optimize and simulate Kazakhstan's energy system. The main findings reveal sets of policies, standards, and legislative, economic, and political decisions that are required to achieve CN2060. Additionally, the integration of a low-carbon policy, sectoral and cross-cutting approaches, the impact of the coronavirus crisis, the Russia-Ukraine conflict, and energy security issues receive a discussion. The article concludes with projected shares of generation and investment in renewable energy sources (RES) necessary for attaining CN2060. This work offers novel insights into challenges and opportunities for Kazakhstan's transition to a low-carbon economy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explored underground biomethanation as a means to achieve carbon neutrality and promote carbon circular utilization by methanating CO2 and hydrogen-rich industrial waste gas in depleted natural gas reservoirs (MECHIG). This approach not only aids the development of carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) technologies, but also effectively processes industrial waste gas, thereby reducing pollutant emissions. In order to verify the feasibility of the MECHIG concept, this study builds upon the analysis of the MECHIG process overview and employs the net present value (NPV) analysis method to investigate its economic viability. Additionally, the study conducts a sensitivity analysis on six factors, namely methanation efficiency, facility site investment, hydrogen content in waste gas, natural gas prices, operation and maintenance (O&M) investment, and CO2 capture and injection prices. The results indicate the following: (1) Under the baseline scenario, the NPV of the MECHIG concept is approximately CNY 5,035,100, which suggests that the concept may be economically viable. (2) The fluctuation in natural gas prices has the most significant impact on NPV, followed by facility site investment and methanation efficiency. In contrast, the variations in hydrogen content in waste gas, O&M investment, and CO2 capture and injection prices have relatively smaller effects on NPV. (3) To ensure the economic feasibility of the concept, the acceptable fluctuation ranges for the factors of methanation efficiency, facility site investment, hydrogen content in waste gas, natural gas prices, O&M investment, and CO2 capture and injection prices are −16.78%, 5.44%, −32.14%, −4.70%, 14.86%, and 18.56%, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Efforts to control climate change with the aim of achieving carbon neutrality by 2050 have had the most significant impact on businesses operating in the energy sector, which produce large amounts of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. In light of such policies, oil and gas companies have set goals aimed at reducing GHG emissions and achieving carbon neutrality, but the issue remains open as to how such activities and progress towards these goals can be evaluated. This study attempts to assess the activities and progress of oil and gas companies towards carbon neutrality, with a focus on quantitative evaluation of goal achievement. First, an algorithm was developed for selecting global oil and gas companies for the analysis that reported their activities in 2022. Using this algorithm, a list of companies was compiled and their goals with regard to carbon neutrality were analyzed. Second, an assessment of how information is presented in corporate reports and which activities aimed at achieving carbon neutrality are reflected there was performed using the proposed checklist. Third, a method for evaluating the progress of oil and gas companies towards intermediate goals in the area of carbon neutrality was developed and tested. The method is based on assessing and comparing trends for oil and gas companies aiming to achieve intermediate goals in reducing carbon intensity. As a result, companies were classified into three categories: (1) those showing carbon neutrality achievement rates exceeding the expected average annual rates, (2) those with fixed carbon neutrality achievement rates below the expected average annual rates, and (3) those demonstrating no movement towards intermediate goals or a negative trend. The main methods used in this study included content analysis, checklist development, decomposition, critical and comparative analysis, and simple statistical methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

More than 25% of the total energy consumption in Finland has been produced with wood fuels. Since 2012, the share has been greater than that of oil, coal, or natural gas. Internal carbon pricing is used to manage the risks in wood procurement after wood import from Russia ended. Further, the EU announced plans to sell more carbon emission permits to fund the EU's exit from Russian energy. To manage these challenges, a data-driven internal carbon pricing mechanism (DDICPM) has been developed for wood procurement optimization. Particularly, local changes are considered via available information about growth-based carbon sinks (GBCS). The results of the new scenario were compared to the basic national scenario that ensures carbon neutrality in forestry. The DDICPM may provide the optimum wood-procurement operations maintaining carbon neutrality in the integrated energy and material industry (IEMI). In this study, the use of DDICPM increased profitability b 16.2, 16.1, and 16.0% between adapted wood procurement areas at the EU's emission allowance prices of 30, 65, and 98 € t−1 CO2. The experiments' results also revealed that the DDICPM could consistently and significantly outperform the conventional solution adopted by the company in terms of economic costs. A significant conclusion is that an increase in profitability is possible if the size of wood procurement areas is allowed to vary optimally with respect to transport distance to take advantage of the GBCS as a new application of the renewable carbon sink. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To achieve carbon neutrality and improve emission reduction efficiency, capturing carbon dioxide from the air on a large scale and promoting the application and innovation of carbon capture technology (CCUS) are the most important goals. This study undertakes an annual and comprehensive evaluation of the policy and the technological innovation efficiency (TIE) of 10 listed companies in China using the DEA model and the Malmquist index analysis method. The number of relevant laws and policies is significant, but they are not well coordinated. The static evaluation results indicate that the complete factor production rate is low, generally lower than 0.9, and the technical innovation efficiency is weak, mainly because of technological backwardness. The dynamic evaluation results indicate that the changes in total factor productivity (TFP) each year are primarily affected by changes in technological progress. This suggests that most domestic enterprises are still exploring technological innovation (TI) and operational business models. Finally, this study proposes measures to improve the TIE of carbon capture technology enterprises in China, including giving full play to the role of the government, expanding effective investment, and improving innovational ability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to realistically fulfil global and national climate protection targets, all potential measures have to be made use of to a maximum extent. Because it is readily available, biomass energy has been playing a key practical role for decades, supported by the traditional assumption of its carbon neutrality: under sustainable conditions, carbon dioxide emitted during combustion is held to be equal to its absorption during plant growth. In order to clarify conditions of carbon (C) neutrality, it is therefore necessary to model the annual natural C cycle on the entire planet and to include changes caused by a variety of growth strategies for biomass fuels. The "Combined Energy and Biosphere Model" CEBM calculates the cycle of plant growth, decay, biomass fuel production and its combustion on 2433 grid elements worldwide. CEBM results suggest that over many decades, the C pools of litter and especially soil organic carbon (i.e., humus layer) deplete considerably as a consequence of the interrupted natural carbon cycle. Overall, based on this finding, the earlier assumption of "carbon-neutral biomass fuels" is disapproved of in a long-term evaluation and—as a coarse rule of thumb—might be reduced to "half as carbon neutral as previously assumed" (when compared to a current fuel mix). On top of this principal effect, it is well known that life-cycle emissions, indirect or secondary emissions such as energy input related to production, transport and conversion into fuels will still add to this already principally highly incomplete carbon neutrality of biomass. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Successful energy transitions, also referred to as leapfrog development, present enormous prospects for EU nations to become carbon neutral by shifting from fossil fuels to renewable energy sources. Along with climate change, EU countries must address energy security and dependency issues, exacerbated by factors such as the COVID-19 pandemic, rising energy costs, conflicts between Russia and Ukraine, and political instability. Diversifying energy sources, generating renewable energy, increasing energy efficiency, preventing energy waste, and educating the public about environmental issues are proposed as several strategies. The study draws the conclusion that central European countries may transition to a clean energy economy and become carbon neutral on economic and strategic levels by locating alternative clean energy supply sources, reducing energy use, and producing renewable energy. According to the study, the EU energy industry can be decarbonised and attain energy security using three basic strategies, such as supply diversification, energy savings, and quicker adoption of renewable energy to replace fossil fuels. The energy transformation industry still needs to improve energy efficiency, incorporate a circular and sustainable bioeconomy, and support renewable energies, including solar, wind, hydropower, nuclear, and hydrogen. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With worldwide activities of carbon neutrality, clean energy is playing an important role these days. Natural gas (NG) is one of the most efficient clean energies with less harmful emissions and abundant reservoirs. This work aims at developing a swarm intelligence-based tool for NG forecasting to make more convincing projections of future energy consumption, combining Extreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost) and the Salp Swarm Algorithm (SSA). The XGBoost is used as the core model in a nonlinear auto-regression procedure to make multi-step ahead forecasting. A cross-validation scheme is adopted to build a nonlinear programming problem for optimizing the most sensitive hyperparameters of the XGBoost, and then the nonlinear optimization is solved by the SSA. Case studies of forecasting the Natural gas consumption (NGC) in the United Kingdom (UK) and Netherlands are presented to illustrate the performance of the proposed hybrid model in comparison with five other intelligence optimization algorithms and two other decision tree-based models (15 hybrid schemes in total) in 6 subcases with different forecasting steps and time lags. The results show that the SSA outperforms the other 5 algorithms in searching the optimal parameters of XGBoost and the hybrid model outperforms all the other 15 hybrid models in all the subcases with average MAPE 4.9828% in NGC forecasting of UK and 9.0547% in NGC forecasting of Netherlands, respectively. Detailed analysis of the performance and properties of the proposed model is also summarized in this work, which indicates it has high potential in NGC forecasting and can be expected to be used in a wider range of applications in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Photovoltaics (PV) can make a significant contribution to achieving carbon neutrality in buildings. Geographic information systems (GIS) make it easy to model cities and simulate PV with high accuracy. However, the computational burden from 3D urban models remains high. In this study, the complex geometry of a city was represented in 2D images, and we propose a method for performing multiple PV simulations in a short amount of time by using these 2D images. The ratio of electricity generation to primary energy consumption ( E G / E ) was calculated for 415 office buildings in Sapporo, Japan, and conditions for achieving carbon neutrality in these buildings were explored. For buildings with a small gross floor area, E G / E can be higher than one, and carbon neutrality can be achieved by improving the performance of the exterior walls and windows and by increasing the area of the PV installed. However, to improve E G / E in buildings with a large gross floor area, it is necessary to consider improving the performance of the equipment used and the efficient operation of the HVAC system. The method is useful for considering ways to achieve carbon neutrality in various cities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With concerns about global warming and energy security, people are reducing fossil fuel use and turning to clean energy technologies. Mineral resources are used as materials for various energy technologies, and with the development of clean energy technologies, the demand for mineral resources will increase. China is a large country with various mineral resources, but its structural supply problem is severe. For China to reach the targets of carbon peaking before 2030 and carbon neutrality before 2060, they have set specific milestones for developing each clean energy industry; thus, the demand for mineral resources in clean energy will increase. We first summarise the mineral resources supply for China's development of clean energy technologies. We analyse the demand for various mineral resources in specific clean energy technology sectors under the stated policies scenario and sustainable development scenario through scenario setting. Finally, we combine current domestic mineral resource reserves and overseas import channels to analyse China's mineral resource supply and demand for developing the clean energy industry. Our results show that the surge in clean energy generation and electric vehicle ownership in China between 2020 and 2050 will lead to a significant increase in demand for mineral resources for these technologies and a shortage in the supply of some mineral resources. In particular, the supply of copper, nickel, cobalt, and lithium will be a severe constraint for clean energy development. We also find that secondary recycling of power battery materials in the electric vehicle sector could alleviate China's resource constraints. The findings of our study provide a better understanding of the kinds of mineral elements that are in short supply on the path of clean energy development in China under carbon peaking and carbon neutrality targets and the future channels that can be used to increase the supply of minerals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Kazakhstan has a relatively high level of overall gender development, as well as of female employment in its energy industries. Diverse views and backgrounds are necessary to address the challenges of curbing emissions in Kazakhstan, a major fossil fuel producer and exporter. However, our analysis of the Labor Force Survey indicates that female representation among energy sector managers and overall workforce has been falling over time. Moreover, we find that women in Kazakhstan's coal mining, petroleum extraction, and power industries are concentrated in low-skilled and non-core occupations. Next, by analyzing data on labor compensation within energy occupations, we discover signs of persistent vertical discrimination, which may reduce incentives for women to upgrade their skills. Finally, we find that major shocks, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, may stall or reverse prior progress in increasing the energy sector's gender diversity. Our findings contribute to raising gender awareness among the stakeholders in Kazakhstan's energy sector in order to facilitate evidence-based gender mainstreaming. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Production of Portland clinker is inherently associated with CO2 emissions originating from limestone decomposition, the irreplaceable large-scale source of calcium oxide needed. Besides carbon capture and storage, CO2 mineralization is the only lever left to reduce these process emissions. CO2 mineralization is a reversal reaction to clinker production—CO2 is bound into stable carbonates in an exothermic process. It can be applied in several environmentally and economically favorable ways at different stages of clinker, cement and concrete life cycle. These possibilities are assessed and discussed in this contribution. The results demonstrate that when combined with concrete recycling, the complete circularity of all its constituents, including the process CO2 emissions from the clinker, can be achieved and the overall related CO2 intensity significantly reduced. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

China announced a target of achieving carbon neutrality by 2060. As one of the most promising pathways to minimize carbon emissions, the low-carbon electricity supply is of high consideration in China's future energy planning. The main purpose of this study is to provide a comparative overview of the regional siting potential of various low-carbon power plants in the Yangtze River Delta of China. First, unsuitable zones for power plants are identified and excluded based on national regulations and landscape constraints. Second, we evaluate the spatial siting potential of the seven low-carbon energy power plants by ranking their suitability with geographic information system (GIS)-based hierarchical analysis (AHP). The results revealed that around 78% of the area is suitable for power plant siting. In summary, biomass power plants have high siting potential in over half of the spatial areas. Solar photovoltaic and waste-to-electricity are encouraged to establish in the long-term future. The maps visualize micro-scale spatial siting potential and can be coupled with the sustainability assessments of power plants to design an explicit guiding plan for future power plant allocation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a result of the global population growth since World War II, and the major impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the increase in the number of deaths, carbon emissions resulting from cremations in the funeral industry have increased by more than initially expected. In order to achieve the goal of the Kyoto Protocol and the Paris Agreement, to reach net-zero carbon neutrality by 2050, in this study, we comprehensively examined the literature on the differences in burial methods in terms of carbon emissions, and undertook stepwise analysis of the solution's sequence from 1990 to 2050 using the recurrence relations in the trend changes using 5-year intervals. By collecting the annual number of global deaths and calculating the average carbon emissions per death to be 245 kg, we analyzed and compared these data with the annual carbon dioxide amount and global population until 2050. In addition, the results for cremation and Cryomation were analyzed and compared to construct a model of comparative advantage. The results of this study show that Cryomation is more energy efficient and has a greater impact on carbon emission reduction than cremation because it does not require carbon emission elements such as embalming or coffins. Thus, Cryomation can effectively reduce damage to the environment. Taking appropriate strategies for the funeral industry to promote Cryomation can achieve the goals of environmental protection and sustainable development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

South Korea and Japan are two large contributors to global greenhouse gas emissions. In October 2020, President Moon Jae-in and Prime Minister Suga Yoshihide declared that their countries would aim for carbon neutrality by 2050. The Moon administration presented the Korean version of the New Deal that includes its Green New Deal, whereas the Suga administration completed its strategy aiming for green growth. Both countries emphasize the importance of energy transition through the expansion of green energy in power generation. However, they show some significant differences in dealing with nuclear energy. The purpose of this article is to compare the two countries' energy policies and analyze the rationales and political dynamics behind their different approaches to nuclear energy. The study reveals that the contrast between the two political systems has resulted in differences between their policies. This study depends on comparative methods that use primary sources, such as governmental documents and reports by local news media. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To achieve carbon neutrality by 2050, Korea has been expanding its investment in renewal energy distribution and technology development. However, with this rapid expansion of renewable energy, public concern about it has grown. This study developed and used a big data analysis-based procedure to analyze the questions registered on Naver, the largest portal site in Korea, from 2008 to 2020 to identify public concern over renewable energy. The big data analysis-based procedure consisted of two steps. The first was a frequency analysis to identify the most frequently registered words. The second was to classify questions using term frequency-inverse document frequency (TF-IDF) weight and cosine similarity based on word2vec. The analysis revealed the most frequently registered words related to renewable energy, such as "solar power," "power generation," "energy," and "wind power." It also revealed the most frequently registered questions, such as those related to solar panel installation, renewable energy generation methods, and certificates. To continue expanding renewable energy, it is becoming increasingly important to understand the public's concerns and create a method to resolve their objections to renewable energy. It is expected that the procedure in this study may provide relevant insight for the method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The digitalization of the forest sector, the increased demand of energy-wood, as well as faster market changes have increased the number of challenges for wood procurement of the forest industry. The aim of the study is to optimize wood procurement (upstream of supply chain) of energy and material production in integrated situations, and to consider the effects of production changes on the management of procurement regions. Three scenarios described integrated production situations in a carbon-neutral forest industry: (1) declining export, (2) energy reform, and (3) extensive energy reform. Time-varying capital-, cost-, and energy efficiency of the dynamic wood-flow model affected the competitiveness of the procurement regions. As a novel contribution, energy efficiency was modeled using the price of emission allowance as a cost parameter. The results show the positive effects of the energy reforms, which partly compensate for the declining exports. In addition, it is possible to change wood procurement in the regions in a market-oriented way. Decision makers should optimize purchases, inventories, and procurement resources as business processes, which are also considered success factors for the forest industry in integrated production situations. The strategic solution of extensive energy reform provides a potential approach for carbon-neutral customer-oriented supply chains, but it needs tactical energy efficiency analysis in future studies of sustainability, if the ultimate goal is to implement a carbon-free forest industry and bioeconomy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]