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The main objective of this study is to analyze and compare greenhouse gas emission profiles, dynamics thereof, and the climate change mitigation efforts of the major players in the global climate change arena, namely the G7 and BRICS countries that are accounting for more than 60% of the world greenhouse gas emissions as in 2017. Given that the energy sector is the major source of the greenhouse emissions in these countries, the framework of sustainable energy development indicators was applied to the comparative analysis. The analysis revealed the differences among the groups of countries in terms of greenhouse gas emission profiles and development trends of these profiles. The convergence of greenhouse gas emission profiles can be noticed between G7 and BRICS countries during 1990–2017 period. Greenhouse gas emissions per capita has decreased in G7 countries and increased in BRICS countries. Energy intensity, economic growth and carbon factor are the main drivers of greenhouse gas emissions per capita growth in both groups of countries. Carbon factor represents carbon intensity of a country's energy sector and is measured by greenhouse gas emissions per unit of total primary energy supply. The impact of carbon factor was least significant among the main drivers in both groups. Energy intensity was the major driver of decrease in greenhouse gas emissions per capita for both groups, however, the economic growth exceeded the contribution of energy intensity in BRICS countries and greenhouse gas emissions have increased in this group during investigated period. The comparative analysis of greenhouse gas emission profiles development trends and the main drivers of these trends in both groups of countries provides important insights in shaping future climate change mitigation policies and developing greenhouse gas emission reduction targets. Due to the high greenhouse gas profiles, low GHG reduction commitments and insufficient climate change mitigation the Perform, Achieve and Trade (PAT) scheme in India efforts in both groups there is danger of postponing implementation of Paris commitments and achieving the 1.5° target. The policies implemented in high ranked countries, like or Integrated Resources Planning in South Africa or measures under Energy efficiency directive in EU can be applied in low ranked countries by providing the substantial contribution to the country's climate targets. Image 1 • The GHG profiles of G7 and BRICS were converging during 1990–2017. • GHG/capita has decreased in G7 countries and increased in BRICS countries. • Energy intensity, economic growth and carbon factor - the main drivers of GHG/capita. • Energy intensity - the major driver of decrease in GHG/capita for both groups. • However, the economic growth exceeded the contribution of energy intensity in BRICS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Educational attainment is generally a strong predictor of belief in climate change, but prior research indicates that for political conservatives a college education is not always associated with increased belief. Conservatives in several countries, especially those in populist parties, have shown skepticism toward climate-mitigation policies and in some cases toward climate science. The study contributes to theories of environmental belief by examining two mechanisms for the low effect of the college education on climate belief for conservatives: selective exposure bias (students avoid courses that challenge their beliefs) and resistance to belief change (students reject or filter information that is incompatible with their political orientation). Using a survey of college-educated adults in the U.S., the study finds strong evidence for selective exposure bias and mixed evidence for resistance to belief change. Importantly, approximately one-third of conservative students who took a college course with climate-change content shifted from initial skepticism or uncertainty to a more confident belief. Moreover, exposure to an education with a core curriculum is associated with stronger belief. The study provides support for the policy goal of a curricular requirement for climate education, which can overcome selective exposure bias and, for some students, resistance to belief change. • College students with a conservative identity avoided taking climate-change courses. • Some conservative students reported stronger belief after taking a climate-change course. • Students with the highest initial skepticism showed the greatest climate belief change. • Students in programs with a core curriculum showed greater climate belief change. • Survey results support reform efforts to require climate-change topics in college. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article deals with environmentally-oriented crowdfunding projects. Drawing on agency-theory, it analyses the implementation of such projects, after they have been successfully financed via-crowdfunding. More specifically, this article firstly investigates whether environmental ventures implement the measures they have advertised during the crowdfunding campaign. Secondly, it examines in how far environmentally-oriented ventures disclose the environmental benefits that have been created based on the implementation of the measure financed via crowdfunding. It thereby uses data gained from a platform specialized in funding projects that serve combatting climate change. The results show that the measures advertised are commonly implemented. However, only few projects disclose information on the actual environmental benefits created. Thus, funders are unable to evaluate whether the environmental benefits advertised during the crowdfunding campaign are actually realized. Image 1 • Post-funding phase of environmentally-oriented crowdfunding projects is analyzed. • Most projects are implemented after successful funding. • Disclosure of information on the actual environmental benefits created is low. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Biomass has often been regarded as a promising renewable energy resource to mitigate climate change. However, what will be the impact on global surface temperature if biomass replace fossil fuel remain unclear. This paper, through a case study in Uttar Pradesh, India address this issue by assessing biomass resource potential to reduce fossil fuel demand and mitigate climate change. Impact of biomass power related GHG emissions on global surface temperature is estimated using the Absolute Global Temperature change Potential (AGTP) climate metric. Uttar Pradesh can produce 71 Mt surplus biomass annually, equivalent to 7298 MW power. Power density of biomass range between 0.10 and 0.25 Wm-2. Significant amount of GHG emissions reduction is possible if biomass replace fossil fuel as a power source in the region. Annual GHG emissions associated with 1 MWh of power derived from coal, natural gas and biomass would cause 4.10 × 10−7, 2.40 × 10−7 and 1.25 × 10−7 mK rise in global surface temperature, 100 years after an initial emission, indicating potential of biomass power to mitigate climate change. Variation in spatio-temporal distribution and low power density could be delimiting factors in large-scale deployment of biomass power. Graphical abstract Image 1 Highlights • Biomass resources and power potentials are assessed for Uttar Pradesh, India. • GHG emissions from biomass power is assessed and compared with fossil fuels. • Climatic impact of power generation is assessed via novel climate metric. • Biomass power can mitigate climate change by replacing fossil fuels. • Spatio-temporal variability and low power density are limitations of biomass. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change entails uncertainties in the timing and scale of future impacts, imposing challenges to decision-making with intertemporal trade-offs. When making intertemporal trade-offs, future impacts are often considered distant and discounted in present decision-making and policy design. The future, however, is not only temporally distant but also perceived in culturally and psychologically different ways. Based on national statistics and individual-level survey data, statistical analyses show that both national and individual differences in future orientation affect climate perception and mitigation. At the national level, countries with languages that grammatically highlight the future are associated with higher climate concern, lower carbon emissions and energy use, and more progress in climate mitigation. Individual-level evidence suggests that future orientation helps the public understand complicated climate issues, make more personal mitigation but not necessarily collective action or policy support. The findings indicate the important role that subjective future orientation plays in climate perception and decision-making. Both behavioral intervention and climate communication can be designed based on future orientation to better address climate change. • Climate change features both interpersonal and intertemporal trade-offs. • Future perception is of cultural and psychological difference to affect decision. • We show national language speaking associates with climate perception and mitigation. • The effect is likely from future orientation and abstraction of climate change. • The effect is not likely from perceived timing precision of climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Paris Agreement on climate change has calls for urgent, radical, and transformative actions in mitigation and adaptation, particularly in terms of reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emission. There are many terms used to describe the process of reducing GHGs, including decarbonization, low carbon development (LCD) or low carbon transition (LCT). The conceptualization of these terms remains puzzling and there has not been any consensus to explain the meaning and their interrelationship. Clearer definition and conceptual boundaries are necessary to improve the coherence of overarching practices to cut CO 2 emission. The paper aims to review key concepts related to climate change mitigation related to the reduction of CO 2 and efforts toward net-zero emission in the academic literature, by (1) examining progress of the literature over time, (2) identifying geographical locus and sectoral focus of the literature, (3) determining the interrelationships between the key concepts. We use a Systematic Literature Review (SLR) method for data collection by selecting peer-reviewed literature from Scopus and analyzing the data with content analysis and bibliometric analysis. The findings are, firstly, the publications of the literature are influenced by global and national climate change policies and the interest of scholars affiliated to institutions from major emitter countries. Therefore, the literature is mostly originating from countries that emit the most CO 2 while also implement mitigations to reduce CO 2 emission. Secondly, China is the country where studies are mostly focused and also where the authors are affiliated/located. However, publications from the United Kingdom are cited the most. Thirdly, there are three clusters of literature found, namely that LCD and LCT are the terms used to identify visions for climate mitigation, while decarbonization is the actions and processes to achieve either LCD or LCT (as the visions). • The dynamic of climate change policies influence the literature trend. • The literature is mostly originating from major CO 2 emitter. • Low carbon development and low carbon transition are visional terms. • Decarbonization indicates the processes of decoupling CO 2 to achieve the visions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Situated within the broader climate justice movement, the fossil fuel divestment movement calls for both public and private divestment of financial holdings from fossil fuel companies. This paper examines the extent of fossil fuel divestment campaigns at higher education institutions across Canada, examining key actions and tactics through which campaigns are initiated and mobilized, as led by students, faculty, alumni, and climate justice organizations. Findings indicate that out of 220 accredited Canadian universities and colleges, there are 38 active divestment campaigns and 6 institutions that have committed to varying degrees of divestment. Tactics used in these campaigns include signing of petitions, sit-ins, rallies, and protests, facilitated through face-to-face and online platforms. Findings revealed significant borrowing of actions and tactics among campaign actors, including the use of branding and messaging from international environmental organizations, such as 350.org. This research contributes to scholarly knowledge on how higher education divestment movements and related campaigns for institutional change can influence how sustainability and climate change are addressed. Actors can build on this knowledge to develop sustained collaborative systems to address current and future challenges across institutions and in society at large. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyzes the differences among the main existing carbon accounting methodologies for cities and identifies the shortcomings in carbon inventories typically used. Data were collected from the GHG inventories and climate action plans from 24 Brazilian cities using content analysis. All cities developed their GHG inventories using Production-Based Approach (PBA), adding at least electricity and waste emissions that occurred out-boundaries. Several gaps were identified in the cities' greenhouse (GHG) emissions inventories that consequently impacted their climate action plans. Two main types of reporting gaps were identified: incompleteness (Gap 1) and lack of transparency (Gap 2). Seventeen GHG reports presented Gap 1. Brazilian cities' GHG reports do not appropriately reflect emissions occurring as a result of activities and consumption patterns of the city. Twenty reports presented Gap 2 with no transparency about assumptions, input data, source of input data, emission factors, calculation methods or accounting limitations. Sixteen cities measured only (I) stationary energy, including electricity imported by the grid; (II) transport; and (III) waste. Four cities reported also Industrial Process and Product Use (IPPU) emissions and seven, reported Agriculture, Forestry and other Land Use (AFOLU) emissions/removals. Brazilian cities did not measure GHG emissions related to consumption of foods, beverages and imports of manufactured products. As a result, no climate action plan considers actions towards sustainable consumption. The study provides insights for academics and policymakers on how to choose the best methodology and develop more complete inventories and low-carbon plans. Image 1 • Brazilian cities greenhouse gas (GHG) inventories use Production-Based Approach and the most part uses GPC Methodology. • GHG inventories of Brazilian cities present two main gaps: incompleteness and lack of transparency. • GHG inventories do not account emissions of consumption and carbon plans do not incentivize sustainable consumption. • Initiatives are recommended to promote broader and more complete GHG inventories leading to more effective low-carbon plans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Several greenhouse gas removal technologies (GGRTs), also called negative emissions technologies (NET) have been proposed to help meet the Paris Climate Agreement targets. However, there are many uncertainties in the estimation of their effective greenhouse gas (GHG) removal potentials, caused by their different levels of technological development. Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) has been proposed as one effective methodology to holistically assess the potential of different GGRT removal approaches but no common framework is currently available for benchmarking and policy development. In this article, challenges for LCA are reviewed and discussed together with some alternative approaches for assessment of GGRTs. In particular, GGRTs pose challenges with regards to the functional unit, the system boundary of the LCA assessment, and the timing of emissions. The need to account within LCA of GGRTs for broader implications which involve environmental impacts, economic, social and political drivers is highlighted. A set of recommendations for LCA of GGRTs are proposed for a better assessment of the GGRTs and better accounting of their carbon removal potentials to meet the targets established within the Paris Agreement. • LCA functional units of greenhouse gas removal technologies (GGRTs) were proposed. • System boundaries are a GGRT challenge as they involve different production systems. • Emission time is key in the LCA of GGRT as removals do not happen at the same time. • LCA of GGRTs should address environmental, economic, social, political implications. • Recommendations to improve LCAs of GGRTs were proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Combating global climate change calls for all countries to accelerate emissions reductions, and equity is an important guiding principle. A new indicator – the carbon Palma ratio, extended from the income Palma ratio and defined as the ratio of the total emissions of the top 10% emitters to those of the bottom 40% – is proposed, which provides a new perspective to inform the international community and the public of the distribution inequality of carbon emissions among individuals. The ratio is quantified within and across countries, by applying an elastic relationship between individual emissions and income. Results show that the carbon Palma ratios within most developing countries are overall high, suggesting them to focus more on coordinating regional and income differences and mainly guide high emitters to mitigate, so as to improve emissions and income equity simultaneously. The carbon Palma ratios within developed countries are comparatively smaller; however, the greater historical responsibilities to warming suggest them to substantially reduce emissions of all citizens, so as to enhance national mitigation contributions systematically. At a global scope, the current carbon Palma ratio is observably higher than within any country, reflecting an extremely severe inequality when looking at individual emissions beyond territorial limitations. The regional decomposition of emitters further suggests developed countries to take the lead in the post-Paris era in ratcheting up mitigation and climate finance ambition. Image 1 • Carbon Palma ratio is proposed to measure individual emissions inequality. • The ratio provides a new perspective to quantify and inform inequality. • The ratios in developed countries are overall lower than in developing countries. • The global ratio reflects an extremely severe inequality across the world. • Decomposition suggests developed countries to enhance mitigation and finance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]