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Combating global warming-related climate change demands prompt actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, particularly carbon dioxide. Biomass-based biofuels represent a promising alternative fossil energy source. To convert biomass into energy, numerous conversion processes are performed at high pressure and temperature conditions, and the design and dimensioning of such processes requires thermophysical property data, particularly thermal conductivity, which are not always available in the literature. In this paper, we proposed the application of Chemoinformatics methodologies to investigate the prediction of thermal conductivity for hydrocarbons and oxygenated compounds. A compilation of experimental data followed by a careful data curation were performed to establish a database. The support vector machine algorithm has been applied to the database leading to models with good predictive abilities. The support vector regression (SVR) model has then been applied to an external set of compounds, i.e. not considered during the training of models. It showed that our SVR model can be used for the prediction of thermal conductivity values for temperatures and/or compounds that are not covered experimentally in the literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to solve the state's hydropower dependence, build energy security and reduce greenhouse gas emissions through a hybrid renewable energy system and its implementation in Willingdon Island. Hybrid Optimisation of Multiple Energy Resources (HOMER) is used to find the optimal solution for two grid-connected and off-grid scenarios. Of the 19 solutions, an optimal off-grid, an optimal grid-connected, a 100% variable renewable energy, and a diversified energy portfolio option are selected, analyzed, and ranked based on their techno-economic and emissions characteristics. The results suggest the combination of PV/Wind/Grid with a cost of energy of $0.044 as an optimal solution for the Island. The diversified energy solution takes the second position, having 51.4% and 38.8% solar and wind, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the UK, there now exist hundreds of low-carbon community groups (LCCGs) that aim to decrease collective resource consumption and/or generate renewable energy through diverse social and environmental interventions. These groups have in recent years become the subject of political attention and funding schemes, underpinned by beliefs that LCCGs are key to fostering resilience to climate change and meeting national-level greenhouse gas emission reduction targets. While previous research into LCCGs has focused on drivers, barriers and outcomes of LCCG action, there is now growing policy and academic interest in groups' capacities for, and uses of, monitoring and evaluation (M&E) processes and tools. However, little is known about the experiences, opportunities and potential challenges for LCCGs undertaking M&E. In response, this paper draws on a Knowledge Exchange project that explored M&E processes and tools with a sample of UK LCCGs. It outlines the benefits and drawbacks of groups' attempts to achieve change and to account for their outcomes and/or impacts, individually, and as part of a wider movement. It argues that, while M&E could be one way for groups to “scale up” their impact without losing their grounding in place and community, issues of capacity, resources and utility remain paramount. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Global climate change governance has changed substantially in the last decade, with a shift in focus from negotiating globally agreed greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction targets to nationally determined contributions, as enshrined in the 2015 Paris Agreement. This paper analyses trends in adoption of national climate legislation and strategies, GHG targets, and renewable and energy efficiency targets in almost all UNFCCC Parties, focusing on the period from 2007 to 2017. The uniqueness and added value of this paper reside in its broad sweep of countries, the more than decade-long coverage and the use of objective metrics rather than normative judgements. Key results show that national climate legislation and strategies witnessed a strong increase in the first half of the assessed decade, likely due to the political lead up to the Copenhagen Climate Conference in 2009, but have somewhat stagnated in recent years, currently covering 70% of global GHG emissions (almost 50% of countries). In comparison, the coverage of GHG targets increased considerably in the run up to adoption of the Paris Agreement and 89% of global GHG emissions are currently covered by such targets. Renewable energy targets saw a steady spread, with 79% of the global GHG emissions covered in 2017 compared to 45% in 2007, with a steep increase in developing countries. Key policy insights The number of countries that have national legislation and strategies in place increased strongly up to 2012, but the increase has levelled off in recent years, now covering 70% of global emissions by 2017 (48% of countries and 76% of global population). Economy-wide GHG reduction targets witnessed a strong increase in the build up to 2015 and are adopted by countries covering 89% of global GHG emissions (76% not counting USA) and 90% of global population (86% not counting USA) in 2017. Renewable energy targets saw a steady increase throughout the last decade with coverage of countries in 2017 comparable to that of GHG targets. Key shifts in national measures coincide with landmark international events - an increase in legislation and strategy in the build-up to the Copenhagen Climate Conference and an increase in targets around the Paris Agreement - emphasizing the importance of the international process to maintaining national momentum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The 2015 UN Paris Agreement reinforced and declared compatible the two goals of avoiding dire climate change and maintaining global economic growth, and it specified that technological innovation is ‘critical’ to this joint achievement. Unfortunately, any confidence that near-term global economic growth is consistent with a stabilized climate is severely undermined by empirical evidence. Despite the rapid increase of alternative energies in recent decades, global GDP growth continues to require burning greater quantities of climate-destabilizing fossil fuels. The dim outlook for sufficiently reducing CO2while maintaining economic growth is underscored by global data and Germany specific data on the decoupling of GDP from CO2. This paper summarizes pertinent climate science, substantiates the dependence of economic growth on fossil fuels, and uses the Kaya identity to demonstrate the unfavorable prospects for reducing CO2while maintaining GDP growth. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

India’s growth of energy demand in the building stock, and efforts to curb it, are placed into an international context by adapting the reporting criteria developed for the Global Alliance on Building & Construction's (GABC) Global Status Report (2017) on buildings and construction. A survey of state and non-state actor climate commitments submitted to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change’s (UNFCCC) Non State Actors Zone for Climate Action (NAZCA) database and recent research on the status of building energy codes and standards globally are also presented. To contribute to a 2°C pathway, India must achieve a 50% reduction in building energy demand and related greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2050. India is taking steps toward this goal through initiatives such as recent upgrades to the Energy Conservation Building Code (ECBC), encouraging green building rating and energy certification, and stimulating markets for low-carbon/high-efficiency technologies. However, despite improvements in building energy intensity, neither the global or the Indian building sectors are currently decarbonizing. The adoption of consistent national energy and GHG emission reduction goals could further align national, subnational and private-sector climate action commitments to facilitate a transition to a low-carbon emissions pathway and contribute to limiting global warming to well below 2°C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate Change, Renewable Energy, Greenhouse Gas Emission, Global Warming Keywords: Climate Change; Renewable Energy; Greenhouse Gas Emission; Global Warming EN Climate Change Renewable Energy Greenhouse Gas Emission Global Warming 2581 2582 2 10/12/22 20220901 NES 220901 Greenhouse gas emission and climate change The relationship between climate change and energy-intensive industrial processes has been addressed repeatedly with scientific evidence that global warming is to a significant extent caused by human activity through the release of greenhouse gases (GHG).[[1], [3]] In the perspective of strengthening the global response to the increasing threat of climate change, sustainable growth, and efforts to eliminate poverty, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) published a special report on the impact of global warming. To maintain global warming below 1.5 °C this century, as the Paris Agreement aspires, the annual greenhouse gas emissions must be cut in half within the next eight years. [Extracted from the article]