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Appropriately designed and implemented climate mitigation actions have multiple co-benefits (yet some trade-offs cannot be excluded) that result in substantial social and economic value beyond their direct impact on reducing energy consumption and GHG emissions. Despite their wider acknowledgement by the research community, decision makers and the public have incomplete information on these multiple effects. This paper has a twofold objective: First, through analytical bottom-up approaches, it assesses, in quantitative terms, the macroeconomic effects and the public health benefits attributed to a variety of mitigation actions under consideration in the context of the Greek Energy and Climate Plan. Second, it investigates, through a social survey, how citizens perceive climate change and value these multiple impacts of mitigation actions, and to what extent they are willing to pay for them and support the adoption of policy measures aiming at the green transition of the Greek economy. We show that mitigation actions bring about significant health benefits, particularly in cities, and generate significant positive macroeconomic effects, particularly if mitigation actions focus on the decarbonization of the building sector and on the exploitation of local renewable sources. We also argue that most people do not realize that climate mitigation actions can have wider benefits for society, such as tackling energy poverty, improving public health, and creating new jobs. Unwillingness to pay tends to be the prominent attitude. People who are more reluctant to cover a part of the cost of environmental protection are less likely to perceive that climate change is one of the main challenges at global and national level and support the adoption of climate mitigation policies. In this context, the national strategy for climate change should focus on effectively informing and engaging the public in climate mitigation strategies, strengthening the public trust in government institutions, promoting mutually acceptable solutions with the local communities, and providing incentives for changing citizens' behavior towards climate-related actions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Blue carbon has been proposed as a nature-based solution for climate change mitigation; however, a limited number of published works and data and knowledge gaps hinder the development of small island developing states' (SIDS) national blue carbon resources globally. This paper reviews the blue carbon ecosystems of Seychelles as a case study in the context of SIDS, comparing estimations by the Blue Carbon Lab and recent blue carbon (mangrove and seagrass) evaluations submitted to the Seychelles national government. Mangroves (2195 ha, 80% in Aldabra Atoll) and seagrasses (142,065 ha) dominate in Seychelles, with coral reefs having the potential for carbon sequestration (169,000 ha). Seychelles is on track to protecting its blue carbon, but these systems are threatened by rising sea levels, coastal squeeze, erosion, severe storms, and human activities. The importance of carbon inventories, accounting institutions, and continuous monitoring of blue carbon systems is discussed. Blue accounting is necessary for accurate accounting of carbon sequestration and carbon storage, generating carbon credits, and representing impactful reductions in greenhouse gases for NDCs. Challenges and opportunities include policy legislation regarding ownership rights, accreditation and certification for carbon credits, sustainable financing mechanisms like natural asset companies and blue tokens, local engagement for long-term success, and carbon market dynamics following COP27. The restoration and regulation of blue carbon resources for optimal ecosystem services delivery, carbon inventories, and blue carbon policy are recommended development priorities. Blue carbon ecosystems have the potential to contribute to NDCs of SIDS while simultaneously offering sustainable development pathways for local communities through the multiple ecosystem services they provide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One significant obstacle to gaining a widespread awareness of the ongoing climate change is the nature of its manifestations in relation to our perception: climate change effects are gradual, distributed, and sometimes seemingly contradictory. These features result in a lag in collective climate action and sometimes foster climate skepticism and climate denial. While the literature on climate change perception and belief has thoroughly explored its sociocultural and sociopolitical aspects, research on the potential contribution of psychophysiological factors remains scarce. In this perspective paper, we outline evidence and arguments for the involvement of psychophysiological systems such as thermoception, hygroreception, and interoception in modulating climate change awareness. We discuss psychophysiological mechanisms of climate change awareness in animals and humans, as well as possible sources of individual variance in climate change perception. We conclude by suggesting novel research questions which would be worthwhile to pursue in future studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wildfires are becoming more frequent due to the global climate change. Large amounts of greenhouse gases emitted by wildfires can lead to increases in extreme climate events. Accurately estimating the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from wildfires is important for mitigation of climate change. In this paper, we develop a novel method to estimate wildfire CO2 emissions from the relationship between local CO2 emissions and XCO2 anomalies. Our method uses the WRF-Chem assimilation system from OCO-2 XCO2 retrievals which coupled with Data Assimilation Research Testbed (DART). To validate our results, we conducted three experiments evaluating the wildfire CO2 emissions over the conterminous United States. The four-month average wildfire emissions from July to October in 2015∼2018 were estimated at 4.408 Tg C, 1.784 Tg C, 1.514 Tg C and 2.873 Tg C, respectively. Compared to the average of established inventories CT2019B, FINNv1.5 and GFASv1.2 fire emissions, our estimates fall within one standard deviation, except for 2017 due to lacking of OCO-2 XCO2 retrievals. These results suggest that the regional carbon assimilation system, such as WRF-Chem/DART, using OCO-2 XCO2 retrievals has a great potential for accurately tracking regional wildfire emissions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present investigation elaborates on the level of game theory application for the applied and theoretical analyses of climate change and development studies. This editorial shows that the common good character of global climate alongside the increasing internalization of environmental externalities through national regulations and international environmental treaties jointly result in the increasing congruence between the context of climate change problems and the game theoretical method. Furthermore, the adoption of the Paris Accord by the overwhelming majority of developing countries as well as the disproportionate vulnerability of the Global South have led to an increasing shift in focus with regard to international development cooperation, from poverty alleviation and economic growth to green growth and circular economy solutions, within developing countries. The underutilization of game theory in the context of development studies is not satisfactory. This paper underlines the importance of implementing an impetus to researchers for scholarly discussions and applications of game theory in a discourse on the following topics: 1. economic growth; 2. climate change mitigation and adaptation; and 3. a broader socioeconomic development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change mitigation is one of the most important challenges facing the modern world. It is necessary to monitor the development of new concepts and technologies and take a stab at identifying disruptive innovations, which have the potential of becoming real climate-friendly game changers. The aim of this paper is to examine the patterns of inventive activity aimed at mitigating climate change in the maritime industry with respect to other transport modes. Appropriate research tools in the area of patent analysis were selected and utilised. A new class of patents related to climate change in maritime transport (CPC-Y02T70/00) was used as a data source. The original value of the study consists of offering a complete picture of the efforts made in patenting activity in climate change mitigation in the maritime transport, with a look at leading applicants and countries, knowledge flows, the most robustly developed and underdeveloped technical fields. A map of technical knowledge flows for climate change mitigation in transport was constructed. The research results show that inventions for the maritime industry are less hermetic than those for air and road transport; however, they are not as much linked with previously developed solutions. The most intensively developed technical fields include the design and construction of watercraft hulls (1) and measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions related to the propulsion system (2). Among the technologies whose further development merits close attention are solutions related to electrical propulsion and wave energy. At the same time, inventive activity in the area of climate change adaptation dedicated to ports is insignificant and definitely needs more support from the community of scientists and inventors. Building knowledge based on patent information can help universities, research institutions, shipyards, manufacturers of marine equipment and other business entities to identify the technologies of the greatest potential for further development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The challenges associated with climate change are increasing, so there is an urgent need for modern tools to effectively assess, predict and minimise climate risks. This research paper presents the results of the development of the innovative Community Climate Change Impacts Service (C3IS) system, which represents a paradigm shift in climate risk analysis. C3IS is a module that includes a pioneering set of tools with an interactive application programming interface (API) fully integrated with the Google Earth Engine (GEE) platform. The C3IS module enables lightning-fast collection and visualisation (in real time) of critical climate risk data through flexible integration with GEE. The advantages of this integration are the ability to use the GEE platform to access an extensive petabyte-scale catalogue of geospatial data and an ever-expanding database of satellite imagery. The defining feature of the developed module is accessibility and usability due to the exclusion of operations such as the time-consuming preliminary processing of "big data"; complex modelling; and large-scale data storage. The study shows the promising application of the C3IS module for the operational decision making and development of sound strategies for effective climate change mitigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The emergence of new transformational technology, known as the fourth industrial revolution, has crucially opened a new window to green economic growth. The transition to low carbon, green economy, and green sustainability has gained momentum simultaneously in developed and developing countries. The greening policy echoes the pending climate change and its entrenching disruptions. Financial technology, or FinTech seems to be a promising direction in unlocking the green dilemma; to be concrete, FinTech and the green economy are separately documented in the literature. Against this background, the current study investigates the intersection between green economic growth and FinTech by conducting a systematic-cum-bibliometric analysis of published papers in the Scopus database with the goal of first examining the role and opportunities of implementing green FinTech as a stimulus for transition towards green economic growth in African countries and, second, identifying knowledge gaps and future policy and research directions by developing an integrated framework to help African countries in the transition to green economic growth and green FinTech. The results illustrate an increasing trend in research attention towards the green FinTech concept and its relationship with green economic growth, climate change, and greening rules and standards. A deep inspection of the mined papers indicates that future research trajectories are oriented into five different mainstreams: technology and instruments in digital finance; regulation, policies, and green FinTech; climate risk mitigation through FinTech; FinTech and environmental quality; green finance and climate change mitigation. Based on these research directions, an integrated framework was conceptualised that aims to deliver green economic growth using FinTech as a vehicle of transition for African countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: During the last glaciation, the nature of the northern hemisphere of the Earth underwent significant changes. Nonetheless, it underwent no less serious changes after the melting of the glacier, when, under the conditions of climate mitigation, the gradual formation of modern landscapes began in the spaces freed from ice. This study is devoted to the reconstruction of the post-glacial environment in one of the regions of Eastern Europe, in the south-eastern part of the Baltics. The uniquely preserved deposits of one of the post-glacial basins discovered here made it possible to reconstruct in detail the changes in climate, vegetation, and aquatic organisms in the time interval of 14–13.4 thousand years ago. The study revealed that during this period there were short-lasting climate fluctuations (warmings and coolings), which caused repeated changes in all components of the local nature. The results of the study contribute to understanding the complex processes of planetary climate formation, as well as the impact of climate on nature both at local and global levels, which is necessary not only for understanding the past, but also for predicting the future of all living organisms on the planet. This paper presents the results of a study on the Kulikovo section (south-eastern Baltic Sea coast), a sediment sequence exposing deposits of a post-glacial basin that existed along the edge of the glacier in the Late Pleistocene. The research was targeted at the reconstruction of the dynamics of the local environmental systems in response to climatic oscillations of the Lateglacial (the Older Dryas—first half of the Allerød). The evolution of the local biotic components on the territories of the Baltic region after the ice retreat is still poorly understood. Data from geochronological, lithological, diatom, algo-zoological and palynological analyses provide a reconstruction of local aquatic and terrestrial biocenoses and their response to short-term warmings and coolings that took place 14,000–13,400 cal yr BP. This study has demonstrated that, during the Older Dryas and first part of the Allerød (GI-1d and GI-1c), the aquatic and terrestrial environment of the Kulikovo basin underwent several changes, resulting in eight stages of the basin evolution, most probably related to the short-term climatic fluctuations that could have had a duration of several decades. The data obtained in this study have revealed the fairly dynamic and complex evolution of the pioneer landscapes, as indicated by the changes in the hydrological regime of the area and by the traced successions of plant communities from the pioneer swampy vegetation to park and real forests towards the middle of the Allerød. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agriculture is the second-highest, after energy use, source of greenhouse gas emissions, which are released from soils and animal digestion processes and as a result of energy consumption at various stages of agricultural production. However, changes in the management of agricultural systems may mitigate the negative impact of this sector on the atmosphere and climate. This paper presents a literature review on energy consumption in agriculture and the potential of agricultural crop production to assist in mitigation of global warming by increasing absorption of CO2 from the atmosphere. The issue was considered in the context of managing the cultivation of main, catch and cover crops. The potential of carbon sequestration in the above- and below-ground biomass of selected crops was analyzed. It was stated that, depending on the species, main crops can sequester up to 113 CO2 ha−1 yr−1 in whole biomass, while catch or cover crops can sequester up to 14.80 CO2 ha−1 yr−1 and 0.17 CO2 ha−1 yr−1 in the above- and below-ground biomass, respectively. The benefits of the spread of catch or cover crops, such as improvement of soil quality (leading to an increase in primary crop yield by even as much as 65%) and a phytosanitary effect, as well as the barriers that limit the use of catch crops, including the problems with matching crop species to climate and soil conditions and the risk of reducing farmers' income, were considered. The results of the review show that catch crops can assimilate an additional amount of 4 to 6 tonnes CO2 ha−1 yr−1, and thus, spreading of catch crops is an effective way to reduce the climate impact of agriculture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Any element that enables higher education institutions (HEIs) to set themselves apart in a positive and superior way in terms of their performance would be advantageous given the competitive climate in which they operate. The Erasmus+ Programme provides HEIs with yet another option to become more competitive and to contribute to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) via the improvement of educational quality (SDG 4), reducing inequalities (SDG 10), climate action (SDG 13), and peace and justice (SDG 16). The goal of this work was to explore the potential relationships and synergies between HE sustainability and Total Quality Management (TQM) issues through the SDGs. The methodological approach was concentrated on the qualitative study of academic papers on TQM, sustainability, and the SDGs in HE as well as on the analysis of Regulation (EU) 2021/817, which established Erasmus+. We concluded that TQM and sustainability have synergies related to the SDGs, and the Erasmus+ Programme can support the sustainability of HEIs by promoting these SDGs. Leadership; education and training; the participation of staff members; measurement, evaluation, and control; and other stakeholders are essential factors for the effective implementation of TQM and sustainability in HEIs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Sixth Assessment Report of Inter-Governmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has highlighted the urgency of accelerated climate actions harnessing synergies and minimizing trade-offs with various SDG. This calls for a clear understanding of linkages between climate goals and other SDGs at national level for formulating synergistic policies and strategies and developing different sectoral programs and coherent cross-sectoral policies. This is even more important for least developed countries such as Nepal where these linkages are less understood and development challenges are multifaceted. In this context, this paper aims to evaluate potential synergies and trade-offs among selected SDGs and their associated targets in Nepal in a linear pairwise comparison. Synergies and trade-offs related to climate action (SDG 13), access to energy (SDG 7), sustainable consumption and production (SDG 12), and life on land (SDG 15) have been evaluated using historical data for the period from 1990 to 2018 employing a mixed methods approach. Network analysis to map the conceptual linkages between the SDGs and their targets was combined with the advance sustainability analysis (ASA) to quantitatively evaluate the synergy and trade-offs between SDGs. The results illustrate the presences of a continual trade-off between emission reductions targets of SDG 13 with per capita energy consumption and share of renewable energy of SDG 7, land use for agricultural production target of SDG 12, and forest area target of SDG 15. This indicates that climate action is strongly interlinked with GHG emissions from economic activities and energy consumption. The results of the study represent a valuable input for the policy makers, supporting coherent and sustainable development planning as Nepal plans to graduate to a middle-income country. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to analyse the issue of mitigation and the balance of greenhouse gases in the rural contexts of the Emilia–Romagna region (Italy) due to climate change. The approach is based on the experimentation of a methodology, populated by available spatial databases and refined with a series of technical meetings, where it was possible to weigh availability and alternative choices within the identified assessment model. The objective of the research is to create a regional GHG balance map, in order to classify the territory for this specific dynamic. The aim of this approach is supporting policy decisions related to the Common Agricultural Policy at a regional level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In respect to CO2 emissions, the post-Soviet states are a scientifically interesting object of research, as each of the countries has developed via different paths since reclaiming independence from the Soviet Union. Given that each country has a different approach to the use of fossil resources, it is essential to assess their input to global carbon footprint individually. Such assessment then allows to find certain actions in the development of legislation and to apply focused techniques to reduce carbon emissions. The aim of this study was to evaluate the fossil CO2 emissions produced in the Baltic States from 1991 onward, describing challenges relating to sustainability and socio-economic, scientific, and integrated approaches to sustainable development, including clean and efficient use of energy, and thus addressing climate challenges. This paper reports on data on CO2 emissions in the Baltic States. The results show that the transition of the Baltic States from the specificities of the Soviet Union's economy to an economy integrated into global markets has led to a significant reduction in CO2 emissions. However, the development and implementation of national policies for sustainable development are still crucial for mitigation of the climate crisis. Further actions must include the implementation and monitoring of policies for sustainable development, changing of the consumption and production patterns, education and awareness of sustainability, and adaptation to global climate change, while also addressing sustainability challenges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This review explores the question: should the world rely wholly or partially on solar geoengineering (SG) to mitigate climate change (CC), or on renewable energy, together with deep energy reductions? Recent thinking is for SG to only supplement more conventional climate change mitigation methods. However, we first show that conventional mitigation methods are not working., given that global annual CO2 emissions are still rising, so it is far more likely that SG will be called upon to counter most anthropogenic CC, as early research proposed. The paper next examines the various SG proposals that have been considered and their objectives. Future choices could be between an increasingly unpredictable climate, and SG, with its own risks and unknowns, or deep energy reductions and RE. The claim is that SG has far lower costs for a given climate forcing reduction compared with more conventional methods, and equally important, could be quickly implemented, producing temperature reductions in a year or so, compared with decades needed for more conventional mitigation approaches. SG implementation would affect not only the technical potential for key RE sources but also the actual uptake of RE and energy reductions. However, a fair comparison of RE and SG must recognise that the SG option also requires a solution to rising ocean acidification (OA). Because the material quantities needed annually to counter OA are orders of magnitude larger than for SG, its costs and energetic requirements will also be far higher, as will the time for implementation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urbanisation has become a challenge as the urban population grows while cities' land areas, amenities, and green spaces have remained relatively unchanged or even declined. While urban areas are growing, the link between humans and nature is fading. Increasingly, cities are being affected by climate change impacts and so, the role of media in providing updated and correct knowledge to the public is becoming more valuable. Based on this theoretical ground, the research evaluated two printed Iranian newspapers' functionality in informing the public on Tehran climate based on two main themes of air pollution and greenery spaces, spanning seven years (2007–2014). The paper evaluated the tone, style, and outline of messages publicised by the press media to explore the following questions: Which types of news are dominantly conceptualised as the significant debates and concerns on Tehran's climatic issues? Who is mainly writing about Tehran's climatic issues? Is the public being informed effectively on the surrounding arguments and issues by reading newspapers? As such, five self-descriptive indicators were developed: 'Layout' (Title, Subject, Content), 'Message' (Public Awareness, Educating, Alarming), 'Contributor' (Columnist, Researcher, Authority), 'Spatiality' (Local, Provincial, National, International), and 'Allocated space' (10% to 100%). A text analysis of Persian newspapers using a Structured Query Language (SQL) was employed to extract data. It was found that the news articles mostly covered public awareness, followed by alarming messages on climate. The findings highlighted the critical role of researchers in generating scientific news while encouraging media for disseminating more educating messages on climate change in urban areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While the potential impact of climate change mitigation measures is well documented in building sciences literature, there are only relatively sparse studies focusing on the efficiency of adaptation strategies. This paper aims to contribute to this topic by evaluating the extent to which the design of a typical nearly Zero Energy Buildling (nZEB) house in Wallonia (Belgium), and its current operation, could provide summer thermal comfort in a changing climate. Based on calibrated whole building energy simulations, and on the integration of future climate data directly derived from a high-resolution climate model, this study evaluates the potential evolution of overheating risks in the living room and in the main bedroom of the house. Discussing the compliance with existing overheating criteria, the study shows that the passive strategies currently deployed in the house might not be sufficient to guarantee summer thermal comfort especially in the bedroom, and that other strategies might be necessary in the future to limit the use of active cooling systems and curb their environmental impacts. This study concludes that considering the potential of these strategies to guarantee summer thermal comfort in a changing climate should be a priority for the design of nZEB houses (and their related policies) also in temperate oceanic climates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Practical theology is by nature a discipline of crisis, standing on the edge of reality and potential, what is and what can be. Crises can be gentle turning points, opportunities for radical transformation, or catastrophic moments in time. In the geological age of the Anthropocene, people face devastating planetary effects of human agency, which have created and escalated a climate crisis beyond the boundaries of imagination. Practical theology belongs at the epicenter of ecological crises, which have already produced harsh results, ecological despair, and a time-dated urgency for daring decisions and actions. Change is knocking at global doors—the necessity, foreboding, and hope for change. This article probes practical theology's role in change, giving primary attention to changes in practical wisdom (phronesis) and life practices. Methodologically, the article draws from ecological scholars and activists, philosophers and theologians, indigenous communities, and the earth itself, presenting descriptions and analyses of their shared wisdom across time, culture, and areas of expertise. From these sources, the study identifies challenges, practices, and alternate worldviews that can potentially reshape practical wisdom and climate action. In conclusion, this paper proposes life practices for climate justice: practices of attending, searching, imagining, and communal living and acting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper firstly econometrically estimates crop yield impacts and, in turn, the value of releasing ODCV information on crop yields with eight joint ODCV phase combinations. Moreover, the paper divides the crop yield into two types: short-term meteorological yield fluctuation and crop longer term management-induced crop yield. In the second paper, Zhao et al. [[3]] estimate the impact of climate change on crop yield focusing on spring maize in Jilin Province, China, which is the Chinese "golden corn belt". Agriculture is highly vulnerable to climate change-induced shifts in means, variability and extremes. [Extracted from the article]

Even though climate change is having an increasing impact on tea plants, systematic reviews on the impact of climate change on the tea system are scarce. This review was undertaken to assess and synthesize the knowledge around the impacts of current and future climate on yield, quality, and climate suitability for tea; the historical roots and the most influential papers on the aforementioned topics; and the key adaptation and mitigation strategies that are practiced in tea fields. Our findings show that a large number of studies have focused on the impact of climate change on tea quality, followed by tea yield, while a smaller number of studies have concentrated on climate suitability. Three pronounced reference peaks found in Reference Publication Year Spectroscopy (RYPS) represent the most significant papers associated with the yield, quality, and climate suitability for tea. Tea yield increases with elevated CO2 levels, but this increment could be substantially affected by an increasing temperature. Other climatic factors are uneven rainfall, extreme weather events, and climate-driven abiotic stressors. An altered climate presents both advantages and disadvantages for tea quality due to the uncertainty of the concentrations of biochemicals in tea leaves. Climate change creates losses, gains, and shifts of climate suitability for tea habitats. Further studies are required in order to fill the knowledge gaps identified through the present review, such as an investigation of the interaction between the tea plant and multiple environmental factors that mimic real-world conditions and then studies on its impact on the tea system, as well as the design of ensemble modeling approaches to predict climate suitability for tea. Finally, we outline multifaceted and evidence-based adaptive and mitigation strategies that can be implemented in tea fields to alleviate the undesirable impacts of climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In today's energy system, the diffusion of renewable-based technologies is accelerating rapidly. Development of mechanisms that support the large-scale deployment of renewables towards global warming and climate change mitigation continues to remain an issue of utter importance. The most important challenges the energy system of Kosovo faces today is the difficulty to meet all the demand for electricity, low operating efficiency and high release of greenhouse gas emissions, but specifically a large source of carbon dioxide (CO2). Consequently, this influences not only the stability of the system but the society as a whole. This paper addresses several possibilities for designing an adaptable energy system in Kosovo with the ability to balance electricity supply and demand which will meet the requirements for a more efficient, reliable and secure system. A new way of energy generating through integration of new renewable and non-renewable technologies is developed using the EnergyPLAN model. The system is based on available technologies: existing hydro, wind, photovoltaic (PV), combined heat and power (CHP) and new solar thermal, heat pumps and biomass. The baseline scenario 2015 was expanded by four additional scenarios, two for the year 2030 and two for the year 2050. The contribution of renewable sources in the primary energy supply (PES) in the performed scenarios was 14.8%, 34.1%, 38.4%, 69.7% and 68.3% respectively. Further, a very important component of this paper is the investigation of integrating carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) technology in the coal-based power plant as part of the analysis in the second scenario for 2050. The shift to zero-carbon energy system in Kosovo requires additional research and assessment in order to identify the untapped potential of renewable sources. However, from the results obtained it can be concluded that the goal of a secure, competitive and sustainable energy system in Kosovo state which will meet its long-term energy needs can be certainly achieved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rapid decarbonization of the global economy represents the main challenge for the next decades to combat climate change. The European Union (EU) is leading the negotiation process under the Paris Agreement and recently approved an ambitious unilateral mitigation strategy known as the European Green Deal (EGD). In this paper, we present a novel approach based on the analysis of patent data related to climate change and mitigation technologies (CCMTs) with the aim of describing the evolutionary pattern of the EU in green technology. Based on our analysis, two of our main results deserve attention. First, at the global level, the pace of generation of new green technologies as measured by patent data is slowing down in recent years. This trend, if not inverted, casts some doubts on the economic sustainability of the ambitious environmental targets set by the EC. Second, the current EU technological positioning with respect to green areas appears to be problematic in terms of technological sovereignty, with serious risks of potential technological dependences from other countries. Given the radical technological shift required for the implementation of a full decarbonization pattern, the EU must realize a mission-oriented technology policy with additional and directed investments to ensure technological independence, together with a low-carbon and energy secure economy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coastal and terrestrial fisheries communities in Europe, often economically marginalised, are likely to face severe impacts as climate change becomes more acute. Although progress on climate mitigation and adaptation from national governments remains slow, local development actions can also address these impacts from the bottom up. In this paper we analyse the Fisheries and Sea Operational Programme 2014–2020 and 36 Local Development Strategies prepared within the framework of this programme for the case of Poland. The strategies, which were prepared by cross-sectoral, area-based partnerships known as Fisheries Local Action Groups, are analysed using a content analysis approach. The aim was to assess the degree to which local stakeholders sought to address the climate challenge. We found that the mitigation of climate impacts and the development of renewable energy did not feature prominently in the analysed documents, suggesting that both central policymakers and local stakeholders in Polish fisheries regions had a low level of awareness about the climate problem and their potentially important role in addressing it. Transformation to a post-carbon society undoubtedly requires additional, targeted support and extensive educational activities at the local level, in Poland and elsewhere. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The global climate change mitigation efforts have increased the efforts of national governments to incentivize local households in adopting PV panels for local electricity generation. Since PV generation is available during the daytime, at off-peak hours, the optimal management of such installations often considers local storage that can defer the use of local generation to a later time. The energy stored in batteries located in optimal places in the network can be used by the utility to improve the operation conditions in the network. This paper proposes a metaheuristic approach based on a genetic algorithm that considers three different scenarios of using energy storage for reducing the energy losses in the network. Two cases considers the battery placement and operation under the direct control of the network operator, with single and multiple bus and phase placement locations. Here, the aim was to maximize the benefit for the whole network. The third case considers selfish prosumer battery management, where the storage owner uses the batteries only for their own benefit. The optimal design of the genetic algorithm and of the solution encoding allows for a comparative study of the results, highlighting the important strengths and weaknesses of each scenario. A case study is performed in a real distribution system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the light of climate change, the drive for zero carbon buildings is known as one response to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Within New Zealand, research on climate change mitigation and environmental impacts of buildings has received renewed attention. However, there has been no detailed investigation of zero carbon building practices. This paper undertakes an exploratory study through the use of semi-structured interviews with government representatives and construction industry experts to examine how the New Zealand construction industry plans and implements zero carbon buildings. The results show that New Zealand's construction industry is in the early stage of transiting to a net-zero carbon built environment. Key actions to date are focused on devising a way for the industry to develop and deliver zero carbon building projects. Central and local governments play a leading role in driving zero carbon initiatives. Leading construction firms intend to maximise the carbon reduction in building projects by developing a roadmap to achieve the carbon target by 2050 and rethinking the way of designing and constructing buildings. The research results provide an insight into the initial practices and policy implications for the uptake of zero carbon buildings in Aotearoa New Zealand. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the presence of a global pandemic (COVID-19), the relentless pressure on global decision-makers is to ensure a balancing of health (reduce mortality impacts), economic goals (income for livelihood sustenance), and environmental sustainability (stabilize GHG emissions long term). The global energy supply system is a dominant contributor to the GHG burden and deeply embedded in the economy with its current share of 85%, use of fossil fuels has remained unchanged over 3 decades. A unique approach is presented to harmonizing the goals of human safety, economic development, and climate risk, respectively, through an operational tool that provides clear guidance to decision-makers in support of policy interventions for decarbonization. Improving climate change performance as an integral part of meeting human development goals allows the achievement of a country's environmental, social, and economic well-being to be tracked and monitored. A primary contribution of this paper is to allow a transparent accounting of national performance highlighting the goals of enhancing human safety in concert with mitigation of climate risks. A measure of a country's overall performance, combined as the Development and Climate Change Performance Index (DCI), is derived from two standardized indexes, the development index H and the Climate Change Performance Index CCPI. Data are analyzed for 55 countries comprising 65 percent of the world's population. Through active management and monitoring, the proposed DCI can illustrate national performance to highlight a country's current standing, rates of improvement over time, and a historical profile of progress of nations by bringing climate risk mitigation and economic well-being into better alignment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reviews the many criticisms that Integrated Assessment Models (IAMs)—the bedrock of mitigation analysis—have received in recent years. Critics have asserted that there is a lack of transparency around model structures and input assumptions, a lack of credibility in those input assumptions that are made visible, an over-reliance on particular technologies and an inadequate representation of real-world policies and processes such as innovation and behaviour change. The paper then reviews the proposals and actions that follow from these criticisms, which fall into three broad categories: scrap the models and use other techniques to set out low-carbon futures; transform them by improving their representation of real-world processes and their transparency; and supplement them with other models and approaches. The article considers the implications of each proposal, through the particular lens of how it would explore the role of a key low-carbon technology—bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS), to produce net negative emissions. The paper concludes that IAMs remain critically important in mitigation pathways analysis, because they can encompass a large number of technologies and policies in a consistent framework, but that they should increasingly be supplemented with other models and analytical approaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urban areas are critical points that contribute to global warming and are also affected by climate change. One of the measures to move toward urban sustainability and to reduce the effects of climate change is the development of urban green infrastructures. Urban green infrastructures (UGIs) are being increasingly recognized as key providers of ecosystem services in cities, but there is still a lack of support from urban planners. We highlight the potential of urban green infrastructures for sustainable urban planning based on its capacity to mitigate climate change This paper studies the CO2 mitigation potential through a multi-intervention (agricultural and forestry) local case in the peri-urban surroundings of a big European city such as Madrid. We consider two inseparable aspects: the amount of atmospheric CO2-eq reduced through direct carbon uptake of the UGI and also the emission of greenhouse gases due to its implementation and maintenance. The analysis carried out has shown the benefits of urban green infrastructures and their contribution to the mitigation of climate change. The results demonstrate that the absorption capacity of the new urban green infrastructure is much greater than its ecological footprint. Therefore, it contributes to the mitigation of emissions from other urban activities, thus improving urban sustainability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urbanization and climate change are requiring cities to find novel pathways to a sustainable future, and therefore the urban context may accelerate the conversion to a circular economy. In this sense, climate change is a considerable threat to the environment, affecting both human and natural systems, and in this context individuals have a very important role. Therefore, the paper aims to investigate, on the one hand, what determines people to undertake specific actions in fighting climate change and, on the other hand, what determines some people to engage in adopting multiple actions exhibiting extra mitigation behaviour compared to others, paving the way to an urban circular economy. In order to do that, multilevel logistic regression analysis using hierarchical data (individuals grouped in counties), reflecting group variability and group-level characteristics effects on outcomes at individual level has been applied. Special attention was given to modernisation thesis validation, stipulating that citizens from more developed and modernized countries are expected to manifest a higher level of extra mitigation compared to inhabitants of less-modernized nations. The empirical results revealed the positive association of pro-environmental factors, socio-demographic and economic factors with both specific and extra mitigation behaviour in fighting climate change. An important finding of the empirical research highlighted the validation of the modernisation thesis, even if partially, and the reinforcement of the modernisation thesis impact on the extra mitigation behaviour determined by the urban area segmentation. The extra commitment behaviour reflected by citizens' multiple actions in fighting climate change ensures progress to a circular economy through its contribution to waste reduction, eco-shopping increase, on eco-friendly transportation increase or domestic energy reduction. We believe that a shift in citizens' attitude towards climate change is needed, taking into account that a lot must be done" to effectively respond to climate change, paving the way for the circular economy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Global land-cover products play an important role in assisting the understanding of climate-related changes and the assessment of progress in the implementation of international initiatives for the mitigation of, and adaption to, climate change. However, concerns over the accuracies of land-cover products remain, due to the issue of validation data uncertainty. The volunteer-based Degree Confluence Project (DCP) was created in 1996, and it has been used to provide useful ground-reference information. This study aims to investigate the impact of DCP-based validation data uncertainty and the thematic issues on map accuracies. We built a reference dataset based on the DCP-interpreted dataset and applied a comparison for three existing global land-cover maps and DCP dataset-based probability maps under different classification schemes. The results of the obtained confusion matrices indicate that the uncertainty, including the number of classes and the confusion in mosaic classes, leads to a decrease in map accuracy. This paper proposes an informative classification scheme that uses a matrix structure of unaggregated land-cover and land-use classes, and has the potential to assist in the land-cover interpretation and validation processes. The findings of this study can potentially serve as a guide to select reference data and choose/define appropriate classification schemes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change will require societal-scale infrastructural changes. Balancing priorities for water, energy, and climate will demand that approaches to water and energy management deviate from historical practice. Infrastructure designed to mitigate environmental harm, particularly related to climate change, is likely to become increasingly prevalent. Understanding the implications of such infrastructure for environmental quality is thus of interest. Environmental life cycle assessment (LCA) is a common sustainability assessment tool that aims to quantify the total, multicriteria environmental impact caused by a functional unit. Notably, however, LCA quantifies impacts in the form of environmental "costs" of delivering the functional unit. In the case of mitigation infrastructures, LCA results can be confusing because they are generally reported as the harmful impacts of performing mitigation rather than as net impacts that incorporate benefits of successful mitigation. This paper argues for defining mitigation LCA as a subtype of LCA to facilitate better understanding of results and consistency across studies. Our recommendations are informed by existing LCA literature on mitigation infrastructure, focused particularly on stormwater and carbon management. We specifically recommend that analysts: (1) use a performance-based functional unit; (2) be attentive to burden shifting; and (3) assess and define uncertainty, especially related to mitigation performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper looks at the current state of multilateral development banks (MDBs) for climate change measures and the funding status of those invested in mitigation technology in order to briefly review the current outcome of the technology transfer and financial support. In other words, the aim of this study is to collect and analyze information about the current status of total investment in the field of technology for mitigating GHGs (Greenhouse Gases) from MDBs and identify implications of the status. In this study, a screening technique has been used three times to make a database for project information in the field of mitigation of climate change. So far, based on the finalized DB (Database), mitigation technology projects supported by MDBs have been investigated; based on the result, a connected analysis has been conducted between MDBs, mitigation technology, and countries. According to the derived current status, project support in renewable energy and energy demand areas turned out to be the highest at 75% of the entire mitigation technology. Rather than the renewable energy and energy demand areas where climate technology projects have frequently been performed throughout the world, it was confirmed that long-term climate technology projects for GHG fixation were being performed. According to the results of comparison and analysis of countries with high GHG emissions and their centrality, centrality turned out to be high in the field of GHG fixation in China, the country with the highest GHG emissions. This seems to indicate that countries emitting a substantial amount of GHGs will invest more on projects in the field of GHG fixation as well as on projects on renewable energy. Thus, this study is expected to contribute to understanding the trends of climate technology projects for coping with climate change and using them in establishing future policies on climate technology. In addition, it is expected to be used as a reference for countries with insufficient investment in climate technology despite the high Climate Risk Index (CRI). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of simulation models is essential when exploring transitions to low-carbon futures and climate change mitigation and adaptation policies. There are many models developed to understand socio-environmental processes and interactions, and analyze alternative scenarios, but hardly one single model can serve all the needs. There is much expectation in climate-energy research that constructing new purposeful models out of existing models used as building blocks can meet particular needs of research and policy analysis. Integration of existing models, however, implies sophisticated coordination of inputs and outputs across different scales, definitions, data and software. This paper presents an online integration platform which links various independent models to enhance their scope and functionality. We illustrate the functionality of this web platform using several simulation models developed as standalone tools for analyzing energy, climate and economy dynamics. The models differ in levels of complexity, assumptions, modeling paradigms and programming languages, and operate at different temporal and spatial scales, from individual to global. To illustrate the integration process and the internal details of our integration framework we link an Integrated Assessment Model (GCAM), a Computable General Equilibrium model (EXIOMOD), and an Agent Based Model (BENCH). This toolkit is generic for similar integrated modeling studies. It still requires extensive pre-integration assessment to identify the 'appropriate' models and links between them. After that, using the web service approach we can streamline module coupling, enabling interoperability between different systems and providing open access to information for a wider community of users. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fossil fuels have been heavily exploited since the Industrial Revolution. The resulting carbon emissions are widely regarded as being the main cause of global warming and climate change. Key mitigation technologies for reducing carbon emissions include carbon capture and storage (CCS) and renewables. According to recent analysis of the International Energy Agency, renewables and CCS will contribute more than 50% of the cumulative emissions reductions by 2050. This paper presents a new mathematical programming model for multi-footprint energy sector planning with CCS and renewables deployment. The model is generic and considers a variety of carbon capture (CC) options for the retrofit of individual thermal power generation units. For comprehensive planning, the Integrated Environmental Control Model is employed in this work to assess the performance and costs of different types of power generation units before and after CC retrofits. A case study of Taiwan's energy sector is presented to demonstrate the use of the proposed model for complex decision-making and cost trade-offs in the deployment of CC technologies and additional low-carbon energy sources. Different scenarios are analysed, and the results are compared to identify the optimal strategy for the energy mix to satisfy the electricity demand and the various planning constraints. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Extreme climate change due to heat-trapping gases, especially carbon dioxide, necessitates its mitigation. In this context, the carbon dioxide sequestration technology of enhanced weathering has for years been investigated, with a possible implementation strategy via alkaline mineral soil amendment being more recently proposed. Candidate materials for enhanced weathering include calcium and magnesium silicates, most notably those belonging to the olivine, pyroxene and serpentine groups of minerals, given their reactivity with CO2 and global availability. When these finely crushed silicate rocks are applied to the soil, the alkaline earth metal cations released during mineral weathering gradually react with carbonate anions and results in the formation of pedogenic carbonates, which, over time, and under the right conditions, can accumulate in the soil. This review paper critically reviews the available literature on alkaline mineral soil amendments and its potential to sequester enough CO2 to be considered a climate change 'stabilization wedge'. Firstly, evidence of how agricultural soil can serve as a carbon sink in discussed, based on the observed accumulation of inorganic carbon in alkaline mineral-amended soils. Secondly, the impact of alkaline minerals on agricultural soil and crops, and the factors determining the rate of the weathering process are assessed. Lastly, the CO2 sequestration potential via alkaline mineral soil amendment is quantified according to an idealized shrinking core model, which shows that it has the potential to serve as a climate change stabilization wedge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Forests provide a range of ecosystem services, including bioenergy supply and carbon sequestration, both contributing to significant climate change mitigation. Oleaginous trees have potential to provide bioenergy supplies through biodiesel-producing seed yield as well as contributing to carbon sequestration. This paper aims to show the provisions of bioenergy and carbon savings through forest rotation management and it will investigate the potential of oleaginous forest management in China. We use the land expectation value (LEV) model to calculate the optimal joint values of timber, seed and total carbon savings, including carbon sequestration from forest and carbon reductions through energy substitutions. The results indicate that combining both values of seeds and carbon savings increase the LEV and rotation age (167,611 Yuan/ha, 78 years) compared to sole timber value (26,053 Yuan/ha, 55 years). The optimization of the LEVs and the resulting optimal rotation ages are significantly sensitive to the discounting rate. Annual biodiesel potential production from Pistacia chinensis can take up 1.7% of the national diesel consumption in China. We conclude that China can use improved forest rotation management as an effective means for achieving goals in its low-carbon energy strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]