Abstract
Global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions can be traced to five economic sectors: energy, industry, buildings, transport and AFOLU (agriculture, forestry and other land uses). In this topical ...review, we synthesise the literature to explain recent trends in global and regional emissions in each of these sectors. To contextualise our review, we present estimates of GHG emissions trends by sector from 1990 to 2018, describing the major sources of emissions growth, stability and decline across ten global regions. Overall, the literature and data emphasise that progress towards reducing GHG emissions has been limited. The prominent global pattern is a continuation of underlying drivers with few signs of emerging limits to demand, nor of a deep shift towards the delivery of low and zero carbon services across sectors. We observe a moderate decarbonisation of energy systems in Europe and North America, driven by fuel switching and the increasing penetration of renewables. By contrast, in rapidly industrialising regions, fossil-based energy systems have continuously expanded, only very recently slowing down in their growth. Strong demand for materials, floor area, energy services and travel have driven emissions growth in the industry, buildings and transport sectors, particularly in Eastern Asia, Southern Asia and South-East Asia. An expansion of agriculture into carbon-dense tropical forest areas has driven recent increases in AFOLU emissions in Latin America, South-East Asia and Africa. Identifying, understanding, and tackling the most persistent and climate-damaging trends across sectors is a fundamental concern for research and policy as humanity treads deeper into the Anthropocene.
This corrigendum resolves an error in figure 17 and clarifies the scope of the cement sector in figure 2. Figure 17 in the original published manuscript depicts a Kaya identity for the agriculture, ...forestry and other land uses (AFOLU) sector. We unintentionally excluded land-use CO2 emissions from total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in this identity, and depicted only agricultural GHG emissions.
•Identification of projects implementing a zero energy concept at community level in Europe.•Novel framework for analysing community scale energy targets within broader urban sustainability ...criteria.•Analysis of four pioneer zero energy communities, identifying strategies that support and underpin successful delivery.•A hierarchical approach (energy sufficiency, energy efficiency and supply with renewables), is found to help achieve a zero energy community.
Urban areas, which are expected to host more than two-thirds of the world's population by 2050, provide unique opportunities for the implementation of the radical policies needed to meet the Paris Climate objectives. Pioneer municipalities in Europe are leading the transformation needed to achieve zero energy and/or zero carbon communities by integrating policies across different sectors (buildings, transport, waste, water and energy supply). Critical factors identified through the analysis of existing initiatives include first, having clearly defined long-term targets, community boundaries and values, second, linking targets to community priorities such as economic development and urban renewal, and third, transposing long-term goals into milestones and short-term objectives to avoid discouraging the community. Challenges identified include first, capacity building, second, citizen participation and third, adequate project documentation as well as monitoring of the achievements.
Clean cookstoves had the greatest estimated median health co-benefit (a reduction of 1279 YLL per 100 000 population per year, based on data from India), followed by dietary changes (306 YLL per 100 ...000 population per year). Identified trade-offs include unemployment from unplanned transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy and increased exposure to household air pollution from reduced ventilation following draught proofing and insulation. Co-benefits are delivered through key pathways, such as reductions in air pollution from replacing fossil fuels with clean, renewable energy sources; consumption of healthy, sustainable diets; and the promotion of active travel and use of public transport. The full integration of health co-benefits and equity considerations into the delivery of the Paris Climate Agreement including through nationally determined contributions (NDCs) and long-term low greenhouse gas emission development strategies can maximise health gains and minimise trade-offs, while reducing inequity, promoting efficient use of resources, and meeting climate targets.
Buildings are key in supporting human activities and well-being by providing shelter and other important services to their users. Buildings are, however, also responsible for major energy use and ...greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions during their life cycle. Improving the quality of services provided by buildings while reaching low energy demand (LED) levels is crucial for climate and sustainability targets. Building sector models have become essential tools for decision support on strategies to reduce energy demand and GHG emissions. Yet current models have significant limitations in their ability to assess the transformations required for LED. We review building sector models ranging from the subnational to the global scale to identify best practices and critical gaps in representing transformations toward LED futures. We focus on three key dimensions of intervention (socio-behavioral, infrastructural, and technological), three megatrends (digitalization, sharing economy, and circular economy), and decent living standards. This review recommends the model developments needed to better assess LED transformations in buildings and support decision-making toward sustainability targets.
China has implemented a series of minimum energy performance standards (MEPS) for over 30 appliances, voluntary energy efficiency label for 40 products, and a mandatory energy information label that ...covers 19 products to date. However, the impact of these programs and their savings potential has not been evaluated on a consistent basis. This paper uses modeling to estimate the energy saving and CO₂ emission reduction potential of the appliances standard and labeling program for products for which standards are currently in place, under development or those proposed for development in 2010 under three scenarios that differ in the pace and stringency of MEPS development. In addition to a baseline “frozen efficiency” scenario at 2009 MEPS level, the “Continued Improvement Scenario” (CIS) reflects the likely pace of post-2009 MEPS revisions, and the likely improvement at each revision step. The “Best Practice Scenario” (BPS) examined the potential of an achievement of international best-practice efficiency in broad commercial use today in 2014. This paper concludes that under “CIS”, cumulative electricity consumption could be reduced by 9503TWh, and annual CO₂ emissions of energy used for all 37 products would be 16% lower than in the frozen efficiency scenario. Under a “BPS” scenario for a subset of products, cumulative electricity savings would be 5450TWh and annual CO₂ emissions reduction of energy used for 11 appliances would be 35% lower.
Energy transition of the EU building stock, from being an energy waster to being highly energy efficient and an energy producer, is a prerequisite for Europe’s carbon neutrality, as well as for ...meeting Europe’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Achieving these targets requires shifting the emerging energy renovation market from a market of step-by-step and shallow energy renovation financed by grants to a market of industrialized and holistic energy renovation leading to zero energy buildings financed by long-term loans. This paradigm shift is an opportunity for the construction industry to improve its productivity by industrializing the energy renovation process through the use of modern production technics and innovative technologies as well as business models. The industrialization of energy renovation will lead to cost reduction, making zero energy buildings affordable for all EU citizens, regardless of their income.
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