Documents decarbonization 565 results

"The aim of this paper is to showcase different decarbonization pathways for Germany and Europe with varying Carbon dioxide (CO2) constraints until 2050. The Global Energy System Model (GENeSYS-MOD) framework, a linear mathematical optimization model, is used to compute low-carbon scenarios for Europe as a whole, as well as for 17 European countries or regions. The sectors power, low- and high-temperature heating, and passenger and freight transportation are included, with the model endogenously constructing capacities in each period. Emission constraints differ between different scenarios and are either optimized endogenously by the model, or distributed on a per-capita basis, GDP-dependent, or based on current emissions. The results show a rapid phase-in of renewable energies, if a carbon budget in line with established climate targets is chosen. In the 2° pathway, the power and low-temperature heat sectors are mostly decarbonized by 2035, with the other sectors following. Wind power is the most important energy source in Europe by 2050, followed by solar energy and hydro power. The heating sector is dominated by biogas and heat pumps, while electric vehicles emerge in the transportation sector in the later periods. Differences in renewable potentials lead to different developments in the regions, e.g., converting Germany from a net exporter of electricity into an importing country by 2050. In the 1.5° pathway, not all calculations are feasible, showcasing that especially countries like Poland or the Balkan region that heavily rely on fossil fuels will face difficulties transitioning away from their current generation capacities. It can, however, be shown that the achievement of the 2° target can be met with low additonal costs compared to the business as usual case, while reducing total emissions by more than 30%."

"To protect the future of life on earth, we need to do more than just reimagine the economy—we have to change everything. One of the seminal thinkers of the program that helped ignite the US Green New Deal campaign, Ann Pettifor explains how we can afford what we can do, and what we need to do, before it is too late.
The Case for the Green New Deal argues that economic change is wholly possible, based on the understanding that finance, the economy and the ecosystem are all tightly bound together. The GND demands total decarbonization and a commitment to an economy based on fairness and social justice. It proposes a radical new understanding of the international monetary system. Pettifor offers a roadmap for financial reform both nationally and globally, taking the economy back from the 1%. This is a radical, urgent manifesto that we must act on now."

"The aim of this report is to provide an update of the state of the art of wind energy technology and to identify how EC funded projects contributed to technology advancements. Moreover, this version of the LCEO Technology DevelopThe aim of this report is to provide an update of the state of the art of wind energy technology and to identify how EC funded projects contributed to technology advancements. Moreover, this version of the LCEO Technology Development Report complements the last version [JRC 2019a] which explained main characteristics on wind energy with detailed development trends of the main technical indicators in onshore and offshore wind.A main focus is on the progress and technology readiness level (TRL) of R&D wind energy projects in the European context funded through the main European research funding instruments. Particularly for offshore wind energy, the progress within the SET-Plan1 Implementation Working Group (IWG) for Offshore Wind is analysed against its research priorities.As such, this report sets a clear emphasis on the technology status, research landscape and deployment and development trends in the European market and provides an outlook for wind energy under a scenario compatible with the SET-Plan targets and striving for full decarbonisation of the European energy system until 2050.ent Report complements the last version [JRC 2019a] which explained main characteristics on wind energy with detailed development trends of the main technical indicators in onshore and offshore wind. A main focus is on the progress and technology readiness level (TRL) of R&D wind energy projects in the European context funded through the main European research funding instruments. Particularly for offshore wind energy, the progress within the SET-Plan1 Implementation Working Group (IWG) for Offshore Wind is analysed against its research priorities. As such, this report sets a clear emphasis on the technology status, research landscape and deployment and development trends in the European market and provides an outlook for wind energy under a scenario compatible with the SET-Plan targets and striving for full decarbonisation of the European energy system until 2050."

"Greening the economy is high on the political agenda. As early as 2015, the Paris Agreement set ambitious targets to combat climate change. Efforts have since become broader and are now aimed at promoting sustainable development in general, as set out in the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The financial sector is expected to play an important role in the upcoming transition towards a more sustainable
economy. Therefore, policy makers in different parts of the world are developing “sustainable finance” programs. The EU Commission has just released a renewed sustainable finance strategy. This issue of CESifo Forum explores why sustainable finance programs may be necessary and takes a closer look at investor and corporate behavior. The authors assess how important the objective of sustainability has been
so far and examine how it affects the decisions of companies and those of their peers. They also propose measures to render the corporate sector more sustainable."

"The inclusion of ‘just transition' in the Paris Agreement in 2015 have inspired subsequent attempts, and hopes, to bridge a jobs. vs. climate-divide in attempts to decarbonise industrial society. But what are the imperatives for a just transition of the workforce? And what are the nationally defined development priorities for the creation of decent work and quality jobs? Through interviews with Swedish trade union representatives from Sweden's three largest industrial emitters (steel, petroleum refining, cement) along with representatives at the central level, this study illustrates contrasting interpretations of what constitutes a just transition. The main tensions concern the time a climate transition is allowed to take; if policies should support local inhabitants or global concerns over climate change; why allegiances are limited to the industrial town or encompasses a wider trade union movement; and whether national politics or European coordination is what makes a transition ‘just'. While central levels of Swedish trade unions understand just transition in international and intergenerational terms, local level trade unions advocate for an emplaced understanding of just transition. Given the risk of growing conflicts between different segments of trade unions over the issue of climate transition policies, a progressive alliance between the labour- and climate movement is improbable as matters stand at present."

"The third edition of the European Green Deal Barometer, IEEP's annual survey which gathers sustainability experts' views on the progress of the European Green Deal's implementation, has released its key findings. This comprehensive survey of 600+ experts reveals that 61% of respondents are cautiously optimistic about the European Green Deal's resilience following the 2024 European elections; however, its implementation may be tested by shifting political winds in the run-up to next year's European elections and beyond.

With the European elections looming, this year's edition of the Barometer focused on assessing its resilience in the event of shifts in the political landscape, the actors who are likely to support its continuation, and the specific issues and policy areas to be prioritised by the incoming new Commission in 2024.

Overall, experts remain optimistic about the future of the European Green Deal, with 61% stating that the agenda will be at least moderately resilient after the 2024 European elections. 56% of surveyed experts are confident that the EU institutions will turn the European Green Deal agenda into approved legislation. However, 73% of respondents identified ‘insufficient commitment by Member States governments' as the trickiest barrier to overcome if the ambitions of the European Green Deal are to be realised.

Five case studies were selected from Member States who have recently held the European Council's Presidency or will in the upcoming Trio, namely France, Czechia, Sweden, Spain, and Hungary. These case studies provide a more profound understanding of national perspectives alongside examining the opportunities and challenges for national governments. Another area of focus looked at the potential impacts of the Green Deal's ambition in relation to third countries.

The survey centred around a series of key policy questions assessing different policy areas within the European Green Deal agenda and its implementation.

Climate mitigation and path to climate neutrality: 68% EU experts state that the recent increase in the EU's greenhouse gas reduction targets from 55% to 57% are not sufficient for achieving the objectives of the Paris Agreement.
Protecting and restoring ecosystems and biodiversity: ‘Farmers, fishers and foresters anticipating loss of income' and ‘conflicting objectives between the Nature Restoration Law proposal and energy, climate, land use and oceans legislations' are considered the most important obstacles to maintaining the Nature Restoration Law proposal's ambition in a future final legislative agreement. 
Fair and sustainable food and farming system: 63% of EU experts believe ‘increasing financial support for farmers to transition towards sustainable agricultural practices' is the most important action to focus on to achieve a more environmental and climate-friendly EU agriculture.
Supplying decarbonised, affordable and secure energy: 77% of EU experts agree that the REPowerEU plan, designed to diversify the EU's energy supply and double the deployment of renewable energy, as well as to combat energy poverty, is a key addition to the EGD agenda. 
Financing the transition to carbon neutrality: 91% of EU experts believe that as part of the mid-term review of the EU long-term budget for 2021-2027, the European Commission should propose to increase the share of funds allocated to the implementation of the European Green Deal agenda'. 
Eero Yrjö-Koskinen, IEEP Executive Director said: “Sustainability experts are relatively confident that the Green Deal's objectives will be turned into approved legislation. Such confidence should encourage our policymakers to step up their effort in achieving climate neutrality by 2050.”

The third edition of the European Green Deal Barometer includes a comprehensive list of recommendations for a more resilient and ambitious European Green Deal and to ensure its continuation beyond 2024.

These recommendations highlight the need to create a positive narrative ahead of the European elections, to break down barriers at Member State level, maintain engagement with the private sector, focus on social aspects, provide additional investment streams towards transition efforts, increase efforts to engage with international partners and to involve non-EU countries in the design of Green Deal policies.

The European Green Deal Barometer is produced and published by the Institute for European Environmental Policy – IEEP along with their survey contractor Savanta. "

"Mobility is a basic human need. Over the last 100 years, the automobile has revolutionised the transport of people and goods. The automotive industry is a core industrial sector employing millions of people in Germany, Europe and the world. The trade unions in the metal sector are strong and powerful organisations without which the enforcement of social rights would have been impossible. But the costs and irreversible damage caused by the fossil fuel era are now undeniable. The technology based on the burning of fossil fuels is reaching its planetary limits; climate change, or rather climate catastrophe, is being clearly felt. Those who thought there was still time were wrong. The window of opportunity for mitigating the effects of global warming is closing. This century will be a century of adaptation to significantly changing climatic conditions. Modern industrial policy will always be climate policy and thus transformation policy.

This means that the pace and direction of this policy is not only a question of social justice, but also of national and international distribution: The term Just Transition, as coined by the international trade union movement, can be heard everywhere. While the idea of a transformation that leaves no one behind is attractive, it is clearly too vague, because the implementation of the goal of decarbonising the mobility industries will bring about profound changes: Supply chains and corporate structures will change; work will be different and also distributed differently; the demand for new raw materials will create new value chains – all this will produce distributional conflicts along the value chains. Without strong trade unions, a just transformation will not be possible, but without a profound change in industry and resource consumption, the climate catastrophe cannot be averted.
These strategic decisions cannot be taken without contradictions. We are all driving by sight at the moment. There are therefore many questions: Is it really right to only extract lithium in the global South or could battery production be moved there? What does it mean that, in addition to international climate policy, China's regulatory policy is the central driver of the transformation and that the most important new producers of electricity-powered passenger cars come from China? Is the internal combustion engine truly in the past and what will become of the communities that are already suffering from energy poverty? With this study, the Rosa Luxemburg Foundation would like to summarise the current state of the transformation in such a way that trade unionists and works councils, but also the interested public in the Global South and North, are given the opportunity to understand the connections and the central points of conflict. This publication formulates the initial answers that will be important for organising in the coming years: It is worth discussing new forms of cross-sectoral organising for example between the metal and mining sectors. And it is important to look at the source countries of the raw materials. Because one thing is clear: at the end of the Just Transition, jobs, wages and working conditions must be better at all stages of the production and supply chain."

"This paper analyzes the cross-border risks that could result from a decarbonization of the world economy. We develop a typology of cross-border risks and their respective channels. Our qualitative and quantitative scenario analysis suggests that the mid-transition – a period during which fossil-fuel and low-carbon energy systems co-exist and transform at a rapid pace – could have profound stability and resilience implications for global trade and the international financial system."