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Challenges for Carbon Neutrality in the Energy Sector of Developing Countries

A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Energy Sustainability".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (10 February 2023) | Viewed by 16114

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
Interests: renewable energy; net-zero building; energy and transportation policy; energy security and climate change

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Guest Editor
Department of Electrical Engineering, Mehran University of Engineering & Technology, Jamshoro 76062, Pakistan
Interests: energy modelling and forecasting; climate change and energy security

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Guest Editor
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Mehran University of Engineering & Technology, Jamshoro 76062, Pakistan
Interests: renewable energy; energy policy; climate change
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Go Carbon Neutral is a new challenge for developing countries regarding green technology, engineering, and city planning. Many developing countries have taken responsibility for reducing their greenhouse gas emissions. Equity demands that developed countries—the source of most past and current emissions of greenhouse gases—act first to reduce emissions. That principle is embedded in the 1992 U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change and the 1997 Kyoto Protocol, which only set binding emission targets for developed countries. With the Protocol now likely to enter into force, the focus will turn increasingly to the question of the emissions of developing countries. For most, emission reduction is not a viable option in the near term. Developing countries will continue to increase their emissions as they strive for economic growth. However, their steadfast resistance to the idea of limiting their emissions has led to claims that developing countries are not doing their fair share. The purpose of this Special Issue is to identify local sources of carbon emissions, establish policy, and estimate carbon emissions for developing countries to aid scientists in mapping carbon sources and sinks.

Accepting emission limits is one measure of whether a country is contributing to climate change mitigation. Efforts that serve to reduce or avoid greenhouse gas emissions, whether or not undertaken in the name of climate protection, nonetheless contribute to climate mitigation. These efforts can occur across virtually every sector of the economy.

The aim of this Special Issue (Challenges for Carbon Neutrality in Developing Countries) is to evaluate valuable directions for developing countries’ climate protection toward the goal of carbon neutrality from every sector. However, the most promising policy approaches will capitalize on natural synergies between climate protection and development priorities. Through existing research information and policy development, six developing countries (Brazil, China, India, Mexico, South Africa, and Turkey) have reduced their carbon emissions by approximately 300 million tons a year over the past three decades. These efforts are motivated by standard drivers: economic development and poverty alleviation, energy security, and local environmental protection. This Special Issue will provide extensive, meaningful information about carbon neutrality targets and support the existing literature.

Dr. MD Shouquat Hossain
Dr. Faheemullah Shaikh
Dr. Laveet Kumar
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • renewable energy
  • energy policy
  • energy security and climate change

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Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

16 pages, 3133 KiB  
Article
Technical, Economic, and Environmental Analysis and Comparison of Different Scenarios for the Grid-Connected PV Power Plant
by Abeer Abdullah Al Anazi, Abdullah Albaker, Wongchai Anupong, Abdul Rab Asary, Rajabov Sherzod Umurzoqovich, Iskandar Muda, Rosario Mireya Romero-Parra, Reza Alayi and Laveet Kumar
Sustainability 2022, 14(24), 16803; https://doi.org/10.3390/su142416803 - 14 Dec 2022
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2270
Abstract
Today, using systems based on renewable resources is a suitable alternative to fossil fuels. However, due to problems such as the lack of access in all the times needed to supply cargo and high-investment cost, it has not been well-received. Therefore, in this [...] Read more.
Today, using systems based on renewable resources is a suitable alternative to fossil fuels. However, due to problems such as the lack of access in all the times needed to supply cargo and high-investment cost, it has not been well-received. Therefore, in this research, the modeling of the photovoltaic system with battery storage has been done to supply the required load, and various scenarios have been evaluated in terms of economic parameters and reliability indicators of the studied system for a better understanding of the comparison indicators. It has been evaluated from two modes, one connected to the network and one disconnected from the network. One of the important results is the supply of 56% of the load by the photovoltaic cell in the presence of the grid, which, in this scenario, the electrical load is supplied by the photovoltaic cell and the grid is 164.155 kWh/yr and 128.504 kWh/yr, respectively. Full article
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25 pages, 7624 KiB  
Article
Factors Influencing Residential Location Choice towards Mixed Land-Use Development: An Empirical Evidence from Pakistan
by Fahad Ahmed Shaikh, Mir Aftab Hussain Talpur, Imtiaz Ahmed Chandio and Saima Kalwar
Sustainability 2022, 14(21), 14604; https://doi.org/10.3390/su142114604 - 7 Nov 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2596
Abstract
This study is aimed to determine the MLU development factors by executing a Delphi Method (DM). The MLU factors can contribute to the land-use development process in the thickly populated urban centers of developing countries. This is the first study of its type [...] Read more.
This study is aimed to determine the MLU development factors by executing a Delphi Method (DM). The MLU factors can contribute to the land-use development process in the thickly populated urban centers of developing countries. This is the first study of its type conducted to clarify MLU development factors in urbanized settlements of Sindh province, Pakistan. Karachi and Hyderabad are thickly populated cities in Pakistan where mixed land-use (MLU) development prevails over the years. The DM was attempted in two rounds focusing on the opinion of urban development specialists and academic experts. The experts initially provided a set of forty-two factors identified from the literature. These factors were arranged in a Likert-based questionnaire and determined through the coefficient variation. The prominent factors were identified as household savings, travel costs and low rent, nearby household items and shared utility services, economic vitality, variety in purchasing grocery and shopping items, demographic change and social poverty, accessibility to nearby public services, reduction in commuting time and easy access to restaurants. This proposed research recommends policy implications focusing on identified key parameters of MLU development, such as low carbon exposure, livable environment, and planned municipal system. Full article
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19 pages, 4556 KiB  
Article
Assessment of Sustainable Biomass Energy Technologies in Pakistan Using the Analytical Hierarchy Process
by Hira Soomro, Syed Feroz Shah, Wasayo Sanam Sahito, Mohammad Aslam Uqaili, Laveet Kumar, Jonathan Daniel Nixon and Khanji Harijan
Sustainability 2022, 14(18), 11388; https://doi.org/10.3390/su141811388 - 10 Sep 2022
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2063
Abstract
Pakistan is not merely confronting the energy crisis but also dealing with the scarcity of economical technologies for the utilization of energy resources. From the basic resources, renewable energy is one of the considerable resources. Due to environmental issues related to greenhouse gases [...] Read more.
Pakistan is not merely confronting the energy crisis but also dealing with the scarcity of economical technologies for the utilization of energy resources. From the basic resources, renewable energy is one of the considerable resources. Due to environmental issues related to greenhouse gases (GHGs) and air pollution in Pakistan, the other energy resources are constricted. In rural areas, biomass resources are a fundamental need for domestic purposes. The prominent reason for environmental degradation and deforestation is due to ineffective use of such resources. Biomass resources for heating and cooking purposes are abundantly available in rural areas of Pakistan. In this context, this study helps us select the applicable cookstove technologies for the Sindh province for the proper utilization of biomass resources. The AHP (analytical hierarchy process) was used as the central methodology for the cookstove ranking. Concerning its improvement, four main criteria corresponding to 12 sub-criteria were considered for the selection of three cookstove technologies, i.e., traditional cookstoves (TCS), efficient cookstoves (ECS), and biogas cookstoves (BCS). The final decision of the AHP framework exposed the ECS technology as the advantageous technology, followed by the BCS and TCS, respectively. To analyze the results, a sensitivity analysis of the major results has also been carried out, and under the final ranking matrix, the ECS alternative got the highest weightage, nearly 36.56%, based on the developed model. Full article
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35 pages, 4607 KiB  
Article
Factors That Influence Travelers’ Willingness to Adopt Bus Rapid Transit (Green Line) Service in Karachi
by Rabia Soomro, Irfan Ahmed Memon, Agha Faisal Habib Pathan, Waqas Ahmed Mahar, Noman Sahito and Zulfiqar Ali Lashari
Sustainability 2022, 14(16), 10184; https://doi.org/10.3390/su141610184 - 16 Aug 2022
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 6174
Abstract
Bus rapid transit (BRT) system is a sustainable mode choice alternative and traffic management method for traffic congestion problems in urban areas. As an extent of total demand management, BRT has broadly been implemented in many countries. BRT has proven to be progressive [...] Read more.
Bus rapid transit (BRT) system is a sustainable mode choice alternative and traffic management method for traffic congestion problems in urban areas. As an extent of total demand management, BRT has broadly been implemented in many countries. BRT has proven to be progressive in alleviating traffic congestion and the difficulty of finding parking spaces in city centers. Currently, people driving their automobiles to work cause traffic congestion along Karachi’s main corridors. People cannot be persuaded to use public transit until their travel patterns are understood. Therefore, the disparity between public and private transportation must be addressed. This research aimed to develop a model to shift car travelers toward Karachi’s Green Line BRT and investigate the factors that influence car travelers’ decisions. A questionnaire-based survey was carried out on single-occupant vehicle (SOV) users in the Green Line corridor of Karachi. This study investigated the elements that influence SOV users’ willingness to adopt the BRT system and studied the possible ways of attracting car drivers to BRT. Data were examined using descriptive-analytic techniques such as the contingency table approach in conjunction with a Chi-square test of the independence/association model in SPSS. Furthermore, binary logistic regression was applied to the highly mediated associated variables. The research’s outcomes were geared at the imposition of parking fees at workplaces to deter individuals from parking their automobiles there. SOV travelers can be diverted to BRT services using this strategy. The research findings will assist policymakers and serve as a foundation for scientific investigations on the travel demand model for the BRT system. Full article
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18 pages, 1454 KiB  
Article
Determinants of Investment Costs for CDM Projects in the Energy Industry
by Ji-Hoon Kim, Tae-Hwa Kim and Sung-Soo Lim
Sustainability 2022, 14(15), 9619; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14159619 - 4 Aug 2022
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1976
Abstract
This study reviewed data from 1350 Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) project design documents for the energy industry; these projects were registered with the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change from the European Union Emissions Trading System’s second period (December 2012) to the [...] Read more.
This study reviewed data from 1350 Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) project design documents for the energy industry; these projects were registered with the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change from the European Union Emissions Trading System’s second period (December 2012) to the present. This paper contributes to the literature on the energy industry in that it was the first attempt to directly estimate the issuance price based on CDM PDD data. This study extracted and databased effective samples for investment analysis. In addition, carbon emissions pricing analysis in the energy industry (which has the highest proportion in the CDM sector) was conducted to demonstrate which factors, including renewable energy technology, contribute to changing the investment cost per unit of carbon emissions. Cluster analysis shows that business methods and size are unimportant for classifying clusters; after multiple regression analysis, the technology variable was determined to affect investment cost. The issued price was low, in the order of biomass, wind power, hydropower, and waste heat management technology. The empirical results show that biomass technology has the highest investment efficiency, and the carbon emission issuance price of biomass technologies is lower than that of wind and solar technologies, which the Korean government is investing in actively. Therefore, if by-products and natural resources in rural areas are recycled or reused as biomass raw materials, costs can be reduced and linked to rural regeneration channels. Full article
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