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Decarbonised Economy

A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (28 February 2013) | Viewed by 28459

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Guest Editor
Department of Economics, University Paris 8, 2 rue de la Liberté, 93526 Saint-Denis Cedex, France
Interests: finance of commodity markets; applied econometrics; energy and climate change economics; environmental and resource economics

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This special issue of Sustainability is dedicated to the analytical solutions and development pathways that could be put forth in the mid- to long-term in order to reach a “de-carbonized economy”. Against the global warming background, the bleak future that has been promised to us by the Nobel-prize winning IPCC reports urges us to take instant action, without consideration of costs, to preserve the well-being of future generations. Alas, we are currently in a situation of “technological lock-in” in many critical sectors of production, from agriculture to transport and industrial processes, which prevents us from taking such necessary bold steps. The context of the 2008 financial crisis has also critically impacted the trends in climate change policies, with no successor to the Kyoto Protocol—to date.
To foster attention on these critical issues, we welcome submissions of theoretical and applied papers, as well as critical reviews of the extant literature, which address one or more practical (case-studies) or theoretical (economics, political science) solutions to progress towards decarbonized economies.  Topical areas for consideration include, but are not limited to, the economics of decarbonization, CO2 emissions, carbon price, low-carbon technologies and policies, power-generation, transport, agriculture, and all aspects of climate change.

Prof. Dr. Julien Chevallier
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

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Keywords

  • economics of decarbonization
  • climate stabilization
  • global warming
  • CO2 emissions
  • carbon price
  • low-carbon technologies and policies
  • power-generation
  • transport
  • agriculture
  • industry

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

676 KiB  
Article
Sustainable Complex Triangular Cells for the Evaluation of CO2 Emissions by Individuals instead of Nations in a Scenario for 2030
by Marcelo Sthel, José Glauco Tostes and Juliana Tavares
Sustainability 2013, 5(5), 1944-1959; https://doi.org/10.3390/su5051944 - 2 May 2013
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 6816
Abstract
The concept of sustainable complex triangular cells may be applied to an individual of any human society. This concept was introduced in two recent articles. A case study was proposed to show the applicability of this new concept to Indian populations without contact [...] Read more.
The concept of sustainable complex triangular cells may be applied to an individual of any human society. This concept was introduced in two recent articles. A case study was proposed to show the applicability of this new concept to Indian populations without contact with civilization and with a low environmental impact. Here we propose to apply this concept to a recent study, which claims that the concept of “common but differentiated responsibilities” refers to the emissions of individuals instead of nations. The income distribution of a country was used to estimate how its fossil fuel CO2 emissions are distributed among its citizens and, from that a global CO2 distribution was constructed. We propose the extension of the concept of complex triangular cells where its area would be equivalent to the CO2 emission per individual. In addition, a new three-dimensional geometric model for the regular hexagonal structure is offered in which the sharing of natural resources (human cooperation) is employed to reduce CO2 emissions in two scenarios by 2030. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Decarbonised Economy)
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2261 KiB  
Article
Sustainable Mobility: Using a Global Energy Model to Inform Vehicle Technology Choices in a Decarbonized Economy
by Maria Grahn, Erica Klampfl, Margaret Whalen and Timothy Wallington
Sustainability 2013, 5(5), 1845-1862; https://doi.org/10.3390/su5051845 - 29 Apr 2013
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 8921
Abstract
The reduction of CO2 emissions associated with vehicle use is an important element of a global transition to sustainable mobility and is a major long-term challenge for society. Vehicle and fuel technologies are part of a global energy system, and assessing the [...] Read more.
The reduction of CO2 emissions associated with vehicle use is an important element of a global transition to sustainable mobility and is a major long-term challenge for society. Vehicle and fuel technologies are part of a global energy system, and assessing the impact of the availability of clean energy technologies and advanced vehicle technologies on sustainable mobility is a complex task. The global energy transition (GET) model accounts for interactions between the different energy sectors, and we illustrate its use to inform vehicle technology choices in a decarbonizing economy. The aim of this study is to assess how uncertainties in future vehicle technology cost, as well as how developments in other energy sectors, affect cost-effective fuel and vehicle technology choices. Given the uncertainties in future costs and efficiencies for light-duty vehicle and fuel technologies, there is no clear fuel/vehicle technology winner that can be discerned at the present time. We conclude that a portfolio approach with research and development of multiple fuel and vehicle technology pathways is the best way forward to achieve the desired result of affordable and sustainable personal mobility. The practical ramifications of this analysis are illustrated in the portfolio approach to providing sustainable mobility adopted by the Ford Motor Company. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Decarbonised Economy)
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835 KiB  
Article
Towards More Sustainable Ironmaking—An Analysis of Energy Wood Availability in Finland and the Economics of Charcoal Production
by Hannu Suopajärvi and Timo Fabritius
Sustainability 2013, 5(3), 1188-1207; https://doi.org/10.3390/su5031188 - 19 Mar 2013
Cited by 58 | Viewed by 12083
Abstract
Replacement of fossil carbon by renewable biomass-based carbon is an effective measure to mitigate CO2 emission intensity in the blast furnace ironmaking process. Depending on the substitution rate of fossil fuels, the required amount of biomass can be substantial. This raises questions [...] Read more.
Replacement of fossil carbon by renewable biomass-based carbon is an effective measure to mitigate CO2 emission intensity in the blast furnace ironmaking process. Depending on the substitution rate of fossil fuels, the required amount of biomass can be substantial. This raises questions about the availability of biomass for multiple uses. At the same time, the economic competitiveness of biomass-based fuels in ironmaking applications should also be a key consideration. In this assessment, availability of energy wood, i.e., logging residues, small-diameter wood and stumps, in Finland is discussed. Since biomass must be submitted to a thermochemical process before use in a blast furnace, the paper describes the production chain, from biomass to charcoal, and economics related to each processing step. The economics of biomass-based reducing agents is compared to fossil-based ones by taking into account the effect of European Union Emissions Trading System (EU ETS). The assessment reveals that there would be sufficient amounts of energy wood available for current users as well as for ironmaking. At present, the economics of biomass-based reducing agents in ironmaking applications is unfavorable. High CO2 emission allowance prices would be required to make such a scheme competitive against fossil-based reducing agents at current fuel prices. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Decarbonised Economy)
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