Net-zero transitions are accelerating, with multiple sectors now experiencing the rapid diffusion of carbon neutral technologies. Alongside a team of leading transition and innovation scholars, professors James Meadowcroft and Daniel Rosenbloom examine the many facets of acceleration in their latest publication in Energy Research & Social Science. Acceleration is not only a process (by which the pace of change intensifies) but also an imperative (an ambition to realize positive change more quickly), a transition phase (one that many sectors are now reaching), and multi-system phenomenon (as electrification leads to cascading effects). What role can policy play in deepening these trends? Let鈥檚 talk.

Check the link!

The post Professors James Meadowcroft and Daniel Rosenbloom examine the many facets of acceleration in their latest publication in Energy Research & Social Science. appeared first on Sustainable Energy.

Few credible experts see how the world will reach net-zero emissions without actively removing carbon dioxide out of the air, perhaps through direct air capture technologies. This has become an active research area over the past two decades, but most existing work doesn鈥檛 consider how ambient environmental conditions鈥攖emperature, humidity, pressure, and carbon dioxide concentration鈥攁ffect these engineered systems, which need to process massive amounts of atmospheric air to remove the carbon dioxide. Faculty and students affiliated with the Sustainable Energy program recently 鈥攖he first to model how these plants would actually perform across the globe, considering different weather conditions, different emissions from electric power systems worldwide (some of which are dirtier than others), and different emissions from natural gas systems (some of which are leakier than others).

The work is intended to stimulate serious discussion of the role of direct air capture technologies in nationally determined contributions submitted to UNFCCC. For nations that are making large bets on carbon dioxide removal despite having poor or fair conditions for the deployment of direct air capture, the research should stimulate discussion of cross-border carbon accounting mechanisms that would allow these nations to subsidize deployment in regions with more appropriate climatic conditions.

The post Integrating climate and physical constraints into assessments of net capture from direct air capture facilities appeared first on Sustainable Energy.

Direct air capture (DAC) is touted as a potential contributor to climate change mitigation and the achievement of net-zero emission targets, including in nations like Canada. Recent research by faculty affiliated with 杏吧原创 University’s Sustainable Energy program shows the extent to which ambient environmental conditions, including temperature, pressure, carbon dioxide concentration, and relative humidity, influence the capacity factor, water losses, and cost of these plants in Canada.

The open-access research, , shows that a DAC plant constructed in Ottawa would be expected to capture only 55% of the carbon dioxide that its nameplate capacity would suggest. Plants in colder climates, like Alberta, which is betting on carbon dioxide removal as its key climate strategy, fare even worse, with a plant in Calgary capturing 45% of its expected capture. Colder climates necessitate the shut down and restart of these large, complex, and tightly integrated plants, further damaging capture performance. Plants in warmer climates perform well, but the water losses in those locations are extremely highly.

The findings in this study can be used to calibrate policy maker expectations, investment decisions, and policy support for DAC. They can also be used by engineers as they refine and optimize plant design to maximize capture.

The post Ambient environmental conditions affect the cost and performance of direct air capture appeared first on Sustainable Energy.

SPPA Prof. Alexandra Mallett have been working with Prosanto Pal from The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) in New Delhi, India on decarbonizing and making the production of steel more sustainable in India. This is part of an initiative (funded by the UK government), . The Policy Brief,  was recently published on the .

Key Messages

鈥� India possesses the potential to become a global sustainable steel production leader, but present
efforts are not enough to achieve Climate Compatible Growth (CCG) within the steel sector.
鈥� Transition of the Indian iron and steel sector must be looked at through the lenses of industrialization, energy security, and self-reliance alongside sustainability.
鈥� Decarbonizing industry actions must tackle the making of primary crude steel given limited scrap availability and the projected demand for steel in India.
鈥� Indian firms are pursuing various innovation pathways in primary steelmaking processes but slowly. Moreover, for novel technologies there is too much 鈥榞oing it alone鈥� 鈥� firms are generally working in isolation or separately pursuing partnerships with technology suppliers from the west.
鈥� The promotion of international collaboration and technology diffusion, such as through setting up pilot and demonstration projects to advance sustainable pathways for the sector, is required.

The post Alexandra Mallett: Policy Brief on Decarbonizing Steel Production in India appeared first on Sustainable Energy.

Environmental impacts of mining in Brazil and the environmental licensing process: Changes needed for changing times?

Alexandra Mallett, Erica Lima, Barros Franca, Italo Alves, and Lisa Mills

Abstract

The post Alexandra Mallett Publishes Article in The Extractive Industries and Society appeared first on Sustainable Energy.

By Micah Ton, MA Sustainable Energy student

SPPA Prof. Alexandra Mallett鈥檚 Social Science and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) funded project explores the links between governance (how decisions are made) and energy system changes in communities in Northwest Territories. The central aim of the research is to find out if there are more effective ways to support sustainable energy projects, such as renewable electricity, renewable heat provision, or energy efficiency initiatives in Northern Canada.

A substantial amount of the research has been facilitated at the community level. I am working with Prof. Mallett and MA Sustainable Energy graduate Jessica Leis to interviewed community members throughout the territory, with an emphasis on those from Tul谋虂t鈥檃, Colville Lake and Yellowknife. Through these interviews, community members expressed their desire for researchers to give back to the community and engage local youth in topics surrounding sustainability and climate change.

As a result, in partnership with the Saht煤 Renewable Resources Board (SRRB), the research team developed an interactive seminar session for students. With the help of the SRRB, the team was able to connect with teachers from different schools in the Saht煤 region. The teachers eagerly took time to watch and discuss the pre-teaching material that I created for the seminar. The students (from grade 7 to 12) actively participated in the seminar, where topics surrounding climate change, energy and sustainability were at the forefront of the discussion.

Students in each session provided detailed accounts of the effects of climate change in their community, including instances of warmer temperatures, changes in animal migratory patterns, as well as the adaptations to hunting and fishing on the land that have happened as a result.

Following the seminars, the students were invited to answer the question 鈥淲hat does sustainability mean to you?鈥� to win prizes as part of the Saht煤 Sustainability Youth Contest, hosted by Prof. Mallett鈥檚 team and the SRRB. The contest received numerous entries from youth all over the Saht煤 region. The submissions included written responses and artwork, such as collages, drawings and photographs.

The textbook definition of sustainability is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. However, in practice, the definition of sustainability is broad, and is often shaped by local context. For some, sustainability is a guide, a way of life; for others, it鈥檚 closely related to the natural environment, or grounded in community.

Pictured above are artwork submissions from grade 9 students, which beautifully demonstrate how sustainability is deeply rooted in personal values and experiences.  

Similarly, here are some excerpts from written pieces submitted by Saht煤 youth that capture the diversity of sustainability as well:

鈥淚f we could mitigate the amount of energy waste we use by sustaining the energy, we could eventually make up for the over usage but due to our situation, to accomplish sustainability for every energy we use, we have to get everyone to change and switch the energy source we鈥檙e using to renewable sources.鈥�

With thanks to the SRRB, Mallett鈥檚 team was able to engage with youth across the Saht煤 region. Connecting with individuals across the North and hearing firsthand stories of how climate change and sustainability are impacting the day-to-day lives of these communities is an essential piece of the ongoing SSHRC project.

The post Engaging Northern Youth in Climate Change, Energy and Sustainability appeared first on Sustainable Energy.