250 Jenny Lieu et al.
consequence of a variety of factors but most often are linked to land- use changes
and other knock- on impacts in the value chain of technology production,
installation, operation, and dismantling.
Land- use change and a varying set of associated impacts on natural habitats,
migratory routes, and environmental pollution can occur from fossil- based
energy production, such as negative impacts for the oil sands in Alberta.
Stakeholders also highlight negative impacts with the expansion of renewables,
including geothermal power in Kenya and renewables in the UK.
In Alberta, the development of the oil sands, even with reduced emissions,
will continue to affect the environment. Locally, these impacts result from
land- use changes in the oil sands extraction processes, which causes damage
to ecosystems. Additionally, oil sand waste products pollute the air and local
rivers. Land- use changes can also occur with the development of renewable
energy, as seen in the UK renewable energy sector and Kenyan geothermal
development. In the UK, stakeholders highlighted negative impacts on nature
preservation with the expansion of renewable energy installations, rather
than environmental concerns linked to nuclear accidents and waste. In
Kenya, geothermal power facilities were the cause of unsustainable water
abstraction from lakes and rivers, as well as disturbances to natural habitats
and wildlife migratory routes.
In Bali, biogas installations, which turn animal waste into household biogas
for cooking and lighting, reduce CO 2 emissions but also emit methane if the
biogas is not burned. Methane has a much higher global warming potential per
unit emitted than carbon dioxide. The efficient use, rather than an over or
underuse, of cookstoves technologies is necessary to ensure a sustainable
transition. In Austria, hydrogen- based steel technology, supported by a clean
electricity mix, is anticipated to be a crucial part of the low- carbon energy
transition in the iron and steel sector. As part of decarbonising the electricity
mix, energy storage solutions need to be scaled up, which could lead to negative
environmental impacts due to the extraction and disposal of materials including
lithium for batteries. Additionally, the disposal of renewable energy systems also
needs to be considered, for example wind turbine rotors built with composite
materials that are difficult to recycle. These impacts can be expected in most
cases where renewables will be scaled up but are rarely considered by the wider
stakeholder community.
Policy mixes to support low- carbon technological innovations
Technological innovations rely on public and/or private policies to gain traction for eventual upscaling. All of our narratives discuss existing and/or new
policies that would support decarbonisation technologies at different scales. We
observed some trends on the discussion of risk in policy mixes across the country
studies. We will draw from specific examples to highlight policy- related risks in
different pathways. Across countries, policies aim to create a favourable climate
for investment supporting implementation of individual technology projects or
consequence of a variety of factors but most often are linked to land- use changes
and other knock- on impacts in the value chain of technology production,
installation, operation, and dismantling.
Land- use change and a varying set of associated impacts on natural habitats,
migratory routes, and environmental pollution can occur from fossil- based
energy production, such as negative impacts for the oil sands in Alberta.
Stakeholders also highlight negative impacts with the expansion of renewables,
including geothermal power in Kenya and renewables in the UK.
In Alberta, the development of the oil sands, even with reduced emissions,
will continue to affect the environment. Locally, these impacts result from
land- use changes in the oil sands extraction processes, which causes damage
to ecosystems. Additionally, oil sand waste products pollute the air and local
rivers. Land- use changes can also occur with the development of renewable
energy, as seen in the UK renewable energy sector and Kenyan geothermal
development. In the UK, stakeholders highlighted negative impacts on nature
preservation with the expansion of renewable energy installations, rather
than environmental concerns linked to nuclear accidents and waste. In
Kenya, geothermal power facilities were the cause of unsustainable water
abstraction from lakes and rivers, as well as disturbances to natural habitats
and wildlife migratory routes.
In Bali, biogas installations, which turn animal waste into household biogas
for cooking and lighting, reduce CO 2 emissions but also emit methane if the
biogas is not burned. Methane has a much higher global warming potential per
unit emitted than carbon dioxide. The efficient use, rather than an over or
underuse, of cookstoves technologies is necessary to ensure a sustainable
transition. In Austria, hydrogen- based steel technology, supported by a clean
electricity mix, is anticipated to be a crucial part of the low- carbon energy
transition in the iron and steel sector. As part of decarbonising the electricity
mix, energy storage solutions need to be scaled up, which could lead to negative
environmental impacts due to the extraction and disposal of materials including
lithium for batteries. Additionally, the disposal of renewable energy systems also
needs to be considered, for example wind turbine rotors built with composite
materials that are difficult to recycle. These impacts can be expected in most
cases where renewables will be scaled up but are rarely considered by the wider
stakeholder community.
Policy mixes to support low- carbon technological innovations
Technological innovations rely on public and/or private policies to gain traction for eventual upscaling. All of our narratives discuss existing and/or new
policies that would support decarbonisation technologies at different scales. We
observed some trends on the discussion of risk in policy mixes across the country
studies. We will draw from specific examples to highlight policy- related risks in
different pathways. Across countries, policies aim to create a favourable climate
for investment supporting implementation of individual technology projects or