4
L. Ma et al.
continued increase in global GHG emissions further enlarges the gap between the
target. “Emissions Gap Report” (UNEP 2019) issued by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) in 2019 found that the median global GHG emissions will
be about 41 billion tons of CO 2 equivalent per year by 2030 if we want to achieve
the 2 °C goal. Meanwhile, the National Independent Contribution (NDC) targets
currently submitted by countries in the Paris Agreement indicated that by 2030, the
amount of emissions could only be kept between 54–56 billion tons of CO 2 equivalent per year. Given the gravity of the issue, all countries must further accelerate the
low-carbon transition to meaningfully reverse climate change.
The energy sector contributes more GHG emissions compared to others, mainly
through CO 2 emissions during the combustion of fossil fuels. According to the fifth
report of the IPCC (IPCC 2014a, b), if measured in terms of direct emissions, the
sector of energy supply (mainly electric heating production) contributed the most,
about 35% to global GHG emissions in 2010. It also made up 47% of the annual global
anthropogenic GHG emissions from 2000 to 2010. If indirect emissions are taken
into account, CO 2 emissions from fossil fuel combustion and industrial processes
accounted for 65% of global GHG emissions in 2010 and 78% of global growth in
GHG emissions from 1970 to 2020. To mitigate the effects of climate change, the
energy sector, as the main source of greenhouse gas emissions, must drive low-carbon
transition and create a new system based on non-fossil energy.
1.2.2 The World Faces Multiple Energy Challenges
Climate change has become a serious challenge for the sustainable development of
global energy. Yet sustainable energy development entails multiple objectives. Other
energy challenges, alongside climate change, include energy equity and energy security, etc. (IIASA 2012), which are also closely linked to human survival and development. Together with climate change, these challenges constitute “energy dilemmas”
for the sustainability of global energy, due to certain trade-offs between other energy
challenges and climate change. To illustrate, to rapidly enhance energy equity, energy
demand will surge, leading to more potential fossil energy consumption; to ensure
energy security, countries tend to prioritize the use of their own rich resources,
such as shale gas in the United States and “coal to oil” in China, thus impeding
the scale-up of non-fossil energy. To solve the dilemmas, complex and intertwined
links between public and private institutions, government and regulatory agencies,
economic and social factors, national resources, environmental issues, and consumer
behavior should be built, which is not an easy task. The assessment report published
by the World Energy Council (WEC) argues that most countries have failed to effectively address the “energy dilemmas”, and there is still a long way to go for the
meaningful sustainable development (WEC 2019). Examples for the substance and
severity of the challenges could be found in energy equity and energy security listed
below:
L. Ma et al.
continued increase in global GHG emissions further enlarges the gap between the
target. “Emissions Gap Report” (UNEP 2019) issued by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) in 2019 found that the median global GHG emissions will
be about 41 billion tons of CO 2 equivalent per year by 2030 if we want to achieve
the 2 °C goal. Meanwhile, the National Independent Contribution (NDC) targets
currently submitted by countries in the Paris Agreement indicated that by 2030, the
amount of emissions could only be kept between 54–56 billion tons of CO 2 equivalent per year. Given the gravity of the issue, all countries must further accelerate the
low-carbon transition to meaningfully reverse climate change.
The energy sector contributes more GHG emissions compared to others, mainly
through CO 2 emissions during the combustion of fossil fuels. According to the fifth
report of the IPCC (IPCC 2014a, b), if measured in terms of direct emissions, the
sector of energy supply (mainly electric heating production) contributed the most,
about 35% to global GHG emissions in 2010. It also made up 47% of the annual global
anthropogenic GHG emissions from 2000 to 2010. If indirect emissions are taken
into account, CO 2 emissions from fossil fuel combustion and industrial processes
accounted for 65% of global GHG emissions in 2010 and 78% of global growth in
GHG emissions from 1970 to 2020. To mitigate the effects of climate change, the
energy sector, as the main source of greenhouse gas emissions, must drive low-carbon
transition and create a new system based on non-fossil energy.
1.2.2 The World Faces Multiple Energy Challenges
Climate change has become a serious challenge for the sustainable development of
global energy. Yet sustainable energy development entails multiple objectives. Other
energy challenges, alongside climate change, include energy equity and energy security, etc. (IIASA 2012), which are also closely linked to human survival and development. Together with climate change, these challenges constitute “energy dilemmas”
for the sustainability of global energy, due to certain trade-offs between other energy
challenges and climate change. To illustrate, to rapidly enhance energy equity, energy
demand will surge, leading to more potential fossil energy consumption; to ensure
energy security, countries tend to prioritize the use of their own rich resources,
such as shale gas in the United States and “coal to oil” in China, thus impeding
the scale-up of non-fossil energy. To solve the dilemmas, complex and intertwined
links between public and private institutions, government and regulatory agencies,
economic and social factors, national resources, environmental issues, and consumer
behavior should be built, which is not an easy task. The assessment report published
by the World Energy Council (WEC) argues that most countries have failed to effectively address the “energy dilemmas”, and there is still a long way to go for the
meaningful sustainable development (WEC 2019). Examples for the substance and
severity of the challenges could be found in energy equity and energy security listed
below: