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Environmental finance is a field within finance that employs market-based environmental policy instruments to improve the ecological impact of investment strategies. The primary objective of environmental finance is to regress the negative impacts of climate change through pricing and trading schemes. The field of environmental finance was established in response to the poor management of economic crises by government bodies globally. Environmental finance aims to reallocate a businesses resources to improve the sustainability of investments whilst also retaining profit margins.
Energy is sustainable if it "meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs." Definitions of sustainable energy usually look at its effects on the environment, the economy, and society. These impacts range from greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution to energy poverty and toxic waste. Renewable energy sources such as wind, hydro, solar, and geothermal energy can cause environmental damage but are generally far more sustainable than fossil fuel sources.
Climate change mitigation (or decarbonisation) is action to limit the greenhouse gases in the atmosphere that cause climate change. Climate change mitigation actions include conserving energy and replacing fossil fuels with clean energy sources. Secondary mitigation strategies include changes to land use and removing carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere. Current climate change mitigation policies are insufficient as they would still result in global warming of about 2.7 °C by 2100, significantly above the 2015 Paris Agreement's goal of limiting global warming to below 2 °C.
Business action on climate change is a topic which since 2000 includes a range of activities relating to climate change, and to influencing political decisions on climate change-related regulation, such as the Kyoto Protocol. Major multinationals have played and to some extent continue to play a significant role in the politics of climate change, especially in the United States, through lobbying of government and funding of climate change deniers. Business also plays a key role in the mitigation of climate change, through decisions to invest in researching and implementing new energy technologies and energy efficiency measures.
A sustainable city, eco-city, or green city is a city designed with consideration for the social, economic, and environmental impact, as well as a resilient habitat for existing populations. This is done in a way that does not compromise the ability of future generations to experience the same. The UN Sustainable Development Goal 11 defines sustainable cities as those that are dedicated to achieving green sustainability, social sustainability and economic sustainability. In accordance with the UN Sustainable Development Goal 11, a sustainable city is defined as one that is dedicated to achieving green, social, and economic sustainability. They are committed to this objective by facilitating opportunities for all through a design that prioritizes inclusivity as well as maintaining a sustainable economic growth. Furthermore, the objective is to minimize the inputs of energy, water, and food, and to drastically reduce waste, as well as the outputs of heat, air pollution. Richard Register, a visual artist, first coined the term ecocity in his 1987 book Ecocity Berkeley: Building Cities for a Healthy Future, where he offers innovative city planning solutions that would work anywhere. Other leading figures who envisioned sustainable cities are architect Paul F Downton, who later founded the company Ecopolis Pty Ltd, as well as authors Timothy Beatley and Steffen Lehmann, who have written extensively on the subject. The field of industrial ecology is sometimes used in planning these cities.
A low-carbon economy (LCE) is an economy which absorbs as much greenhouse gas as it emits. Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions due to human activity are the dominant cause of observed climate change since the mid-20th century. There are many proven approaches for moving to a low-carbon economy, such as encouraging renewable energy transition, energy conservation, electrification of transportation, and carbon capture and storage. An example are zero-carbon cities.
Mark Diesendorf is an Australian academic and environmentalist, known for his work in sustainable development and renewable energy. He currently researches at the University of New South Wales, Australia. He was formerly professor of environmental science and founding director of the Institute for Sustainable Futures at the University of Technology, Sydney and before that a principal research scientist with CSIRO, where he was involved in early research on integrating wind power into electricity grids. His most recent books are The Path to a Sustainable Civilisation (2023) and Sustainable Energy Solutions for Climate Change (2014).
Renewable energy in Australia is mainly based on biomass, solar, wind, and hydro generation. Over a third of electricity is generated from renewables, and is increasing, with a target to phase out coal power before 2040. Wind energy and rooftop solar have particularly grown since 2010. The growth has been stimulated by government energy policy in order to limit the rate of climate change in Australia that has been brought about by the use of fossil fuels. Pros and cons of various types of renewable energy are being investigated, and more recently there have been trials of green hydrogen and wave power.
Fossil fuel phase-out is the gradual reduction of the use and production of fossil fuels to zero, to reduce deaths and illness from air pollution, limit climate change, and strengthen energy independence. It is part of the ongoing renewable energy transition, but is being hindered by fossil fuel subsidies.
New Energy for America was a plan led by Barack Obama and Joe Biden beginning in 2008 to invest in renewable energy sources, reduce reliance on foreign oil, address global warming issues, and create jobs for Americans. The main objective of the New Energy for America plan was to implement clean energy sources in the United States to switch from nonrenewable resources to renewable resources. The plan led by the Obama Administration aimed to implement short-term solutions to provide immediate relief from pain at the pump, and mid- to- long-term solutions to provide a New Energy for America plan. The goals of the clean energy plan hoped to: invest in renewable technologies that will boost domestic manufacturing and increase homegrown energy, invest in training for workers of clean technologies, strengthen the middle class, and help the economy.
Greenhouse gas emissions by Australia totalled 533 million tonnes CO2-equivalent based on greenhouse gas national inventory report data for 2019; representing per capita CO2e emissions of 21 tons, three times the global average. Coal was responsible for 30% of emissions. The national Greenhouse Gas Inventory estimates for the year to March 2021 were 494.2 million tonnes, which is 27.8 million tonnes, or 5.3%, lower than the previous year. It is 20.8% lower than in 2005. According to the government, the result reflects the decrease in transport emissions due to COVID-19 pandemic restrictions, reduced fugitive emissions, and reductions in emissions from electricity; however, there were increased greenhouse gas emissions from the land and agriculture sectors.
A zero-carbon city is a goal of city planners that can be variously defined. In a narrower sense of energy production and use, a zero-carbon city is one that generates as much or more carbon-free sustainable energy as it uses. In a broader sense of managing greenhouse gas emissions, a zero-carbon city is one that reduces its carbon footprint to a minimum by using renewable energy sources; reducing all types of carbon emissions through efficient urban design, technology use and lifestyle changes; and balancing any remaining emissions through carbon sequestration. Since the supply chains of a city stretch far beyond its borders, Princeton University's High Meadows Environmental Institute suggests using a transboundary definition of a net-zero carbon city as "one that has net-zero carbon infrastructure and food provisioning systems".
Green growth is a concept in economic theory and policymaking used to describe paths of economic growth that are environmentally sustainable. It is based on the understanding that as long as economic growth remains a predominant goal, a decoupling of economic growth from resource use and adverse environmental impacts is required. As such, green growth is closely related to the concepts of green economy and low-carbon or sustainable development. A main driver for green growth is the transition towards sustainable energy systems. Advocates of green growth policies argue that well-implemented green policies can create opportunities for employment in sectors such as renewable energy, green agriculture, or sustainable forestry.
Climate change in Scotland is causing a range of impacts on Scotland, and its mitigation and adaptation is a matter for the devolved Scottish Parliament. Climate change has already changed timings of spring events such as leaf unfolding, bird migration and egg-laying. Severe effects are likely to occur on biodiversity.
Green urbanism has been defined as the practice of creating communities beneficial to humans and the environment. According to Timothy Beatley, it is an attempt to shape more sustainable places, communities and lifestyles, and consume less of the world's resources. Urban areas are able to lay the groundwork of how environmentally integrated and sustainable city planning can both provide and improve environmental benefits on the local, national, and international levels. Green urbanism is interdisciplinary, combining the collaboration of landscape architects, engineers, urban planners, ecologists, transport planners, physicists, psychologists, sociologists, economists and other specialists in addition to architects and urban designers.
An energy transition is a major structural change to energy supply and consumption in an energy system. Currently, a transition to sustainable energy is underway to limit climate change. Most of the sustainable energy is renewable energy. Therefore, another term for energy transition is renewable energy transition. The current transition aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from energy quickly and sustainably, mostly by phasing-down fossil fuels and changing as many processes as possible to operate on low carbon electricity. A previous energy transition perhaps took place during the Industrial Revolution from 1760 onwards, from wood and other biomass to coal, followed by oil and later natural gas.
The World Resources Institute (WRI) is a global research non-profit organization established in 1982 with funding from the MacArthur Foundation under the leadership of James Gustave Speth. Subsequent presidents include Jonathan Lash, Andrew D. Steer and current president Ani Dasgupta (2021-).
The Council on Energy, Environment and Water, commonly known as CEEW, is a Not-For profit Think Tank and policy institution based in New Delhi, India. CEEW was formed to provide independent research-based insights to policymakers for building a sustainable India. The Council also has an office in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh. It has multiple research projects running across 22 Indian states and other parts of the world.
The European Green Deal, approved in 2020, is a set of policy initiatives by the European Commission with the overarching aim of making the European Union (EU) climate neutral in 2050. The plan is to review each existing law on its climate merits, and also introduce new legislation on the circular economy (CE), building renovation, biodiversity, farming and innovation.
Green recovery packages are proposed environmental, regulatory, and fiscal reforms to rebuild prosperity in the wake of an economic crisis, such as the COVID-19 recession or the 2007–2008 financial crisis. They pertain to fiscal measures that intend to recover economic growth while also positively benefitting the environment, including measures for renewable energy, efficient energy use, nature-based solutions, sustainable transport, green innovation and green jobs, amongst others.
References
- ↑ "About us". Beyond Zero Emissions. Retrieved 30 December 2021.
- ↑ "Beyond Zero Emissions - Our team". Beyond Zero Emissions. Retrieved 30 December 2021.
- ↑ McGann, James (2019). 2019 Global Go To Think Tank Index Report. Pennsylvania, USA: University of Pennsylvania. p. 245.
- ↑ The Million Jobs Plan. Beyond Zero Emissions. 2020. ISBN 978-0-6489724-0-2.
- ↑ Derwin, Jack (30 June 2020). "Mike Cannon-Brookes has endorsed a plan to create 1.8 million jobs and turn Australia into a 'renewable energy superpower'". Business Insider. Archived from the original on July 2, 2020.
- ↑ Blake, Matich (3 July 2020). ""Australia's last chance": BZE publishes renewables powered Million Jobs Report". PV Magazine Australia.
- ↑ "Zero Carbon Communities". Zero Carbon Communities. Retrieved 2020-09-22.
- ↑ "Home :: Snapshot". snapshotclimate.com.au. Retrieved 2020-09-22.
- ↑ "Fight For Planet A: Our Climate Challenge". ABC iview. Retrieved 2020-09-22.
- ↑ "ABC - Community Solutions Plan". fightforplaneta.abc.net.au. Retrieved 2020-09-22.
- ↑ Renewable Energy Superpower. Beyond Zero Emissions. 2015. ISBN 978-0-9923580-1-3.
- ↑ Solutions, Beyond Zero-Science and. "BZE speaks to Gerard Drew – Beyond Zero - Science and Solutions – Podcast". Podtail. Retrieved 2020-09-22.
- ↑ "BZE speaks to Prof Ross Garnaut". 3CR Community Radio. 2019-05-10. Retrieved 2020-09-22.
- ↑ "2019 Winners". www.sustainabilityawards.vic.gov.au. Retrieved 2020-09-22.
- 1 2 "2019 Global Go To Think Tank Index Report". 2019.
- ↑ Team, Prospect. "Think Tank Awards 2018: the winners" . Retrieved 2020-09-23.
- ↑ "Beyond Zero Emissions". Giving Green. Retrieved 2021-12-14.
- ↑ Zero Carbon Australia - Stationary Energy Plan. University of Melbourne, Energy Research Institute. 2010. ISBN 978-0-9808258-0-0.
- ↑ "Awards and Recognition". Beyond Zero Emissions. Retrieved 2020-09-23.
- ↑ Laggard to Leader. Beyond Zero Emissions. 2012.
- ↑ Repowering Port Augusta. Beyond Zero Emissions. 2012.
- ↑ Buildings Plan. Beyond Zero Emissions. 2013. ISBN 978-0-646-90735-2.
- ↑ 2013 Global Go To Think Tanks. Lauder Institute, University of Pennsylvania. 2013. p. 93.
- ↑ High Speed Rail. Beyond Zero Emissions. 2014. ISBN 978-0-9923580-0-6.
- ↑ Fossil Economy. Beyond Zero Emissions. 2014.
- ↑ Carbon Capture and Storage - Information Paper. Beyond Zero Emissions. 2014.
- ↑ Land Use: Agriculture and Forestry - Discussion Paper. Beyond Zero Emissions. 2014. ISBN 978-0-9923580-1-3.
- ↑ The Energy Freedom Home. Scribe Publications. 2015. ISBN 978-1-9251067-1-8.
- ↑ Renewable Energy Superpower. Beyond Zero Emissions. 2015.
- ↑ Carbon Crisis. Beyond Zero Emissions. 2015.
- ↑ Electric Vehicles. Beyond Zero Emissions. 2016. ISBN 978-0-9923580-2-0.
- ↑ Zero Carbon Communities Guide. Beyond Zero Emissions. 2017. ISBN 978-0-9923580-9-9.
- ↑ Rethinking Cement. Beyond Zero Emissions. 2017. ISBN 978-0-9923580-2-0.
- ↑ Electrifying Industry. Beyond Zero Emissions. 2018.
- ↑ Australian Local Government - Climate Review 2018. Beyond Zero Emissions, ICLEI - Local Governments for Sustainability (ICLEI Oceania) and Ironbark Sustainability. 2018. ISBN 978-0-9923580-4-4.
- ↑ The 10 Gigawatt Vision - How renewable energy and investment can power jobs in the Northern Territory. Beyond Zero Emissions. 2019.
- ↑ Collie at the Crossroads. Beyond Zero Emissions. 2019.
- ↑ "About :: Snapshot". snapshotclimate.com.au. Retrieved 2020-09-23.
- ↑ The Million Jobs Plan. Beyond Zero Emissions. 2020. ISBN 978-0-6489724-0-2.
