A fossil fuel is a carbon compound- or hydrocarbon-containing material formed naturally in the Earth's crust from the buried remains of prehistoric organisms,a process that occurs within geological formations. Reservoirs of such compound mixtures,such as coal,petroleum and natural gas,can be extracted and burnt as a fuel for human consumption to provide energy for direct use,to power heat engines that can propel vehicles,or to generate electricity via steam turbine generators. Some fossil fuels are further refined into derivatives such as kerosene,gasoline and diesel,or converted into petrochemicals such as polyolefins (plastics),aromatics and synthetic resins.
The International Energy Agency (IEA) is a Paris-based autonomous intergovernmental organization,established in 1974,that provides policy recommendations,analysis and data on the global energy sector. The 31 member countries and 13 association countries of the IEA represent 75% of global energy demand.
An emission intensity is the emission rate of a given pollutant relative to the intensity of a specific activity,or an industrial production process;for example grams of carbon dioxide released per megajoule of energy produced,or the ratio of greenhouse gas emissions produced to gross domestic product (GDP). Emission intensities are used to derive estimates of air pollutant or greenhouse gas emissions based on the amount of fuel combusted,the number of animals in animal husbandry,on industrial production levels,distances traveled or similar activity data. Emission intensities may also be used to compare the environmental impact of different fuels or activities. In some case the related terms emission factor and carbon intensity are used interchangeably. The jargon used can be different,for different fields/industrial sectors;normally the term "carbon" excludes other pollutants,such as particulate emissions. One commonly used figure is carbon intensity per kilowatt-hour (CIPK),which is used to compare emissions from different sources of electrical power.
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 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,and electrification of transportation. An example are zero-carbon cities.
The Investor Network on Climate Risk (INCR) is a nonprofit organization of investors and financial institutions that promotes better understanding of the financial risks and investment opportunities posed by climate change. INCR is coordinated by Ceres,a coalition of investors and environmental groups working to advance sustainable prosperity.
A coal-fired power station or coal power plant is a thermal power station which burns coal to generate electricity. Worldwide there are about 2,500 coal-fired power stations,on average capable of generating a gigawatt each. They generate about a third of the world's electricity,but cause many illnesses and the most early deaths per unit of energy produced,mainly from air pollution. World installed capacity doubled from 2000 to 2023 and increased 2% in 2023.
Carbon leakage is a concept to quantify an increase in greenhouse gas emissions in one country as a result of an emissions reduction by a second country with stricter climate change mitigation policies. Carbon leakage is one type of spill-over effect. Spill-over effects can be positive or negative;for example,emission reductions policy might lead to technological developments that aid reductions outside of the policy area. Carbon leakage is defined as "the increase in CO2 emissions outside the countries taking domestic mitigation action divided by the reduction in the emissions of these countries." It is expressed as a percentage,and can be greater or less than 100%. There is no consensus over the magnitude of long-term leakage effects.
Mark Kenneth Jaccard is a Canadian energy economist and author. He develops and applies models that assess sustainability policies for energy and material. Jaccard is a professor of sustainable energy in the School of Resource and Environmental Management (REM) at Simon Fraser University.
Ross Gregory Garnaut is an Australian economist,currently serving as a vice-chancellor's fellow and professorial fellow of economics at the University of Melbourne. He is the author of numerous publications in scholarly journals on international economics,public finance and economic development,particularly in relation to East Asia and the Southwest Pacific.
Climate change in Massachusetts affects both urban and rural environments,including forestry,fisheries,agriculture,and coastal development. The Northeast is projected to warm faster than global average temperatures;by 2035,the Northeast is "projected to be more than 3.6°F (2°C) warmer on average than during the preindustrial era."
David J. Hayes is an American attorney and legal scholar who serves in the Biden Administration as Special Assistant to the President for Climate Policy. Hayes has led White House work on clean energy deployment issues,climate resilience and greenhouse gas emission reduction and carbon sequestration initiatives. Hayes also has assisted in developing and implementing the climate-related provisions included in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and the Inflation Reduction Act.
The climate change policy of the United States has major impacts on global climate change and global climate change mitigation. This is because the United States is the second largest emitter of greenhouse gasses in the world after China,and is among the countries with the highest greenhouse gas emissions per person in the world. Cumulatively,the United States has emitted over a trillion metric tons of greenhouse gases,more than any country in the world.
Individual action on climate change describes the personal choices that everyone can make to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions of their lifestyles and catalyze climate action. These actions can focus directly on how choices create emissions,such as reducing consumption of meat or flying,or can be more focus on inviting political action on climate or creating greater awareness how society can become more green.
Between 2009 and 2014,gas consumption,production,and imports in China have grown dramatically,with two-digit growth. According to CNPC,the installed capacity of gas-fired power plants in the country is expected to reach around 138 million-154 million kilowatts in 2025,and further grow to 261 million-308 million kilowatts by 2030.
Steven J. Davis is an earth system scientist in the Department of Earth System Science of the Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability at Stanford University. He is a highly cited researcher and leads the Stanford Sustainable Solutions Lab.
Coal,cars and lorries vent more than a third of Turkey's five hundred million tonnes of annual greenhouse gas emissions. They are mostly carbon dioxide and part of the cause of climate change in Turkey. A quarter of the emissions are from electricity generation.
Greenhouse gas emissionsbyRussia are mostly from fossil gas,oil and coal. Russia emits 2 or 3 billion tonnes CO2eq of greenhouse gases each year;about 4% of world emissions. Annual carbon dioxide emissions alone are about 12 tons per person,more than double the world average. Cutting greenhouse gas emissions,and therefore air pollution in Russia,would have health benefits greater than the cost. The country is the world's biggest methane emitter,and 4 billion dollars worth of methane was estimated to leak in 2019/20.
Harbour Energy plc is an oil and gas company based in London,England. It is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE 250 Index.
