Climate bonds toward achieving net zero emissions and carbon neutrality:Evidence from machine learning technique

The Conference of the Parties(COP26 and 27)placed significant emphasis on climate financing policies with the objective of achieving net zero emissions and carbon neutrality.However,studies on the implementation of this policy proposition are limited.To address this gap in the literature,this study employs machine learning techniques,specifically natural language processing(NLP),to examine 77 climate bond(CB)policies from 32 countries within the context of climate financing.The findings indicate that“sustainability”and“carbon emissions control”are the most outlined policy objectives in these CB policies.Additionally,the study highlights that most CB funds are invested toward energy projects(i.e.,renewable,clean,and efficient initiatives).However,there has been a notable shift in the allocation of CB funds from climate-friendly energy projects to the construction sector between 2015 and 2019.This shift raises concerns about the potential redirection of funds from climate-focused investments to the real estate industry,potentially leading to the greenwashing of climate funds.Furthermore,policy sentiment analysis revealed that a minority of policies hold skeptical views on climate change,which may negatively influence climate actions.Thus,the findings highlight that the effective implementation of CB policies depends on policy goals,objectives,and sentiments.Finally,this study contributes to the literature by employing NLP techniques to understand policy sentiments in climate financing.

A concept to support the transformation from a linear to circular carbon economy:net zero emissions,resource efficiency and conservation through a coupling of the energy,chemical and waste management sectors

Coal and carbon-containing waste are valuable primary and secondary carbon carriers.In the current dominant linear economy,such carbon resources are generally combusted to produce electricity and heat and as a way to resolve a nation’s waste issue.Not only is this a wastage of precious carbon resources,which can be chemically utilized as raw materials for production of other value-added goods,it is also contrary to international efforts to reduce carbon emissions and increase resource efficiency and conservation.This article presents a concept to support the transformation from a linear‘one-way cradle to grave manufacturing model’toward a circular carbon economy.The development of new and sustainable value chains through the utilization of coal and waste as alternative raw materials for the chemical industry via a coupling of the energy,chemical and waste management sectors offers a viable and future-oriented perspective for closing the carbon cycle.Further benefits also include a lowering of the carbon footprint and increasing resource efficiency and conservation of primary carbon resources.In addition,technological innovations and developments that are necessary to support a successful sector coupling will be identified.To illustrate our concept,a case analysis of domestic coal and waste as alternative feedstock to imported crude oil for chemical production in Germany will be presented.Last but not least,challenges posed by path dependency along technological,institutional and human dimensions in the sociotechnical system for a successful transition toward a circular carbon economy will be discussed.

Creation of Zero CO2 Emissions School Buildings Due to Energy Use in Crete-Greece

Decrease of energy consumption in buildings and increase of the share of renewable energies in them are currently technologically and economically feasible and it is promoted by E.U. policies. After 2019, all the new public buildings in EU countries must be near zero energy buildings reducing their energy consumption and CO2 emissions. Use of various renewable energies for heat and power generation in school buildings in Crete-Greece can result in zeroing their fossil fuels consumption and CO2 emissions. Purpose of the current work is to investigate the possibilities of creating zero CO2 emissions school buildings in Crete-Greece due to operational energy use in them. A methodology which allows the replacement of fossil fuels with renewable energies in school buildings is proposed. Solar energy, solid biomass and low enthalpy geothermal energy, which are abundant in Crete, can be used for that. School buildings in Greece consume significantly less energy, 68 KWh/m2 year, and emit less CO2, 28 kgCO2/m2 year, than the corresponding buildings in other countries. The installation cost of renewable energies systems in order to replace all fossil fuels used in school buildings in Crete-Greece and to zero their CO2 consumption due to energy use in them has been estimated at 47.42 - 87.71 €/m2, which corresponds to 1.69 - 3.13 €/kg CO2 saved.

GOAL: ZERO ENERGY BUILDING Exemplary Experience Based on the Solar Estate Solarsiedlung Freiburg am Schlierberg, Germany

Zero energy consumption.The goal sounds simple and is presented excessively in variations all over the world.Energy and environmental politics demand zero consumption as a long-term goal,marketing has discovered the concept and fi rst buildings and settlements aiming at balanced energy or emission budgets have been constructed.As an example,the German Federal Government specifi es in its fi fth energy research programme(2005):For new buildings,the goal is to reduce the primary energy demand,i.e.the energy demand for heating,domestic hot water,ventilation,air-conditioning,lighting and auxiliary energy,again by half compared to the current state of the art.The long-term goal is zero-emission buildings.England and the USA aim for zero carbon developments and net-zero energy buildings(DOE,2009)in political programmes.The Vatican accepted the offer of climatic“indulgence”—and thus became the fi rst country in the world to completely compensate its carbon emission(Spiegel online,2007).Megaprojects in the growth regions of the Arabian Gulf and China advertise with a CO2-neutral balance.A Zero Carbon Community is to be created in Masdar,Abu Dhabi(Foster,2007),and the fi rst Chinese carbon-neutral ecocity was planned for Dongtan,Shanghai(Pearce,2009).Not only to aid international communication,but also to further the processes required to solve energy-related problems,it is essential that key words,central concepts,their usage and their relationships be clarifi ed.This article intends to contribute to this clarifi cation based on the monitored example of a solar estate.Net zero energy building,equilibrium building,carbon neutral city—the accounting method varies,depending on motivation and point of view.If the focus is on fi nite and scarce resources,energy is the currency;CO2-equivalent emissions are considered if global warming and public health is the issue;the cost of energy is what concerns a tenant paying for heating and electricity.A balance in one set of units can be converted to another,but the conversion factors often also shift the balance point.Energy will be used as the reference quantity in the following article,which prevents confusion with non-energy measures(e.g.carbon credits for forestry)and avoids the nuclear power debate,in which nuclear power is partly calculated as being CO2 neutral.The diversity of concepts is an indicator that a scientifi cally based methodology is still lacking,though initial publications focus hereon(Pless et al.2009).Since October 2008,a group of experts in the International Energy Agency has been addressing this issue under the heading,Towards Net Zero Energy Solar Buildings(Riley et al.2008).The goal is to document and analyse outstanding examples that are close to being net zero-energy buildings,and while doing so,to develop the methodology and tools for working with such buildings.The Chair of Technical Building Services,University of Wuppertal,is co-ordinating the methodological work.The zero-energy approach—still under construction—will here be presented using a solar estate as an illustration.

The present and future status of Japanese foundry industry

An introduction is given in detail about the current situation of Japanese foundry industry in 2006 from aspects such as the delivery structure of castings,scale and numbers of foundries,current profit of foundry industry as well as the background of lower profitability,etc.The development trend of Japanese foundry industry was also predicted,such as the transition of foundries from family business to modern company business,the improvement of rejection ratio and yield,application of IT to production and management,human resources and the challenge for zero emission and so on.

Bamboo as a Genetic Resource and Its Utilization from the World Wide View Point

The latest effective utilization of bamboo resources is changing from domestic industry to mechanical industry. This fact will be required a lot of raw material from a large scale factory, therefore, what kind of bamboo should be selected for a material. So, this study discussed on this matter through investigation and experiment. Results of this study are as follows： 1） Characteristics of bamboo different from trees and grass; 2） Environmental factors： a） annual mean temperature in 10-15 ℃ shows good growth of culm in temperate area and more than 20 ℃ also shows in tropical area, b） Rainfall： more than 1,000 mm year-1 is necessary for growth of culm in temperate and tropical area, and still more in addition to two times of 100 mm month-1 in temperate area, and three times of 200 mm month-l in tropical area, c） Soil and topography： brown colored soil and flat or gentle slope show better growth in temperate area, but red colored soil and slope are not suitable in tropical area, d） Geographical distribution of bamboo related with growth type shown in Figs. 1-3. Productivity of bamboo： annual productivity of bamboo is the biggest compared with other type of vegetation; 4） Selection of two growth type of bamboo： many big bamboos are growing in tropical area; 5） Furthermore items discussed in this report.

Electromechanical Aspects of an Experimental Hybrid Vehicle

The design and construction of an experimental solar hybrid vehicle based on the combination of photovoltaic solar energy as the main source of electricity and electric power supplied by a generator activated by the driver＇s pedaling is introduced. The vehicle has a battery to store the energy provided by both systems. The development was motivated by a Latin American solar car race through the Atacama Desert in Chile and the initiative to promote the use of clean energy for transport. A general description of the vehicle, its energetic aspects and experimental results are presented.

CO_(2) Reduction Request and Future High-Efficiency Zero-Emission Argon Power Cycle Engine

To meet the requirements of strict fuel consumption and emission limits,continuously increasing the thermal efficiency of an internal combustion engine and decreasing its exhaust emissions are the main challenges to its sustainable development within the automotive industry.Considering the competition with other zero-emission powertrain systems,such as vehicle batteries and fuel cells,the development of the internal combustion engine needs to focus on producing higher efficiency and zero emissions to meet the request of CO_(2) reduction.This paper introduces two novel concepts for an internal combustion engine featuring high efficiency and zero emissions.Referred to as the argon power cycle engine fueled with either hydrogen or natural gas within an oxygen–argon mixture,its fundamentals and characteristics are expounded.This includes a method necessary to absorb carbon dioxide when natural gas is used as fuel instead of hydrogen.

A coal-fired power plant integrated with biomass co-firing and CO_(2) capture for zero carbon emission

A promising scheme for coal-fired power plants in which biomass co-firing and carbon dioxide capture technologies are adopted and the low-temperature waste heat from the CO_(2) capture process is recycled to heat the condensed water to achieve zero carbon emission is proposed in this paper.Based on a 660 MW supercritical coal-fired power plant,the thermal performance,emission performance,and economic performance of the proposed scheme are evaluated.In addition,a sensitivity analysis is conducted to show the effects of several key parameters on the performance of the proposed system.The results show that when the biomass mass mixing ratio is 15.40%and the CO_(2) capture rate is 90%,the CO_(2) emission of the coal-fired power plant can reach zero,indicating that the technical route proposed in this paper can indeed achieve zero carbon emission in coal-fired power plants.The net thermal efficiency decreases by 10.31%,due to the huge energy consumption of the CO_(2) capture unit.Besides,the cost of electricity(COE)and the cost of CO_(2) avoided(COA)of the proposed system are 80.37/MWhand41.63/tCO_(2),respectively.The sensitivity analysis demonstrates that with the energy consumption of the reboiler decreasing from 3.22 GJ/tCO_(2) to 2.40 GJ/tCO_(2),the efficiency penalty is reduced to 8.67%.This paper may provide reference for promoting the early realization of carbon neutrality in the power generation industry.

A review of methane leakage from abandoned oil and gas wells:A case study in Lubbock,Texas,within the Permian Basin

In the pursuit of global net zero carbon emissions and climate change mitigation,ongoing research into sustainable energy sources and emission control is paramount.This review examines methane leakage from abandoned oil and gas(AOG)wells,focusing particularly on Lubbock,a geographic area situated within the larger region known as the Permian Basin in West Texas,United States.The objective is to assess the extent and environmental implications of methane leakage from these wells.The analysis integrates pertinent literature,governmental and industry data,and prior Lubbock reports.Factors affecting methane leakage,including well integrity,geological characteristics,and human activities,are explored.Our research estimates 1781 drilled wells in Lubbock,forming a foundation for targeted assessments and monitoring due to historical drilling trends.The hierarchy of well statuses in Lubbock highlights the prevalence of“active oil wells,”trailed by“plugged and abandoned oil wells”and“inactive oil wells.”Methane leakage potential aligns with these well types,underscoring the importance of strategic monitoring and mitigation.The analysis notes a zenith in“drilled and completed”wells during 1980-1990.While our study's case analysis and literature review reiterate the critical significance of assessing and mitigating methane emissions from AOG wells,it's important to clarify that the research does not directly provide methane leakage data.Instead,it contextualizes the issue's magnitude and emphasizes the well type and status analysis's role in targeted mitigation efforts.In summary,our research deepens our understanding of methane leakage,aiding informed decision-making and policy formulation for environmental preservation.By clarifying well type implications and historical drilling patterns,we aim to contribute to effective strategies in mitigating methane emissions from AOG wells.

THE ESSENCE OF LOW-ENERGY AFFORDABLE HOUSING DESIGN STRATEGIESLearnt from Scottish and Canadian Homebuilders’Attempt and Experience

Nearly one-third of the Scottish population is struggling to heat their home properly today.There is an urgent need for the delivery of low-energy affordable homes.However,the homebuilding industry has no systematic way to deliver such unconventional homes,although the UK government has set out a bold“green”target that all newly-built homes be carbon neutral by 2016.Accordingly,this paper explores the status quo of today’s affordable homes being built in Scotland;and secondly,it extends the scope to the review of successfully commercialized low-to zero-energy affordable housing developments in Canada.This study emphasizes the significant impact of design choices on the delivery of low-to zero-energy affordable housing,including housing orientations and configurations;construction materials and systems,including renewable energy technologies;and internal planning,with due consideration to the time-related sun positions and the internal space day-lighting and heat gain potentials.In addition,the paper argues that the absence of clear definitions as to housing quality and affordability,and the lack of industry capacity for technical knowledge learning activities,are potential obstacles that limit the spread of sustainable zero-carbon homes in Scotland today.Moreover,the effect of the design charrette approach being practiced in Canada on the homebuilding decision making process was reviewed,with the aim of providing a base for further discussion on the applicability of Canadian low-energy affordable housing design techniques to sustainable zero carbon homes of the future in Scotland.

Multiple routes toward engineering efficient cyanobacterial photosynthetic biomanufacturing technologies

Developing efficient CO_(2)utilization technologies can alleviate the urgent pressure on energy and the environment.Moreover,these technologies are crucial for achieving the goal of net zero emissions.Microalgae are photoautotrophic microorganisms that are the main sources of primary productivity in the biosphere.Cyanobacteria,the only prokaryotic microalgae,have also been considered as promising chassis for photosynthetic biosynthesis,directly converting solar energy and CO_(2)into various bio-based products.This technological route is called photosynthetic biomanufacturing,and is advantageous to simultaneous carbon fixation and clean production.This review focuses on development mode,application and suggests trends related to the further development of photosynthetic biomanufacturing.With regard to the link between photosynthetic CO_(2)fixation and the production of desired metabolites,we summarized and compared three widely adopted strategies.“Screening to find”,screening a large number of high-quality cyanobacterial resources and analyzing their intracellular metabolites are of significance for screening novel cyanobacterial species with high-value chemicals and properties of industrial relevance.“Engineering to modify”,the emergence and application of synthetic biological tools and metabolic engineering strategies have enhanced the ability to modify different cyanobacterial species to reshape more carbon to flow toward synthetic tailored chemicals.“Stressing to activate”,through special culture conditions and strategies,combined with omics analysis techniques,silent metabolic pathways and functional modules are activated to induce the accumulation of high-value chemicals.This review provides valid and updated information to facilitate the development of photosynthetic biosynthesis route with carbon fixation and clean production,providing specific feasible solutions for net zero emissions.

Industrialization prospects for hydrogen production by coal gasification in supercritical water and novel thermodynamic cycle power generation system with no pollution emission

Energy conversion and utilization, particularly carbon-based fuel burning in air phase, have caused great environmental pollution and serious problems to society. The reactions in water phase may have the potential to realize clean and efficient energy conversion and utilization. Coal gasification in supercritical water is a typical carbon-based fuel conversion process in water phase, and it takes the advantages of the unique chemical and physical properties of supercritical water to convert organic matter in coal to H2 and CO2. N, S, P, Hg and other elements are deposited as inorganic salts to avoid pollution emission. The State Key Laboratory of Multiphase Flow in Power Engineering has obtained extensive experimental and theoretical results based on coal gasification in supercritical water. Supercritical water fluidized bed reactor was developed for coal gasification and seven kinds of typical feedstock were selected. The hydrogen yield covers from 0.67 to 1.74 Nm3/kg and the carbon gasification efficiency is no less than 97%. This technology has a bright future in industrialization not only in electricity generation but also in hydrogen production and high value-added chemicals. Given the gas yield obtained in laboratory-scale unit, the hydrogen production cost is U.S.$ 0.111 Nm3 when the throughput capacity is 2000 t/d. A novel thermodynamic cycle power generation system based on coal gasification in supercritical water was proposed with the obvious advantages of high coal-electricity conversion efficiency and zero pollutant emission. The cost of U.S.$ 3.69 billion for desulfuration, denitration and dust removal in China in 2013 would have been saved with this technology. Five kinds of heat supply methods are analyzed and the rates of return of investment are roughly estimated. An integrated cooperative innovation center called a new type of high-efficient coal gasification technology and its large-scale utilization was founded to enhance the industrialization of the technology vigorously.

A theory of carbon currency

We propose a new international monetary system based on carbon currency(the carbon standard)to tackle two pressing externalities in today’s global economic and political context:the dangerous and irreversible effects caused by unconstrained green-house gas emissions and the cost to the rest of the world as a result of the U.S.dollar being the dominated global currency and the U.S.Federal Reserve increasingly implementing monetary policies not aligned with the global common interest.We define carbon currency as standardized carbon-related securities backed up by the right of one unit of carbon emissions.It can be used as a new global reserve currency and functions as an international unit of account.Through the trading of carbon currency,efficient carbon prices are established.By incorporating the cost of carbon emissions into decision making,carbon pricing provides incentives for countries to pursue low-carbon growth,which helps achieve the net zero emissions global goal set under the 2015 Paris Agreement.Under the carbon standard,the external shocks to the international financial system would come from variations of carbon emissions rather than the U.S.monetary policies.As such,monetary authorities’commitment to maintaining stable exchange rates comes together with monetary policies aiming at pursuing low-carbon growth.The new system potentially poses a plausible solution to the classical Mundellian Trilemma because the objectives of maintaining fixed exchange rate and implementing monetary policy become one.Although several hurdles are constraining the launch of carbon currency immediately,the carbon standard poses a feasible international monetary system as the world-wide campaign to achieve carbon neutrality progresses.

Green chemistry of chromate cleaner production

Research topics and methods of green chemistry in chromate production are introduced in this paper. New original green chemical process of the heterogeneous reaction and separation system of liquid phase oxidation of chromite in molten salt of sodium hydroxide—one way separation in high concentration medium—metastable phase separation—carbonate recycle conversion has been developed. The green commercial process for comprehensive utilization of mineral resources—reactant recycle inside the process—zero emission was established.