Fact sheet: Why technology is so important

Transcription

1 Fact sheet: Why technlgy is s imprtant United Natins Framewrk Cnventin n Climate Change A strengthened internatinal pst-2012 climate change regime needs t encmpass and t drive technlgy cperatin and innvatin frward in a cncerted manner. In additin t that, effrts t bst technlgy transfer frm develped t develping cuntries are already taking place bth within the cntext the UNFCCC and its Kyt Prtcl. Develping cuntries effrts t eradicate pverty and enhance ecnmic grwth are set t require vast amunts f energy and huge investments in energy infrastructure mre than half f the arund 26 trillin dllars frecast t be invested wrld-wide in the energy sectr by At the same time, the greatest greenhuse gas mitigatin ptential arund 70% f what is pssible wrld-wide is in precisely these parts f the wrld. Envirnmentally sund technlgies (ESTs) fr mitigatin and adaptatin are central t mitigating climate change and t increase resilience t climate change impacts. ESTs are able t prvide win-win slutins, allwing glbal ecnmic grwth and climate change mitigatin t prceed hand in hand. Fr mitigatin! The utilizatin f ESTs can enable a transitin t a less carbn intensive ecnmy and decuple ecnmic grwth frm emissins grwth.! The utilizatin f ESTs and sustainable develpment appraches can enable develping cuntries t avid the develpment paths taken by certain industrial cuntries in the past which were taken befre the risks were knwn. Fr adaptatin! Mst methds f adaptatin invlve sme frm f technlgy: Sft frms, including fr example: crp rtatin patterns r traditinal knwledge Hard frms, including fr example: irrigatin systems, drught-resistant seeds, r sea-defences A cmbinatin f sft and hard frms such as early-warning systems. Hw t drive technlgy! Vluntary appraches are nt cntrary t target-based appraches. Hwever, the speed r timeline with which technlgies are eventually deplyed at a large scale is likely t differ substantially, with binding targets rapidly pushing technlgies int the market.! ESTs need t be rapidly picked up by the private sectr, deplyed and diffused widely. June 2009 page 1 f 6

2 United Natins Framewrk Cnventin n Climate Change! Despite advances made, investments in ESTs are still in their infancy. There is a need t cnnect the varius actrs and interests in the climate change arena fr this purpse. A fur-fld challenge needs t be met: 1. ESTs are ften cnsidered mre expensive than existing fssil fuel-based technlgies. This prblem will diminish as demand fr ESTs increases, as appraches that factr in envirnmental csts are taken up and as current price distrtins are addressed. But this prcess can nly begin if:! The market is primed effectively by apprpriate plicies and carbn markets cntinue t develp.! Diverse plicy instruments have been develped t achieve this and need t be integrated int a cherent whle. 2. There are a number f barriers t the wider uptake f ESTs. These range frm legal, regulatry, institutinal, financial, lack f technical capacity and scial such as human behaviur and habits t the need fr investment in infrastructure necessary fr new energy technlgies. A wide range f innvative public plicy appraches and capacity building will be needed t vercme these barriers. 3. A majr push n research and develpment (R&D) in new technlgies, such as further research n carbn capture and strage, hydrgen and fuel cells, bifuels, pwer strage systems and micr-generatin, clean energy technlgies, early warning systems fr extreme weather events and bitechnlgy will als be required which will in turn require a range f gvernment supprt packages. 4. Technlgy cperatin between develped and develping cuntries, and increasingly between develping cuntries, will be needed n an unprecedented scale. Many develping cuntries experiencing rapid grwth, are making huge investments wrth billins f dllars in capital stck, such as infrastructure and pwer generatin, that will be used fr thirty years r mre. Such investments need t cntribute t sustainable develpment. A well functining carbn market is likely t be a prminent feature in any future mitigatin framewrk. The rle f gvernments! Fr ESTs t be widely deplyed, gvernments need t cncretize and supprt a marketfriendly, clear and predictable playing field fr private investrs:! Gvernment needs t prvide business with framewrks and partnerships at the natinal and internatinal level. June 2009 page 2 f 6

3 United Natins Framewrk Cnventin n Climate Change! Business needs t knw and understand the directin and the ultimate gal f natinal and internatinal climate plicies in rder t invest with cnfidence.! Gvernments can prvide cmpanies with incentives that are clear, predictable, lng term and rbust in rder t reduce the perceived risk f the assciated investment.! N ne sectr r technlgy can address the entire mitigatin challenge. The best apprach may be t adpt a diversified prtfli f plicies and t address all majr sectrs and technlgies: Sme f the cheapest ptins fr reducing emissins invlve electricity savings in buildings and fuel savings in vehicles. Plicies t prmte a shift t less carbn-intensive energy surces are particularly effective. Gvernments can prmte a range f energy prductin and effective utilisatin ptins, including the encuragement f clean fssil fuels such as clean cal technlgies, natural gas, supprting deplyment f mature renewable energy technlgies using bimass, gethermal, slar, wind and hydr energy t prduce electricity heating and/r cling as well as prviding public awareness n efficient utilisatin f energy. The rle f business! The rle f business as a surce f slutins n glbal climate change is universally recgnized.! The transitin t a lw-carbn ecnmy can becme a platfrm fr new ecnmic grwth, new jbs, new manufacturing and service industries, new markets and new rles fr sectrs such as agriculture and frestry.! Business sees enrmus pprtunities in the develpment f new ESTs that will help ecnmies advance and grw withut cntinuing t pse a threat t the glbal climate. Technlgy cperatin under the UNFCCC - present and future! Under the Cnventin all Parties are t prmte and cperate in the develpment, deplyment and diffusin, as well as transfer f technlgies, practices and prcesses that cntrl, reduce r prevent certain anthrpgenic emissins f GHGs in all relevant sectrs. June 2009 page 3 f 6

4 Annex United Natins Framewrk Cnventin n Climate Change! Under the UNFCCC, industrialized cuntries are urged t take all practicable steps t prmte, facilitate and finance the transfer f, r access t, ESTs and knw-hw t develping cuntries t enable them t implement the prvisins f the Cnventin. The UNFCCC s Expert Grup n Technlgy Transfer (EGTT) is tasked t identify ways t advance technlgy transfer activities under the Cnventin.! The Glbal Envirnment Facility (GEF) allcates and disburses abut USD 250 millin per year in grants fr enhancing the develpment f markets related t climate change and fr technlgy transfer prjects, including supprt fr energy efficiency, renewable energies and sustainable transprtatin.! The Kyt Prtcl s clean develpment mechanism (CDM) als prvides a number f pprtunities fr technlgy diffusin by ffering a legal framewrk and a marketplace fr Parties that are required t reduce greenhuse gas emissins. The carbn market has an imprtant rle t play in bridging the technlgy and investment challenge, while addressing climate change cncerns.! Examples f existing clean technlgies fr carbn dixide (CO2) that are marketable r clse t marketability, include: Energy efficiency Renewable energy technlgies, including slar panels, wind turbines, bimass and hydr-pwer generatin. (marketable)! Bimass: Agriculture and frestry residues, and in particular residues frm paper mills, are the mst cmmn bimass resurces used fr generating electricity, and industrial prcess heat and steam and fr a variety f bibased prducts. Ethanl and bidiesel are made frm plant matter instead f petrleum! Hydrpwer is the capture f the energy f mving water fr electriticy generatin Carbn capture and strage, which invlves capturing carbn dixide befre it can be emitted int the atmsphere, transprting it t a secure lcatin, and islating it frm the atmsphere, fr example by string it in a gelgical frmatin. (clse t marketability) June 2009 page 4 f 6

5 United Natins Framewrk Cnventin n Climate Change Hybrid vehicles, fr example thse that switch between electric and cmbustin engines. (marketable) Nuclear pwer! Examples f existing clean technlgies fr methane that are marketable: Animal waste management: Methane released frm liquid manure management systems can be captured and used t meet a prtin f a farm s energy requirements r simply flared. Captured methane can be used as a clean energy surce t prduce electricity r as fuel fr equipment such as engines, bilers r chillers. Livestck: Imprved nutritin and grazing management has been identified as effective in increasing efficiency and reducing methane emissins. Digestive imprvements f livestck can reduce livestck methane emissins by 25 75% Landfills: The principal apprach t reducing methane emissins frm landfills invlves the cllectin and cmbustin r use f landfill gas. Landfill gas utilizatin technlgies fcus n electricity generatin and direct gas use. Natural gas and il systems: Current pprtunities fr reducing methane emissins include bth prcedural and hardware imprvements, such as technlgy r equipment upgrades.! Examples f existing clean technlgies fr nitrus xide (N2O): Cal-fired pwer plants: Clean Cal Technlgies invlving selective catalytic reductin Agriculture: Matching nitrgen supply with crp demand, tightening nitrgen flw cycles, and ptimising tillage, irrigatin and drainage culd reduce nitrus xide emissins frm fertiliser use by 19% Fertiliser: Nitrgenus fertilizers play an imprtant rle in increasing crp yields. Reducing N2O emissins can include the use f lw N2O-emitting fertilizer r the use f slw-release fertilizers and nitrificatin inhibitrs Keeping cattle n feed-pads during the wet autumn/winter perid, s that excreta can be cllected and utilised as fertiliser later in the year. Nitrus xide emissin frm dairy excreta culd be reduced by 25% and nitrate leaching by 40% June 2009 page 5 f 6

6 United Natins Framewrk Cnventin n Climate Change! Examples f existing technlgies fr hydrflurcarbns (HFCs): Refrigeratin, air cnditining, and heat pumps are the largest surce f emissins f HFCs. Imprved design, tighter cmpnents, and recvery and recycling during servicing and dispsal can reduce lifetime HFC emissins at mderate t lw csts.! Examples f existing technlgies fr perflurcarbns (PFCs): Perflurcarbns are emitted primarily during aluminium smelting. Perflurcarbn emissins are frmed as intermittent byprducts within the aluminum smelting pt as the result f peratinal disturbances called ande effects. Perflurcarbn reductin ptential varies by smelter technlgy. Currently available perflurcarbn mitigatin technlgies and practices include cmputerized cntrls, as well as imprved perating practices that minimize the frequency and duratin f ande effects and assciated emissins Currently in the research and develpment phase, invlves replacing the carbn ande with an inert ande. Ding s wuld cmpletely eliminate prcess-related perflurcarbn and CO2 emissins.! Existing technlgies fr sulphur hexafluride (SF6):! Sulphur hexafluride is emitted primarily in electricity distributin, magnesium prductin, semicnductr manufacturing, nise islating! Currently available mitigatin ptins include: Better installatins/ materials, preventive maintenance Develpment f mdified (cmpnents f) installatins, using less r n SF6 Recycling/reuse f discarded agents June 2009 page 6 f 6