量子技术建立在量子物理学的基础上,以现有技术无法实现的方式处理和通信信息。国家领先的量子研发可能在密码学和计算方面具有优势,而密码学和计算对国家安全至关重要
美国政府认为量子技术对未来美国经济繁荣和国家安全至关重要,因为它最终可以在信息收集、处理和通信方面提供突破性的新能力。兰德公司的研究人员此前开发了一套指标,用于全面评估一个国家的量子技术工业基础,并将这些指标应用于美国和中国的工业基础。在这份报告中,作者使用了类似的方法来评估其他几个国家的量子工业基地。该报告首先对整个全球量子生态系统进行了广泛的研究,然后更详细地关注了澳大利亚、德国、日本和英国。作者考虑了四类指标:科学研究、政府支持、行业活动和技术成就。只要可能,他们就分别评估了量子计算、量子通信和量子传感三个技术应用领域的指标。该报告最后就政策制定者如何加强美国及其盟国在量子技术研发方面的国际合作提出了建议
密码学是对安全通信方法的研究,其应用在日常生活中无处不在。密码学的结果自然会通过国防问题进入政策讨论。尽管现代密码学很普遍,也很重要,但普通观众很难理解,因为它深深植根于理论和应用科学的技术思想。
有些问题是如此复杂,以至于即使是世界上最快的超级计算机也需要很长时间才能达到成本效益或实用性。许多问题都具有这种计算复杂性的特性。著名的旅行推销员问题——一个计算穿越多个城市的最有效路线的简单数学结构——是最著名的例子,对许多现实世界的问题有着深远的应用。 这类问题在数学家中被称为“非确定性多项式时间困难问题”,简称np困难问题。通常,近似是用来接近的。然而,国防部或其他需要大量财政投资的部门遇到的某些情况需要实时决策和高精度。 为了更有效地解决np难题,SRI国际计算机科学实验室(CSL)及其先进技术和系统部门(ATSD)与美国国防高级研究计划局(DARPA)签订了一份为期五年的量子启发经典计算(QuICC)项目合同。
Future quantum computing capabilities are expected to be able to break the security of current implementations of public-key cryptography. Public-key cryptography forms the foundational building block of security for national information and communication infrastructure. Quantum computers will therefore create vulnerabilities in critical infrastructure, although migrating to new post-quantum cryptography standards being developed by the National Institute of Standards and Technology should mitigate vulnerabilities. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security asked the Homeland Security Operational Analysis Center to perform high-level assessments of quantum vulnerabilities in the 55 national critical functions (NCFs) identified by the department. Researchers evaluated the significant issues affecting each NCF, then rated each NCF in the categories of urgency, scope, cost per organization, and other mitigating or exacerbating factors. The researchers then combined these ratings to create an assessment of each NCF's priority for assistance. They rated six of the NCFs as high priority for assistance, 15 as medium priority, and 34 as low priority. In addition, the team identified three NCFs as critical enablers of the transition to the new cryptographic standard. Finally, the researchers identified four key findings: (1) All NCFs need to prepare for the transition, (2) a significant portion of the vulnerability can be addressed with relatively few actions by the critical enablers, (3) catch-and-exploit vulnerabilities are urgent for only a few stakeholders, and (4) many factors related to the cryptographic transition are still uncertain and in need of more-detailed assessment.
The National Institute of Standards and Technology is in the process of selecting publickey cryptographic algorithms through a public, competition-like process. The new publickey cryptography standards will specify additional digital signature, public-key encryption, and key-establishment algorithms to augment Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS) 186-4, Digital Signature Standard (DSS), as well as NIST Special Publication (SP) 800-56A Revision 3, Recommendation for Pair-Wise Key-Establishment Schemes Using Discrete Logarithm Cryptography, and SP 800-56B Revision 2, Recommendation for Pair-Wise Key Establishment Using Integer Factorization Cryptography. It is intended that these algorithms will be capable of protecting sensitive information well into the foreseeable future, including after the advent of quantum computers. This report describes the evaluation and selection process of the NIST Post-Quantum Cryptography Standardization process third-round candidates based on public feedback and internal review. The report summarizes each of the 15 third-round candidate algorithms and identifies those selected for standardization, as well as those that will continue to be evaluated in a fourth round of analysis. The public-key encryption and key-establishment algorithm that will be standardized is CRYSTALS–KYBER. The digital signatures that will be standardized are CRYSTALS–Dilithium, FALCON, and SPHINCS+. While there are multiple signature algorithms selected, NIST recommends CRYSTALS–Dilithium as the primary algorithm to be implemented. In addition, four of the alternate key-establishment candidate algorithms will advance to a fourth round of evaluation: BIKE, Classic McEliece, HQC, and SIKE. These candidates are still being considered for future standardization. NIST will also issue a new Call for Proposals for public-key digital signature algorithms to augment and diversify its signature portfolio.
This report describes the current international activity in the development of standards for quantum technology. Through a description of the activities in which NPL scientists are directly engaged, and a report of a recent (virtual) international conference on quantum standards attended by the main SDOs involved, the report offers a summary of most if not all of the current standards development programmes. This report covers NPL’s involvement in the development of future standards for Quantum Computing, Quantum Communications, Quantum Sensing and aspects of NPL involvement in international metrology for Time and Frequency.
Under the National Quantum Technologies Programme (NQTP), one of the key areas of work is described as “Strengthen engagement in international standards and benchmarking”. In support of a wider awareness and engagement from UK industry in the development of new standards, this report explains the background to standards, why they are needed and how they are developed. Previous work of NPL in the development of standards for nanotechnology is presented as a worked, functional example and offered as a methodology for quantum standards development. NPL has worked with partners to deliver a well-attended on-line meeting with high-profile speakers involving well over 130 people from the UK quantum community at which these issues were discussed along with the current situation in the development of quantum standards and building a coordinated UK approach for the future.
Cryptographic technologies are used throughout government and industry to authenticate the source and protect the confidentiality and integrity of information that we communicate and store. The paper describes the impact of quantum computing technology on classical cryptography, particularly on public-key cryptographic systems. This paper also introduces adoption challenges associated with post-quantum cryptography after the standardization process is completed. Planning requirements for migration to post-quantum cryptography are discussed. The paper concludes with NIST’s next steps for helping with the migration to post-quantum cryptography.
Quantum networks (QNs) transmit quantum information between quantum devices and allow distribution of quantum entanglement, a physical resource known to be useful for quantum information processing. QNs in the form of internets or intranets enable larger quantum computations by connecting quantum computers together. Entangled sensor networks may enable precision metrology beyond what is possible with the best individual quantum sensors. Quantum properties can also be utilized to secure communication in novel ways. These promises of new science and technology motivate active research into creating and understanding QNs and their constituent components.
Under the Trump Administration, the United States has made American leadership in quantum information science (QIS) a critical priority for ensuring our Nation’s long-term economic prosperity and national security. Harnessing the novel properties of quantum physics has the potential to yield transformative new technologies, such as quantum computers, quantum sensors, and quantum networks. The United States has taken significant action to strengthen Federal investments in QIS research and development (R&D) and prepare a quantum-ready workforce. In 2018, the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) released the National Strategic Overview for Quantum Information Science, the U.S. national strategy for leadership in QIS. Following the strategy, President Trump signed the bipartisan National Quantum Initiative Act into law, which bolstered R&D spending and established the National Quantum Coordination Office (NQCO) to increase the coordination of quantum policy and investments across the Federal Government.
Sensors are vitally important tools for various technologies, such as, e.g., navigation, geo-prospecting, or the characterization of biological or chemical materials. The exploitation of quantum phenomena offers the chance to develop novel powerful sensors to be applied in ultra-highprecision spectroscopy, positioning systems, clocks, gravitational, electrical and magnetic field measurements, and optical resolution beyond the wavelength limit. Quantum-based sensing technologies are increasingly important in fundamental research from the sub-nano to the galactic scale, as well as for the determination of the fundamental constants. But also in applied science, quantum-based sensing has become a powerful research tool, notably in biomedical science and diagnostics.
1: Quantentechnologie, QTZ,Quantentechnologie-Kompetenzzentrum2: Quantenlogik-Spektroskopie, Spektroskopie3: Quantencomputer, Quantenvielteilchenphysik4: Ionenfallen5: Einzelphotonenmetrologie, Einzelphotonenquelle, Einzelphotonendetektor, Kalibrierung, SPAD, TES, SNSPD, NV, Nanodiamond, Quantendot6. Quantenmagnetometrie, SQUID, OPM7. Materiewellen, Atominterferometrie
The National Institute of Standards and Technology is in the process of selecting one or more public-key cryptographic algorithms through a public, competition-like process. The new publickey cryptography standards will specify one or more additional digital signatures, public-key encryption, and key-establishment algorithms to augment Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS) 186-4, Digital Signature Standard (DSS), as well as NIST Special Publication (SP) 800-56A Revision 3, Recommendation for Pair-Wise Key-Establishment Schemes Using Discrete Logarithm Cryptography, and SP 800-56B Revision 2, Recommendation for Pair-Wise Key Establishment Using Integer Factorization Cryptography. It is intended that these algorithms will be capable of protecting sensitive information well into the foreseeable future, including after the advent of quantum computers. The NIST Post-Quantum Cryptography Standardization Process began in 2017 with 69 candidate algorithms that met both the minimum acceptance criteria and submission requirements. The first round lasted until January 2019, during which candidate algorithms were evaluated based on their security, performance, and other characteristics. NIST selected 26 algorithms to advance to the second round for more analysis. This report describes the evaluation and selection process, based on public feedback and internal review, of the second-round candidates. The report summarizes the 26 second-round candidate algorithms and identifies those selected to move forward to the third round of the competition. The third-round finalist public-key encryption and key-establishment algorithms are Classic McEliece, CRYSTALS-KYBER, NTRU, and SABER. The third-round finalists for digital signatures are CRYSTALS-DILITHIUM, FALCON, and Rainbow. These finalists will be considered for standardization at the end of the third round. In addition, eight alternate candidate algorithms will also advance to the third round: BIKE, FrodoKEM, HQC, NTRU Prime, SIKE, GeMSS, Picnic, and SPHINCS+. These additional candidates are still being considered for standardization, although this is unlikely to occur at the end of the third round. NIST hopes that the announcement of these finalists and additional candidates will serve to focus the cryptographic community’s attention during the next round.
This report, coordinated by the superconducting quantum computing team at the UK National Physical Laboratory, summarises our view of the state of the art in superconducting quantum computing (SQC) and the real-life problems that this technology is likely to be able to tackle in the short term and over a longer perspective. It also analyses the scientific and engineering expertise, specialist facilities, and other resources for SQC readily available in the UK and those we are missing. Based on this analysis the paper makes a projection of what the country could realistically achieve in a `space race' for quantum computing capability in different investment scenarios.
The National Institute of Standards and Technology is in the process of selecting one or more public-key cryptographic algorithms through a public competition-like process. The new publickey cryptography standards will specify one or more additional digital signature, public-key encryption, and key-establishment algorithms to augment FIPS 186-4, Digital Signature Standard (DSS), as well as special publications SP 800-56A Revision 2, Recommendation for Pair-Wise Key Establishment Schemes Using Discrete Logarithm Cryptography, and SP 800-56B, Recommendation for Pair-Wise Key-Establishment Schemes Using Integer Factorization. It is intended that these algorithms will be capable of protecting sensitive information well into the foreseeable future, including after the advent of quantum computers. In November 2017, 82 candidate algorithms were submitted to NIST for consideration. Among these, 69 met both the minimum acceptance criteria and our submission requirements, and were accepted as First-Round Candidates on Dec. 20, 2017, marking the beginning of the First Round of the NIST Post-Quantum Cryptography Standardization Process. This report describes the evaluation criteria and selection process, based on public feedback and internal review of the first-round candidates, and summarizes the 26 candidate algorithms announced on January 30, 2019 for moving forward to the second round of the competition. The 17 Second-Round Candidate public-key encryption and key-establishment algorithms are BIKE, Classic McEliece, CRYSTALS-KYBER, FrodoKEM, HQC, LAC, LEDAcrypt (merger of LEDAkem/LEDApkc), NewHope, NTRU (merger of NTRUEncrypt/NTRU-HRSS-KEM), NTRU Prime, NTS-KEM, ROLLO (merger of LAKE/LOCKER/Ouroboros-R), Round5 (merger of Hila5/Round2), RQC, SABER, SIKE, and Three Bears. The 9 Second-Round Candidates for digital signatures are CRYSTALS-DILITHIUM, FALCON, GeMSS, LUOV, MQDSS, Picnic, qTESLA, Rainbow, and SPHINCS+.
Es hat wohl kaum ein Technologiefeld in den letzten Jahren eine solche Beachtung gefunden wie das relativ junge, interdisziplinäre Gebiet der Quantentechnologien. Die Erforschung der zugrundeliegenden quantenphysikalischen Basis ist eine der ganz großen Erfolgsgeschichten des vergangenen Jahrhunderts. Gemeinsam mit der Allgemeinen Relativitätstheorie hat die quantenphysikalische Forschung unsere Auffassung von den Grundgesetzen der Natur dramatisch verändert. Die inzwischen hinlänglich als zutreffend überprüften quantenmechanischen und relativistischen Gesetzmäßigkeiten unterscheiden sich deutlich von unserer Alltagserfahrung, ja scheinen sogar im Widerspruch zu ihnen zu stehen. Auch wenn diese einzigartigen Facetten der Quantenwelt nur sehr schwer einem allgemeinen Publikum kommuniziert werden können, so bilden sie doch inzwischen – oft unbemerkt – die Grundlage für viele Schlüsseltechnologien unserer Wirtschaft. Beispiele sind hier die Halbleitertechnologie als Basis moderner Computer- und Informationstechnologien, die Lasertechnologie bzw. moderne Beleuchtungselemente basierend auf LED-Technologie oder die Magnetresonanztomographie (MRT) als unverzichtbares medizinisches Bildgebendes Verfahren. Diese Erfolgsgeschichte wird oft auch mit der ersten Quantenrevolution umschrieben. Hier spielt die Quantenphysik von Festkörpern, Lasersystemen und deren Verhalten basierend auf deren mikrophysikalischem Verhalten die wesentliche Rolle.
Quantum computers could solve complex tasks that are beyond the capabilities of conventional computers. However, the quantum states are extremely sensitive to constant interference from their environment. The plan is to combat this using active protection based on quantum error correction. Florian Marquardt, Director at the Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light, and his team have now presented a quantum error correction system that is capable of learning thanks to artificial intelligence.
Quantum information science (QIS) applies the best understanding of the sub-atomic world—quantum theory—to generate new knowledge and technologies. Through developments in QIS, the United States can improve its industrial base, create jobs, and provide economic and national security benefits. Prior examples of QIS-related technologies include semiconductor microelectronics, photonics, the global positioning system (GPS), and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). These underpin significant parts of the national economic and defense infrastructure. Future scientific and technological discoveries from QIS may be even more impactful. Long-running U.S. Government investments in QIS and more recent industry involvement have transformed this scientific field into a nascent pillar of the American research and development enterprise. The Trump administration is committed to maintaining and expanding American leadership in QIS to enable future long-term benefits from, and protection of, the science and technology created through this research. Based on the collective input of all the Government agencies invested or interested in QIS, this document presents a national strategic approach to achieving this goal.
Harry Potter can do a lot of things that are impossible for mere mortals - he can even walk through walls: To reach platform 9 3/4, at which the train to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry stops, he and his classmates slip through a wall between platforms nine and ten. This impossible feat in real life is normal in the weird world of quantum physics. Particles such as electrons are actually able to cross insuperable energy barriers. Physicists refer to this effect as quantum-mechanical tunnelling. Now, researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Nuclear Physics in Heidelberg have been able to show, for the first time, that it takes electrons a finite amount of time to tunnel. Although the phenomenon has been known for nearly a century, it had been unclear whether the process of electron tunnelling takes time or is instantaneous.
In recent years, there has been a substantial amount of research on quantum computers – machines that exploit quantum mechanical phenomena to solve mathematical problems that are difficult or intractable for conventional computers. If large-scale quantum computers are ever built, they will be able to break many of the public-key cryptosystems currently in use. This would seriously compromise the confidentiality and integrity of digital communications on the Internet and elsewhere. The goal of post-quantum cryptography (also called quantum-resistant cryptography) is to develop cryptographic systems that are secure against both quantum and classical computers, and can interoperate with existing communications protocols and networks. This Internal Report shares the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)’s current understanding about the status of quantum computing and post-quantum cryptography, and outlines NIST’s initial plan to move forward in this space. The report also recognizes the challenge of moving to new cryptographic infrastructures and therefore emphasizes the need for agencies to focus on crypto agility.
OPINION: Switching to electric vehicles is undoubtedly key to the climate transition — but as demand slows, a foot on the brake pedal may not be a bad thing.
The quantum economy holds great promise in fields ranging from healthcare to energy and beyond. Here's how we ensure that potential is realized equitably.
第28届联合国气候变化大会(COP28)和国际能源署(IEA)高级别对话就能源转型的关键要素达成了强有力的共识。这一结论标志着联合主席、COP28主席苏丹·贾比尔博士和国际能源署执行主任法提赫·比罗尔博士取得了重大成就。
本文件简要介绍了欧洲联盟最外层区域可再生能源的发展情况,重点是这些区域在创造可持续经济发展机会的同时促进绿色过渡的潜力。报告审查了欧盟其他区域在可再生能源方面的现有政策框架和工具,并提出了具体的政策建议。本文件是在欧盟-经合组织全球最外层区域项目框架内编写的。
国际能源署对全球进展的最新评估显示,一些清洁能源技术(如太阳能光伏和电动汽车)的部署速度表明,只要有足够的雄心和政策行动,就可以实现目标,但能源系统的大多数组成部分迫切需要更快的变革,以在2050年前实现净零排放。
If a hydrogen economy is to become a reality, along with efficient and decarbonized production and adequate transportation infrastructure, deployment of suitable hydrogen storage facilities will be crucial.This is because, due to various technical and economic reasons, there is a serious possibility of an imbalance between hydrogen supply and demand. Hydrogen storage could also be pivotal in promoting renewable energy sources and facilitating the decarbonization process by providing long durationstorage options, which other forms of energy storage, such as batteries with capacity limitations or pumped hydro with geographical limitations, cannot meet. However, hydrogen is not the easiest substance to store and handle. Under ambient conditions, the extremely low volumetric energy densityof hydrogen does not allow for its efficient and economic storage, which means it needs to be compressed, liquefied, or converted into other substances that are easier to handle and store. Currently,there are different hydrogen storage solutions at varying levels of technology, market, and commercial readiness, with different applications depending on the circumstances. This paper evaluates the relativemerits and techno-economic features of major types of hydrogen storage options: (i) pure hydrogen storage, (ii) synthetic hydrocarbons, (iii) chemical hydrides, (iv) liquid organic hydrogen carriers, (v) metal hydrides, and (vi) porous materials. The paper also discusses the main barriers to investment in hydrogen storage and highlights key features of a viable usiness model, in particular the policy and regulatory framework needed to address the primary risks to which potential hydrogen storage investorsare exposed.
Every year, the Japanese and global energy situations experience various great changes and are exposed to their impacts. In 2022, however, historically unprecedented changes rattled…
Development of a hydrogen economy will depend on adequate transportation infrastructure. Most discussion of hydrogen transportation to date has focused on adapting natural gas networks, but the issue is more complex. Hydrogen can also be transported by dedicated new pipelines as well as other transportation networks (e.g., truck, rail, and marine transport) and even produced on-site by transferring electrical energy instead of hydrogen. In future, end users’ ability to switch from one form of delivery to another will result in new linkages between these diverse infrastructures in the sense that energy flows of different sectors will become more interdependent, and the widespread use of hydrogen is likely to strengthen this. This raises the fundamental question of how to prevent inefficiency (such as unnecessarily high hydrogen infrastructure costs or suboptimal utilization of gas and power networks) and redundancy in the future hydrogen transport infrastructure. This task is made more challenging by technological uncertainty, the unpredictability of future supply and demand for hydrogen, network externality effects, and investment irreversibility of grid-based infrastructures. Meeting these challenges entails coordinating investments in hydrogen transportation infrastructures across all modes in order to establish a cross-sectoral hydrogen polygrid. This paper analyses the strengths and shortcomings of three possible approaches—centrally coordinated, market-based, and regulatory—to this task. Finally, the paper offers policy recommendations on establishing a coherent institutional framework governing investment in the future hydrogen polygrid.
In the second report in a series from Resources for the Future and Environmental Defense Fund, an international team of scholars analyzes the United Kingdom’s policies to support declining coal communities and offers lessons for policymakers.
This report examines key lessons from the decline in coal production in Germany to highlight policies to support workers and communities in the energy transition.
Hundreds of US counties may experience substantial wage and employment changes due to a shift away from fossil fuels.
As the United States undergoes an unprecedented shift away from carbon-intensive energy sources and towards a clean energy future, federal policy will play a major role in supporting workers and regions that are affected, including low-income, rural, and minority communities. The transition to clean energy will have particularly significant implications for people and places where coal, oil, and natural gas serve as a major driver of jobs and economic activity, and where consumers may be especially burdened by changes in the energy system.This report lays out a variety of proposals to help enable an equitable energy transition. It is not intended to be a comprehensive strategy, but instead offers a menu of options that policymakers can choose among to enable this transition while enhancing energy equity and resilience, reducing environmental damages, spurring clean energy innovation, and supporting economic and workforce development in vulnerable communities.
The recent adoption by the UK and Norway of ‘net zero’ and ‘climate neutrality’ targets by 2050 has galvanised the upstream oil and gas industry in both countries to adopt GHG emission reduction targets for 2030 and 2050 for the first time. Meeting these targets, ensuring an appropriate sharing of costs between investors and taxpayers and preserving investor confidence will present a lasting challenge to governments and industry. The scale of the challenge on the Norwegian Continental Shelf (NCS) is far greater than on the more mature UK Continental Shelf (UKCS) since the remaining resource base is much larger, the expected future production decline is less severe and the emission intensity on the NCS is already much lower (10 kg CO2e/boe) than on the UKCS (28 kgCO2e/boe). Norway is expected to deliver future CO2 emission reduction through an extension of its existing power-from-shore electrification programme. The high cost of such investment, borne mainly by the state via the tax system, is a political and social choice made by Norway to reduce upstream CO2 emissions without giving up its commitment to develop its remaining offshore resources.On the UKCS, the new industry target to reduce GHG emissions by 50 per cent by 2030 will require the integration of emission abatement into the OGA’s MER UK strategy, well-designed economic incentives, including possibly carbon pricing and fiscal reform, and behavioural changes from operators. The relatively short remaining economic life of many mature fields and the dispersed nature of offshore power demand penalises both power-from-shore and CCS as routes to least-cost emission reduction but future integration with offshore renewable electricity generation may offer some abatement opportunities at larger installations. Methane emissions have for some years been a blind spot for government and industry on the UKCS. The UKCS has the potential to reduce methane emissions significantly from flaring, venting and leakage through better emission reporting, a more robust consents regime and changes to operating practices.
Policymakers in the US and around the world are grappling with how to understand the security implications of an energy system in transition—and if they aren’t, they should be. Recent attacks on Saudi facilities show that oil supply remains vulnerable to disruption. New energy forms can help reduce vulnerability to oil supply outages, but they also have the potential to introduce new vulnerabilities and risks. The US and its allies have spent the past 50 years building a robust domestic and international response system to mitigate risks to oil supplies, but similar arrangements for other energy forms remain limited. This paper offers a framework for assessing energy security based on an evaluation of vulnerability, risk, and offsets; this approach has been a useful tool for assessing oil security for the past 50 years, and it can be relevant for assessing energy security in an energy system in transition.
In the last couple of years there has been increasing recognition by key players in the European gas industry that to mitigate the risk of terminal decline in the context of a decarbonising energy system, there will need to be rapid scale up of decarbonised gas. This has led to several projections of the scale of decarbonised gas which could potentially be supplied by 2030, 2040 or 2050. This paper, joint with the Sustainable Gas Institute at Imperial College, London, considers the very significant rate of scale up and the significant cost reductions contemplated by such projections. Based on a database of actual announced projects (both committed and in earlier stages of development) for production of decarbonised gas, it then considers the extent to which project activity is consistent with meeting the ambitious projections. It identifies a significant gap in current levels of activity, largely because there is not yet sufficient economic incentive for investors to develop the required projects. It is intended that this paper will form the basis of continued tracking of the level of activity over the coming years, to help inform industry players of further actions which may be required.
This paper looks at the possible role of ‘green gas’ in the decarbonisation of heat in the United Kingdom. The option is under active discussion at the moment because of the UK’s rigorous carbon reduction targets and the growing realisation that there are problems with the ‘default’ option of electrifying heat. Green gas appears to be technically and economically feasible. However, as the paper discusses, there are major practical and policy obstacles which make it unlikely that the government will commit itself to developing ‘green gas’ in the foreseeable future.
Modelling studies suggest that COP21 targets can be met with global gas demand peaking in the 2030s and declining slowly thereafter. This would qualify gas to be considered a `transition fuel’ to a low carbon economy. However, such an outcome is by no means a foregone conclusion. There are limited numbers of countries outside the OECD which can be expected to afford to pay wholesale (or import) prices of $6-8/MMbtu and above, which are needed to remunerate 2017 delivery costs of large volumes of gas from new pipeline gas or LNG projects. Prices towards the top of (and certainly above) this range are likely to make gas increasingly uncompetitive leading to progressive demand destruction even in OECD countries. The current debate in the gas community is when the `glut’ of LNG will dissipate, and the global supply/demand balance will tighten. The unspoken assumption is that when this happens – generally believed to be around the early/mid 2020s – prices will rise somewhere close to 2011-14 levels, allowing a return to profitability for projects which came on stream since the mid-2010s and allowing new projects to move forward. Should this assumption prove be correct, it will create major problems for the future of gas. The key to gas fulfilling its potential role as a transition fuel up to and beyond 2030, is that it must be delivered to high income markets below $8/MMbtu, and to low income markets below $6/MMbtu (and ideally closer to $5/MMbtu). The major challenge to the future of gas will be to ensure that it does not become (and in many low-income countries remain) unaffordable and/or uncompetitive, long before its emissions make it unburnable.
As much of the world pushes ahead with the deployment of renewable energy, resource-rich MENA economies are lagging behind. For the region to catch up, new policies are required to remove barriers of entry to the industry and create investment incentives. This paper contends that while the main obstacles to deployment of renewables are grid infrastructure inadequacy, insufficient institutional capacity, and risks and uncertainties, the investment incentives lie on a policy instrument spectrum with two polar solutions: (i) the incentive is provided entirely through the market (removing all forms of fossil fuel subsidies and internalising the cost of externalities); or (ii) the incentive is provided through a full government subsidy programme (in addition to the existing fossil fuel subsidies). However, there is a trade-off between the two dimensions of the fiscal burden and political acceptance across the policy instrument spectrum, which implies that the two polar solutions themselves are not easily and fully implementable in these countries. Therefore, we propose a combinatorial approach in which the incentive for renewables deployment is provided through a partial renewable subsidy program and partial fossil fuel price reform in a way that balances the fiscal pressure on the government against political acceptability. Additionally, the paper argues that the fact resource-rich countries are behind advanced economies in electricity sector reform gives them a last-mover advantage in the sense that they can tap into years of international experience to avoid design mistakes and create a sustainable solution that is compatible with renewables deployment and their own context.
In this study, Mari Luomi examines how the resource-rich GCC countries are positioning themselves in the international relations of the green economy, focusing on the UAE’s state-led efforts to acquire the means of implementation for a national green energy transition. The study addresses four questions: What strategies, external relations, and engagements have the UAE and other GCC states developed over recent years that support a transition to a green energy economy? How are these engagements providing the means of implementation for a green economy transition? Are the national policy frameworks aligned with such a transition? What lessons can be drawn from the UAE’s experience by the other GCC states?The study concludes that, as the case of the UAE demonstrates, there are multiple ways in which the GCC states can actively employ their financial resources through external engagements to support a broader national green economy vision. However, enabling environments which are crucial for directing investments into green activities, jobs and infrastructure, are only beginning to emerge, and a lot of work still remains to be done in all six states, particularly in the areas of energy subsidy reform and sustainable job creation in productive sectors. The study closes with a number of related observations and recommendations.
这一估计是由能源长期供需展望小组委员会提出的,该小组委员会讨论了包括核能和可再生能源在内的能源的未来最佳组合。据估计,节能措施将减少用电量至9373亿千瓦时,低于2012年的9680亿千瓦时。到2030年,与不采取节能措施的情况相比,减少的能源消耗相当于4600万升原油。这相当于日本2013年3.7亿千升(原油当量)能源消耗的10%以上。具体的节能措施包括切换到LED照明,引进高节能电器,提高汽车的油耗。
近年来,美国清洁能源行业在立法方面取得了巨大胜利,特别是通过了《通胀削减法案》、《两党基础设施法》和《芯片法案》。但是,这些法律和随之而来的投资是否会产生足够的无碳电力?
Systemiq的一份报告”欧盟能源转型的关键原材料供应侧创新路线图”得到了突破能源和能源转型委员会的支持,该报告强调了创新在加快关键原材料初级生产以实现气候目标和提高欧洲战略自主权方面的作用。该报告是在行业领袖和专家的投入下制定的,概述了可持续地促进CRM供应的关键技术和政策建议。
在钢铁、铝和水泥等许多关键大宗材料的全球产量中,中国的工业部门占一半以上,在所有化学品和纸张的产量中占近一半。这份新的白皮书提出了十项政策选择,供考虑扩大清洁能源在该行业的部署。
根据IRENA的《2024年世界能源转型展望》,到2050年,仍需缩小巨大的二氧化碳排放差距。
This report, Enhancing China's ETS for Carbon Neutrality: Focus on Power Sector, responds to the Chinese government’s invitation to the IEA to co-operate on carbon emissions trading systems (ETS) and synergies across energy and climate policies. It shows that an enhanced ETS could lead the electricity sector toward an emissions trajectory that is in line with China’s carbon neutrality target. This report also explores the interactions and effects of China’s national ETS with its renewable energy policy in the electricity sector, namely renewable portfolio standards (RPS). It examines the impact of different Enhanced ETS Scenarios on CO2 emissions, generation mix, cost‑effectiveness and interaction with RPS
This commentary is part of Energy Rewired, a project from the CSIS Energy Security and Climate Change Program studying the industrial strategies of major economies for the energy transition. The
ITIF is pleased to submit the following comments to the Department of Energy’s Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Managements request for information regarding the opportunity for carbon capture and direct air capture technologies.
Carbon pricing has been adopted as a key climate policy measure in an increasing number of jurisdictions. With much of the world moving towards net-zero targets since the entry into force of the Paris Agreement,
This commentary is part of Energy Rewired, a project from the CSIS Energy Security and Climate Change Program studying the industrial strategies of major economies for the energy transition. The
Soil carbon sequestration has gained traction within the Biden administration as a way for farmers to reduce or even reverse U.S. agriculture’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. To advance this
Download the Brief The Issue This brief is the sixth and final in a series on achieving net-zero global greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. The CSIS Energy Security and Climate Change Program hosted
大型能源买家(包括公司和城市)在清洁能源转型中发挥着重要作用。但在未来几十年里,大型能源买家将需要更进一步,采取更多行动,帮助到 2050 年创建零碳电网。这些行动——被称为“变革性采购实践”——可以优化清洁能源的方式、时间和地点部署是为了帮助减少长期排放。
The terrestrial carbon sink provides a critical negative feedback to climate warming, yet large uncertainty exists on its long-term dynamics. Here we combined terrestrial biosphere models (TBMs) and climate projections, together with climate-specific land use change, to investigate both the trend and interannual variability (IAV) of the terrestrial carbon sink from 1986 to 2099 under two representative concentration pathways RCP2.6 and RCP6.0. The results reveal a saturation of the terrestrial carbon sink by the end of this century under RCP6.0 due to warming and declined CO2 effects. Compared to 1986-2005 (0.96±0.44 Pg C yr-1), during 2080-2099 the terrestrial carbon sink would decrease to 0.60±0.71 Pg C yr-1 but increase to 3.36±0.77 Pg C yr-1, respectively, under RCP2.6 and RCP6.0. The carbon sink caused by CO2, land use change and climate change during 2080-2099 is -0.08±0.11 Pg C yr-1, 0.44±0.05 Pg C yr-1, and 0.24±0.70 Pg C yr-1 under RCP2.6, and 4.61±0.17 Pg C yr-1, 0.22±0.07 Pg C yr-1, and -1.47±0.72 Pg C yr-1 under RCP6.0. In addition, the carbon sink IAV shows stronger variance under RCP6.0 than RCP2.6. Under RCP2.6, temperature shows higher correlation with the carbon sink IAV than precipitation in most time, which however is the opposite under RCP6.0. These results suggest that the role of terrestrial carbon sink in curbing climate warming would be weakened in a no-mitigation world in future, and active mitigation efforts are required as assumed under RCP2.6.
Japan became the latest major economy to publicly announce it aims to achieve economy-wide carbon neutrality by 2050, a goal made during the Japanese version of the U.S. State of the Union by newly minted prime minister Suga Yoshihide on October 26. Previously committing itself to an 80 percent reduction in its greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, Japan updated its target. The commitment necessitates an ambitious pace and scope of transformation in the country’s energy and industrial structures. The country’s power sector, which depends on fossil fuels for over 70 percent of supply, is the leading source of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions by Japan today. Despite achieving a 24 percent reduction in CO2 emissions between 2013 and 2018, the sector remains responsible for about half of the country’s CO2 emissions, followed by the transportation sector (19 percent), the industrial sector (18 percent), and the commercial and residential sector (10 percent). How much and how quickly the country can transform the power supply mix is, therefore, crucial for Japan’s success in meeting the net zero emissions by 2050. The new pledge also necessitates a broader buy-in from the business community beyond the power sector. For example, between 2013 and 2018, carbon emissions by Japan’s industrial sector reduced 8 percent, while those by the transportation sector reduced 15 percent. There clearly is a long way to go, but there is a foundation to build upon. Under the auspices of the Japan Business Federation (Keidanren), over 100 private companies and business associations from the industrial, commercial, transportation, and energy sectors have developed or adopted low-carbon action plans through 2030. These plans generally seek to maximize the use of best available technologies as well as expand renewable energy and energy efficiency measures, not only along the manufacturing process, but also in business operation. Furthermore, the Japan Climate Leaders’ Partnership—a coalition of over 150 companies—has been calling for greater adoption of a 2050 carbon neutrality pledge in the corporate world by promoting global initiatives like RE100 within Japan. Japanese companies with a 2050 net-zero pledge include JERA, Kawasaki Heavy Industries, and Toyota. In particular, success by JERA, which is the largest electric power generating company in Japan and the largest company that imports liquefied natural gas in the world, would have a significant effect on the national success. Meanwhile, a few others with a 2050 goal have a reduction target at 80 percent, presumably to conform to the earlier commitment by the Japanese government. Notably, associations from some carbon intensive sectors, such as steel and cement making, also have developed detailed long-term carbon reduction pathways even if they lack a specific zero-carbon commitment. The national pledge will likely compel many to update their existing carbon reduction action plans and strategies. In his speech, Prime Minister Suga stressed the role of innovation in enabling such a transformation and called for Japan to emerge as a leader in the global clean energy industry. Carbon neutrality goals present a set of economic, political, and societal challenges to any country. So the right question is not whether Japan will be able to deliver on its commitment by 2050, but how widely the vision can garner the public support as the pledge urges a diverse set of stakeholders to reimagine the future of its economy in unison. Japan has begun formulating its triennial Basic Energy Plan, due out in 2021. Under the existing plan, issued in 2018, natural gas and coal would account for 63 percent of the country’s electricity supply in 2030, followed by renewables for 22-24 percent, and nuclear energy for 20-22 percent. According to the latest study by the Institute of Energy Economics, Japan, the country’s CO2 emissions from the electricity sector under the reference scenario (which generally comports to the existing energy plan) will decrease from about 1,080 million tons (mt) today, to 940 mt in 2030, and to 738 mt in 2050. Interestingly, under the report’s advanced technologies scenario, the country can further reduce the emissions level to 483 mt in 2050 if the share of fossil fuel-based power supply decreases from 73 percent today to 16 percent in 2050 and if the shares of solar and wind grow, respectively, from 6 percent to 18 percent (3.4 percent annually) and from 0.7 percent to 20 percent (10.7 percent annually). The share of nuclear energy will also need to rise from 6.2 percent today to 22 percent in 2050. The carbon neutrality vision clearly demands a substantial revision of the current outlook. The zero-emissions pledge will likely propel the new Basic Energy Plan to double down on renewables and energy efficiency while also promoting hydrogen and carbon capture and recycle technologies. Beyond that, how extensively the country’s coal policy will be revised, as noted in the prime minister’s speech, and whether the urgency of decarbonization can help the government overcome lingering opposition to nuclear energy are some of the questions that warrant close attention. Additionally, how much the carbon neutrality pledge can mobilize needed investment in low-emission technology development and deployment, and how the climate commitment may affect Japan’s resource diplomacy, which has traditionally valued strong ties with countries with hydrocarbon resource wealth, remains to be seen. Jane Nakano is a senior fellow in the Energy Security and Climate Change Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, D.C. Commentary is produced by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), a private, tax-exempt institution focusing on international public policy issues. Its research is nonpartisan and nonproprietary. CSIS does not take specific policy positions. Accordingly, all views, positions, and conclusions expressed in this publication should be understood to be solely those of the author(s). © 2020 by the Center for Strategic and International Studies. All rights reserved.
The European Green Deal is many things, but the one proposal that most animates outsiders, especially in the United States, is the idea of implementing a carbon border adjustment mechanism, which is basically a tax on imported goods based on their carbon content. On its surface, the proposition is reasonable: if Europe decarbonizes faster than other countries, it should not impose undue costs on domestic producers that exporters to Europe do not bear. The carbon border adjustment mechanism avoids that problem by taking into account the carbon intensity of goods sold into the European Union. But the proposal can create as many problems as it solves—depending on how it is implemented. The Why and How of Carbon Border Adjustments The mechanism is a response to “carbon leakage.” A carbon price imposes costs, and if foreign suppliers do not bear these costs, they will gain an advantage. Over time, production will shift to jurisdictions that do not impose this tax, and the country that imposed the measure in the first place will have punished its industry while doing little to limit (global) emissions. The solution to this problem, so far, has been to exempt industry from having to pay these costs by allocating emission rights to them for free. Now Europe wants to impose a cost on imported goods to offset whatever advantage they might have. In practice, there is mixed evidence of carbon leakage. Several Western countries have gone through a form of deindustrialization, but it is hard to say whether this has been due to energy costs or other factors. In Europe, moreover, heavy industry has received allowances to emit for free, shielding it from carbon costs. How can carbon leakage be measured if heavy industry is not exposed to its full effects? We also know that energy is a significant cost driver for only a few industries; like earlier concerns about environmental dumping, which never truly materialized, this might be a threat that exists mostly in theory, not practice. The mechanics of implementing a carbon border adjustment are complex as well—so complex in fact that one must wonder if this could happen at all. There are, at the core, four questions. First, what industries to cover, on what basis, and how far upstream should the system go? Second, what is the best way to measure emissions and verify the numbers? Third, how should the carbon border adjustment relate to other carbon costs—say the European Emissions Trading Scheme that already exists, or whatever carbon price a foreign producer might have paid already. And fourth, under what mechanism would such measure be implemented, can the system be made compatible with existing obligations under the World Trade Organization and existing EU powers, or will implementation depend on new rules? This is a policy, therefore, that tries to solve a problem that might not be a problem, and it is cumbersome and complicated to implement—so much so that it is unclear if such a measure could ever work in practice. Is it possible that trying to implement this measure leads to cross-border conflict and serves as a distraction from other, more collaborative policy measures? It all depends on how the measure is designed and implemented. What Are the Benefits? The most important reason to impose a carbon border adjustment mechanism is to secure the buy-in of local industry for deeper decarbonization policies. It is hard for any country to agree on aggressive targets, and it is harder to do so when powerful constituencies—people with money and connections and companies that employ a lot of people—are fighting against these measures. Regardless of how much carbon leakage exists in practice, powerful people see it as a problem. Offering a solution to that problem might help garner support or, at least, lessen opposition. Read that way, a carbon border adjustment mechanism is helpful because it enables a country to be more ambitious—regardless of what other countries do and how they respond. And if the country in question is big enough, efforts by industry to decarbonize might help develop new practices and technologies that might be useful to other countries as well. The second benefit is to develop some infrastructure that might be needed down the line. One can imagine a future where the carbon content of a good really matters—where consumers want to know whether more or less carbon was emitted in the production of one good over another, or whether governments taxed carbon emissions even if those emissions originated in a foreign country. Doing these things will depend on a complex ecosystem: rules on what to measure and how; processes for real-time and independent verification; and an apparatus to ensure compliance, avoid double counting, and check whether the rules are achieving their intended purpose. This infrastructure exists, to an extent, within different countries, but an effort to harmonize standards across countries would be essential. The carbon border adjustment mechanism is a vehicle to accelerate that conversation—even if the end goal is years away and has to overcome serious practical obstacles along the way. The third benefit, in theory at least, is that this tax will induce companies to adopt lower-carbon technologies in order to access or be more competitive in a market where the carbon intensity of a good matters for the bottom line. Whether this happens in practice, however, depends on two factors: how many countries sign up, and how ambitious the measure ends up being. The Price Must Be Right If Europe implements a carbon border adjustment mechanism alone, it becomes a low-carbon island. Exporters who are competitive in that environment will keep exporting to Europe, and others will sell their goods elsewhere. If more countries join—the United States and Japan, for example—the island now encompasses a significant share of the world economy, and suddenly, companies have greater incentive to invest in low-carbon technologies to be able to sell into that big market. Eventually, as more countries join, the world effectively adopts a version of a global price on carbon. How this evolves, however, depends on the level of ambition that countries in the “club” have. If the ambition is high, the cost on carbon is likely to be high as well, and it is entirely possible to see a world where a carbon border adjustment becomes a major barrier that basically penalizes poorer countries that generate more of their energy from fossil fuels. If the ambition is very low, by contrast, the measure ends up being a modest cost passed on to consumers, with little impetus to accelerate the development of low-carbon alternatives. There exists, in other words, a sweet spot. Set the carbon price too high and you splinter the world trading system—one world becomes low carbon, another becomes high carbon, with limited trade between them. Set the price too low and it becomes a modest cost that is absorbed into final prices without much decarbonization impact. The price, therefore, must be just right: it should allow the most technologically advanced firms in emerging economies to be competitive and incentivize the rest to invest in lower-carbon approaches. Otherwise, whatever gains are made inside the low-carbon bloc will be offset by what happens outside of it. Nikos Tsafos is a senior fellow with the Energy and National Security Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, D.C. Commentary is produced by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), a private, tax-exempt institution focusing on international public policy issues. Its research is nonpartisan and nonproprietary. CSIS does not take specific policy positions. Accordingly, all views, positions, and conclusions expressed in this publication should be understood to be solely those of the author(s). © 2020 by the Center for Strategic and International Studies. All rights reserved.
When pressed about climate change, the Trump administration falls back on a familiar defense: the United States has a good record of reducing emissions relative to other countries, which proves, in the administration’s view, that a laissez-faire approach can deliver reductions and that there is no need for more aggressive and heavy-handed policies. In some respects, this is true, although much depends on what timeline one uses for comparing the United States to other countries and also whether one looks at raw data or adjusted for population or GDP. Regardless, there is no doubt that the United States has sharply reduced energy-related CO2 emissions—by roughly 14 percent between 2005 and 2019. Yet the most recent data released by the U.S. Energy Information Administration for 2019 highlight a worrying reality: the United States is no longer reducing emissions. CO2 emissions fell in 2019, but they’re still higher than they were in 2017—and remain unchanged versus 2016. From 2016 to 2019, emissions have fallen by 0.6 percent, which is hardly a record to boast about (in the United Kingdom, the equivalent number was closer to 9 percent). The problem in the United States is overall energy consumption. The carbon intensity of primary energy continues to fall as the country uses less coal, more gas, and more renewables. But overall energy use has risen. Some of that increase is due to weather: 2018 and 2019 were colder than 2016 and 2017, and this led to a 4.3 percent spike in energy use in buildings from 2017 to 2019. But there is also a structural dynamic. Industrial energy use rose by 5.2 percent between 2012 and 2019 (2012 being the low point for energy consumption). Energy use in transportation also jumped 8.3 percent versus 2012. In other words, the primary mechanism that the United States has relied on to reduce emissions—coal to gas switching—is no longer sufficient. The growth in energy consumption is offsetting the gains that come from reducing the carbon intensity of primary energy. And so, even though the United States has an impressive track record in reducing CO2 emissions from energy consumption, that story is mostly in the past, and the trend line since 2016 shows that the United States is no longer on a pathway to reduce emissions.
There are few credible scenarios for reaching the EU’s long-term climate policy objectives, such as net-zero by 2050, without the large-scale deployment of CCS technology. Carbon capture and storage technology is a pre-requisite for the decarbonisation of energy-intensive industries, which in the EU are responsible for about a fifth of all greenhouse gas emissions. At the same time, carbon capture technologies have only been tested at smaller scales and are not yet available at scale for the multiple energy-intensive industries that need them. To prepare for larger-scale CCS deployment in the period after 2030, steps should be taken today to address economic as well as political barriers, and thereby support development of key infrastructure and technology. In doing so, policy should focus on improving the investment case for both CCS as well as low-carbon industrial products that carbon capture makes possible. This includes specific financing models that account for the high capital intensity of CCS, regional variation in industrial clusters, infrastructure and storage availability as well as the need to combine both private and public money.Recommendations:Plans for CCS deployment should be developed in parallel with analysis on the expected demand for negative emissions, as well as how to deliver these negative emissions. Imperfect capture rates and bio-energy with CCS (BECCS) use will impact this demand.Policy support should target the improvement of capture rates in major energy-intensive industries so that theoretical potentials can be demonstrated.To support scale-up, initial focus should be on industrial clusters where various sources of CO2 can be combined into larger volumes.EU state aid rules (e.g. environmental state aid guidelines) should facilitate member state spending to support CCS infrastructure development.Political choices should be made as to the market and financing models that will apply to CCS development, both on the capital investment side as well as on the operational financing side.
On July 8, President Trump, several cabinet members, and local community representatives spoke for about an hour to defend the Trump administration’s record on the environment. Some of what the president said was narrowly true, but many of the claims put forth in the speech lacked important context to properly interpret the administration’s record. Take for example his statement about carbon emissions. The president said, “since 2000, our nation’s energy-related carbon emissions have declined more than any other country on earth” and went on to say that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has put forth regulations to reduce carbon emissions in the power and transport sectors. Yes, carbon emissions are down from 2000, but they went up by about 3 percent last year. Yes, the United States reduced emissions faster than any other country on an absolute basis, but we remain the second largest overall emitter and largest per capita emitter in the world. Yes, the EPA has indeed proposed several energy sector emissions regulations, but they will be substantially weaker than earlier proposed standards. The good news is that a combination of state level policies, market forces, and technological advancements will make up for some of the gap. The graph below compares the Energy Information Administration’s Annual Energy Outlook 2019 (AEO) against the previous year’s projection, with the blue line showing no additional power sector emissions regulation at the federal level but including new actions taken by states such as California, Massachusetts, and New Jersey, as well as changes in fuel prices and technology costs. These actions help to compensate for the emissions reductions that the Obama administration’s Clean Power Plan would have achieved. That being said, the emissions trajectory shown in the AEO 2019 is not on track to decline commensurate with our international commitments and what scientists say will be necessary to limit global average temperature rise. More policy leadership is needed to make that happen.
为了实现《巴黎协定》的目标,并将本世纪全球气温上升限制在1.5°C,全球经济必须迅速转型。需要制定碳价格,将气候变化成本纳入经济决策,以大幅减少美国温室气体排放,特别是在电力行业。然而,碳价格并不是应对气候变化的灵丹妙药。需要对碳价格采取补充政策。这些政策和计划必须解决市场壁垒,并推动长期的深度减排。
This policy insight outlines different perspectives on the past performance of the EU Emissions Trading System (ETS) in terms of its allowance price, analyses how the recent reform responded to related challenges , and considers the case for introducing a carbon price floor in the EU ETS. The main part of the paper identifies five myths in the debate about an EU ETS price floor and critically challenges them. It concludes by discussing potential entry points for introducing a carbon price floor in the context of the upcoming EU climate policy process.It builds on the workshop EU ETS Reform: Taking Stock and Examining Carbon Price Floor Options, held at CEPS in Brussels on July 3, 2018. The workshop was cosponsored by CEPS and the AHEAD and Mistra Carbon Exit projects. While the paper draws on insights from workshop discussions, its views are solely those of the authors.Christian Flachsland is head of the working group Governance at MCC Berlin. Michael Pahle is head of the working group Energy Strategies Europe & Germany at the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK). Dallas Burtraw is Darius Gaskins Senior Fellow at Resources for the Future (RFF). Ottmar Edenhofer is the director of the Mercator Research Institute on Global Commons and Climate Change (MCC). Milan Elkerbout is a Research Fellow at CEPS Energy Climate House. Carolyn Fischer is professor of environmental economics at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (VU), School of Business and Economics, Department of Spatial Economics. Oliver Tietjen is a PhD student at the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK). Lars Zetterberg is programme director of Mistra Carbon Exit; IVL Swedish Environmental Research Institute.CEPS Policy Insights offer analyses of a wide range of key policy questions facing Europe. As an institution, CEPS takes no position on questions of European policy. Unless otherwise indicated, the views expressed are attributable only to the authors in a personal capacity and not to any institution with which they are associated.
Carbon capture and storage (CCS) is a process in which carbon dioxide (CO2) is captured from emissions of industrial and energy production processes, and is stored without returning to the atmosphere. The goal of the process is to reduce the impact of anthropogenic greenhouse gases (GHGs) on climate change. CCS is composed of 3 main stages: Capture- separation of CO2 from other gases in the industrial\energy production process; Transportation- transporting CO2 from its capture site to its storage site; and Storage- Injecting CO2 into underground rock formations\ aquifers for long term confinement. Alternately, it can be used in industrial processes for goods productions (carbon capture and utilization- CCU). There is a whole array of CCS technologies. Some are already in successful use for decades, while others are under development or in transition to an industrial scale. Globally, there are about 35 active CCS projects and about 20 more in different development stages today. The existing projects are capturing together more than 30 million tons of CO2 annually (only 0.1% of anthropogenic GHGs emissions), and they operate in power plants and in industrial processes.Research goals: to review the global CCS sector: technologies, facilities, applications and policy. To compare the maturity, efficiency and cost of CCS technologies. To perform a preliminary comparison of CCS solutions in the natural gas-based fuel substitution sector that might be realized in Israel, according to the fuel substitutes' national plan for 2030.Main findings: * Natural gas processing and compressed natural gas (CNG) production- Israel's natural gas reservoirs hardly contain CO2. Therefore, there is no need for CCS in these processes. * Methanol production- 50% of CO2 emissions can be prevented by applying CCU, without a net cost to the facility or even with profit. However, this amount would be only 0.25% of Israel's annual anthropogenic GHGs emissions. * Gas-to-liquid (GTL) production- 1.5-3% of Israel's annual anthropogenic GHGs emissions can be captured cheaply, with only 3.5% increase in the GTL production cost. * Electricity generation in natural gas- powered power plants (NGCC)- pp to 30% of Israel's annual anthropogenic GHGs emissions can be captured. However, this is the most expensive solution per captured ton of CO2, which will increase electricity production cost by 30-60%.* Minor implementation of CCS in natural gas-based fuel substitutes facilities will capture, transport and store 3 million tons of CO2 annually, at a cost of 450-900 million ILS (New Israeli Shekel) (3% of Israel's GHGs emissions). * Medium implementation of CCS in natural gas-based fuel substitutes facilities will capture, transport and store 6 million tons of CO2 annually, at a cost of 750-1,650 million ILS (6% of Israel's GHGs emissions). * Wide implementation of CCS in natural gas-based fuel substitutes facilities will capture, transport and store 25-30 million tons of CO2 annually, at a cost of 7,600-19,200 million ILS (25-30% of Israel's GHGs emissions). Only implementing this option (or a part of it), can substantially reduce Israel's annual GHGs emissions, in-line with CCS's role as perceived by the IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change).Policy recommendations: Promotion of policy tools is essential for initiating and\or accelerating CCS development. These include governmental tracking and adherence to economy-wide GHGs emission reduction goals, in-accord with the Paris agreement goals (2015); policy consolidation, including economic incentives (energy efficiency, renewable energy, CCS facilities, carbon pricing\tax) to promote medium-term emissions reduction according to the long-term goals; explicitly include CCS in national programs for climate change mitigation or in flagship policy statements, and to stress CCS's role alongside low-carbon technologies; to secure long-term governmental CCS policy, in order to assure the relevant industrial and economic sectors; to establish public/ private engagement for risk and uncertainty reduction; accelerating storage planning and investment, in view of the long time needed for storage locations development.
简介本案例研究收集了法国国家低碳战略发展的经验教训。它详细介绍了法国到2050年实现低碳经济计划的制定过程。
Facts On February 20, Singapore released its 2017 budget, which included a proposed carbon tax to begin in 2019. The budget awaits approval from Singapore’s parliament and final assent from the president. The government will consult with stakeholders before specifying details about the tax, though the budget document suggested the tax would fall between S$10 and S$20 (US$7 and $14) per metric ton of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Six GHGs will likely be targeted by the tax: carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), nitrous dioxide (N2O), hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), perfluorocarbons (PFCs), and sulfur hexafluoride (SF6). The budget document states that “the tax will generally be applied upstream, for example, on power stations and other large direct emitters, rather than electricity users.” Singapore would be the first country in Southeast Asia to levy a carbon tax. Elsewhere in the region, Japan has a national carbon tax, while Kazakhstan, New Zealand, South Korea, and Taiwan have emissions trading schemes. China has experimented with regional cap-and-trade programs and is expected to launch the world’s largest national carbon market later this year. After the Paris climate agreement, Singapore pledged to reduce its GHG emissions intensity by 36 percent by 2030 from 2005 levels. Opinion The decision to levy a carbon tax is an important gesture signifying that Singapore is committed to addressing climate change, although the country is a marginal emitter of GHGs, accounting for barely more than 0.1 percent of total global emissions. By shouldering a price on carbon, Singapore can assume a leadership role in a region whose GHG emissions are expected to nearly double by 2040. Depending on how the carbon tax is implemented, however, Singapore’s refining, petrochemicals, and power sectors could be significantly affected as the city-state relies heavily on fossil fuels. Singapore is the world’s third-largest exporter of refined petroleum products and has a refining capacity of 1.51 million barrels per day (bpd). The petroleum refining and petrochemical industries account for approximately 40 percent of Singapore’s exports. According to Singapore’s National Climate Change Secretariat, the taxation threshold may be set at 25,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent, which could affect 30 to 40 large, direct emitters. The Secretariat also estimated that the tax could increase operating costs for Singapore’s refiners by US$3.50 to $7.00 per barrel—a level prohibitively high if the Singaporean refinery industry is to remain competitive. Wood Mackenzie, alternatively, estimated the cost for refiners would be between US$0.40 and $0.70 per barrel. Singapore’s share of exports to Australia and Vietnam are already falling due to stiffer competition from China, Malaysia, and South Korea. Moreover, countries around Southeast Asia are contributing to a more competitive regional market for refined petroleum products. This year, Vietnam is expected to bring 200,000 bpd of refining capacity online with its Nghi Son refinery. Malaysia is expected to complete its Refinery and Petrochemicals Industrial District (RAPID) refinery by 2019, possibly producing 300,000 bpd and 7.7 million tons of petrochemicals annually. The ultimate effect of the tax on the competitiveness of Singapore’s refinery industry would depend on how Singapore chooses to implement it. The effect of carbon pricing on other regional refiners has thus far been mixed. For example, South Korea, which is among the top refiners in the world, has eased into its emissions trading scheme since 2015 and will charge for emissions permits until its second stage begins in 2018; even then, “energy-focused industries” may be exempted. Japan has had a carbon tax since 2012, but shrinking domestic demand and capacity expansion by regional competitors seem to be a much bigger challenge to its refining industry. Singapore may try to counterbalance the increased costs for refining, petrochemicals, and generation. For instance, portions of the carbon tax revenue could be redirected to support energy efficiency improvements in the refining and petrochemicals sector. Alternatively, Singapore may divert revenues to fund solar power and energy storage development, although the city-state has limited renewable energy options. Currently, Singapore depends on natural gas for more than 95 percent of its electric generation capacity. The proposed carbon tax underpins the country’s commitment to the Paris Agreement and signals its recognition that every country—large or small—has a role to play in addressing the global challenge. Meanwhile, the Singaporean experience with a carbon tax may also serve as an important test whether downstream development can accompany stricter environmental protections, such as reduced emissions.
Reducing long-term greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the industry sector is one of the toughest challenges of the energy transition. Combustion and process emissions from cement manufacturing, iron- and steelmaking, and chemical production are particularly problematic.But there are a variety of current and future options to increase the uptake of renewables as one possible way to reduce industry sector energy and process carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, which we examine in detail in a new IEA Insight Paper, Renewable Energy for Industry.The main finding is that the recent rapid cost reductions in solar photovoltaics (PV) and wind power may enable new options for greening the industry, either directly from electricity or through the production of hydrogen (H)-rich chemicals and fuels. Simultaneously, electrification offers new flexibility options to better integrate large shares of variable renewables into grids.
碳捕获与封存(CCS)技术有望在全球气候应对中发挥重要作用。随着《巴黎协定》的批准,CCS在发电和工业过程中(包括现有设施)减少化石燃料排放的能力,对于将未来气温上升限制在“远低于2°C”至关重要。如果要实现这些雄心勃勃的目标,CCS技术还需要在本世纪下半叶实现“负排放”。CCS技术并不新鲜。今年是挪威Sleipner CCS项目运营的第20个年头,该项目从海上天然气生产设施中捕获了近1700万吨二氧化碳,并将其永久储存在海底深处的砂岩地层中。CCS的个别应用已经在工业过程中使用了几十年,自20世纪70年代初以来,美国就开始实施注入二氧化碳以提高石油采收率(EOR)的项目。本出版物回顾了过去20年来CCS技术的进展,并考察了它们在实现2°C和远低于2°C目标方面的作用。基于国际能源机构的2°C情景,它还考虑了如果CCS不作为应对措施的一部分对气候变化的影响。报告还探讨了加快未来CCS部署的机会,以实现《巴黎协定》设定的气候目标。
本文件简要介绍了欧洲联盟最外层区域可再生能源的发展情况,重点是这些区域在创造可持续经济发展机会的同时促进绿色过渡的潜力。报告审查了欧盟其他区域在可再生能源方面的现有政策框架和工具,并提出了具体的政策建议。本文件是在欧盟-经合组织全球最外层区域项目框架内编写的。
国际能源署宣布的承诺情景估计,到2040年,将电动汽车库存从目前的1700万辆增加到8.08亿辆,有助于将交通排放量减少36%。交通脱碳的好处得益于电力系统的脱碳,这为具有雄心勃勃的可变可再生能源部署目标的新兴和发展中经济体提供了机会。正在进行电气化的交通方式的多样性,从公共交通到个人电动汽车、两轮车和三轮车,以及配电网层面的充电基础设施的位置,都需要明智的策略来确保平稳和安全的整合。本报告着眼于数字化智能充电的部署如何有助于改善电网安全和脱碳,并提供了一套与新兴和发展中经济体相关的政策和监管建议。
二氧化碳就是二氧化碳就是二氧化碳——排放上限的影响是一项新的研究,该研究发现,如果政策制定者想减少加拿大的二氧化碳排放,他们应该允许工业界以尽可能低的成本来减少二氧化碳排放,而不是任意限制某些部门的排放,如石油和天然气,同时允许其他部门继续增加排放,因为CO2分子无论其来源如何都是相同的。
新的低碳技术显示出改变全球能源系统的明显潜力,但一个关键挑战仍然存在:政府和行业需要采取哪些措施来确保其开发和部署?路线图是一个有用的工具,有助于在国家、区域和全球各级战略性地解决复杂问题。为了帮助将政治声明和分析工作转化为具体行动,国际能源署制定了一系列致力于低碳能源技术的全球路线图。
这项研究没有考察总排放趋势,而是深入研究了影响欧盟能源系统每个部门的动态。它研究了电力生产、运输、建筑和工业中正在发生的结构变化,并将这些变化与实现2030年和2050年目标所需的变化进行了比较。这样做的目的是影响成员国和欧盟层面未来政策决策的雄心和方向。
第28届联合国气候变化大会(COP28)和国际能源署(IEA)高级别对话就能源转型的关键要素达成了强有力的共识。这一结论标志着联合主席、COP28主席苏丹·贾比尔博士和国际能源署执行主任法提赫·比罗尔博士取得了重大成就。
就在2023年圣诞节前达成的欧盟电力市场规则改革,创造了新的工具来支持可再生能源投资,保护消费者,并使电网更加灵活和数字化。与今年早些时候通过的旨在实现欧盟独立于俄罗斯能源进口的RePowerEU计划一起,这是朝着到2035年实现以无化石能源为主的电力系统迈出的重要一步。
随着欧盟委员会为新的五年任期做准备,这份欧盟政策白皮书巩固了欧盟在全球能源转型中的领导地位,是对目前进展的总结,同时确定了进一步的机会,通过实施主要现有的一揽子政策来巩固欧盟(欧盟)的气候领导地位。虽然欧盟在减排方面取得了值得赞扬的进展-特别是通过可再生能源和效率-但仍有更多的工作要做,中国和美国等其他关键地区通过绿色产业政策加快部署,在某些情况下更全面地加快部署。
巴西20国集团主席国委托国际可再生能源机构发布的新报告发现,当前的全球投资不仅受到发达经济体与新兴市场和发展中经济体之间巨大差距的影响,而且还受到新兴市场经济体集团之间的影响。
在第29届联合国气候变化大会(COP29)上,由西门子能源和EMSTEEL共同主持的工业脱碳联盟(AFID)就提高脱碳愿望的协调行动进行了关键的首席执行官高层对话,宣布了四项战略承诺,以应对与工业部门脱碳相关的挑战。
2019年,一种新现象——所谓的“碳中和液化天然气”(LNG)——被引入天然气市场。它起源于壳牌于2019年6月向日本公用事业公司东京天然气公司和一家韩国能源公司交付的两批货物,…