CO2 emissions=Population*Economic output*Energy Intensity*Carbon Intensity.
Since we can't do a lot over the next 20 years about population growth, and since most people in the world would like to see higher living standards, we're left with the last two factors. We can reduce energy intensity by mandating more efficient cars, or better building insulation, for example. New light bulbs, more efficient heaters, and so on. In addition we can reduce the carbon intensity of our energy usage, by for example replacing fossil fuels with renewables and ICE (petrol/diesel) cars with EVs.
The chart below, from World Economic Forum, shows the carbon intensity of electricity generation:
Norway, New Zealand and Brazil are low because of hydro, France because of nuclear.
The second chart shows the change in carbon intensity over the last decade:
Note the massive improvements in the UK (ending coal, replacing with wind and gas), Denmark (massive growth of wind), China (world's largest renewables investor), but see also the disasters at the right-hand side: Brazil, India, Japan and Indonesia, all big and fast-growing economies. Obviously, it is vital that in the next 10 and 20 years, every country in this list cuts the carbon intensity of its electricity generation by 200 g/kWh.
There are heaps more interesting charts in the article from WEF.
No comments:
Post a Comment