Thailand's long-term GHG emission reduction in 2050: the achievement of renewable energy and energy efficiency beyond the NDC

Eco-friendly hotels and guesthouses as a new opportunity for resilience and sustainability: Evidence from the Czech Republic

The economic recovery of the tourism industry after the Covid-19 pandemic to find modern and efficient trends to increase profitability is accompanied by the adoption of comprehensive accommodation approaches towards resilience and environmental sustainability. The research aims at the application of environmental management elements and measures in all types of accommodation facilities in the Czech Republic (n1 = 1,016). A qualitative focus group method complemented the quantitative research using correspondence analysis, Levene's, Kruskal-Wallis, and Tukey's HSD tests (n2 = 9 + moderator). The results indicate that the differences in the number of environmental measures implemented were minimal for the monitored hotels and guesthouses. On the other hand, the star rating of accommodation facilities is not a key parameter in the environmental impact assessment. The most used environmental measures were devices reducing electricity consumption (hotels 94%, guesthouses 94%), separating waste (hotels 88%, guesthouses 89%), and water consumption reduction (hotels 85%, guesthouses 86%). At the same time, the most minor used were measures reducing chemical consumption (hotels 23%, guesthouses 22%) communication and environmental education of employees and guests (hotels 32%, guesthouses 18%).

Assessment of the solar energy-agriculture-water nexus in the expanding solar energy industry of India: An initiative for sustainable resource management

The rapid expansion of solar energy in India poses challenges in the context of cropland encroachment and water-resource scarcity. To help address these challenges, we used open access satellite observations and GIS technologies over Earth Engine platform to devise the Solar Panel Index (SPI) for efficient detection of solar farms, achieving a Land use/Land cover classification accuracy of 89 %. We have used cropland, water availability, power grid and land surface temperature data-sets for generation of land suitability map. Sentinel-2 data-sets along with SPI were used to develop solar farm locations and their estimated installed capacity within the study area. The outcomes from the study depicted that over 40 % of all solar farms in the country are located on agricultural land, with the highest seen in Karnataka (73.55 %) followed by Tamil Nadu (68.81 %). Furthermore, high installed capacity coincides with low groundwater depths, exacerbating local water strain. Madhya Pradesh was found to have almost no power plant located within 5 km of surface water bodies. Our findings emphasize the significance of the solar-agriculture-water (SAW) nexus for sustainable development. Using high-resolution Land Suitability Map (LSM) as a decision-making criteria for allocating land for power generation reveals that Rajasthan holds the highest potential for solar energy installation. Our integrated approach considering the interplay between solar-energy production, agriculture, and water-resource management contributes to the sustainable growth of the solar-energy sector and regional development.

Predicting low carbon pathways on the township level in China: a case study of an island

Carbon prediction on the township level is usually difficult due to a lack of necessary information. To fulfil the research gap, the study focused on a town located in a nearshore island (Lingshan) in China. A questionnaire survey was performed to collect essential information about the future development of the town, followed by validating interviews with the island management committee. The carbon prediction of the town was established by the Low Emissions Analysis Platform (LEAP) model. The baseline scenario reflecting the existing method of carbon management was compared with an alternative low-carbon scenario. The prediction from 2020 to 2060 covers the periods of the planned carbon emissions peak in 2030 and carbon neutrality in 2060. It is found that energy-related activities and electricity consumption are the primary contributors to carbon emissions on the island. The carbon emission of Lingshan Island increases from -1333 tCO2e in 2020 to 2744 tCO2e in 2060, and the carbon peak target cannot be achieved in the baseline scenario. However, the carbon emission of the low-carbon scenario is predicted to have a peak of -850 tCO2e in 2029. The prediction model developed in this study, along with the proposed policy recommendations, can be applied to other towns or regions where data availability is limited to promote carbon reduction.

Catalysing the monitoring and evaluation of Nationally Determined Contributions through North-South cooperation

The recent 6th Assessment Report by Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has been damning to the world. An overwhelming amount of evidence that Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) can contribute to stabilising or reversing the course of impacts of climate change is now common. Given the likely update of NDC measures compounded by their complexities and limited resources, it is imperative to adopt effective Monitoring & Evaluation (M&E) systems to ensure that NDCs achieve their planned objectives. Effective roll-out and M&E of NDCs require full participation from all actors in various countries. However, despite existing evidence that shows the developing countries are the most affected by climate change, the role of their researchers in climate change research is not known. Therefore, the need to investigate the global North-South disparities and develop an agenda for future research about NDCs is imperative. To address this gap, a systematic review was undertaken using appropriate terms in Web of Science, Dimensions and ScienceDirect to identify relevant literature. The analysis of the identified literature led to two main findings. Firstly, most studies about NDCs are conducted by global North research institutes and researchers with very little involvement of those from the global South. Secondly, there is a global paucity of research about M&E of NDCs measures. As a major recommendation, while countries should equitably contribute to rolling out NDC projects, research should play a key role and should be inclusive as possible representing voices from the global North and South.

Science communication on the public health risks of air pollution: a computational scoping review from 1958 to 2022

BACKGROUND

Air pollutants are a health risk for the entire population. Particulate matter (PM) including the smallest fraction, ultra-fine particles (UFP), therefore continue to be the focus of scientific research in this area. To protect the population from the harmful effects of exposure to PM, communication and information of research results are of special relevance as individuals with heightened awareness of the harms of poor air quality are more likely to take action to improve their exposure.

METHODS

We conducted a scoping review of the scientific literature on science communication of public health information about risks associated with air pollutants to generate an initial over-view of existing research in this field. We searched the PubMed and Scopus databases and analyzed the data using a structured topic modeling (STM) approach.

RESULTS

The existing scientific literature dates back to 1958 but increases significantly from the 1990s onwards. Publications are mainly found in the discipline of environmental research and are primarily concerned with health effects. It is often stated that adequate communication of the results to the public would be important, but specific approaches are rare. Overall, the topic of risk communication seems to be underrepresented for both air pollutants and UFP.

CONCLUSIONS

To protect public health, it is important to conduct more intensive science and risk communication related to scientific findings on the risks of air pollutants. For adequate communication and information, further research is needed to provide specific approaches that also involve the affected population and take different target groups into account. In addition, the effectiveness of communication efforts should also be analyzed.

Techno-economic assessment of a central grid-connected wind farm in Ghana using RETScreen® Expert

This paper presents the technical, financial, and environmental impact assessment of a 50-MW (MW) utility-scale wind farm in Ghana at four locations: Anloga, Atiteti, Sege, and Denu. The monthly average wind speeds recorded at the locations were 6.01 m/s, 5.98 m/s, 5.46 m/s, and 5.17 m/s respectively at 60 m above ground level. Capacity factors of 24.9%, 24.4%, 20.6%, and 18.0% were obtained at the locations respectively. The Net Present Value (NPV) was the main financial metric employed to determine the viability of the projects. The results indicated that a potential utility-scale wind project is viable at all locations under study. Furthermore, the Electricity Exported to the Grid and the Electricity Export Rate (EER) had the highest impact of 0.63 and 0.62 on the NPV respectively and therefore these key parameters should be well considered before any potential project implementation.

The Role of Pre-Commitments and Engle Curves in Thailand’s Aggregate Energy Demand System

In the present paper, an investigation into Thailand’s energy demand is performed to determine if: (1) a linear or nonlinear Engel curve better explains the relationship between income and energy consumption, and (2) systems with pre-commitments better model energy consumptions. Four demand systems are estimated: an almost ideal demand system (AIDS), the quadratic almost ideal demand system (QAIDS), generalized almost ideal demand system (GAIDS), and the generalized quadratic almost ideal demand system (GQAIDS). Elasticities are calculated for policy implications. The empirical results suggest that models considering pre-commitments and nonlinear Engel curves may be slightly more appropriate for Thailand’s energy system, from both statistic and economic standpoints. Statistical inferences appear to favor the GQAIDS model based on the encompassing results. Economic reasonability also appears to favor the GQAIDS model, in particular, petroleum products, as it provides results consistent with the notions of precommitments and fuel substitutability found in previous studies. Most of the previous studies in various forms have shown that the demand for petroleum products is relatively inelastic to price in Thailand. The current study, however, finds that own-price elasticities of uncompensated demand for petroleum products are almost unitary, which is relatively more elastic than most of the previous studies. As such, further studies are required and the price-based policy on petroleum products targeting the reduction in petroleum product dependence must be implemented with caution.

Citywide Energy-Related CO2 Emissions and Sustainability Assessment of the Development of Low-Carbon Policy in Chiang Mai, Thailand

Cities are one of the key contributors to the environment and sustainability. This study aims to quantify citywide energy-related CO2 emissions and assess the sustainability feasibility of implementing climate change mitigation policies in Chiang Mai, Thailand. By employing the GPC method, it was found that the average energy-related CO2 emission in Chiang Mai from 2015 to 2019 was 2,146,060 tCO2eq. Residences, industries (i.e., food preservation industries), and commercial and governmental buildings were the top three energy consumption-related GHG emitters. According to the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP), in terms of mitigation measures, LED lighting presented the highest score (0.380), followed by improving air conditioning efficiency (0.278), and the use of energy-efficient appliances (0.203). Energy-efficient technologies would be more feasible than the development of renewable energy technologies to lower CO2 emissions. In terms of sustainability, political, technical, and economic feasibility criteria presented the highest AHP score (0.789), followed by human and social dimensions criteria (0.129), and environmental performance criteria (0.073). Policy possibility had the highest AHP score, while direct contribution to climate benefits as GHG reduction presented the lowest score. The integration of climate mitigation opportunities into national policies, the green industry scheme, and promoting residents’ self-determined motivation are urgently recommended.