By implementing three climate change measures, Decarbonization In high-emission sectors such as electricity, shippingfood and Agricultureaccording to a report from a UK-based advisory firm and public research university.
These actions include Electric car (EV) public procurement vegetable proteinand by requiring the replacement of high-emission components of agricultural fertilizers with green ammonia, Systemique and University of Exeter.
These changes could trigger a wave of ‘tipping points’ where consumers, producers and investors will definitively move to new technologies and not look back, he said. study The announcement was made on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland on Friday.
Historically, tipping points included the invention of the steam engine, which prompted the massive expansion of coal mining, and the period when Britain’s rail transport network drove the industrial revolution, the study said. there is
“Inflection points occur when new technology begins to outpace existing technology. Beyond them, new technology grows exponentially, pushing older technology out of the market faster than anyone predicted. .”
The three actions were evaluated according to how the solution was able to cross the thresholds of affordability, attractiveness, or accessibility in reaching the mass market compared to the current fix.
“High-emitting sectors of the economy do not exist in isolation from each other. They are highly interconnected, and zero-emission solutions can impact the transition of multiple sectors simultaneously,” Pinnell said. added.
The report bezos earth fundwhose founder Jeff Bezos self investment Zero-emission vehicles, green ammonia, and sustainable agriculture with online shopping giant Amazon. However, when questioned by Eco-Business, the study authors clarified that neither Bezos nor Amazon were directly involved in the report.
Here’s why these three policy instruments could transform decarbonization efforts:
1. Cheap EVs can reduce the cost of solar and wind power
Research shows EV growth is nearing a tipping point as sales soar.
China, the world’s largest automaker, goal Two years ago, we announced that by 2030, 40% of the cars sold in Japan will be EVs.
If manufacturers need to increase the share of EVs in car sales, they can overcome supply constraints and secure more production, the report’s authors wrote.
Passenger EVs account for the majority of battery demand. Estimate By 2030, account for 70% of total installed battery capacity.
battery It works as a technology in both the solar and wind power sector and road transport in electric cars and trucks. More deployment in one sector will reduce battery costs for both industries, which account for 26% (power sector) and 11% (road transport) of global greenhouse gas emissions.
The study found that if EV adoption could increase to 60% of global passenger car sales by 2030, gain Increase total battery production to 10 times the current level.
This reduces the cost of solar and wind power solutions in the power sector as battery prices. account It accounts for 30% of the total power cost of these solutions. Accelerating battery cost declines could drive the growth of renewable energy. More green energy means lower electricity bills, which in turn makes heat pumps more affordable.
2. Green ammonia to narrow down the price of green hydrogen for steelmaking and ships
The second tipping point is mandating the use of green ammonia for fertilizer production to replace that produced from fossil gas.
The use of green ammonia in fertilizer production could be leveraged to expand green supply chains hydrogen The World Resources Institute-sponsored study also notes reducing the cost of clean energy sources in highly polluting areas.
Green hydrogen could be used to curb toxic residues from steel production that are responsible for 7% of global greenhouse gas emissions. Green ammonia, on the other hand, is a carbon-free asset with the potential to fuel the shipping industry, which emits his 3% of global pollution.
Green ammonia can be shipped at a relatively low price, adding less than 10% to shipping costs, so it can be produced in regions where hydrogen production prices are lowest and transported to fertilizer production sites.
A government mandate calling for an increased proportion of green ammonia in fertilizer production could be effective in establishing this as the first large market.
India, one of the world’s largest greenhouse gas emitters, has a hydrogen draft. strategy To achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2070, we need a minimum of 5% green ammonia production in the domestic fertilizer sector by 2024 and 20% by 2028.
3. Plant protein could exceed the cost of meat and free up 15% of the world’s agricultural land
A third tipping point identified by this study is how public procurement and investment in plant protein R&D can be cheaper than animal protein, without sacrificing texture or taste. Eating meat and dairy products person in charge Equivalent to 15% of global emissions.
A shift to alternative protein consumption could reduce livestock farming as a practice and free up up to 15% or 800 million hectares of global agricultural land. Twice Arable land in the United States.
It is believed to alleviate the pressure of land conversion and curb deforestation, which is responsible for 11% of global emissions.