National GHG emissions reduction pledges and 2°C: comparison of studies

This article provides further detail on expected global GHG emission levels in 2020, based on the Emissions Gap Report (United Nations Environment Programme, December 2010), assuming the emission reduction proposals in the Copenhagen Accord and Cancun Agreements are met. Large differences are found in the results of individual groups owing to uncertainties in current and projected emission estimates and in the interpretation of the reduction proposals. Regardless of these uncertainties, the pledges for 2020 are expected to deliver emission levels above those that are consistent with a 2°C limit. This emissions gap could be narrowed through implementing the more stringent conditional pledges, minimizing the use of ‘lenient’ credits from forests and surplus emission units, avoiding double-counting of offsets and implementing measures beyond current pledges. Conversely, emission reduction gains from countries moving from their low to high ambition pledges could be more than offset by the use of ‘lenient’ land use, land-use change and forestry (LULUCF) credits and surplus emissions units, if these were used to the maximum. Laying the groundwork for faster emission reduction rates after 2020 appears to be crucial in any case.     

国内外企业温室气体排放核算标准的比较分析

企业是国内外温室气体排放核算标准化工作关注的重点领域。随着全球应对气候变化工作新需求的出现,国内外标准化领域也发生着与需求相呼应的变化。国际上,企业层面的核算标准已经提高了对企业供应链排放的核算与报告要求,同时,针对具体行业的企业温室气体核算标准也进入制定程序;国内企业核算标准更加贴合中国实施重点企业直报、碳排放权交易等任务的需要,注重与国内现有标准体系、企业计量基础的衔接,更具可操作性。通过对ISO 14064-1修订版、ISO 19694系列标准及GB/T 32150、GB/T 32151系列标准的比较发现,这些标准采用了基本一致的核心方法,为未来可能的交流衔接提供了基础;标准间的差异主要源自适用范围与施用对象的不同,体现在排放源划分方式、数据获取方法、体现特定导向的要求等方面;虽然这些新变化有利于不同市场、地域或行业的企业更好地体现其排放特点,但也对企业未来开展温室气体排放核算与报告提出了更高的要求,建议中国企业梳理温室气体核算的核心工作,建立基础的数据收集体系;同时也理清各标准差异,建立相适应的报告能力;建议中国标准制定机构关注标准的适用性与可操作性,根据国内温室气体管理的政策与措施分阶段制定相关标准。     

Dynamics of energy sector and GHG emissions in Saudi Arabia

The energy sector is the main contributor to GHG emissions in Saudi Arabia. The tremendous growth of GHG emissions poses serious challenges for the Kingdom in terms of their reduction targets, and also the mitigation of the associated climate changes. The rising trend of population and urbanization affects the energy demand, which results in a faster rate of increase in GHG emissions. The major energy sector sources that contribute to GHG emissions include the electricity generation, road transport, desalination plants, petroleum refining, petrochemical, cement, iron and steel, and fertilizer industries. In recent years, the energy sector has become the major source, accounting for more than 90% of national CO₂ emissions. Although a substantial amount of research has been conducted on renewable energy resources, a sustainable shift from petroleum resources is yet to be achieved. Public awareness, access to energy-efficient technology, and the development and implementation of a legislative framework, energy pricing policies, and renewable and alternative energy policies are not mature enough to ensure a significant reduction in GHG emissions from the energy sector. An innovative and integrated solution that best serves the Kingdom's long-term needs and exploits potential indigenous, renewable, and alternative energy resources while maintaining its sustainable development stride is essential.

Policy relevance

The main contributor to GHG emissions in Saudi Arabia is the energy sector that accounts for more than 90% of the national CO₂ emissions. Tremendous growth of GHG emissions poses serious challenges for the Kingdom in their reduction and mitigating the associated climate changes. This study examines the changing patterns of different activities associated with energy sector, the pertinent challenges, and the opportunities that promise reduction of GHG emissions while providing national energy and economic security. The importance of achieving timely, sustained, and increasing reductions in GHG emissions means that a combination of policies may be needed. This study points to the long-term importance of making near- and medium-term policy choices on a well-informed, strategic basis. This analytical paper is expected to provide useful information to the national policy makers and other decision makers. It may also contribute to the GHG emission inventories and the climate change negotiations.     

ASOM平台新一代天气雷达故障规范填报

综合气象观测系统运行监控平台（ASOM）是气象技术装备保障的业务应用系统。系统实现了气象探测设备的运行状态监控、探测数据质量监控、维护维修信息管理、装备保障信息管理、运行监控综合评估、监控信息发布和站网信息管理等功能。利用ASOM系统中2008年7月至2014年7月的4000余条故障维修填报记录,围绕故障修复流程进行分析,探讨新一代天气雷达故障维修信息的规范填报并给出建议。文章旨在围绕雷达系统故障维修信息的规范填报,还原故障维修过程,改进故障诊断技术,达到提高台站雷达维修水平目的。     

地震自动速报信息在桥梁监测警报系统中的应用

介绍地震自动速报信息系统与桥梁监测警报系统的构成,通过将地震自动速报技术与强震动观测技术相结合,形成一套既有强震动观测功能又能接收处理即时地震信息的桥梁监测报警系统,应用结果显示,能丰富强震动观测系统的功能,为桥梁管理提供更多决策支持.     

The global climate action summit: increasing ambition during turbulent times

In September 2018, leaders in climate action within and outside the U.S. will convene in San Francisco for the Global Climate Action Summit. They plan to demonstrate strong ongoing commitment to exceeding the goals set out in the Paris Agreement, despite U.S. federal opposition under President Trump, and to spur greater ambition among subnational governments and the private sector. Now that the Trump Administration is working to undo the progress made under President Obama, it is more important than ever that states and cities, as well as the private sector, redouble their efforts. Since the 2016 election, many U.S. states have demonstrated leadership by establishing ever-more ambitious clean energy and electric vehicle targets through legislation and executive action; by pushing back on the Trump Administration in public forums and in the courts; and by banding together to realise greater effectiveness through collective action. The commitment of leading states, cities, and businesses alone will not be enough to achieve the rapid reductions needed to keep planetary warming to 1.5 degrees C in the absence of U.S. federal efforts. But coming after a summer of extreme weather events, the Summit represents a critical opportunity to re-energise constituencies, highlight the need for urgent and ambitious action, and bring climate change to the forefront of policy conversations across the U.S. and beyond.

Key policy insights

• The reversal of U.S. ambitious clean energy and transportation policy, including replacing the Clean Power Plan, freezing fuel standards, and withdrawing from the Paris Agreement, have created a gap at the federal level under President Trump that will be difficult – but perhaps not impossible – to fill with subnational action.

• States, local governments, and the private sector have shown a strengthened commitment to combating climate change and to the goals set out in the Paris Agreement through more ambitious legislative and executive targets, and regional initiatives like RGGI and cross-jurisdictional zero emissions vehicle programmes.

• The Global Climate Action Summit in September 2018 is a pivotal moment to energise a broader coalition within and outside the U.S. towards catalysing the level of ambition needed to exceed goals set out in the Paris Agreement.

     

What Counts as Foreign Aid: Dilemmas and Ways Forward in Measuring China’s Overseas Development Flows

The geography of foreign aid is in flux as a growing number of countries from the Global South are entering the field as donors. A principal barrier to understanding this trend is divergence in the definition of aid among emerging market donors and between emerging market donors and traditional donors, as well as transparency in reporting. This article contributes to analysts’ toolbox by developing a comparative analysis of aid definitions for China, the largest Global South donor in the world. Using a leading comprehensive database on Chinese aid flows, I construct a scale of definitional restrictiveness for two governmental and three proxy definitions developed by scholars to reconcile aid from non–Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) donors with OECD definitions. Based on this analysis, I find that the most inclusive definition of aid does not always translate into the highest aid total estimate. In addition, definitions of aid are moving targets rather than static measures, which can include different flows at different times depending on the state of the global foreign aid system and its major players.     

Proposing a beneficiary-based shared responsibility approach for calculating national carbon accounts during the post-Kyoto era

Considerable progress has been made in Europe towards cutting GHG emissions during the last decade, but this achievement is partly due to the delocalization of manufacturing industries to emerging countries. Under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, the current emission accounting method is production-based and cannot fully capture this effect. The use of such a method is clearly unfavourable for emerging countries and could lead to difficulties in engaging them in climate policy negotiations. The consumption-based approach represents the other extreme in apportioning emission responsibilities. This article proposes the beneficiary-based shared responsibility approach, which outperforms previous methods in terms of scientific justification and political acceptability. Consumer countries benefit from enjoying the product itself, while producing countries benefit from the production process, which provides them with employment, government income, and company profit. Thus, emissions related to the material throughput used to produce exported products should be allocated to the final place of consumption. The income of production activities benefits the producer country, so emissions associated with these values should be allocated to them. The main reason for taking this accounting approach is that the responsibility for emissions and the benefits of enjoying a product should not be decoupled.     

基于RIA技术的矿业权年检信息报备管理系统设计与实现

面对矿业权年检信息报备工作面临的诸如遍布全国的部、省、市、县年检机关及勘查单位和矿业权人等众多组织机构、多样化的角色分工、复杂的系统与网络环境、信息报备时效性等急需解决的问题,采用离线报盘与在线报备相结合的多层架构思想,基于RIA等技术设计并实现了矿业权年检信息报备管理系统,成为矿政管理从行政审批向综合监管方向发展过程中信息获取的重要手段之一.