International and national climate policies for aviation: a review

Aviation constitutes about 2.5% of all energy-related CO₂ emissions and in addition there are non-CO₂ effects. In 2016, the ICAO decided to implement a Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA) and in 2017 the EU decided on faster emission reductions in its Emissions Trading System (EU ETS), which since 2012 includes the aviation sector. The effects of these policies on the expected development of air travel emissions from 2017 to 2030 have been analyzed. For the sample country Sweden, the analysis shows that when emissions reductions in other sectors are attributed to the aviation sector as a result of the EU ETS and CORSIA, carbon emissions are expected to reduce by ?0.8% per year (however if non-CO₂ emissions are included in the analysis, then emissions will increase). This is much less than what is needed to achieve the 2°C target. Our analysis of potential national aviation policy instruments shows that there are legally feasible options that could mitigate emissions in addition to the EU ETS and CORSIA. Distance-based air passenger taxes are common among EU Member States and through increased ticket prices these taxes can reduce demand for air travel and thus reduce emissions. Tax on jet fuel is an option for domestic aviation and for international aviation if bilateral agreements are concluded. A quota obligation for biofuels is a third option.

Key policy insights

• Existing international climate policies for aviation will not deliver any major emission reductions.

• Policymakers who want to significantly push the aviation sector to contribute to meeting the 2°C target need to work towards putting in place tougher international policy instruments in the long term, and simultaneously implement temporary national policy instruments in the near-term.

• Distance-based air passenger taxes, carbon taxes on jet fuel and quota obligations for biofuels are available national policy options; if they are gradually increased, and harmonized with other countries, they can help to significantly reduce emissions.

     

Targeting carbon dioxide removal in the European Union

In principle, many climate policymakers have accepted that large-scale carbon dioxide removal (CDR) is necessary to meet the Paris Agreement’s mitigation targets, but they have avoided proposing by whom CDR might be delivered. Given its role in international climate policy, the European Union (EU) might be expected to lead the way. But among EU climate policymakers so far there is little talk on CDR, let alone action. Here we assess how best to ‘target’ CDR to motivate EU policymakers exploring which CDR target strategy may work best to start dealing with CDR on a meaningful scale. A comprehensive CDR approach would focus on delivering the CDR volumes required from the EU by 2100, approximately at least 50 Gigatonnes (Gt) CO₂, according to global model simulations aiming to keep warming below 2°C. A limited CDR approach would focus on an intermediate target to deliver the CDR needed to reach ‘net zero emissions’ (i.e. the gross negative emissions needed to offset residual positive emissions that are too expensive or even impossible to mitigate). We argue that a comprehensive CDR approach may be too intimidating for EU policymakers. A limited CDR approach that only addresses the necessary steps to reach the (intermediate) target of ‘net zero emissions’ is arguably more achievable, since it is a better match to the existing policy paradigm and would allow for a pragmatic phase-in of CDR while avoiding outright resistance by environmental NGOs and the broader public.

Key policy insights

• Making CDR an integral part of EU climate policy has the potential to significantly reshape the policy landscape.

• Burden sharing considerations would probably play a major role, with comprehensive CDR prolonging the disparity and tensions between progressives and laggards.

• Introducing limited CDR in the context of ‘net zero’ pathways would retain a visible primary focus on decarbonization but acknowledge the need for a significant enhancement of removals via ‘natural’ and/or ‘engineered’ sinks.

• A decarbonization approach that intends to lead to a low level of ‘residual emissions’ (to be tackled by a pragmatic phase-in of CDR) should be the priority of EU climate policy.

     

陆地生态系统氮状态对碳循环的限制作用研究进展

陆地生态系统碳循环和氮循环密切相关, 碳贮量与碳通量在很大程度上受氮循环的影响 和限制。由于氮循环的复杂性, 在以往的大多数碳循环研究中, 更多考虑水分、温度和大气CO2 浓 度等因子的影响, 考虑碳氮相互作用的研究较少。氮素可限制植物光合、有机质分解、同化产物的 分配以及生态系统对大气CO2 浓度升高的响应。根据目前有关碳氮模型的发展状况可将碳氮耦 合循环模型分为三大类: 一是静态模型, 它的土壤养分水平或者叶氮含量不变, 是常数, 这类模型 适合于在站点或氮素浓度变化不大的区域应用; 二是土壤氮限制模型, 能够保持稳定的生态系统 氮收支, 在NPP(Net Primary Productivity, 净初级生产力)的模拟中考虑土壤氮有效性的动态变化 的影响, 使模拟结果更为合理; 三是叶氮限制模型, 在NPP 的模拟中考虑叶片氮浓度的动态变化 的影响。这三类模型虽然都考虑了氮对碳循环的限制作用, 但在氮碳循环机理方面尚有不少欠 缺, 所以在研究中可能会带来很大的不确定性。在以后的研究中, 应通过加强碳氮相互作用的实 验研究, 增进对碳氮过程的深入了解, 进而建立综合动态的碳氮耦合模型, 以减少目前碳循环研 究中的不确定性。     

中国西北侏罗纪煤系显微组分生烃潜力、产物地球化学特征及其意义

从吐哈盆地侏罗纪煤中分离富集了藻类体、孢子体、角质体、镜质体、基质镜质体和丝质体6种主要显微组分,进行了热解及热模拟实验,并对各显微组分热模拟生成的产物热解油进行了碳同位素组成等分析。各显微组分热解生烃潜力及其热解产物热解油的碳同位素组成表明,煤系有机质中藻类体的生油潜力最高,生成的液态烃类的碳同位素组成最轻;孢子体、角质体等陆源富氢组分生烃潜力低于藻类体,生成的液态烃类的碳同位素组成重于藻类体生成的液态烃类,与煤系含油气盆地中原油的碳同位素组成基本一致。这些富氢显微组分应该是煤系有机质中主要的生油显微组分。镜质体和基质镜质体的生油潜力相对较低,其生成的液态烃类的碳同位素组成比一般煤系原油重得多,而且这些组分本身对液态烃具有较强的吸附力,尽管其在煤系有机质中所占的比例很大,仍然难以成为生成液态石油的主要显微组分,只能在高成熟演化阶段成为良好的生气显微组分。丝质体等惰性组分生烃潜力极低,不可能成为生油组分。此外,结合原煤的显微组分组成、生烃潜力和元素分析,提出仅仅以壳质组的含量高低来评价煤的生烃潜力不完全可靠,热解是经济、快速、有效的评价方法。     

河北省北部晶质石墨矿层岩(矿)石地球化学特征与成因分析

晶质石墨是一种新兴战略矿产。近年在河北省北部发现了多处大中型晶质石墨矿床,主要赋矿层位于新太古代崇礼上岩群、古元古代红旗营子岩群等,具有良好的成矿潜力。通过系统的野外地质调查与采样、分析测试工作,详细研究了赋矿层位的岩相学、地球化学特征,并对碳质来源进行了分析。结果表明:赋矿岩石主要为含石墨黑云斜长变粒岩、片麻岩与透辉岩,原岩恢复以砂泥质碎屑岩、钙质沉积岩为主。主量元素含量变化较大, SiO₂含量为38.90%～80.42%, CaO+MgO为2.05%～31.93%, Al₂O₃为1.50%～15.34%;稀土元素含量为79.1～321.4μg/g, PAAS标准化分布模式一般具有右倾或较平坦分布特征, δCe略具负异常,部分具有δEu异常。微量元素特征指示沉积环境为滨浅海环境,部分地区存在富氧条件,局部为还原环境或存在热液加入。石墨中碳同位素值为–26.0‰～–20.7‰,主要来源于生物成因有机碳;大理岩碳同位素值为–3.8‰～1.1‰,主要来源于碳酸盐岩成因无机碳。区内晶质石墨矿层分布受到地层、岩性、岩相控制,含矿...     

新疆准噶尔—东天山地区产于韧性剪切带中的金矿床成矿流体与碳、硫、铅同位素

韧性剪切带型金矿床是新疆准噶尔-东天山地区重要金矿类型。本文以科克萨依、康古尔、红石金矿为典型矿床,研究它们的流体包裹体均一温度、爆裂温度、包裹体成分、包裹体水的来源等,并进行了硫、铅同位素及近矿围岩碳同位素、矿体石英包裹体中CO2、CH4气体的碳同位素分析。结果表明,硫、铅为深源,暗示了本区金成矿物质的地幔来源。部分碳为有机碳,反映了本区年轻碳质沉积地层中有机碳参与了金的迁移与成矿作用。综合研究表明,在本区特定的后碰撞地质背景下,在构造挤压与伸展作用中形成的韧性剪切带中的金矿床金成矿物质源于深源,成矿流体主要是变质水。岩浆作用、变质作用、碳质围岩地层有机碳参与成矿,变质流体与岩浆热液及天水等流体的不同程度的混合与叠加,形成本区特征的韧性剪切带型金矿床。     

三极地区雪冰中黑碳研究进展

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COVID-19疫情期间全球空气质量变化:臭氧响应的区域间差异

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赤道东北太平洋沉积物中生物钡的分布特征

分析了赤道东北太平洋海域沉积物中Ba、Ti、Al和有机碳(Corg)的含量。研究表明,研究区沉积物中钡为0.198%~0.792%;采用标准陆源物质扣除法获得的生物钡(Babio)的含量为0.162%~0.764%,占沉积物中总钡含量的81.6%~96.5%,平均为88.7%,其在沉积物中的分布表现为上部一致,下部变化较大;有机碳(Corg)的含量为0.18%~0.58%,并表现为随沉积物深度的增加而降低。沉积物中Babio/Ti的比值表现为东区高于西区,且向高纬度降低的特点,而沉积物中Corg/Ti和Babio/Ti则表现为负相关关系,表明研究区沉积物中钡可能和上层海洋生产力的相关性不明显。     

TOC-IRMS联用在线高温氧化测定溶解有机碳稳定同位素组成的方法研究

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