3b. Mitigating Climate Change: Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency
Track Chair:
Francisco Ferreira. Center for Environmental and Sustainability Research, Dep. of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, School of Science and Technology, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Portugal. ff@fct.unl.pt
Celio Andrade. School of Management, Federal University of Bahia (UFBA), Brazil. jcelio.andrade@gmail.com
Goals and objectives of the track
There is now consensus that climate change, through increased anthropogenic greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, is one of the most serious threats facing our society, its economy, and the natural environment it depends on. This consensus is based on observations on climate change effects, such as the increase in the average earth surface temperature, an increase in number and impact of extreme weather events, and melting of polar ices; together with results of climate modelling studies.
The Paris Agreement set two new important goals where renewable energy will play a decisive role:
- Holding the increase in the global average temperature to well below 2 °C above pre-industrial levels and to pursue efforts to limit the temperature increase to 1.5 °C above pre-industrial levels, recognizing that this would significantly reduce the risks and impacts of climate change;
- Parties aim to reach global peaking of greenhouse gas emissions as soon as possible, recognizing that peaking will take longer for developing country Parties, and to undertake rapid reductions thereafter in accordance with best available science, so as to achieve a balance between anthropogenic emissions by sources and removals by sinks of greenhouse gases in the second half of this century, on the basis of equity, and in the context of sustainable development and efforts to eradicate poverty.
These two goals require strong policy measures to modify energy technologies, across all sectors, it will also require policies that change the behaviour of the public, commerce and industry in relation to energy use. This track will focus on the examples and these required (transition) changes in order to mainstream renewable energy, as alternative technology options, and energy use and efficiency, as demand-behaviour interventions, to reduce GHG emissions in the economy and thereby mitigate climate change.
Francisco Ferreira is an Assistant Professor with the Department of Sciences and Environmental Engineering of the Faculty of Sciences and Technology of the New University of Lisbon, Portugal. His research is mostly in the areas of air quality, energy and climate change, and sustainable development. Within this framework, he has been participating in the coordinating teams of national plans and strategies for air, energy, and climate mitigation. He is also part of the global project "Common Home of Humanity", where a new environmental systems accountability framework is being developed.
Celio Andrade is Associate Professor at Federal University of Bahia (UFBA) - Brazil. He coordinates the Global Environmental Governance and Carbon Market Research Group at UFBA. His research revolves around low carbon governance, especially with regard to sustainable development co-benefits associated with carbon market projects. He has published widely in the fields of global environmental governance, low carbon economy and carbon market, including case studies in Brazil within six sectors: energy efficiency, reforestation, waste, fossil fuel replacement, swine and renewable energy.
