Skip to content Skip to navigation
University of Warwick
  • Study
  • |
  • Research
  • |
  • Business
  • |
  • Alumni
  • |
  • News
  • |
  • About

University of Warwick
Publications service & WRAP

Highlight your research

  • WRAP
    • Home
    • Search WRAP
    • Browse by Warwick Author
    • Browse WRAP by Year
    • Browse WRAP by Subject
    • Browse WRAP by Department
    • Browse WRAP by Funder
    • Browse Theses by Department
  • Publications Service
    • Home
    • Search Publications Service
    • Browse by Warwick Author
    • Browse Publications service by Year
    • Browse Publications service by Subject
    • Browse Publications service by Department
    • Browse Publications service by Funder
  • Help & Advice
University of Warwick

The Library

  • Login
  • Admin

Not all low-carbon energy pathways are environmentally “no-regrets” options

Tools
- Tools
+ Tools

Konadu, D. Dennis, Mourão, Zenaida Sobral, Allwood, Julian M., Richards, Keith S., Kopec, Grant M., McMahon, Richard A. and Fenner, Richard A. (2015) Not all low-carbon energy pathways are environmentally “no-regrets” options. Global Environmental Change, 35 . pp. 379-390. doi:10.1016/j.gloenvcha.2015.10.002

[img] PDF
WRAP_1-s2.0-S0959378015300601-main.pdf - Requires a PDF viewer.
Available under License Creative Commons Attribution 4.0.

Download (2691Kb)
Official URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.gloenvcha.2015.10.002

Request Changes to record.

Abstract

Energy system pathways which are projected to deliver minimum possible deployment cost, combined with low Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions, are usually considered as ‘no-regrets’ options. However, the question remains whether such energy pathways present ‘no-regrets’ when also considering the wider environmental resource impacts, in particular those on land and water resources. This paper aims to determine whether the energy pathways of the UK’s Carbon Plan are environmental “no-regrets” options, defined in this study as simultaneously exhibiting low impact on land and water services resulting from resource appropriation for energy provision. This is accomplished by estimating the land area and water abstraction required by 2050 under the four pathways of the Carbon Plan with different scenarios for energy crop composition, yield, and power station locations. The outcomes are compared with defined limits for sustainable land appropriation and water abstraction.

The results show that of the four Carbon Plan pathways, only the “Higher Renewables, more energy efficiency” pathway is an environmental “no-regrets” option, and that is only if deployment of power stations inland is limited. The study shows that policies for future low-carbon energy systems should be developed with awareness of wider environmental impacts. Failing to do this could lead to a setback in achieving GHG emission reductions goals, because of unforeseen additional competition between the energy sector and demand for land and water services in other sectors.

Item Type: Journal Article
Subjects: G Geography. Anthropology. Recreation > GE Environmental Sciences
H Social Sciences > HD Industries. Land use. Labor
T Technology > TD Environmental technology. Sanitary engineering
Divisions: Faculty of Science, Engineering and Medicine > Engineering > WMG (Formerly the Warwick Manufacturing Group)
Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH): Carbon dioxide mitigation, Land use, Water use, Environmental policy -- Great Britain
Journal or Publication Title: Global Environmental Change
Publisher: Pergamon
ISSN: 0959-3780
Official Date: November 2015
Dates:
DateEvent
November 2015Published
28 October 2015Available
12 October 2015Accepted
30 April 2015Submitted
Volume: 35
Page Range: pp. 379-390
DOI: 10.1016/j.gloenvcha.2015.10.002
Status: Peer Reviewed
Publication Status: Published
Access rights to Published version: Open Access
Funder: Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC)
Grant number: EP/K039326/1

Request changes or add full text files to a record

Repository staff actions (login required)

View Item View Item

Downloads

Downloads per month over past year

View more statistics

twitter

Email us: wrap@warwick.ac.uk
Contact Details
About Us