Transitioning to Low-Carbon Cities : Daily News Analysis

Date : 09/06/2023

Relevance: GS Paper 1: Urbanisation GS Paper 3: Sustainable Economic Development

Key Words: Carbon capture Technology, Low carbon cities, Renewable energy

Context -

Transitioning to low-carbon cities is essential to mitigate the effects of climate change, as cities are significant contributors to carbon dioxide emissions. In 2020, cities dumped a whopping 29 trillion tonnes of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.
The sector-coupling approach, which integrates mitigation and adaptation options in various sectors, is crucial for decarbonizing urban systems.
Transitioning to low-carbon cities requires tailored strategies that consider the unique characteristics of each city, address energy justice and social equity, and ensure an inclusive and environmentally fair transition.

Importance of Energy-System Transitions:

An energy-system transition can potentially reduce urban carbon dioxide emissions by approximately 74%.
With advancements in clean energy technologies and declining costs, the economic and technological barriers to implementing low-carbon solutions have been surpassed. This transition involves both the supply and demand sides of energy.
On the supply side, it includes phasing out fossil fuels, increasing renewable energy sources, and utilizing carbon capture and storage technologies.
On the demand side, the "avoid, shift, improve" framework emphasizes reducing energy and material demand, shifting from fossil fuels to renewables, and implementing carbon-dioxide removal technologies to address residual emissions.

Carbon capture technologies:

Carbon capture technologies are methods designed to capture carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from various sources and prevent them from being released into the atmosphere. Here are some commonly used carbon capture technologies:

Post-Combustion Capture: This technology captures CO2 from flue gases after the combustion of fossil fuels in power plants or industrial facilities. The flue gases are passed through an absorption solvent, which selectively captures the CO2.

Pre-Combustion Capture: Pre-combustion capture is primarily used in natural gas-based power plants. The process involves converting the fuel (natural gas) into a mixture of hydrogen (H2) and CO2 through steam reforming. The CO2 is then separated from the hydrogen using various techniques such as pressure swing adsorption or membrane separation.

Oxy-Fuel Combustion: In oxy-fuel combustion, the fuel is burned with pure oxygen rather than air, resulting in a flue gas predominantly composed of CO2 and water vapor. The CO2 can be captured by condensing the water vapor and compressing the CO2 for storage or utilization.

Carbon Capture and Utilization (CCU): CCU involves capturing CO2 emissions and converting them into useful products, thereby providing economic value. CO2 can be used in the production of synthetic fuels, chemicals, or construction materials, reducing the need for fossil fuel-based feedstocks.

Strategies for Transitioning to Low-Carbon Cities:

Strategies for mitigating and adapting to low-carbon cities vary based on each city's characteristics.

Retrofitting and repurposing infrastructure, promoting energy efficiency, and encouraging sustainable transportation options such as walking and cycling are effective measures for established cities. Walkable cities designed around people can significantly reduce energy demand.
Rapidly growing cities can focus on colocating housing and jobs, adopting low-carbon technologies, and implementing renewable-based district heating and cooling networks.
New and emerging cities have the potential to implement energy-efficient infrastructure, people-centric urban design, and net-zero energy building codes while gradually transitioning to low-emission construction materials.

Energy Transition and Equity:

Energy systems have direct and indirect impacts on livelihoods, local economies, and socio-economic well-being. A one-size-fits-all approach is unlikely to achieve a socially and environmentally just transition.

Transitioning to renewable energy sources may disproportionately affect specific communities and industries reliant on fossil fuels, particularly in developing economies.
For instance, developing economies, including Nigeria, Angola, and Venezuela, owe a significant fraction of their gross domestic product (GDP) to fossil-fuel exports. Transitioning away from these industries could devastate their economies.
Additionally, energy poverty and inequity are prevalent in many developed countries.
To ensure an equitable transition, strategic efforts are needed in governance, planning, behavioral shifts, technology adoption, and institutional capacity building. Engaging multiple stakeholders in energy governance, promoting energy efficiency, scaling up climate investments, and integrating diverse knowledge streams, including indigenous and local experiences, are key to addressing energy and environmental injustices.

Conclusion:

Transitioning to low-carbon cities requires a sector-coupling approach that integrates mitigation and adaptation options across multiple sectors. Tailored strategies considering the characteristics of each city are necessary while addressing energy justice and social equity. Energy governance must be inclusive and involve diverse stakeholders, while efforts should be made to promote energy efficiency, enhance climate investments, and incorporate alternate knowledge sources. By adopting comprehensive approaches, we can achieve a socially and environmentally just transition to low-carbon cities, mitigating the impacts of climate change and ensuring a sustainable future.

Probable questions for the Mains exam -

Question 1: Explain the strategies that can be implemented to mitigate excessive energy use in different types of cities. (10 marks, 150 Words)
Question 2: Explain the concept of energy justice and its relevance in the transition to low-carbon cities. Discuss the potential impacts on marginalized communities to address these issues. (15 marks, 250 Words)

Source : The Hindu