Track: Sustainability and Green Systems

Abstract

Energy production has several direct environmental challenges which include climate change, air pollution, water pollution, land contamination, thermal/heat pollution, and solid waste disposal. Energy related air pollution is a major environmental challenge facing urban areas. Fuel combustion leads directly to emissions and potential environmental
harm, while use of electricity does not lead directly to environmental impacts, but its production from fuels leads to emits significant quantities of greenhouse gas emissions and other environmental impacts. However, if electricity is produced from renewable and low carbon sources like wind turbines , solar photovoltaic cells and nuclear has limited direct emissions compared to fossil fuels. Assessment of environmental impacts of energy carriers considers processes from resource extraction, its conversion into secondary energy carriers, consumption, and waste disposal or recycling.
The cradle-to-grave approach captures all steps between extracting materials and fuels from the environment until and their returned to the environment. The attainment of decarburization targets and keeping global warming below 2°C threshold requires well-informed energy policy design. Low-carbon electricity supply for all needed to attain the 2°C-
compatible energy system, will entail electrification of most of our economy. Life cycle assessment facilitates evaluation of a product over its life cycle, and across various environmental indicators. Energy resources and  technologies for power generation are a mix of renewable and nonrenewable e.g. coal, natural gas, hydropower, nuclear power, concentrated solar power (CSP), photovoltaics, and wind power. Life cycle assessment is a tool used to evaluate the environmental impact of energy sources. One major limitation of the standard life cycle assessment
methodology is that it ignores the impact of the impact of greenhouse gases. Life-cycle impacts decrease substantially when current fossil fuel technologies diminish in the energy mix, particularly coal. Natural gas use may play an important role during the transition while installation of new fossil options without CO 2 capture should be avoided to minimize emissions. The endogenous integration of life-cycle indicators into energy models adds value to both life cycle assessment and energy systems modelling in their support in energy decision as well as policymaking for
sustainable energy transition.