Month: June 2021

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-climate-change-g7-asia-analysis-trfn-idUSKCN2DQ1N4

# After decades of rising emissions, just a statement on limiting coal-fired power by G7 (via) direct funding can hardly be seen as going far enough
# The commitment would have been stronger with a clear timeline for phasing out [existing] fossil fuel infrastructure
# But it could nonetheless prove a “game-changer” in Asia-Pacific where coal remains a mainstay for power generation
# The G7 decision to end new overseas coal funding will ratchet up pressure on Asian countries, from economic giants such as China to fast-developing economies like Bangladesh and Cambodia, to move away from coal
# Without Asia changing course, the world cannot meet any meaningful global targets

Together with colleagues from Sun Yat-sen University, Zhejiang University, Ca’ Foscari University of Venice, International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis, and Princeton University, Prof. Dhakal initiates Special Issue on “Reshaping urban infrastructure for a carbon-neutral and sustainable future” in prestigious Journal Resources, Conservation & Recycling. See details in above web-line of the Journal.

Low carbon urban infrastructure is a bed-rock of low carbon world and essential for aspiration of Paris Agreement on climate change. The special issue cover an array of state-of-art issues such as,

• Evaluation of the impacts of current urban infrastructures on environment and climate change and how they can be reduced in the future;
• Design and management of urban infrastructure future transitions under the constrain of future GHG emissions determined by national or global policies (e.g., national carbon neutrality goals, Paris Agreement);
• Advanced models and tools to track and assess the carbon footprint of urban infrastructure and urban infrastructure transitions/interventions, and how they contribute to climate change mitigation;
• Optimization of energy efficiency, other GHG mitigation strategies, and waste management related to urban infrastructures and their applications in urban planning;
• Trade-offs and synergies between energy use, carbon footprint, and social impacts of urban infrastructure;
• Nexus and connections of urban infrastructure with respect to public health, livability, well-being, social equity, and other sustainable development goals;
• Demonstrations and practical analyses of low-carbon or carbon-neutral projects and applications of urban infrastructure that have broad implications for urban infrastructure transitions towards carbon neutrality and sustainability; and
• Ex-post and ex-ante evaluation of urban infrastructure policies in relation to GHG emissions using quantitative and qualitative techniques.