IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/enepol/v113y2018icp149-156.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Drivers of stagnating global carbon intensity of electricity and the way forward

Author

Listed:
  • Goh, Tian
  • Ang, B.W.
  • Su, Bin
  • Wang, H.

Abstract

Despite the signing of the Paris climate agreement, there is still great uncertainty regarding the world's ability to decarbonize and meet the 2°C target. In this regard, the electricity production sector deserves particular attention. The sector has the largest decarbonization potential and its share of the world's CO2 emissions from fuel combustion increased from 30% in 1990 to 36% in 2014. To better understand global trends, this study analyses the factors influencing changes in the global aggregate carbon intensity (ACI) of electricity, a measure of the level of CO2 emissions per unit of electricity produced, over the last 25 years using multidimensional index decomposition analysis. It finds that global ACI barely improved since 1990 because of a shift in electricity production from developed to developing countries with higher ACIs. This geographical shift offset consistent improvements to power generation efficiency worldwide and is likely to persist in the future. To keep the 2°C target realisable, it is imperative to enhance international cooperation to lower the ACIs of emerging economies and deepen the penetration of renewables, which have thus far performed below expectations.

Suggested Citation

  • Goh, Tian & Ang, B.W. & Su, Bin & Wang, H., 2018. "Drivers of stagnating global carbon intensity of electricity and the way forward," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 113(C), pages 149-156.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:enepol:v:113:y:2018:i:c:p:149-156
    DOI: 10.1016/j.enpol.2017.10.058
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0301421517307334
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.enpol.2017.10.058?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Karmellos, M. & Kopidou, D. & Diakoulaki, D., 2016. "A decomposition analysis of the driving factors of CO2 (Carbon dioxide) emissions from the power sector in the European Union countries," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 94(C), pages 680-692.
    2. Ang, B.W. & Su, Bin, 2016. "Carbon emission intensity in electricity production: A global analysis," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 94(C), pages 56-63.
    3. Xu, X.Y. & Ang, B.W., 2014. "Multilevel index decomposition analysis: Approaches and application," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 44(C), pages 375-382.
    4. Malla, Sunil, 2009. "CO2 emissions from electricity generation in seven Asia-Pacific and North American countries: A decomposition analysis," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 37(1), pages 1-9, January.
    5. Wang, Feng & Yin, Haitao & Li, Shoude, 2010. "China's renewable energy policy: Commitments and challenges," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 38(4), pages 1872-1878, April.
    6. Steenhof, Paul A., 2007. "Decomposition for emission baseline setting in China's electricity sector," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 35(1), pages 280-294, January.
    7. Komiyama, Ryoichi & Fujii, Yasumasa, 2017. "Assessment of post-Fukushima renewable energy policy in Japan's nation-wide power grid," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 101(C), pages 594-611.
    8. Yang, Lisha & Lin, Boqiang, 2016. "Carbon dioxide-emission in China׳s power industry: Evidence and policy implications," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 60(C), pages 258-267.
    9. Chris Bataille & Henri Waisman & Michel Colombier & Laura Segafredo & Jim Williams, 2016. "The Deep Decarbonization Pathways Project (DDPP): insights and emerging issues," Climate Policy, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 16(sup1), pages 1-6, June.
    10. Spiros Papaefthimiou, Manolis Souliotis, and Kostas Andriosopoulos, 2016. "Grid parity of solar energy: imminent fact or future's fiction," The Energy Journal, International Association for Energy Economics, vol. 0(Bollino-M).
    11. Zhang, Ming & Liu, Xiao & Wang, Wenwen & Zhou, Min, 2013. "Decomposition analysis of CO2 emissions from electricity generation in China," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 52(C), pages 159-165.
    12. Stram, Bruce N., 2016. "Key challenges to expanding renewable energy," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 96(C), pages 728-734.
    13. Ang, B.W. & Goh, Tian, 2016. "Carbon intensity of electricity in ASEAN: Drivers, performance and outlook," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 98(C), pages 170-179.
    14. Ellabban, Omar & Abu-Rub, Haitham & Blaabjerg, Frede, 2014. "Renewable energy resources: Current status, future prospects and their enabling technology," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 39(C), pages 748-764.
    15. Resch, Gustav & Held, Anne & Faber, Thomas & Panzer, Christian & Toro, Felipe & Haas, Reinhard, 2008. "Potentials and prospects for renewable energies at global scale," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 36(11), pages 4048-4056, November.
    16. Ang, B.W. & Liu, Na, 2007. "Handling zero values in the logarithmic mean Divisia index decomposition approach," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 35(1), pages 238-246, January.
    17. Reynolds, Douglas B. & Kolodziej, Marek, 2008. "Former Soviet Union oil production and GDP decline: Granger causality and the multi-cycle Hubbert curve," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 30(2), pages 271-289, March.
    18. Liu, Nan & Ma, Zujun & Kang, Jidong, 2017. "A regional analysis of carbon intensities of electricity generation in China," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 67(C), pages 268-277.
    19. Ang, B.W. & Zhou, P. & Tay, L.P., 2011. "Potential for reducing global carbon emissions from electricity production--A benchmarking analysis," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 39(5), pages 2482-2489, May.
    20. Michael Levi, 2013. "Climate consequences of natural gas as a bridge fuel," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 118(3), pages 609-623, June.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Goh, Tian & Ang, B.W. & Xu, X.Y., 2018. "Quantifying drivers of CO2 emissions from electricity generation – Current practices and future extensions," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 231(C), pages 1191-1204.
    2. Liu, Nan & Ma, Zujun & Kang, Jidong, 2017. "A regional analysis of carbon intensities of electricity generation in China," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 67(C), pages 268-277.
    3. Shiping Ma & Qianqian Liu & Wenzhong Zhang, 2022. "Examining the Effects of Installed Capacity Mix and Capacity Factor on Aggregate Carbon Intensity for Electricity Generation in China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(6), pages 1-17, March.
    4. De Oliveira-De Jesus, Paulo M., 2019. "Effect of generation capacity factors on carbon emission intensity of electricity of Latin America & the Caribbean, a temporal IDA-LMDI analysis," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 101(C), pages 516-526.
    5. Ang, B.W. & Goh, Tian, 2016. "Carbon intensity of electricity in ASEAN: Drivers, performance and outlook," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 98(C), pages 170-179.
    6. Wang, Junfeng & He, Shutong & Qiu, Ye & Liu, Nan & Li, Yongjian & Dong, Zhanfeng, 2018. "Investigating driving forces of aggregate carbon intensity of electricity generation in China," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 113(C), pages 249-257.
    7. Zhong-Hua Tian & Ze-Liang Yang, 2016. "Scenarios of Carbon Emissions from the Power Sector in Guangdong Province," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 8(9), pages 1-14, August.
    8. Wang, Yongpei & Li, Jun, 2019. "Spatial spillover effect of non-fossil fuel power generation on carbon dioxide emissions across China's provinces," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 136(C), pages 317-330.
    9. Xiaocun Zhang & Qiwen Zhu & Xueqi Zhang, 2023. "Carbon Emission Intensity of Final Electricity Consumption: Assessment and Decomposition of Regional Power Grids in China from 2005 to 2020," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(13), pages 1-19, June.
    10. Wang, H. & Ang, B.W. & Su, Bin, 2017. "Assessing drivers of economy-wide energy use and emissions: IDA versus SDA," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 107(C), pages 585-599.
    11. Goh, Tian & Ang, B.W., 2018. "Quantifying CO2 emission reductions from renewables and nuclear energy – Some paradoxes," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 113(C), pages 651-662.
    12. Ling, Yantao & Xia, Senmao & Cao, Mengqiu & He, Kerun & Lim, Ming K. & Sukumar, Arun & Yi, Huiyong & Qian, Xiaoduo, 2021. "Carbon emissions in China's thermal electricity and heating industry: an input-output structural decomposition analysis," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 112930, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    13. Ma, Jia-Jun & Du, Gang & Xie, Bai-Chen, 2019. "CO2 emission changes of China's power generation system: Input-output subsystem analysis," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 124(C), pages 1-12.
    14. Haein Kim & Minsang Kim & Hyunggeun Kim & Sangkyu Park, 2020. "Decomposition Analysis of CO 2 Emission from Electricity Generation: Comparison of OECD Countries before and after the Financial Crisis," Energies, MDPI, vol. 13(14), pages 1-16, July.
    15. Harmsen, Robert & Crijns-Graus, Wina, 2021. "Unhiding the role of CHP in power & heat sector decomposition analyses," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 152(C).
    16. Huang, Chenchen & Lin, Boqiang, 2023. "Promoting decarbonization in the power sector: How important is digital transformation?," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 182(C).
    17. Karmellos, M. & Kosmadakis, V. & Dimas, P. & Tsakanikas, A. & Fylaktos, N. & Taliotis, C. & Zachariadis, T., 2021. "A decomposition and decoupling analysis of carbon dioxide emissions from electricity generation: Evidence from the EU-27 and the UK," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 231(C).
    18. Rodrigues, João F.D. & Wang, Juan & Behrens, Paul & de Boer, Paul, 2020. "Drivers of CO2 emissions from electricity generation in the European Union 2000–2015," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 133(C).
    19. Juan David Rivera-Niquepa & Daniela Rojas-Lozano & Paulo M. De Oliveira-De Jesus & Jose M. Yusta, 2022. "Decomposition Analysis of the Aggregate Carbon Intensity (ACI) of the Power Sector in Colombia—A Multi-Temporal Analysis," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(20), pages 1-18, October.
    20. Wei Sun & Ming Meng & Yujun He & Hong Chang, 2016. "CO 2 Emissions from China’s Power Industry: Scenarios and Policies for 13th Five-Year Plan," Energies, MDPI, vol. 9(10), pages 1-16, October.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:enepol:v:113:y:2018:i:c:p:149-156. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/enpol .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.