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. Xu, X.Y. & Ang, B.W., 2014. "Multilevel index decomposition analysis: Approaches and application," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 44(C), pages 375-382.
    3. 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.
    4. 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.
    5. 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.
    6. 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.
    7. 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.
    8. 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).
    9. 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.
    10. Stram, Bruce N., 2016. "Key challenges to expanding renewable energy," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 96(C), pages 728-734.
    11. 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.
    12. 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.
    13. 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.
    14. 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.
    15. Ang, B.W. & Su, Bin, 2016. "Carbon emission intensity in electricity production: A global analysis," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 94(C), pages 56-63.
    16. Steenhof, Paul A., 2007. "Decomposition for emission baseline setting in China's electricity sector," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 35(1), pages 280-294, January.
    17. 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.
    18. 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.
    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)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Weihua Su & Yuying Wang & Dalia Streimikiene & Tomas Balezentis & Chonghui Zhang, 2020. "Carbon dioxide emission decomposition along the gradient of economic development: The case of energy sustainability in the G7 and Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa," Sustainable Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 28(4), pages 657-669, July.
    2. Wu, Qingyang & Tan, Chang & Wang, Daoping & Wu, Yongtao & Meng, Jing & Zheng, Heran, 2023. "How carbon emission prices accelerate net zero: Evidence from China's coal-fired power plants," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 177(C).
    3. Yiyi Zhang & Shengren Hou & Jiefeng Liu & Hanbo Zheng & Jiaqi Wang & Chaohai Zhang, 2020. "Evolution of Virtual Water Transfers in China’s Provincial Grids and Its Driving Analysis," Energies, MDPI, vol. 13(2), pages 1-19, January.
    4. Cheng Huang & Yang Qu & Lingfang Huang & Xing Meng & Yulong Chen & Ping Pan, 2022. "Quantifying the Impact of Urban Form and Socio-Economic Development on China’s Carbon Emissions," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(5), pages 1-14, March.
    5. Pinto, Ricardo & Henriques, Sofia T. & Brockway, Paul E. & Heun, Matthew Kuperus & Sousa, Tânia, 2023. "The rise and stall of world electricity efficiency:1900–2017, results and insights for the renewables transition," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 269(C).
    6. Juyong Lee & Youngsang Cho & Jungwoo Shin, 2019. "A Study on the Optimal Ratio of Research and Development Investment in the Energy Sector: An Empirical Analysis in South Korea," Energies, MDPI, vol. 12(2), pages 1-12, January.
    7. Wang, Hongye & Su, Bin & Mu, Hailin & Li, Nan & Gui, Shusen & Duan, Ye & Jiang, Bo & Kong, Xue, 2020. "Optimal way to achieve renewable portfolio standard policy goals from the electricity generation, transmission, and trading perspectives in southern China," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 139(C).
    8. Thomas G. Schrand, 2020. "Utopianism and the equity path to sustainability," Journal of Environmental Studies and Sciences, Springer;Association of Environmental Studies and Sciences, vol. 10(4), pages 457-466, December.
    9. 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.
    10. Laura Felício & Sofia T. Henriques & André Serrenho & Tiago Domingos & Tânia Sousa, 2019. "Insights from Past Trends in Exergy Efficiency and Carbon Intensity of Electricity: Portugal, 1900–2014," Energies, MDPI, vol. 12(3), pages 1-22, February.
    11. Ma, Minda & Cai, Wei & Cai, Weiguang, 2018. "Carbon abatement in China's commercial building sector: A bottom-up measurement model based on Kaya-LMDI methods," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 165(PA), pages 350-368.
    12. Wang, H. & Ang, B.W., 2018. "Assessing the role of international trade in global CO2 emissions: An index decomposition analysis approach," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 218(C), pages 146-158.
    13. Wang, Ning & Shen, Ruifang & Wen, Zongguo & De Clercq, Djavan, 2019. "Life cycle energy efficiency evaluation for coal development and utilization," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 179(C), pages 1-11.
    14. Sou, Weng Sut & Goh, Tian & Lee, Xin Ni & Ng, Szu Hui & Chai, Kah-Hin, 2022. "Reducing the carbon intensity of international shipping – The impact of energy efficiency measures," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 170(C).
    15. Wang, H. & Zhou, P., 2018. "Assessing Global CO2 Emission Inequality From Consumption Perspective: An Index Decomposition Analysis," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 154(C), pages 257-271.
    16. Liu, Xiao & Hang, Ye & Wang, Qunwei & Chiu, Ching-Ren & Zhou, Dequn, 2022. "The role of energy consumption in global carbon intensity change: A meta-frontier-based production-theoretical decomposition analysis," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 109(C).
    17. Su, Bin & Ang, B.W., 2020. "Demand contributors and driving factors of Singapore’s aggregate carbon intensities," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 146(C).
    18. Hongze Li & FengYun Li & Xinhua Yu, 2018. "China’s Contributions to Global Green Energy and Low-Carbon Development: Empirical Evidence under the Belt and Road Framework," Energies, MDPI, vol. 11(6), pages 1-32, June.
    19. Yang, Xue & Su, Bin, 2019. "Impacts of international export on global and regional carbon intensity," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 253(C), pages 1-1.
    20. Qingyou Yan & Yaxian Wang & Tomas Baležentis & Yikai Sun & Dalia Streimikiene, 2018. "Energy-Related CO 2 Emission in China’s Provincial Thermal Electricity Generation: Driving Factors and Possibilities for Abatement," Energies, MDPI, vol. 11(5), pages 1-25, April.
    21. Wang, Yaxian & Zhao, Zhenli & Wang, Wenju & Streimikiene, Dalia & Balezentis, Tomas, 2023. "Interplay of multiple factors behind decarbonisation of thermal electricity generation: A novel decomposition model," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 189(C).
    22. 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.
    23. Abdul-Manan, Amir F.N. & Won, Hyun-Woo & Li, Yang & Sarathy, S. Mani & Xie, Xiaomin & Amer, Amer A., 2020. "Bridging the gap in a resource and climate-constrained world with advanced gasoline compression-ignition hybrids," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 267(C).
    24. Perry Sadorsky, 2020. "Energy Related CO 2 Emissions before and after the Financial Crisis," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(9), pages 1-22, May.
    25. 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).

    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. 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.
    4. 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.
    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, 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.
    7. 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.
    8. 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.
    9. 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.
    10. 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.
    11. 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.
    12. 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.
    13. 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.
    14. 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.
    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. 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.
    17. Huang, Chenchen & Lin, Boqiang, 2023. "Promoting decarbonization in the power sector: How important is digital transformation?," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 182(C).
    18. Xue-Ting Jiang & Min Su & Rongrong Li, 2018. "Decomposition Analysis in Electricity Sector Output from Carbon Emissions in China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(9), pages 1-18, September.
    19. 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).
    20. Paulo M. De Oliveira-De Jesus & John J. Galvis & Daniela Rojas-Lozano & Jose M. Yusta, 2020. "Multitemporal LMDI Index Decomposition Analysis to Explain the Changes of ACI by the Power Sector in Latin America and the Caribbean between 1990–2017," Energies, MDPI, vol. 13(9), pages 1-14, May.

    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.