Industry Mitigation Opportunities Global
Sources: Climate Change 2001 Working Group III:
Mitigation section 3.5.2, Climate Change 2001 Synthesis Report
p.322-3
The major greenhouse gas contribution by industry is carbon
dioxide. These emissions are mainly from energy use.
Energy use is growing in all areas of the world except in the
countries with economies in transition, as you can see in Figure
1 below. The highest rate of growth is in the Asia-Pacific region.
There are large differences in the energy efficiency of industries
between different countries.
Improvement of energy efficiency of industrial processes is
the most significant option for lowering greenhouse gas emissions.
This comes from hundreds of technologies which are specific for
different industrial sectors. The IPCC estimates that the worldwide
potential for energy savings is 300-500 MtC (Megatonnes of carbon)
for 2010 and 700-900 MtC for 2020. The majority of efficiency
improvements will save money for the industry. (This is called
a net negative cost.)
The second important way to reduce greenhouse gas emissions
is by improving material efficiency. This means recycling, improved
product design (like thinner packaging) and substituting different
materials to make the product.
Some industrial processes emit non-CO2 greenhouse
gases. The manufacturers of the raw materials for fertilizers
have strongly reduced their NO2 emissions. The aluminum industry
has made major gains in lowering release of PFCs.
We have the technological options to reduce greenhouse gas emissions
in developed countries by 2010 and to limit increase of emissions
in the developing countries.
Figure 1. Industrial energy use in the different world regions.
EJ: Etajoule = 1018 Joules Source: Climate Change
2001 Working Group III: Mitigation section 3.5.2
Questions:
- Which group includes Canada?
- Which region has the lowest industrial energy use?
- Identify the line for energy use by Industrialized Countries
and for Africa. About how much more energy is used by industry
in the Industrialized countries?
- The countries with Economies in Transition are in the process
of changing from a planned economic system to a market economy.
They include Russia, Poland Ukraine, Czech Republic and others.
Try to account for the drop in energy use in the last few years.
- Describe the trend in the Asia-pacific region. Try to account
for this trend.
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