Achieving carbon neutrality through rapid energy transition has become an irreversible global trend. Rapid transition hinges, more fundamentally, on how social conflicts arising from the distribution of transition costs are managed through just transition mechanisms—specifically, who bears the costs, through what institutional arrangements, and how fairly those costs are shared. Thus, existing research on Just Transition (JT) has largely concentrated on the economic impacts of coal phase-out on miners and coal-dependent local communities, particularly with respect to employment loss and regional economic decline. However, energy transition encompasses a broad agenda that extends well beyond job creation for displaced workers, including sustainable development at the regional and national levels and the expansion of renewable energy systems. This underscores the need for a more comprehensive and integrated discussion of just transition that links labor, regional development, governance, and energy system.
Current empirical and comparative research remains limited on how institutionalized social dialogue—one of the core components of a just transition—is organized and operationalized to the extent that broad agenda is set and deliberated in practice. Also, much of the current JT literature remains at a theory-generating stage, leaving a significant research gap concerning the actual performance, implementation dynamics, and conflict-management capacity of institutionalized Just Transition dialogues.
This study seeks to explore the conditions under which integrated social dialogue can emerge and function effectively to connect Just Transition with regional sustainable development in coal-fired power plant–concentrated regions undergoing coal phase-out. Through a comparative analysis of Germany, Australia, Japan, South Korea, and South Africa, the study identifies key enabling and constraining factors influencing such governance arrangements.
Using a Most Different Systems Design (MDSD), this study compares cases from countries with distinct political, institutional, and cultural settings that confront a shared challenge of coal-powered plant phase-out. The analysis relies on qualitative methodologies, including process tracing and comparative case studies, supported by evidence from policy documents and in-depth interviews with relevant stakeholders.
Recognizing Just Transition as the product of political coalitions and institutional arrangements, this study acknowledges the substantial variation in how JT is implemented across regions. However, by focusing on the role of policy entrepreneurs rather than adopting a path-dependent perspective, the study highlights the capacity of proactive and reform-oriented leadership to shape transformative outcomes. In doing so, it provides policy-relevant insights for countries aiming to pursue a rapid energy transition that effectively integrates Just Transition with sustainable regional development during coal-fired power plant closures.
How to cite: Kim, D.-Y.: Just Transition and Sustainable Development: Comparative analysis of coal-powered plant phase-out, EGU General Assembly 2026, Vienna, Austria, 3–8 May 2026, EGU26-8472, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu26-8472, 2026.
The climate crisis poses an existential threat to business and industry activities. Despite global climate disclosure standards like Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), IFRS S2 Climate-related disclosures and European Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRS), corporations continue to struggle to identify and prioritize their climate adaptation measures and efforts, due to the limitations of adaptation-related items in the current ESG and sustainability disclosure framework. To address this challenge, we developed a novel Corporate Climate Adaptation-related Disclosure Framework, consisting of two overarching dimensions – Corporate Climate Vulnerability (CCV) and Corporate Climate Adaptive Capacity (CCAC) – and four mid-level components – Exposure, Sensitivity, Readiness and Responsiveness via Living Lab approach. Then, we examine the perceptions and priorities of the framework components among 30 ESG practitioners from South Korean corporations via Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP). Our initial findings indicate the importance of physical/transition risks, infrastructure sensitivity, adaptation strategy, governance etc. We expect our findings to contribute to corporate practice by guiding companies to prioritize resource allocation to strengthen climate resilience, while simultaneously offering investors a robust model to assess financial stability and business continuity under climate-related risk. Furthermore, this research provides empirical evidence for policymakers, including Korea Sustainability Standards Board (KSSB), to further develop climate adaptation-related items or guidelines. Ultimately, this study aims to contribute to the global sustainability landscape by materializing the abstract concept of corporate climate adaptation into a concrete, data-driven management framework that enhances corporate transparency and risk management.
How to cite: Lee, H., Lee, K., and Lee, T.: Corporate Climate Adaptation Disclosures: Components and Priorities, EGU General Assembly 2026, Vienna, Austria, 3–8 May 2026, EGU26-22386, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu26-22386, 2026.
Decarbonization and climate resilience are accelerating the digitalization of energy systems, expanding the use of AI-enabled and automated decision-making (ADM) in utility governance. Smart meters, dynamic tariffs, demand response, fraud detection, and automated eligibility screening for energy assistance or retrofit subsidies increasingly shift discretion from frontline caseworkers and customer-service staff to modelers, vendors, and code—an emerging form of algorithmic energy bureaucracy. Yet citizen acceptance of algorithmic decisions remains volatile, particularly when climate-motivated interventions impose immediate burdens (e.g., remote disconnection, peak-time restrictions, or load curtailment during heatwaves). Vignette experiments are well-suited to identify causal determinants of acceptance. Still, many designs either oversimplify energy contexts—erasing distributive and dignity concerns central to the “just transition”—or overcomplicate scenarios, undermining internal validity.
Building on the conceptual tension between thin, standardized algorithmic rules and thick, context-dependent governance, and on procedural justice theory, this article proposes a parsimonious vignette architecture that preserves the normative thickness of energy governance while enabling clean causal inference. We argue that minimal, theoretically grounded manipulations should isolate: (1) decision locus (human vs algorithmic vs hybrid), (2) context sensitivity and exception handling (e.g., medical device reliance, extreme weather vulnerability), (3) transparency as accessibility (disclosure) versus explainability (comprehensible rationale), (4) opportunities for voice and appeal, and (5) climate-and-equity framing (emissions reduction and grid stability benefits versus bill impacts and hardship risk).
An illustrative high-stakes scenario—smart-meter–triggered remote electricity disconnection or automated peak curtailment targeting households flagged as “high-risk” for arrears—demonstrates how simplification can retain climate-policy relevance without conflating “algorithmic” with “opaque,” “inflexible,” or “unaccountable.” The framework yields testable hypotheses about when climate-benefit narratives fail to compensate for losses in contextual legitimacy, and how explainable justifications and meaningful recourse can strengthen contextual legitimacy in the eyes of citizens.
How to cite: Choi, H. and Kim, P.: Thin Rules, Thick Energy Realities: Citizen Acceptance of Algorithmic Energy Governance in the Climate Transition, EGU General Assembly 2026, Vienna, Austria, 3–8 May 2026, EGU26-15493, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu26-15493, 2026.
How to cite: Kang, J.: Carbon Sinks and Policy Trade-offs in Climate Policy: Evidence from COP and CMA Decisions, EGU General Assembly 2026, Vienna, Austria, 3–8 May 2026, EGU26-4220, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu26-4220, 2026.
Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR) is widely recognized as an essential component for meeting global climate targets, as emphasized in the latest IPCC reports. This is reflected in many national targets and NDCs, which regard LULUCF a key sector for achieving these goals. This sector includes land-intensive measures such as afforestation/reforestation, forest management, and BECCS, which are attributed great potentials for CO₂ sequestration. Consequently, these methods are primarily integrated into future scenarios to model global CDR potentials. However, existing modelling efforts focus mainly on the biophysical potentials of land-based CDR, while its implementation is also shaped by socioeconomic contexts (e.g., societal values, demand or policy measures) at the national level. These factors influence direct and indirect land-use change dynamics (e.g., displacement effects and land-sparing or land-sharing outcomes) and the provision of food, materials, and other ecosystem services.
The transdisciplinary research project STEPSEC investigates the feasibility of land-based CDR measures – BECCS, forest management, and afforestation/reforestation – under socio-ecological constraints in Germany. For this purpose, an agent-based model of the German land system (CRAFTY-DE) was developed to simulate the implications for future land use and its effects on ecosystem service provision. The demand for ecosystem services drives a range of interrelated land use agents with different behaviour and productivity that depend on scenario-specific dynamic socioeconomic and environmental conditions. Therefore, a set of national scenarios and policy assumptions has been developed using a co-creation process with stakeholders. These include a) qualitative and quantitative land-use-related Shared Socioeconomic Pathways and b) scenario-specific policy measures for CDR. These aspects have been introduced into the model in the form of socioeconomic and environmental location factors as well as incentives and restrictions for land use change.
The model provides a range of plausible CDR pathways for land use development in Germany. The results allow a scenario-dependent assessment of the CO2 sequestration potential of land-based CDR in Germany. Furthermore, they clearly demonstrate the extent of CDR required, how this would shape future land use, and what potential impacts this would have on ecosystem services. In a final step, these national-scale findings were discussed with key land use stakeholders in Germany to identify potential barriers to the implementation of CDR at the local level.
The project’s transdisciplinary approach aimed to integrate practical expertise into model design to simulate the effects of political targets and measures on the land system and perform a reality check on the model results to evaluate the practical feasibility of CDR measures at local level. The talk focuses on challenges and opportunities of this transdisciplinary approach and presents key findings on land system potentials, effects and limitations of CDR implementation. Results show that even ambitious scenarios involve significant synergy and trade-off effects and are unlikely to achieve CDR targets in line with other goals (e.g. food security, energy supply). Furthermore, an implementation gap exists at national to local level, which can be attributed to four key sets of barriers: Limited resources; Regulatory, economic and social environment; Current and expected lines of conflict; Knowledge gaps in practice and research.
How to cite: Witting, M., Winkler, K., Gulde, F., Rounsevell, M., and Garschagen, M.: National CDR pathways for the land system in Germany: Potentials, effects and barriers to implementation, EGU General Assembly 2026, Vienna, Austria, 3–8 May 2026, EGU26-1678, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu26-1678, 2026.
We explored the effects of anthropogenic land cover and land use (LCLU) changes on the East Asian summer monsoon (EASM) variability based on comprehensive empirical analyses of correlation, regression, composite, and causation during the recent 34-year period of 1982–2015. The spatial patterns of linear regression trends revealed that the EASM weakened over the land and strengthened over the surrounding ocean, which was led by the regression trend over the second half of the study period, specifically, 1999–2015. The significantly weakened monsoon activities over the land were observed in central China, wherein LCLU transitions from grasslands or croplands to forests have been identified since 1998. A significant negative (positive) correlation between precipitation (vertically integrated moisture divergence and outgoing long-wave radiation) and the normalized difference vegetation index was observed in central China, indicating weaker EASM with enhanced vegetation activity. Linear and non-linear causality analyses supported that the vegetation variability in central China during the pre-monsoon to monsoon seasons causes the summer monsoon variability. The interannual variability of vegetation time-series during 1982–2015 was significantly positively associated with surface net solar radiation, surface heat fluxes, 2 m temperature, and temperatures up to the mid-troposphere in central China. Tropospheric warming induced higher geopotential heights and related anomalies of negative vorticity and descending air in the upper atmosphere over the central China region. Under unfavorable thermodynamic conditions, monsoonal convections were diminished in the monsoon region. Based on the empirical results, we proposed biophysical processes of vegetation activity in central China with EASM variability.
How to cite: Kim, M., Im, A., Kim, Y., He, Y., Kim, K.-Y., Hyun, Y.-K., and Lee, E.: Biophysical processes of the vegetation activity in central China with monsoon variability in East Asia, EGU General Assembly 2026, Vienna, Austria, 3–8 May 2026, EGU26-16011, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu26-16011, 2026.
Ocean alkalinity enhancement (OAE) could contribute gigatonne-scale atmospheric CO2 removal, but its feasibility hinges on poorly quantified techno-economic and physical limits. Here we map the global distribution of CO2 removal cost for ship-based OAE with hydrated lime by coupling country-specific lime production supply-chain, optimized ship routing, and spatially resolved carbonate-chemistry model accounting for secondary carbonate precipitation. We find that net CO2 removal spans $115–$500 per tCO2 globally. National cost differences are dominated by land production costs differences driven by national energy systems (e.g electricity and natural gas prices), whereas ocean regional contrasts —cheapest in subpolar and equatorial waters— reflect ocean physics and chemistry differences. We show that coastal carbonate secondary precipitation, Carbon Capture and Storage costs and availability, and existing shipping routes could spatially restrict near-term implementation, and highlight priority regions for monitoring and governance.
How to cite: Poupon, M., Resplandy, L., and Oppenheimer, M.: Carbon Dioxide Removal via Ocean Alkalinity Enhancement: Uneven Costs and Optimal Regions, EGU General Assembly 2026, Vienna, Austria, 3–8 May 2026, EGU26-13928, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu26-13928, 2026.
This paper aims to explore the impact of ambiguity, ambiguity aversion, and model misspecification on mitigation dynamics when several mitigation options are considered. It develops a continuous-time endogenous-growth economic model allowing for ambiguity and model misspecification on (i) climate and investment dynamics and (ii) uncertainty around technological jumps for potentially disruptive decarbonisation technologies. The model further innovates by considering a relative degree of technology richness, by representing emission-free capital, carbon intensity reductions and negative-emission technologies. Given the high dimensionality of the model and the inherent difficulties encountered in optimal control in the presence of misspecification corrections, we solve the model using a recent deep learning method, the Deep-Galerkin Method with Policy Iteration Algorithm (DGM-PIA), proposed by Al-Aradi et al. (2022). We are able to satisfactorily approximate a solution to a complex, highly non-linear problem in a fraction of the time required by traditional methods. Our preliminary findings suggest that misspecification and ambiguity aversion can lead to a range of transition strategies, including reduced reliance on uncertain technologies, such as negative-emission mitigation options.
How to cite: Daumas, L., Rodriguez-Pardo, C., Chiani, L., and Tavoni, M.: Ambiguity and model misspecification with potentially disruptive mitigation options, EGU General Assembly 2026, Vienna, Austria, 3–8 May 2026, EGU26-9407, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu26-9407, 2026.
Achieving Net Zero will require carbon removals alongside decarbonisation to compensate for residual emissions in hard to abate sectors. The voluntary carbon market (VCM) has developed a plethora of protocols for carbon dioxide removal (CDR) technologies (Smith et al., 2024). However, reaching net zero emissions by 2050 at a scale of 7-9GT CO2e per year (IPCC, 2023) will require national level regulatory frameworks and internationally accepted CDR standards. (Martirosian et al., 2025).
Two barriers to scaling a credible and publicly-acceptable carbon removal industry are social acceptability and sustainability. The 17 United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) provide a useful framework to incorporate sustainability into practice, supported by financial mechanisms and voluntary self-reporting. The 2025 SDGs progress report reveals low adoption of the SDGs, with only 20% of goals being on target to sustainability by 2030 (United Nations, 2025), and gaps in climate action methodologies and data. It suggests a realignment with 2050 Net Zero targets (Sachs et al., 2024) presenting a necessity and opportunity for carbon removal markets to incorporate SDGs into monitoring, reporting and verification (MRV).
Our research is focusing on the analysis of existing approaches to SDGs in the VCM and potential alignments with best practices in relevant guidelines (e.g. BSI Standards, CRCF Regulation, and Article 6.4 of the Paris Agreement). Preliminary findings show that of 34 globally registered standards claiming to address SDGs, self-reporting a collective 15 SDGs, there are inconsistent ways of communicating SDGs which offer little to no justification or data. None include these parameters in their MRV protocols for various CDR technologies (nature-based or engineered). Only one standard requires consideration and reporting of SDGs during project design, and one offers a self-reporting toolkit. Three MRV protocols report a requirement of one SDG, which is Climate Action. Including sustainability beyond carbon measures from project planning throughout MRV would have a positive impact on reaching SDGs, increasing the integrity of carbon removal projects, unlock finance beyond carbon markets, and increase social acceptability and environmental protection.
How to cite: martirosian, N., Mouchos, E., Thoppil, M., House, J., and Butnar, I.: Alignment of Sustainable Development Goals in the Voluntary Carbon Market: Socio-ecological benefits and barriers for achieving climate goals and net zero, EGU General Assembly 2026, Vienna, Austria, 3–8 May 2026, EGU26-21399, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu26-21399, 2026.
Around 40% of the global population approximately half living in developed countries still rely on traditional biomass cookstoves for daily cooking. This widespread practice is a major source of indoor air pollution and adverse health effects due to the release of a hazardous pollutants such as particulate matter (PM2.5) and carbon monoxide (CO). According to the WHO report, there is an estimated 3.8 million death annually from indoor air pollution. In this study a mini biomass pellet based forced draft domestic cookstove was developed and experimentally evaluated for its thermal performance and the emission characteristics, using the standard water boiling test. The stove demonstrated a thermal efficiency of up to 47% with CO and PM₂.₅ emissions are as low as 2.97 g/kg and 256.16 mg/kg respectively. Therefore, there is 79% reduction in PM2.5, 95% reduction in CO emissions and efficiency is 400% higher than the traditional cookstove being used by 2.7 billion people globally. These results meet the Tier 4 efficiency criteria of the ISO/IWA clean cookstove standards. The developed cookstove shows promising result and provide effective and clean cooking solution to 1/3rd of humanity, particularly in the global south, while utilizing the carbon neutral fuel available locally.
Keywords: Forced draft cookstove, Thermal efficiency, Emission of Carbon monoxide and Particulate matter
How to cite: Parameswaran, S. P. and Tyagi, S. K.: A High-Efficiency Clean Cookstove Designed for Processed Biomass fuel, EGU General Assembly 2026, Vienna, Austria, 3–8 May 2026, EGU26-17526, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu26-17526, 2026.
Valorizing agricultural residues into engineered carbon materials offers a promising pathway toward both sustainable pollutant remediation and climate-aligned negative emission strategies. This study develops high-performance CO₂-activated biochars derived from sugarcane leaves (SLAB) and bagasse (SBAB), as well as their various blend ratios, to address persistent polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in contaminated wastewater. To develop a scalable, low-carbon treatment solution grounded in circular bioresource utilization, the work integrates thermochemical valorization, material optimization, and adsorption modeling. CO₂ activation of sugarcane residues produced biochars with markedly enhanced physicochemical properties, including increased specific surface area, structured pore development, and enriched aromatic carbon domains, which are favorable for the uptake of hydrophobic organic pollutants. Process optimization using Central Composite Design (CCD) and Response Surface Methodology (RSM) generated highly robust quadratic models for naphthalene (NAP) and phenanthrene (PHE) removal (adjusted R² ≈ 0.96; predicted R² > 0.87), evidencing the statistical reliability of the adsorption system. Optimal performance was achieved at acidic conditions, with a pH of 2-3, a contact time of ~ 120 minutes, and a low adsorbent dosage of ~ 0.2 g/L. Among all the blends, the 2:3 SL:SB blend exhibited the highest adsorption capacity. Mechanistic interpretation showed that the removal of PAHs is driven by a synergistic combination of pore-filling, electrostatic attraction, hydrophobic partitioning, and π-π electron donor-acceptor interactions with the aromatized carbon matrix formed upon CO₂ activation. Regeneration studies further confirmed that the material exhibits strong reusability without performance loss in successive adsorption cycles, underscoring its stability and practical viability. The work contributes to technologies aligned with negative emissions by transforming abundant agro-industrial waste into a regenerative, high-efficiency adsorbent that reduces environmental contamination, offering a low-carbon alternative to conventionally produced activated carbons. These findings highlight the potential of CO₂-activated sugarcane biochars to support a circular economy model in water treatment, offering a scalable approach for integrating biomass valorization with broader carbon mitigation efforts.
How to cite: Pathak, S., Pant, K. K., and Kaushal, P.: Turning Sugarcane Field Residues into High-Value Adsorbents: CO₂ Activation, PAH Removal Efficiency, and Implications for Low-Carbon Resource Cycles., EGU General Assembly 2026, Vienna, Austria, 3–8 May 2026, EGU26-1086, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu26-1086, 2026.
Enhanced Rock Weathering (ERW) is a climate mitigation strategy that accelerates natural rock weathering processes to sequester atmospheric carbon dioxide. Applying crushed basalt to agricultural soils releases base cations (Ca2+, Mg2+) that form stable carbonates or leach as bicarbonate to the ocean. In addition to carbon sequestration, basalt weathering provides crop nutrients, potentially improving yields and quality. This study evaluated the effects of basalt application on crop growth and soil carbon sequestration through a two-year field experiment, with a focus on elemental dynamics.
A field experiment was conducted from 2023 to 2024 at an experimental field in Hokkaido University (43.07° N, 141.34° E; gray lowland soil), using soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merrill.) in the first year and maize (Zea mays L.) in the second. Five treatments with three replications were established: a control, three basalt application rates (5, 10, and 20 wt.% incorporated into the top 15 cm; BA5, BA10, BA20), and a lime application (0.15 wt.%). While basalt was applied only in 2023, lime was reapplied in 2024 to match the soil pH of BA10. In 2023, soil and plant samples were collected at the flowering (R2), seed development (R6) and R8 stages. In 2024, soil and plant samples were collected at the vegetative (V9), reproductive (R1), and harvest (R6) stages. We measured plant dry weight, elemental concentrations, and grain yield. Soil analyses included pH, exchangeable cations, available silicon (Si), and mineralogical composition via X-ray powder diffraction (XRPD). Total carbon budgets were calculated by integrating plant and soil data.
Soil pH increased similarly in both basalt and lime treatments. Basalt application significantly increased soil exchangeable magnesium (Mg) and sodium (Na) concentrations throughout the entire cultivation period. Additionally, available Si concentrations significantly increased in 2024. In contrast, exchangeable calcium (Ca) concentration showed no significant change with basalt application, increasing only in the limed plots. This likely reflects the high initial exchangeable calcium concentration in the original soil. XRPD showed a decrease in Ca-plagioclase in 2024 compared to pre-cultivation soil in 2023, with the greatest decrease observed in BA20. This reduction occurred primarily in planted plots, suggesting that crop roots may enhance basalt weathering. While basalt application showed no growth-promoting effects on soybean, it significantly increased maize plant height at V9, leaf dry weight at R1, and stem cross-sectional area at R6. In soybean, shoot manganese (Mn) and nickel (Ni) concentrations decreased in both basalt and lime treatments. In maize, shoot Mn concentration decreased in the lime treatment, while shoot Mg concentration increased significantly and shoot Si concentration showed an increasing trend in basalt treatments. Soil exchangeable Mg concentration was positively correlated with shoot dry weight.
Overall, basalt application had no negative effects on crop growth and can be beneficial depending on the crop species. The growth-promoting effects arise not only from pH neutralization but also from the supply of essential elements such as Mg and Si released through weathering. Mineralogical evidence indicates that basalt weathering progressed over two years, suggesting potential carbon sequestration through ERW in agricultural soils.
How to cite: Ogawa, I., Kosaka, G., Yan, Y., Kurokawa, K., Uchibayashi, H., Maruyama, H., Watanabe, T., Toma, Y., Nakao, A., and Shinano, T.: Effects of basalt application on crop growth and carbon sequestration through enhanced rock weathering, EGU General Assembly 2026, Vienna, Austria, 3–8 May 2026, EGU26-20629, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu26-20629, 2026.
To reveal the impact of centralized photovoltaic expansion on habitat connectivity in high-altitude cold regions, this study takes the Western Sichuan Plateau as a case study. It integrates the MaxEnt model, Markov-PLUS model, circuit theory, and graph theory metrics to construct ecological networks for 2016, 2023, and 2030 under the Inertial, Ecological Protection and Economic Development scenarios. The results indicate that photovoltaic development and its supporting infrastructure have become key factors that influence the regional ecological network. From 2016 to 2023, the area of ecological sources decreased from 6,482 km² to 2,793 km², with high-quality sources increasingly concentrated in high-altitude woodland and grassland. The number and total length of ecological corridors, while barrier points and pinchpoints became significantly clustered along river valleys and transportation corridors. Under the Ecological Protection Scenario in 2030, the extent of the high-resistance zone was effectively reduced while maintaining the scale of photovoltaic development, resulting in a higher closure and connectivity. In contrast, the Inertial Development and Economic Development Scenarios exhibited more pronounced bottleneck effects and higher risks of potential network fragmentation. The findings suggest that, measures such as site optimization, corridor reservation, and key restoration can help mitigate connectivity loss.
How to cite: Li, L.: Ecological Network Modeling and Optimization for Photovoltaic Development on the Western Sichuan Plateau, EGU General Assembly 2026, Vienna, Austria, 3–8 May 2026, EGU26-2829, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu26-2829, 2026.
Efficient methods to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere are key to stabilize Earth's global mean temperature. Artificial photosynthesis (AP) was recently proposed as a land-based method for carbon dioxide removal (CDR), aiming at an energy and land-use efficient production of safe and long-term stable sink products such as carbon flakes or oxalate [1,2]. Solar-driven electrochemical CO2 reduction is widely investigated in the context of carbon capture and utilization such as the production of solar fuels. However, the application for CDR, requiring dedicated sink products, has been explored only scarcely although AP was estimated to yield a more than tenfold higher potential solar-to-carbon efficiency [1]. Here, we report on the progress towards realizing the potential of this negative emission technology chain, starting with energy harvest, via carbon dioxide reduction, conversion [2], and to storage. We draw on advances in photo-electrochemistry, ab-initio simulations of molecular dynamics, Earth System Model simulations [4], geological storage assessment and sustainability assessment to clarify that firstly there are no fundamental scientific hindrances of the approach. Secondly, we evaluate where challenges and future research perspectives for the approach lie, and discuss the prerequisites for realizing its potential for scale-up by the year 2050.
[1] May, M. M. & Rehfeld, K. ESD Ideas: Photoelectrochemical carbon removal as negative emission technology. Earth System Dynamics 10, 1–7 (2019). doi:10.5194/esd-10-1-2019
[2] May, M. M. & Rehfeld, K. Negative Emissions as the New Frontier of Photoelectrochemical CO2 Reduction. Advanced Energy Materials 2103801 (2022) doi:10.1002/aenm.202103801.
[3] D. Lörch, A. Mohammed, H. Euchner, J. Timm, J. Hiller, P. Bogdanoff, M. M. May, From CO2 to solid carbon: reaction mechanism, active species, and conditioning the Ce-alloyed GaInSn catalyst, Journal of Physical Chemistry C, 128, 49, 2024, doi:10.1021/acs.jpcc.4c05482.
[4] Adam, M., Kleinen, T., May, M. & Rehfeld, K. Land conversions not climate effects are the dominant indirect consequence of sun-driven CO2 capture, conversion, and sequestration. Environ. Res. Lett. (2025) doi:10.1088/1748-9326/ada971.
How to cite: May, M. and Rehfeld, K. and the NETPEC team: On the way to realizing the potential of long-term safe carbon dioxide removal out of the atmosphere by artificial photosynthesis, EGU General Assembly 2026, Vienna, Austria, 3–8 May 2026, EGU26-12201, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu26-12201, 2026.
Energy is a vital material foundation for human survival, and the low-carbon development concerns the future of humanity. Over the past decade China has accelerated construction of a clean, low-carbon, safe and efficient new energy system, providing strong energy security for economic and social development while promoting carbon reduction, pollution reduction, green expansion and growth.
From 2013 to 2023 the share of clean-energy consumption rose from 15.5% to 26.4%, while coal fell about 12.1%. Total installed power capacity reached 2.92×10⁹ kW, of which clean sources account for 1.7×10⁹ kW (58.2 %). Clean generation hit 3.8×10¹² kWh, 39.7% of the total, an increase of ~15%. Primary-energy production capacity grew 35%; cumulative fixed-asset investment in the energy sector reached ¥39×10¹². Average coal consumption for power supply fell to 303 g standard coal kWh⁻¹; over 95% of coal units achieve ultra-low emission, cutting power-sector pollutant emissions by > 90%. Energy consumption per unit GDP dropped > 26%; PM₂.₅ concentration −54 %; heavy-pollution days −83%. Per-capita residential electricity doubled from ~500 kWh to nearly 1000 kWh; natural-gas users reached 560×10⁶. Rural rooftop PV reached 120×10⁶ kW, raising farmers’ income ¥11×10⁹ yr⁻¹ and creating ~2×10⁶ jobs. By end-2023 national charging infrastructure reached nearly 8.6×10⁶ units.
Wind and solar lead: cumulative installed wind 441×10⁶ kW and PV 609×10⁶ kW—ten times the 2013 level—of which distributed PV exceeds 250×10⁶ kW. Four 45×10⁶ kW desert bases, 37×10⁶ kW offshore wind, “thousands of townships wind action” and “thousands of households light action” are under way. Conventional hydropower reached 370×10⁶ kW; nearly 4 000 small stations upgraded. Nuclear in-operation capacity reached 56.91×10⁶ kW (3.9 times that at the end of 2013); total operation plus construction 100.33×10⁶ kW. Biomass power reached 44.14×10⁶ kW; geothermal and ocean energy advance.
Coal washing rate, mine-water reuse and land-reclamation rate all rose > 10%. Over 100×10⁶ kW backward coal capacity retired; > 95% of units achieve ultra-low emission; > 50% gain deep peak-load flexibility. Crude output stable at ~200×10⁶ t; natural-gas output rises > 10×10⁹ m³ yr⁻¹ for seven consecutive years. CCUS technology deployed in green oilfield demonstration areas; oil quality upgraded from National III to VI in < 10 years.
By 2035 green production and consumption will be widely formed, non-fossil energy will accelerate toward the main energy, and the new power system will strongly support energy transition. By mid-century China’s clean, low-carbon, safe and efficient new energy system will be fully established, energy utilization efficiency will reach advanced global levels, non-fossil energy will become the main energy, and carbon neutrality before 2060 will be achieved.
How to cite: Jia, L.: China’s Energy Transition: A Decade of Carbon-Neutral Progress, EGU General Assembly 2026, Vienna, Austria, 3–8 May 2026, EGU26-4083, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu26-4083, 2026.
Urban green spaces (UGS), particularly urban parks and green corridors, are crucial for carbon storage, mitigating climate change, and sustainable urban development. However, quantitative evidence on the carbon storage potential (CSP) in these spaces remains fragmented, limiting their integration into urban planning and policymaking to realize a carbon-efficient green infrastructure network. Following PRISMA guidelines, we synthesize studies from 2010-2024, identified from major databases (e.g., Scopus, Google Scholar, and ScienceDirect), to provide evidence on above-ground biomass in urban parks and green corridors, especially across different climate zones and green space types. The preliminary synthesis reveals significant global variability in CSP among these spaces: urban parks range from 15 to 171 Mg C ha⁻¹, while green corridors, which are much higher due to high tree density and continuous ecological structure, particularly urban forests, can reach 21 to 428 Mg C ha⁻¹. In addition, CSP is strongly influenced by four main factors, including: (i) tree and vegetation characteristics, (ii) ecological-climatic conditions, (iii) urbanization and land use change, and (iv) management practices. Analyzing the influencing factors to take concrete action is crucial to unlocking the full carbon-storage potential of UGSs. This study highlights implications in planning and policy, emphasizing that urban planning and policy can proactively shape the landscape to enhance carbon storage, rather than simply managing existing green assets. In addition, several strategic planning principles can be considered to realize a carbon-efficient green infrastructure network, including: (i) integrating into broader policies such as climate change, spatial planning, and land use management; (ii) optimal planting practices with a focus on connectivity and multifunctionality, and extending the planting of trees. By applying these principles, cities can transform their fragmented green spaces into a purposeful, high-performance green infrastructure network. The study provides comprehensive insights for urban planners, policymakers, and environmental researchers in their efforts to enhance CSP, aiming to achieve carbon neutrality targets and promote a climate-resilient urban environment.
How to cite: Nguyen, H. T. and Pramanik, M.: Carbon Storage Potential in Urban Parks and Green Corridors: A Review , EGU General Assembly 2026, Vienna, Austria, 3–8 May 2026, EGU26-21664, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu26-21664, 2026.
Terrestrial ecosystems play a crucial role in mitigating climate change by offsetting anthropogenic carbon emissions. Land cover and land use (LCLU) changes, in particular, are key factors that directly impact on the carbon balance of vegetation. The East Asian monsoon region has recently experienced extensive anthropogenic LCLU changes, increasing the need to evaluate the impacts of land use policies on carbon budget and their associated economic benefits. This study quantitatively assessed the environmental and economic benefits resulting from LCLU changes in the Sichuan region and the Loess Plateau, where land use policies have been implemented within the East Asian monsoon region. Based on the implementation of China’s reforestation policy (i.e., Grain for Green Program) in 1999, we compared two periods (1982–1998 and 1999–2015). The results revealed that total vegetation carbon storage in the Sichuan region increased by 7.7 times compared to the early period, while the Loess Plateau showed a relatively limited increase due to its arid climate conditions. In terms of economic benefits, both regions experienced an increase after reforestation policy implementation, with the Sichuan region showing particularly significant gains. These findings highlight the need for differentiated land use policies that consider regional geographic characteristics and provide an important baseline for policy development aimed at enhancing the carbon sequestration potential of terrestrial ecosystems.
How to cite: Im, A., Kim, S., Choi, H. J., He, Y., and Lee, E.: Changes in environmental and economic benefits caused by land use policies in the East Asian monsoon region, EGU General Assembly 2026, Vienna, Austria, 3–8 May 2026, EGU26-1527, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu26-1527, 2026.
This article presents the GeoCPC (Geo-referenced Climate Policy Conflict) Event Dataset. The GeoCPC disaggregates climate policy–related social contention both spatially and temporally. Each event—defined as an instance of organized civic action or protest linked to climate-change mitigation or adaptation policie s—includes information on its date, location, actors, motivations, climate policy sector, and event type, allowing it to be merged with other spatial and socio-economic datasets. The first version of the dataset covers 3,489 events across ten countries that have pledged to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050, spanning the period 2018–2024. This article first outlines the rationale for constructing the dataset and describes the data collection, coding procedures, and inclusion criteria. Second, it presents basic descriptive statistics summarizing the distribution of events across time, space, and policy domains. Third, it provides an illustrative application linking GeoCPC to external spatial data on energy infrastructure, showing that protest activity occurs more frequently in areas hosting operational renewable energy facilities, rather than in regions with high greenhouse gas emissions. The GeoCPC dataset offers a new empirical foundation for analyzing the societal dimen sions of decarbonization, enabling researchers to study the geography, timing, and drivers of social contention surrounding the global transition to carbon neutrality.
How to cite: Kim, D.-Y., Choi, H. J., Park, J., Lee, E., and Kang, J.: Introducing GeoCPC: A Geo-referenced Climate Policy Conflict Event Dataset, EGU General Assembly 2026, Vienna, Austria, 3–8 May 2026, EGU26-8508, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu26-8508, 2026.
As South Korea advances its transition toward carbon neutrality, climate and energy policies have increasingly generated localized social contention. While much of the existing literature focuses on economic costs or public attitudes toward climate action, less attention has been paid to how organized climate-related actions emerge through the interaction between structural policy pressures and political mobilization. This paper examines the spatial and temporal patterns of climate policy contention in South Korea between 2018 and 2024, conceptualized as organized, nonviolent collective actions that express opposition to, or conflict over, the implementation and consequences of climate and energy policies.
Using the Geo-referenced Climate Policy Conflict (GeoCPC) dataset, the study conducts a GIS-based statistical analysis at the administrative level 2 (si-gun-gu) by year. The dependent variable captures the annual frequency of contentious climate-related events, representing a subset of organized climate action that is explicitly conflictual in nature. Key explanatory variables include regional carbon emission levels and changes, the presence and operational stages of major power generation facilities (solar, hydro, thermal, and nuclear), local economic conditions and inequality, and changes in energy costs. Crucially, rather than treating political factors as mere controls, the analysis explicitly examines political triggers—such as major election years and levels of non-environmental political protest—as moderating conditions that shape when and where climate policy contention becomes visible.
The paper argues that climate policy contention in South Korea cannot be understood solely as a reaction to environmental or economic grievances. Instead, such contention emerges when the structural pressures of decarbonization intersect with political opportunity structures that facilitate collective mobilization. By integrating spatial analysis with political economy and contentious politics, this study contributes to broader debates on the politics of decarbonization and just transition, highlighting the inherently political and geographically uneven nature of climate governance.
How to cite: Park, J. and Choi, H. J.: The Political Geography of Climate Policy Contention in South Korea:Organized Climate Action and Political Triggers (2018–2024), EGU General Assembly 2026, Vienna, Austria, 3–8 May 2026, EGU26-8887, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu26-8887, 2026.
