Electricity climate-compatibility index: Measuring global progress towards decarbonising the power sector

This paper proposes a novel index, ECI (Electricity Climate-Compatibility Index), to measure global fossil fuel electricity generation alignment with climate targets. Net anthropogenic carbon dioxide emissions (CO2) must approach zero by mid-century to stabilise the mean temperature to well below 2°...

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Main Authors: Abdullah Alotaiq, Katherine A. Collett, Robert Fofrich, David Wallom, Malcolm McCulloch
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: KeAi Communications Co., Ltd. 2024-11-01
Series:Journal of Economy and Technology
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2949948824000234
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author Abdullah Alotaiq
Katherine A. Collett
Robert Fofrich
David Wallom
Malcolm McCulloch
author_facet Abdullah Alotaiq
Katherine A. Collett
Robert Fofrich
David Wallom
Malcolm McCulloch
author_sort Abdullah Alotaiq
collection DOAJ
description This paper proposes a novel index, ECI (Electricity Climate-Compatibility Index), to measure global fossil fuel electricity generation alignment with climate targets. Net anthropogenic carbon dioxide emissions (CO2) must approach zero by mid-century to stabilise the mean temperature to well below 2°C. Pursuing carbon neutrality will require immediate action if we are to avoid the economic risks associated with a delayed, more abrupt energy transition. This paper reviewed the existing literature and found insufficient indicators for country-level climate targets in electricity generation. Therefore, the paper proposes a novel electricity climate-compatibility index (ECI) to address the gap. The index computes climate compatibility or incompatibility as the difference between fossil fuel electricity generation permitted in the Integrated Assessment Model (IAM) country-level climate scenarios and that which is generated from operational, under-construction and planned power generation assets. The ECI correlates positively in specific instances with relatable metrics such as Energy Transition Index (ETI) and Climate Change Performance Index (CCPI) but provides a better understanding of the climate-incompatible generation of fossil fuel plants for a decarbonised power sector.
format Article
id doaj-art-d2be2208b6a2432196c013ccae95dc9b
institution OA Journals
issn 2949-9488
language English
publishDate 2024-11-01
publisher KeAi Communications Co., Ltd.
record_format Article
series Journal of Economy and Technology
spelling doaj-art-d2be2208b6a2432196c013ccae95dc9b2025-08-20T02:14:01ZengKeAi Communications Co., Ltd.Journal of Economy and Technology2949-94882024-11-01212110.1016/j.ject.2024.04.005Electricity climate-compatibility index: Measuring global progress towards decarbonising the power sectorAbdullah Alotaiq0Katherine A. Collett1Robert Fofrich2David Wallom3Malcolm McCulloch4Energy and Power Group, Engineering Science Department, University of Oxford, United Kingdom; Energy & Environmental Informatics, Engineering Science Department, University of Oxford, United Kingdom; Corresponding author at: Energy and Power Group, Engineering Science Department, University of Oxford, United Kingdom.Energy and Power Group, Engineering Science Department, University of Oxford, United KingdomDepartment of Earth & Planetary Sciences, Rutgers University, United StatesEnergy & Environmental Informatics, Engineering Science Department, University of Oxford, United KingdomEnergy and Power Group, Engineering Science Department, University of Oxford, United KingdomThis paper proposes a novel index, ECI (Electricity Climate-Compatibility Index), to measure global fossil fuel electricity generation alignment with climate targets. Net anthropogenic carbon dioxide emissions (CO2) must approach zero by mid-century to stabilise the mean temperature to well below 2°C. Pursuing carbon neutrality will require immediate action if we are to avoid the economic risks associated with a delayed, more abrupt energy transition. This paper reviewed the existing literature and found insufficient indicators for country-level climate targets in electricity generation. Therefore, the paper proposes a novel electricity climate-compatibility index (ECI) to address the gap. The index computes climate compatibility or incompatibility as the difference between fossil fuel electricity generation permitted in the Integrated Assessment Model (IAM) country-level climate scenarios and that which is generated from operational, under-construction and planned power generation assets. The ECI correlates positively in specific instances with relatable metrics such as Energy Transition Index (ETI) and Climate Change Performance Index (CCPI) but provides a better understanding of the climate-incompatible generation of fossil fuel plants for a decarbonised power sector.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2949948824000234Climate changeIndexFossil fuelsPower plantsEnergy transitionDecarbonisation
spellingShingle Abdullah Alotaiq
Katherine A. Collett
Robert Fofrich
David Wallom
Malcolm McCulloch
Electricity climate-compatibility index: Measuring global progress towards decarbonising the power sector
Journal of Economy and Technology
Climate change
Index
Fossil fuels
Power plants
Energy transition
Decarbonisation
title Electricity climate-compatibility index: Measuring global progress towards decarbonising the power sector
title_full Electricity climate-compatibility index: Measuring global progress towards decarbonising the power sector
title_fullStr Electricity climate-compatibility index: Measuring global progress towards decarbonising the power sector
title_full_unstemmed Electricity climate-compatibility index: Measuring global progress towards decarbonising the power sector
title_short Electricity climate-compatibility index: Measuring global progress towards decarbonising the power sector
title_sort electricity climate compatibility index measuring global progress towards decarbonising the power sector
topic Climate change
Index
Fossil fuels
Power plants
Energy transition
Decarbonisation
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2949948824000234
work_keys_str_mv AT abdullahalotaiq electricityclimatecompatibilityindexmeasuringglobalprogresstowardsdecarbonisingthepowersector
AT katherineacollett electricityclimatecompatibilityindexmeasuringglobalprogresstowardsdecarbonisingthepowersector
AT robertfofrich electricityclimatecompatibilityindexmeasuringglobalprogresstowardsdecarbonisingthepowersector
AT davidwallom electricityclimatecompatibilityindexmeasuringglobalprogresstowardsdecarbonisingthepowersector
AT malcolmmcculloch electricityclimatecompatibilityindexmeasuringglobalprogresstowardsdecarbonisingthepowersector