Setting the pathways for carbon neutrality
Carbon neutrality by 2050 – a realistic goal Where are the unique Nordic R&D cooperation opportunities that will benefit industry, research and society? That is the burning question some 50…
Carbon neutrality by 2050 – a realistic goal
Where are the unique Nordic R&D cooperation opportunities that will benefit industry, research and society? That is the burning question some 50 delegates from industry, research and policy institutions are aiming to set the path for during the Nordic Energy Way Arena in Copenhagen 12th -13th of June 2013.
The background is the Nordic Energy Technology Perspectives, which Nordic Energy Research published in early 2013 in collaboration with the International Energy Agency. The report highlights central challenges needing to be solved.
At the arena these challenges are discussed in six thematic groups:
- Smartgrids
- Transport
- Energy efficiency – industry
- Energy Efficiency – buildings
- Bioenergy
- Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS)
There is a consensus that to fulfill the ambition of becoming a carbon neutral Nordic region by 2050, there is a need to go from scenarios to action. Only through joint collaboration across the region will it be possible to meet the goals of a carbon neutral future in 2050. Furthermore, in addition to technology development, societal issues must be addressed:
“In order to inspire behavioral change and stronger support for climate policy, we need to use the power of stories in a new way.
Climate and energy communication has overused the story of “we must change now, otherwise we will suffer grave consequences”. This is the “going-to-hell” story. New stories about a society with high quality of life, low emissions and a recovering nature are needed to inspire hope” stated Per Espen Stoknes, PhD.,BI today at the Nordic Energy Way Arena.
Six areas – common challenge
Even though the six areas are very different in content and vary a lot in their complexity, they all agree on one common challenge faced to meet CO2 reduction. This calls for the implementation of a systems approach where the different technologies are not seen as “stand alone technologies” but part of the complete energy system from production over distribution to use.