Integrated Energy and Materials Scenarios for Greenhouse Gas Emission Mitigation

GHG emission reduction is one of the key environmental problems for the sustainable development discussion in the 21st century, because it is closely related to energy use and bulk material flows. Concrete and binding targets for reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions for Annex-1 countries are now agreed to in the Kyoto protocol. Emissions in the European Union will be reduced by 8% in the period 2008-1012, compared to the emissions in the reference year (1990/95). Further reductions will be required beyond this period in order to arrive at stabilisation of global GHG concentrations at acceptable levels as called for by the UN Climate Convention. Western economies will in all likelihood face even much further reaching goals: efficiency improvements as high as a Factor 10 might eventually become the longer term requirement.