A radical transformation in the way energy is supplied and used will be needed if the world is to meet its ambition of keeping global temperature increase to below 2 degrees Celsius, but the impacts of that transformation on the environment and on natural resources have been unclear.
Now, the International Resource Panel, a group of eminent experts in natural resource management hosted by UN Environment, has provided a global assessment of the benefits, risks and trade-offs encountered when energy efficiency technologies are deployed alongside low-carbon electricity supply technologies.
The report, entitled Green Technology Choices: The Environmental and Resource Implications of Low-Carbon Technologies, shows that while there are clear environmental benefits from the use of these technologies, particularly in reductions to greenhouse gas emissions, air pollution, and land and water use, there may also be some additional considerations, such as an increased use of metals.
