Bundestag Climate protection in Fast track

Status: 06/24/2021 4:41 a.m.

The Bundestag wants to pass the stricter climate protection law today. The opposition speaks of a quick shot – and doubts the effect.

From Martin Polansky, ARD capital studio

The federal government hastily got the new climate protection law in motion. At the end of April, the Federal Constitutional Court ruled: The previous Climate Protection Act of 2019 must be improved because the measures to reduce emissions from 2031 are inadequate. After the decision in Karlsruhe, there would actually have been time until the end of next year to remedy the deficiencies. But the Union and the SPD wanted to prove their ability to act again in terms of climate protection.

Environment Minister Svenja Schulze from the SPD speaks of a “very important week for climate protection in Germany”. “This means that climate neutrality will become law in Germany in 2045. And with this, we will fulfill the mandate of the Federal Constitutional Court in the shortest possible time and ensure a fair balance between the generations.” The Karlsruhe judges had emphasized that future generations could be burdened too much in their freedoms by climate protection measures, if not changed in time.

2045 greenhouse gas neutral

The amendment now stipulates that Germany is to become greenhouse gas neutral as early as 2045 – i.e. from then on it will not emit more carbon dioxide than is absorbed primarily through forests. To achieve this, the annual savings targets for power plants, industry, traffic, agriculture and buildings are tightened.

And after a long turmoil, the federal government has agreed on some immediate measures: for example, additional wind turbines and solar systems in the coming year and simplified repowering, in which old wind turbines are replaced by new and higher ones. Communities should also benefit financially when they provide open space for solar systems.

And: The federal government has launched an eight billion euro investment program to accelerate the energy transition. “We want to involve the citizens with us. We want to get people excited about climate protection. That is why we rely on the promotion of environmental technologies,” says the chairwoman of the Union in the Bundestag Environment Committee, Anja Weisgerber from the CSU. “And we want to prevent jobs from being relocated due to excessively strict climate protection requirements. We achieved that in the agreement.” Some in the Union and the SPD are concerned that voters’ enthusiasm for climate protection could wane as soon as it becomes concrete and costly. Therefore, the SPD has blocked plans of the Union to increase the CO2 price for fuel, heating oil and natural gas, which has been in effect since the beginning of the year, more quickly.

Costs for the tenants?

At the same time, the CO2 costs for heating remain entirely with the tenants. The Union did not want to burden the landlords additionally. And: CDU / CSU have blocked the SPD’s plans for a significantly faster expansion of renewable energies. Because new wind turbines and power lines are unpopular in many places.

Criticism comes from the environmental expert of the Greens Oliver Krischer: “We have agreements in the smallest details that hardly make a difference in the matter,” he says. “And there is no progress at all with the major measures such as phasing out coal, refurbishing buildings, or switching off combustion engines.”

“A quick shot”

The Left and the FDP speak of an election maneuver. The federal government does not have a clear plan for climate protection, says the FDP environmental expert Lukas Köhler: “What the federal government is doing now is a quick shot that is neither coordinated at European level nor in any way really stipulates that it works efficiently and purposefully. ” With the government majority of the Union and SPD, the tightened climate protection is likely to pass the Bundestag today. The current federal government no longer has to achieve the new climate targets. To this end, future governments will be bound to the goal of greenhouse gas neutrality in 2045

Energy and climate package Triple steps or big litter?

Status: 22.06.2021 4:35 p.m.

Shortly before the summer break, the Union and the SPD agreed on an energy and climate package. It is intended to help achieve the goals of the new Climate Protection Act. According to this, Germany should be greenhouse gas neutral by 2045.

From Martin Polansky, ARD capital studio

Shortly before the end of the legislative period, the Bundestag is due to pass the stricter climate protection law this week. And now the Union and the SPD have agreed on a package with initial measures on how the more ambitious climate targets are to be achieved in the coming years. The chairwoman of the Union in the Bundestag Environment Committee, Anja Weisgerber from the CSU, welcomes the agreement. “It is definitely a clear step forward. And with everything we also pay attention to the effects on the economy, on jobs and people’s acceptance.”

Expansion of renewable energies – with restrictions

The government groups have specifically agreed on additional new wind and solar systems in the coming year, on simplified repowering, in which old wind turbines will be replaced by new and higher ones. CSU environmental expert Weisgerber emphasizes that the effects on species protection and noise emissions should continue to be examined. But simplified approval procedures are necessary in order to expand renewable energies more quickly and thus achieve the climate targets. The agreement also provides financial benefits for communities that provide rural open spaces for solar systems. The Union and the SPD could not agree on a faster increase in the CO2 price or the distribution of CO2 costs between tenants and landlords each half. And solar compulsory for new buildings is also off the table. This was not feasible with the Union, says the deputy SPD parliamentary group leader Matthias Miersch: “We cannot enforce this measure in such a constellation. I believe that the next government must first and foremost conclude a future pact between the federal, state and local governments , which provides for a binding expansion path for renewable energy sources. ”

Opposition and associations disappointed

Criticism of the resolutions comes from the opposition. The FDP speaks of campaign activism by the Union and the SPD, the Left calls the resolutions a sham campaign. The environmental expert of the Greens, Oliver Krischer, speaks of small, triple steps: “That is not what we need for climate protection. That is politics with our hands in our pockets and not the answer to the climate crisis.”

The BUND and the Paritätische Wohlfahrtsverband also criticize the resolutions as half-hearted: they are not only unambitious, but there is also no social compensation for tenants, for example. The Bundestag is to adopt the package of measures on Thursday together with the new climate protection law. This provides for Germany to become greenhouse gas neutral in 2045 – five years earlier than previously planned. In addition, the Federal Cabinet wants to launch an eight billion euro immediate program tomorrow to promote investments in the energy transition. However, the immediate program can only be finally adopted by the upcoming Bundestag

Smoke and steam rise from the Belchatow Power Station, Europe’s largest coal-fired power plant in Poland. Photo: Reuters. The use of fossil fuels continues in the face of rising global energy demand, continued consumption and investment in new fossil fuel plants, and energy use, the report said. lower biomass such as using wood or agricultural waste in heating and cooking. Burning fossil fuels such as coal, gas and oil produces carbon dioxide, the main greenhouse gas that contributes to global warming. As concentrations of CO2 in the atmosphere rise to record levels, governments have called for stronger emissions cuts and curbs on fossil fuel use to meet global climate goals. The exhaust pipe of a car is photographed on the street in Berlin, Germany. Photo: Reuters. The share of fossil fuels in the global energy mix was 80.2% in 2019, compared with 80.3% in 2009, while renewables such as wind and solar accounted for 11, REN21 said. 2% in the energy structure in 2019 and 8.7% in 2009. The remainder of the energy mix consists of traditional biomass, which is used largely for cooking or heating in homes in the developing world. However, in many regions, including parts of China, the European Union, India, and the United States, it is now cheaper to build new wind or solar photovoltaic plants than to operate new ones. existing coal plant. Renewable energy is also competing with new natural gas-fired power plants in terms of cost in many locations and is the cheapest source of new electricity generation in countries on all continents, the report said. big land. “We are waking up to the bitter reality that the climate policy promises of the past ten years have been almost empty words,” said Rana Adib, CEO of REN21. “The share of fossil fuels in final energy consumption has not shifted an inch,” she added. In many countries, the Covid-19 economic recovery packages aim to stimulate further investment in renewable energy. But renewable investments only account for about one-sixth of investment in fossil fuels, the report added.

VinFast electric bus during test run Not only buses, coaches should also be encouraged to use trams Air pollution and fine dust threaten people’s quality of life. Every year, Vietnam has to pay a large amount of money, about 8-10 billion USD to import gasoline. Part of this is spent on operating traditional fossil fuel-powered vehicles. In addition to the proposed inner-city electric buses for application in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. In Ho Chi Minh City, it is thought that the government should consider the early policy of putting electric-powered intercity passenger cars into operation in order to both exploit the superiority of electric vehicle technology, while protecting the environment and bringing a a new look for public passenger transport in the new era. The world’s two major problems, which are environmental pollution due to emissions and energy security due to the finiteness of fossil energy sources (coal, oil, gas) have gradually become urgent. Air pollution, fine dust in Vietnam has become serious with big cities like Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, etc. Ho Chi Minh. Here, it is recorded that there are maximum number of days in a year with the most dramatic air quality index – the most polluted air in the world. In the past two years, authorities at all levels have met to discuss and direct long-term radical solutions to further strengthen the control of air pollution, including the control of carbon emissions and fine dust from the air. means of transport. And fossil energy sources are not available in all countries. Vietnam is one of the importing countries, still heavily dependent on the world’s oil (although it is also partly domestic), it is estimated that it still has to import about 8-10 billion USD per year. With zero emissions and using electricity instead of petrol, electric vehicles are said to be a breakthrough solution for Vietnam in the context of the need to strengthen air pollution control, ensure energy security and suitability. with the development trend of the world’s means of transport. Simple structure of electric vehicles compared to vehicles using internal combustion engines “Electric vehicle” (EV) is often understood as a vehicle with an electric motor drive system. From the outside, an electric car looks like a car with an internal combustion engine (petroleum car). However, except for some parts and components for sharing, about 70% of the components of the two vehicles are different. The significant difference between electric vehicles and vehicles using internal combustion engines is the number of moving parts. Electric vehicles have only one moving part, which is the electric motor (motor), while cars using internal combustion engines have tens of thousands of different parts. Important components of electric vehicles include: battery, electric motor control system, regenerative braking system and powertrain. The number of spare parts for moving parts is less than in electric cars, which leads to another important difference, which is that electric cars require less maintenance (more economical to operate) and safer. safer, in addition to the advantages of environmental protection, civilized and modern technology. Why electric cars are becoming more and more popular At the United Nations Climate Change Conference 2015 (COP 21) held in Paris (France), the participants reaffirmed their efforts to strengthen the response to climate change. The Paris Agreement announced in December 2015 has set a target to limit global temperature rise to below 2 degrees Celsius. This goal can only be achieved when the energy and other sectors significantly reduce emissions. greenhouse gas emissions. The transport sector accounts for about a quarter of emissions from energy-related industries. The goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions to contribute to achieving the goal of reducing global warming below 02 degrees Celsius can only be achieved with a strong commitment of the transport sector. The Sustainable Development Report of the International Energy Agency (IEA) has shown that, to achieve this goal, by 2050, the world’s transport sector must contribute at least one-fifth of total greenhouse gas emissions. cuts from energy use activities. Electric cars are identified as a key factor contributing to reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the transport sector, increasing energy efficiency, reducing greenhouse gas emissions in general, encouraging the development of new energy sources and recycled energy. In the context of rapid urbanization, the development of electric cars also contributes to reducing air pollution and noise pollution in big cities. The main obstacles to the development of electric cars are the initial cost of the car and the time available between two charges of the battery. However, the recent rapid development of science and technology has shown positive signs. According to a recent report by the US electric car company Proterra, a single charge for the bus can be up and running for 650 km and the price is becoming more and more relevant to the market to ensure more competitive exploitation than traditional gasoline-powered vehicles. Level of use of electric vehicles in countries around the world To date, China is the leading country in production, domestic consumption and export, with the famous electric car manufacturer BYD. In China, according to the data at the end of 2018, the total number of electric buses put into operation is over 421,000 units, Shenzhen city uses 100% of electric vehicles in public passenger transport, while Beijing and Shanghai , the utilization rate of electric buses has reached over 80%. Electric buses are increasingly popular in provinces and cities in China. Europe ranks 2nd among countries using electric vehicles with 2,250 units, the number of electric vehicles used will increase as some European countries such as the Netherlands set a target to convert and use 100% electric vehicles. (including buses, coaches plus and private cars) by 2024. The United States is also the country that is starting to shift towards using more electric vehicles. Although there are only over 300 electric buses in the United States, the number of electric buses is increasing in the near future, with the city of Los Ageles having just decided to buy 155 electric buses to serve all passenger transport activities. in this city. With the new energy policy (Green New Deal), led by many famous electric vehicle manufacturers such as Telsla, Proterra and even Apple recently announced the new Apple car electric car model, there is sure to be a boom in usage. electric vehicles in the United States under the new administration are clearly visible. For electric vehicles, environmental protection is always a top priority Why use an electric car? As mentioned above, electric vehicles are vehicles without chimneys, do not emit CO2, greenhouse gases into the environment. Therefore, the exploitation of electric vehicles in passenger transport is completely environmentally friendly, which is not controversial. Many researchers, policy makers still argue. The first is the traceable environmental issue of electric vehicles, that is, the source of electricity that electric vehicles use is clean electricity, that is, electricity using renewable energy such as solar power, wind power … or electricity from heat. Obviously, over the past time, the Government has called on businesses to invest in the production of solar power, rooftop voltage and wind power…, this electricity has been purchased by the state and connected to the national grid. Only the current supply has not met the demand and more clean electricity is needed to connect to the network. The second is the problem that the production of batteries for electric vehicles is still energy-intensive and emits a significant amount of CO2. As stated, today’s technology is evolving like crazy. As the demand for electric vehicles and batteries increases, mass production of large capacity batteries will result in better environmental control and lower loss and emissions. Here, it is a matter of deciding for the electric vehicle industry to have a direction in which to invest, cooperate and develop. When domestic manufacturers have been proactive in technology, it is possible to produce and recycle used batteries, thereby closing the production and exploitation process effectively and ensuring the problem. environment. What are the implications for passenger transport in Vietnam in the new period? Facing the environmental context, the challenge of air pollution as well as ensuring national energy security, Vietnam should consider the development of electric cars as a breakthrough policy for technology development, domestic auto industry. The introduction of electric vehicles into transport operation has really been a push to change for the progress to serve the travel needs of people and socio-economic development in the new period. The use of electric vehicles for public passenger transport is not only in the inner city as the project of electric buses in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. Ho Chi Minh City as the media recently mentioned, but also hereby recommended that the State should have a policy to encourage the development of electric vehicles for inter-provincial passenger transport (both for fixed and non-fixed routes). To do this, the state has policies to socialize and encourage transport business owners to use electric vehicles in transport business activities; encourage businesses to invest in charging station infrastructure at rest stops, bus stations and other concentrated stops for re-energized vehicles to serve well for transport activities. In short, the policy to encourage the use of electric vehicles is a right one, in terms of both environmental protection as well as energy security. In addition to electric buses as currently proposed to be applied in the inner city of Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City. Ho Chi Minh City is also considering the application of intercity buses running on electricity. With a national electric passenger transport network being formed, improving user experience, increasing the quality of transport services, electric cars will have a good future in Vietnam, gradually replacing the traditional means of transport. fossil fuel-powered transportation.

Illustration. https://kinhtexaydung.petrotimes.vn The cost of pollution in Europe has risen by more than 50% this year, signaling that climate policies need to be harsher, the region is also starting to make a difference. Futures in the carbon market of Europe, the largest market in the world, exceeded $ 60 / ton for the first time on May 4. Rising prices make it more expensive to release carbon dioxide into the air and force the industry to look for cleaner ways to run production. According to Ulf Ek, investment director at London’s Northlander Commodity Advisors LLP, the bulls have to go further. He hopes the futures contract will trade as high as $ 91 / ton by the end of the year, to boost his incentive to protect the environment. The rise in prices and industry concerns about its competitiveness, poised to put further strain on political discussions about the implementation of the “Green Agreement,” aimed at achieving neutrality. on climate by 2050 and strengthening emissions reduction targets by 2030. Some technologies to cut emissions, such as hydrogen generated without pollution, are still too expensive for steel and chemical manufacturers. But further price hikes could change that. Record carbon prices in Europe will strengthen the Government budget. EU leaders are arguing about enacting stricter pollution targets over the next decade at an extraordinary summit in Brussels, to be held on May 23. On July 14, the European Commission will propose a regulatory package to enact a new goal, by 2030, to cut greenhouse gases by at least 55% from 1990 levels. Agree by national governments and the European Parliament to become the binding rule. https://kinhtexaydung.petrotimes.vn

State President Nguyen Xuan Phuc attends the Opening Session of the Summit on Climate (Photo: VGP). At the invitation of US President Joe Biden, on the evening of April 23, State President Nguyen Xuan Phuc delivered an important speech on the topic “Economic benefits of Climate Action” at the Summit on Climate Post, held in the online form for two days April 22-23. State President Nguyen Xuan Phuc affirmed that as a country heavily affected by climate change, especially in the Mekong Delta, Vietnam commits to take drastic action to respond comprehensively to climate change. including 9% reduction in total greenhouse gas emissions by domestic resources and up to 27% reduction with bilateral and multilateral international support. According to the President, Vietnam will continue to drastically reduce coal power, rapidly increase the share of renewable energy to 30% of the total primary energy supply by 2045, and domesticize international commitments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to organize and implement the program to plant 1 billion green trees by 2025. The President also shared views of many countries on the benefits of a transition to a green economy, zero emissions, especially on job creation, ensuring energy security, and improving. competitiveness and sustainability of the economy, but also emphasized that developing countries still face many challenges in their transition due to difficulties in capital and technology. The State President emphasized that the transition must be fair, inclusive and equal in terms of opportunities and benefits of the people, so that no one will be “left behind”; urges developed countries to continue to lead the way in reducing emissions and increasing financial, technology, and green energy support, and building efficient, high-quality infrastructure associated with creating more jobs. developing countries, including Vietnam. The State President believes that the implementation of the logistics objectives is appropriate to the conditions of each country and integrated into the national development strategies and plans. During the two days of the conference, senior leaders of 41 countries and the Secretary-General of the United Nations made a speech, emphasizing that climate change continues to be the biggest challenge for humanity and showing determination. accelerate efforts to respond to climate change. Some major economies such as the US, China, Japan … have made a strong commitment to reducing emissions by 2030, declaring zero emissions by 2050 or before 2060. Many countries call on the international community to promote green growth, invest more in renewable energy projects. The United States and a number of countries are committed to increasing their financial contributions to the climate. For their part, many developing countries reaffirm the historical responsibility of developed countries, the principle of common but different responsibility, calling on developed countries to fulfill the obligation to make financial contributions and support. to assist developing countries in building capacity to adapt and mitigate to climate change.

Period 2021 – 2030, TP. Da Nang plans to mobilize VND 675 billion to implement projects and projects to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in industry and trade; cleaner production support ….

By 2025, to complete the model of eco-industrial park; 100% of public transport by bus meets Euro 4 emission standards; reduce from 1 to 2% of greenhouse gas emissions from electric energy, new and renewable energy development solutions; 85% of urban domestic wastewater is treated up to standards; The rate of solid waste collected and treated to reach the standard reaches over 95%;….

By 2030, Da Nang will have 2-3 ecological industrial zones, at least 5 ecological urban areas; 25% of public buses are powered by electric motors; the rate of GHG emission reduction reaches 5-7%; 95% of urban domestic wastewater is treated up to standards; 97% of solid waste is collected and treated to meet standards, the environmental hot spots are renovated, and there is no serious environmental pollution; 100% of households will perform waste separation at source; 100% of feedbacks and recommendations on environmental pollution have been resolved.

Da Nang Industry and Trade plays a major role in implementing goals, projects and projects related to reducing greenhouse gas emissions in industry and commerce; promoting cleaner production, saving energy in industry and developing clean energy and renewable energy in the city.

In order to fulfill the set objectives and targets, in the period of 2021-2030, the Department of Industry and Trade of Da Nang regularly conducts research and development of programs and projects for new energy and renewable energy. creation of the city; supporting key energy using basic models to build a management model according to ISO 50001: 2018; implementing cleaner industrial production solutions; deploy support for enterprises to convert and replace outdated and energy-consuming equipment with energy-saving equipment, replicate the results; make plans for the implementation of the roadmap to relocate production establishments in craft villages to industrial clusters with satisfactory technical infrastructure for environmental protection (Tuy Loan rice paper craft village, Non-handicraft village Water, Cam Ne screening village …). Total funding for these activities is estimated at about 675 billion VND; in which, the budget support is 25 billion dong, the socialized capital is 650 billion dong.

Da Nang is the first locality in the country to build a pilot model for applying cleaner industrial production to manufacturing enterprises.

In the 2016-2020 period, contributing to the goal of “Da Nang – an environmental city”, the Da Nang Industry and Trade sector has effectively implemented industrial promotion projects with funding from the national industrial promotion program and local industrial promotion.

In which, TP. Da Nang has received VND 5.25 billion from the national industrial promotion program to implement 17 industrial promotion projects. In which, mainly supporting to build 5 technical demonstration models with a total industrial promotion cost of 1.85 billion VND, capital mobilization from enterprises and production facilities is more than 32.78 billion VND; implemented 9 projects on application of advanced machinery and equipment in industrial production, technology transfer and application of advanced machines, scientific and technical advances in industrial production – handicraft with total experience. the national industrial promotion fee is 2.5 billion VND, the capital contribution of the enterprise is nearly 10 billion VND; successfully built a pilot model of applying cleaner industrial production for 01 unit with a support budget of 500 million VND, the reciprocal investment of the enterprise was over 1.3 billion VND.

In addition to the national source of industrial promotion, City People’s Committee. Da Nang has also spent 5.78 billion VND implementing 72 local industrial promotion projects to implement many consulting projects on assessment of cleaner industrial production; support consultancy to evaluate cleaner production for many units, help businesses improve efficiency, save input materials and fuels in the production process.

The support from the national and local industrial promotion program not only helps Da Nang enterprises boldly apply technology in production, increase labor productivity and product quality, and mobilize capital from business. industrial development, but also makes an important contribution to reducing greenhouse gas emissions due to industrial production, realizing the goal of “Da Nang – an environmental city”.

However, electric cars are not perfect and they come with their own pollution problems. Typically, their batteries contain ingredients such as lithium, which require a considerable amount of energy to source and extract.

However, making batteries is only part of the life cycle of electric vehicles. A 2014 study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences looked at the entire emissions life cycle of an electric vehicle, from mining the metals needed for batteries to producing the electricity needed. to power them, then compare this to the average emissions of a gasoline car. The team found that when electric cars are charged with coal-fired electricity, they actually do more harm to the environment than conventional gasoline cars.

Buying an electric car is much more affordable than a gas or diesel from an environmental perspective. Illustration

But that is not a problem because today, in most countries around the world, the national grid is “clean” enough for electric cars to beat competitors running on gasoline.

There are very few countries in the world where the grid is entirely or mostly coal. China is one of them. In 2019, an estimated 58% of the country’s electricity supply comes from coal. China’s grid is improving, however, with more investments in renewables – for example, it has twice the capacity of wind power as the US and builds more solar panels than any other country. Every year, according to Nature.

Mr. Gordon Bauer, an electric vehicle researcher at the International Council for Clean Transport in San Francisco, USA, said the current improved grid model, with more renewable energy and less fossil fuels. , is a global model and helps improve the environmental quality of electric vehicles. “As the grid becomes” greener “, the use of electric vehicles will be more perfect,” he said.

In a study published this month in the journal Environmental Science and Technology, Colin Sheppard, a researcher in energy and transport systems engineering at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in California, Work with Gordon Bauer to model a hypothetical future scenario where all cars are powered by electricity. “We want to understand the impact of energy, infrastructure and emissions if all passenger vehicles are electrified,” Sheppard told Live Science.

For example, Mr. Sheppard calculated that if all private vehicles in the United States were powered by electricity, the annual reduction in greenhouse gas emissions in the country would be 46% (0.5 gigatons of CO2) compared to cars. run on conventional gas.

This reduction could be further increased if the vehicles were subjected to so-called “controlled charging”, a technique also known as “smart charging”, in which the vehicles are recharged into Timing is selected to minimize the financial cost of electricity generation. (For example, charging at night is generally less expensive than during the day; this strategy also favors plants that produce more energy efficiently to generate cheaper electricity.) If all privately owned electric cars were charged in the same way, emissions savings could be increased by up to 49% annually.

In addition, electric vehicles are said to also emit CO2, but not during use, but when generating electricity – this is why many people believe that this car is not completely pure. Even the president of Toyota once harshly said that electric cars are being overblown.

In fact, electrochemical vehicles including Hybrid (HEV), Plug-in Hybrid (PHEV) still emit CO2 even when used (because there is still an internal combustion engine) and possibly when generating electricity, depending on how it is generated. electricity. While pure electric vehicles can only generate CO2 in the production process, not when used.

Depending on the source of electricity generation is hydroelectricity, wind power or thermal power, nuclear power … that the amount of CO2 generation will be different. If hydroelectricity, CO2 level is almost zero, while thermal power is too much CO2.

Research by Bloomberg NEF in Thailand shows that electric cars generate 60% of the CO2 equivalent of a gasoline equivalent vehicle. This source of CO2 comes entirely from production, because Thailand generates electricity mainly from natural gas. While internal combustion engine vehicles produce CO2 in an 80/20 ratio between use and production.

For example, if a gasoline car generates 100 g CO2 / km 80 g from use and 20 g from gas production. While a corresponding electric car model only generates 60 g of CO2 from use. As such, electric cars are still significantly cleaner than gasoline cars.

For countries with clean electricity generation sources such as Norway, up to 95% of electrical energy comes from hydroelectricity, CO2 emissions are even lower. The future of electric vehicles is becoming clearer as more automakers are involved in the production and research of electric vehicles. Users often do not care too much about CO2 emissions in production, but realize that when used, it will help where cars circulate with less pollution.

Ultimately, the conclusion is that buying an electric car is much more affordable than a gas or diesel car from an environmental perspective.

Thu Ha (Th)

The number of car charging stations is increasing globally and also in Vietnam.

The energy provided for electric vehicles is increasingly clean

The REN21 Global Renewable Energy (GSR) Report of 2020 (Global Multilateral Renewable Energy Policy Network) shows that, over the past 5 years, the renewable energy sector has reached its speed. 3 times higher than electricity produced from nuclear and fossil fuels.

“When the grid becomes ‘greener’, using electric vehicles will be more perfect ”, Gordon Bauer – electric vehicle researcher at the International Council for Clean Transport in San Francisco (USA) said. According to expert Gordon Bauer, the current innovative grid model will help improve the environmental efficiency of electric vehicles around the world.

The evidence is a study by scientists at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in California (USA) that if all personal vehicles in the US are powered by electricity, each year, the country will lose 46%. greenhouse gas (0.5 gigatons CO2 equivalent) compared to conventional fossil fuel cars.

This is what environmental activists expect. Anne Laurent, president of the All-European Environmental Union, admits the members “have no doubts” about the positive impact this vehicle can have on the planet.

“We do not expect a perfect solution. Therefore, we are delighted that electric vehicles deliver positive environmental indicators“Ms. Laurent said in a report released at the end of 2020.

In Vietnam, green vehicles are also developing with the launch of private cars and VinFast electric buses. And look at “National energy development strategy to 2030, vision to 2045” – with the goal that the renewable energy in the total primary energy supply will reach 15 – 20% by 2030 and increase to 25-30% by 2045 we have the right to hope for a “green future, clean air” when clean cars are powered by clean electricity.

Electric vehicle batteries are too expensive to be … garbage

In addition to generating electricity, environmental activists have been concerned about the fate of electric vehicle battery blocks after they have run out of “trumps”. Elon Musk was the “victim” of this wave of protest. But in fact, electric car batteries can not be thrown away because … too expensive, even after the expiry date.

The reason is that the prices of cobalt, lithium, nickel and the metals used in lithium-ion batteries have skyrocketed as the electric car race intensifies between manufacturers across Asia to Europe and the US. Therefore, all electric car manufacturers are researching and announcing solutions to handle expired batteries with battery recycling technology.

“To meet electric vehicle battery demand in the next 10 years, the industry will need 1.5 million tons of lithium, 1.5 million tons of graphite, 1 million tons of nickel and 500,000 tons of manganese. Today, the world produces less than a third of that material ”Sam Jaffe, CEO of Cairn ERA, an energy consulting firm in the US, told CNBC.

Some studies show that recycling can recover between 95 and 98 percent of the nickel, cobalt, copper, aluminum, and more than 80 percent of the battery’s lithium. Ms. Celina Mikolajczak, Vice President of Battery Technology and Technology at Panasonic Energy North America, said that the battery recycling industry will be a billion-dollar land with the development of electric vehicles.

“There are so many benefits to recycling and it would be really stupid if we didn’t take advantage of the old battery cells’ ability to make the next generation.”Ms. Celina Mikolajczak confirmed.

This excellent solution not only eliminates the worry of running out of production materials, but also removes electric vehicle batteries from the burden of the environment.

There are more than 50 companies around the world engaged in the recycling of lithium-ion batteries of varying sizes, most of them concentrated in China (more than 20 companies), followed by Korea (6 companies), followed by the EU, Japan, Canada and the US. Even global tech giant Amazon hasn’t overlooked this potential by investing $ 2 billion in Redwood Materials, a battery recycling startup founded by former Tesla chief JB Straubel. Redwood Materials is also responsible for recycling electric vehicle batteries for Tesla.

In addition to recycling batteries for reuse for electric vehicles themselves, a series of projects to utilize old batteries have been implemented recently by car manufacturers. Toyota has a project to connect old electric vehicle batteries with solar panels to power 7-Eleven stores in Japan; Nissan is using old batteries to power the small robots; Renault is working with its partners to introduce static energy storage systems made of old electric vehicle batteries … Other car manufacturers such as Audi, BMW, Lucid Motors or Proterra … are also incorporating reusable principles into their designs. the battery.

“We believe that the ‘second life’ battery will become an independent business and cannot be disposed of as trash.”, Weiland Bruch, BMW spokesman forecasts.

When the final concern was that electric vehicle batteries turned into environmental waste were completely eliminated – it’s easy to understand why green cars are supported by environmental activists around the world. And that will also be the green future that we need to move towards to escape the country’s “scandal” of the “two-wheeled gas factories” that international indicators set for Vietnam.