In this report we assess how ambitious emission reduction pledges of emerging economies are compared to business as usual emissions, the countries' mitigation potential and respective efforts based on different equity principles.
Der Ausstoß von Treibhausgasen muss deutlich sinken, um den durchschnittlichen globalen Temperaturanstieg auf ein Maximum von 2˚C über das vorindustrielle Niveau zu begrenzen. Dies verlangt Emissionsreduktionen von allen Ländern mit hohen Emissionen, angeführt von den entwickelten Ländern. Die Relevanz der Schwellenländer steigt in dieser globalen Anstrengung jedoch zunehmend.<BR>Dieser Bericht gibt einen Überblick über derzeitige Aktivitäten zur Minderung des Klimawandels in sechs Schwellenländern: Brasilien, China, Indien, Mexiko, Südafrika und Südkorea. Wir betrachten institutionelle Strukturen im Bereich Klimawandel und untersuchen Systeme zur Messung, Berichterstattung und Verifizierung (MRV) von Treibhausgasemissionen, sowie politische Maßnahmen und andere Aktivitäten zur Vermeidung von Emissionen. Die Analyse stellt auch dar, wo noch Barrieren überwunden werden müssen und wie die internationale Gemeinschaft die Länder dabei unterstützen kann. <BR>Die Ergebnisse zeigen, dass alle untersuchten Länder ihre institutionelle Struktur und ihre MRV Systeme in den letzten Jahren erheblich verbessert haben und meist kohärente Rahmenbedingungen für Klimastrategien und politische Maßnahmen geschaffen haben. Für weitere Verbesserung und um weitergehende Emissionsreduktionen zu erzielen, wird es in den nächsten Jahren essentiell sein, auf der nationalen und regionalen Regierungsebene und in der Privatwirtschaft zusätzliche Kapazitäten zu schaffen und in der Bevölkerung das Bewusstsein für die Thematik zu stärken.<BR>Quelle: Forschungsbericht
Das Projekt "E-waste South Africa: Technology development for advanced treatment of e-waste in South Africa as a model for similar emerging economies" wird vom Umweltbundesamt gefördert und von Kopacek KG durchgeführt. Over the last 20 years basic treatment technologies for e-waste have been developed and implemented across the European Union, aiming both at the recovery of resources (urban mining) and pollution control. Current research activities are exploring more advanced technologies focussing on recovery of valuable (precious and critical) materials from printed circuit boards, fluorescent powder, batteries etc. by means of specific processes, mainly pyro- and hydrometallurgy as well as combining existing technologies like dismantling, fragmentation and separation. BOKU has developed a Material Composition Database for WEEE to characterise the material input into treatment facilities. ISL has developed a hydro-metallurgic technology for the treatment of specific e-waste components, e.g. fluorescent powder from lamps and CRTs and a mobile HydroWEEE plant is in place. One of the outputs is oxalate rich in rare earth materials, which is currently sold for further processing to Solvay Rhodia in France.
Despite the widely discussed recovery of Rare Earth Elements, Solvay Rhodia, the only European plant that processes a mix of rare earth from recycled materials, announced end of January 2016 that because of the low market prices it will stop its liquid-liquid separation by the end of 2016 and therefore will stop buying recycled rare earth mixes soon.
Mintek in South Africa has a pilot plant facility available for liquid-liquid separation of rare earth materials that could be used to evaluate the feasibility of rare earth recovery and provide for design parameters for a larger scale plant which could potentially be built at a lamp recycling facility in South Africa and which could also treat recovered rare Earth materials from Europe.
In South Africa, research on e-waste is in its early stages; however an industrial e-waste management plan is in preparation and it is anticipated that the plan, which includes an extended producer responsibility (EPR) component, will be ready for implementation within the near future.
The aim of the project is to explore the necessary adaptation of the treatment chain (collection, pre-treatment, advanced treatment) in order to enable the implementation of advanced treatment technologies in the specific context of South Africa as a model for similar emerging economies in Africa, Asia and South America.
In addition the feasibility of an integrated process (ISL's hydrometallurgy and Mintek's liquid liquid separation) for European and South African applications will be explored.
