The decarbonization of the mobility and energy sector is one of the major necessary trends for achieving targets set for the European Union (EU) in the 2020 and 2030 climate and energy frameworks. Two key technologies which offer great potential for climate change mitigation are electric vehicles (EVs) and renewable energies (REs). Thus, there is the need for innovative and stable policies in order to favor these technologies. The purpose of the study is to identify and compare features of policies for the integration of EVs, REs, and information and communication technology (ICT). This study uses an integrated Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats (SWOT), and Political, Economic, Social, Technological, Environmental and Legal (PESTEL) qualitative methodology in order to show different policies and initiatives, related to e-mobility, RE and ICT, collected from five European regions. This research provides discernments to the EVs and RE challenges, such as the lack of capacity to deal with high energy demands or limited EV-charging infrastructure. On the contrary, a high percentage of REs share, raising climate change awareness, and decreasing EV prices which are great opportunities for the whole EU. Such insights encourage policymakers and other groups of interest to improve their RE and mobility policies, which could lead to effective sustainable mobility systems in urban areas.Sustainability 2020, 12, 2935 2 of 21 vehicles (EVs) and renewable energies (REs). Therefore, it is important to co-develop a framework of experiences and policies where energy and mobility will work together and not act as different entities. For this reason, the INTERREG EUROPE EV ENERGY (Electric Vehicles for City Renewable Energy Supply) project consortium was created. The partners from five European regions (Italy, Lithuania, Spain, Sweden and the Netherlands) have identified a need for a common framework and repository of interrelated and analyzed policies and initiatives to lay the basis for systematic interregional dissemination. The majority of the partners have gained experience in analyzing opportunities and developing actions and policies. This research provides insight into the EV and RE challenges and opportunities within the European Region project partners.Registrations of new electric cars in 2017 reached over 1 million sales worldwide; as a result, the global stock exceeded 3 million electric cars in 2017 [4]. That notwithstanding, EVs will be even more advantageous if electricity is generated by RE sources [5,6]. The implementation growth of support schemes for RE technology and decreasing costs of RE systems made a positive impact in the consumption of RE [7]. The share of RE in gross final energy consumption reached 18.9% in 2018 (from 8.5% in 2004). Moreover, the transport sector increased the share of RE to 8.3% in 2018RE to 8.3% in , compared to 3.1% in 2007. Smart charging applications could also boost the share of RE used to charge the EVs; in particular, wind and solar energy is becoming an importan...
The data centre industry (DCI) has grown from zero in the 1980s, to enabling 60% of the global population to be connected in 2021 via 7.2 million data centres. The DCI is based on a linear economy and there is an urgent need to transform to a Circular Economy to establish a secure supply chain and ensure an economically stable and uninterrupted service, which is particularly difficult in an industry that is comprised of ten insular subsectors. This paper describes the CEDaCI project which was established to address the challenge in this unique sector; this ground-breaking project employs a whole systems approach, Design Thinking and the Double Diamond methods, which rely on people/stakeholder engagement throughout. The paper reviews and assesses the impact of these methods and project to date, using quantitative and qualitative research, via an online sectoral survey and interviews with nine data centre and IT industry experts. The results show that the project is creating positive impact and initiating change across the sector and that the innovative output (designs, business models, and a digital tool) will ensure that sectoral transformation continues; the project methods and structure will also serve as an exemplar for other sectors.
Data centres (DCs) house data processing and storage equipment. The data centre industry (DCI) is evolving rapidly, as society is becoming more dependent on digital technologies. Currently, there are 7.2 million DCs globally and provision is predicted to grow fivefold by 2030. The sector already utilises millions of tonnes of resources, including Critical Raw Materials, and the demand will only increase. DCI is based on a linear economy; recycling and materials reclamation infrastructure are also inadequate. At the end-of-life, many materials are either lost to landfill, incinerated, or unaccounted for. Furthermore, many virgin materials are located in geopolitically sensitive locations, which poses a threat to the supply chain that the sector relies on. The CEDaCI project aims to increase overall sectoral sustainability by addressing the various technical, cultural, and behavioural barriers across the DCI, such as fragmentation and sole focus on the energy efficiency. This paper describes the whole-systems approach and CEDaCI project outputs, including bespoke Eco-design guidelines, strategies, and digital tools to extend product life and recycling, and enable better decision-making to increase circularity in the DCI, prepare and support implementation of the EU Circular Economy Action Plan and ensure a secure, sustainable resource supply chain.
Data centres (DC) house electrical and electronic data processing and storage equipment. The data centre industry has grown from zero in the late 1980s into a global service provider with over 7 million sites in 2021. This rapid sectoral growth presents many challenges to environmental, social, and economic sustainability including the generation of large quantities of e-waste, (which is exacerbated by an under-developed recycling infrastructure, and a limited market for second life products) and potential threat to material supply chains, specifically Critical Raw Materials. There is an urgent need to improve sectoral sustainability, which includes development of a Circular Economy. The CEDaCI (a Circular Economy for the Data Centre Industry) project was launched in 2018 to initiate this by demonstrating its viability though business case studies, physical prototypes and digital tools, a key example being the Circular Data Centre Compass (CDCC) – a unique online tool that includes original primary source data. This tool allows users to compare and assess the overall life cycle sustainability of different servers, the criticality of embodied materials and the circularity of current and proposed designs. Therefore, the CDCC improves overall life cycle management of data centres, which increases supply chain security and reduces risk of DC service interruption.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
hi@scite.ai
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.