RMI Introduces Innovative District-Level Pathways to Support Carbon-Neutrality

RMI's Latest Report Outlines the New Zero-Carbon Targeted Integrated Energy Planning Approach.

BEIJING, Feb. 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, RMI (the organization formerly known as Rocky Mountain Institute) released a new report titled Zero-Carbon Targeted Integrated Energy Planning: An Innovative District-level Pathway to Support Carbon-Neutrality by 2060. The report introduces the new approach of zero-carbon targeted integrated energy planning (IEP), and proposes a set of theoretical frameworks, methodologies, and application scenarios for district-level planning of new urban development zones with zero-carbon goals.

After China's recent announcement of its goal of carbon neutrality by 2060, new urban development zones are in need of innovative ways to organize planning and contribute to the national target. The planning and implementation of zero-carbon development is a leading global trend but is also challenging as there is a lack of understanding and know-how in China as regards pathways and concrete actions. The zero-carbon targeted IEP approach proposed by RMI fills this gap and provides an innovative methodology for urban energy system construction, operation, and management in the context of carbon neutrality.

The zero-carbon targeted IEP approach aims at building clean, efficient, and reliable energy systems through the process of integrating energy investment and energy technology resources. Compared with traditional district-level electricity/heating/cooling planning, zero-carbon targeted IEP sets a zero-carbon goal as the overall goal and creates cross-disciplinary synergies, which can greatly improve urban energy efficiency and reduce carbon emissions. The new approach also provides actionable roadmaps for districts to contribute to carbon-neutrality strategies.

Employing zero-carbon targeted IEP in new urban development zones could unlock the full potential of carbon emissions mitigation, contributing to China's goal of peaking CO₂ emissions by 2030 and reaching carbon neutrality by 2060. Analysis in this report shows that if all the new urban development zones in China adopt zero-carbon targeted IEP methodology, it could contribute at least 15% to the total emissions reductions required by the nation's carbon-neutrality goal.

To read the full report, visit the RMI website at: https://rmi.org/insight/zero-carbon-targeted-integrated-energy-planning/