An Overview of Climate Change Mitigation, Mitigation Strategies, and Technologies to Reduce Atmospheric Greenhouse Gas Concentrations: A Review

Abstract

Natural and human-induced climate change could have major adverse consequences for the world’s ecosystems and societies. It is caused by the emission of greenhouse gases, which trap long wave radiation in the upper atmosphere and thus raise atmospheric temperatures as well as produce other changes in the climate system. In order to minimize these negative impacts, different strategies are suggested, among which the two major ones are adaptation and mitigation. The review was based on secondary data obtained through various sources such as textbooks, journals, conference papers, and published and unpublished materials, with an emphasis on mitigation, which is intended to either reduce the emissions of greenhouse gases from sources that are warming our planet or increase the various ways through which greenhouse gases can be removed from the atmosphere. To this end, concepts of sources and sinks were defined and major sources and sinks with possible ways to decrease emissions from sources and enhance sinks were reviewed. Furthermore, various mitigation technologies were examined sector by sector. Finally, as a case study, climate change mitigation in the energy and agriculture sectors in Ethiopia were also reviewed.