Synergetic mitigation of air pollution and carbon emissions of coal-based energy: A review and recommendations for technology assessment, scenario analysis, and pathway planning

Abstract

Coal-based energy plays a vital role in powering the global economy, but generates substantial emissions of atmospheric pollutants and greenhouse gases. Cost-effective solutions to mitigating these emissions are a global priority for sustainable development. Although numerous mitigation technologies have been developed, their relative performance, development potential, and deployment pathways remain unclear from a unified perspective, highlighting the need for comprehensive technology assessment, scenario analysis, and pathway planning. The present study critically reviewed relevant literature to identify the key barriers to determining the dynamic links between technology-related parameters of emission, cost, and scale. To bridge the research gap, we propose a comprehensive methodology framework and explore specific approaches to include the impact mechanism of scale on emission and cost in technology assessment and the mutual influence mechanism between the scales of different technologies in scenario analysis. We then integrate these mechanisms to embed an emission-cost-scale dynamic response in pathway planning. The proposed framework and approaches can improve the scientific nature and accuracy of energy-environment-economy system modeling, and inform practical research and exploration to guide the sustainable management of coal-based energy.