Review of World Science and Technology Development in 2023 Green development, more harmony between man and nature

Russia

Approve the action plan to address climate change

Development of solid oxide fuel cells

◎ Dong Yingbi, our correspondent in Russia

In 2023, the Russian government approved the second phase of the national action plan for adaptation to climate change up to 2025. The plan proposes to improve and perfect the protection mechanism against the risks of natural disasters, to create and introduce new technical solutions for studying climate change, to compile a list of the best options for adapting to climate change in the relevant economic sectors of Russia and the international community, and to annually test and evaluate the effectiveness of existing countermeasures. The plan, which runs until 2025, is divided into 17 measures at the federal, departmental and federal subject levels, and provides the necessary safeguards in terms of organizational, legal, scientific research and information assurance. In 2019, the Russian government approved the first phase of the national action plan for adaptation to climate change until 2022, and within its framework, the relevant national system began to be formed, clearly stipulating a series of specific tasks and goals for Russia to respond to climate change at this stage. The National Action Plan for Adaptation to Climate Change for Phase III up to 2028 will be developed by the end of 2025.

Russia's Ural Federal University has developed a more environmentally friendly solid oxide fuel cell that can replace acidic, alkaline and lithium-ion batteries. Solid oxide fuel cells have an anode made of ceramic metal material and a cathode made of porous oxide. To simplify the production of solid oxide fuel cells, the researchers designed symmetrical cells with two electrodes in the battery with the same composition. The production of symmetrical solid oxide fuel cells is made by new ferrite compounds based on iron, barium and lanthanum, which exhibit high electrical conductivity and low polarization resistance in air.

The UK

Ongoing concern about global warming and pollution

Development of new energy-saving and emission-reduction facilities

◎ Reporter Liu Xia

In 2023, environmental issues such as climate change and air pollution have aroused strong concern among British scientists, who have carried out a number of studies on this and achieved a lot of results.

In terms of global warming, the UK Met Office said there is a 66% chance that the global average temperature will be 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels in at least one year between 2023 and mid-2027. 2024 could be the first year that the global average surface temperature is more than 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels, and research from Imperial College London suggests that there is a 50% chance that global temperatures will rise by 1.5°C by 2030 without a rapid reduction in CO2 emissions.

The increase in air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions has also raised alarm among scientists. Chris Whitdy, the UK's chief medical officer, noted that little is known about indoor air pollution and its impact on health, and global action is needed to tackle this neglected issue. Martin Reese, a British astronomer, said that in 20 years, humans may not be able to see the stars at night due to increased light pollution. 50 leading scientists have warned that global greenhouse gas emissions have hit a "record high" over the past decade, causing the world to warm at an unprecedented rate.

Changes in the global ecological environment have had a significant impact on living organisms. Researchers at the British Antarctic Survey say global warming in 2022 caused sea ice to melt, killing emperor penguin chicks in large numbers in multiple breeding grounds in western Antarctica. The agency's scientists have identified the H5N1 highly pathogenic avian influenza virus in the region for the first time, fearing that it could have devastating effects on seals, whales, penguins and others in Antarctica, and even lead to the extinction of some species, and models from the University of Bristol show that when the next supercontinent forms in about 250 million years, the hot climate will exceed the physiological limits of mammals.

In order to solve environmental problems, scientists have developed various energy-saving and emission-reduction facilities. Researchers at the University of Cambridge have developed a solar technology that converts carbon dioxide and water into liquid fuels that can be used directly as a temporary fuel to power car engines, researchers at the University of Cambridge have developed a solar reactor that converts captured carbon dioxide and plastic waste into sustainable fuels and other valuable chemical products, researchers at the University of Cambridge have developed a floating solar device that converts polluted water into clean hydrogen fuel and purified water anywhere in the world, and researchers at the University of Sheffield have found that fungi store more than 1 per year/3 of carbon from the combustion of fossil fuels, and a team of chemists at the University of Oxford produced fluoride for the first time without the use of dangerous gases.

The US

Eco-friendly materials reduce energy use

Research and development of "out of thin air" to take electricity and water

◎ Reporter Zhang Jiaxin

In order to cope with climate change, energy-saving and emission-reducing materials and energy have always been "hot pets" for research. Scientists at Stanford University in the United States have invented a new type of coating that keeps houses and other buildings cool in the summer and warm in the winter, thereby significantly reducing energy use and lowering greenhouse gas emissions;practiceResearchers at Oak Ridge National Laboratory designed a record-breaking carbon-based supercapacitor material that stores four times the energy of the best commercial materials available, and that supercapacitors made from this new material can store more energy to improve regenerative braking systems, power electronics, and auxiliary power.

Research at the University of Massachusetts Amherst has shown that almost any material can be turned into a device that continuously collects electricity from moist air, opening the door to access clean electricity. In addition, researchers at the University of Texas at Austin have made a major breakthrough in obtaining potable water from rarefied air by developing a molecularly engineered hydrogel that extracts clean water from the atmosphere using only sunlight.

France

Low-carbon technology patents are at the forefront

The wind of energy transition is "blowing" in all fields

◎ Li Hongce, a reporter of this newspaper in France

In 2023, France is a global leader in patents for low-carbon technologies, with three French research institutes among the top 10 in the world. According to the International Energy Agency, the French Atomic Energy and Alternative Energy Commission ranks first in the world, the IFP Institute for New Energy is ranked fourth, and the French National Center for Scientific Research is ranked seventh. France is particularly good at hydrogen development and is also leading the way in the capture and storage of carbon dioxide.

France is also increasing its investment in climate observation and prediction, new energy development, and support for clean transportation and agriculture. In January 2023, an international team led by the Toulouse Laboratory of Space Geophysics and Oceanography revealed greater glacier mass loss than previously predicted, confirming a linear relationship between global temperature increase and glacier mass loss. By the end of the century, the mass of the Earth's glaciers (excluding the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets) could be 26 to 41 per cent lower than in 2015, and 14 to 23 per cent higher than previously forecasted. In August, scientists at the French National Centre for Scientific Research predicted the possibility of severe landslides in the Alps, and France is testing 947 permafrost zones in the Alps, with studies being carried out at several riskier sites. The French Ministry of Ecology has developed a specific action plan to monitor and respond to possible natural disasters in the valley area.

In terms of new energy, French President Emmanuel Macron announced in November 2023 that France will conduct bidding for offshore wind farm projects in 2025, which is expected to be completed from 2030 to 2035, with a total power of 10 million kilowatts, which can meet the electricity needs of 10 million households. At present, the total power of offshore wind farms installed and under construction in France is about 8 million kilowatts, and France plans to increase the total power to 18 million kilowatts in 2035 and 45 million kilowatts in 2050, which will make offshore wind energy the second largest source of electricity generation in France after nuclear energy. At the same time, the French Ministry of Energy announced that it had approved applications for 54 onshore wind farm projects with a total power of 931 megawatts.

In terms of agriculture, France announced in September 2023 that it would allocate 21 million euros under the "France 2030" investment plan to launch the "agricultural robot" project to accelerate the ecological transformation of agriculture. The project will be managed by the French National Agency for Scientific Research, supported by the French International Institute for Agricultural and Food Environment, and led by the Association for Agricultural Robotics, with a focus on removing technical and regulatory barriers to the deployment of agricultural robots. France aims to achieve three goals: to develop new agroecological practices, to promote technological maturity, and to increase farmers' acceptance of new technologies.

Germany

Firmly abandon nuclear and bet on renewables

Carry out a number of international cooperation projects on hydrogen energy

◎ Li Shan, a reporter of this newspaper in Germany

In 2023, Germany officially ended the nuclear power era, with the last three nuclear power plants ceasing to generate electricity on April 15, but subsequent nuclear waste disposal will continue for decades. At the same time, the German government is fully committed to the development of renewable energies, holding the first Wind and Photovoltaic Summit and releasing the German Wind and Photovoltaic Strategy. The government plans to generate 80% of the country's electricity consumption from renewable sources by 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality in the power supply system by 2035.

In terms of energy, Germany is fully committed to promoting green hydrogen as the energy carrier of the future. To accelerate the development of the hydrogen industry, the government has adopted an updated National Hydrogen Strategy to promote the transfer of science to industry and make it easier to integrate hydrogen into existing energy systems. Hydrogen also makes it possible for Germany to bring in green energy from other sunny and windy regions of the world. Germany has launched a number of international hydrogen cooperation projects and plans to invest more than 5 billion euros in international hydrogen procurement in the coming years, with the first tenders already underway. Germany has focused on strengthening cooperation with Norway, Belgium, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Brazil, Chile, Argentina and several African countries in the field of expanding renewable energy and green hydrogen production.

In terms of the biological environment, research by the Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology in Germany shows that warm environments and light-driven reactions may be able to produce methane in the global aqueous environment without the need for high pressure and temperature. These reactions may have influenced the chemical evolution of the atmosphere before the emergence of life.

In terms of water resources, Germany has released the National Water Strategy to address the new challenges to the German water economy due to climate change, population development, land use change, technological innovation and changes in consumer behaviour. Scientists at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology report that the use of nitrogen fertilizers could be reduced by 32 percent overall by a more evenly distributed use of global nitrogen fertilizers, while maintaining current cereal production levels. German researchers have also found that a warming climate presents opportunities for soybean cultivation in Europe. In the long run, more and more land in Europe will be adapted to soybean cultivation, and this impact will outweigh the yield loss due to hot droughts, especially in southern Europe.

The German Institute for Standardization, the Committee for Electrical and Electronic Information Technology and the Institute of Engineers jointly publish the "Roadmap for Standardization in the Circular Economy". The document describes the challenges facing the industry in terms of the circular economy and gives the norms and standards needed to address them. The roadmap identifies seven thematic elements around the EU Circular Economy Action Plan: digital business models and management, electrical engineering and communication technologies, batteries, packaging, plastics, textiles, construction and townships, with more than 200 standard requirements.

Japan

Quantum Diamond extends the range of electric vehicles

The first flight of the "air car" was successful

◎ Reporter Zhang Mengran

Scientists at the Tokyo Institute of Technology in Japan have developed a diamond quantum sensor that can increase the range of electric vehicles by about 10%. The technology maximizes the performance of on-board batteries by accurately measuring the amount of stored power, and their goal is to put the technology into practical use as early as 2030.

Researchers at Nagoya University have developed a new ultra-high-density sulfonic acid polymer electrolyte membrane for fuel cells. The polymer electrolyte membrane is one of the key components of environmentally friendly polymer electrolyte fuel cells.

Scientists in Japan and the United States have collaborated in the laboratory to grow a commonly occurring mineral called dolomite, which is expected to bring better performance materials to semiconductors, solar panels and other fields.

Japan's National Institute of Fusion Science and TAE Technologies, Inc. of the United States, have joined forces to realize the first hydrogen-boron fusion experiment in a magnetic confinement fusion plasma. Although the latest experiment did not produce a net energy gain, it demonstrated the feasibility of neutron-free nuclear fusion, making it possible to make cleaner fusion reactors, the research team said.

The "car in the sky" is widely regarded as the next generation of transportation. The city of Oita in southwestern Japan conducted the first outdoor manned test flight of the "air car", bringing this new type of transportation one step closer to reality.

South Korea

Steadily promote the goal of carbon neutrality

The first green hydrogen production facility is planned to be built

◎ Xue Yan, reporter of this newspaper in South Korea

In April 2023, the 2050 Carbon Neutral Green Growth Committee under the President of the Republic of Korea deliberated and voted on the first National Carbon Neutral Green Growth Basic Plan. The plan, which was formulated in accordance with the Basic Law on Carbon Neutrality, which came into effect in March 2023, maintains the Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) target proposed by the previous South Korean government to reduce the country's greenhouse gas emissions by 40% by 2030 from 2018 levels. The industrial sector was originally targeted to reduce emissions by 14.5% by 2030 compared to 2018, but the Basic Plan reduced this to 11.4%. Eight organizations, including the Korea Institute of Energy Technology, and five companies, including SK E&S, Samsung Engineering, and GS Caltex, are participating in the "Carbon Capture Industry Technology Innovation Promotion Plan", which plans to develop innovative technologies to reduce carbon capture costs by 30% by 2030, add equipment capable of capturing 1.2 million tons of carbon in the eastern and western seas of Korea, and build storage tanks that can store 10 tons of carbon dioxide in South Korea.

In November, South Korea's 2050 Carbon Neutral Green Growth Committee announced South Korea's "2030 Methane Emission Reduction Roadmap", which sets out specific measures to reduce methane emissions. According to the roadmap, the livestock sector will promote the popularization of low-methane emission feed, increase the rate of manure purification from the current 13% to more than 25% by 2030, and promote the systematic management of water in rice fields in the agriculture sector to effectively control the production of methanobacteria. In addition, the South Korean government will increase its monitoring of fugitive emissions.

In the field of hydrogen energy, the key to solar hydrogen production technology is the photoelectrode, and the performance of the photoelectrode determines the efficiency of the hydrogen production system. At present, the size of the photoelectrode is small, and it needs to be increased by tens or even hundreds of times to achieve large-scale hydrogen production. The research team of the Ulsan Institute of Science and Technology has solved the important problem of large-scale photoelectric hydrogen production by using automatic inkjet printing technology to innovate the "large-scale photoelectrode manufacturing technology", which can be widely used in solar hydrogen production. Its core technology is to use the inkjet printing technology of large-scale thin-film solar cells to amplify the photoelectrode, which has the advantages of economical and accurate printing of complex multi-layer mechanisms compared with traditional vacuum technology, which can maintain high performance for a long time and improve efficiency. At present, the research team has used this technology to fabricate large-scale modular iron oxide photocatalyst electrodes.

In November, South Korea's Samsung C&T said it would build a plant in Gimcheon, Gyeongsangbuk-do, South Korea, to produce clean energy and green hydrogen by using new and renewable energy through off-grid solar power generation (direct production of energy without receiving electricity or gas from the outside world). It will be the first green hydrogen production facility in South Korea and is expected to be commissioned in January 2025 and connected to the Gimcheon Solar Power Plant. New Renewable Energy produces 0.6 tons of green hydrogen per day to meet the needs of nearby hydrogen vehicle hydrogen refueling stations. The technology and data accumulated by the project are of reference significance for promoting the construction of large-scale green hydrogen projects at home and abroad.

South Africa

The Transatlantic Research and Innovation Forum was held

Promote environmental protection and sustainable development in the region

◎ Feng Zhiwen, correspondent of this newspaper in South Africa

In November 2023, South Africa held the 2023 Transatlantic Research and Innovation Alliance Forum in Cape Town, with two new members, Norway and the United Kingdom, joining the alliance. The Forum is committed to strengthening ocean science with a focus on solutions and environmental impacts, emphasizing the Alliance's focus on increasing understanding of the relationship between the Atlantic Ocean and climate to address climate change, and coordinating observations of the Atlantic Ocean, improving modelling capabilities, and enhancing research on marine ecosystems and biodiversity.