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Ramping up Heat Pumps in Moldova: A Roadmap
Buildings account for more than half of Moldova’s final energy consumption, with three-quarters of that used for space and water heating. At the same time, Moldova lacks domestic hydrocarbon resources and imports more than 80% of its primary energy. Heat pump technology offers Moldova an effective means of accelerating the transition in building heating.The recent expansion of Moldova’s solar and wind capacity also means that heat pumps can now play a greater role in cutting greenhouse gas emissions and lowering local air pollution. Finally, Moldovan’s 2024 referendum, endorsing the goal of European Union membership, underscores…
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Land-Use Competition between Biodiversity and Net Zero Goals
…on an assessment by the International Energy Agency (IEA), tripling the capacity of renewables globally requires allocating up to an additional 600 000 km² of land – an area the size of France – to utility-scale solar PV and onshore wind power by 2030, and 2 million km² by 2050. In parallel, the IEA estimates that demand for key energy transition minerals – cobalt, copper, graphite, lithium, nickel and rare earth elements (REEs) – is projected to increase at least fivefold by 2030, requiring more land for mining and processing these minerals. At the same time, the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework aims to protect 30% of…
