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Background: Health care systems contribute significantly to greenhouse gas emissions. One source of these emissions is single-use products. Examination table paper does not confer protection against microbial contamination and thus can be omitted while following infection control standards. The objective is to eliminate the routine use of examination table paper in outpatient oncology clinics at BC Cancer. Methods: A quality improvement approach was used. Examination tables continued to be disinfected using wipes between patients, but table paper was not used. Plan-do-studyact cycles were performed at four regional cancer centres. Results: Pre-intervention, the cancer centres used 19 to 69 rolls of paper monthly. Postintervention, usage declined to 0 to 2 rolls monthly. This was associated with annual cost savings of $3974 and a reduction of 32 501 kg of carbon dioxide emissions. Conclusions: The use of examination table paper can be eliminated in outpatient clinics, resulting in both cost savings and a reduction in carbon dioxide emissions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Every ophthalmic surgical supply, including intraocular lenses (IOLs), IOL cartridges, and ophthalmic viscosurgical device syringes, is packaged with instructions for use (IFU). These pamphlets are printed in multiple languages and, in the case of an IOL, significantly increase the size and weight of the packaging. To eliminate this significant and unnecessary source of waste, we recommend that manufacturers move to Quick Response codes that link to online electronic IFU (e-IFU) as a sensible alternative. In addition to reducing carbon emissions and manufacturing costs, e-IFU can be updated more easily and accessed by surgeons in the clinic, where IOL models and powers are selected. Varying and inconsistent IFU requirements between different countries are a barrier to wider adoption of e-IFU by the ophthalmic surgical industry. Regulatory agencies in every country should allow and encourage e-IFU. This position paper has been endorsed by the 3 major societies that sponsor EyeSustain, a consortium of global societies dedicated to advancing sustainability in ophthalmology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reducing examination table paper (ETP) use may help curb carbon emissions from health care. Six participants applied Glo Germ (DMA International) to their hands before a common physical examination (abdominal, cardiorespiratory, hip and knee) both with and without ETP. After each exam, UV light was shined on the exam table and photographs were taken. The number of hand touches on ETP-covered areas and uncovered areas were tallied and compared using t tests. Despite covering more surface area, participants touched areas without ETP significantly more than ETP-covered areas (P <.05). Despite its continued use, patients do not have much hand contact with ETP during common clinical examinations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the tragedy in Ukraine deepens, it's clear that the world should end its dependency on Russian oil. It will be ironic, however, if nations disentangling themselves from this compromised energy source instead turn to another energy source with destructive impacts: harvesting and burning forest wood for fuel, which increases carbon emissions compared to fossil fuels, and degrades forests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The text provides a summary of various articles related to air quality, climate change, and environmental initiatives. It mentions a report from the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) highlighting record-breaking climate change indicators in 2023, the use of pulp and paper waste to reduce carbon emissions, the development of national indoor quality standards for public buildings, the establishment of a hydrogen hub in the Pilbara region of Australia, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's new tailpipe rules to reduce pollution from cars and light trucks. These articles offer insights into the current state of the environment and efforts to address climate change. [Extracted from the article]

Encouraged by the goal of achieving net-zero carbon emission by 2050, the exploration of insulating material becomes one of the core projects to the electrical equipment innovations. The rise of composites enables the insulating material to be endowed with more functions. By this concern, adopting the coupling agents is one of the effective methods to improve the compatibility of composites, which highly strengthens the desired properties. The functional groups of coupling agents, nevertheless, could not always show a positive impact to access enhanced properties. In this work, four types of silane coupling agents including amino-propyl, glycidyletheroxy-propyl (GP), vinyl, and methacryloxy-propyl functional groups are employed to modify the aluminum nitride (AlN) fillers, and the modification effects on the insulating and thermal conductivity of the AlN/poly(m-phenylenedicarbonyl-m-phenylenediamine) (PMIA) composite paper are systematically investigated and compared. The results show that a proper coupling agent is beneficial to the uniform dispersion of the inorganic filler in the organic matrix and highly contributes to their interface quality, where the heat transfer path is established that boosts the heat dissipation. By tailoring the trap depth and density toward deeper and higher, the carrier transport is highly confined which enhances the breakdown strength to a large extent. Therefore, high breakdown strength and thermal conductivity of 182.9 kV mm−1 and 0.302 W (m·K)−1, respectively, are achieved in the GP modified AlN/PMIA paper, which are 16.7% and 167.4% higher than that of pure PMIA paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carbon emissions from the Yangtze River Economic Belt are an important element of China's carbon emission endeavor, and a study of its emission reduction pathway can provide a reference for the country's overall management of carbon emission reduction. From the perspective of energy consumption, this paper uses the carbon emission factor method to estimate the carbon emissions of the transportation industry in the Yangtze River Economic Belt during 2006–2020, based on the extended STIRPAT model, considering the influence of seven factors, i.e., population size, urbanization rate, GDP per capita, transportation added value, energy structure, energy intensity, and transportation intensity, on carbon emissions. Based on these factors, a scenario analysis, combined with a forecasting model, is used to predict the peak carbon performance of the transportation industry under different development scenarios. The results show that the overall carbon emissions of transportation in the YEB from 2006 to 2020 show a fluctuating upward trend, and the downstream carbon emissions are significantly higher than those in other regions. The main factors influencing carbon emissions from transportation in different upstream, midstream, and downstream regions vary, with both population and economic factors contributing to carbon emissions, while technical factors affect them differently. There are significant differences in the peak carbon performance of transportation under different development scenarios, and the government should take effective measures to work towards achieving the goals of the low-carbon or enhanced low-carbon scenarios. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although there are opportunities to reduce electrical energy demand in unit processes of mechanical pulp-based paper and paperboard production, this may not be financially beneficial. This is generally because energy optimization opportunities connected to reduced refiner electricity demand in mechanical pulping systems also results in less steam available for the drying of the paper. As modern high consistency refiner systems produce approximately one ton of steam for each MWh of electricity when producing one ton of pulp, a reduction in electric energy demand leads to increased fuel demand in steam boilers to compensate for the steam shortage. In this study, we investigated what the financial and environmental situation would look like if we were to expand the system border from a paper mill to a larger system consisting of a mechanical pulp-based paper or paperboard mill, a district heating system with an incineration boiler and a chemical pulp mill. Mechanical pulp production has a wood to product yield of >90%, a high electric energy demand to separate woodchips to pulp and is a net producer of heat and steam while chemical pulp-based production has a wood to product yield of 50%, a low electric energy demand and is a net heat and electricity producer due to the combustion of dissolved wood polymers. The aim of this research is to create useful and robust models of how to use excess heat from certain industry sites to cover the steam shortage in other industry sites by means of utilizing and optimizing the district heating systems connecting these sites. For this purpose, we used a simulation tool which dynamically allows us to evaluate different scenarios. Our results shows that there is great potential to reduce both carbon dioxide emissions and production costs for industry sites and society by means of these tools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The building sector contributes to 40% of the total final energy consumption and 36% of CO2 emissions in Europe, and these are set to increase in the coming years. International directives are pushing towards a decarbonisation roadmap to improve the quality of cities and the health of citizens. Buildings have a potentially central role in terms of energy transition as a means to produce and save energy. Photovoltaic shading devices (PVSDs) protect buildings from direct solar radiation and overheating while producing renewable electricity onsite and increasing the users' thermal comfort. Even though the potential of the PVSD is considerable, the sector is still unexplored, and few studies on the topic are available in the literature. This systematic review aims to present an exhaustive overview of the current literature on state-of-the-art PVSDs by analysing the scientific framework in terms of the status of the research. It presents a performance-based approach focusing on innovative products, PVSD design strategies, and energetic performance in distinct climate conditions and configurations. In particular, 75 articles and about 250 keywords were identified, selected, and analysed. The literature review serves as a basis for further R&D activities led by both the industrial and the academic sectors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper industry is a high-carbon emission and energy-intensive industry. From the perspective of low-carbon trade and carbon neutrality, its energy conservation and emission reduction are worthy of attention. This study used the input-output model to calculate the embodied carbon emissions of China’s paper industry’s export trade to the United States from 2006 to 2020 and used the logarithmic mean division index (LMDI) method to analyze influencing factors of the change of embodied carbon emissions. The study found that the embodied carbon emissions of China’s paper industry’s export trade to the United States generally shows a stable downward trend after reaching the peak with the increase of export trade scale; scale effect is the main factor that causes the embodied carbon emissions, while technological progress, policy support, and environmental regulations are important driving forces to promote carbon emission reduction. The research results of this paper not only can test and guide China’s paper industry trade policies and industrial policies, but they can also provide decision-making reference for China and the United States to promote the carbon emission reduction of the paper industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the impact of incorporating lime mud (LM) as a filler material to develop sustainable, cementless ultra-high performance concrete (UHPC) by replacing silica powder (SP) and silica sand (SS) at varying percentages. Flowability analysis reveals that LM, with its distinctive particle size, influences flow characteristics differently at different replacement levels. Compressive strength was improved by 5.4% with 30% SP replacement, showcasing the role of LM in nucleation, as well as its particle size advantage. The heat of hydration analysis indicates that LM likely influences the early curing stages, enhancing reactivity and nucleation. TGA analysis also confirms that LM plays a role in hydration reaction, influencing weight loss and hydration peaks. The mercury intrusion porosimeter results show the impact of LM on pore distribution, with 30% for SP and 50% for SS replacements, favoring denser matrices. Life cycle assessment (LCA) demonstrates reduced CO 2 emissions and favorable environmental performance, highlighting the sustainability potential of LM replacements. Overall, the incorporation of LM in UHPC shows promise in terms of enhancing its mechanical properties and environmental sustainability. [Display omitted] • Lime mud (LM) in UHPC boosts material strength, leading to denser, more effective concrete. • LM enhances hydration, flowability, and refines pore structure. • High LM ratios in UHPC increase sustainability and reduce CO 2 emissions. • LM's use in UHPC significantly advances its mechanical properties and eco-friendliness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change and the resulting higher frequency of extreme weather events have a direct negative impact on mental health. Natural disasters are particularly associated with an increase in the prevalence of depression, anxiety and posttraumatic stress disorder. Indirect consequences of climate change, such as food shortages, economic crises, violent conflicts and forced migration, additionally represent severe psychological risk and stress factors. Climate anxiety and solastalgia, the distress induced by environmental change, are new psychological syndromes in the face of the existential threat posed by the climate crisis. Accordingly, a sustainable psychiatry must prepare for increasing and changing demands. The principles of psychiatric treatment need to focus more on prevention to reduce the overall burden on the healthcare system. Waste of resources and CO2 emissions in psychiatric treatment processes as well as infrastructure must be perceived and prevented. Psychiatric education, training and continuing education concepts should be expanded to include the topic of climate change in order to comprehensively inform and sensitize professionals, those affected and the public and to encourage climate-friendly and health-promoting behavior. More in-depth research is needed on the impact of climate change on mental health. The DGPPN becomes a sponsor and aims for climate neutrality by 2030 by committing to climate-friendly and energy-saving measures in the area of finance, in relation to the DGPPN congress as well as the DGPPN office. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Numerical simulations based on Computational Fluid Dynamic techniques are performed to analyze the possibility of feeding a biomass-derived syngas into the combustion chamber upstream of the hoods for tissue-paper drying, to replace fossil fuels and thus decarbonize the plant. It was observed that, in the context of Favre-Averaged Navier–Stokes equations simulation, syngas requires detailed kinetics and finite-rate approaches, as the fast-chemistry ones, largely employed in the industrial practice for conventional fuels, lead to unreliable results. The actual chamber, originally designed to be fed with liquid petroleum gas, does not operate properly when fueled with syngas, with incomplete oxidation of carbon monoxide. Numerical simulations have proven how very few modifications of the chamber can be devised to permit feeding efficiently the syngas, obtaining low pollutant emissions and meeting the desired requirements in terms of flow and thermal uniformity for the drying process. The solution proposed in the present study, with the effective use of a biomass-derived syngas to feed the drying section of a tissue paper plant, will allow saving approximately 8500 ton/y of CO 2 emissions in comparison with today's fossil fuel carbon footprint. [Display omitted] • Use of syngas from biomass gasification to decarbonize a tissue paper plant. • CFD simulations to comprehend the behavior of chamber and hood fed with bio-syngas. • Need for detailed kinetics to model with CFD the bio-syngas combustion. • Modification of the combustion system needed to limit CO with the bio-syngas. • Reduction of 8500 ton/y of CO 2 emissions in comparison to today's LPG. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Magnetotelluric (MT) and audio-magnetotelluric (AMT) studies are sensitive to the geothermal fluids filling the faults and/or fracture zones of the geothermal system. In India, MT/AMT studies have been carried out in NW Himalayas, central, eastern, and western India. In other areas, detailed MT/AMT studies need to be expedited. This review paper presents the art of geothermal exploration in India by using MT/AMT techniques and identifies potential zones that can be exploited for power generation and direct application. Reservoir characteristics, carbon emissions reduction methods, and levelised cost factor are also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

China is the top emitter of greenhouse gases in the world. Pulp and paper industry is one of eight the strictly regulated industries about carbon emission in China. However, estimates of carbon emissions from China's pulp and paper industry have been suffered from remarkable uncertainty. It is summarized that is aroused by the inaccuracy of factors evaluating energy consumption, and the huge gap between the calculation standards for assessing energy consumption in the production process and the actual level recorded in the factories. This paper re-evaluated the carbon emission of China's pulp and paper industry from the perspective of life cycle assessment, and applied more accurate emission factors, taking account of the actual energy consumption of the production process in factories, to estimate the actual carbon emissions in maximum. It is found that the national standards about the energy consumption quota of China's pulp and paper industry is no longer applicable, and the actual energy consumption regulated in the production process is far better than the advanced level given by the national standards. The greenhouse gas emission have been seriously overestimated approximately 12.00%–56.17% by international organizations. • Life Cycle Analysis of the China's pulp and paper Industry is conducted thoroughly. • The pulp flow of China's pulp and paper Industry is analyzed. • Energy regulated in factory is far better than the national standards' required. • Carbon emissions of China's pulp and paper Industry are overestimated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

China's rapid urbanization has led to the development of integrated transport networks, which requires the transport sector to pay particular attention to the integrated transport comprehensive carrying capacity (ITCCC). Concurrently, global climate change has focused the world community's attention on greenhouse gas concentrations like CO2. This study establishes an ITCCC measurement model of urban agglomerations (UAs) and measures the comprehensive carrying capacity from four factors: socio-economic, basic resources, transport facilities, and traffic environment. In particular, this paper takes carbon emission as a critical indicator of the traffic environment when considering the impact factors of ITCCC. Based on the data of China's five major UAs, this study estimates carrying capacity levels with the ITCCC model and analyses regional characteristics using the spatial-temporal differentiation method. The results show that the traffic environment significantly impacts the ITCCC. Further low-carbon transport policies and measures are recommended to achieve sustainable development of integrated transport in UAs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• RCF wastes brick achieves 24% lower thermal properties than the control brick. • RCF wastes brick requires 10% lower firing temperature than the control brick. • Utilizing as-received waste materials requires zero grinding energy, benefiting manufacturers and cutting emissions. • Lower firing temperature saved $158,460 by cutting 417 tonnes of CO 2. Building materials drive the global economy, yet face severe environmental hurdles: resource depletion, greenhouse gas emissions, and waste generation. In order to mitigate the impact from these challenges, authorities seek sustainable and eco-friendly alternatives as an urgent need. This study focuses on the utilization of as-received rejected contaminated fines (RCF) obtained from the yellow bins' waste (paper) recycling process, in brick production. Diverse tests assessed the brick performance, including compressive strength, absorption rate, thermal conductivity, 3D CT scanning for morphological analysis, and durability analysis. Additionally, a leachate analysis was performed to evaluate the environmental implications. Economic benefits, particularly the reduction of CO 2 emissions, were also evaluated. The findings confirmed that as-received waste can be utilized for fired clay brick production without the need for pulverization. The novel brick product made with as-received RCF waste exhibited superior thermal characteristics (up to a 31.25 % reduction compared to control bricks) while meeting the essential compliance requirements outlined by national standards. Moreover, each firing cycle led to a potential value of up to USD 158,460 through a reduction of 417 tonnes of CO 2 , resulting from a 9.5 % reduction in firing temperature (1000 °C). The results from this study offer valuable insights into the potential of using RCF waste as a sustainable alternative in the brick manufacturing industry. This alternative could address the soaring demand in the current market, resolve the escalating solid waste crisis, and mitigate clay shortages, while providing a sustainable solution for the brick industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Although paper production demonstrates high energy and water sensitivity in their life cycles, only a few systematic analyses have focused on these issues. Therefore, an energy and carbon coupled water footprint analysis of five types of Kraft wood pulp-based paper (i.e., specialty-, art-, household-, light coated-, and tissue paper) is conducted in this study to help improve the environmental performance of the paper industry. All investigations are conducted with an impact-oriented approach based on ISO standards. Results show that elemental-chlorine-free bleaching is more environmentally friendly than chlorination-alkaline extraction-hypochlorite bleaching, specifically for global warming, aquatic eutrophication, and human health (i.e., carcinogens and non-carcinogens). Gray water footprint along whole life cycles of each product is approximately twice of blue water footprint. Direct processes contribute approximately 50% to water scarcity, while their impact on aquatic eutrophication ranges from 0.002% to 50.72%. For other midpoints, indirect processes dominate the influences. Meanwhile, COD, BOD 5 , CO 2 , TP, Cr (Ⅵ), Ti, Hg, and As are key contributors. Finally, reusing sludge by direct burning in the recovery furnace, reclaiming organic compounds in black liquor before alkali recycling, and integrating black liquor gasification technology are expected to provide substantial environmental benefits. Amelioration of wastewater treatment, optimization of the national energy structure, and improvement of the efficiency of chemicals and freshwater are recommended. Highlights • Energy and carbon coupled water footprint analysis of Kraft pulp paper is applied. • The environmental benefit of black liquor recovery is dominated by reused alkali. • Direct processes contribute a lot to water scarcity and aquatic eutrophication. • COD, BOD, TP, and heavy metals are key substances. • Optimizing waste reuse and availability efficiency of chemicals is recommended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Corporate carbon emissions accounting has become a research focus for researchers and government departments. Based on corporate production processes, this study proposes and establishes a comprehensive system for corporate carbon emissions. Taking Stora Enso (Guangxi) Company as an example, this paper provides a thorough analysis of the production and operational status of paper-making companies. The production process is divided into five stages: material preparation, pulping, pulp board production, papermaking, and alkali recycling. Based on these production processes, it proposes and constructs a corporate carbon emissions accounting system from an accounting perspective, which specifically includes accounting objectives, information quality characteristics, accounting recognition, accounting measurement, accounting treatments, and information disclosure. The findings show that the carbon emissions accounting system targeted at production processes can clearly awaken corporate carbon emissions responsibilities, further improve the corporate accounting system, and provide effective technical support for the government to implement environmental regulations and formulate carbon reduction policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Paper has shaped society for centuries and is considered one of humanity's most important inventions. However, pulp and paper products can be damaging to social and natural systems along their lifecycle of material extraction, processing, transportation, and waste handling. The pulp and paper industry is among the top five most energy-intensive industries globally and is the fourth largest industrial energy user. This industry accounts for approximately 6% of global industrial energy use and 2% of direct industrial CO 2 emissions. The pulp and paper industry is also the largest user of original or virgin wood, with deleterious impacts on both human health and local flora and fauna, including aquatic ecosystems. This critical and systematic review seeks to identify alternatives for mitigating the climate impacts of pulp and paper processes and products, thus making the pulp and paper industry more environmentally sustainable. This study reviews 466 studies to answer the following questions: what are the main determinants of energy and carbon emissions emerging from the pulp and paper industry? What are the benefits of this industry adopting low-carbon manufacturing processes, and what barriers will need to be tackled to enable such adoption? Using a sociotechnical lens, we answer these questions, identify barriers for the pulp and paper industry's decarbonization, and present promising avenues for future research. •This review identifies carbon-intensive processes in the pulp and paper industry. •Presents decarbonizing practices, potential transformations and innovations. •Presents promising avenues for future research. •No agreed consensus on the most promising technologies to achieve net-zero in the pulp and paper industry. •Pulp and paper products are associated with other sociotechnical systems that create compelling interdependencies among industries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Low-quality materials contained in separately collected (SC) packaging waste generate environmental and economic burdens associated to both sorting operations of Material Recovery Facilities (MRFs) and landfilling of non-recyclable materials. In this study, based on quantification of both impurities and recyclable fractions, the quality of SC municipal packaging waste streams was determined by compositional analysis of the waste entering a MRF throughout a year. Foreign materials (% w/w) found in the monitored SC glass, paper plus cardboard and lightweight packaging waste, were on average 5.0, 14.7 and 23.0, respectively, while landfilled materials (% w/w) after MRF sorting operations were on average 4.3, 10.3 and 22.0, respectively. A Life Cycle Assessment study was conducted to determine the environmental impact of SC packaging waste streams quality of three different scenarios: current situation (CS), better (BS) and ideal (IS) scenario with reduced presence and absence, respectively, of improper materials in the three examined SC packaging waste streams. Emission of 32.1 kg CO 2 eq/t waste was calculated for the current situation with a reduction by 66.1% and 98.0% in CO 2 eq emission for BS and IS scenario, respectively. Similar emission reductions were calculated for ozone depletion, ionizing radiations, particle matter formation, fossil fuel depletion and primary energy demand impact categories. The environmental life cycle costing study demonstrated that total savings of € 35.2 and € 66.6 for each ton of SC packaging waste stream entering the MRF could be obtained for BS and IS scenario, respectively. [Display omitted] • Impurities in packaging waste streams generate environmental and economic burdens. • 23.0% of impurities were found in separately collected lightweight packaging waste. • Plant sorting operations generate 32.1 kg CO 2 eq for each ton of packaging waste. • € 35.2/ton of sorted packaging waste could be saved by reducing impurities content. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The pulp and paper industry is a high energy consuming and polluting sector, and carbon emissions emitted from this sector are worthy of attention. This article, based upon an analysis of China’s Pulp and Paper Industry (CPPI), provides estimates of each of the following: carbon emissions from energy consumption, pre-treatment sector, combustion of condensed black liquor, and methane emitted from incomplete aerobic digestion during sewage treatment of CPPI. During the study period (2005–2012), total CO 2 emissions ranged from 126.0 Mt to 155.4 Mt. Energy consumption was estimated to be the largest source of carbon emissions, however, due to the application of the local emission inventory rather than the IPCC inventory, energy consumption decreased by 4.7%, a lower percentage than was calculated in a previous study. According to this study’s estimation, the emissions caused by the recovery of biomass energy contributed 26–29% of the total CO 2 emissions. CH 4 generated from sewage treatment accounted for 9–11% of the total carbon emissions. The CO 2 intensity dropped during the study period, which reflected the improvement of energy efficiency in the pulp and paper industry. The outcome of this study provides not only detailed information about CPPI’s carbon emissions, but also a calculation framework for studying carbon emissions from pulp and paper sector in the other regions. It suggests that the local carbon emissions inventory should be used for estimating carbon emissions and to reduce the fossil fuel energy, increase energy recovery from biomass, and that promoting cleaner production is essential to achieve a low carbon development of the pulp and paper industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyses carbon emissions and value-added embodied in trade between two large developed countries, South Korea and the United States, during 2000-2014. Using multi-regional input-output (MRIO) tables, our analysis reveals that carbon emissions and value-added embodied in exports grew by 19% and 101% for South Korea but shrank by 43% and 7% for the United States. As a result, South Korea experienced a 40% increase in net carbon exports and 243% increase in net valueadded exports. At the industry level, the primary drivers of changes in carbon exports were electricity and basic materials. The majority of industries in witnessed improvements in carbon intensities suggesting improved environmental efficiency. While both countries achieved a decoupling of carbon emissions from value-added exports, substantial year-to-year and sectoral variations were observed. Finally, structural decomposition analysis indicates that domestic supply-side factors played a role in decreasing emissions whereas foreign demand-side factors contributed to emissions increases. In line with the main findings, various implications for policy and future research are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the creation, development, and dissemination of prefabricated concrete rural houses in Jiangsu Province in East China from 1961 to the 1980s, an example of the technological transition provoked by the depletion of forest and timber in China. Through archival research, fieldwork and interviews, the paper examines the two waves of design and dissemination of prefabricated concrete rural houses between 1961 and 1965 and their subsequent 'vernacularisation' in the 1970s and the 1980s. This research provides a twofold insight into the current scholarly debates surrounding built heritage and global climate change. On one hand, it addresses a historical context of concrete overuse in contemporary China, a matter of critical importance in relation to carbon emissions and global climate change. On the other hand, it offers a counter-argument to today's call for reintroducing timber structures in many places, as evidenced by the case of East China, where the widespread use of materials like concrete was primarily a consequence of the ecological crisis following decades of deforestation and timber resource depletion. In addition, the 'vernacularisation' of concrete structures manifested by this case still provides lessons for today's efforts to popularise more eco-friendly construction materials and technologies, especially in rural areas, and the prefabricated concrete houses possess potential heritage values as trackers of ecological changes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on the carbon emissions trading pilot policy in China, this paper takes Chinese A‐share listed companies from 2012 to 2020 as a sample, and analyzes the role of company's cost transfer capability (ECTC) in the mechanism of market‐incentivized environmental regulation policy (MERP) influencing company green transformation. This paper finds the following four primary results. First, ECTC significantly strengthens the green transformation driving effect of MERP in general. However, results based on the division of ECTC by percentiles show that MERP‐induced green transformation is more pronounced in the top 25% of companies, which distinguishes them from companies in the top 25%–50%, whose cost transfer capacity hampers MERP's contribution to the green transformation. Second, the level of regional economic development, emission regulation, and business reputation have heterogeneous influences on the moderating effect of ECTC. Third, the results based on the moderated mediation model show that ECTC can influence the green transition driving effect of MERP by moderating the two paths of risk‐taking ability and financing constraints of companies. Finally, there is a diffusion effect on the green transformation driven by MERP through cost transfer among companies in non‐pilot industries and non‐pilot regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research paper introduces a novel approach by combining a Backpropagation (BP) neural network with a non-angular and non-radial directional distance function to construct a BPNN-DDF model. This innovative model evaluates, decomposes, and analyzes China's agricultural sector's carbon emission rate across nine key subregions between 2010 and 2021. The key findings of this study are that China's agricultural carbon emission rate is decreasing, primarily due to technological advancements rather than technological efficiency. Subregions with robust economies and stable climates exhibit higher carbon emission efficiency, whereas those with underdeveloped economies, low agricultural technology, and volatile climates show relatively lower efficiency. The Dagum Gini coefficient analysis reveals a widening disparity in carbon emission rates among agricultural subregions, escalating from 0.174 in 2010 to 0.425 in 2021, indicating a growing gap between subregions that demands immediate attention. The kernel density distribution demonstrates an overall upward trend in China's carbon emission efficiency but also highlights an increasing divergence among subregions, particularly between the South China Area, the Huang-Huai-Hai Plain, and other regions. Therefore, this paper posits that strategies focusing on technological progress, sustainable agricultural development, regional development initiatives, and addressing inter-subregional imbalances will be crucial pathways for China's future low-carbon agricultural development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyzes the theoretical mechanism by which urbanization and consumption structure upgrading exert an impact on carbon emissions in the context of promoting higher quality and efficiency in urbanization, advancing the transition and upgrading of consumption structure, and achieving carbon peaking and carbon neutrality (“dual carbon”) goals. By establishing an extended STIRPAT model and an intermediary model, this paper takes nine prefecture-level cities in Fujian Province from 2011 to 2021 as samples to investigate the effects of urbanization and consumption structure upgrading on carbon emission reduction in Fujian Province, revealing the interrelationship and transmission mechanism among the three. The results of this study show that: (i) The relationship between urbanization and carbon emissions in Fujian Province from 2011 to 2021 shows an inverted U-shaped curve, i.e. urbanization accelerated carbon emissions in the early stage and inhibited carbon emissions in the later stage; (ii) the regional heterogeneity analysis shows that under the current urbanization background, the upgrading of consumption structure in western and southern Fujian can significantly reduce carbon emissions, while the relationship between consumption structure upgrading and carbon emission reduction in eastern Fujian is not significant; (iii) the upgrading of consumption structure can help achieve and promote carbon emission reduction through increasing the proportions of the tertiary industry and immaterial consumption and enhancing the level of culture and education, while exerting little effect on carbon emission reduction through consumption in transportation, communication and health care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the establishment of the "double carbon" goal, various industries are actively exploring ways to reduce carbon emissions. Cloud data centers, represented by cloud computing, often have the problem of mismatch between load requests and resource supply, resulting in excessive carbon emissions. Based on this, this paper proposes a complete method for cloud computing carbon emission prediction. Firstly, the convolutional neural network and bidirectional long-term and short-term memory neural network (CNN-BiLSTM) combined model are used to predict the cloud computing load. The real-time prediction power is obtained by real-time prediction load of cloud computing, and then the carbon emission prediction is obtained by power calculation. Develop a dynamic server carbon emission prediction model, so that the server carbon emission can change with the change of CPU utilization, so as to achieve the purpose of low carbon emission reduction. In this paper, Google cluster data is used to predict the load. The experimental results show that the CNN-BiLSTM combined model has good prediction effect. Compared with the multi-layer feed forward neural network model (BP), long short-term memory network model (LSTM), bidirectional long short-term memory network model (BiLSTM), modal decomposition and convolution long time series neural network model (CEEMDAN-ConvLSTM), the MSE index decreased by 52 % , 50 % , 34 % and 45 % respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydrogen as a clean energy to deal with carbon emissions has been favored by many scholars, while the problems of low efficiency and high energy consumption in the process of liquefaction storage and transportation have become one of the important factors restricting the development of it. The combination of heat exchanger and ortho-para (O–P) hydrogen converter has attracted considerable attention as a high efficiency and low energy consumption technology. In this paper, based on the catalyst-filled spiral wound heat exchanger (CSWHE) and coupled with ortho-para hydrogen conversion, the flow and heat transfer characteristics of gaseous hydrogen are studied. Firstly, low-temperature O–P hydrogen catalytic conversion experiments and flow characteristics experiments were carried out by filling catalyst in the heat exchange tube. and an equation for calculating pressure drop in the section filled catalyst was proposed. Secondly, a new numerical model was established validated by the experiments. The influence of catalyst on heat transfer and the effects of velocity on the heat transfer performance and O–P hydrogen conversion efficiency were studied by numerical simulation. Finally, this paper analyzed the significant factor affecting the para hydrogen content at outlet: reaction time. And an equation for calculating para hydrogen content at outlet with reaction time was proposed. This study is expected to provide a reference for the design of CSWHE. • An isothermal reactor is designed and employed to low-temperature ortho and para hydrogen catalytic conversion experiments. • A new pressure drop calculation equation for porous region is proposed by modifying Ergun equation. • A new numerical model is established to study the coupling mechanism of flow and heat transfer. • The key factor affecting the catalytic conversion of ortho and para hydrogen is pointed out: reaction time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since reservoirs with permeability less than 10 mD are characterized by high injection difficulty, high-pressure drop loss, and low pore throat mobilization during the water drive process, CO2 is often used for development in actual production to reduce the injection difficulty and carbon emission simultaneously. However, microfractures are usually developed in low-permeability reservoirs, which further reduces the injection difficulty of the driving medium. At the same time, this makes the injected gas flow very fast, while the gas utilization rate is low, resulting in a low degree of recovery. This paper conducted a series of studies on the displacement effect of CO2-soluble foaming systems in low-permeability fractured reservoirs (the permeability of the core matrix is about 0.25 mD). For the two CO2-soluble blowing agents CG-1 and CG-2, the effects of the CO2 phase state, water content, and oil content on static foaming performance were first investigated; then, a more effective blowing agent was preferred for the replacement experiments according to the foaming results; and finally, the effects of the blowing agents on sealing and improving the recovery degree of a fully open fractured core were investigated at different injection rates and concentrations, and the injection parameters were optimized. The results show that CG-1 still has good foaming performance under low water volume and various oil contents and can be used in subsequent fractured core replacement experiments. After selecting the injection rate and concentration, the blowing agent can be used in subsequent fractured cores under injection conditions of 0.6 mL/min and 2.80%. In injection conditions, the foaming agent can achieve an 83.7% blocking rate and improve the extraction degree by 12.02%. The research content of this paper can provide data support for the application effect of a CO2-soluble blowing agent in a fractured core. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes a semiparametric spatial lag model and develops a Bayesian estimation method for this model. In the estimation of the model, the paper combines Reversible Jump Markov Chain Monte Carlo (RJMCMC) algorithm, random walk Metropolis sampler, and Gibbs sampling techniques to sample all the parameters. The paper conducts numerical simulations to validate the proposed Bayesian estimation theory using a numerical example. The simulation results demonstrate satisfactory estimation performance of the parameter part and the fitting performance of the nonparametric function under different spatial weight matrix settings. Furthermore, the paper applies the constructed model and its estimation method to an empirical study on the relationship between economic growth and carbon emissions in China, illustrating the practical application value of the theoretical results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accurately predicting the trajectory of carbon emissions is vital for achieving a sustainable shift toward a green and low-carbon future. Hence, this paper created a novel model to examine the driver analysis and integrated prediction for Chinese carbon emission, a large carbon-emitting country. The logarithmic mean divisia index (LMDI) approach initially served to decompose the drivers of carbon emissions, analyzing the annual and staged contributions of these factors. Given the non-stationarity and non-linear characteristics in the data sequence of carbon emissions, a decomposition–integration prediction model was proposed. The model employed the empirical mode decomposition (EMD) model to decompose each set of data into a series of components. The various carbon emission components were anticipated using the long short-term memory (LSTM) model based on the deconstructed impacting factors. The aggregate of these predicted components constituted the overall forecast for carbon emissions. The result indicates that the EMD-LSTM model greatly decreased prediction errors over the other comparable models. This paper makes up for the gap in existing research by providing further analysis based on the LMDI method. Additionally, it innovatively incorporates the EMD method into the carbon emission study, and the proposed EMD-LSTM prediction model effectively addresses the volatility characteristics of carbon emissions and demonstrates excellent predictive performance in carbon emission prediction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transitioning to clean cooking fuels is not only part of achieving SDG7 but also makes a significant contribution to mitigating climate change by reducing carbon emissions. Research projects and pilots across a number of countries in Africa and South Asia have been exploring the suitability and energy performance of different cooking appliances and fuels. The paper presents the first statistical analysis across these multiple datasets to determine the range of energy required to cook dishes using different technologies and fuels. The paper draws out distinctions between African and Asian dishes, notably the impact of energy-intensive dishes prepared mostly in Africa. The paper demonstrates that the standard efficiency-based approaches to comparing the performance of stoves are not appropriate to modern electric cooking devices, so a novel alternative approach based on specific energy consumption and termed energy ratios is developed. Charcoal stoves are shown to use 15 times as much energy as electric pressure cookers (EPCs) to cook African dishes, and a detailed review of how the EPC works explains why this should be. Energy ratios provide a basis for estimating carbon emission reductions associated with transitioning to modern cooking fuels and also for estimating household cooking costs. Fuel and electricity prices from studies show that the cost of cooking with an EPC can be only 20% of the cost of cooking with charcoal, which highlights the potential for modern, energy-efficient electric cooking devices to defy the conventional wisdom of the energy ladder. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the connection between climate change and energy security in Europe and provides empirical evidence that these issues are the two faces of the same coin. Using a panel of 39 European countries during the period 1980–2020, the empirical analysis presented in this paper indicates that increasing the share of nuclear, renewables, and other nonhydrocarbon energy and improving energy efficiency could lead to a significant reduction in carbon emissions and improve energy security throughout Europe. Accordingly, policies and reforms aimed at shifting away from hydrocarbons and increasing energy efficiency in distribution and consumption are key to mitigating climate change, reducing energy dependence, and minimizing exposure to energy price volatility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Currently, collaborative distribution models have not reached the optimal state of carbon emissions. The cost of additional low-carbon expenditures and the problem of carbon data verification have led to the lack of motivation for reducing emissions among collaborative distribution enterprises. Therefore, how to incentivize them to adopt the low-carbon model is crucial for achieving low-carbon goal. By relying on a government-led digital platform, this paper designs a dual low-carbon incentive strategy to encourage enterprise-alliance to adopt a low-carbon distribution model. In this paper, we first construct an evolutionary game model of the government, enterprise-alliance and end-users; then we explore the conditions of the three-party equilibrium evolution strategy by solving the model and analyzing the stability; and finally, we conduct simulation validation and results analysis with the help of MATLAB. In summary, we found that government punishment is more effective at regulating enterprise-alliance than reward. End-users' behavior is affected by the costs they need to bear, and they no longer support enterprise-alliance to carry out collaborative low-carbon distribution above a certain threshold. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the development of energy technology, hydrogen is gradually becoming widely used. China is also rapidly developing its own hydrogen energy industry in an effort to accomplish the "dual carbon target'. Hydrogen from methane is one of the mainstream sources, of which hydrogen from methane cracking is the decomposition of methane into hydrogen and solid carbon, with the solid carbon also having a high economic value. In particular, this technology does not emit carbon dioxide, which is very friendly to the environment, but it cannot avoid larger energy consumption. In contrast, hydrogen production from methane cracking driven by solar energy not only combines the characteristics of no CO 2 emission, but also greatly reduces the consumption of primary energy, which is the future development trend of hydrogen production from methane. This paper provides a brief overview of the various technological pathways for methane to hydrogen production in the context of China's actual development, focusing on the current status of the development and application of solar methane cracking to hydrogen production technologies at home and abroad. Among them, this paper mainly discusses the characteristics of solar reactors of different sizes and structures, and summarizes the results of related optimization studies. Meanwhile, the application of catalysts in solar reactors and the problem of carbon deposition are analyzed, and the practical application of solar methane cracking hydrogen production system is outlined. Finally, the future development of solar methane cracking hydrogen production technology is prospected from the national situation of China. [Display omitted] • Solar methane cracking for hydrogen can reduce emissions and energy consumption. • The current state of research on solar reactors is summarized. • Solar methane cracking requires higher performing catalysts. • Providing insights into the future development of solar methane cracking in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to reduce pollution caused by ship emissions, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) implemented sulfur emission control areas (SECAs). In comparison to ordinary vessels, cruise ships with dual attributes of transportation and tourism generate a greater amount of marine pollution, which poses a significant threat to the marine environment in both berthing ports and the sailing area. In light of the fierce competition of the cruise tourism market, cruise lines are looking for strategies, such as designing more attractive cruise routes, to maintain their core competencies under the emission control policy. In order to achieve this goal, this paper presents a mixed-integer non-linear programming (MINP) model with two objectives and is derived from the traditional route optimization problem. The primary objective is to optimize the route and speed of a cruise liner, while simultaneously enhancing route competitiveness and minimizing carbon emissions both within and outside the SECAs. Subsequently, the multi-objective particle swarm optimization (MOPSO) algorithm was used to reach the objective, and simulations were carried out to verify the effectiveness of the model and method. The results show that speed and sailing route optimization can affect carbon emissions. This paper has a certain application value and guiding significance for cruise line decision makers that will be beneficial for the environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The power sector is one of the major CO2-emitting industries in China. It is also the first key emissions control industry included in China's national carbon trading market established in 2021. Therefore, based on the data of 30 provinces and cities in China from 2015 to 2022, this study analyzes the impact of the national carbon market policy on the carbon emissions of the power industry based on the generalized Difference-in-Difference (DID) model. Based on the method of text analysis, this paper constructs the carbon market policy intensity index of each region and incorporates it into the DID model. Empirical analysis finds that the national carbon market policy can significantly inhibit the carbon emissions of the power industry. However, the heterogeneity analysis of 30 provinces and cities shows that the national carbon market policy has a significant impact on the regions that already have a carbon pilot, but not on the non-pilot regions. Therefore, this paper demonstrates the effectiveness of the national carbon market policy in the power industry emissions control, and also exposes the heterogeneity between regions, providing an important empirical basis for the inclusion of other energy-intensive industries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Global climate change, driven by increasing carbon emissions, has posed a significant challenge to both human survival and development, becoming a major issue for the sustainable progress of human society. This paper examines the characteristics and differences in the spatio-temporal distribution of carbon emissions and sinks across Wuhan Region that is stratified into three spatial levels: Hubei Province, the Wuhan Metropolitan Area, and Wuhan City. On a finer spatial scale within Wuhan, it uncovers the spatial correlations and disparities between carbon emissions and sinks. Accordingly, the paper proposes strategies and suggestions for reducing carbon emissions and enhancing carbon sinks at the provincial, metropolitan, and municipal levels. These findings are valuable for sustainable regional development and construction of low-carbon eco-cities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the context of global carbon emission reduction, solar photovoltaic (PV) technology is experiencing rapid development. Using high-resolution remote sensing images to accurately obtain PV information over a large region, including location and size, has the advantages of high statistical efficiency and timely data update for the PV energy management. Due to the intra-class diversity of PV panels and the intricate variability in their deployment environments, existing semantic segmentation methods often have problems such as under-segmentation and mis-segmentation. To alleviate these problems, this paper proposes an improved DeepLabv3+ semantic segmentation network to more accurately extract PV panels from high-resolution remote sensing images. With the aim of alleviating under-segmentation, a multi-level context aggregation module is developed. This module can enhance the model's ability to learn the characteristics of PV panels and their surrounding environment by aggregating rich contextual information from multi-scale and semantic levels. To alleviate the problem of mis-segmentation, a hybrid attention module is introduced. This module sequentially and adaptively adjusts the weight distribution in both the channel and spatial dimensions, thus enabling the model to focus more on the feature information and spatial positions of PV objects. Experiments conducted on a self-constructed Beijing PV segmentation dataset show that the method in this paper has advantages of completeness and accuracy in extracting PV panels compared to the baseline model and current mainstream semantic segmentation network. In addition, the results of experiments on extracting PV panels in real region show that our model also has good stability and generalization capability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Land-use change in the boreal forest region leads to agriculture to be carried out on acid, shallow and low fertility soils. To correct soil fertility and promote crop productivity, manure and inorganic fertilizers are added, increasing the risk for greenhouse gas emissions (GHGE). To reduce the reliance on synthetic soil amendments while taking advantage of locally relevant industrial by-products, wood ash (WA) and paper sludge (SL) have been proposed as soil amendments for a range of soil types. We posited that amending soils with WA , SL and biochar will improve soil health parameters and fertility of boreal soils. Microbial activity resulting to nitrogen losses and availability were assessed. WA had a stronger ameliorative effect on acid boreal soils compared to SL. Both WA and SL increased soil microbial biomass and basal respiration resulting in higher net mineralization and thus significant increases in CO 2 emissions. Co-application of urea with WA or SL further increased net mineralization compared to when used independently. Conversely, the biochar's effect was short-lived and not significant. Nevertheless, addition of biochar was shown to reduce CO 2 emissions in all cases except in WA amended soils. No significant differences were observed in CH 4 emissions across all treatments. WA and SL may improve soil fertility and quality but could also contribute significantly to GHG emissions in acid boreal soils. Further research is recommended to assess the mitigating effect of various biochar feedstocks on GHG emissions when co-applied with WA and SL. • The effect of wood ash and paper sludge on acid soils was tested in incubation tests. • Both increased the soil microbial biomass, respiration, and net mineralization. • Greenhouse gas emissions were larger for paper sludge amended soils. • Supplementing biochar to wood ash increased soil CO 2 fluxes. • Supplementing biochar to paper sludge or limestone ash reduced soil CO 2 fluxes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to solve the problem of large-scale power grid, complex connection relationship, and large demand for electricity carbon factor calculation resources, this paper proposes an algorithm that is easy to model the power grid topology and has high computational efficiency to implement the application of "One Electricity Carbon Chart". In this paper, the graph computing component is used to realize the graph modelling, distributed storage, and high-performance calculation of the electric carbon factor for the data representing the topology of the power grid, such as the power grid table, AC line segment table, and AC line end table. This paper realizes the rapid grid topology graph modelling of EMS dispatching system data, so that the grid structure and active power flow can be intuitively displayed and dynamically studied. This paper also realizes the distributed parallel calculation of electric carbon factor in the case of a ring network, which solves the problem of difficult analysis and calculation of large-scale power grid topology. We conduct experiments on real datasets, and the experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method. In addition, the research on the "One Electricity Carbon Chart" makes the carbon emission of power plants depend on the power flow of the power grid and transfers the accounting method, realizing the calculation of the carbon emission factor of the power grid at the plant level, and provides a new perspective for the sharing of carbon emission responsibilities in the power system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The North-South gap of China has widened in recent decades. • This paper focused on the North-South industrial transfer and its impact on emissions. • The North-South transfer aggravated the imbalance of carbon emissions across regions in China. • The spillover effect is the dominant path behind the impact of the transfer. In recent years, the gap between the north and the south of China has been expanding, showing a decreasing proportion of value-added and an increasing proportion of carbon emissions in the north of China, and vice versa in the south of China. Based on the most recent inter-provincial input-output table of China in 2012 and 2017, this paper focused on the North-South industrial transfer of manufacturing, quantified its impact on regional carbon emissions, and decomposed the path of impacts. The results suggest that the North-South industrial transfers of China during 2012-2017 indeed aggravated the imbalance of carbon emissions in the north and the south of China. Further explorations of path decompositions show that the spillover effect through production linkages is the major path where industrial transfer influences regional carbon emissions, particularly in the north of China. The results provide insightful policy implications for the achievement of carbon emissions reduction targets in China as well as the globe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • A facile one-step solvothermal synthesis of FA-CDs using folic acid as raw materials. • FA-CDs and corresponding paper sensor can detect Hg2+ with LOD of 1.29 nM. • Both FA-CDs and paper sensor can be recovered by EDTA for detection of Hg2+. • FA-CDs exhibit excellent cellular imaging performance due to low cytotoxicity. In this work, the blue emission carbon dots (FA-CDs) are synthesized by one-pot solvothermal method by using folic acid as precursor. The FA-CDs emitted bright emission at 445 nm when excited at 360 nm with the QY of 31.2 %. The FA-CDs exhibit sensitive quenching response to Hg2+ with variable concentrations systematically, which determined FA-CDs can be employed as fluorescent probe, with a reliable linear relationship between fluorescence intensity and Hg2+ concentration, and a limit of detection (LOD) of 1.29 nM. Notably, the quenched FA-CDs can be recovered by using EDTA saturated solution with the emission comparable to initial in succession. The FA-CDs based paper sensor can be explored with similar detection performance, and it can also be restored by EDTA saturated solution. Both the restored CDs and paper sensor can be reused in the next turn for detecting Hg2+, which allowed the FA-CDs and their paper sensor can be serviced as sustainable probe for Hg2+ detection. The visual LOD of paper sensor can be determined at 0.1 μM, notably, the paper sensor can be reused at least 3 times with good performance, which is beneficial to environmental protection and saving resources. Possess excellent water solubility and non-toxic properties, the cellular imaging of FA-CDs was evaluated with excellent quality fluorescent image results. The FA-CDs provide a promising convenient fluorescent probe for multi-application in detection and imaging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]