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This study aimed to provide a comprehensive evaluation of the greenhouse gases (GHG) emission between 1991 and 2021 of both the entire Italian dairy cattle sector (ITA_POP) and the registered Holstein Friesian population only (HF). An attributional cradle-to-farm gate Life Cycle Assessment was performed, including emissions (methane–CH4, nitrous oxide–N2O, carbon dioxide–CO2) due to animal and manure management, feed production, and farm materials. The functional units were 1 year and 1 kg of fat- and protein-corrected milk. We applied 100-year global warming potential (GWP) metric. For 2011–2021 period, we also applied GWP star (GWP*). Data originated from Italian GHG accounting and official milk recording systems. From 1991 to 2021, annual GHG emission of ITA_POP decreased from 20.4 ± 2.7 to 15.5 ± 2.1 Mt CO2e and emission intensity (EI) from 1.90 ± 0.25 to 1.17 ± 0.16 kg CO2e/kg corrected milk. The share of officially registered HF cows in ITA_POP increased from 36 to 70%. The annual emission of HF increased by 32% to 12.2 ± 1.8 Mt CO2e, but its EI decreased by 34% to 1.09 ± 0.16 kg CO2e/kg corrected milk. The accumulation in GHGs in 2011–2021 period due to ITA_POP (100-year GWP) continuously increased. When considering the short lifetime of CH4 (GWP*), the rate of increase in the same years was quite lower, with a flat pattern in the last 5 years. The decrease in CH4 emission is compensating the accumulation of N2O and CO2 from fossil fuels, highlighting the need of considering GHGs lifetime in the estimation of dairy cow sector emissions.

Building temperature setpoints affect both HVAC energy consumption and occupant comfort. To reduce HVAC energy usage, researchers often investigate how system operations can be optimized under weather and occupancy variability subject to a fixed setpoint that minimizes any possible discomfort. While previous research has explored the selection of dynamic setpoints to minimize HVAC energy consumption based on outdoor temperature, they have often neglected the impact of varying occupancy rates on the setpoints. This paper aims to demystify energy savings derived from fixed and dynamic temperature setpoints under weather and occupancy variability and explores the additional energy savings that can be achieved through dynamic temperature setpoints. An exhaustive HVAC zone temperature setpoint optimizer was developed to determine dynamic setpoints with respect to weather and occupancy (i.e., setpoints that minimize HVAC energy consumption at different occupancy rates based on outdoor weather). U.S. DOE reference building energy models for small, medium, and large office buildings were simulated at 17 climate zones, 4 occupancy rates (25%, 50%, 75%, 100%) and 7 setpoints (19.5°C to 25.5°C at 1°C interval). It was found that, both fixed and dynamic setpoints benefit from the energy reduction of approximately 2-4% from the lower heat generated by the occupants at lower occupancy rates. However, at outdoor temperatures between 5°C and 32°C where occupant heat loads can swing the building between heating, free-running, and cooling modes, dynamic setpoints yield additional 2-10% energy savings, compared to fixed setpoints.

Abstract Hydrogen, as an energy carrier, is attractive to many stakeholders based on the assumption that the extensive global network of natural gas infrastructure can be repurposed to transport hydrogen as part of a zero‐carbon energy future. Therefore, utility companies and governments are rapidly advancing efforts to pilot blending low‐carbon hydrogen into existing natural gas systems, many with the goal of eventually shifting to pure hydrogen. However, hydrogen has fundamentally different physical and chemical properties to natural gas, with major consequences for safety, energy supply, climate, and cost. We evaluate the suitability of using existing natural gas infrastructure for distribution of hydrogen. We summarize differences between hydrogen and natural gas, assess the latest science and engineering of each component of the natural gas value chain for hydrogen distribution, and discuss proposed solutions for building an effective hydrogen value chain. We find that every value chain component is challenged by reuse. Hydrogen blending can circumvent many challenges but offers only a small reduction in greenhouse gas emissions due to hydrogen's low volumetric energy density. Furthermore, a transition to pure hydrogen is not possible without significant retrofits and replacements. Even if technical and economic barriers are overcome, serious safety and environmental risks remain.

Carbon regulation in Russia is at the stage of formation, which requires the development of an integrated approach based on the principles of sustainable development, taking into account international experience. With an understanding of the importance of the problem of climate change for the future of the country and the entire planet, as well as in fulfillment of international obligations, Russia has adopted a number of measures to nationally regulate greenhouse gas emissions reduction, as well as other mechanisms that help slow down global changes.The purpose of this article is to develop comprehensive legal solutions to optimize the system of regulatory legal regulation of issues of reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The research problem lies in the formation of such mechanisms of state climate regulation, which, on the one hand, will contribute to achieving the goals of reducing greenhouse gas emissions set by Russia, and on the other hand, will correspond to the current foreign policy challenges, the ambiguous geopolitical and difficult economic situation that affect public policy, the business community and the global interaction on climate issues.

The transport sector is experiencing a notable transition towards sustainability, propelled by technological progress, innovative materials, and a dedication to environmental preservation. This study explicitly examines the incorporation of electric vehicles (EVs) into the power grid, with a particular emphasis on passenger automobiles. Our analysis emphasises the vital importance of updated transport infrastructure in decreasing greenhouse gas emissions and aiding carbon reduction efforts in electricity networks. The analysis uncovers that adopting electric vehicles offers significant advantages, including enhanced grid efficiency and decreased emissions. However, it also brings issues concerning the design and operation of power systems at both the transmission and distribution levels. Key players are crucial in tackling these difficulties to improve electric vehicle integration into the grid. The study determines the most effective ways for distributing and providing electric vehicle charging infrastructure, and investigates the efforts made to establish common standards in order to solve current challenges. This research contributes to the advancement of sustainable mobility and energy systems by conducting a thorough examination of the impact of electric vehicles on power systems and offering appropriate integration solutions.

This paper discusses the growing importance of decarbonising production systems in the metallurgical industry as a response to climate challenges and increasing sustainability requirements. Many solutions are currently being implemented and tested in the metallurgical industry, but the problem of meeting the carbon emissions target remains complex and difficult. The metallurgical industry is one of the branches of industry that generates significant amounts of carbon dioxide emissions due to the energy consumption during the metal melting and forming process. The paper presents several possible decarbonisation strategies available to smelters, such as the use of renewable energy, the utilisation of more efficient melting technologies, or the implementation of low-energy technologies throughout the production process. Application examples from different countries illustrate how these strategies are already being applied in practice, as well as potential obstacles and challenges on the road to full decarbonisation.

The European decarbonization goals and requirement for energy independence are mostly relying on intermittent renewable energy sources for electrification. A numerical model was developed to simulate the operation of a steam generator, allowing a study of the potential impacts of retrofitting existing coal-fired power plants to operate with biomass or coal–biomass mixtures on combustion parameters and CO2 emissions. The results obtained using the operational parameters of the Sines power plant indicate that a mixture of 25% coal and 75% pine sawdust allow operation at λ = 1.8, demonstrating that a small amount of coal allows operation near the coal combustion parameters (λ = 1.9). These conditions have the drawback of a reduction of 8.7% in adiabatic flame temperature but a significant reduction of 57.5% in CO2 emissions, considering the biomass as carbon-neutral.

Synthetic nitrogen fertilizer is the backbone of modern agriculture, helping to feed ~50% of the world’s population. However, the current industrial production, distribution, and use of nitrogen fertilizers are built on an unsustainable foundation of fossil resources, and are energy-intensive, environmentally polluting, and inefficient in their usage. With the rapidly declining cost of renewable electricity, such as solar and wind, it is time to develop and implement the decentralized production and application of nitrogen fertilizer with nonthermal plasma technologies. Such locally sourced production at the farm site, using only air and water as feedstock, circumvents the need for the extensive capital investment and infrastructure required for synthetic nitrogen fertilizer production and storage, as well as the complex and costly distribution networks. It will be adaptive to the intermittency of the solar/wind electricity supply, leave no carbon footprint, and also have the advantage of being easily switched on/off, immediately responding to weather changes and local conditions, such as soil, climate, crops, and farming business models, for precision agriculture.

The transition to cleaner energy sources, particularly in hard-to-abate industrial sectors, often requires the gradual integration of new technologies. Hydrogen, crucial for decarbonization, is explored as a fuel in blended combustions. Blending or replacing fuels impacts combustion stability and heat transfer rates due to differing densities. An extensive literature review examines blended combustion, focusing on hydrogen/methane mixtures. While industrial burners claim to accommodate up to 20% hydrogen, theoretical support is lacking. A novel thermodynamic analysis methodology is introduced, evaluating methane/hydrogen combustion using the Wobbe index. The findings highlight practical limitations beyond 25% hydrogen volume, necessitating a shift to “totally hydrogen” combustion. Blended combustion can be proposed as a medium-term strategy, acknowledging hydrogen’s limited penetration. Higher percentages require burner and infrastructure redesign.

As carbon capture and storage (CCS) technologies mature, the concept of a low-carbon or net-zero-carbon economy becomes more and more feasible. While many chemical and energy products do not contain carbon in their compounds, the upstream production process does. An added CCS module allows the removal of carbon emissions from the production process, which expands the value chain. This paper focuses on one of such commodities—low-carbon-intensity ammonia (LCIA). Even though ammonia is carbon-free in its final product, it is commonly made from natural gas, and the production process could generate significant carbon emissions. The idea of LCIA is to reduce the carbon footprint of the ammonia production process (e.g., blue ammonia) or eliminate carbon from the production process (e.g., green ammonia via electrolysis) so that the entire supply chain is decarbonized. The goal of this paper is two-fold. We first explore the US domestic market and the international market for LCIA. We then discuss relevant federal and local policies that could help grow markets for LCIA. The agricultural sector will be the center of the discussion, which consumes an estimated 70–90% of the global ammonia supply as fertilizers. The paper also examines other potential uses of LCIA, such as alternative fuels for decarbonizing agricultural machinery and transportation sectors. Finally, we argue that developing a comprehensive LCIA value chain, supported by dedicated policy measures and broad stakeholder engagement, is critical for materializing the potential of LCIA in contributing to a climate-resilient and sustainable economy.

Purpose: is to form a comprehensive understanding of the patterns of publication activity in the field of decarbonization that have developed in the global and Russian scientific space, in order to identify promising scientific areas on this basis that can define new research horizons in achieving carbon neutrality.Methods: the research methods involved bibliographic and bibliometric analyses of scholarly publications, utilizing data from the Scopus and eLibrary databases. The study encompasses the timeframe from 2012 to 2022. The research methodology is structured to address three key objectives. Firstly, it aims to identify the quantitative dynamics of global publication activity in the realm of decarbonization. Secondly, the investigation seeks to analyze publication patterns at the levels of research organizations, countries, keywords, related topics, scientific publications, subject areas, and thematic groups, including clusters of thematic groups. Thirdly, the research involves semantic analysis of publications and the identification of points of research interest within the contexts of both global and Russian scientific landscapes.Results: it has been established that bibliographic clustering of studies on decarbonization problems occurs not so much around technical and technological solutions, but in conceptually broader coordinates. It has been identified that the aspiration for carbon neutrality is predominantly observed in economies characterized by a high standard of living, where citizens exhibit a heightened sense of social responsibility and a greater commitment to enhancing the quality of life for future generations. It was revealed that if the global problems of decarbonization are the center of gravity of the most powerful researchers and scientific teams, but in Russia this topic is not yet characterized by a comparable positioning.Conclusions and Relevance: systematization of decarbonization research, which is rapidly developing both in terms of volume indicators and in terms of increasing its interdisciplinarity and social relevance, is the most important condition for effective scientific orientation and research routing in a highly fragmented and contradictory development space on the problems of the global energy transition.

This paper investigates hydrogen’s potential to accelerate the energy transition in hard-to-abate sectors, such as steel, petrochemicals, glass, cement, and paper. The goal is to assess how hydrogen, produced from renewable sources, can foster both industrial decarbonization and the expansion of renewable energy installations, especially solar and wind. Hydrogen’s dual role as a fuel and a chemical agent for process innovation is explored, with a focus on its ability to enhance energy efficiency and reduce CO2 emissions. Integrating hydrogen with continuous industrial processes minimizes the need for energy storage, making it a more efficient solution. Advances in electrolysis, achieving efficiencies up to 60%, and storage methods, consuming about 10% of stored energy for compression, are discussed. Specifically, in the steel sector, hydrogen can replace carbon as a reductant in the direct reduced iron (DRI) process, which accounts for around 7% of global steel production. A next-generation DRI plant producing one million tons of steel annually would require approximately 3200 MW of photovoltaic capacity to integrate hydrogen effectively. This study also discusses hydrogen’s role as a co-fuel in steel furnaces. Quantitative analyses show that to support typical industrial plants, hydrogen facilities of several hundred to a few thousand MW are necessary. “Virtual” power plants integrating with both the electrical grid and energy-intensive systems are proposed highlighting hydrogen’s critical role in industrial decarbonization and renewable energy growth.

Carbon capture and utilization (CCU) has emerged in recent years as a promising decarbonization solution for hard-to-abate industries. Compared to carbon capture and storage (CCS), CCU aims not for the storage of carbon dioxide (CO2) but for its use in the production of synthetic fuels, such as synthetic methanol (MeOH). Synthetic MeOH is produced through CO2 hydrogenation, utilizing green hydrogen (H2). Efficient use of CO2 and H2 feedstocks is essential to maximize the carbon reduction potential and energy efficiency of the process. This study performed an optimization analysis on a small-scale, containerized, and portable CO2 hydrogenation unit with a 5 kg MeOH/h production capacity goal, focusing on carbon conversion efficiency (CCE), MeOH yield, H2 consumption, and MeOH purity. The analysis was conducted using Aspen Plus V12. A single-pass model was used first to evaluate an initial reactor design. The reactor was then re-designed according to the results of the gas hourly space velocity (GHSV). The model was then expanded to include a recycling loop and the final reactor design was validated, aiming to maximize overall efficiency. The effects of the operational parameters including the reactor inlet temperature, reactor pressure, thermal fluid temperature, and condensation temperature were examined. The model was then further expanded to include the MeOH distillation process, and the effect of the distillation temperature was examined. The final product of the analysis was a fully-defined and optimized unit, achieving an 87.97% CCE and an 84.99% MeOH yield, consuming 1.11 kg H2/h for the production of 5.01 kg MeOH/h of 99.86 wt% purity. This study can provide valuable information and guidelines for designing small-scale, containerized, and portable CO2 hydrogenation units, which can serve as alternative solutions to address issues of H2 production and transportation related to large-scale installations.

The shipping industry is currently the sixth largest contributor to global emissions, responsible for one billion tons of greenhouse gas emissions. Urgent action is needed to achieve carbon neutrality in the shipping industry for sustainability. In this paper, we use natural language processing techniques to analyze policies, announcements, and position papers from national and international organizations related to the decarbonization of shipping. In particular, we perform the analysis using a novel matrix-based corpus and a fine-tuned machine learning model, BERTopic. Our research suggests that the top four priorities for decarbonizing shipping are preventing emissions from methane leaks, promoting non-carbon-based hydrogen, implementing reusable modular containers to reduce packaging waste in container shipping, and protecting Arctic biodiversity while promoting the Arctic shipping route to reduce costs. Our study highlights the validity of NLP techniques in quantitatively extracting critical information related to the decarbonization of the shipping industry.

This study investigates the energy consumption of electric vehicles (EVs) in real-world driving conditions, using in-vehicle sensor data and location tracking. The energy consumption of EVs is compared to that of an internal combustion engine vehicle (ICEV) under similar driving tests. Furthermore, an energy-centric life cycle assessment was conducted to assess the environmental impact of the transition to electrified transportation by reporting the carbon emissions of the EVs and ICEV. Since a large volume of driving data was acquired in the experiment, machine learning (ML) techniques are employed to interpret the obtained data and identify a key feature. ML algorithms can help develop predictive models that estimate energy consumption and explain the major factors that impact such consumption. The findings also offer valuable insights into energy consumption, emission, and the underlying factors that can inform policy discussion related to transport electrification and enhance energy efficiency. This research is significant in comprehending the potential of current EVs and their superiority over traditional vehicles. It is vital to facilitate the shift toward electric transportation, which can be driven by the results.

The Paris Agreement has mandated drastic decarbonization by developed and developing economies. Many of the top African emitters are now exploring drastic restructuring of the production processes in a way that promotes energy utilization efficiency. This is critical for ensuring an environmentally benign growth process. This study presents a unique addition to the body of existing knowledge by analysing the effect of some indicators of energy efficiency on three indicators of environmental quality among the top five emitters of GHG in Africa. The data were from the World Development Indicators (WDI), covering the 1990–2020 periods for South Africa, Egypt, Nigeria, Algeria, and Libya. The panel Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) model was used for data analysis. The results showed that all the included series were stationary at first difference. The optimum lag lengths were determined independently in STATA 17 software, and the most frequent lags across the countries were selected. The Hausman test revealed that the pooled mean group (PMG) estimation was preferred to other estimators. The results showed that in the long-run, particulate emission damages, CO2 intensity, and energy use intensity positively impacted GHG emissions, while GDP per capita and renewable energy utilization produced mixed results. In the short run, the error correction mechanism parameters were all significant (p < 0.01) in Libya for all emission indicators, while Algeria showed significance (p < 0.01) in total GHG and CO2 per capita models. The coefficient of particulate emission damages significantly reduced (p < 0.01) total GHG emissions in Libya and Nigeria and renewable energy significantly increased (p < 0.01) GHG emissions in South Africa but reduced them in Nigeria. Also, CO2 emission intensity significantly (p < 0.01) and positively impacted GHG emissions in South Africa, Egypt, Libya, and Nigeria, while electricity power transmission losses increased total emissions and CO2 emissions in Libya and Algeria. It was concluded that initiatives to reduce GHG emissions should focus on developing countries’ sensitivity to emission damages, and promotion of initiatives for using renewable energies. Also, promotion of energy efficiency across industries offers a prospect for ensuring environmental sustainability.

This paper contributes to the literature by deriving upper and lower bounds on the fuel consumption in container shipping. The bounds are derived from sailing distances, port times, and the possible arrival times at ports/ the berth windows negotiated between the ocean carrier and the port operators. Crucially, the derived bounds can be used in conjunction with any of the common fuel consumption functions proposed in the literature. This latter is especially important since currently there is no consensus on a specific functional form for the fuel consumption function. The behavior of the bounds will be illustrated with numerical examples.

This study addresses the pressing need for the Norwegian fishery sector to align with national reduction targets and mitigate its environmental impact. Norway has committed to reducing GHG emissions from the fishery sector by at least 40% by 2030 and 95% by 2050. We propose a mathematical model designed for the strategic renewal of the Norwegian fishing fleet by introducing low- and zero-emission propulsion systems. This model generates fleet renewal schedules that minimize the total operational and renewal costs while ensuring compliance with emission targets. We apply our model to a case study based on the Norwegian fishing fleet and determine the optimal decarbonization strategy. We then analyze the impact of changes in energy costs and emission taxes on this strategy through a sensitivity analysis Our results indicate that (1) fleet renewal is mainly driven by the emission reduction targets, rather than economic benefits, and (2) zero-emission propulsion systems are preferable to low-emission propulsion systems when decarbonizing the fleet.

Integration of advanced digital technologies along with ensuring environmental sustainability in the logistics sector is becoming the need of the hour novel multimodal transportation concept. The rapid technological development in the era of industry 4.0 can not only create new opportunities in achieving highly efficient, intelligent, and smart logistics systems but also enable new business models for value addition, additionally, this novel system will also avoid environmental degradation and use of scarce natural resources that contribute to climate change. This paper summarizes the research trends of these technologies in multimodal logistics systems since 2005 through a systematic literature review. The results revealed a mixed picture of the situation, starting from emerging technologies like artificial intelligence, machine learning, and blockchain becoming key technological concepts for multimodal logistics systems to government policy hurdles and lack of impact breakthroughs in the industry. However, the results show that adaptation to these technologies improves the overall environmental, economic, and social sustainability of the system.

AbstractAmid mushrooming net-zero commitments and pledges made by states and non-state entities, a gap remains between those pledges, and the action needed in order to stay within the temperature goals of the Paris Agreement. In response, scholars and policymakers have started to examine physical, technological, economic, and policy pathways to net‐zero emissions across different sectors. This article examines the existing legislation and litigation for a net-zero world in four jurisdictions: Germany, the United States, Brazil, and China. We propose a taxonomy for identifying and comparing existing legal mechanisms to reach net-zero across these jurisdictions. We identify and analyze different legislative and regulatory mechanisms that incorporate net-zero mandates and three net-zero litigation strategies in these countries. These jurisdictions provide a useful snapshot of the variety of legal mechanisms currently being used by, or imposed on, large emitting jurisdictions and entities. We then consider the critical ways in which climate law can contribute to, or hinder, emissions reductions in line with net-zero targets.

Scope 1, 2, and 3 net zero is a major technological challenge for the chemical industry in Japan, but a failure or even a delay in achieving this goal could result in exclusion from international financing and supply chains. This study presents, for the first time to the best of our knowledge, multiple quantitative pathways from today until 2050 for the chemical industry operating in Japan to reach scope 1, 2, and 3 net zero, using a demand-supply model. Through these pathways, this study aims to provide fundamental and strategic insights into necessary actions for net zero. We demonstrate that, amid possible demand reduction through population decline and advances in circularity, securing access to bio-based feedstock as well as carbon capture and storage (CCS) is essential to avoid a supply limit that could be imposed under scope 3 net zero. Given the uncertainty of Japan’s access to both, the chemical industry should pursue both concurrently, while maximizing recycling. Specifically, it should secure long-term and stable sources of sustainable bio-based feedstock and aid in implementing carbon dioxide capture from incinerators in waste management. These implications could also apply to chemical industries in other countries and regions with similar constraints.

AbstractTo meet UK government targets and support the transition to net zero, the energy system will need to decarbonize. In particular, buildings, as one of the largest sources of UK emissions, will need to transition to clean heat. This will involve changes to the material infrastructure of homes, which may have implications for people’s everyday lives and relationships, with public acceptability critical to processes of energy-system transformation. Alongside decarbonization, UK energy-system transformation has been positioned as potentially able to deliver significant benefits to households. In this article, we present qualitative data from deliberative workshops with members of the public concerning perceptions of heat decarbonization. We explore how low-carbon heating is not necessarily seen as an improvement where changes to heating systems may result in perceived compromises to comfort and convenience. We contend that a temporally sensitive approach, which explores past energy-system transitions and experiences of current heating systems as well as anticipated future technologies, can offer important insights into the transition to low-carbon heating.

ABSTRACTIn pursuit of net-zero greenhouse gases emissions goals, Nigeria faces challenges like fossil fuel dependence, environmental degradation and energy inefficiency, necessitating a transition to decarbonization. This study employs the Bass model and TOPSIS multi-criteria analysis to investigate the diffusion and ranking of low/zero-carbon technologies for Nigeria. Findings reveal: absence of key mitigation technologies like wind, concentrating solar plant (CSP), geothermal, nuclear, hydrogen, fuel cell, carbon capture utilization and sequestration (CCUS), direct air capture (DAC), and lime soda in Nigeria; that over a fifty-year span from year 2023, existing technologies–solar photovoltaic, bioenergy, natural gas and hydro–in Nigeria indicate slow adoption rates (3.68–106.02MW) based on Nigeria trajectory of technology use, contrasting with significantly accelerated rates (276.06–90,320MW) based on global trajectory; and multi-criteria analysis favors hydro, solar photovoltaic, natural gas, bioenergy, and wind as favorable options, while suggesting further exploration of hydrogen, fuel cell, geothermal, and nuclear technologies within Nigeria's energy landscape.

To combat the environmental issues posed by global warming and the depletion of natural resources, the emission of greenhouse gases (GHG) and the consumption of natural resources must be economically reduced. Upgrading and remanufacturing are expected to play important roles in dealing with both issues since they can save the production of virgin materials associated with GHG emissions for assembled products by component reuse and material recycling. Although upgrading components can add additional values and avoid their value obsolescence, composing reused components with shorter physical or value lifetime in a remanufactured product leads to decreasing revenue from selling the upgrade-remanufactured product. Hence, in these cases, component reuse and material recycling can be more economical life cycle option than upgrading and remanufacturing. Furthermore, disassembly is an essential process for recovery options such as upgrading, remanufacturing, components reuse, and material recycling, and tends costly due to the labor costs of manual disassembly. Disposing without disassembly may be a better life cycle option. Therefore, life cycle options, including upgrading, remanufacturing, reusing, recycling and disposal should be suitably selected for each component based on an additional value by upgrading, physical and value lifetimes for each component. This study proposes an upgrade-remanufacturing decision method to maximize GHG saving rate and profit using 0-1 integer programming with ε constraint method. The numerical experiments are conducted using the laptop consisted of 34 components. The results in the laptop indicate that the selling price of upgrade-remanufactured product should be set to more than 2,000 Yen, and the achievement of much higher GHG saving rate such as 99% would lead to negative earnings. Additionally, the bi-objective model is expanded to multi-objective for profit, GHG saving, and recovery rates for investigation of the profit and the selected life cycle options for each component.

Iron and steel industry is the pillar industry of the national economy, but it is also the source of highest carbon emission in manufacturing industry. With the proposal of China’s goal of peaking carbon emissions and achieving carbon neutrality, the steel industry urgently requires substantial technological breakthroughs in carbon reduction. About 90% of China’s crude steel production is produced through the blast furnace-basic oxygen furnace process, and blast furnace carbon consumption accounts for more than 70% of steel process carbon consumption. Therefore, blast furnace carbon reduction is the focal point of China’s steel industry’s efforts to mitigate carbon emissions. The hydrogen-rich gas injection to blast furnace and blast furnace with top gas recycling process are effective ways to reduce carbon emissions. However, these approaches still rely heavily on the fossil fuel coal-dominated energy structure. With the rapid development of renewable energy hydrogen production in China, hydrogen-rich oxygen blast furnace technology, which replaces carbon with hydrogen, can significantly reduce carbon emissions from ironmaking at the source. This article establishes a multizone constrained mathematical model for hydrogen-rich oxygen blast furnaces, calculates energy balance based on the constraint conditions of each zone, and systematically studies the influence of hydrogen injection, burden metallization rate on the coke ratio, top gas recycling injection volume, reducing gas composition, and CO2 emission reduction of hydrogen-rich oxygen blast furnaces. The research results show that at maximum hydrogen injection rate of about 600 N·m3 H2·t−1-HM (ton-hot metal), a replacement ratio of about 0.4 kg-coke·(N·m)−3-H2 was achieved with about 27% CO in the reduced gas of the shaft, 68% H2, 90% burden metallization rate. Coke ratio of the hydrogen-rich oxygen blast furnace is reduced to 203 kg and the CO2 emission is reduced to 501 kg·t−1-HM, 55% lower than that without hydrogen injection with a very significant CO2 reduction at the source.

Achieving a low-carbon future requires a comprehensive approach that combines emission mitigation options from economic activities with the sustainable use of land for numerous needs: food production, energy production, carbon sequestration, nature preservation and broad ecosystem services. Using the MIT Integrated Global System (IGSM) framework we analyze land-use competition in a 1.5°C climate stabilization scenario, in which demand for bioenergy and natural sinks increase along with the need for sustainable farming and food production. We find that to address the numerous trade-offs, effective approaches to nature-based solutions (NBS) and agriculture practices are essential. With proper regulatory policies and radical changes in current practices, global land is sufficient to provide increased consumption of food per capita (without large diet changes) over the century while also utilizing 2.5–3.5 billion hectares (Gha) of land for NBS practices that provide a carbon sink of 3–6 gigatonnes (Gt) of CO2 per year as well as 0.4–0.6 Gha of land for energy production—0.2–0.3 Gha for 50–65 exajoules (EJ) per year of bioenergy and 0.2–0.35 Gha for 300–600 EJ/year of wind and solar power generation. We list the competing uses of land to reflect the trade-offs involved in land use decisions, and note that while there is sufficient land in our scenario, attaining this outcome, capable of delivering a 1.5°C future, requires effective policies and measures at national and global levels that promote efficient land use for food, energy and nature (including carbon sequestration) and ensure long-term commitments by decision makers from governments and industry in order to realize the benefits of climate change mitigation.

Eating habits are among the strongest drivers of negative environmental impact. Public procurement has been suggested as an efficient lever to catalyze changes within the food system. This study examines alternative purchase processes that may decrease the carbon footprint of publicly procured food through a case study of a municipality in the Northern part of Sweden. The GHG emissions associated with the current food service in the case study were 2.2 kg CO2e per kg food and must be reduced by 40.9% by 2030 to comply with the Paris Agreement; 76% of the emissions derive from food of animal origin (44% from unprocessed red meat). Three alternative diet scenarios, “zero red meat,” “−50% red meat,” and “flexitarian free from red meat,” were explored. Only 6% of the total purchased food kilograms were altered, yet the cutback of meat caused GHG emissions reductions turned out to be as high as 44%. The Swedish Law on Public Procurement, deficient infrastructure, unsustainable food culture, and local politicians' reluctance to change were mentioned as the main obstacles to materializing necessary changes in the food procurement system. The respondents also pointed out essential policy changes at the national and municipal levels.

The pressing global challenge of climate change necessitates a concerted effort to limit greenhouse gas emissions, particularly carbon dioxide. A critical pathway is to replace fossil fuel sources by electrification, including transportation. While electrification of light-duty vehicles is rapidly expanding, the heavy-duty vehicle sector is subject to challenges, notably the logistical drawbacks of the size and weight of high-capacity batteries required for range, as well as the time for battery charging. This Perspective highlights the potential of hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles as a viable alternative for heavy-duty road transportation. We evaluate the implications of hydrogen integration into the freight economy, energy dynamics, and CO2 mitigation, and envision a roadmap for a holistic energy transition.Our critical opinion presented in this Perspective is that federal incentives to produce hydrogen could foster growth in the nascent hydrogen economy. The pathway that we propose is that initial focus on operators of large fleets that could control their own fueling infrastructure. This opinion was formed from private discussions with numerous stakeholders during the formation of one of the awarded hydrogen hubs if they focus on early adopters that could leverage the hydrogen supply chain.

Airports have ambitious decarbonization objectives, with many EU airports pledging to reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 for all emissions fully under their control. This requires setting a baseline and defining roadmaps composed of decarbonization measures that intend to reduce energy demand and carbon emissions from that baseline. However, there is substantial uncertainty in defining the impact that can be achieved through these roadmaps, which can be substantially reduced through the use of a digital twin. In this paper, we present the creation of a baseline digital twin of the built environment of Brussels Airport, which will be used to analyze the impact of decarbonization measures before they are deployed. To create the digital twin, an extensive data collection exercise was carried out to ensure that the created model is a realistic representation of the core airport systems and that its simulations are accurate in forecasting results. Utilizing the IES Apache physics-based engine, the digital twin predictions have been validated against actual energy consumption data. The present work demonstrates the methodology and results achieved, offering insights on how to tackle the complex challenge of creating a digital twin of the built environment of an entity as complex as an airport while focusing the baselining efforts on the most significant aspects, with the ultimate objective of reducing uncertainty of future decarbonization investments. The digital twin has been used to calculate the energy consumption and CO2 emission baseline, and it will be utilized to model key decarbonization measures that are part of the Brussels Airport net zero carbon roadmap.

By 2060, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) aims to achieve net zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, targeting 50% renewable energy and reducing 278 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent annually by 2030 under Vision 2030. This ambitious roadmap focuses on economic diversification, global engagement, and enhanced quality of life. The electricity sector, with a 90 GW installed capacity as of 2020, is central to decarbonization, aiming for a 55% reduction in emissions by 2030. Saudi Energy Efficiency Centre’s Energy Efficiency Action Plan aims to reduce power intensity by 30% by 2030, while the NEOM project showcases a 4 GW green hydrogen facility, reflecting the country’s commitments to sustainability and technological innovation. Despite being the largest oil producer and user, Saudi Arabia must align with international CO2 emission reduction targets. Currently, there is no state-of-the-art energy policy framework to guide a sustainable energy transition. In the academic literature, there is also lack of effort in developing comprehensive energy policy framework. This study provides a thorough and comprehensive analysis of the entire energy industry, spanning from the stage of production to consumption, incorporating sustainability factors into the wider discussion on energy policy. It establishes a conceptual framework for the energy policy of Saudi Arabia that corresponds with Vision 2030. A total of hundred documents (e.g., 25 original articles and 75 industry reports) were retrieved from Google Scholar, Web of Science Core Collection Database, and Google Search and then analyzed. Results showed that for advancing the green energy transition, areas such as strategies for regional and cross-sectoral collaboration, adoption of international models, human capital development and public engagement, technological innovation, and research; and resource conservation, environmental protection, and climate change should move forward exclusively from an energy policy perspective. This article's main contribution is developing a comprehensive and conceptual policy framework for Saudi Arabia's sustainable green energy transition aligned with Vision 2030. The framework integrates social, economic, and environmental criteria and provides critical policy implications and research directions for advancing energy policy and sustainable practices in the country.

The Paris Agreement's ambitious target of limiting the global temperature rise to 1.5°C remains elusive, with the world falling short of its climate commitments. The electricity sector, responsible for a substantial 39% of global carbon emissions, plays a pivotal role in curbing climate change. Transitioning to renewable energy sources is not just an environmental imperative but also a pressing economic challenge, especially for governments tasked with financing renewable projects. This study explores the economic dimensions of decarbonizing electricity grids, shedding light on the costs and benefits. This research quantifies the costs of current fossil fuel-based electricity production versus achieving net-zero emissions across ten Latin American countries by evaluating annual electricity generation costs and estimating the expenses of transitioning to renewables. We find that decarbonizing these countries’ electricity grids would lead to annual savings close to USD 21 billion annually, potentially contributing positively to their economies. The study also compares the energy policies for each of the ten Latin American nations included, evaluating the role of renewable-oriented policies in decarbonizing power generation. We also find that policies vary in effectiveness across countries, and have to be in line with geographical constraints and economic realities.

Formulation of the problem. This article is devoted to the analysis of the current state and prospects of the decarbonization project and its role in foreign policy in the process of creating the emissions trading system and the mechanism of the new European system of taxation of imported goods that leave a large carbon footprint (Control Border Adjustment Mechanism, CBAM) (the so-called "carbon border"). The issues raised in this work correspond to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), namely: the fight against climate change (13 goals), which were adopted by the United Nations in 2015 as a universal call to action to reduce poverty, protect the planet and ensure that by 2030 all people live in peace and prosperity. It was analyzed that the EU institutions (Commission, Council or European Parliament) had the greatest impact on the organizational structure of the European Union emissions trading (STV). Purpose. The purpose of the study is to analyze the role of decarbonization as a multilateral political mechanism of carbon regulation at the border. Methods. Comparative, systemic, institutional research methods are used in the article. Research results. Attempts by the European Parliament to significantly change the decentralized nature of the ETS have failed. Thus, the process of updating the ETS and the mechanism of the new European system of taxation of imported goods that leave a large carbon footprint corresponds to the main provisions of the intergovernmental approach. Decarbonization is a term used to remove or reduce carbon dioxide (СО2) emissions from the atmosphere. Decarbonization is achieved by switching to low-carbon energy sources. The project "Cross-Border Adjustment of the Carbon Tax Upon World Accession" makes it possible to avoid negative consequences for trade and can create a win-win situation - in economic, political and environmental terms. Documents reflecting the positions of the subjects and the course of the legislative process were used as primary materials. The research was conducted on the basis of the process tracking method. The article proves that the decisive confluence in the formation of the ETS design was the member states (the balance of interests and influence of the member states in the Council of the EU). The commission played a significant role as the author of the idea and moderator of compromises. The Commission and the European Parliament have on several occasions successfully blocked or softened Member State amendments that threatened to undermine the substance of emissions trading. Conclusions. As the planet faces rising temperatures and more frequent extreme weather events, it is clear that our current infrastructure practices must evolve. To mitigate and adapt to climate change, sustainable infrastructure is not just an option; it is a necessity.

This paper analyzes by transposing the importance of environmental policies, highlighting the most significant regulations directly related to the sustainable agriculture component in relation to the environmental targets proposed by the Municipal Agricultural Policy. The need to rethink agricultural processes led slowly to the anchoring to current trends as a premise in the realization of a real report related to sustainable agricultural systems performing and last but not least aligned to the constraints of eco-conditionality. From this perspective, the methodology in reflecting our analysis was linked to the collection of data reported in international statistical databases such as those available at the National Institute of Statistics Eurostat, as well as OECD reports on the subjects analyzed in the study. In these paradises, the perspective reflected by the New Agricultural Policy is rather aligned towards the achievement of environmental goals in agriculture, which positions the ability of farmers to adapt to these sustainability conditions. Through these completely new concepts for farmers, the studio reflects the sustainability of agriculture through the levers offered by the agricultural policy and research, thus also representing an important resource in complex research aimed at the decarbonization of agriculture as topical issues.

The article discusses the growing importance of decarbonization of production systems in the foundry industry as a response to climate challenges and increasing requirements for sustainable development. The process of reducing greenhouse gas emissions in foundry production is caused by a number of reasons. Decarbonization of the foundry industry refers to actions aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions, especially carbon dioxide (CO2). Reducing carbon dioxide emissions is increasingly being considered as a key element of the strategy of both small and large foundries around the world. Foundry is one of the industries that generates significant amounts of carbon dioxide emissions due to the energy consumption in the process of melting and forming metals. There is virtually no manufacturing industry that does not use elements cast from iron, steel or non-ferrous metals, ranging from elements made of aluminum to zinc. The article presents various decarbonization strategies available to foundries, such as: the use of renewable energy, the use of more efficient melting technologies, or the implementation of low-energy technologies throughout the production process. Application examples from different parts of the world illustrate how these strategies are already being put into practice, as well as the potential obstacles and challenges to full decarbonization.

Abstract Background One of the potential dimensions on which exclusion and injustice may occur in energy transitions is age. Age-based patterns of exclusion—ageism—has recently been conceptualized in the context of decarbonization as energy ageism. This paper offers a comparative empirical analysis of the senior citizens’ outlook towards an imminent energy transition as well as the impact of energy poverty in two European countries: Norway and Poland. Results Drawing on interviews and focus groups with Polish and Norwegian seniors, we present the differences and similarities between the two countries, and the determinants of energy ageism, as well as the concept’s overall applicability and empirical usefulness. We find that socioeconomic conditions outweigh ageism, that is, the resilience of senior citizens in dealing with energy poverty during a transition is conditioned by their material standing and welfare state robustness rather than age based. An important factor is household heating technology, combined with economic vulnerability can push some individuals into energy poverty, while others using alternative sources of heat can navigate through energy crises unscathed. Conclusions We note the importance of mainstreaming social inclusion considerations in energy policy and of targeted digital competence building which can enhance senior citizen integration in the energy transition. Lower levels of digital competences among senior citizens certainly play a role and need to be addressed with education programs to increase participation. In both countries, household heating is a major issue and heating sources are strong predictors of energy poverty and regulatory measures and subsidies should be designed at national, regional, and municipal level to assist vulnerable groups in this area.

Forest carbon credit project developments throughout the world can contribute to nature-based solutions to mitigate climate change. With Malaysia’s large forest endowment, a study was conducted to evaluate the awareness and knowledge among forest owners, and to identify the main constraints faced when venturing into forest carbon credit projects. A total of 75 companies in both forest plantations and natural forests were involved in the study. The results clearly suggest that knowledge and awareness of forest carbon credit projects is relatively low among forest owners. Hence, forest carbon credit projects development in the country is relatively slow and only a few projects have had serious development to the auction phase. The slow uptake of carbon projects is plagued by the low carbon credit price, lack of clarity in the national carbon policy, limited expertise and capability for project development, and the lack of financing mechanisms for project development. Forest owners prefer biomass production and timber production due to the higher economic returns. Against this background, policymakers as well as federal-state initiatives need to address the gaps with the forest carbon credit project development ecosystem, in order to facilitate and realize the full carbon sequestration potential of the country.

Applied electrochemistry (AE) plays today an important role in a wide range of fields, including energy conversion and storage, processes, environment, (bio)analytical chemistry, and many others. Electrochemical synthesis is now proven as a promising pathway to avoid all disadvantages in terms of high energy consumption and high pollution, while electrochemical modeling becomes a powerful tool to understand complex systems and predict and optimize the electrochemical devices under various conditions, which reduce study time and cost. The vital role of electrochemistry will greatly be considered in the upcoming years, aiming to reduce carbon footprints and supporting the transition towards a green and more sustainable energy framework. This review article summarizes the recent advances in applied electrochemistry. It shows how this field has become an indispensable tool for innovation, progress, problem-solving in the modern world, and addressing societal challenges across diverse fields.

Forest carbon credit project developments throughout the world can contribute to nature-based solutions to mitigate climate change. With Malaysia’s large forest endowment, a study was conducted to evaluate the awareness and knowledge among forest owners, and to identify the main constraints faced when venturing into forest carbon credit projects. A total of 75 companies in both forest plantations and natural forests were involved in the study. The results clearly suggest that knowledge and awareness of forest carbon credit projects is relatively low among forest owners. Hence, forest carbon credit projects development in the country is relatively slow and only a few projects have had serious development to the auction phase. The slow uptake of carbon projects is plagued by the low carbon credit price, lack of clarity in the national carbon policy, limited expertise and capability for project development, and the lack of financing mechanisms for project development. Forest owners prefer biomass production and timber production due to the higher economic returns. Against this background, policymakers as well as federal-state initiatives need to address the gaps with the forest carbon credit project development ecosystem, in order to facilitate and realize the full carbon sequestration potential of the country.

As part of its 2050 net zero emission commitment, Canada has a mandate to transition to electric vehicles (EVs) to decarbonize transportation. While the EV charging infrastructure is expanding in urban areas, the infrastructure for inter-city and nature-based tourism has not been assessed. This study combined four metrics of feasibility and convenience into an EV readiness index to evaluate 94 road trip itineraries associated with Canada’s iconic national parks. Index scores ranged from not possible (0) to equal to the travel experience of internal combustion vehicle (20). With the summer range, the average one-day route score was 19.2, as 82% of one-day itineraries could be completed without requiring additional charging. Multi-day routes scored lower (14.0), with 24% being highly inconvenient or impossible due to gaps between charging stations. With a reduced winter EV range, average index scores for one- and multi-day trips declined as charging needs increased (18.4 and 13.2, respectively). Across the 94 travel routes, EVs were estimated to produce only 17% of the carbon dioxide emissions of internal combustion vehicles (this was much lower in some provinces). The findings also highlight key regional differences in tourism EV readiness and where infrastructure is needed to provide equitable access to Canada’s national parks for tourists seeking to decarbonize their holiday travel.

The relevance of the research topic is due to the role and importance of the results of the activities of enterprises in the oil and gas sector, which is currently strongly influenced by modern transformational trends, for the development of the national economy. The article analyzes the results of the impact of the green trend, due to the objective need to follow the principles of ESG and respond to the challenges of decarbonization.The purpose of the study is to study the impact of the green agenda and evaluate the effectiveness of ESG investments, as well as substantiate proposals for the implementation of ESG principles in corporate strategies of oil and gas companies.Research objectives: to study the green cases of key Russian oil and gas companies; to evaluate the effectiveness of ESG investments; to formulate proposals that allow companies in the oil and gas sector to integrate more effectively into the ESG agenda.Research methods: systematic approach, logical analysis, synthesis; The empirical method of rating assessment, content analysis of open sources, correlation and regression analysis were used.Results. Despite the improvement of positions in profile ratings, the profitability of ESG investments is unstable, therefore, it is necessary to strengthen work to increase the level of environmental and social responsibility, and the effectiveness of risk management. It is necessary to consolidate at the legislative level the requirements for reporting on sustainable development, which still do not fully comply with international standards in the criteria part. Evaluating the effectiveness of ESG investments is complicated by several problems caused by the use of various approaches to integrating ESG principles and monitoring this process using KPIs, insufficient activity in tracking and disclosing information about the effectiveness of ESG strategies, etc.The main conclusions. The successful and consistent solution of the tasks of green energy transfer allows us to achieve the application of corporate strategy methods and operational efficiency methods for key vectors. There is a high correlation between the indicators of ESG investments and the net profit of oil and gas companies; PJSC Tatneft and PJSC NK Rosneft have the most significant correlation coefficient. It is advisable to develop a document at the level of industry regulators that includes a package of preferences for oil and gas companies implementing the ESG agenda (tax incentives, provision of long-term and cheap financing by infrastructure state banks, accelerated depreciation of capital investments in ESG projects, ensuring stable financing of joint projects in the field of sustainable development of the regions where oil and gas companies are based).

Abstract Amidst the pressing need to combat climate change and curb greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, the building sector emerges as a pivotal sector, substantially impacting worldwide emissions. Despite efforts to improve energy efficiency and incorporate non-fossil energy sources, the sector still lags in achieving the necessary decarbonization goals. Existing Building Energy Management Systems primarily prioritize economic criteria, overlooking the vital aspect of emissions reduction. Energy Informatics and Information Systems hold the potential to bridge this gap by enabling precise and verifiable GHG emissions accounting, end-to-end real-time tracking, and automated verification within Energy Management Systems (EMS). This paper presents research on designing the advancement of EMSs in the form of a Building Energy Emission Management System (BEEMS) leveraging verifiable emission data for emission-based actions. The central research question revolves around designing BEEMS to facilitate emission-based actions based on verifiable data. Following a multi-step approach, the research methodology encompasses a comprehensive literature review and iterative evaluation of our design principles through a workshop and semi-structured interviews with experts from industry and research. The contributions include a conceptual architecture of a BEEMS and six design principles for future BEEMS development. Ultimately, this research strives to facilitate end-to-end verifiable GHG emissions management in the building sector to enable emission-based energy consumption decisions, contributing to the existing body of knowledge of the Energy Informatics field on BEEMS.

This article discusses a possible scenario of energy transition in Russia, taking into account the economic structure, presence of huge oil and gas infrastructure and unique natural resources. All this allows to consider global trends of energy and economic decarbonization not only as a challenge, but also as a new opportunity for the country. Considering developed oil and gas production, transportation, refining and petrochemical infrastructure, as well as the vast territory, forest, water and soil resources, our country has unique opportunities for carbon sequestration using both biological systems and the existing oil and gas infrastructure. It is proposed to use the existing oil and gas production facilities for hydrogen generation in the processes of hydrocarbon catalytic transformation inside the reservoir. It is suggested to create and use large-scale technologies for CO2 sequestration using existing oil and gas production infrastructure. Considering high potential of the Russian Federation for carbon sequestration by biological systems, a network of Russian carbon testing areas is being developed, including one at Kazan Federal University (KFU), – the “Carbon-Povolzhye” testing area. The creation of carbon farms based on the applications at such testing areas could become a high-demand high-tech business. A detailed description of the KFU carbon testing area and its planned objectives are given.

Decarbonization is one of the main trends in global development of the last decade. More than 120 countries have already announced plans to achieve net-zero emissions by the middle of the century. Among them are Russia’s largest trading partners, including the European Union, China, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Kazakhstan, as well as the United States. These ambitions are supported by a tightening carbon regulation: carbon pricing has already been set up in 64 countries and regions. In the largest emissions trading system – the European one – carbon price has already exceeded 50 euros per ton of emissions.Significant effort in decarbonization has been taken in many industries (e.g., civil aviation, maritime transport, oil and gas industry), companies (which set up carbon neutrality targets and introduce internal carbon pricing) and the financial sector. Standards for corporate information disclosure about emissions and strategiesfor their reduction, in particular CDP andTCFD, are being developed and adopted.At the same time, ways to put pressure on competitors who do not want to bear the costs associated with reducing greenhouse gas emissions are being developed. For example, the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) will be launched by the European Union in 2023. All these trends mean that products with low carbon footprint become not just a competitive advantage for a company, but also an inevitable condition for its presence on the international market. Companies with a high carbon footprint face less favorable conditions of borrowing, as well as trading barriers and growing pressure from customers both corporate and individual.In this regard, the development of low-carbon economy in Russia is inevitable to minimize the costs associated with tightening regulation. It is becoming particularly relevant for export-oriented regions with large emissions, including the Republic of Tatarstan. In our opinion, the launch of a pilot project to regulate greenhouse gas emissions in this region is important not only for GHG reduction itself, but also for increasing competitiveness of Tatarstan companies on international markets and attracting investment from both Russian and foreign investors. In this paper, we explain the need to launch such a pilot and relying on the existing Russian and international experience on the one hand and taking into account the characteristics of Tatarstan’s economy on the other, we demonstrate a scheme by which such a project can be organized.

The processes of global energy transition are increasingly becoming one of the main driving forces of both the transformation of the existing market model and the technological foundations of the functioning of energy facilities. The reorientation of the world economy towards decarbonization threatens the stability of the functioning of many previously seemingly unshakable technological solutions and approaches in the field of system integration of the fuel and energy complex, which, in turn, stimulates the search for a new paradigm of its development.The manifestations of transformation are observed at various levels of the economic hierarchy: inter-country, country and intra-country. The development of mechanisms for the response of Russian manufacturers to the realities of the energy transition requires testing at real facilities. According to the authors, Tatarstan can become an indicative region for the development of approaches to achieving carbon neutrality.For a preventive forecast of the attainability of ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) indicators, the authors propose a conceptual approach to assessing the development of decarbonization technologies, based on a combination of economic and mathematical methods, which allows us to develop an organizational and legal basis for the process, form and evaluate criteria for the effectiveness of innovations and the conditions for their implementation.

Energy system modeling supports the identification of the optimal technology mix to achieve decarbonization targets across multiple sectors. Especially when sector coupling is considered for future technology landscapes, the large solution space leads to a complex optimization problem in terms of computational feasibility and data requirements. The authors identify a research gap in developing an open-source model structure with consideration of the relevant future technologies of power, heat, other conversions, transport, and industry defined with a new level of detail in a sector-coupled energy world and in including detailed insights into the accompanying definition process. A strong focus is set on the transparency and reproducibility of the provided open-source structure and its flexible and consistent application to different framework families to foster the ease of applicability of this work. The paper first gives a detailed description of the model base, including an overview of the model frame definition process, the core adjustments to model sector coupling appropriately, and the measures to make the resulting problem computationally feasible. The core result of this work is the presentation of a detailed model structure to model sector coupling for a German energy system, yielding approximately 2000 processes that characterize the heterogeneous and technology-open landscape of existing and possible future technologies across relevant energy sectors. This supports energy system modelers in understanding and reproducing energy system models based on open-source data and thereby tries to accelerate the research on sector coupling and its role in the energy transition.

Hydrogen is an industrially significant gas and is considered a potential clean fuel. In the time of climate change; when the global impetus is towards reducing the reliance on fossil fuel, there is a need to go for other alternatives to secure the supply of this strategic gas as almost 95 % of Hydrogen is generated from fossil fuels. Geothermal energy is a reliable green energy source that harnesses crust thermal heat to generate power and is independent of physical weather processes. In this study, we outlined the different production techniques of hydrogen and evaluated the utilization of geothermal resources in the generation of green hydrogen. This study evaluated the different electrolyzers and geothermal energy-based green hydrogen production models and we concluded that cogeneration of hydrogen with the geothermal plant is strongly dependent on the temperature of the geothermal fluid, its flow rate, the cycle of the plant, and the ORC working fluid. Green hydrogen production utilizes the waste thermal energy of the plant thus increasing the plant efficiency and plant output diversification adds up to its economy. In this study, we also outlined the feasibility prospects of geothermal-based green hydrogen and concluded that geothermal energy-based green hydrogen can be a promising way to decarbonization.

The article explores the synergy between digitalization and decarbonization within the EU’s most carbon-intensive industries, with a particular focus on the green transition in the energy sector. The study examines the EU’s twin transition experience, highlighting the role of digital technologies as key drivers for a climate-neutral economy. Through an analysis of digital applications in energy and industrial production, the authors identify crucial digital solutions, including smart grids, AI, and big data, that accelerate decarbonization efforts. The article provides a comprehensive review of EU initiatives, showcasing successful examples of green and digital integration to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Key areas of synergy between decarbonization and digitalization are emphasized, illustrating how the twin transition not only reduces emissions but also improves resource efficiency and resilience to climate-related challenges. The paper organizes digital practices across EU sectors and proposes models that may serve as frameworks for building a global climate-neutral economy.

This paper introduces Grid2050, a web-based decision support framework that allows users to build and assess US low-carbon electricity generation portfolios for 2050. Although base assumptions from various sources are integrated into the tool to support a default portfolio mix, the framework encourages users to alter assumptions about the techno-economic performance and socio-political acceptance of different technologies to create their portfolios. To support that process, the framework includes built-in analytics to estimate deviations from base assumptions, a capability to explore alternative assumptions about technological learning and scale-up, and the premiums users are willing to incur to avoid or deploy different technologies. This suite of features offers a way to benchmark the consistency and feasibility of users’ energy system preferences. Its use should help inform energy system planning studies and regulatory interventions to bend the global warming curve.

This study aims to analyze existing scientific approaches to developing roadmaps in energy and innovation, identify key challenges hindering the transition to a carbon-neutral economy, and develop practical recommendations for Ukraine. Particular emphasis is placed on identifying and integrating legislative, economic, technological, and social aspects into energy innovation transfer to ensure an effective and sustainable transition. A literature review was conducted using key terms such as "roadmap," "energy," and "innovation," which allowed for the identification of the most relevant trends and approaches in this field. The article outlines the main challenges Ukraine faces in transitioning to a carbon-neutral economic model based on the transfer of energy innovations. These challenges include legislative barriers, insufficient economic incentives, technological difficulties, and social factors that slow down the implementation of innovations. Based on the identified problems and existing trends, a roadmap for Ukraine's transition to a carbon-neutral economy was developed, covering four key areas: legislative, economic, technological, and social. The sequence of steps and actions necessary to implement the transition scenario is detailed and presented visually. The article offers specific practical recommendations for Ukraine regarding the implementation of the roadmap, including necessary legislative changes, economic incentives, investments in technology, and measures to increase social awareness and support. Thus, this article makes an essential contribution to the scientific and practical discourse on the transition to a carbon-neutral economy, particularly in the context of Ukraine, and can serve as a foundation for further research and policy development in this area.

Electric car charging stations are in high demand as a result of the development of the e-mobility sector and the adoption of electric vehicles in transportation. This study aims to construct and analyze a stand-alone solar PV-powered electric car charging station to fulfil electric vehicle load demand and make recommendations for optimizing its operation. The goal is to achieve 3D’s i.e., Decarbonization, Digitalization and Decentralization in both the transport and power supply (electricity supply). Advancing towards attaining 3D’s goal, an off-grid solar PV-powered EV charging station was built at the University of Sharjah to meet the load demand. The EV charging station includes PV panels, inverters, energy storage devices and EV charging outlets. A solar PV system of 7.4 kWp with an energy storage capacity of 34.56 kWh is installed. A battery inverter of 4.6 kW is incorporated to meet the load demand of three electrical vehicles simultaneously. The performance of the system is monitored over a year. The EV charging station is in off-grid mode; thus, it is following the load demand for PV energy production. The findings reveal that the total energy production by the PV system is 2971.59 kWh from which the direct consumption is 383.77 kWh (12.91 %), and 2587.83 kWh (87.09 %) is stored in the energy storage devices. The total energy consumption by electric vehicles is 2379.01 kWh of which 1995.24 kWh (83.87 %) is taken from the battery bank. The PV system is working at 24.58 % of its full capacity. By elevating the daily load demand to 33 kWh, the full utilization of the solar resource can be achieved. To evaluate the adverse effect of dust, natural dust is allowed to settle down on the surface of PV panels continuously for 322 days. A linear degradation was recorded in the performance ratio from 77.92 % to 27.30 % in 218 days. Thereafter a plateau was attained and insignificant variation (min. 26.36 % and max. 33.78 %) was observed in the next 104 days. It is concluded that once a thick layer of dust forms on the surface of the PV panels, further dust accumulation becomes minimal.