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Almost 200 nations, including the European Union, have signed the Paris Agreement that aims to limit the temperature rise to 1.5 °C above pre-industrial levels by reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. To meet this target, a significant decrease in GHG emissions by 2030 and net zero by 2050 is necessary. To determine the role of wood products in achieving a 55% reduction in GHG emissions by 2030 compared with 1990 levels, we investigated Slovenia’s potential, which has close to 60% forested areas. Therefore, the country could use wood-based products to achieve the agreed-upon climate goals. Nevertheless, uncertainties remain regarding the extent to which increased tree harvesting, local manufacturing, and the utilization of wood products can aid in substituting fossil-derived materials and reducing GHG emissions. A new model was constructed to increase the understanding of the wood products’ (throughout the forest-based industrial ecosystem, incl. construction) potential contribution to reaching the stated emissions targets. Using this linear programming (LP) mathematical optimisation model and carbon footprint calculations based on life cycle assessment methods, a wood flow distribution, the financial investment needed to process these quantities, and the GHG emissions produced and/or saved were calculated. The findings stipulated that Slovenia has the potential to achieve 55 % less GHG emissions by 2030 by expanding logging to at least 3 million m3 and converting the timber to a larger amount of long service-life wooden items made (and utilised) within the country. Such products accumulate carbon for a long time and decrease the need for materials that cause higher GHG emissions. Concomitantly, a better appreciation of the substitution effects in official carbon accounting would be needed. Moreover, to materialize the potential decrease in emissions would require Slovenia’s construction sector to replace fossil- and mineral-based materials with lignocellulosic products, and to increase the capacity to utilize lower-quality wood in high added value applications, which would require significant investment. This paper offers a comprehensive analysis of diverse optimisation outcomes obtained from the investigation into climate action through the use of wood products in Slovenia.

Almost 200 nations, including the European Union, have signed the Paris Agreement that aims to limit the temperature rise to 1.5 °C above pre-industrial levels by reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. To meet this target, a significant decrease in GHG emissions by 2030 and net zero by 2050 is necessary. To determine the role of wood products in achieving a 55% reduction in GHG emissions by 2030 compared with 1990 levels, we investigated Slovenia’s potential, which has close to 60% forested areas. Therefore, the country could use wood-based products to achieve the agreed-upon climate goals. Nevertheless, uncertainties remain regarding the extent to which increased tree harvesting, local manufacturing, and the utilization of wood products can aid in substituting fossil-derived materials and reducing GHG emissions. A new model was constructed to increase the understanding of the wood products’ (throughout the forest-based industrial ecosystem, incl. construction) potential contribution to reaching the stated emissions targets. Using this linear programming (LP) mathematical optimisation model and carbon footprint calculations based on life cycle assessment methods, a wood flow distribution, the financial investment needed to process these quantities, and the GHG emissions produced and/or saved were calculated. The findings stipulated that Slovenia has the potential to achieve 55 % less GHG emissions by 2030 by expanding logging to at least 3 million m3and converting the timber to a larger amount of long service-life wooden items made (and utilised) within the country. Such products accumulate carbon for a long time and decrease the need for materials that cause higher GHG emissions. Concomitantly, a better appreciation of the substitution effects in official carbon accounting would be needed. Moreover, to materialize the potential decrease in emissions would require Slovenia’s construction sector to replace fossil- and mineral-based materials with lignocellulosic products, and to increase the capacity to utilize lower-quality wood in high added value applications, which would require significant investment. This paper offers a comprehensive analysis of diverse optimisation outcomes obtained from the investigation into climate action through the use of wood products in Slovenia.

PURPOSE: Many companies are facing an increasing pressure exerted by governments, shareholders and other stakeholders to reduce their CO2 emissions in order to mitigate climate change. The importance of managing CO2 emissions by introducing adequate practices has increased for the affected companies. The present paper discusses the results of studies pertaining to the homogenization of carbon management practices., DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH: With 122 responses from 3 European countries, we applied structural equation modeling to test our hypotheses., FINDINGS: Our findings revealed that the source of the homogenization of carbon management practices can be traced back to the mimetic and normative pressure. On the other hand, the impact of coercive pressure was found to be insignificant. The homogenization is also influenced by the success of the model organization and the similarity of carbon strategy. The results were outlined in relation to inter and intra CM practices., ORIGINALITY/VALUE: This study makes the following contributions. Firstly, it analyses threefold isomorphic mechanisms in carbon management practices. Secondly, it examines which practices are imitated, and whether the features and success of the model organization are significant in the imitation process. Third of all, it assesses the significance of CM practices’ imitation for the adjustment of organizations to the expectations of stakeholders., This study was funded by the National Science Centre, Poland, grant Modelling of climate change impacts on regional competitiveness, No. 2019/35/B/HS5/01548., peer-reviewed

Els sistemes alimentaris comprenen tots els elements i totes les activitats relacionades amb la producció, processament, distribució, preparació i consum d'aliments, i també els resultats d'aquestes activitats, incloent-hi també les de tipus socioeconòmic i ambiental. Aquests sistemes estan in tegrats per diverses cadenes de valor i també inclouen activitats que no es tan basades en relacions de mercat, sinó en la cultura, els hàbits socials o l'educació. La principal funció dels sistemes alimentaris és contribuir a la nutrició i la seguretat alimentària de la població, però cada vegada es posa més en relleu el seu paper clau en relació amb la gestió de recursos naturals, la resiliència dels ecosistemes o la mitigació del canvi climàtic, així com en la creació de llocs de treball i la fixació de població al territori. En cap altre àmbit tots aquests elements convergeixen de forma tan explícita i directa.

In order to achieve greenhouse gas neutrality, hydrogen generated from renewable sources will play an important role. Additionally, as underlined in the Sixth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), new technologies to remove greenhouse gases from the atmosphere are required on a large scale. A novel concept for hydrogen production with net negative emissions referred to as HyBECCS (Hydrogen Bioenergy with Carbon Capture and Storage) combines these two purposes in one technological approach. The HyBECCS concept combines biohydrogen production from biomass with the capture and storage of biogenic carbon dioxide. Various technology combinations of HyBECCS processes are possible, whose ecological effects and economic viability need to be analyzed in order to provide a basis for comparison and decision-making. This paper presents fundamentals for the techno-economic and environmental evaluation of HyBECCS approaches. Transferable frameworks on system boundaries as well as emission, cost, and revenue streams are defined and specifics for the application of existing assessment methods are elaborated. In addition, peculiarities concerning the HyBECCS approach with respect to political regulatory measures and interrelationships between economics and ecology are outlined. Based on these considerations, two key performance indicators (KPIs) are established, referred to as levelized cost of carbon-negative hydrogen (LCCNH) and of negative emissions (LCNE). Both KPIs allow deciding whether a specific HyBECCS project is economically viable and allows its comparison with different hydrogen, energy provision, or negative emission technologies (NETs).

With population growth and increasing municipal solid waste generation, efficient and sustainable waste management strategies become important to protect both human health and the environment. Although the transition from the prevailing waste management systems, such as landfilling, to modern waste management systems based on the 3R principle (reduce, reuse and recycle) is imperative, it is still very difficult to achieve in many countries. The waste management systems applied are in line with the country’s income level, and the sustainable cutting-edge technologies are almost exclusively applied in high- and upper-middle- income countries. Thus, the modernization of the waste management system is achieved mostly through the growth of the gross domestic product. Moreover, the efficiency of modern sustainable waste management systems depends not only on the implementation of appropriate technical and economic strategies, but also needs to be supported by the education of citizens and the training of waste management professionals. The paper gives an overview of the educational- professional project “EDUcation for CLImate Change mitigation in the municipal solid waste sector”, which is part of the European Climate Change Initiative (EUKI).