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Geopolymers are novel aluminosilicate inorganic polymers. The preparation of geopolymers has the potential to minimize the environmental impacts of solid wastes through a reduction in both resource depletion and pollution. Owing to their high mechanical performance, resource/energy conservation, and low-carbon emission, waste-based geopolymer materials (WGM) have attracted increasing attention in recent years. This paper reviews the research and application of WGM in solid waste disposal, wastewater treatment, and greenhouse gas emission reduction. The potential raw materials for producing WGM from available solid wastes are classified into three categories, highlighting significant differences among these wastes. Moreover, this paper comprehensively reviews the current status of WGM with different forms and functions used in the wastewater treatment field, along with their effect mechanisms. Additionally, this paper extensively elucidates the significant contributions of WGM in reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The wide range of raw materials, multifunctionality for water treatment, and low greenhouse gas emission characteristics of WGM ensure its practical and economically feasible application as an environmentally functional material. Owing to these characteristics, this paper outlines the future development prospects of WGM, further highlighting its advantages in preparation and practical application. This review provides references for addressing future challenges and promoting the development of WGM, contributing to its accelerated application in sustainable development and environmental protection. • WGM has great potential for the disposal and high value-added utilization of solid waste from different fields. • Based on the functional diversity, WGM has shown significant advantages in wastewater treatment. • GHG emission characteristics of WGM in application determine it is a low carbon material. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to demonstrate the feasibility, regarding environmental and economical point of view, of a local tomato farm powered by an offshore wind farm for Romanian Black Sea coast, where there are no such projects implemented and just one is foreseen so far. In this regard, both the agricultural farm and the offshore wind farm were dimensioned and using a new methodology proposed in the year 2023 by the World Bank, an environmental analysis of the project was made with estimating the positive effects that occur in the GHG emissions at the implementation of this project. The relationship between energy inputs and farm yields is analysed for two cycles of tomato crops and a comparative evaluation is conducted to emphasise the favourable influence that the implementation of the proposed solution would exert on the carbon footprint of Romania's agriculture sector. The two scenarios considered are Scenario 1 - S1 with tomato farm in the Schitu area (in greenhouses powered by an offshore wind farm, Cycle 1 and in open field, Cycle 2) and Scenario 2 - S2 when the tomatoes are imported from proximate regions. For both cycles, the energy ratio and energy productivity values were calculated, obtaining 0.11 and 0.13 for cycle C1, and 0.67 and 0.84 for cycle C2, respectively. The benefits of the proposed solution presented in S1 are represented by a) enhancing agricultural production by exploiting a renewable energy source with a yearly production of 45.07 GWh; b) reducing the transport distance of tomatoes by 324,057 km; c) promoting the local economy by employing an average of 124 people; d) improving the carbon footprint of Romania's agricultural sector with a reduction of CO2e per year of 43.13%. [Display omitted] • Local tomato farm located in Romania, powered by an offshore wind farm. • Improving the safety and resilience of the food system. • Reduction of the carbon footprint of Romania's agriculture sector. • Boost of local economy. • Relatively quick return of investment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Global production of bulk materials such as steel, paper, and aluminium has tripled over the past three decades and decarbonising their production is a difficult challenge. The transition to net zero emissions depends on three key zero emissions resources, non-emitting electricity, biomass, and carbon storage. This paper develops a model to anticipate how likely deployment of these three resources will constrain bulk material production on the transition to net zero emissions by 2050. The results predict that 2050 supply of steel, paper and aluminium will be up to 40% lower than demand. To address this shortfall, policy should promote a more rapid deployment of zero emissions resources in parallel with the strategies of material demand reduction. This paper quantifies potential production levels of aluminium, steel and paper on a trajectory that achieves net zero emissions by 2050 given constraints on zero emissions resources. [Display omitted] • Quantifies levels of bulk material production for different trajectories of zero emissions resources. • Results suggest gap between expected demand and possible supply levels under the constraint of net zero emissions. • Need for a more rapid deployment of zero emissions resources in parallel with the strategies of material demand reduction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Decomposition analysis provides a potentially powerful means for analyzing community greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions data. However, this form of analysis is typically conducted at larger geographical scales (i.e., national and state/provincial levels), which leaves questions around how to apply this methodology to local and regional contexts. This study explores the application of decomposition methodology to community data in order to elucidate how this form of analysis can be employed to inform local/regional planning and climate policy. The research involved developing decomposition models that focus on two particularly areas important for local climate action - transportation and residential energy. Each model consisted of five factors - population, population distribution, travel (transportation) or energy customer accounts (residential) intensity, vehicle (transportation) or home energy (residential) type, and emissions intensity. Using data from the BC Community Energy Emissions Inventory, the study examined effects of the different factors on emissions changes occurring between 2007 and 2012 in the Metro Vancouver Regional District (British Columbia, Canada). Results from the transportation analysis indicated that population growth and people's choices in vehicle type had the effect of increasing emissions in the MVRD, whereas travel and emissions intensity factors had mitigating effects. The residential energy analysis indicated that only population effects led to emissions-increases in the MVRD, whereas the other factors had mitigating effects. Community-scale analyses also were conducted to identify municipalities where emissions-increasing effects were experienced more dramatically, for example, travel intensity effects in smaller communities (e.g., White Rock), energy accounts intensity effects in Vancouver, and emissions intensity effects in the District of North Vancouver. The study demonstrated how decomposition analysis can provide regional and local governments with valuable insight on what is contributing to GHG emissions and where progress is being made, which in turn can help these governments focus climate policy and planning efforts to achieve progress toward mitigation. The paper begins with an introduction on the use of decomposition methodology in energy and GHG emissions studies, and its potential value for analyzing local emissions data. The next sections discuss the analytical approach designed for and employed in this study, as well as describing the data used for this research. The paper then presents the results of the analysis performed on the MVRD. Finally, it concludes with a discussion on the implications of the results of this study for regional and local policy and planning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Roads play a vital role in transportation systems, and their construction and maintenance expenses are high. Those reasons make crucial the examination of factors that accelerate road deterioration and those factors' negative impacts on societies. Climatic-related elements, especially temperature and precipitation, significantly affect the quality and lifespans of roads. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has reported that increasing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions is causing changes in climate and that the rate of change has accelerated during the past several decades. To assess the impacts of changing climatic parameters on flexible-pavement performance, this study used 32 climate models to evaluate the performance of interstate, primary, and secondary roads across 11 diverse locations with varying traffic and climatic conditions. The study's findings reveal that changing climate exacerbates pavement distresses, leading to reduced pavement lifespans and increased numbers of reconstruction projects, which in turn raise demands for materials and equipment and contribute to higher GHG emissions. The effects of changing climate and changing climate's associated economic and environmental costs make the application of various engineering solutions to enhance pavement resilience essential, as described in this paper, in the absence of comprehensive emissions reduction strategies. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The concept of a circular food economy, particularly through insect farming using food waste, has gained increasing attention in recent years. This approach holds the potential to reduce the environmental impacts of food production by repurposing food waste as insect feed, while simultaneously offering an alternative source of protein. Although the environmental advantages of insect farming are well established, limited research exists on insect farming in colder regions with cleaner grid electricity, such as Quebec, Canada. In this paper, a framework is developed to evaluate the greenhouse gas emissions of a mealworm farm within a circular economy context. The benefits of circular economy practices are assessed through multiple different feed acquisition scenarios (virgin feed and feed diverted from composting, anaerobic digestion, and landfilling). Furthermore, the benefits of mealworm farming are assessed through a comparative analysis with other sources of protein. The framework consists of five stages: feed acquisition, transformation, heating, transportation, and fertilizer production. The results show that farming mealworms using virgin feed emits +14.94 Kg CO 2 eq/Kg protein. However, using diverted food waste as feed eliminates the need for conventional waste management and leads to a reduction of greenhouse gas emissions of −1.54, −2.48, and −16.39 Kg CO 2 eq/Kg protein for food waste diverted from composting, anaerobic digestion, and landfilling, respectively. This study highlights that mealworm farming with virgin feed generates lower greenhouse gas emissions compared to beef and pork and is on par with chicken production. Overall, this study demonstrates the environmental superiority of mealworm farming, whether or not food waste is utilized, in a Canadian context. [Display omitted] • Circular economy and insect farming can decrease agriculture's carbon footprint. • Upcycling food waste yields carbon-negative edible insects. • Mealworms fed by diverting organic waste from landfill emit −16 KgCO 2 eq/Kg protein. • Mealworms fed virgin grains emit +15 KgCO 2 eq/Kg protein. • Virgin-grain-fed insects have impacts similar to chicken but lower than beef or pork. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the results of a systematic literature review of greenhouse gas emissions for different food categories from life cycle assessment (LCA) studies, to enable streamline calculations that could inform dietary choice. The motivation for completing the paper was the inadequate synthesis of food greenhouse gas emissions available in the public domain. The paper reviewed 369 published studies that provided 1718 global warming potential (GWP) values for 168 varieties of fresh produce. A meta-analysis of the LCA studies was completed for the following categories: fresh vegetables (root vegetables, brassica, leaves and stems); fresh fruits (pepo, hesperidium, true berries, pomes, aggregates fruits and drupes); staples (grains, legumes, nuts, seeds and rice); dairy (almond/coconut milk, soy milk, dairy milk, butter and cheese); non-ruminant livestock (chicken, fish, pork); and ruminant livestock (lamb and beef). The meta-analysis indicates a clear greenhouse gas hierarchy emerging across the food categories, with grains, fruit and vegetables having the lowest impact and meat from ruminants having the highest impact. The meta-analysis presents the median, mean, standard deviation, upper and lower quartile, minimum and maximum results for each food category. The resultant data enables streamline calculations of the global warming potential of human diets, and is illustrated by a short case study of an Australian family's weekly shop. The database is provided in the Appendix as a resource for practitioners. The paper concludes with recommendations for future LCA studies to focus upon with respect to content and approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The quest for sustainability and reduction of human impact on the planet has led to discussions about environmental efficiency in the manufacture and use of automotive vehicles. The advancement of environmental and government laws has encouraged the automotive industry to seek constant improvements in safety, fuel economy and reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. To achieve these goals, reducing the weight of vehicles has been considered a relevant strategy, with several research and development efforts in search of high-tech materials and innovative design. The assessment of the life cycle of vehicles, from the extraction of raw materials to the end of their useful life, is essential for estimating environmental impacts. In this context, this paper focuses on the life cycle analysis of vehicles with new generation steel structures (Body in White Solution) compared to current steels (Body in White Baseline), aiming at reducing greenhouse gas emissions by reducing of the thickness of the steel plates, maintaining the mechanical properties necessary to guarantee the safety of the vehicle. The methodology of this study was divided into the evaluation of Body in White (BIW) mass in current steels (Baseline) and in advanced high resistance steels (Solution); detailing the vehicular life cycle from the extraction of materials to its end of life; in the estimation of greenhouse gas emissions through simulation and in the comparison of vehicle emissions with BIW in current steels and in advanced high resistance steels. As a result, it was possible to observe that, in the comparison of the CO 2 footprint, modeled in the Eco Audit, there is a 15% reduction in emissions in the CO 2 footprint for the BIW solution, as well as a 7% reduction in the C eq total , in the on-site test and a saving of 260.40 L in fuel consumption, that is, the reduction in vehicle weight plays a significant role in reducing CO 2 emissions, providing a mitigation factor for global warming. [Display omitted] • There is a 15% reduction in emissions in the CO2 footprint for the BIW solution. • There is a 7% reduction in the Ceq total, in the on-site test. • Reduction in vehicle weight plays a significant role in reducing CO2 emissions. • Providing a mitigation factor for global warming. • There is a fuel economy of 260.4 L over the vehicle's life cycle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the growing global concern about construction industry emissions, a potentially useful approach to reduce such emissions could be to obligate the contractual parties to establish emissions-related construction contract provisions. Unfortunately, implementation of such initiatives has been limited in the practice. This study is motivated by the realization from previous studies that it is feasible to use contract clauses to regulate contractor use of equipment in a manner that reduces emissions and that there exist opportunities to establish frameworks that could facilitate implementation. In this paper, a framework is developed for designing and evaluating a green-performance variation clause. The framework involves a model whose objective is to maximize the net present value (NPV) by minimizing greenhouse gas emissions from the contractor's equipment fleet. The model addresses the uncertainties associated with the analysis inputs using Monte Carlo simulation, and the model outcomes are the probabilities of a positive NPV of emissions associated with the Owner and the contractor separately. The framework is demonstrated using a case study in road construction. The case study results yielded the following probabilities that a positive NPV for each of the two parties: 52% and 70% for the Owner and the contractor, respectively. This result suggests that using the developed framework, contract clauses can be designed at the pre-procurement phase to promote mutual and voluntary adoption of emissions-reducing practices at the subsequent phase (construction) of road development. This is shown to yield outcomes that are attractive (thereby, encouraging obligated parties to pursue emissions reduction) and the attractiveness is consistent across the parties. The proposed framework, which is consistent with green contracting, can generally help promote sustainability-related goals and outcomes related to construction projects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2022, Saudi Arabia's anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions amounted to 810 million tons of CO 2 e. The country has pledged to cut its emissions by 278 million tons of CO 2 e per year by 2030. This paper contributes a modeling view on the climate-related effects of various energy policies on the Saudi energy system. We use an energy system model designed to represent seven sectors in the Saudi economy. In addition to a baseline, which entails the continuation of current domestic policies, we look at a scenario that incorporates some of the plans announced by the Saudi government. We also examine the baseline scenario with a cap on total CO 2 emissions equal to those exhibited with the announced plans. The model then makes the necessary decisions to abate CO 2. We find that the energy system contributes 130 million tons of CO 2 e to the nationally determined contribution amount in 2030. Also, a non-prescriptive scenario that caps energy-system CO 2 emissions produces the same emissions reductions as the announced plans while lowering the present cost by 2030 by $70 billion. The corresponding implicit marginal abatement cost of CO 2 approaches 35 $/tonCO 2 by 2045. This cost would displace around half of crude and fuel oil use in the Saudi energy system. • Saudi Arabia plans to cut annual greenhouse gas emissions by 278 million tonsCO 2 e. • We use a multi-sector model built from the ground up for Saudi Arabia. • The energy system can contribute 130 million tons of CO 2 e in reductions in 2030. • We find a scenario that achieves GHG abatement at a lower cost than official plans. • The marginal value attributed to CO 2 approaches 35 $ per tonCO 2 by 2045. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Some agricultural industries such as livestock and poultry farming produce "growing items" whose weight and value constantly increase over time. Growing items and their related industries are vital in supplying the needed food and fiber for the world population. More importantly, concerns for the preservation of natural resources have led to sustainable goals of reducing greenhouse gas emissions (GHGEs) released by growing items. Recently, an inventory system called "economic growing quantity (EGQ)" was designed for growing items. This paper designs, develops, and optimizes a sustainable model for EGQ system, entitled "sustainable EGQ (SEGQ)", where the hidden costs and revenues associated with the sustainability of growing items are considered under a carbon tax policy. The cost function incorporates purchasing, transportation, feeding, shortage, setup, holding, and carcass disposal costs as well as the tax costs of greenhouse gas (GHG) emitted from manure, feed fermentation, carcasses, holding and transportation processes. The revenue function takes the earned income from the sale of grown items as well as their byproducts into account. Accordingly, a nonlinear program (NLP) is developed to maximize the total profit. The novelty of this paper resides in its consideration of the reproductive patterns and byproducts of growing items, gradual sales, shortage costs, major sources of GHGEs and their hidden costs, and finally a design of the main variables to mitigate the GHGs emitted by the growing items. Findings demonstrate that the SEGQ model with reproducible items and profitable byproducts increases the growth cycle and decreases the quantity of growing items needed at the start of the inventory cycle. [Display omitted] • Sustainable design of the related variables to inventory management of growing items. • The reproductive patterns of growing items under carbon emission considerations. • The profitable byproducts of growing items. • Identification and mitigation of other main sources of GHGEs in growing items. • An NLP model of hidden related costs and revenues to growing items under gradual sell. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

China has implemented the coal-to-clean-energy shift policy in rural areas of northern China to improve air quality, optimize energy structure and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, resulting in a significant increase in natural gas and electricity consumption. The policies shifts can reduce CO 2 emissions, but methane emissions from switching processes may contribute to short-term climate impacts. The climate impact during the policy transition is still unclear. Thus, this paper developed a lifecycle greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions framework for coal-to-clean-energy policies in rural northern China. The GHG emissions for heating and cooking, the two most energy intensive activities, were calculated. Four scenarios were designed based on energy types and equipment. Uncertainties in estimating lifecycle GHG emissions under different scenarios were analyzed. The technology warming potential values were calculated for the conversion of scenarios. Besides, the environmental benefits of natural gas versus electricity under emission reduction targets were compared. According to our findings, the total GHG emissions reduction of coal-to-clean-energy shift policies in rural northern China under global warming potential on a 100-year scale (GWP 100) is 1.83 million metric ton CO 2 equivalent (MMT CO 2 eq) in 2018. Since the climate benefits of policy shifts are driven by chosen technical routes, replacing coal with natural gas should be prioritized; heating with natural gas boilers can maximize GHG emissions reduction and climate benefits. By 2038, the climate benefits of electricity will be far superior to those of natural gas, based on emission reduction targets and electrical mix. There are numerous opportunities to reduce GHG emissions in China's energy sector, and there is a need for the energy industry to obtain better emissions data as well as to increase efforts to reduce GHG emissions. [Display omitted] • The coal-to-clean-energy policy in rural areas has a positive climate benefit. • Priority should be given to replacing coal with natural gas in policy execution. • Heating and cooking with electricity will maximize climate benefits from 2038. • Climate impact caused by CH 4 emission during the energy lifecycle can't be ignored. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The industrial sector has significantly contributed to global climate change and urban air pollution while driving economic development. This paper takes the synergistic CO2 and SO2 emission reduction in China's industrial sector as an entry point quantifies the synergistic CO2 and SO2 emission reduction effect using the Kaya extension model and analyzes the synergistic emission reduction expansion mechanism in depth. It is found that the synergistic effect of CO2 and SO2 in the industrial sector is prevalent in most provinces in China. Every 10,000 tons of CO2 emission reduction leads to 1600 tons of SO2 emission reduction. Regional heterogeneity also clarifies that there are differences in synergistic emission reduction among different provinces, with most regions having a significant positive effect of synergistic emission reduction, while a small number of regions have an inverse effect, and direct SO2 reduction measures should be considered separately. The interaction effect analysis found that energy efficiency improvement in the industrial sector is the critical path to synergistic effect enhancement. At the same time, R&D expenditure and fixed asset investment have a weak effect on synergistic emission reduction. The interaction of the three factors can synergize the emission reduction effect by more than twice. The study's findings can be used as a reference for China's industrial sector to achieve the goal of reducing pollution and carbon emissions and for the practice of regional synergistic emission reduction, as well as for the formulation of international synergistic emission reduction policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Forecasting the future emission trajectories and the relating sensitive driving factors of emissions for cities is of great significance to formulate realizable CO 2 mitigation policies. To proceed the forecasting, studies on peak prediction and quantification of reduction potential at the city level are essential. However, the studies in the area are very limited. Selecting the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei urban agglomeration (BTH) as the study region, this paper aims to contribute to the research area and provides implications for other cities or urban agglomerations. The Kaya identity and multi-scenario simulation were employed to predict the dynamic evolution pathways of CO 2 emissions from 2021 to 2035 and explore the differential CO 2 peak time, peak value, and reduction potential for 13 cities in BTH. Monte Carlo simulation, Mann-Kendall trend test and Sen's slope estimation method are jointly used to reduce uncertainties in estimation. The Monte Carlo simulation results show that most cities in BTH have already reached their CO 2 emissions peak, while Tianjin, Langfang, Cangzhou and Tangshan are expected to reach their peaks between 2025 and 2030. Among them, 5 and 8 cities have the risk of not reaching their peak before 2035 in the high consumption scenario (HCS) and extensive development scenario (EDS) respectively. Comparative analysis reveals that low-carbon scenario (LCS) and sustainable development scenario (SDS) have significant effects on emissions reductions. The top three cities in terms of accumulative emission reduction in 2021–2035 are Tianjin, Tangshan and Cangzhou, estimated as 117.82–250.75 Mt CO 2 in LCS and 217.77–454.10 Mt CO 2 in SDS, respectively. The results of sensitivity analysis reveal that the most critical driver of CO 2 emissions in Beijing is population, while that is GDP per capita for Tianjin. Langfang and Hengshui showed the highest sensitivity to energy intensity. Accordingly, these cities have differentiated concerns and priorities to achieve their carbon peak goal as scheduled. • Kaya identity and scenario simulation are combined to predict future CO 2 emissions. • The BTH would reach CO 2 emission peak by 2025, but the time varies on city-level. • Tangshan, Langfang, and Cangzhou are at greater risk of not reaching the peak by 2030. • Tianjin, Tangshan and Cangzhou have the greatest potential to reduce emissions. • Differentiated priorities are suggested for specific city's CO 2 mitigation targets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The need to calculate greenhouse gas emissions (GHG emissions) has become more or less ubiquitous throughout the economy, both in public and private areas. As present, a diverse number of calculation methods are available for preparing GHG emission inventories. However, several questions remain unresolved since there is currently no uniformity regarding how to define ‘the waste management industry’. The present paper focuses on these problems. The objectives are: first, to provide an approach for setting up a GHG emission inventory for the waste management sector; and second, to consider the sensitive issue of setting system boundaries when establishing a GHG emission inventory and also to emphasise the considerable need for caution when doing so. The approach elaborated here is based on a comprehensive literature analysis and on a comparison of existing GHG emission calculation approaches, particularly with regard to the waste management sector. Since the issue of selecting system boundaries for establishing GHG emission inventories, particularly in the waste management sector, is a very special and difficult topic, it receives considerable attention in the present paper. This means that the system boundaries and interfaces with respect to three illustrative areas are considered in some depth. These areas are collection and transport, incineration and co-combustion, and biogas plants. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The energy, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and water intensity, or environmental footprints, of global primary copper production have been estimated. The primary data have been collected from the sustainability reports published by copper producing mines, operations and companies. The mines analysed in this paper are from Australia, Chile, Peru, Argentina, Laos, Papua New Guniea, South Africa, Turkey, Finland, the USA and Canada. The typical range of energy intensity was found to be 10–70 GJ/t Cu, with an average of 22.2 GJ/t Cu. The range of GHG emissions was 1–9 t CO2-e/t Cu, with an average of 2.6 t CO2-e/t Cu. The large variation exists largely due to the form of copper produced, ore grade, sources of fuel and electrical energy, and to a lesser extent the reporting methods and procedures used by the companies. The water footprint averages 70.4 kL/t Cu but can range from several kilolitres to up to 350 kL/t Cu. Variation in water intensity is generally due to inconsistencies in reporting method, the geographical location of the mining operations, limited economies of scale of production site, and the climate type (i.e. arid regions in Australia and Chile or temperate to sub-arctic climates in Canada or Finland). It is recommended that company sustainability reports should clearly specify fuel use by type for vehicles, heat or electrical energy, sources of electricity and their mixes (including GHG emissions factors), and the boundaries of the operation for meaningful use in life cycle assessment (LCA). Sustainability reports should be published at regular intervals so that improvements towards more sustainable performance can be measured, and an LCA of mining activities can be developed for primary copper production more readily. The paper provides a valuable insight into the strong value of sustainability reporting for an industrial sector such as copper mining and how such data can be linked to LCA studies. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract Models and tools are used to estimate greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in agriculture from management processes when measurements are not available. The Cool Farm Tool is widely used by farmers for this purpose. Previously, methods to calculate emissions from crop production have been presented; this paper focuses on the livestock part of the tool. GHG emissions from livestock include enteric methane emissions from ruminants, nitrous oxide and methane emissions from manure management, land use and land-use change, feed production, processing and transport. A case study is presented of 10 large-scale egg producers, who used the Cool Farm Tool over three years to calculate their emissions. The highest GHG emissions were produced through feed, followed by transport and manure management. Through using the tool, the farmers became aware of the sources of emissions in egg production and without targets, took action to reduce emissions. The results show that the averaged GHG emissions decreased over the three years of the study by nearly 25%. Highlights • Cool Farm Tool can be used to calculate greenhouse gas emissions from farm products. • Farmers get informed by the Cool Farm Tool about sources of emissions. • Farmers can explore the options to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. • A case study of organic egg farms showed a reductions in emissions by 25%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biomass plays a dual role as an energy source and a solution for climate change mitigation. There are complexities surrounding decentralized electricity generation, and Ghana could not achieve its 10% renewable energy target in 2020. The paper assesses the greenhouse gas mitigation potential and economic impact of electricity from major food crop residues subjected to anaerobic digestion technology in 16 regions and 88 districts in Ghana from 2017 to 2020. Buswell equation was applied to calculate the biogas and methane yield. The environmental impact assessment was expressed as global warming potential, and the economic feasibility was conducted. The results showed that crop residues' annual theoretical and technical potential was 28.92 Mt and 17.24 Mt. The top four residues with the largest share of technical potential were maize (5.41 Mt), yam (3.58 Mt), plantain (3.05 Mt) and cassava (2.39 Mt). Biogas and electricity potentials were 1,912.74 Mm3 and 3,068.34 GWh, which could offset 15.56% of electricity consumption in Ghana. The Ashanti (478.18 GWh), Eastern (430.20 GWh), Bono East (318.29 GWh) and Northern (314 GWh) regions demonstrated the highest electricity potential. Ghana could generate the highest electricity potential of 46.52 GWh in the districts and a minimum potential of 0.89 GWh annually. Power generation potential from anaerobic digestion had a diesel displacement capacity of 923.35 × 10 6 L with a GHG emissions reduction of 2,507.35 kt CO 2 eq. The largest GHG reduction potential was 38.15 kt CO 2 eq at the district level. The findings show that the project is economically viable, with an average net present value of $ 10,105,904 per region and an electricity cost of $ 0.0321/kWh. The study provides critical insights to policymakers and industry developers for decentralized biomass-based electricity generation in Ghana. • A sustainable crop residue assessment is conducted in Ghana. • The total biogas-based electricity is 3,068.34 GWh. • Ashanti region has high electricity (478.18 GWh) than Greater Accra (9.82 GWh). • The total GHG mitigation is estimated as 2507.35 kt CO 2 eq. • The project is economically viable at a cost of $ 0.0321/kWh. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Anaerobic digestion (AD) is often regarded as a promising option to substitute fossil fuel by renewable energy from biomass while sequestering carbon in soils through digestate spreading. Many studies have quantified the net greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of AD plants. However, GHG assessments are often based on system delimitation that is not always comprehensive enough, leading to incomplete GHG budgets. This is especially the case for the baseline to which AD is compared. In this paper, we propose a thorough evaluation of the net GHG emissions of 30 cogeneration plants in France compared to a detailed definition and assessment of their related baseline, the latter being mostly based on direct biomass supply to agricultural soils. GHG emissions were quantified (i) from substrate supply to AD plants until the use of the produced heat and electricity and to the agricultural use of the produced digestate for the AD scenario and (ii) from substrate supply to their application on agricultural soils for the baseline scenario. Our results showed that on average, in the French energy context, AD plants do not provide significant GHG mitigation benefits, partly because fossil fuel substitution is offset by lower carbon storage in soils compared to the baseline. However, we also found large variability among AD plants in difference in net GHG emissions between both scenarios, a third of which are effective from a GHG mitigation perspective. This variability was contributed by (i) the efficiency of soil carbon storage in the baseline; the lower it is, the more AD displays interest for mitigating GHG emissions; and (ii) the efficiency of AD management, especially emission avoidance by digestate covering, leakage control and heat recovery. Additionally, based on a sensitivity analysis, we showed that direct injection would perform better than cogeneration, and that AD would better attenuate net GHG emissions in a European energy context rather than in the highly decarbonised French context. Finally, we showed that the implementation of optimal management of AD plants could significantly improve net GHG emissions from biogas production. This study highlighted the need for careful assessment of AD based on a rigorous definition of the baseline against which AD climate mitigation performances are compared. • GHG assessment of 30 anaerobic digestion plants in France. • Anaerobic digestion systems were compared to a carefully evaluated baseline. • On average, the 30 plants did not mitigate GHG emissions more than the baseline. • One third of the AD plants exhibited a GHG mitigation effect. • Variability was driven by soil carbon storage efficiency and AD management practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cities are a major source of greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs), but they can play a significant role in climate change mitigation by adopting and implementing GHG emission reduction plans, policies and measures. Circular economy measures are recognized to contribute significantly to decarbonization. However, in the literature there is a lack of quantitative analyses on circular measures in cities and their impact on urban GHG emissions. The paper aims to contribute to the literature on the relation between circular cities and climate change mitigation by focusing on circular interventions applicable in three high-impact sectors in cities: energy systems, mobility and built environment, in order to investigate their impacts in terms of emission reductions and contribution to decarbonization. The study covers four cities around the world accounting for more than 10 million of inhabitants and 2,000 km2 of metropolitan area: Bogotá, Colombia; Genoa and Milan, Italy; Glasgow, UK. The methodology uses a Global Trade Analysis Project (GTAP) modelling approach to develop production and consumption-based emission baselines for the four cities and to assess impacts of selected circular measures in the three sectors on the baselines. According to the in-depth analysis of the four considered urban contexts, the majority of the emissions generated by activities carried out within the urban borders are emitted outside the borders in the form of emissions scope 3, thus demonstrating how today's cities are large consumers of goods produced outside their borders, requiring the use of a consumption-based approach for emissions inventory. The results on the modelling of the GHG reduction impact of circular measures show that there is a relevant emission reduction potential in Scope 1 and 2 emissions in cities and highlight the need to prioritize decarbonization of electricity supply in order to ensure relevant emission reductions across the three sectors. The results also demonstrate the potential to reduce supply-chain Scope 3 emissions through urban measures. [Display omitted] • Four different urban contexts around the world are taken in account. • Three sectors are investigated: energy, mobility and built environment. • A consumption-based emission accounting method is used to assess the effective impact of cities. • Impacts of different GHG emission reduction interventions are evaluated for each city. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cities are a major source of greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs), but they can play a significant role in climate change mitigation by adopting and implementing GHG emission reduction plans, policies and measures. Circular economy measures are recognized to contribute significantly to decarbonization. However, in the literature there is a lack of quantitative analyses on circular measures in cities and their impact on urban GHG emissions. The paper aims to contribute to the literature on the relation between circular cities and climate change mitigation by focusing on circular interventions applicable in three high-impact sectors in cities: energy systems, mobility and built environment, in order to investigate their impacts in terms of emission reductions and contribution to decarbonization. The study covers four cities around the world accounting for more than 10 million of inhabitants and 2,000 km2 of metropolitan area: Bogotá, Colombia; Genoa and Milan, Italy; Glasgow, UK. The methodology uses a Global Trade Analysis Project (GTAP) modelling approach to develop production and consumption-based emission baselines for the four cities and to assess impacts of selected circular measures in the three sectors on the baselines. According to the in-depth analysis of the four considered urban contexts, the majority of the emissions generated by activities carried out within the urban borders are emitted outside the borders in the form of emissions scope 3, thus demonstrating how today's cities are large consumers of goods produced outside their borders, requiring the use of a consumption-based approach for emissions inventory. The results on the modelling of the GHG reduction impact of circular measures show that there is a relevant emission reduction potential in Scope 1 and 2 emissions in cities and highlight the need to prioritize decarbonization of electricity supply in order to ensure relevant emission reductions across the three sectors. The results also demonstrate the potential to reduce supply-chain Scope 3 emissions through urban measures. [Display omitted] • Four different urban contexts around the world are taken in account. • Three sectors are investigated: energy, mobility and built environment. • A consumption-based emission accounting method is used to assess the effective impact of cities. • Impacts of different GHG emission reduction interventions are evaluated for each city. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although there have been international frameworks for limiting global warming, however, sustainable actions are not on the same track in terms of speed and scale due to the lack of an explicit pathway. A large strand of the literature has examined the emissions-mitigating effect of R&D expenditure and biofuel energy consumption but in a linear framework and disregarded the factors that cause non-linearity. In that respect, this study aims to offer a new perspective on the asymmetric response of greenhouse gas emissions to government energy R&D expenditure and biofuel use in the United States over the 1981–2020 period using a nonlinear time series approach. The results confirm the asymmetrical relationships between government energy R&D, biofuel use, and greenhouse gas emissions. In the long run, a positive shock in energy R&D expenditure reduces greenhouse gas emissions, while a negative shock increases them. More importantly, the reducing effect of positive shock is more dominant than the enhancing effect of negative shock in energy R&D. Similarly, it is shown that the reducing effect of a positive shock on ethanol consumption on greenhouse gas emissions is stronger than the increasing effect of a negative shock. After the estimations, this paper presents two critical implications, political and practical. (i) The government's energy R&D expenditures and biofuels have an important role in the fight against climate change and the clean energy transformation process. (ii) Researchers should also consider asymmetric effects when examining energy technologies, renewable energy, and environmental issues. • Examines the greenhouse gas emissions response to government energy R&D expenditures and bioethanol consumption in the US. • Follows an asymmetric and non-linear method. • Confirms the asymmetrical relationships between energy R&D, bioethanol, and greenhouse gas emissions. • Provides implications for environmental quality and the clean energy transition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Quantifying and mitigating the environmental impact of livestock sector is of global interest as it has an important role in the global climate change. Although accurate estimation of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from livestock production systems is complex, there are several available tools to assist with the emissions estimation. These tools differ in many ways, such as in terms of accessibility, methodology, assumptions, and scope. Such tools are important because they help farmers know where their farms and livestock production processes stand in terms of sustainability. This information also helps farmers in devising and implementing mitigation strategies. In this paper, we review and assess popular and available open-access decision-support tools (DSTs) for estimating farm-level GHG emissions from livestock production systems. We noted that most of the available tools are built based on the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Tier 2 guidelines, and relevant region- and product-specific assumptions. Only a very few tools, such as GLEAM and CFT, are suitable for all geographic locations. Apart from GHG emissions estimation, some tools, such as AgRECalc, provide static general recommendations to support decision-making in GHG emissions mitigation, and other tools, such as Holos, include scenario analysis. We also observed that most of the tools are lacking concrete recommendation provisions to assist in developing mitigation strategies. Such recommendation engines can be of great help to farmers in identifying potential focus areas to prioritize while developing mitigation strategies. We, furthermore, present a high-level framework of a decision support system that addresses the discovered gaps and can be adopted for sustainable livestock farming. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The negative impact of greenhouse gases emissions on the environment has recently received considerable attention by both industry and academia. Companies and researchers strive to find new and innovative methods to reduce greenhouse gases emissions across all the stages of their green supply chains. The previous studies generally, employed integrated models for greenhouse gases emissions management in green supply chains. These models neglected the conflict and coordination among different supply chain members. Furthermore, as important practices to make the companies more adapted for the environment, product design, supplier selection, and logistics process are seldom studied in previous research. In this paper, we consider a green supply chain with multiple suppliers, a single manufacturer and multiple retailers. A game-theoretic model is established to simultaneously investigate the impacts of the product line design, supplier selection, transportation mode selection and pricing strategies on profits and greenhouse gases emissions. Genetic algorithm is applied to obtain the solution of this model. The proposed model and generated results can provide decision makers with a better tradeoff between profit and environmental impacts. A case study of air conditioner manufacturer in China is performed to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed methodology. Several interesting findings are accordingly obtained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increasing municipal solid waste (MSW) generation in the city has caused a serious problem to the authority, especially for emerging countries. Improper management of MSW will increase greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Apart from landfill, there are other options to convert MSW into valuable products or energy, such as recycling and incineration. This paper presents crisp and fuzzy optimization models for designing optimal supply chain networks for sustainable MSW management, considering economic (cost minimization) and environmental objectives (emissions reduction). The crisp model is based on a superstructure and consists of material balances, capacity limits and planning constraints for MSW transfer stations, disposal sites and treatment technologies. Fuzzy optimization with max-min aggregation is then incorporated to handle conflicting economic and environmental objectives, as well as uncertainties in GHG emission factors and cost coefficients of MSW treatment. A case study for the design of an optimal MSW supply chain network in the city of Qingdao, China is presented to illustrate the proposed approach. The conflicting objectives of minimizing the total net cost and GHG emissions for MSW transport and treatment are analyzed using the crisp model, yielding a set of Pareto optimal solutions. A compromise solution achieving a 21.6% cost reduction and a 28.4% emissions reduction is identified using the fuzzy model. An inferior solution is also found with smaller cost (19.1%) and emissions reductions (25.1%) due to the use of conservative estimates of uncertain cost coefficients and emission factors. These results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed models in dealing with the MSW management problem. • Crisp and fuzzy models for optimal waste management network synthesis are developed. • Fuzzy set theory is used for multi-objective optimization with uncertain parameters. • A case study of optimal waste supply chain network synthesis in Qingdao is presented. • Pareto analysis is carried out to explore the trade-off between cost and emissions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The non-metallic minerals industry is the third-largest industrial energy consumer, and it constitutes around 7% of global CO 2 emissions due to the high energy intensity of production processes. Although the substantial improvement of the energy efficiency of this industry in the EU observed since 1995, the energy intensity of this sector is still relatively high. To reach the goals of the Paris Agreement, it is necessary to implement further steps towards the decarbonization of this sector. Previous works do not provide information about research trends in this field or the current development of technologies. To fill this gap, the following research questions have been asked: (Q1) which decarbonization measures are already applied or under development in the non-metallic minerals sector?; (Q2) which of these measures might bring breakthrough to this sector?; (Q3) what is the impact of these measures on costs, energy consumption and GHG emissions? To this end, this paper performs a systematic literature review of GHG emission mitigation options of the non-metallic minerals industry by screening 2964 articles and performing an in-depth analysis of 48 full-text relevant articles following the PRISMA approach. The results show that the carbon capture, utilization and storage (CCUS) is the most popular research topic and has the highest decarbonization potential for the industry (up to 60%). However, more research is needed for the full-scale implementation. Further lowering the clinker to cement ratio to at least 75% is also of major importance, however, it is a mature technology, and not much research is required in this field. Despite the relatively low representation in scientific literature, heat electrification is an unavoidable direction for the industry in the long term, resulting from the global shift towards sustainable energy from renewables. The article also sets directions for future research, especially in terms of further development of the most promising technologies and on the industry transition pathways that would be legally adopted at the international level. • The non-metallic minerals industry constitutes around 7% of global CO 2 emissions. • A systematic literature review of GHG emission mitigation options of the industry. • 2964 articles screened and 48 full-text articles analyzed. • CCS is the most discussed mitigation option, yet not ready for commercialization. • Heat electrification is an unavoidable direction, resulting from the climate policy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper studied greenhouse gas inventory data acquisition and analytics for municipalities in Thailand. A complete and transparent GHG inventory of eight municipalities was developed to document the current situation, and to help decision-makers to clarify their priorities for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The Global Protocol for Community-Scale Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventories guidelines was used to investigate and calculate the greenhouse gas emissions and assess data accuracy. The results indicated that the data source, data format, and data collection of each municipality are relatively similar. Moreover, the activity data needed to be obtained from several authorities. The results showed that Nonthaburi Municipality had the highest greenhouse gas emissions at 2,286,838 tCO 2 e/yr and Buriram Municipality, the lowest at 239,795 tCO 2 e/yr. On a per-capita basis, Lamphun Municipality was the highest with 10.1 tCO 2 e/capita and Buriram Municipality the lowest with 3.8 tCO 2 e/capita. The results suggest that the municipalities should continually develop a GHG database by creating a routine procedure. An information management system should be produced in the shape of big data which can lead to state policies, plans, and actions for city development to ensure the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. This in turn will lead to a low carbon city. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The International Maritime Organisation has set a goal to achieve a 50% reduction of the total annual greenhouse gas emissions related to the international shipping by 2050 compared to the 2008 baseline emissions. Thus, companies are looking for solutions and measures to align with the Organisation's goal. Marginal Abatement Cost Curves have been extensively used in the literature to rank several Greenhouse Gas mitigation measures based on their costs of reducing an additional unit of pollution. In this paper an expert-based, bottom-up approach was employed to construct Marginal Abatement Cost Curves for a globally operating ship-management company. Several mitigation measures were examined for the following vessel categories (a) Containerships 8000+ TEU, (b) Containerships 2000–2999 TEU, (c) Bulkers 35000–59999 DWT, and (d) Gas Tankers <49999 CBM. Furthermore, the fuel price fluctuation and carbon taxation were used to investigate the sensitivity of baseline Marginal Abatement Cost Curves. The measures, which remain cost-effective under all sensitivity analyses, undergo a Pareto Analysis and a Marginal Cost-Effectiveness Analysis. The results suggest that most of the recommended mitigation measures are of an operational and technical nature, with exception the burning of Liquified Natural Gas and the installation of Flettner Rotors for the Gas Tankers. The company could save up to 17% CO 2 emissions and approximately 2 million dollars per year compared to the 2019 baseline by employing all recommended mitigation measures to all vessel categories. In addition, Carbon Storage and Capture could become a cost-effective solution with appropriate carbon taxation, but it is not the ultimate solution since it does not lead to independence from fossil fuels. The study also reveals that depending on the operating condition, even within the same vessel category, different mitigation measures should be employed. • Expert-based, bottom-up and company-specific MACCs for the shipping sector. • GHG mitigation measures' cost-effectiveness for Containerships, Bulkers and Tankers. • Comprehensive way of ranking measures with negative marginal abatement costs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to explore the establishment method of high-resolution vehicle emission inventory and analyze the temporal and spatial variation law of vehicle greenhouse gases (GHG) emissions. This paper proposes a bottom-up method based on road network information and the real-time average interval speed of road segments. A traffic speed-flow model is proposed to predict the hourly traffic flow and the localized Motor Vehicle Emission Simulator (MOVES) is used to simulate the CO 2 , N 2 O and CH 4 emission factors. A high temporal (1 h × 1 h) and spatial (1 km × 1 km) resolution GHG emission inventory of motor vehicles in Beijing in 2018 is developed by this means. The actual emissions of CO 2 , N 2 O and CH 4 are 19,864,590, 82 and 511 t, respectively. And the total GHG emission is 19,901,933 tCO 2e combined with global warming potential (GWP). The daily GHG emissions on weekday and weekend are 55206.30 and 52817.64 tCO 2e , respectively. There are three obvious peak emission periods on the weekday, namely, the morning peak (8:00–9:00), the noon peak (11:00–12:00) and the evening peak (18:00–19:00), which contribute 11.76%, 11.84% and 12.92% of the daily emission, respectively. The 1 h × 1 h emission grid shows the spatial distribution characteristics of emissions. The areas within the Fifth Ring Road (973 km2) are only 5.93% of the total area of the city (16,410 km2) but contribute 41.53% of the total vehicle GHG emissions. This study provides detailed data support for implementing vehicle GHG emission mitigation measures. • A 1 km × 1 km vehicle greenhouse gas emission inventory in Beijing was developed. • A bottom-up method based on road network and vehicle travel speed was proposed. • A modified speed-flow model was used to predict the hourly traffic flow on road. • The temporal and spatial variation laws of vehicle GHG emissions were analyzed. • The vehicle CO 2 emission in 2018 estimated in this study was 19,901,933 tCO 2e. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The significant rise in greenhouse gas (GHG) and acidifying gas (AG) emissions have resulted in serious global warming and acidification problems, a major source of which are the emissions from construction materials. To reduce these adverse effects, it is vital that the overall environmental performances of construction materials supply chain networks (CMSCN) be evaluated and optimized. To this end, to fully consider the GHG and AG emissions, control total CMSCN costs, and determine a reasonable trade-off between economic development and environmental protection, this paper developed an innovative environmental evaluation method (EEM) nested in a multi-objective optimization model. The proposed approach was then applied to a practical case study in China to demonstrate its efficiency and effectiveness in controlling GHG greenhouse and AG acidification problems and mitigating ecological-economic conflicts. Scenario analyses were also conducted focused on cost control and problem attention ratios, after which some targeted conclusions and policy suggestions were given. By comprehensively considering both the environmental effects and the economic benefits, the proposed methodology was shown to efficiently control GHG and AG emissions, reduce costs, and provide practical guidance on the sustainable development of CMSCN. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents three scenarios of urban growth, energy use and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in Dar es Salaam using narratives that are consistent with the Shared Socio-Economic Pathways (SSPs). We estimate residential energy demand and GHG emissions from 2015 to 2050 for household activities (including upstream electricity generation) and passenger (road) transport (Scopes 1 and 2). We project that by 2050, Dar es Salaam's total residential emissions would increase from 1,400 ktCO 2 e (in 2015) up to 25,000–33,000 ktCO 2 e (SSP1); 11,000–19,000 ktCO 2 e (SSP2); and 5,700–11,000 ktCO 2 e (SSP3), with ranges corresponding to different assumptions about household size. This correlates with an increase in per capita emissions from 0.2 tCO 2 e in 2015 to 1.5–2 tCO 2 e (SSP1); 0.7–1.3 tCO 2 e (SSP2); and 0.5–0.9 tCO 2 e (SSP3). Higher emissions in SSP1 (the sustainability scenario) are driven by a higher urban population in 2050 and increased energy access and electricity consumption. Through aggressive GHG mitigation policies focused on decarbonization of the electricity sector and road transport, total emissions under SSP1 can be reduced by ∼66% in 2050. Study insights aim to inform policies that identify and capture synergies between low-GHG investments and broader socio-economic development goals in Sub-Saharan African cities. • Provides the first projection of residential energy use and GHG emissions in Dar es Salaam and demonstrates the use of the SSPs at the city scale. • Analyzes the key drivers of residential energy use and GHG emissions in a large SSA city, Dar es Salaam, offering new insights for the region. • Demonstrates a method for projecting emissions in a data-poor environment. • Shows the wide uncertainty in these future projections, while also demonstrating the order of magnitude jump in emissions that can be expected in Dar es Salaam to 2050. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The industrial sector, accounting for 30% of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, is among the key drivers of human-induced climate change impacts. Given this volume of emissions, the sector could play a critical role in mitigating climate change. Canada is among the top 10 global GHG emitters and its industrial sector is responsible for more than 39% of national emissions. GHG emissions from the sector increased by almost 32% between 1990 and 2017 and are expected to almost double by 2050 if no measures are taken. This paper aims to evaluate how different technical and economic factors have contributed to the increasing GHG emission trends in Canada's industrial sector between 1990 and 2014. The Logarithmic Mean Divisia Index was developed and implemented as the decomposition method. Results from the analysis suggest that activity level is the biggest contributor to the increase in industrial GHG emissions between 1990 and 2014, which ranged from 5 Mt CO 2 eq in 1994 to 57 Mt CO 2 eq in 2014 compared to the 1990 baseline. Increased shares of low carbon-intensive industries and fuel switching contribute to GHG emission mitigation from the sector. The structural change is responsible for GHG reductions of 1.1 and 23.4 Mt CO 2 eq in 2000 and 2014, respectively. The impacts from fuel mixs and increased shares of low-carbon fuel ranged from −1 Mt CO 2 eq in 1994 to 16 Mt CO 2 eq in 2011. Despite improvements in process-energy-intensity (i.e., the energy consumed per unit of product) in several industries, changes in economic energy intensity (energy consumed per unit of economic output) have resulted in increased GHG emissions. These changes are mainly driven by changes in the process-energy intensity of the oil sands mining sector, the largest contributor to industrial GHG emissions in Canada. Image 107490 • Historical GHG emissions trends from Canada's industrial sector were analyzed. • GHG emissions decomposition analysis was done for the years 1990–2014. • The impacts of driving factors on increasing GHG emission trends were examined. • Activity level was found to be the main driver of GHG emissions. • Fuel switching and electricity decarbonization mitigate industrial GHGs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Municipal solid waste treatment leads to the production of a considerable amount of mixed municipal waste, in case of which material recovery is difficult. Its treatment represents a worldwide challenge since landfilling is still a major treatment method and the respective emissions of greenhouse gases are significant. Approximately 126 Mt of municipal solid waste were landfilled or incinerated within the EU-28 in 2017, while the waste management sector produced 3% of the overall greenhouse gases emissions. Regarding mixed municipal waste, Waste-to-Energy plants seem to be a suitable disposal option as they substitute both landfills and energy production from fossil fuels in combined heat and power plants. However, new treatment facilities of this type need to take into account also the heat and electricity demands in their vicinity to ensure economic stability. This paper therefore analyses the relationship between greenhouse gases emissions and the cost of mixed municipal waste treatment, while considering environmental impact of different treatment options. A reverse logistic (mixed integer programming) model has been developed to optimise future strategies of mixed municipal waste treatment in a large geographical area. The model is nonlinear because of the nonlinear nature of the cost of mixed municipal waste treatment as well as the economic incentive associated with the avoided greenhouse gases emissions. These, in turn, are influenced by plant capacities, locations, and other location-specific parameters (such as the yearly heat demand profile) that must be considered during the integration of a future plant into the existing district heating systems. The results are presented through a case study for the Czech Republic, with 206 micro-regions (waste producers), 148 landfills, 113 potential mechanical-biological treatment plants, 24 potential locations for plants utilising refuse-derived fuels, 4 existing Waste-to-Energy plants, and 32 candidate locations for new Waste-to-Energy plants have been considered. The proposed future concepts involving various processing chains (small Waste-to-Energy plant, large Waste-to-Energy plant with the necessary complex logistics, mechanical biological treatment prior to incineration), are compared with the current (2016) waste treatment strategy, in which 73% of mixed municipal waste is landfilled. The trade-off between economically viable and environmentally acceptable solution is also targeted. The obtained data suggest a possible reduction in greenhouse gases emissions by almost 150% with the cost of waste treatment being increased only by approx. 2.5 EUR/t. Image 1 • Cost of reducing greenhouse gas emissions is evaluated using the proposed method. • Emissions of the Waste-to-Energy strategy are assessed and implemented in model. • Locations of new plants are suggested to reduce greenhouse gases at a viable cost. • Reduction in greenhouse gases by 150% causes only 2.5 EUR/t increase in the cost. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]