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Purpose The aim of this work is to quantify the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions savings potential in magazine paper production through the application of the innovative manufacturing strategies using advanced sheet structure design and fibre modifications. Methods The study applies Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) methodology to two different magazine paper products: supercalendered (SC) paper and light-weight coated (LWC) paper. A cradle-to-gate approach is used aiming to assess the environmental benefits gained through the implementation of new manufacturing strategies in both products. The functional unit of the system was defined as the production of one square meter of finished paper for printing magazines. Conventional and new production processes have been compared. Results and discussion The strategies applied to SC paper resulted in reduction of GHG emissions by 22.9%, with a total of 10.7 gCO 2 eq emissions saved per square meter of SC paper. In the case of LWC paper, GHG emissions are reduced by 20.3%, which are equal to a total of 19.7 gCO 2 eq saved per square meter of LWC paper. The influence of certain methodological approaches -functional unit, electricity mix and avoided impacts- in the final results is also discussed in the paper. Conclusions The manufacturing strategies implemented show a remarkable potential for reducing GHG emissions. Taking into account that the pulp and paper industry is a very energy-intensive sector and one of the main GHG emitters, the potential of the strategies for the improvement of the environmental performance of the papermaking processes is significant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Product service systems (PSS) are an example of a novel business model billed as having the potential to significantly reduce the environmental burdens of production and consumption processes. However, despite widespread interest in PSS, consensus regarding their actual environmental impacts, particularly with regard to salient issues such as global warming, is lacking. Hence this paper explores existing research to investigate the state of the art regarding the climatic impacts of PSS, alongside the set of factors that influence climatic impacts. The paper comprises a systematic review of peer-reviewed academic literature, quantifying the extent to which different types of PSS have the capacity to reduce greenhouse gas emissions across multiple product categories. Our study shows that significant reductions in climatic emissions are possible, but PSS are in many cases associated with more modest reductions and, in some cases, increased emissions. Further, we observe no clear differences in climatic impacts according to the type of PSS model that is deployed. Rather, differences in climatic impact are influenced by factors such as production and design alongside use-phase impacts and contextual factors such as transportation and the energy mix. The study argues that further research is needed to establish a more robust baseline upon which to draw conclusions regarding the sources of climatic impacts, and outlines fruitful ways for companies to tackle the complexities of climatic emissions that are beyond their control. • In some cases, product service systems can reduce climatic impacts by up to 80%. • In other cases, climatic impacts increase compared to traditional product sales. • Climatic impacts are influenced by use intensity, transportation and production. • Other contextual factors such as the energy mix play a role. • More quantitative assessments are needed with less reliance on estimations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The purpose of this paper is to evaluate greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of a Chinese highway tunnel in the life cycle. Life cycle assessment (LCA) method is adopted in the paper. Based on rock mass classification and pavement categories, five different functional units have been proposed for the first time. The system boundaries, processes and assumptions are defined. The study results indicate: 1) the GHG emissions of a double-track four-lane Chinese highway tunnel in 100 years can be up to 375.5 thousand tons of CO 2 eq. Cement and electricity contribute to more than 80% of the total emissions in all functional units. 2) The construction stage, operation stage and maintenance stage emit 30.89%, 56.12% and 12.99% of the total GHG respectively. During the construction stage, casting and lining, rock support and road work are the top three GHG emission processes. 3) Rock conditions are discovered to be an important factor of affecting GHG emissions in tunnels. The GHG emissions of the 1-m Chinese highway tunnel are between 82 t to 113 t CO 2 eq. With the increase of rock mass grades, GHG emissions rapidly rise if the pavement design stays the same. The emission differences among the functional units are mainly from materials. 4) Asphalt pavements tend to generate more GHG emissions than concrete pavement due to the more frequent replacements of asphalt pavements. This paper investigates the influences of rock conditions and pavement types on the GHG emissions of Chinese tunnels in the life cycle, which can provide a scientific reference for policy making of the Chinese government. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As agriculture is an important contributor to greenhouse gas emissions, carbon labelling aiming at climate protection will play an increasing role in the future. An important example is the development of guidelines and standards for climate-neutral agricultural products and their respective certification. Carbon neutral certifications are, however, affected by criticism and mistrust as there were cases of doubtful claims to carbon neutrality in the past. Against this background, this paper analyses a rather promising case of certification for carbon neutrality: the pioneer case of the Costa Rican coffee cooperative Coopedota, which is the first organization worldwide that achieved certification for carbon neutrality in coffee using a renowned international standard. Coopedota's carbon neutral coffee is certified according to the Publicly Available Specification (PAS) 2060, which is based on a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). The paper analyses how the cooperative came to apply this certification, which challenges it faced and how the cooperative solved them. Furthermore, the paper examines the social, political and institutional factors that fostered this innovation. To analyse the success factors that were relevant in this case, a Social Network Analysis approach was used. An innovative tool called ‘Process Net-Map’ was applied to visualize the social networks that enabled the actors to pursue the certification scheme. Process Net-Map also made it possible to identify the role and importance of different types of actors. The analysis shows that the certification created awareness on emission hot-spots along the coffee value chain. Reliable farm data from producers were identified as crucial because emissions at the farm level account for 60% of total emissions. It was also found that by avoiding pure offsetting, PAS 2060 supports emission reduction; however, PAS 2060 does not account for on-site carbon sequestration, for which coffee cultivation has high potential. Overall, the study found that the most important success factors include a combination of (i) past achievements in Coopedota's sustainability policy, which was incentivised by national and international trends and (ii) strong, visionary actors who performed the necessary network functions. The analysis also showed that the network of relevant actors is highly centralized, (indicated by a degree centrality of 86%), which may jeopardize the sustainability of the innovation project. Moreover, the network analysis revealed the importance of ‘double linkages’ between actors, which points to the role that combined services, such as funding and advice, played for the introduction of the certification scheme. General implications are derived from this case for future efforts to promote carbon neutral certification schemes for agri-food products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the high reliance on fossil fuels in the electricity production and transport sectors, completing the energy transition holds a particular importance for non-interconnected territories. The environmental impacts from electricity generation are mainly imputed to fossil fuel based technologies, for instance in the case of French insular territories. This paper summarizes the present electricity situation in these territories and aims to determine their different emissions and environmental impacts through a life cycle assessment (LCA) approach. To deliver 1 kWh of electricity to the power grid from the studied regions, the electricity mix is defined as the functional unit. The results refer to a life cycle cradle-to-gate electricity production model. The impact categories discussed in this paper are related to global warming potential, acidification potential, tropospheric ozone precursor potential, and the cumulative energy used. Due to its high share of renewable energies sources, French Guyana has the lowest greenhouse gases (GHG) emissions per kilowatt-hour produced compared to the other islands (373 g CO 2 -eq/kWh, 4.29 g SO 2 -eq/kWh and 2.65 g NMVOC-eq/kWh). Combined with other social, economic and environmental parameters, these results will be also used to determine the typologies of islands in order to define a common energy strategy for each group. [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]

Buildings are responsible for more than 40% of global energy usage and as much as 33% of global greenhouse gas emissions in both developed and developing countries. However, the study of carbon emissions over a building's life cycle based on Ecotect and building information modeling in developing areas of Nanjing has yet to be conducted. Therefore, the results and recommendations of this paper represent a contribution to the literature on this topic. The scientific value of this paper is that Ecotect and building information modeling can be helpful in simplifying the estimation of carbon emissions over a building's life cycle because they can provide a majority of the information and calculation tools necessary for performing an life cycle assessment (LCA), which may alleviate the problem of insufficient information when executing an LCA of a building. A sensitivity analysis was performed by changing several parameters to identify the parameters that have the largest impacts on the performance a building. A comparison of the life cycle carbon emissions for each stage showed that the operational stage is the largest contributor to carbon emissions. Approximately 85.4% of the total carbon emissions were generated during operation. The construction stage accounted for 12.6% of the total carbon emissions. Approximately 2% of the total carbon emissions occurred during the demolition stage. Compared to the total carbon emissions over the entire life cycle of the building, carbon sequestration by vegetation was minimal. Thus, these findings indicate that governments can achieve the greatest reductions in carbon emissions by targeting the operational phase of buildings. However, the opportunity for addressing non-operational phases should not be ignored because the average carbon emissions per working area per year of non-operational stages are far greater than those of the use phase. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Life cycle marketing strategy is emerging as a way for firms to enhance new product development efforts whilst managing ecological impacts. Such pursuits combining life cycle assessment and ecological marketing offer promise when it comes to assisting firms to decrease product based ecological impacts. The current lack of definition has implications for firms running such strategies with potential for adverse outcomes from well-meaning projects ranging from incorrect claims to the market place, through to products that actually contribute to, rather than mitigate, ecological impacts. The first contribution of this paper is the identification of key aspects of the emerging area of life cycle marketing strategy, and where these insights apply in practise. The reason to do this is to create an understanding of life cycle marketing strategy and the extent of issues facing marketers and companies embarking on such strategies. Life cycle marketing strategy is analyzed in the context of a new product development framework, to explore where it may fit within organizations. This is a pre-theoretical inductive framework rather than deductive allowing the model to be flexible and adaptive as further knowledge is uncovered. Investigations identify who or what may drive marketing strategies incorporating life cycle assessment, and how life cycle assessment may integrate into such strategies in organizations engaged with new product development. Insights meaningful to current managerial practise are developed using an organizational environment, life cycle assessment and ecological marketing lens, which derive from and develop the pre theoretical framework. This paper also contributes propositions for further organizational based research, in order to consolidate the findings of this review further with the body of new product development knowledge. Review results, insights and further research is envisioned to assist firms by providing a method to support global efforts in attaining ecological sustainability, rather than adversely contribute to ecological impacts through the marketing process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs) in concrete blends is often promoted as a way to reduce the environmental impacts of concrete. SCMs can include fly ash, silica fume or steel slag. Another SCM, and the focus of this paper, is ground-granulated blast furnace slag (GGBFS), which can be co-produced with pig iron. Previous studies that cite environmental benefits of GGBFS in concrete do not account for supply conditions of GGBFS. In this paper, this supply assumption is challenged through a market analysis. The environmental consequences of GGBFS supply conditions are assessed using a system expansion approach to life cycle assessment. When the supply of GGBFS is not constrained, greenhouse reductions of a given GGBFS-concrete blend are in the order of 47.5%. However, market analysis indicates that the supply of GGBFS can be constrained. Under a supply constraint, the 47.5% additional greenhouse reductions from the use of GGBFS are no longer applicable. Environmental certification schemes could ensure ongoing benefits of GGBFS by promoting the use of steel sourced from a supply chain which co-produces granulated blast furnace slag at the blast furnace. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper presents a life cycle assessment of two lighting technologies based on compact fluorescent (CFL) and Light Emitting Diode (LED) luminaires for the general lighting of the office. The life cycle assessments are carried out considering all the parts of the luminaire: lamp, housing and ballast (or driver for LED). The environmental impact is evaluated considering the whole life cycle of the devices, from manufacturing (including the extraction of raw materials), to use and disposal. An experimental test was conducted to verify the illuminance produced by the two systems. Alternative end-of-life and electricity production scenarios were assessed and compared in order to evaluate possible variations deriving from these changes. The life cycle assessments show that the LED luminaire allows the environmental impacts to be significantly reduced (reduction of 41–50% of greenhouse gas emission and cumulative energy demand), mainly due to high energy efficiency in the use stage. The present paper makes three original contributions: 1) it presents a life cycle assessment (LCA) of a last generation kind of LED and luminaire built for this technology and compares it with a similar CFL luminaire; 2) it presents one of the first LCAs for lighting luminaires made with International Reference Life Cycle Data System (ILCD) 2011 Midpoint; 3) it shows a comparison evaluated with two functional units: 1 lm per 50,000 h and 1 lux per 50,000 h. [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]

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 In the light of a dire need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) from food value chains, this paper analyses GHG emissions from wine production based on primary data from 5 wineries, one wine cellar and 9 grape producers in Germany and explores main emission sources based on their contributions to variance. Considering system boundaries from cradle to gate we found a 90% confidence interval for results between 0.753 and 1.069 kg CO 2 e per bottle of wine. Main contributors to variance were bottle weight (31%), electricity usage (18%), heat (11%), yield (−9%), and diesel use in vineyards (9%). Looking at production process phases, 19% of emissions resulted from the production of wine grapes, while 81% were attributable to the winery phase, mainly to the packaging materials (57%). Exploring the mitigation potential of a reduction in bottle weight, reuse of glass bottles, increase in packaging volume and renewable energies, we found that the reuse of glass bottles deserves close attention from wine producers, consumers, and policy makers who strive for an effective decarbonization of the wine value chain. The mitigation potential of the reuse of an average bottle exceeds the mitigation potential from a reduction in bottle weight by more than threefold. A combination of the replacement of grid electricity by renewable energies, bottle weight reduction and reuse can curb GHG emissions per bottle of wine by 47%. Highlights • 90% confidence interval for results between 0.753 and 1.069 kg CO 2 e per 0.75 L wine. • Most influential emission sources: bottles, electricity, heat, fuel use. • Besides reduction in weight the reuse of glass bottles is a key mitigation option. • GHG reductions of 45% possible with reuse of the glass bottle and renewable energy. • Findings are transferable to beverages other than wine in glass packaging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract For many agricultural commodity sectors, efforts to meet international obligations regarding emissions reduction are increasing. The Australian cotton industry has already made advances in this regard and the high yields associated with Australian cotton production dramatically minimise greenhouse gas emissions intensity. However, certainty about the quantum of greenhouse gas emissions and the relative contribution of different components of the emissions profile is somewhat unclear; and opportunities for farm-level practice change have not been fully explored. The objectives of this paper were to, (a) build a robust greenhouse gas emissions profile for the product-chain of Australian cotton fibre (lint) grown in northwest New South Wales, (b) using Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), compare the relative contributions of the different industries involved in the product-chain of cotton fibre (e.g. fertiliser producers, cotton farmers, cotton ginning plants) and (c) assess the effects of an array of on-farm mitigation options. Testing the various management options provides information for growers and policy-makers about the relative emissions reduction benefits possible. Additionally, we compared results of previous Australian cotton production studies using similar assumptions and extrapolated the emissions profile to a national scale, with the intention of informing commodity and carbon markets. The foreground data for the study were for the three production seasons from 2011-2012 to 2013–2014 in northwest New South Wales, with a functional unit of one tonne of cotton lint at port. We also drew upon published data, survey data, scientific literature and Australian and international databases. To ensure consistency between our approach and that applied to meet international emissions reporting obligations, we applied emissions formulae and factors from the Australian National Inventory Report, except where more specific published data were available. We assumed that 96% of production was from irrigated systems, with 85% of irrigation water pumped by diesel-powered irrigation pumps and a median irrigated yield of 10.3 bales per ha. We tested the sensitivity of the resulting emissions profile to a wide array of enterprise assumptions and calculation variables. The climate change impact of cotton lint on a cradle-to-port basis was 1601 kg CO 2 e per tonne of cotton lint. The 'hot-spots' within the emissions profile included the production and use of synthetic nitrogen (N) fertilisers (46% of emissions), the production and use of electricity and diesel used for irrigation (10%) and the production and use of diesel for farm machinery (9%). Farm level management options with potential to minimise life cycle GHG emissions were: reducing N fertiliser rate from a commercial rate of 255 kg N/ha to 240 kg N/ha or 180 kg N/ha (2.6% and 13.2% emissions reduction); use of controlled-release and stabilised N fertilisers (5.9% reduction), changing from diesel to solar-powered irrigation pumps (8.1% reduction), changing from diesel to biofuel-powered farm machinery (3.4% reduction), changing from continuous cotton to a cotton-legume crop rotation (3.9% reduction) and use of N fertigation (2.1% reduction). Whilst we focused on farm-level mitigation strategies, these changes were placed in the context of the cradle-to-gate system, to account for associated changes in pre-farm and post-farm emissions. Graphical abstract Image Highlights • Greenhouse gas emissions from cotton production were calculated as 1601 kg CO2e per tonne of cotton lint delivered to port. • Sensitivity testing was conducted to ascertain the robustness of the present study. • Previous findings were adjusted on the basis of the assumptions established for this study. • Greenhouse gas emissions mitigation strategies were evaluated and compared. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Ice cream is consumed daily worldwide and yet its environmental impacts are scarcely known. This paper presents a first comprehensive life cycle assessment of market-leading vanilla and chocolate ice creams, considering both regular and premium products. The results suggest that their impacts are broadly similar across the 18 impact categories considered. For the majority of the impacts, chocolate regular ice cream is a slightly better option than the other varieties. Overall, the regular versions of the product have lower environmental impacts than the premium. Raw materials contribute most to the majority of impacts (>70%). The exception is ozone depletion, which is mainly due to refrigerated storage at the retailer (95%). The impacts are highly sensitive to the duration of storage and the type of refrigerant. Furthermore, the global warming potential of chocolate ice cream is very sensitive to land use change associated with cocoa beans cultivation, increasing the impact by 60%. Considering annual consumption of ice cream in the UK, the total primary energy demand contributes to 3.8% of energy consumption in the whole food sector while greenhouse emissions contribute 1.8%. Future improvements in the supply chain should focus on milk and cocoa production, reduced storage time and types of refrigerant used. Product reformulation to reduce the amount of milk (fat) and sugar should also be considered, in line with the emerging health-driven market trends. In addition to industry and policy makers, the findings of this study will be of interest to consumers, enabling them to make better choices with respect to environmental impacts of most popular ice creams. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The principal motivation of this work is to evaluate the existing fuel use (gasoline or ethanol) and new alternative source of power supply (electricity) for vehicles in Brazil, and to assess potential to consume less petroleum and non-renewable fuels, in order to reduce the air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. In the literature, there are several relevant published works which focus on this topic for developed countries, and other countries, such as Brazil are not fully investigated; therefore this gap was a motivation for this study. The methods consider the fuel production, electricity generation and powertrain production, the vehicle use phase stages and powertrain end of life only, which includes the recycling of vehicles and batteries. The goal and scope of this study is to evaluate and to compare the environmental impacts of vehicles in the Brazilian context. A life cycle assessment is carried out in this paper to assess the well-to-wheels for different scenarios of fuels consumption and powertrains configurations for a vehicle. The five analyzed scenarios are: conventional internal combustion engine vehicle fuelled by gasoline, conventional internal combustion engine vehicle fuelled by hydrous ethanol, conventional internal combustion engine vehicle fuelled by a mixture of gasoline and hydrous ethanol (flex-fuel vehicle), plug-in hybrid electric vehicle and battery electric vehicle. The common functional unit assumed for the analysis was 1.0 km traveled. The results show that the scenarios that use ethanol as fuel have higher environmental impacts for the categories of acidification, eutrophication and photochemical oxidation. The scenarios using gasoline have the higher impacts for abiotic depletion, fossil fuels abiotic depletion potential and global warming potential. Vehicles using lithium ions batteries have the highest impacts for human toxicity. The battery electric vehicle has smallest environmental impacts in general way, followed by vehicles using ethanol. The Brazilian government should increase its investment and develop the use of electric vehicles, since the country's electric mix is renewable, as well as further encourage the use of ethanol, since it generates less environmental impacts than gasoline. Highlights • Engines fuelled by ethanol are environmental favorable in four impact categories. • Ethanol engines have the worst environmental performance in three impact categories. • Electric vehicles yield higher human toxicity values due to the electricity generation. • Electric vehicles can reduce the greenhouse gas emissions compared to combustion vehicles. • Vehicles use phase have the greatest environmental impacts in all analyzed categories. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The use of biomass for production of chemicals is gaining interest because of its potential to contribute towards a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions and other environmental benefits linked to the substitution of fossil resources. But, conversely to biofuels, studies focusing on environmental impacts of biomass-derived chemicals are scarce. This paper uses life cycle assessment to evaluate the environmental sustainability of bio-ethylene from poplar produced by the following three thermo-chemical routes: direct and indirect dehydration of ethanol and production of olefins via dimethyl ether. The indirect route is the best option for most impact categories for all three allocation methods considered: system expansion, economic and energy basis. However, the dimethyl ether-to-olefins route has the lowest global warming potential. In comparison to ethylene produced bio-chemically from sugar beet, the thermo-chemical indirect route has lower impacts for all categories except human, terrestrial and freshwater toxicities. All three thermo-chemical alternatives show a significant reduction in global warming potential (up to 105% in the case of dimethyl ether-to-olefins) and depletion of fossil fuels when compared to conventional ethylene production from fossil fuels. However, the results also suggest that bio-ethylene produced by any of the three thermo-chemical routes would lead to a significant increase in most other impact categories relative to fossil fuels. Therefore, while trying to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, the overall environmental sustainability of bio-ethylene suffers from the increase in other environmental impacts. Highlights • Three thermo-chemical bio-ethylene processes are compared environmentally. • Indirect route is best for several impacts but the dimethyl ether is better for GWP. • Indirect route is better than 1st generation ethanol dehydration except for toxicities. • Net saving in GHG emissions of 44%–105% achieved compared to fossil alternatives. • However, other impacts are higher than for the fossil alternatives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the first inventory and environmental impact study of the life cycle of coal obtained from a surface mine in Brazil. Significant reserves of coal in Brazil have attracted the attention of investors interested in building chemical and power generation plants. This inventory was developed to serve as a database for Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) studies, considering especially the impact of greenhouse gases, since there is no such information in the literature. The inventory collected data in situ, regarding the main pieces of equipment, inputs to the plant, and the direct emissions of greenhouse gases (GHG), covering different stages of the coal mining and processing, as well as the indirect emissions of GHG from the production and transportation of inputs. The coal life cycle emissions were equal to 3.29 × 10 −2  kg CO 2eq per kg of coal, of which direct emissions accounted for 98.3% of GHG, in which the major part was due to fugitive methane emissions from surface mining and post-mining coal crushing and handling operations. Additionally, the results of a sensitivity analysis showed that the diesel oil consumption was the most influential parameter of life cycle emission in terms of the inputs regarded. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

GHG emissions are important footprints because of increasing concern over climate change. Remediation methods produces GHGs in varying quantities based on which activities are involved through its entire life cycle and which contaminants are present, often because some contaminants are more difficult to remove from soil than others. Accounting for emissions from all phases of the project requires a life cycle assessment (LCA) approach. LCA can help in choosing the best available technology to reduce the environmental burden of the remediation technology or to improve the sustainability of the technology by implementing systematic approaches to ensure that future developments are optimized for environmental performance throughout the life cycle. The primary objective of this paper is to review existing LCA studies that report GHG emissions (CO 2-eq ) or Global warming potential (GWP) from six ex-situ soil remediation technologies (ESRTs), including excavation and disposal, ex-situ thermal desorption, ex-situ soil vapor extraction, ex-situ bioremediation, excavation and incineration, and soil washing, and present the variability in GHG/GWP results and how this data can help in selecting an ex-situ soil remediation technology with a lower global warming potential. A second objective of this study is to compare the GWP levels of ex-situ remediation to the GWP levels of typical in situ remediation methods. Our results showed a large variation in GHG emissions of treated soil from six ESRTs varying from 3.1 × 10 −7  t to 8.2 t CO 2 -eq/m 3 . Incineration had the highest mean GHG emissions (0.7 t CO 2 -eq/m 3 ) and thermal desorption the lowest (0.07 t CO 2 -eq/m 3 ). It was also found that there was a large variation range of GHG emissions from the ex-situ excavation and disposal method soil treatment technologies, varying from 3.1 × 10 −7  t to 8.2 t CO 2 -eq/m 3 of treated soil. This knowledge provides opportunities to increase sustainability of soil remediation throughout the investigation, design, construction, operation, and monitoring phases of site remediation regardless of the selected cleanup remedy. This shows data on LCA GHGs are useful to assess the impact of different scenarios and management practices on ESRTs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The government of Quebec (Canada) is trying to find a useful outlet for the mixed waste glass pilling up in its landfills. One solution to consider is the use of fine glass powder from mixed waste glass as alternative cementitious materials (ACM) in concrete, using an open-loop circular-economy principle. To quantify the environmental feasibility of this concept, life cycle assessment (LCA) methodology, in combination with a real case study (i.e., a concrete sidewalk in Montreal, Canada) are both assessed. More specifically, two different scenarios are compared, the business-as-usual (BAU) concrete production model, and a glass powder (GP) concrete production process model. All modeling efforts are performed using SimaPro 8.2 software, the Ecoinvent 3.2 database and the IMPACT 2002 + impact method. Finally, a Monte Carlo simulation, in addition to different sensitivity analyses, are carried out to assess the influence of data uncertainty and key parameter changes, such as the distance from suppliers, potential lifetime extension of the concrete, and possible particulate emissions during GP production. Results show the environmental benefits of using GP as an ACM in terms of every indicator. Moreover, the significant contribution of cement production in the environmental burden of concrete is noted. It appears as the main hotspot in most midpoint indicators, and in all four endpoint indicators. It is especially highlighted as a global warming indicator, with 74% of the greenhouse gasses (GHG) related to cement production for the BAU scenario and 68% for the GP scenario. The emissions of particles into the atmosphere (such as CO 2 , NOx, and SOx) from the clinker kiln chimney plays a major role in the overall environmental impact of concrete production. Another key result is the importance of transportation distance of the base materials, which could reverse the conclusion. The originality of this paper relies on the environmental assessment of the up-cycling of GP as a supplementary cementitious materials (SCM) in concrete. Indeed, this study allows for a better understanding of environmental impact of concrete and highlights the extent to which environmental benefits remain when mixed waste glass is used in an open-loop circular-economy context. At a larger scale, this study aims to encourage all municipalities/government that are struggling with common waste – such as mixed waste glass -- to find industrial symbioses at a local scale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the introduction of the non-financial reporting mandate for business entities by the Government of India's Ministry of Environment and Forests in 1993, the manufacturing landscape has changed. The regulatory framework for checking the environmental impacts of chemical based manufacturing plants has strengthened with much of activity reported in the past decade. A thorough study of published literature revealed that the various manufacturing steps in pharmaceutical units involve a wide variety of chemical syntheses. These processes are associated with large amounts of energy consumption causing high green-house gas (GHG) emissions and waste generation. The purpose of this review article is to discuss how the pharmaceutical companies are approaching sustainability while considering environmental aspects along with economic and social welfare of the society. Accordingly, a comparative analysis, through an exploratory study of the trends followed in India and in other countries has been reported. The underlying endeavor is to provide a better understanding of the sustainability trend in the Indian pharmaceutical manufacturing sector and where it is headed. Apart from the extensive review of technical literature published in journals, various reports published by profit and non-profit making organizations have been studied for the purpose of developing a better understanding about sustainability practices in the Indian context, supported by examples from around the world. In addition, the benefits of various methodologies to achieve sustainability in pharmaceutical organizations have been discussed. The authors hope that the paper will enhance the understanding regarding how pharmaceutical setups can achieve sustainability by adopting various practices, what are the various performance metrics available and how reporting sustainability brings transparency and efficiency in an organization. The authors propose for a further study on integration of various approaches adopted by Indian pharmaceutical organizations' global counterparts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this paper is to analyze the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from floricultural production in Austria based on a small-scale case study in which emissions were calculated using highly detailed accounts of a specific nursery for the years 2009–2013. The nursery produces a large assortment of cut flowers and pot plants. In terms of methods, the study is based on a life cycle assessment approach, presenting global warming as impact indicator. To reach a meaningful comparison of cut flowers and pot plants, the functional unit “days of flowering” is developed, referring to the function of ornamental plants. This new functional unit enables to a comparison of different kind of products based on their longevity. Including this factor allows a more nuanced comparison of flowers in terms of their GHG emissions. For example, if the widespread functional unit “piece of product” is applied, cyclamen appear to be associated with high emissions, whereas their emissions are slightly below average when the functional unit “days of flowering” is used. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Construction management in China has embraced a new practice encompassing the evaluation criteria of green construction. Thus, greenhouse gas emissions produced during the construction period should not be overlooked anymore. The greenhouse gas emissions from construction projects are evaluated based on life cycle assessment theory, and on green construction evaluation and management techniques. A procedure for assessing the greenhouse gas emissions from construction projects is developed using the unit construction process, and by classifying and integrating the different components of construction projects. A segregation-integration method was established for calculating the greenhouse gas emissions of construction project. A mathematical model and framework to calculate the greenhouse gas emissions from construction projects have been established. The energy consumption and carbon dioxide emissions for earthwork, foundation work, masonry, and reinforced concrete during construction are calculated based on the example of a commercial building in a large-scale residential complex in the Pingshan New District of Shenzhen City. The greenhouse gas emissions were calculated as equivalent carbon dioxide emissions. High-rise buildings and villas have the highest unit carbon emissions of 54.51 kg/m 2 , and account for 84% of the carbon dioxide emissions produced during the construction of the residential community. The unit carbon emissions for construction of the entire residential community are approximately 54.18 kg/m 2 . The scientific value of this paper is that the carbon emissions during the construction stage of a residential community were quantitatively assessed. The unit carbon emissions of the buildings during construction can be used to calculate unit energy consumption of buildings during construction, which should be useful in realising energy savings, and can therefore provide management guidance for reducing energy consumption during the life cycle of building, especially consumption during construction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to incorporate sustainability assessment into the material selection processes during early-stage product (re)design, when time and data availability for such assessments are usually limited. A material selection framework is presented and illustrated step-by-step with a case study aiming to identify biobased alternatives for petrochemical plastics used for (flame retardant) panels. After an initial screening step, the technical performance of selected materials is measured. A cradle-to-grave screening life cycle assessment compares the environmental performance of the candidate and reference materials on greenhouse gas emissions, non-renewable energy use and agricultural land use per kilogram. A simplified cost analysis is performed. The environmental and economic indicators are corrected for each candidate's technical performance by estimating expected weight changes in the final product based on material indices . In this case study, two biobased plastics are found to offer equal or improved environmental/economic performance compared to reference materials. Furthermore, the case study shows that additive production can significantly contribute to the plastics' environmental impacts, e.g. accounting for 5–40% of their cradle-to-grave greenhouse gas emissions. The case study demonstrated that the proposed materials selection framework is a useful tool for early-stage product design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The transition to a bioeconomy is one of the ambitions of the European Union for 2030. Biobased industries play an essential role in this transition. However, there has been an on-going discussion about the actual benefit of using biomass to produce biobased products, specifically the use of agricultural materials (e.g., corn and sugarcane). This paper presents the environmental impact assessment of 30% and 100% biobased polyethylene terephthalate production using European biomass supply chains (e.g., sugar beet, wheat, and miscanthus). An integral assessment between the life cycle assessment methodology and the global sensitivity assessment is presented as an early-stage support tool to propose and select supply chains that improve the environmental performance of biobased polyethylene terephthalate production. From the results, miscanthus is the best option for the production of biobased polyethylene terephthalate: promoting European local supply chains, reducing greenhouse gas emissions (process and land-use change), and generating lower impacts in midpoint categories related to resource depletion, ecosystem quality, and human health. This tool can help improving the environmental performance of processes that could boost the shift to a bioeconomy. [Display omitted] • An early-stage tool to support decision-making for the biobased PET production is proposed. • The use of sugar beet and miscanthus can boost the transition to a low-carbon economy. • Biobased PET from miscanthus has a better environmental impact than fossil-based PET. • The design of local biomass supply chains can reduce the need of imported commodities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The transition to a bioeconomy is one of the ambitions of the European Union for 2030. Biobased industries play an essential role in this transition. However, there has been an on-going discussion about the actual benefit of using biomass to produce biobased products, specifically the use of agricultural materials (e.g., corn and sugarcane). This paper presents the environmental impact assessment of 30% and 100% biobased polyethylene terephthalate production using European biomass supply chains (e.g., sugar beet, wheat, and miscanthus). An integral assessment between the life cycle assessment methodology and the global sensitivity assessment is presented as an early-stage support tool to propose and select supply chains that improve the environmental performance of biobased polyethylene terephthalate production. From the results, miscanthus is the best option for the production of biobased polyethylene terephthalate: promoting European local supply chains, reducing greenhouse gas emissions (process and land-use change), and generating lower impacts in midpoint categories related to resource depletion, ecosystem quality, and human health. This tool can help improving the environmental performance of processes that could boost the shift to a bioeconomy. [Display omitted] • An early-stage tool to support decision-making for the biobased PET production is proposed. • The use of sugar beet and miscanthus can boost the transition to a low-carbon economy. • Biobased PET from miscanthus has a better environmental impact than fossil-based PET. • The design of local biomass supply chains can reduce the need of imported commodities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Organic Rankine cycles have been identified as a suitable technological option for converting low-grade heat into electricity with relatively high efficiency, and the organic Rankine cycle technology has been successfully implemented in different power production systems and in recovering heat in industrial processes. This paper studies the greenhouse gas emission reduction potential by using organic Rankine cycles for recovering exhaust gas heat of biogas engines. The study concentrates especially on the biogas engine power plants in Europe. Life cycle assessment methods are used and various waste heat utilization scenarios are compared. According to the results, greenhouse gas emissions can be reduced significantly if the thermal energy of the exhaust gases, otherwise lost in the process as waste heat, is utilized for additional electricity production by means of organic Rankine cycle. However, there may already be use for the exhaust gas heat in biogas plants in the form of heat power. In these cases, the use of organic Rankine cycle does not necessarily lead to greenhouse gas emission reductions. The results also indicate, that the working fluid leakages and production as well as the organic Rankine cycle construction materials and production have only marginal effects on the results from greenhouse gas perspective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With 7.5% total nutritional value, pork is a staple food for many members of the Austrian population. Among members of the general public, little is known about the environmental impacts “from farm to fork” in the production of pork. This paper identifies three main impact categories for the environmental profile of Austrian pork using the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) method. In a transparent and comprehensive manner, this LCA studied environmental impacts occurring throughout the production chain of pork, also including the transport and consumption stages. The results are expressed in terms of the global warming potential (GWP), soil acidification and eutrophication, specifically in CO 2 -equivalents, SO 2 -equivalents and NO 3 -equivalents normalized to one kg of fresh Austrian pork (carcass weight) as the functional unit. The main results of the study indicated that the environmental burden is primarily related to the farming stage: 92.3% of GWP, 98.4% of soil acidification and 95.4% of eutrophication. The processes taking place after the agriculture stage (i.e., during the slaughtering stage, retail market and consumption) play a minor role, except for the relative impact of eutrophication during the slaughtering stage. The transportation that took place between the different life cycle stages only marginally influenced the emissions analysed, with private transport from the retail market to the household contributing most of the emissions considered in this part of the life cycle. These results point to the farming stage as the main focus for future improvements. Due to its high contribution to the GWP, soil acidification and eutrophication potential, enhancing the efficiency and environmental protection measures implemented during the farming stage (or improving the choice of commodities used from feed production) could generate the highest reductions in impacts on soil acidification, eutrophication and potentially on the global climate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of thin-film electrolytes to operate solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) at a temperature range <500 °C is an active area of research for reducing the costs and improving the reliability of SOFCs for a broad range of applications. This paper examines the cradle-to-gate greenhouse gas (GHG) impacts of thin-film-based SOFCs considering scale effect and compares them with conventional planar and tubular SOFCs based on high-temperature sintering. The GHG impact of ultra-thin-film cells generating 1 kW total power was estimated to be <400 kg. Despite the use of relatively energy intensive semiconductor-based manufacturing steps, the GHG impact of thin-film SOFCs was found to be lower than that of conventional SOFCs based on high-temperature-ceramic manufacturing methods. The simpler balance of plant design for low-temperature SOFCs and the benefit of the low GHG impact of thin-film SOFCs suggest that the GHG impact of the entire system could be lower than that of conventional SOFCs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To reduce GreenHouse Gas (GHG) emissions, the Kyoto Protocol identifies a number of activities that are closely related to land use, included in the category called Agriculture, Forestry and Land Uses (AFOLU). While forests and agricultural systems result in CO 2 absorptions (live biomass, dead biomass and soil), every process undertaken for their management requires energy and resources, which can lead to a significant reduction of the environmental benefits. The study analyzes three tree plantations managed at different cultivation intensities in Italy, from an extensively managed plantation (a pure oak plantation) and a semi-intensively managed plantation (walnut and poplar plantation with nurse plants), to an intensively managed olive grove. Permanent and non-permanent biomass were accounted for in order to get the carbon stock of every plantation, estimated at the same age of 14 years old. The numerous processes operated for management of different cultivated species, e.g. planting, soil management, fertilization, phytosanitary treatments, pruning, harvesting, etc. were monitored and their impacts were quantified by applying the methodology known as Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). Removals (carbon sequestrations) were compared to emissions on a time scale, in order to assess the net CO 2-eq balance. Impacting treatments and processes were identified and further analysis on the individual phases and materials were conducted. Olive trees showed an unexpected capacity to store CO 2-eq , but this ability was evident only if annually harvested fruits and prunings were considered in the calculation. The plantation that demonstrated its ability to store most CO 2-eq at the age of 14 was the semi-intensively managed plantation, showing a higher efficiency in the energy spent by man. The paper offers a contribution for an innovative environmental performance evaluation of different tree cultivation management systems, including the assessment of potential benefits in terms of sequestered CO 2-eq for the studied tree plantations and possible avoided emissions thanks to sustainable agricultural practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we conducted a life cycle assessment (LCA) for the Hydropower-Silicon-Photovoltaic (HSPV) industrial chain in China. The Energy Conservation and Emission Reduction Index in the 13th Five Year Plan of China (ECER-135) is calculated based on the software eBalancev4.7 (eB) and eFootprint (eF). The total environmental impact index of ECER-135 of the HSPV industrial chain is 2.61E-06. The uncertainty result of the comprehensive index is 15.21% and the uncertainty of the inventory data is no more than 30%. The Energy Payback Time (EPBT) of the HSPV industrial chain is calculated as 1.68 years, accounting for only 5.60% of the operating cycle of the PV station. There are 7 impact category indexes of ECER-135, which are Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD), Primary Energy Demand (PED), CO 2 , SO 2 , Ammonia Nitrogen Content (NH 3 –N), NO x and Industrial Water Use (IWU). Considering the contribution of characteristic indexes to ECER-135, the contribution of PED index accounts for 22.93% of ECER-135, which is the major factor to environmental impact, and it is followed by COD, which accounts for 18.40%. Considering the contribution of each stage to ECER-135, PV module manufacturing, BOS manufacturing and SoG-Si manufacturing stages have significantly contributed to ECER-135, in which the PV module manufacturing stage has the greatest contribution to ECER-135, accounting for 97.63%, which is the main stage of impact on the environment. The sensitivity analysis reveals that the highest sensitivity is copper wire consumption, which is 47.83%. It is followed by aluminum consumption during the BOS manufacturing and the PV module manufacturing, which are 41.70% and 29.75% respectively. Finally, compared the total environmental impact of the HSPV industrial chain and the Thermalpower-Silicon-Photovoltaic (TSPV) industrial chain, the results reveal that the HSPV industrial chain has the energy-saving and emission reduction benefits of 2.89E-06, whose comprehensive indexes account for 47.39% of that of the TSPV industrial chain, proving that the HSPV industrial chain has significant energy saving and emission reduction benefits in all indexes. The EPBT of the HSPV industrial chain is only 38.17% of that of the TSPV industrial chain. • Conducting a life cycle assessment of Hydropower-Silicon-Photovoltaic(HSPV). • The contribution, sensitivity and uncertainty analyses of HSPV were conducted. • Serving as to put forward corresponding improvement measures. • The results of Thermalpower-Silicon-Photovoltaic(TSPV) and HSPV were Compared. • The Energy Payback Time of HSPV is only 38.17% of that of TSPV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Evaluations of the environmental sustainability of lifestyles and consumption practices have been taking centre stage in European research projects in recent years. Considerable work has been undertaken on the environmental assessment of food consumption patterns, and several analytical tools and methodologies have been proposed to quantify the environmental burden of production and consumption. Claims have been made in several international reports that the Mediterranean diet offers the best consumption pattern in terms of both the environment and health, but there has never been a specific assessment of the Mediterranean diet in comparison with other food consumption behaviours. This paper explores the environmental burdens of the Mediterranean diet applied in the Italian context. The environmental performance of this diet is compared to the national average diet in Italy, as well as to two empirical scenarios of healthy and vegetarian food consumption patterns. The environmental burdens of the different diets are assessed in terms of their energy consumption and their carbon footprint using a hybrid IOA-LCA method. This method considers the positive aspects of both bottom-up methodologies (e.g. life cycle assessment – LCA) and top-down methodologies (e.g. input–output analysis – IOA). The results allow several comparisons to be made between the different diets. When compared with the national average diet, the Mediterranean diet reveals an improvement in environmental performance of 95.75 MJ (2.44%) and 27.46 kg CO 2 equivalent (6.81%) per family. The best overall environmental performance can be found with the vegetarian diet in which energy consumption is 3.14% lower and the carbon footprint 12.7% lower than the national average diet. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Life cycle assessment (LCA) of greenhouse gas emissions is often used to compare products in the global crude market. While Alberta's oil sands face particular pressure to improve performance, a lack of consensus on methods, data, and assumptions specific to the LCA of products derived from crude oil weaken such comparisons. This paper investigates the potential for a Canadian product category rules standard to enhance the credibility of life cycle emissions estimates of products derived from Alberta's oil sands. Increasing comparability of Canadian crudes to those of other countries in such a way would make this an attractive tool with the potential to be adopted internationally. The potential of the standard is investigated through a case study, based on in-depth expert interviews, focusing first on the potential of the standard to mitigate specific data and communication issues with respect to Alberta's oil sands, and second on strategies to mitigate predicted process issues in its development by a Canadian standards development organization. Findings indicate that while there is a consensus on the need to further standardize LCA methods and data quality requirements for crude oil products to make comparisons more accurate, participants in the standards-setting process may be unwilling to share the information that would make this possible. It was found that a credible standards-setting process may help to overcome this challenge, only if the ability to revise the standard can be anticipated in its initial development process, particularly with respect to its long-term effects on the development of new technologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to propose consistent Life Cycle Assessment and Life Cycle Costing metrics and indices and to test them to assess an anaerobic digester on a dairy farm. The method is based on a graphic representation of the environmental Life Cycle Impact and economic Life Cycle Cost Differentials. Performance indices are the Internal Rate of Return (discount rate that makes the total cost differential over the lifetime equal to zero), the Breakeven Price of Electricity (unit price of electricity that makes the total cost differential over the life time equal to zero) and the Impact Savings Ratio (the total impact reduction divided by the detrimental impacts generated). A dairy digester producing electricity, chosen as case study yields a substantial carbon footprint reduction close to 0.2 kg CO2e per liter of milk (25% improvement of milk carbon footprint), corresponding to a high Impact Savings Ratio of 34-37. Life Cycle Cost Differentials ranges from -$545 (most favorable) to $808 (least favorable) per cow, depending on electricity price, heat recovery and upfront grant. Economic performances are reflected in the Internal Rates of Return (IRR), that range from -1% to 12%. The Breakeven Price of Electricity ranges from $0.07 to $0.13 per kWh. The effective economic performance is measured by choosing the discount rate equal to the Weighted Average Cost of Capital of the stakeholder. Comparing the IRR to his target rate of return enables the decision maker to check whether its own economic targets are met. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) predicts an increase of 0.2 °C per decade for the next two decades in global temperatures and a rise of between 1.5 and 4.5 °C by the year 2100. Related to the increase in world temperatures is the increase in Greenhouse Gases (GHGs) which are primarily made up of carbon dioxide (CO2), nitrous oxide (N2O), methane (CH4) and fluorinated gases. In 2004, the GHGs from agriculture contributed 14% of the overall global GHGs made up mainly of methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions. In Australia, the dominant source of CH4 and N2O emissions for the year ending June 2012 was found to be from the agricultural sector. With the recent introduction of the Clean Energy Act 2011, the agricultural sector of Australia is expected to develop appropriate GHG mitigation strategies to maintain and improve its competitiveness in the green commodity market. This paper proposes the use of Integrated Spatial Technologies (IST) framework by linking Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), Remote Sensing (RS) and Geographical Information Systems (GIS). The IST approach also integrates and highlights the use of Cleaner Production (CP) strategies for the formulation and application of cost-effective GHG mitigation options for grain production in Western Australia (WA). In this study, the IST framework was tested using data from an existing study (the baseline study) and two mitigation options. The analysis results revealed production and use of fertiliser as the “hotspot”, and for mitigation purposes was replaced with pig manure in option 1, whereas option 2 emphasised crop rotation system/s. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper describes a pavement life cycle assessment (LCA) model developed to evaluate energy use and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from pavement rehabilitation strategies. The LCA model analyzes the energy and GHG emissions associated with material production, construction and pavement use, which includes the effects of pavement rolling resistance on vehicle operation. The model was used to evaluate a set of case studies of pavement rehabilitation for both asphalt and concrete surfaces with different rolling resistances and traffic levels. The primary goal of the case studies is to evaluate the effect of rolling resistance on the life cycle performance of pavements, not to compare asphalt and concrete pavements. Energy and GHG emission savings from pavement rehabilitation are compared with an alternative where no rehabilitation occurs, only routine maintenance of damaged pavement. The results of the case studies show that for highway sections with high traffic volumes the energy and GHG savings accrued during the use phase due to reduced rolling resistance can be significantly larger than the energy use and GHG emissions from material production and construction, with the extent of the benefit dependent on constructed smoothness. These savings can be larger than those from other strategies to reduce highway transportation energy use and emissions, such as projected improvements in vehicle fuel economy. For low traffic volume highways, the smoothness obtained by the contractor and materials used have a more significant effect on the performance of the rehabilitation, and may result in a net increase in energy use and GHG emissions if low traffic volumes and poor construction quality occur together. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The implementation of new high-speed transport technologies re-shapes the demand balance between transport modes and rebound effects may occur. In this paper first a definition of environmental rebound effects of high-speed transport is presented and various cases are discussed. Second, a method is developed to determine and quantify the environmental rebound effects employing life cycle assessment. The method is illustrated in a case study by investigating the greenhouse gas emissions of a frequently discussed future underground maglev train system for Switzerland. The environmental rebound effect expresses the size of environmental impact changes due to demand corrections in relation to the plain substitution effect. The latter expresses efficiency substitution effects due to the substitution of existing transport services with a high-speed transport service; i.e. passenger-kilometre performance remains constant in a world with and without the new transport service. Demand corrections are determined employing the notion of the constant travel time budget, assuming that if travel speed increases, the time saved will be exclusively used to travel more and further. In order to quantify the environmental rebound effect we determined the environmental efficiency – including operation, energy supply, vehicle supply and infrastructure supply – for all important transport services of the current passenger transport system as well as for the new transport technology. In addition, we generated and quantified a set of cornerstone scenarios to address possible changes in mobility patterns and technological options of passenger car transport at the time when the new high-speed transport technology would be in operation. The results show an increase of per capita environmental impact for all considered scenarios even without accounting for additional transport demand due to time saving effects. All scenarios show additional environmental impacts due to rebound effects on top of pure substitution effects. The case study demonstrates that taking into account demand changes, i.e. rebound effects is essential to evaluate emerging transport technologies. New technologies allowing for higher travel speed, even if energy-efficient on a passenger-kilometre basis, might lead to higher environmental impacts. This is ignored by the traditional approach of environmental transport assessment, which compares environmental efficiency of each transport mode separately. The presented approach allows to better understand the consequences of new transport services, and facilitates the assessment of future transport technologies on the level of the transport system as a whole. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The food system is a significant source of rising greenhouse gas emissions in Bangladesh due to increasing food demand, and ongoing economic growth. The country needs to develop low carbon pathways for the food system that strengthen food security, reduce vulnerability to climate change, and help to achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. In this paper we analyse the historical trajectory of greenhouse gas emissions of the food system in Bangladesh, and identify various strategies for reducing those emissions. Our analysis reveals that greenhouse gas emissions from Bangladesh's food system doubled from 1990 to 2017, and from the processes included in this study are projected to rise up to 250% by 2050 under a business as usual scenario. Compared with that scenario, a 'National Policy-Based Circular Economy' scenario could achieve a 75% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions in the same period for same level of food supply and production. Major reductions in greenhouse gas emissions could be achieved through activities such as alternative wetting and drying in rice cultivation, and the valorisation of organic waste generated by the food system. [Display omitted] • Application of macro level LCA for food system in a developing country setting. • The carbon footprint from food system projected to rise in Bangladesh by 2.5 times in 2050. • Around 75% decarbonization can be achievable under the circular economy based national strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Small-scale anaerobic digestion of wet organic wastes can make positive contributions to climate mitigation, energy security and nutrient cycling in agri-food systems. However, the environmental sustainability of small-scale anaerobic digestion is undermined where lack of capacity to utilize the biogas fuel results in biomethane venting to the atmosphere, contributing to climate change. Policy support for improved manure management in Bali, Indonesia, has resulted in the installation of small (6 m3) anaerobic digesters across 752 Bali cattle breeding units. These 752 remote rural digesters annually vent approximately 75 482 ± 37 741 m3 of biomethane into the atmosphere as a waste, owing to lack of practical means to convert this potential fuel into useful energy. Meanwhile, most of these cattle farms lack access to electricity. This paper describes the performance of a novel, compact and versatile "BioMiniGen" system that provides convenient electricity generation from small-scale biogas production. This innovative system comprises: (i) a simple biogas desulfurizing system; (ii) a two-stroke, single cylinder (63 cc) air-cooled engine; (iii) an electric generator; (iv) an optional CO 2 removal unit. Lifecycle assessment indicated that bioelectricity generated by the BioMiniGen would have a smaller environmental footprint than Indonesian grid electricity across 11 impact categories, including a negative global warming burden owing to avoidance of biogas venting. Trade-offs included a larger abiotic depletion burden associated with manufacture of the generators. Over a five-year lifetime, each unit, costing US$500, could generate up to 5971 kWh of electricity and mitigate up to 65.1 Mg CO 2 eq., with a greenhouse gas abatement value up to US$13023. Across Bali, up to 898 ± 449 MWh yr−1 bioelectricity could be generated, and 1.92 ± 0.96 Gg CO 2 eq. saved. Further pilot trials are needed to ascertain realistic biogas yields from cleaned digesters managed for bioenergy generation alongside manure management. BioMiniGen technology could make an important contribution to energy security for the 1.4 billion people globally who lack access to electricity. • Farm biogas digesters in Bali vent 75 482 m3 methane to air annually. • Novel two-stroke engine & generator (BioMiniGen) converts biomethane to electricity. • Bioelectricity smaller environmental impact than grid electricity across 11 categories. • BioMiniGen could abate 1.92 Gg CO 2 eq. & supply 898 MWh rural electricity annually. • Potential for wider scale out to accelerate rural electrification in developing countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]