Search

Utilization of the quality-upgraded waste paper in the manufacture of paper and board will reduce the wood consumption and pulping energy. While the optical property of the fibers from recycled old newspaper is very poor, in-situ calcium carbonate formation on those fibers by injecting carbon dioxide to the mixed slurry of those pulp and calcium oxide improved their brightness. Upgrading recycled old newspaper to substitute more expensive wood furnish, such as recycled old magazine, was successfully demonstrated in the present study. This study showed that the in-situ calcium carbonate formation process improved the optical quality of the recycled old newspaper by covering colored impurities with newly formed calcium carbonate, and improved calcium carbonate retention in papermaking process by attaching them to fibers. The strength reduction by the presence of newly formed calcium carbonate in the paper was recovered by adding strength agent. High ash retention at high ash content under the strong turbulence in the modern paper mill was achieved by the application of the in-situ calcium carbonate formation method. The quality-upgrade of recycled fibers and cost saving in the manufacture of duplex paperboard were demonstrated in the mill trial. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pulp and paper is considered to be the fourth most energy-intensive industry (EII) worldwide. However, as most of the CO 2 emissions are of biomass origin, this sector has the potential to become a carbon-negative industry. This study proposes a new concept for conversion of the pulp and paper industry to carbon negative that relies on the inherent CO 2 capture capability of the Kraft process. The techno-economic performance of the proposed carbon-negative system, based on calcium looping (CaL) retrofitted to a pulp and paper plant, was evaluated. The effect of CaL design specifications and cost assumptions on the thermodynamic and economic performance were evaluated. Under the initial design assumptions, the reference pulp and paper plant was shown to turn from electricity importer to electricity exporter with the cost of CO 2 avoided equal to 39.0 €/tCO 2. The parametric study showed that an increase in the fresh limestone make-up rate resulted in a linear increase of the specific primary energy consumption for CO 2 avoided (SPECCA) and a reduction in the amount of electricity exported to the electric grid. This translates into an increase in the price of pulp and newsprint, and the cost of CO 2 avoided. This study has also demonstrated that the pulp and paper industry has high potential to become carbon negative. It has been shown that carbon capture and storage would become economically viable in this industry if the negative CO 2 emissions are recognised and a negative CO 2 emissions credit of at least 41.8 €/tCO 2 is implemented. • Concept of the Kraft process with inherent CO 2 capture. • Calcium looping for CO 2 capture is integrated in the lime cycle. • Reference pulp and paper plant turns from importer to exporter of electricity. • Pulp and paper industry has a high potential to become carbon negative. • Economic feasibility needs the inclusion of biogenic emissions in emission trading. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To effectively mitigate climate change, policymakers worldwide established various GHG tracking and trading systems. In the light of ambitious climate goals, stricter regulations, and increasing demand for climate action, various groups such as researchers and governmental institutions suggested additional approaches. This paper addresses the complexity that arises from the breadth of suggested approaches and implemented systems for GHG tracking and trading. By doing so, it synthesizes relevant dimensions in a way that is understandable to enterprises and policymakers, enabling them to design meaningful systems incorporating the reduction of GHG emissions and advance cleaner production. Therefore, this paper presents a first-of-its-kind taxonomy of GHG tracking and trading approaches through a systematic literature review. It illustrates ten main design and implementation dimensions with 30 corresponding characteristics. To accelerate decarbonization, this paper sets impulses for future GHG tracking in the electricity sector based on semi-structured expert interviews. Consecutively, it provides policy directions for CO 2 -adaptive decision-making for enterprises, formulated as a Call for Action with seven prospective questions. These include, for example, questions concerning technical aspects like data management, legal issues like the sufficiency of existing data security and privacy regulations, as well as economic topics like the calculation of an appropriate local and temporal granularity. • Presenting a first-of-its-kind taxonomy of GHG tracking and trading approaches through a systematic literature review. • Creating targeted knowledge for enterprises and policymakers for designing meaningful systems to reduce GHG emissions. • Setting impulses for future GHG tracking in the electricity sector based on semi-structured expert interviews. • Providing policy directions for CO 2 -adaptive decision-making for enterprises, formulated as a Call for Action. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, there has been a notable surge in focus on the mitigation of carbon emissions, mostly motivated by the urgent concern about global warming and its adverse impacts on the Earth's climate. Power-to-gas (PtG) systems have emerged as a promising technological solution in the pursuit of mitigating carbon emissions. This paper presents a mathematical modeling framework that aims to accurately represent the power-to-gas system integrated with wind power plants while taking into account the technological constraints of the system in practical scenarios. To analyze the proposed system under the stresses, worst situations caused by existing uncertain parameters, especially wind power, is modeled using a risk modeling technique called downside risk constraints (DRC). The DRC endeavors to mitigate the likelihood of situations resulting in significant stresses by incorporating an expected downside risk into the proposed framework. This paper will provide a number of conservative tactics to be employed in the decision-making process under the realizations of uncertainties. These tactics, including strategic operational control strategies, provide a structured approach for decision-making under uncertain conditions. By incorporating downside risk constraints, the framework enables conservative decision-making that prioritizes mitigating potential losses and minimizing the operational risk within scheduling horizon of proposed PtG facility. The findings demonstrate that the implementation of PtG technology has the potential to yield a substantial reduction in external energy consumption, namely by 39.1 %. Additionally, it has been seen that PtG may effectively mitigate carbon emissions, resulting in a decrease of 38.9 %. The utilization of PtG technology and gas storage will result in a substantial reduction in wind curtailment, ultimately leading to a near elimination of curtailment. Further study is conducted on the model in order to explore the benefits of carbon and methane storage, as supported by the results obtained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Freshwater bodies are found as significant sources of greenhouse gas to the atmosphere, but their quantitative significance is not yet clear. The rapid increase in hydropower dams and associated emissions has received much attention from hydropower industries, environmentalists, and policymakers from across the globe. The tropical/subtropical eco-regions are, particularly, considered as hotspots from greenhouse gas production point of view as the emitted gases are playing a critical role in climate change. The present paper reviews the uncertainty and limitations of greenhouse gas measurement from Chinese freshwater bodies based on available data. Literature reported that carbon dioxide emission from Chinese lakes falls in the range of 0.01–2.16 μmol m−2s−1 except for Poyang Lake. The CO 2 emission from Chinese hydropower reservoirs is estimated as 0.15–1.11, while for rivers, it is 0.44–4.12 μmol m−2s−1. The methane and nitrous oxide emissions are, however, found less than carbon dioxide emission. The CO 2 emission falls in the range of −0.17–0.54 and 1.08–1.70, respectively higher than global lakes and rivers, while the global reservoirs have emission in the range of −0.17–2.98 μmol m−2s−1. The paper also reports the challenges in the estimation and prediction of greenhouse gas emissions from hydropower reservoirs along with suggested mitigation measures. Image 10945 • GHG emissions have been limited by data availability and inconsistencies in methodological approach. • Investigate uncertainty and limitation of GHG measurement. • Literature reveals CO 2 emission from Chinese rivers is twice than lakes and four times than hydropower reservoirs. • CH 4 and N 2 O emissions are however found less than CO 2 emission. • Suggested mitigation measures to minimize the impact of GHG on climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The conventional air conditioning system used in high-speed railways has limitations in heating performance and environmental impact, necessitating the exploration of alternative refrigerants. The transcritical CO 2 system has gained popularity due to its exceptional heating efficiency and environmental benefits. This study aims to evaluate the energy and environmental potentials for transcritical CO 2 systems in high-speed trains based on four-vertical-and-four-horizontal railway lines within different climatic regions of China. A high-fidelity transcritical CO 2 system model was first developed and validated through experiments. Then, a comprehensive energy and environmental evaluation method was proposed and applied to the four-vertical-and-four-horizontal railway lines. The results indicated that the transcritical CO 2 system had a superior heating performance and competitive cooling performance based on daily and annual operations. Furthermore, the transcritical CO 2 system exhibited significant environmental advantages with lower total life cycle climate performance for all lines, with an average emissions reduction ratio of 17.6% and a maximum emissions reduction ratio of 26.98%. These findings highlight the competitive energy performance and outstanding environmental benefits offered by transcritical CO 2 systems as promising alternatives to air conditioning systems in railway transportation. • This paper evaluates the potential of theCO 2 system in high-speed trains from an energy performance and environmental benefits perspective. • A high-fidelity model of the transcritical CO 2 system is developed and validated for effectiveness through experiments. • The energy and environmental evaluations are conducted based on China's four-vertical-and- four-horizontal railway lines. • The results indicate that the CO 2 system presents a competitive alternative for air conditioning systems in high-speed trains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tropical climate-smart agriculture could be a cost-effective and scalable nature-based solution toward achieving net-zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the coming decades. Nevertheless, the lack of integrated on-farm CO 2 , CH 4 , and N 2 O flux measurements remains a barrier to including these systems in certification programs and the carbon (C) market. This systematic literature review critically examines field-measured GHG emission studies within climate-smart agri-systems in Brazil, aiming to: (i) integrate GHG-measured data, (ii) explore geographical representativeness and connections between organizations and authors, (iii) analyze distributions of studied GHG molecules, climate-smart system types, and productive components, (iv) conduct a meta-analysis on the adoption of climate-smart agriculture, and (v) identify methodological and scope gaps, providing insights for future research directions. The systems considered include no-till, well-managed pasture, integrated crop-livestock, and integration with trees (i.e., crop-forestry, livestock-forestry, crop-livestock-forestry, and multistrata agroforestry). Out of 1200 papers mentioning GHGs and climate-smart systems, 74 contained reliable on-farm flux measurements. Most authors were Brazilians affiliated with Embrapa and public Universities. Studies concentrated on the Atlantic Forest and Cerrado, with scarce data for other biomes. Over half of the trials assessed individual GHG molecules and only one climate-smart system. Urochloa spp. and Avena spp. were the most studied forage genera, while soybeans and corn dominated annual crops. Eucalyptus spp. and beef cattle were common trees and animals. No-till, integrated crop-livestock, and agricultural integrations involving trees showed soil C–CH 4 influx from 0.8 to 1.0 kg ha−1 y−1. Transitioning from pasture monoculture to integrated systems decreased N–N 2 O emissions by up to 1.63 kg ha−1 y−1. Converting extensive grazed land to intensified-integrated systems reduced animal CH 4 intensity, with cuts of up to 122 g CH 4 per kg of average daily weight gain. Future research must urgently address methodological issues, such as de-standardization (e.g., 8–10 flux units found per GHG molecule) and the absence of crucial ancillary variables. In conclusion, adopting diversified climate-smart agri-systems shows potential to mitigate GHG emissions, but caution is advised when extrapolating our numerical findings due to limited data across Brazilian edaphoclimatic conditions. We urge scientists to prioritize frequent on-farm measurements of all three GHGs (CO 2 , N 2 O, and CH 4) along with agroecosystem C sequestration across multiple climate-smart systems, enabling reliable and comparable net GHG flux calculations to identify the most sustainable option. Advancing and standardizing GHG measurements in Brazil offer an opportunity to enhance GHGs inventory accuracy, calibrate models, and promote policies and investments that expand refined tropical climate-smart agriculture. [Display omitted] • We systematically reviewed GHG measurements in Brazilian climate-smart agri-systems. • Well-managed pastures, no-till, and integration-based systems mitigate GHG emissions. • Brazilian GHG dataset incompletely represents systems and environmental complexities. • Producing agri-GHG field data is still vital for policies, investments, and C market. • Future GHG research should standardize flux units and include ancillary variables. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Given the increasingly severe challenges of global climate change and sustainable development, accurate prediction of daily carbon dioxide (CO 2) emissions has become crucial. However, current research on real-time daily forecasts remains relatively scarce, often limited to annual predictions and point estimates. This paper proposes an innovative integrated model, based on quantile regression and Attention-Bidirectional Long Short-Term Memory (BILSTM), specifically designed for probabilistic prediction of daily carbon emissions. Testing the model on daily carbon emission data from major carbon-emitting countries including China, the United States, India, Russia, and Italy has demonstrated its superior performance across various metrics, including mean squared error (MSE), mean absolute error (MAE), coefficient of determination (R2), and normalized average width of prediction intervals (PINAW), compared to other benchmark models. This achievement not only highlights the model's effectiveness in predicting daily carbon emissions but also provides policymakers with a powerful tool for real-time monitoring and assessment of carbon emissions. Furthermore , the application of probabilistic forecasting methods enables decision-makers to gain a more comprehensive understanding of the potential range of future carbon emissions, providing strong support for the formulation of targeted policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alkaline cement binders offer innovative and ingenious solutions to combat global energy demand, waste generation, and greenhouse emissions. In their production, alkaline binders consume waste materials with less energy and emit less carbon dioxide compared to ordinary Portland cement. In this review paper, a prime materials-based classification method was used to summarize the recently reported alkaline binders which comprised with the types of coal ash-based, clay-based, slag-based, and mine waste-based. These alkaline binders were further sub-divided into co-binder types, depending on the additional binder incorporated to modify and enhance the cementitious properties. This paper summarises the key properties of recent alkaline binders in terms of their rheological, mechanical and microstructural aspects, highlighting the composition of the binding and alkaline materials with curing conditions in the processing of cement paste, mortar or concrete. The publications reviewed emphasize the potential of alkaline cement to consume various waste precursors such as ashes, clays, industrial slags, and mine tailings along with different waste additives to improve the fresh and hardened characteristics of alkaline cement by reducing the adverse cost and environmental impacts. The classified alkaline binders reveal some vital results which can be used for optimum mix design combinations for actual field applications. The physicochemical properties of the precursors and alkaline materials and the curing regimes mainly affect the fresh and hardened properties of various alkaline binder compositions. Finally, the potential for substituting waste alkaline sources instead of commercial alkaline solutions is highlighted to make the alkaline binders completely waste-based. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, the idea of Underground coal gasification coupled with supercritical carbon dioxide storage is proposed based on the problems of Underground coal gasification combustion area and carbon dioxide storage site, which provides a new technical approach for carbon peaking and carbon neutrality in the coal sector. At the same time, to solve the underground coal pillar design problem in the popularization and application of UCG-CCS, this paper adopts numerical simulation and theoretical analysis methods to reveal the deformation mechanism and bearing characteristics of "hyperbolic" type coal pillar in UCG-CCS. The results of this study are as follows: ① The injection of supercritical CO 2 into the underground goaf can effectively reduce the load of the coal pillar bearing the overlying strata and improve the bearing capacity of the "hyperbolic" protective coal pillar. ② The size of the "hyperbolic" coal pillar in UCG-CCS slightly influences the coal pillar's stability under certain injection pressure. For safety in practical engineering, it is necessary to ensure that the CO 2 injection pressure reaches its critical pressure of 7.38 MPa. ③ Based on numerical simulation results, when the width of the combustion cavity is 40 m, the width of the protective coal pillar is 56 m, the injection pressure of supercritical CO 2 is 7.38 MPa, and the sealing depth ranges from 800 m to 1200 m, the protective coal pillars are in a stable state due to the pressure effect of supercritical CO 2 on the coal pillar and the roof. The research results of this paper have important practical significance for promoting the site selection, product design, and application of UCG-CCS and provide a technical means for the coal industry to achieve carbon peak and carbon neutrality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In carbonation reaction, the impact of surfactants on the movement and mass transfer behavior of carbon dioxide bubbles were crucial for the production of high-quality silicon dioxide products. The study employed the Matlab image processing system to investigate the shapes, motion velocities, and rise path of single carbon dioxide bubbles within varying concentrations of cetyltrimethyl ammonium bromide (CTAB) solutions. This exploration aimed to elucidate the effect of CTAB on the movement and mass transfer coefficient (MTRC) of single carbon dioxide bubbles. Alterations in the CTAB solution concentration and bubble sizes significantly influenced the mass transfer and movement characteristics of single carbon dioxide bubbles. The conclusion was drawn through the computation of the MTRC of single carbon dioxide bubbles in deionized water and CTAB solutions: the addition of CTAB significantly reduced the mass transfer efficiency of carbon dioxide in deionized water, with the MTRC of CTAB solutions decreasing as the solution concentration increased. Utilizing the stagnant cap model, it can be concluded that CTAB's reduction of the MTRC of carbon dioxide was attributed to the high viscosity of the medium, low bubble velocity, stable flow conditions, and intensified adsorption degree of CTAB molecules at the gas-liquid interface. According to the significant periodic trajectories of single carbon dioxide bubbles in the stable range, the correlation between the trajectories of compressible bubbles in surfactant solution and mass transfer in liquid phase was established, and the previous method based on rigid sphere model was modified. The paper proposed the mechanism of CTAB's influence on single carbon dioxide bubbles, offering crucial theoretical insights into the industrial application of surfactants in the carbonation process for producing silicon dioxide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Much of the existing literature on greenhouse gas peaking focuses on carbon dioxide (CO 2) emissions, however there is a lack of research on peaking methane (CH 4) emissions, the second-largest greenhouse gas. This paper attempts to determine and classify the peaking status of anthropogenic CH 4 emissions in 188 economies over the period 1970–2021 using a trend analysis model and a decoupling model. Fifty-eight economies achieved a peak in total CH 4 emissions, and 125 economies achieved a peak in CH 4 emissions per capita, showing marked spatial-temporal variation. Emissions generated by the agricultural sector peaked in 84 economies, followed by the energy sector in 63 economies, and the waste sector in 34 economies. Of these, the most volatile was the peak in emissions in the energy sector. There were 45 benign peaking economies and 13 pseudo-peaking economies. The majority of developed economies showed strong decoupling after reaching their peaks. The agricultural sector had the most peak economies which achieved strong decoupling. Among the factors influencing national pathways to peak CH 4 emissions, technological progress driving CH 4 emissions reductions in benign peak economies is the most important. This study provides targeted strategies for global and national CH 4 emissions reduction, particularly given the historical trend and current profile of economies at different levels of emissions evolution. • Peaking status of CH 4 emissions in 188 economies during 1970–2021 is evaluated. • 58 economies peaked in total CH 4 emissions and 125 in per capita emissions. • Agriculture-, energy- and waste-related emissions show various peaking patterns. • There are 45 benign peaking economies and 13 pseudo-peaking economies. • Factors influencing national pathways to peak CH 4 emissions are identified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The application of transcritical CO 2 cycle in the thermal management system of electric vehicles has become increasingly prevalent, but the existing thermal management system architecture has not been optimized to specifically enhance the performance of CO 2 refrigerant. This paper analyzes the impact of various heat exchanger arrangements on CO 2 thermal management system and evaluates system configurations based on a new performance index, cycle coefficient of performance. The effects of air temperature, ambient temperature, and heat load on system performance are conducted with a high precision model. The chiller is connected in parallel-series with indoor heat exchangers, resulting in a maximum coefficient of performance improvement of 27.89% at an indoor air inlet temperature of 10 °C, and a maximum coefficient of performance improvement of 21.69% at an ambient temperature of 5 °C, under simultaneous heating conditions. The radiator is placed on the windward of gas cooler, leading to a maximum coefficient of performance increase of 4.85% in heating mode, but a maximum coefficient of performance decrease of 9.84% in cooling mode. The evaluation of these configurations across different operating cycles reveals that the parallel-series connection is well-suited for the new European driving cycle, showing an 18.4% improvement in cycle coefficient of performance compared to the series-parallel connection. The windward arrangement of radiator proves effective for highway fuel economy test cycle in winter and the new European driving cycle in summer. This study provides effective instruction for configuration design and evaluation of transcritical CO 2 vehicle thermal management systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carbon dioxide (CO 2) and hydrogen (H 2) present substantial feedstock potential for advancing sustainability in the chemical industry. In this paper, a new integrated system is proposed consisting of four subsystems, including an ICT-OEC six-step Cu–Cl cycle, a CO 2 capture using monoethanolamine (MEA), an ammonia production unit, and a methanation unit. The simulation of these subsystems was carried out using Aspen Plus software. Based on literature indicating a 3-step Cu–Cl cycle producing 125 TPD of hydrogen, comparative simulations of a similar-capacity six-step Cu–Cl cycle were conducted for the current analysis. All related values correspond to it. Converting CO 2 into methane and nitrogen into ammonia holds great promise in reaching the net-zero target and fostering sustainability. A comprehensive cradle-to-gate Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) investigates the environmental impacts of ammonia and methane production using green hydrogen and CO 2. Significantly, the utilization of renewable energy sources such as nuclear, wind, and hydropower in the CO 2 refinery process generates a net negative Global Warming Potential (GWP). It was noted that the GWP value of the electrical grid could increase significantly, reaching up to 370,000 kg CO 2 eq., particularly when producing 23,277.2 kg/h of ammonia and 2141.71 kg/h of methane at a hydrogen consumption rate of 5211 kg/h (125 metric tons of H 2 per day). The significant environmental impact of the CO 2 refinery process is notably influenced by the choice of electrical grid mix as the energy source. However, in the case of photovoltaics as an energy source, the value of 0.517 kg sb eq, surpasses that of the electrical grid mix. However, nuclear energy emerges as a particularly low-GWP impact, with values of −4190 and −4140 CO 2 kg eq. for the 3-step and 6-step Cu–Cl cycles, respectively. The findings suggest that the CO 2 refinery process generates a carbon credit in both scenarios. Based on the findings of this study, policymakers have a basis for developing effective strategies to address and alleviate environmental impacts. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a multi-step framework to design flexible power-to-methane processes is presented. The approach considers all crucial parts of the power-to-methane process, including the renewable energy source. The aim is to provide a design that allows for feasible operation under the fluctuating conditions induced by the renewable energy source at all times. For each part of the process, the operating windows are analyzed and optimized under different site-specific constraints, and recommendations for actions regarding the technical implementations are provided. The impact of the carbon dioxide source is scrutinized, and subsequent scheduling optimization is performed to determine necessary storage capacities. The framework is demonstrated on two carbon dioxide availability scenarios where the renewable energy source is a wind turbine coupled to a polymer exchange membrane electrolyzer that produces hydrogen, which is then converted to methane in a fixed-bed reactor. The results show that the feasible operation of the system strongly depends on the site-specific conditions. In particular, the availability of carbon dioxide impacts the flexibility of the methanation reactor. When the stochiometric ratio between hydrogen and carbon dioxide cannot be sustained, the operating window of the reactor deteriorates significantly. However, it is shown that appropriate integration and scheduling of storage capacities debottlenecks the reactor and enables the utilization of all electricity generated by the wind turbine. • A framework for the design of flexible power-to-methane systems is introduced. • Optimization approaches for each step of the framework are provided. • A dynamic optimization approach for storage integration is given. • The impact of the carbon dioxide provision flexibility is investigated. • The framework is tested in a case study with an onshore wind turbine in Germany. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The gas-confined supercritical CO 2 (scCO 2) foaming technology is a clean method to prepare porous polymer surfaces but has never been applied to the construction of SLIPS due to the limitation of uneven and hard-controllable cell structure. In this paper, the surface of polystyrene (PS) is covered by a PS surface instead of the frequently-used rigid polymer films as a barrier, subsequently, both PS surfaces are foamed to prepare porous PS surfaces with uniform cell morphology and widely-adjustable cell size, which have active influences on the shear-resistant ability of SLIPS. Meanwhile, there is no solid waste generated in this process, and the production efficiency is at least doubled. The SLIPS with a cell-cell space of 0.07 μm and a mean cell diameter of 0.25 μm presents the optimal shear-resistant ability (CAH = 4.4° ± 0.8° after being sheared at 8500 rpm for 10 min). Consequently, this work proposes a clean, efficient, and facile path for preparing SLIPS with water-repellency, shear resistance, self-clean, and self-healing properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mitigating greenhouse gas emissions is a significant global challenge, and precise prediction of carbon emissions holds the utmost importance for China to attain its dual carbon goal. To overcome the limitations of existing studies using a single forecasting method, based on quadratic exponential smoothing, multiple linear regression, and Gaussian process regression models, this paper constructs a carbon emission combination forecasting model with the generalized induced ordered weighted average (GIOWA) operator and analyzes carbon emission reduction performance. Empirical testing utilizing China's carbon emission data from 1980 to 2020 reveals the following findings: (1) The GIOWA combination forecasting model significantly enhances the accuracy of carbon emission forecasts, with an average accuracy exceeding 99.5% over the sample period, surpassing various single forecasting methods. (2) The carbon emission reduction target can be achieved under three different scenarios of low, average, and high GDP growth rates. Specifically, under the low growth rate scenario, China can achieve a 60% reduction in carbon intensity by 2025 and a 65% reduction by 2030. This study offers valuable decision support for the development of effective carbon reduction policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyzes the potential contributions of photovoltaic energy to sustainable development in its three dimensions, environmental, economic, and social. For that purpose, the capacity deployments proposed by the main international institutions in the field are considered, mainly the International Energy Agency. The paper focuses on the monetary valuation of avoided CO 2 emissions, and the assessment of the required financial funds. The risk implied by the uncertain photovoltaic prices are dealt with, and methods to manage it are suggested. It is shown that valuing emission at a conservative price and properly discounted, would be enough to finance, on average, the required investments: thus, a low carbon tax is all that would be required to finance the investments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this paper is to analyze the main determinants of the economic acceptability of four Green Technologies (GTs): alternative fuel vehicles, energy savings in residential buildings, smart meters and renewable electricity, using a meta-analysis on a sample of 35 selected papers, which provided 245 primary data. This approach allows detecting relationships across heterogeneous studies, avoiding the subjectivity of qualitative surveys. We implement a new two-step procedure. First, we compute a measure of the implicit price for a kilogram of CO2 avoided (PCO2), homogenizing the usable information for the GTs considered. Second, we conduct a meta-regression using the computed PCO2 values to estimate the socio-economic determinants' impact. In general, our results show a wide degree of acceptability for GTs which is stronger among European citizens. In particular, it emerges that, on average, the estimated PCO2 is positive for the GTs considered, and additional positive effects exist when respondents are confronted with an explicit reference to quantitative targets in terms of CO2 abatement, a clear proposal for payment timing, and a specific renewable electricity mix. These results indicate that information and transparency are crucial to spur GTs deployment. Therefore, to support GTs’ market penetration, public and private institutional stakeholders, have to provide “ad hoc” information to the end users, setting a clear and suitable system of prices to increase the economic value end users place on GTs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The industrial area layout can influence the economic benefit, safety and surrounding environment of an industrial area to a large extent, especially the length of piping and safety. Every year, the construction of new industrial areas requires thousands of tons of steel pipes, resulting in a high consumption of natural resource of iron and high emission of carbon dioxide. Additionally, the long pipeline will increase the energy consumption for material transportation. Meanwhile, accidents in industrial areas can usually result in serious damage to the local environment. So the optimization of industrial area layout holds great significance for natural resource, energy saving, and environment protection. But up to now, very few papers have been reported to consider the use of pipes and safety simultaneously to optimize the layout in industrial area level. Most works only focus on safety aspects, and the impact of connection is ignored. Accordingly, this paper proposes a methodology to optimize the relative position of each plant, whose objective function consists of piping cost and safety cost. In this paper, despite conventional consideration of material piping, steam piping, which features multiple-branches connected pipeline network, is also considered. For safety issues, it is firstly analyzed by qualitative principles to limit position for some specified plants. Then quantitative analysis, including explosion and toxic release, are optimized simultaneously with connection cost. A genetic algorithm is used to solve the proposed model. Kruskal algorithm and Arrangement & Combination are used to calculate the length of steam piping. Finally, a case study illustrates the effectiveness and applicability of the proposed methodology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the decoupling of carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) emissions from agricultural economic growth in 30 Chinese provinces from 1997 to 2014. First, CO 2 emissions from agricultural production activities, farming, and livestock husbandry are computed. Then, this paper explores the spatial and temporal heterogeneity of CO 2 emissions and their intensity in China’s agricultural sector. Finally, this paper compares decoupling of China’s agricultural CO 2 emissions from agricultural output value across different regions and years. The results indicate that fertilizer, in-season rice cultivation, and cattle generated the most CO 2 emissions in the categories of agricultural production activities, farming, and livestock husbandry, respectively. The results also show that East China covered more periods of the strong decoupling of CO 2 emissions from agricultural output value between 1997 and 2014. To decrease CO 2 emissions, this paper suggests imposing a higher value-added tax on fertilizer producers, while waiving value-added tax for organic fertilizer and substituting animal manure for conventional fertilizers where possible. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The accurate calculation of CO 2 emissions in every province in China is the basis for developing regional energy policies. There is a huge fossil-fuel reserve and production capacity in western China, whereas their underdeveloped social and economic status means that there is lower demand. The more developed eastern coastal regions of China show dynamic economic momentum and, hence, higher energy demand. Based on the carbon emission flows in network theory, this paper proposes an approach to recalculate provincial CO 2 emissions from the perspective of secondary energy consumption. This approach attributes CO 2 emissions to final energy consumers after considering cross-provincial secondary energy trading, especially cross-provincial electric power trading in the regional power grid. Given the uneven distribution of energy resources and the imbalance of energy consumption among regions, cross-provincial secondary energy trading in China is significant, especially in the power industry. By adopting the approach proposed in this paper, the provincial carbon intensity and the corresponding energy policy can be modified to make energy end users pay rather than the primary producer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mexico is an important iron and steel manufacturer; it is the 13th largest steel producer in the world. The Mexican iron and steel industry is first in energy consumption for industrial energy use, representing 14.3% of the total industrial final energy consumption and a similar share of related carbon dioxide emissions. The aim and novelty of this paper is to estimate both the energy intensity and CO 2 intensity of the Mexican iron and steel industry in 2010 based on defined system boundaries and an international comparison methodology and to compare the energy intensity of Mexican with those the US and China based on a literature review. The boundaries consider energy consumption for all coke making, pelletizing, sintering, iron making, steel making, steel casting, hot rolling, cold rolling, and processing, such as galvanizing or coating. They also include energy use for net imported pig iron, direct-reduced iron, pellets, lime, oxygen, ingots, blooms, billets, and slabs. Under these boundary conditions, the Mexican iron and steel industry was shown to be more energy efficient and less carbon intense than those the U.S. and China. The reasons for this efficiency are mainly the large shares of the electric arc furnace route (69.4%) and continuous casting (100%) in production and the large share of natural gas in the fuel mix. This paper highlights the importance of the definition of boundaries and clear methodologies to analyse the iron and steel energy efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The contribution of non-metallic sector to global CO 2 emissions is increasing. However, there are very few studies on non-metallic sector CO 2 emissions from international comparative perspective. This paper proposes an integrated model employing LMDI (Logarithmic Mean Divisia Index) decomposition technique and TOPSIS (the Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution) method to contribute to the existing literature by filling the gap that the drivers of aggregate and national level non-metallic sector CO2 emissions and its impacts on CO2 emissions reduction have not been estimated by relevant models. First, we analyze drivers of non-metallic sector CO 2 emissions in BRIC countries and G7 countries using LMDI decomposition method. Second, we evaluate the low-carbon development of non-metallic sector in the 11 major economies from a comprehensive viewpoint of main drivers using TOPSIS assessment model. Finally, based on the results of the model, this paper presents some implications for the non-metallic sector CO2 emissions reduction and low-carbon development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]