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Pastureland maintenance is seen as a land-based measure to reduce dependency on feed concentrates and mitigate greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from livestock production in the EU, while providing other ecosystems services. This paper assesses potential market-mediated impacts, including global Land Use Change (LUC) and GHG emissions, from increased subsidies to pasture-based livestock production in the EU. A tax recycling strategy (TRS) is simulated against a baseline up to 2030 under the shared socioeconomic pathway 2 (SSP2). This implies a budget-neutral increase in the level of pasture subsidies in individual Member States, as land subsidies for other cropping activities decrease. We employ the computable general equilibrium (CGE) model GTAP in its recursive-dynamic version, GTAP-RDEM, extended with the Multi-Regional Input-Output (MRIO) database FABIO to disaggregate agri-food sectors from 21 to 31. This approach allows considering price- and income-dependent feedbacks when assessing long-run changes in the global economy, improving the sectoral resolution relative to GTAP v10. The policy increases pastureland areas and cattle production in almost all EU Member States, whereas cropland and crop production decrease, causing significant changes across EU agri-food markets. Crop prices increase, leading to the reduced output of intensive animal production sectors, mainly pig and poultry. Cropland areas decrease and most EU countries increase imports of grain, oilseeds, and cakes, essentially soybean cake from Brazil and North America. While GHG emissions decrease in those EU countries where pasturelands expand mainly at the cost of croplands, GHG emissions increase in those countries where pastureland expansion comes with forest loss. As a result, net GHG emissions increase in the EU-27 in 2030 (+2.49 Mt CO 2 -eq). Emissions from LUC in major non-EU grain- and oilseed-exporting countries increase, e.g., by 102.52 Mt CO 2 -eq in Brazil and by 129.17 Mt CO 2 -eq in North America. The simulated policy shows that promoting extensive livestock per se does not meet the objectives of the Common Agricultural Policy and the EU Green Deal. The TRS should be complemented with policies to foster crop diversification and promote the use of domestic feed sources (e.g., legumes) to effectively ensure feed self-sufficiency and that extensive cattle production in the EU does not lead to deforestation in carbon-rich countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the last years, the huge success of shale gas and oil exploitation in North America and enhanced oil recovery by injecting carbon dioxide have attracted more attentions in petroleum industry. The reasonable scheme for shale oil production is a key step for sustainable and high-efficiency products of shale resources, which is dependent on the basic law of liquid flow. In this paper, a multiscale model is established based on homogenization theory to investigate the law of liquid flow within shale system. Considering the results of molecular dynamics simulation, the Navier-Stokes equation coupled with slip boundary is used to describe the liquid flow within microscale domain and the slip-corrected Darcy-like transport model in which clear physical meaning can be shown for every parameter can be derived for macroscale domain. In order to validate derived model, three cases including water and oil flow within simple nanopores are implemented and the results show that homogenization models match well with the results of molecular dynamics simulation for water flow with different contact angle and oil flow within inorganic pore. However, high-order slip-corrected model will deviate from the molecular dynamics simulation for oil flow within simple organic pore when pore size is smaller than 5.24 nm. Then the fractal porous medias are reconstructed based on Monte Carlo simulation and the several critical parameters are discussed. Finally, the results of homogenization model are applied in reservoir scale model to investigate shale oil production performance for economic evaluation and production optimization. Image 1 • Homogenization model for liquid flow is established while coupled with Navier-Stokes equation and slip boundary which is compared with the results of the molecular simulation for simple pore structure. • The fractal porous medias are reconstructed based on Monte Carlo simulation. • The results of homogenization model are applied to predict shale oil production for economic evaluation and production optimization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The purpose of this paper is to explore the use of the Dow Jones Sustainability Index (DJSI), with an emphasis on Canadian corporations. The paper provides insight into the use of the DJSI in several areas, including the use of its logo, the steps taken by corporations to achieve initial acceptance to the index, and the steps corporations take to maintain their inclusion in the DJSI. A content analysis of publicly available information from 24 Canadian corporations listed in the DJSI North America (DJSINA) showed that less than half of those sampled used the DJSI logo in their sustainability reports or on their websites. The majority of the published references to the DJSI were in highlighting corporate achievements or in providing background information on the index. A survey of 10 experts from the Canadian corporations listed in the DJSINA revealed a wide range of strategies for gaining and maintaining inclusion in the index, particularly involving a large number of internal stakeholders in responding to data requests and working with third parties. Several suggestions for improving the DJSI were also provided, including streamlining the questionnaire, improving coordination among sustainability ratings agencies, and enhancing transparency. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

People's focus on either financial benefit or ecological benefit makes decisions on unconventional oil and gas extraction hard. This paper combines the energy return ratio with the financial return ratio through a comprehensive analysis model, which is more parsimonious and more objective than other comprehensive analysis models. The model was applied to analyze the comprehensive energy/financial efficiency of seven sample unconventional petroleum (oil and gas) companies in North America. Among them, four are oil sands operating companies with the largest oil sands production and three are shale oil and shale gas operating companies with the largest number of drilled but uncompleted shale wells, and complete available data. Results of our analysis indicate that during the most recent seven years the selected companies' energy return ratio and financial return ratio of unconventional oil and gas extraction operations show obviously different tendencies as a result of oil price fluctuations. However, their comprehensive energy/financial efficiency indicators show no significant trend, which was different from the cases for either one of the individual indicators. We demonstrated that a comprehensive indicator combining both energy and financial efficiency indicators could be more accurate than either one of them individually, to measure the sustainability and the true value of a company or business unit, recognizing both economic and biophysical value. We concluded by suggesting that the energy return on investment indicator and the comprehensive efficiency indicator both be disclosed and audited along with financial and commodity reserves metrics. Such a summary statistic will be more useful for investors and public policy analysts than the various energy efficiency statistics buried in the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) reports voluntarily produced by various companies. We argue that this summary statistic would provide incentives for companies to innovate and to improve efficiency as well as meet public policy objectives in energy and environment even when the commodity price makes it easier to meet financial objectives. Image 1021 • Energy return metric is affected less than financial one by price volatility. • Tendencies for energy return ratio and financial return ratio diverge. • Combined financial and energy ratio provides more accurate information. • Formal audited report of energy and financial efficiency indicators is recommended. • Energy and financial efficiency reporting improves fossil fuel company performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The paper reviews some of the many initiatives and efforts to build networks and institute policies promoting sustainable production and consumption (SPAC) values and practices in North America since the 1992 UN Conference on Environment and Development. It analyzes a selection of SPAC initiatives in Canada and USA from the NASCA/CEC database, drawing also on interviews with representatives from government, businesess, consumer and environmental organizations on their experience and efforts to “take the lead” in influencing public opinion and behavior as well as government and corporate policy towards SPAC. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Rooftop agriculture (RA) is a building-based form of urban agriculture that includes both protected and nonprotected farming practices, such as rooftop greenhouses as well as open-air rooftop gardens and farms. The use of underexploited urban spaces on buildings for farming purposes is considered a useful strategy for targeting global concerns (e.g., the limitations in food security and land access, impacts of climate change or social exclusion). While previous studies have addressed selected RA cases and the general worldwide dissemination of RA, a systematic evaluation integrating the constantly evolving sector and its diversity (both commercial and noncommercial) is currently lacking. Here, we provide an overview of the current status of RA based on a metadata analysis of 185 publicly accessible cases. This paper summarizes the global trends and spatial distribution of RA cases and presents their main features. The results present the global distribution of different RA types over time, their diverging farming purposes and further characteristics (such as farm sizes, building typologies, growing systems, products and reported yields, activities, implementation of resource-efficient practices, or economic and social activities). The results indicate an emphasis on RA cases in North America (44% of the analyzed cases) and show that RA practices are mainly represented by open-air farms and gardens (84%), as the growing sector of rooftop greenhouses is still relatively small. Similarly, commercial cases are scarce, with the majority of RA cases targeting social-educational goals or the improvement of urban living quality. This tendency suggests a range of currently untapped business opportunities that, if developed, may contribute to the evolution of more sustainable and resilient city food systems providing fresh crops from the inner urban fabric. In conclusion, the research showed a rising global interest in RA, although stronger policy intervention is crucial to upscale RA practices to reach decisive environmental, economic and social benefits at the city level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]