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The Belt and Road Initiative was proposed by China in 2013 to promote the interconnected development and prosperity of all participating countries. In the context of global response to climate change, understanding the embodied carbon transfer change along economic trade before and after the Belt and Road Initiative is essential to reduce carbon overall emission. In this paper, we used a multi-regional input-output model to study the embodied carbon transfer in trade between the Belt and Road countries that have signed cooperation documents with China from 2004 to 2017. The results showed that from 2004 to 2017, the growth rate that China's carbon emissions imported from other Belt and Road Initiative countries was about 1.9 times that of its exports. From 2004 to 2017, the proportion of China's carbon imports from other Belt and Road countries in China's total carbon imports increased from 3.41% to 3.73%, and exports decreased from 6.52% to 6.03%. In both 2004 and 2017, Electricity, Gas and Water sector, Heavy Industry sector, Transport sector were the three largest carbon transfer sectors in China's multilateral trade. In 2017, the embodied carbon transfer by multilateral trade among other Belt and Road countries except China increased by 15.53% compared with 2004. By comparing the characteristics of carbon transfer between China and the Belt and Road countries from 2004 to 2017, this study will provide insights for carbon emission reduction policy setting of Belt and Road Initiative countries. • We took countries that have signed documents with China as research objects. • MRIO model was used to analyze the carbon transfer change from 2004 to 2017. • The embodied carbon transfer in 2017 of BRI increased by 15.53% compared with 2004. • The growth rate of China's carbon imports from BRI was 1.9 times that of exports. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Petroleum-contaminated soil (PCS) is a global environmental issue. An effective remediation technique is urgently needed to address this problem. This study applied a semi-aerobic aged refuse biofilter (SAARB) to the decontamination and remediation of PCS. The effects of petroleum content, surfactant content, and water content on oil removal efficiency were studied, and the operation conditions were optimized using the response surface method. Results showed that contents of petroleum and water that were too high or too low depressed total petroleum hydrocarbon (TPH) removal. The presence of surfactant markedly reduced the TPH removal efficiency. The optimal operation conditions were the ratio of aged refuse to PCS = 1.6; water content = 41%; and petroleum content = 3.8%. The TPH removal efficiencies under optimized conditions and during a confirmatory experiment were 59.89% and 51.38%, respectively. PCS contained an abundance of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and macro molecular alkanes, and these organic compounds were considerably removed by SAARB treatment. The microbial community exhibited a marked change at both phylum level and genus level after 3 months of remediation in the PCS. At the genus level, norank_f _SS1–B-06-26 became the most dominant; further isolation and verification experiments for its ability to degrade petroleum are needed. In addition, the abundance of norank_o _Saccharimonadales , Aquabacterium , Hydrogenophaga, and norank_f_ Saccharimonadaceae, which can degrade hydrocarbons, also increased. This study provides a theoretical reference for SAARB application in the remediation of PCS. • Petroleum-contaminated soil was remediated by SAARB technique. • Total petroleum hydrocarbon removal by SAARB was more than 50% under idea condition. • Petroleum hydrocarbons were degraded by SAARB, according to 3D-EEM and GC-MS analysis. • Microbial structure greatly changed after remediating by SAARB. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the current close-to-smart power systems, renewable energies are the most significant elements that need to be carefully addressed in power system studies. In this regard, microgrids (MGs) have been introduced recently to activate the large penetration of renewables. However, integration of such generation technologies that are associated with severe uncertainty in their power output would significantly impact the scheduling of energy resources in MGs. Thus, efficient energy management systems are required to be employed in MGs. Therefore, this paper presents a day-ahead scheduling framework for an MG equipped with a solar photovoltaic (PV) unit. In this respect, different climate conditions and their impacts on the power output of the PV unit and the optimal scheduling of the MG have been investigated in this paper. To this end, four different days from the four seasons have been used to extract the data of solar irradiance. The scheduling problem has been formulated in a single-objective optimization framework, where the objective function is defined as minimizing the total operating cost over the scheduling period. An effective optimization algorithm named "modified krill herd (MKH)" algorithm is proposed to solve the mentioned day-ahead scheduling problem, while there are renewable and non-renewable generating units, besides an energy storage system. Furthermore, a comprehensive comparison has been made between the MKH algorithm and some well-known optimization algorithms to verify the superior performance of the suggested method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As water scarcity intensifies worldwide, the equitable allocation of water resources has emerged as a critical challenge. This research investigates the intricate issue of allocating responsibility for virtual water, a concept that quantifies the water embedded in traded commodities. In pursuit of an effective allocation mechanism, we refine an innovative accounting scheme grounded in economic welfare gains arising from externalities. The results show that water-stressed areas in China, such as Xinjiang, significantly contribute to exporting virtual water and is responsible for 70%–85% of the virtual water outflow. Furthermore, more than 50% of virtual water imported from water-rich regions is attributed to these water-stressed areas while their trade partners bear the rest water responsibility. In contrast, southern China's abundant water resources reduce dependence on virtual water trade, leading to fewer responsibilities. Globally, the allocated responsibility for the new accounting mechanism reaches up to 7.5 times higher than for production-based accounting (PBA) and consumption-based accounting (CBA). Our study also reveals that the degree of dependency (price elasticities) plays a pivotal role in shaping the allocation outcomes. The implications of this research are significant for establishing a transparent and accountable framework for sustainable water resource management and facilitating seamless transitions toward sustainability. As global water scarcity intensifies, the redefined responsibility accounting according to the economic welfare is indispensable in addressing immediate and long-term water-related challenges. • We refine a mechanism to reallocate responsibility based on economic welfare gains. • Notable differences exist between results of the new mechanism and current production, consumption, and income-based methods. • Water-stressed areas bear higher proportions of virtual water responsibility. • Price elasticities play a crucial role in determining responsibility allocations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]