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The energy sector is one of the most important pollutants in the atmosphere and causes significant emissions of greenhouse gases. In Russia, coal is the main contributor to the fossil fuel consumption of thermal power plants and boilers, thus affecting atmospheric air pollution by releasing particulate matter and nitrogen oxides, which are strongly associated with a negative impact on human health. This problem is especially acute for the resource regions of Yenisei, Siberia, a 2.5+ mln sq km macro-region in the very heart of Russia. In this paper, we analyze the impact of the structure of electricity and heat generation on emissions of pollutants and climate-active gases in Yenisei, Siberia, and give an overview of their social, ecological, and economic effects. More than 75% of electricity in Yenisei, Siberia, is produced by hydroelectric power plants that do not pollute the atmosphere. The rest of the electricity is generated in the cogeneration mode by thermal power plants, which are cores of the heat supply designs of cities. The share of individual coal-powered heat sources is still high. A detailed analysis of existing equipment and technologies at existing thermal power plants is needed to select options for their modernization to reduce emissions while keeping coal in use. Our calculations for the biggest cities of Krasnoyarsk Krai show that investments in the transition to heating with pellets will require RUB 184.7 million for Nazarovo and RUB 313.9 million for Kansk. At the same time, switching to electric heating is more than twice as expensive: RUB 498.6 million for Nazarovo and RUB 847.5 million for Kansk. The additional costs will range from RUB 21 to RUB 45.4 thousand per household per year for the pellet variant and from RUB 56.8 to RUB 122.5 thousand per year for electric heating, which could triple the annual heating costs. Thus, these options are unlikely to be implemented without direct state support. We argue that creating an attractive living environment in Yenisei, Siberia, must begin with intensive public investment in mitigating the environmental externalities caused by coal emissions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urban areas are highly complex systems, with interconnections between their political, economic, social, natural and built environments components, and each with its own unique priorities and contexts. They are also facing key global and local sustainability challenges such as a changing climate, air pollution and waste, all of which also present risks for population health. Improving urban sustainability can provide co-benefits for population health; however, the effectiveness--or unintended consequences--of policies or actions can depend on the behaviours and relationships in the wider urban system. The papers published in this special issue explore issues related to urban sustainability and health, including urban design and environmental justice, scale, and informal settlements. The papers also describe issues at the interface of different system components, demonstrating the systemic challenges that can act to enhance or prevent sustainable change. The complexity of urban environments presents challenges for research and policy, both of which can be reductive, and conducted independent from other disciplines or government departments. However, by moving from this siloed approach towards a broader systemic understanding, there are opportunities to develop and implement evidence-based solutions that have the potential to lead to significant improvements in sustainability and health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the context of still-low-but-rising levels of motorization and economic growth, increasing social and spatial inequalities, and growing concerns about air pollution and climate change, the formulation and implementation of policies, practices and partnerships that can support an accelerated implementation of sustainable mobility policies is an urgent concern for rapidly developing cities. This paper seeks to contribute to reframing some of the knowledge and methodologies produced in and about cities of Sub-Saharan Africa, through a comprehensive assessment of mobility patterns and accessibility needs within a larger debate about mobility transitions and sustainable development. By deploying a mixed-methods approach that builds upon case-study focus groups and city-wide accessibility and mobility analysis in the city of Freetown, Sierra Leone's capital, the paper maps travel patterns and their links with structural factors such as urban form, poverty, informality and social identities at the macro, meso and micro levels. The paper also presents evidence from a variety of methods that illustrate the significance of accessibility-centred information and analysis for establishing policy priorities for improving urban mobility and accessibility in the local, African and global contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Considering the significance and importance of urban sustainability in China and China's history of rapid urbanisation and industrialisation, this paper aims to incorporate the investigation of climate change and air pollution in urban sustainability research in China through a driver-pressure-state-impact-response model. The model has 12 indices: population, enterprise, registered vehicles, energy consumption, emissions and concentrations of carbon dioxide and sulfur dioxide, land use change, annual temperature, tropical nights and reforestation were selected. It was used in the analysis of 14 cities in the Liaoning Province. The results show that the model is an effective tool for urban sustainability research, allowing for the investigation of interactions of climate change and air pollution and contributing to the body of knowledge by aiding generation of realistic and practical measures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Health Impact Assessment (HIA) is a decision support tool intended to present timely, evidence--based recommendations to decision makers in all sections of society in order to accentuate potential positive health and well-being impacts (and mitigate potential negative impacts) of policies, plans (including local and neighbourhood plans), programmes and projects (including infrastructure and local development proposals), in order to reduce health inequalities/disparities. HIA is a well established and proven means of linking research evidence from public health and the environmental sciences with equitable decision making processes at all levels, from local to global. It may also provide a platform for examination of research proposals to strengthen the impact statement therein, identifying potential for future public benefit. This paper highlights some of the main drivers for a timely re-emphasis on the use of best scientific evidence and systematic HIA to inform decision making for future public benefit, citing the example of air pollution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The paper reports on the development of UK transport targets for CO2 emissions for 2050. Five key studies containing future carbon emissions scenarios for the UK were used to establish targets for overall reductions in emissions to achieve stabilisation at 550 and 450ppm of atmospheric CO2. Two approaches were used to consider the proportion of total emissions that would be attributable to transport in the future: 26% of total emissions as now and an increase to 41% of total emissions in line with forecasts. The overall targets and expected contributions from transport were used to derive target emissions for the transport sector to be achieved by 2050, which ranged from 8.2 to 25.8MtC. Even the weakest of these targets represents a considerable reduction from current emissions levels. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]