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Hydrogen has been widely recognised as a versatile and environmentally-friendly energy carrier, with a broad range of potential applications across various sectors. The abundance of hydrogen in the universe and its high energy content makes it an attractive alternative to conventional fossil fuels. Moreover, the utilization of hydrogen does not produce greenhouse gases or other pollutants that contribute to air pollution and climate change. In recent years, there has been a growing interest in developing and deploying hydrogen technologies for a sustainable energy future. This paper provides an in-depth exploration of the potential of hydrogen as a clean energy source in different sectors, such as transportation, energy storage, power generation, industry, buildings, maritime transport, and aviation. The aim of the paper is to provide an overview of the current state of hydrogen applications in Europe and the Baltic States, including examples of ongoing projects and initiatives, and to assess the advantages and disadvantages of hydrogen technologies in different sectors. The main results of the paper highlight that hydrogen has the potential to significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions and achieve carbon neutrality targets. However, the deployment of hydrogen technologies also faces various challenges such as high production costs, lack of infrastructure, and safety concerns. The tasks of the paper are to provide an insight into the potential of hydrogen, identify the challenges and limitations, and highlight ongoing research and development efforts in this field. The paper concludes that the widespread adoption of hydrogen technologies is a long-term goal that requires the cooperation of various stakeholders and the development of innovative and cost-effective solutions. Despite the challenges, the current state of hydrogen applications and ongoing projects in Europe and the Baltic States demonstrate that hydrogen has the potential to play a significant role in the transition to a sustainable and low-carbon future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reducing emissions from fluorinated gases (F-gases) is considered one of the key conditions for the European Union (EU) to be able to meet the requirements of the European Green Deal, primary objectives of which are the reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by at least 55% by 2030 compared to 1990 and the gradual transition to net climate neutrality by 2050. To this end, a quota system for hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) is already in place, introduced through the updated F-Gas Regulation (517/2014). The aim of this paper is to review an innovative scheme currently under development that strongly promotes the Recovery, Recycling and Reuse (3R) of F-gases extracted from the heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration (HVAC-R) equipment of the building sector, thus offering a sustainable alternative source for refrigerant supplies. Therefore, the basic operating principles of the so-called "3R ECOSYSTEM" are outlined and especially its three main components, which are: the self-certification/self-declaration platform, the F-gas identification and recycling units (prototypes) and the Retradeables marketplace. In addition, an overview of both the demonstration phase and the scheduled replication phase of the 3R ECOSYSTEM is provided, including the estimated impact on carbon dioxide (CO2) savings due to the progressive uptake of the circular use of existing F-gases across Europe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Internal Combustion Engines (ICE) are experiencing a transition era in which research and innovation are mainly pushed by environmental issues: emission reduction and fuel saving are indispensable requirements of the new technologies, otherwise the end of ICE is proposed in Europe. Modifications, in reality, are under discussion by 2026 but the environmental issues are anyway welcomed. In the transportation sector, today dominated by ICEs, it appears that the reduction in the propulsion power, hybridization at various degrees, and exhaust post-treatment improvements will guarantee technological solutions able to support the transition in the next couple of decades toward full electric propulsion. Waste Heat Recovery (WHR) is a very interesting opportunity since almost two-thirds of fuel energy is not converted into mechanically useful energy. Moreover, the integration with other thermal streams on board (cooling and lubricating mediums, EGR cooling) can add further value to the recovery opportunity as well as the concept of managing the engine thermal management which can produce a sensible contribution that is appreciated mainly during urban driving. A huge scientific effort is underway, and a great expectation is perceptible. More generally, the technological options that can achieve a reduction in overall fuel consumption and, thus, the improvement of global engine efficiency, are the most valuable when they can be introduced without massive changes to the engine layout. This happens in all the energy applications in which ICEs are involved since the recovery unit can be introduced in the exhaust line. The mechanical energy recovered can be easily transformed into electrical energy, so represents an interesting integration with the hybrid propulsion powertrains. In this paper, a review of the most important technologies referred to the WHR is presented, outlining advantages and drawbacks, and setting up the presently available technologies referred to the transportation sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Renewable energy sources (RESs) and electricity demand are not evenly distributed geographically across Europe. Thus, harvesting the wind energy from the north and solar energy from the south and delivering them to the demand in central Europe is a more viable solution. However, the present High-voltage alternating current (HVAC) transmission grids have been sometimes congested; thus, High-voltage direct current (HVDC) provides another possibility along the existing HVAC infrastructure. In this paper, we propose a hybrid HVAC-HVDC grid, allowing a large penetration of concentrated RES in Europe and North Africa. More specifically, the HVDC network is constructed to transfer wind and hydro electricity from northwestern Europe and solar electricity from north Africa, while the HVAC network is used to distribute electricity within each country or among adjacent areas. To quantitatively evaluate the feasibility and relevant performances, multiple dimensions of indicators are designed. Employing several European energy scenarios up to 2050, the performances of the proposed HVAC-HVDC infrastructure are analyzed and compared. The calculation results show that compared with the pure HVAC grid, the integrated HVAC-HVDC grid can significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions and pollutants, leading to a further reduction in the number of deaths from air pollution. In addition, the HVAC-HVDC grids can accommodate a higher penetration of RES without causing infeasible power flows. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The implementation of new energy policies and standards for NZEB is expected to lead to a significant reduction of GHG emissions from building use in Europe in the next decades. On the other side, the growing pressure on insulation materials risks to significantly contribute to the exhaustion of the remaining carbon budget due to the high carbon intensity of conventional insulation for material processing. Consequently, storing carbon in construction products and promoting circular economies able to generate up-cycling processes from industrial or post-consumption waste are the key strategies to promote an effective transition toward a carbon-neutral society. Fashion & clothing is one of the manufacturing sectors which mostly contributes to waste generation and fossil GHG emission. This paper presents the main outcomes achieved from RECYdress project, which focuses on the valorisation of wasted textile collected by municipal districts to develop novel thermal insulations for building applications. Three alternative conceptual manufacturing processes were defined at lab scale based on different treatment of textile fibres, with produced specimens tested for thermal characterization. Finally, the LCA results of an ETICS application for façade renovation were compared considering as functional unit 1m2 of façade with similar thermal resistance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To meet the target of reducing greenhouse gas emissions, hydrogen as a carbon-free fuel is expected to play a major role in future energy supplies. A challenge with hydrogen is its low density and volumetric energy value, meaning that large tanks are needed to store and transport it. By injecting hydrogen into the natural gas network, the transportation issue could be solved if the hydrogen–natural gas mixture satisfies the grid gas quality requirements set by legislation and standards. The end consumers usually have stricter limitations on the gas quality than the grid, where Euromot, the European association of internal combustion engine manufacturers, has specific requirements on the parameters: the methane number and Wobbe index. This paper analyses how much hydrogen can be added into the natural gas grid to fulfil Euromot's requirements. An average gas composition was calculated based on the most common ones in Europe in 2021, and the results show that 13.4% hydrogen can be mixed with a gas consisting of 95.1% methane, 3.2% ethane, 0.7% propane, 0.3% butane, 0.3% carbon dioxide, and 0.5% nitrogen. The suggested gas composition indicates for engine manufacturers how much hydrogen can be added into the gas to be suitable for their engines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

New propulsion systems in aircrafts must meet strict regulations and emission limitations. The Flightpath 2050 goals set by the Advisory Council for Aviation Research and Innovation in Europe (ACARE) include reductions of 75%, 90%, and 65% in CO2, NOx, and noise, respectively. These goals are not fully satisfied by marginal improvements in gas turbine technology or aircraft design. A novel control design procedure for the next generation of turbofan engines is proposed in this paper to improve Full Authority Digital Engine Control (FADEC) systems and reduce the emission levels to meet the Flightpath 2050 regulations. Hence, an Adaptive Network–based Fuzzy Inference System (ANFIS), nonlinear autoregressive network with exogenous inputs (NARX) techniques, and the block-structure Hammerstein–Wiener approach are used to develop a model for a turbofan engine. The Min–Max control structure is chosen as the most widely used practical control algorithm for gas turbine aero engines. The objective function is considered to minimize the emission level for the engine in a pre-defined maneuver while keeping the engine performance in different aspects. The Genetic Algorithm (GA) is applied to find the optimized control structure. The results confirm the effectiveness of the proposed approach in emission reduction for the next generation of turbofan engines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a solution to mitigate the effects of climate change, scientists have been looking for more environmentally friendly energy production alternatives, so, since the 2000s, renewable energy production has increased across Europe. Climate change has a negative impact on our planet, with increased emissions of greenhouse gases contributing to global warming. In this context, biogas has become a promising solution for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and improving environmental quality. The purpose of the study is to review the evolution of research and development in this field, identify trends and gaps in existing knowledge, and assess the impact and significance of published research. In this sense, a bibliometric analysis was carried out, based on the topics "renewable energy" and "biogas", in which VosViewer software was used to create maps. The research results show that existing policies worldwide encourage transfer and synergy between researchers from different countries, achieving important results. Practically, researches and examples of good practise show that biogas can be a viable solution to mitigate the effects of climate change, and in the coming decades, under the conditions of the population growth estimates materialization, we will most likely witness an intensification of agriculture to ensure the population's food needs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While concentrations of most air pollutants have been decreasing in Europe over the last 20 years, O 3 is showing variable trends, with increasing average and decreasing peak concentrations. The complexity of O 3 chemistry adds to the difficulty of understanding both the trends observed and how concentrations can be mitigated. This paper tries to answer the following questions: which emission sectors should be targeted and what levels of reduction could be achieved? To address these reflections, an Atlas of O 3 chemical regimes has been constructed. For this Atlas, 22 European cities were selected and the surrogate model Air Control Toolbox (ACT) was used to evaluate the simulated changes in several ozone metrics as a result of reductions in road transport and industrial emissions. O 3 chemical regimes have been classified and put in perspective with meteorological and emission data at each city location and around. The O 3 sensitivity to road transport and industrial emissions differ from one city to another, but also for the same city when considering different ozone metrics and seasons (e.g., annual means versus SOMO35 or summer peaks). Counterproductive impacts yielding O 3 increase when emissions are reduced are mainly encountered in regions or periods where O 3 concentration are relatively low. In terms of meteorological factors, O 3 chemical regimes are mostly impacted by the amount of solar radiation received but wind speed also has a considerable impact. Most cases show a higher sensitivity to emission reductions from road transport or equal sensitivity to emission reductions from road transport and industry. Very few cases are more sensitive to emissions from the industrial sector. However, the response of annual or seasonal average O 3 metrics to industrial and road transport emissions can be considered relatively low with a maximum reduction of 33% for a 100% reduction of both industrial and road transport emissions. This is because anthropogenic emission can only mitigate ozone above a substantial natural tropospheric background. It is precisely this incremental anthropogenic ozone, which should be targeted by efficient policies as we also demonstrate that none of the cities studied would exceed the European target value with a 100% reduction in emissions. • An atlas of ozone chemical regimes has been constructed for 22 European cities. • O 3 sensitivity to road transport and industrial emissions differ when considering different ozone metrics and different periods of the year. • Counterproductive effects of precursors emission reductions on ozone are a concern where and when ozone concentrations are low. • On the contrary, significant reductions of precursor emissions are found to reduce the number of exceedances of the EU target limit value. • In most cities, mitigation of road transport yields larger benefit to ozone air pollution than mitigation of the industrial sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Investigation of GHG pollutants persistence in Europe and major economic areas. • Mean reversion properties and the integration factor is examined for CO2, CH4, and NO2 (2000-2021) • Empirical evidence of mean reversion in CO2 emissions across all countries. • CH4 and NO2 show reduced persistence and not all countries exhibit mean reversion properties. • These empirical findings highlight policy progress, but underscore the need for further efforts. This paper investigates the persistence of GHG in Europe, evaluating the effectiveness of government policies, including the Kyoto Protocol and the EU Council commitment. Mean reversion properties, and the structure of the integration factor were examined to determine the degree of persistence across markets and assess policy effectiveness. The analysis focuses on CO 2 , CH 4 , and NO 2 pollutants, with monthly data starting in January 2000 and ending in December 2021 from major European countries, and the US, Japan, Brazil, China, and India for comparison purposes. Empirical results show clear evidence of mean reversion in CO 2 emissions observed across all countries, indicating certain degrees of stabilization. Similar patterns are seen for CH 4 , and NO 2 , observing reduced persistence of these pollutants; however not all countries exhibit mean reversion properties. Thus, these findings highlight policy progress in stabilizing GHG emissions, particularly for CO 2 , but underscore the need for further efforts to achieve a substantial emissions reduction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• One of the most sparsely populated areas in Europe. • Long distances to services and other destinations for daily activities. • Two villages were selected due to ongoing DiSS initiatives. • The results support the idea that DiSS could be a viable solution to mitigate and counteract accessibility poverty in rural areas. • DiSS for reducing long-distance private car journeys in reducing greenhouse gas emissions. • Essential to support older people in adopting digital solutions for a more sustainable digital transition. Norrbotten region is one of the most sparsely populated areas in Europe, with often long distances to services. This paper aims to gain a deeper understanding of the everyday mobilities in later life in rural areas, and to assess to what extent digital service solutions (DiSS) can contribute to reduced accessibility poverty. The study focuses on how DiSS contribute to more equitable accessibility by means of a case study in two villages, selected due to implemented DiSS (store with digital locks, digital hubs, etc.). Interviews with older people and other informants show the potential of DiSS to counteract accessibility poverty by bringing services nearer to home and reducing the need for longer trips, while contributing to the creation of healthier and more resilient environments. If implemented carefully, DiSS can have the potential to contribute to the development of more transport-efficient and socially just societies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyses decarbonisation scenarios for the European passenger car fleet in 2050. The scenarios have been developed using the backcasting approach and aim to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of passenger cars to a level defined in the Transport White paper that is 60% below 1990 levels. Considering the emission levels of 2010, a yearly reduction of 1.7% is required in order to achieve the target. Car emissions were decomposed into the main emission factors of mobility, efficiency and carbon intensity. How these factors change over time depends on various external factors: the pace of technological improvements, the future role of cars in society’s mobility system and the priority given to decarbonising energy demand. The analysis showed that if car mobility and ownership continue to increase as expected in a ‘business as usual’ case, a share of 97% plug-in hybrid or battery electric vehicles might be required by 2050, together with a substantial decrease in greenhouse gas emission from electricity production. A transition to more advanced car technology such as automated driving, advanced batteries or lightweight materials in vehicle production would raise vehicle efficiency. Should car mobility continue at a high level, an early technology transition will be required. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a comprehensive taxonomy and assessment of existing and emerging space cooling technologies in Europe. The study aims to categorize 32 alternative space cooling technologies based on eight scouting parameters (physical energy form, basic working/operating principle, refrigerant or heat transfer medium, phase of the working fluid, specific physical process/device, type of space cooling technology, fuel type and technology readiness level) and evaluate their key characteristics and development trends. The increasing demand for space cooling in Europe necessitates a thorough understanding of these technologies and their potential for energy efficiency. The majority of space cooling demand in Europe is currently met by conventional vapour compression systems, while a small portion is covered by thermally-driven heat pumps. The study reveals that several alternative space cooling technologies show promise for energy-efficient cooling but are not yet competitive with vapour compression systems in terms of efficiency and cost in the short-term and medium-term. However, technologies such as membrane heat pumps, thermionic systems, thermotunnel systems, and evaporative liquid desiccant systems demonstrate cost-competitiveness and energy efficiency in specific applications. The findings highlight the need for further research and development to improve the efficiency, costs, and market competitiveness of alternative space cooling technologies. The study also emphasizes the importance of policy support and the urgency to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, which can drive the adoption and advancement of sustainable cooling solutions. • The study provides a taxonomy of 32 space cooling technologies in the EU • Eight scouting parameters are discussed to categorize the space cooling technologies • Most of the alternative technologies have potential but can't compete in efficiency and cost • Only ten of the alternative cooling technologies have a TRL between 5 and 9 • Membrane heat pumps, thermionic systems, thermotunnel systems, and evaporative liquid desiccant systems are cost-competitive and energy-efficient in certain applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The market of batteries for electric mobility is expected to greatly expand in Europe during the next decades. The most sustainable batteries to be produced in the future depend on the primary and secondary resources available and on the capacity to produce and recycle battery cells. This paper proposes an optimization model based on Material Flow Analysis and prospective Life Cycle Assessment which allows us to suggest the types of batteries which should be produced and recycled, the primary and secondary resources to be used, and in which quantities. Several scenarios are proposed to address the uncertainty of the future batteries market. In the Reference Scenario, designed to reflect the European policies, the results show that Europe would achieve high self-sufficiency from external producers (72%), but this percentage could decrease drastically in the case of alternative scenarios (up to 35%). Furthermore, in the Reference Scenario, lithium-iron-phosphates (40%) and lithium-air (23%) batteries result to be the best options. To cut the consumption of lithium and cobalt, sodium-ion cells (3%) could also be considered for manufacturing or even nickel-cobalt-manganese (6%) type to exploit secondary cobalt. In alternative scenarios instead, the proposed algorithm would suggest different choices as a function of the boundary conditions. For instance, in case the demand and the re-use rate of the cells are higher than in the Reference Scenario, the environmental impact of batteries for mobility turns out to increase because of the lower self-sufficiency of the European industry. • Material flow analysis and prospective LCA are integrated into an optimization model. • Several scenarios are set to address the uncertainty of the future batteries industry. • The European batteries' production and recycling to cut GHG emissions are assessed. • The optimal management of primary and secondary resources is evaluated in time. • The model evaluates the batteries industry's relevant GHG mitigation (up to −45%). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Several methods exist for quantifying fugitive methane emissions from landfills. • Temporal and spatial variations in methane emissions are a challenge for all methods. • Downwind methods are best for quantifying methane emissions. Fugitive methane (CH 4) emissions from landfills are significant global sources of greenhouse gases emitted into the atmosphere; thus, reducing them would be a beneficial way of overall greenhouse gas emissions mitigation. In Europe, landfill owners have to report their annual CH 4 emissions, so direct measurements are therefore important for (1) evaluating and improving currently applied CH 4 emission models, (2) reporting annual CH 4 emissions and (3) quantifying CH 4 mitigation initiatives. This paper aims at providing an overview of currently available methodologies used to measure fugitive CH 4 emissions escaping from landfills. The measurement methodologies are described briefly, and the advantages and limitations of the different techniques are discussed with reference to published literature on the subject. Examples are given of individual published studies using different methodologies and studies comparing three or more methodologies. This review suggests that accurate, whole-site CH 4 emission quantifications are best done using methods measuring downwind of the landfill, such as tracer gas dispersion and differential absorption LiDAR (DIAL). Combining aerial CH 4 concentration measurements from aircraft or unmanned aerial vehicles with wind field measurements offers a great future potential for improved and cost-efficient integrated landfill CH 4 emission quantification. However, these methods are difficult to apply for longer time periods, so in order to measure temporal CH 4 emission changes, e.g. due to the effect of changes in atmospheric conditions (pressure, wind and precipitation), a measurement method that is able to measure continuously is required. Such a method could be eddy covariance or static mass balance, although these procedures are challenged by topography and inhomogeneous spatial emission patterns, and as such they can underestimate emissions significantly. Surface flux chambers have been used widely, but they are likely to underestimate emission rates, due to the heterogeneous nature of most landfill covers resulting in sporadic and localised CH 4 emission hotspots being the dominant emission routes. Furthermore, emissions from wells, vents, etc. are not captured by surface flux chambers. The significance of any underestimation depends highly on the configuration of individual landfills, their size and emission patterns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) is an important external driver of European agricultural production. Nowadays and in its envisioned future structure post-2020, the CAP has among its major objectives tackling climate change, for what concerns both adaptation and mitigation strategies. However, little is known about the link between past CAP reforms and agricultural greenhouse gases (GHG) emissions. This paper investigates the possible role played by the Fischler Reform (FR) on the agricultural GHG emissions at the farm level. The FR represents a major CAP reform for which data availability allows an ex-post analysis about its actual impacts. The empirical analysis concerns a balanced panel of 6542 Italian Farm Accountancy Data Network observed over years the 2003–2007. Multinomial Logit models are estimated in sequence to express how the farm-level production choices, and the respective emissions, vary over time also in response to CAP expenditure. Results suggest that CAP expenditure had a role in the evolution of the farm-level emissions, though the direction of this effect may differ across farms and deserves further investigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the last few years, the water-energy nexus concept has emerged as a global issue. However, studies on European countries are relatively few, and often focused on agriculture. Cooling purposes represent the main part of industrial water demand, and waste-heat recovery is a main strategy to improve resource efficiency. This paper presents a real case study of low-temperature waste-heat recovery in an electric steelmaking industry and evaluates the impact of feasible interventions on primary energy and water consumption, as well as on CO2 equivalent emissions. Based on a Europe wide review of energy and water prices, of energy sources and corresponding resource efficiency indicators, a Monte Carlo model was developed to undertake a generalization of the case study to the EU-15. It was found that solutions with the lowest primary energy demand and the lowest CO2 equivalent emissions demonstrate the greatest water footprint. This is the case of some southern European countries, where heat recovery projects with the highest water intensity are feasible due to high electricity and low water prices. As increasing carbon prices may exacerbate this phenomenon, inducing a switch to water intensive technologies, incentives to carbon emission reduction should be carefully designed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the paper is to address the EU policy for achieving low carbon economy by assessing energy technologies in electricity and road transport sector based on costs and impact on climate change and to indicate the most competitive electricity and transport technologies taking into account EU policy targets in GHG emission reduction, utilization of renewable and energy efficiency improvements. The main tasks of the paper are: to develop the multi-criteria framework for comparative assessment of energy technologies by applying MCDM methods for the electricity generation and transport technologies assessment. The interval TOPSIS method is employed in order to tackle the uncertain criteria. The assessment framework allows the comparison of electricity generation technologies and road transport technologies in terms of their GHG emission reduction and economic impacts and facilitates decision making process in energy sector seeking to implement EU energy policies. The main indicators selected for technologies assessment are: private costs and life cycle GHG emissions. The ranking of energy technologies based on private costs and GHG emissions allowed prioritizing these technologies taking into account the lowest GHG emission reduction costs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Incentivizing development and deployment of renewable energy sources (RES), but also other low carbon technologies (LCT), has been a successful way of promoting new technologies by creating a feasible investment case and making them competitive with traditional energy sources. Although different incentive mechanisms exist, feed-in tariffs have shown to be the best model for accelerating LCT development guaranteeing producers preferential prices for the produced electricity over a period of time and enabling them access to the power network to sell/inject produced electricity. Due to these benefits, feed-in tariff models are the most common model for stimulating RES integration in southeast Europe. The paper reviews the current state of preferential tariffs for RES in countries of southeast Europe. While some countries already have significant installed RES capacity, others are still in the planning stage. The review shows that the amount of installed capacity of a specific technology has a strong impact on the support for the future projects for same technology. This comprehensive review of legislative development supporting RES, as well as technologies preferred in different countries of the region, is supported with feasibility assessment of investing in RES using the example of two different technology projects, wind and photovoltaic, analysing the impact of the current tariffs on the return on investment for each country of the region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Extracting pieces of concrete from obsolete buildings and reusing them, as is, in new assemblies is today rarely considered a strategy for improving the sustainability of the construction sector. By delaying the crushing of concrete into aggregates and avoiding the need for fresh cement in new buildings, the circular strategy is however expected to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and threats to natural ecosystems. In reaction, the authors postulate that (1) built precedents of Piecewise Reuse of Extracted Concrete in new Structures (PRECS) have existed for several decades, (2) a large diversity of proven implementation techniques is readily available but knowledge is fragmented, (3) barriers to a broader adoption can be inferred from the existing documentation and are largely transitional. To support these postulates, this study first builds an original collection of 77 PRECS projects designed between 1967 and 2022 in Europe and the U.S.A. Next, a diachronic analysis determines seven historical trends and three periods since 1967, shedding new light on the development of PRECS and its design possibilities. Supporting and limiting forces for a broader adoption of PRECS are then identified through a synchronic analysis. Recommendations for future research directions are also given. In conclusion, this paper demonstrates that the reuse of concrete components is a practice with already a long history and several successful operations in terms of environmental impact and cost, which hence supports the potential of PRECS to become a more widespread strategy of cleaner construction. • Reusing concrete pieces in new structures is a rarely considered sustainability strategy. • An original database of 77 concrete reuse case studies is built and analyzed. • Ecological benefits are confirmed for a wide range of built cases. • Circumstances leading to economic benefits are identified. • Industrial and scientific developments can accelerate the strategy implementation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Globally, efforts are underway to reduce anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions and to adapt to climate change impacts at the local level. However, there is a poor understanding of the relationship between city strategies on climate change mitigation and adaptation and the relevant policies at national and European level. This paper describes a comparative study and evaluation of cross-national policy. It reports the findings of studying the climate change strategies or plans from 200 European cities from Austria, Belgium, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Spain and the United Kingdom. The study highlights the shared responsibility of global, European, national, regional and city policies. An interpretation and illustration of the influences from international and national networks and policy makers in stimulating the development of local strategies and actions is proposed. It was found that there is no archetypical way of planning for climate change, and multiple interests and motivations are inevitable. Our research warrants the need for a multi-scale approach to climate policy in the future, mainly ensuring sufficient capacity and resource to enable local authorities to plan and respond to their specific climate change agenda for maximising the management potentials for translating environmental challenges into opportunities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Numerous Life Cycle Analysis of bread pointed out that wheat production and transportation have important impacts on the environment. But wheat is grown all around the world and it is not always consumed where it is produced. In this paper an analysis of the wheat movements around Europe is done, taking special attention on the Spanish situation. An optimization of wheat exchanges is done eliminating the import–export overlapping. This optimization entails a reduction of the number of trips by 34% and the CO 2 emissions reduction due to transportation is calculated to be 121.175 tones. Consequently less trips, fewer trucks, less traffic and lower emissions that brings economic, social and environmental benefits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to reach Europe׳s 2020 and 2050 targets in terms of greenhouse gas emissions, geothermal resources will have to contribute substantially to meeting carbon-free energy needs. However, public opinion may prevent future large-scale application of deep geothermal power plants, because induced seismicity is often perceived as an unsolicited and uncontrollable side effect of geothermal development. In the last decade, significant advances were made in the development of models to forecast induced seismicity, which are either based on catalogues of induced seismicity, on the underlying physical processes, or on a hybrid philosophy. In this paper, we provide a comprehensive overview of the existing approaches applied to geothermal contexts. This overview will outline the advantages and drawbacks of the different approaches, identify the gaps in our understanding, and describe the needs for geothermal observations. Most of the forecasting approaches focus on the stimulation phase of enhanced geothermal systems which are most prone to generate seismic events. Besides the statistical models suited for real-time applications during reservoir stimulation, the physics-based models have the advantage of considering sub-surface characteristics and estimating the impact of fluid circulation on the reservoir. Hence, to mitigate induced seismicity during major hydraulic stimulations, application of hybrid methods in a decision support system seems the best available solution. So far, however, little attention has been paid to geochemical effects on the failure process and to production periods. Quantitative modelling of induced seismicity still is a challenging and complex matter. Appropriate resources remain to be invested for the scientific community to continue its research and development efforts to successfully forecast induced seismicity in geothermal fields. This is a prerequisite for making this renewable energy resource sustainable and accessible worldwide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper discusses the perceptions of some of the key stakeholders related with the European automotive manufacturers, automotive related industries – oil, tyres, electric batteries and information technology industries – and academia, about the technological contributions to lower greenhouse gas emissions of individual passenger vehicles. A qualitative approach, based on semi-structured interviews, was used in order to identify and explore possible relationships, causes, effects and dynamic processes. Technological and behavioural aspects were identified as crucial for the decrease of fossil fuels consumption and hence reducing carbon dioxide emissions. It was concluded that there is a strong focus on lowering the greenhouse gas and carbon dioxide emissions in the automotive sector and related industries concerning innovation process; furthermore there is a need for major stakeholders, including policy makers, to look at sustainable mobility using a more holistic and inclusive approach to achieve an effective delivery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper provides an account of urban greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from 40 countries in Europe and examines covariates of emissions levels. We use a 'top-down' analysis of emissions as spatially reported in the Emission Dataset for Global Atmospheric Research supplemented by Carbon Monitoring for Action from 1153 European cities larger than 50 000 population in 2000 (comprising >81 % of the total European urban population). Urban areas are defined spatially and demographically by the Global Rural Urban Mapping Project. We compare these results with 'bottom-up' carbon accounting method results for cities in the region. Our results suggest that direct (Scopes 1 and 2) GHG emissions from urban areas range between 44 and 54 % of total anthropogenic emissions for the region. While individual urban GHG footprints vary from bottom-up studies, both the mean differences and the regional energy-related GHG emission share support previous findings. Correlation analysis indicates that the urban GHG emissions in Europe are mainly influenced by population size, density, and income and not by biophysical conditions. We argue that these data and methods of analysis are best used at the regional or higher scales. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This paper applies a life cycle methodology to estimate activity-related contributions of transport modes to GHG emissions. The methodology uses national input–output tables, environmental accounts, household budget data and nutritional data to derive food-sector GHG coefficients of consumption for ten European countries. The food energy requirements for each mode of transport are estimated taking account of the modal activity level and energy requirements. Typical national food energy-related emissions for walking, cycling, and driving ranged from 25.6 to 77.3 gCO2-eq/pass.km, 10.4–31.4gCO2-eq/pass.km and 1.7–5.2gCO2-eq/pass.km; passenger transport was found to result in no food-related emissions above those for a resting individual. Emissions vary between countries depending on the emissions intensities of their energy sectors as well as food prices and average body weights. A life cycle assessment of modal emissions in the UK is undertaken using the food-energy emissions intensities estimated and car travel was found to have the highest emissions intensity, followed by bus, cycling and walking. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

In addition to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, societies worldwide have to cope with the potential impacts of climate change. The central question of this paper is to what extent our historically grown institutions enable actors to cope with the new challenges of climate adaptation. We present six qualities of governance institutions that are crucial to allow for, and encourage adaptation, and apply them to the National Adaptation Strategies of the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Finland and Sweden. We conclude that although the governance institutions involved seem to have the basic qualities required, they face five institutional weaknesses, causing tensions on the long term: (1) lack of openness towards learning and variety; (2) strong one-sided reliance on scientific experts; (3) tension between top-down policy development and bottom-up implementation; (4) distrust in the problem-solving capacity of civil society; and (5) wickedness of reserving funding for long-term action. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The pollution of our planet is one of the major problems nowadays. European commission gave warnings to some EU countries, because they are not able to achieve goals for the greenhouse gas emissions reduction, to which they were obligated by signing the Kyoto protocol. The data for Slovenia shows, that the 2010 greenhouse gas emissions in comparison with year 1990 were increased for 4,7% instead of being reduced for 8%. 21% of all greenhouse gas emissions in EU are produced by traffic (without international air and sea traffic) and its shear is growing from year to year. Around 12% of emissions are produced by personal vehicles. EU givesaway yearly subventions for the traffic in amount between 270 and 290 billion euros and almost half of that amount is intended for road traffic, which is one of the less appropriate ways of transport. One of the most appropriate solutions for the existing technology is conversion of vehicles to run on LPG. This paper presents comparative emission study of converted Otto engine with the high class LPG system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Europe, regions in the Mediterranean area share common characteristics in terms of high sensitivity to climate change impacts. Does this translate into specificities regarding climate action that could arise from these Mediterranean characteristics? This paper sheds light on regional and local climate mitigation actions of the Mediterranean Europe, focusing on the plans to reduce greenhouse gases emissions in a representative sample of 51 regions and 73 cities across 9 Mediterranean countries (Croatia, Cyprus, France, Greece, Italy, Malta, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain). The study investigates: (i) the availability of local and regional mitigation plans, (ii) their goals in term of greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets on the short and medium-long term, and (iii) the impact of transnational climate networks on such local and regional climate mitigation planning. Results of this study indicate an uneven and fragmented planning, that shows a Mediterranean West-East divide, and a link with population size. However, overall, both regional and city action seem insufficiently ambitious with regards to meeting the Paris Agreement, at least at city level. While national frameworks are currently weak in influencing regional and local actions, transnational networks seem to be engaging factors for commitment (at city level) and ambitiousness (at regional level). The uneven and fragmented progress revealed by this study, does not align with the characteristics shared by investigated regions and cities in terms of environmental, socio-political, climatic and economic conditions. The results support the call of a common green deal at the Mediterranean level to further address specific Mediterranean challenges and related needs. This will allow to capitalise on available resources, generate local-specific knowledge, build capacities, and support Mediterranean regions and cities in preparing the next generation of more ambitious mitigation plans. [Display omitted] • Analysis of mitigation plans of 51 regions and 73 cities in Mediterranean Europe. • Uneven progress, with West-East divide and a generally modest short-term ambition. • Bigger size Mediterranean regions and cities show higher climate action. • Mitigation planning is affected by national regulation and transnational networks. • There is a case for cross-border cooperation among Mediterranean regions and cities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Anaerobic digestion is a well known process that (while still capable of showing new features) has experienced several waves of technological development. It was "born" as a wastewater treatment system, in the 1970s showed promise as an alternative energy source (in particular from animal waste), in the 1980s and later it became a standard for treating organic-matter-rich industrial wastewater, and more recently returned to the market for its energy recovery potential, making use of different biomasses, including energy crops. With the growing concern around global warming, this paper looks at the potential of anaerobic digestion in terms of reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The potential contribution of anaerobic digestion to GHG reduction has been computed for the 27 EU countries on the basis of their 2005 Kyoto declarations and using life cycle data. The theoretical potential contribution of anaerobic digestion to Kyoto and EU post-Kyoto targets has been calculated. Two different possible biogas applications have been considered: electricity production from manure waste, and upgraded methane production for light goods vehicles (from landfill biogas and municipal and industrial wastewater treatment sludges). The useful heat that can be produced as by-product from biogas conversion into electricity has not been taken into consideration, as its real exploitation depends on local conditions. Moreover the amount of biogas already produced via dedicated anaerobic digestion processes has also not been included in the calculations. Therefore the overall gains achievable would be even higher than those reported here. This exercise shows that biogas may considerably contribute to GHG emission reductions in particular if used as a biofuel. Results also show that its use as a biofuel may allow for true negative GHG emissions, showing a net advantage with respect to other biofuels. Considering also energy crops that will become available in the next few years as a result of Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) reform, this study shows that biogas has the potential of covering almost 50% of the 2020 biofuel target of 10% of all automotive transport fuels, without implying a change in land use. Moreover, considering the achievable GHG reductions, a very large carbon emission trading "value" could support the investment needs. However, those results were obtained through a "qualitative" assessment. In order to produce robust data for decision makers, a quantitative sustainability assessment should be carried out, integrating different methodologies within a life cycle framework. The identification of the most appropriate policy for promoting the best set of options is then discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]