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Summary This study presents the carbon footprint of a paperback book for which the cover and inside papers were produced in the United States and printed in Canada. The choice of paper mills for both cover and page papers was based on criteria such as percentage of recycled content in the pulp mix, transport distances (pulp mill to paper mill, paper mill to print), and technologies. The cradle-to-gate assessment of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions follows recognized guidelines for carbon footprint assessment. The results show that the production of 400,000 books, mainly distributed in North America, would generate 1,084 tonnes carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2-eq), or 2.71 kilograms (kg) CO2-eq per book. The impact of using deinked market pulp (DMP) is shown here to be detrimental, accounting for 54% of total GHG emissions and being 32% higher than reference virgin Kraft pulp. This supports findings that DMP mill GHG emissions strongly correlate with the carbon intensity of the power grid supplying the pulp mill and that virgin Kraft mills that reuse wood residue and black liquor to produce heat and electricity can achieve lower GHG emissions per tonne of pulp produced. Although contrary to common thinking, this is consistent with the Paper Task Force 2002 conclusion for office paper (the closest paper grade to writing paper or fine paper) (EDF 2002a). To get a cradle-to-grave perspective, three different end-of-life (EOL) scenarios were analyzed, all of which included a harvested wood product (HWP) carbon storage benefit for 25 years. The GHG offset concept within the context of the book editor's 'carbon-neutral' paper claims is also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Geoengineering is the focus of a large debate over potential solutions to climate change. However, in the midst of geoengineering and other large‐scale proposals, such as reducing emissions at an industrial level, the role of individual actions to reduce emissions is often overlooked. Given the current and fast‐paced changes we have seen as emissions are reduced by COVID‐19 social distancing strategies, it is time to re‐examine the impact that individual actions can have. This paper considers how one individual action (reducing carbon dioxide emissions from gasoline‐fueled private vehicles), when adopted at a global scale, may have an effect that is comparable to the effects of geoengineering. This paper also argues that the role of geoengineering as a safeguard against climate change may be encouraging complacency and reducing motivation for individual action. Plain Language Summary: As global temperatures continue to rise, several types of solutions are being considered to mitigate climate change. One of these is geoengineering—the large‐scale use of technology coupled with and enhancing Earth's natural processes. Geoengineering is the focus of a large debate over potential solutions to climate change since, while different geoengineering solutions may help curb CO2 concentrations, they remain largely untested and may pose greater risks. Further, it has been argued that, as we consider geoengineering and other large‐scale proposals, we risk the public losing sight of the potential for their individual actions to reduce emissions, and instead putting more faith in science to save us from climate change. Given the current and fast‐paced changes we have seen as emissions are reduced by COVID‐19 social distancing strategies, it is time to re‐examine and reinforce the impact that individual actions can have. This paper considers how one individual action (reducing CO2 emissions from private vehicles), when adopted at a global scale, may have an effect that is comparable to that of geoengineering. This paper also argues that the role of geoengineering as a safeguard against climate change may be encouraging complacency and reducing motivation for individual action. Key Points: Replacing private vehicles with electric or hybrid vehicles could significantly mitigate climate change compared to geoengineeringIt is important that the portrayal of geoengineering as a safeguard does not reduce motivation for emission cuts [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The environment has become a growing concern for many countries, as pollution and other environmental degradation can harm human health, economic growth, and overall well-being. This paper probes into the asymmetrical implications of economic complexity and freedom on ecological quality in four South Asian countries from 1995 to 2019. Using Nonlinear Autoregressive Distributed Lag methodology approach, our findings indicate that carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions are intensified by economic freedom both in the long and short term, while negative and positive shocks to economic complexity increase CO2 emissions in the long term. However, a negative economic complexity shock increases CO2 emissions, whereas a positive shock has the opposite effect in the short run. Moreover, our results confirm the validity of the environmental Kuznets curve (EKC) hypothesis in the long run. Furthermore, we find that renewable energy usage and the interaction of FDI and renewable energy usage can help reduce environmental damage in both the short and long run. The findings suggest that countries should focus on attracting foreign direct investment that promotes the use of renewable energy. Additionally, policies aimed at encouraging renewable energy use should be implemented. It is important to note that as economic freedom and complexity increase, there is a corresponding increase in CO2 emissions. Therefore, South Asian policy makers are advised to prioritize the reduction in fossil fuels, the promotion of energy-saving technologies and efficient production, and trade that encourages the transition of renewable energy sources to reduce CO2 emissions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main purpose of this paper is to develop possible scenarios for reducing carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions in Serbia by switching from coal-fired to natural gas-fired electricity generation by the end of 2050. Accordingly, the challenges are to establish scenarios and identify measures that are best suited to all Western Balkan countries. In particular, this paper proposes a number of energy mix scenarios that offer some options for reducing CO2 emissions while maintaining an economic way of consumption. Projections of these reduction scenarios are obtained by combining the Kaya identity with the emission factor method. A simplified methodology based on sensitivity analysis is used as a source of data to estimate the nonstatistical uncertainty limits for the projections of the reduction scenarios. The sensitivity analysis is carried out using historical data from Serbia for the period from 1990 to 2019. In addition, a direct verification of the proposed methodology is performed based on historical data for 2020. The developed scenarios 1 and 2 show that CO2 emissions could be reduced by 10.94% and up to 74.44% from baseline in 1990, respectively. The obtained results are also contrasted with the data available for some other countries with similar experiences. Finally, it is found that the developed scenarios are achievable only at significantly decreased levels of coal-fired electricity generation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) has emerged as a vital approach for evaluating the environmental impact of building materials, products, energy consumption, and emissions throughout a building's lifespan, providing a comprehensive measure of building sustainability. In recent years, Türkiye's building sector has witnessed a substantial increase in the adoption of LCA, aligning with the nation's sustainability endeavours. This paper conducts a comprehensive review of 33 studies published within the last decade, focusing on residential and commercial buildings as well as industrial facilities in Türkiye. This study, therefore, fills an important gap by encompassing all common aspects of buildings within its LCA framework. Notably, LCA studies exhibit variability based on factors such as building type, geographical location, impact categories, system boundaries, and the specific LCA methodology employed. Türkiye's building sector is embracing LCA as a sustainability tool, despite challenges like lack of data and method standardization. The growing adoption of LCA is poised to contribute to enhanced sustainability practices in Türkiye's building industry, shaping a more environmentally conscious future. This research underscores the importance of standardized methodologies to facilitate a more cohesive and comparable analysis across diverse LCA studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Calcium sulfoaluminate (CSA) cement is a low-CO2 binder exhibiting useful properties, such as shrinkage compensation and rapid hardening, which can be achieved by altering its phase composition. In this paper, a hypothetical scenario of CSA cement manufacturing at an existing Indian cement plant is investigated for the environmental consequences (that is, CO2 emissions and energy consumed) using the life cycle assessment methodology. Thirteen laboratory-scale studies from the literature were selected for potential upscaling to industrial level production. The analysis showed that the manufacturing of CSA clinker could result in a 15 to 55% reduction in the CO2 emissions without a significant change in energy consumption when compared to ordinary portland cement. The impacts of CSA cement manufacturing were comparable to those of blended cements, such as those with slag and fly ash. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper presents a comparison of the fuel oil (FO) consumption and carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions of a container ship's 8000 twenty-foot equivalent unit (TEU) during oceanographic navigation. The evaluation has two types of FOs: a 3.4% heavy fuel oil with desulfurization (HFOWD) and a 0.5% very-low-sulfur fuel oil (VLSFO), based on the sulfur cap policy of the International Maritime Organization (IMO). The results show the average FO consumption at 130 tons/day of HFOWD and 141 tons/day of VLSFO, which means shifting to VLSFO increases fuel consumption 8.4% more than the HFOWD. The average CO2 emissions are 429 tons/day of the HFOWD and 471 tons/day of the VLSFO, indicating an 9.5% increase in CO2 emissions when the IMO adopts the low-sulfur fuel policy. Moreover, the VLSFO blending of various chemicals further deteriorates and wears out the main engine of the ship. IMO's low-sulfur fuel policy significantly reduced the emission of sulfur oxides (SOX) and particulate matter emissions. Still, we should not ignore the fact that adopting VLSFO may cause more CO2 emissions. Therefore, while switching to low-sulfur fuels, the maritime industry should improve the related energy efficiency to reduce fuel consumption and CO2 emissions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To gain a greater understanding of the spatial spillover effect of greenhouse gas emissions and their influencing factors, this paper provides a spatial analysis of four gas pollutants (CO2 emissions, SO2 emissions, NOx emissions, and dust emissions). Focusing on China, the paper also explores whether the four gas pollutants are influenced by the emissions of neighboring regions and other possible sources. The paper uses a global spatial autocorrelation analysis, local spatial association analysis and spatial lag model for empirical work. The results suggest that CO2, SO2, and NOx emissions show significant positive results for both the spatial correlation and space cluster effect in provincial space distribution.CO2 and NOx emissions have a significant positive spillover effect, while the SO2 emissions' spatial spillover effect is positive but not significant. Economic growth and urbanization are the key determinants of CO2, dust, and NOx emissions, while energy efficiency and industrialization do not appear to play a role. This raises questions about the method of examining the spatial relationship between gas pollution, economic growth and urbanization in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examined the economic impacts of China's emissions trading system (ETS), implemented in 2013, in terms of gross domestic product (GDP) and per capita GDP. The methodology drew on a difference-in-differences (DID) method using dynamic panel data for 30 provincial regions. The estimation results show that implementing an ETS policy has statistically significant negative effects on economic growth. When considering the additional control variables, these effects are still statistically significant. Furthermore, these negative impacts increase over time with respect to both GDP and per capita GDP. The counterfactual tests confirm the robustness of our DID estimation results. The specific influence mechanism of China's ETS policy was finally discussed. Our findings provide a quantitative decision-making support for popularizing ETS policy in China. Based on our DID model, empirical investigations of the ETS policy, especially concerning economic growth in other regions would produce prolific contributions to the literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper uses feasible generalized least squares (FGLS) to empirically investigate the effect of financial development on environmental quality via carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions for 148 countries from 1990 to 2019. The advantage of FGLS is overcoming the heteroskedasticity and serial and crosssectional correlations and giving more efficient results than the Ordinary least squares estimate. Research innovations include the development of general regression models that establish the links among financial liberalization, renewable energy use, and economic development, which has been largely neglected in previous research. Initial findings indicate that the total effect of financial development on CO2 emissions depends on economic growth and consumption of renewable energy. Notably, while the use of renewable energy may reduce the emissions-increasing effect of economic growth, economic growth may exacerbate the problem of environmental degradation caused by economic growth. The magnitude of the effect varies by income group. The role of renewable energy consumption holds true in countries with high and middle incomes but not in countries with low incomes. Regarding the effect of economic growth, research finds that economic growth may worsen (improve) the impact of financial development on environmental quality among high- and middle-income groups (low-income groups). The findings are robust across financial development dimensions (including the financial institution and the financial market). Thus, the implications are that governments in high- and middle-income countries should promote green credit policies and focus on technology related to environmentally friendly technological innovations to improve environmental quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nevertheless, several challenges have prevented the success of green bidding implementation in current practice, including difficulty in establishing a powerful bidding preference that has the capability to effectively encourage every construction-oriented party toward sustainability. This paper developed a novel, sustainable bidding model to identify a potential environmental weight for evaluating the environmental impacts using the amount of CO2 emission generated from construction equipment fleet operations. A highway construction project case study in Thailand was used to evaluate the performance and capabilities of the developed model in specifying possible environmental weights toward sustainable bidding. The model facilitated the quantification of different construction equipment mixes and their impact on the environment, based on the cost per kilogram of CO2 equivalent for inclusion in the bidding award preference. The model was validated to investigate the green bidding preference awarded to a contractor. The validation results confirmed the benefit of including the environmental weight in the bidder evaluation to provide better opportunities for contractors pursuing sustainability in bid winning under an impartial and more practicable environment. The developed model contributes to (1) promoting greater practicality in the existing confined green bidding mechanism by incorporating an effective sustainability weight for green performance evaluation of construction bidders and (2) reducing the substantial environmental impacts of construction equipment by offering incentives in the primitive bidding approach to create sustainable initiatives for public works contractors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydrogen (H2) usage was 90 tnes (Mt) in 2020, almost entirely for industrial and refining uses and generated almost completely from fossil fuels, leading to nearly 900 Mt of carbon dioxide emissions. However, there has been significant growth of H2 in recent years. Electrolysers' total capacity, which are required to generate H2 from electricity, has multiplied in the past years, reaching more than 300 MW through 2021. Approximately 350 projects reportedly under construction could push total capacity to 54 GW by the year 2030. Some other 40 projects totalling output of more than 35 GW are in the planning phase. If each of these projects is completed, global H2 production from electrolysers could exceed 8 Mt by 2030. It's an opportunity to take advantage of H2S prospects to be a crucial component of a clean, safe, and cost-effective sustainable future. This paper assesses the situation regarding H2 at the moment and provides recommendations for its potential future advancement. The study reveals that clean H2 is experiencing significant, unparalleled commercial and political force, with the amount of laws and projects all over the globe growing quickly. The paper concludes that in order to make H2 more widely employed, it is crucial to significantly increase innovations and reduce costs. The practical and implementable suggestions provided to industries and governments will allow them to fully capitalise on this growing momentum.

The main purpose of this paper is to develop possible scenarios for reducing carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions in Serbia by switching from coal-fired to natural gas-fired electricity generation by the end of 2050. Accordingly, the challenges are to establish scenarios and identify measures that are best suited to all Western Balkan countries. In particular, this paper proposes a number of energy mix scenarios that offer some options for reducing CO2 emissions while maintaining an economic way of consumption. Projections of these reduction scenarios are obtained by combining the Kaya identity with the emission factor method. A simplified methodology based on sensitivity analysis is used as a source of data to estimate the nonstatistical uncertainty limits for the projections of the reduction scenarios. The sensitivity analysis is carried out using historical data from Serbia for the period from 1990 to 2019. In addition, a direct verification of the proposed methodology is performed based on historical data for 2020. The developed scenarios 1 and 2 show that CO2 emissions could be reduced by 10.94% and up to 74.44% from baseline in 1990, respectively. The obtained results are also contrasted with the data available for some other countries with similar experiences. Finally, it is found that the developed scenarios are achievable only at significantly decreased levels of coal-fired electricity generation.

Abstract Geoengineering is the focus of a large debate over potential solutions to climate change. However, in the midst of geoengineering and other large‐scale proposals, such as reducing emissions at an industrial level, the role of individual actions to reduce emissions is often overlooked. Given the current and fast‐paced changes we have seen as emissions are reduced by COVID‐19 social distancing strategies, it is time to re‐examine the impact that individual actions can have. This paper considers how one individual action (reducing carbon dioxide emissions from gasoline‐fueled private vehicles), when adopted at a global scale, may have an effect that is comparable to the effects of geoengineering. This paper also argues that the role of geoengineering as a safeguard against climate change may be encouraging complacency and reducing motivation for individual action.

In view of, the recently launched European Action Plan to achieve zero pollution, the aim of this paper is to assess the impact of governance quality on pollution in the revised forms of the Environmental Kuznets Curve, namely the nuclear energy Kuznets curve and the renewable energy Kuznets curve. Using a methodological framework focusing on cross-sectional dependence and cross-sectional heterogeneity, the panel data approach is based on the Augmented Mean Group and Common Correlated Effects Mean Group estimators, as well as the panel causality test of Juodis, Karavias and Sarafidis (2021). Taking the reference period 2002–2019 the analysis for a sample of countries that were the largest consumers of nuclear energy in the European Union during this period, namely Belgium, Germany, France, Sweden, Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovakia, Spain, Finland, and The Netherlands, suggests that industry development is a source of pollution, while governance could control environmental degradation through certain measures. Specifically, a lack of sufficient environmental laws, regulations, and policies enhances pollution even in countries with political stability and effective governance. These findings form the basis for future policy recommendations that should consider more green jobs and green technology in industry and a better legislative framework for pollution control

• Developing countries face the dual challenges of industrialising and 'catching up' while mitigating CO 2 emissions. • Medium- and high-technology manufacturing is associated with lower emissions than low-technology manufacturing, with differences varying by the income levels of countries. • A shift to more technology-intensive manufacturing could be one aspect of environmentally sustainable industrialisation in developing countries. Industrialisation is an important engine of growth and 'catch up', but also associated with harmful carbon dioxide emissions and hence with climate change. This poses a challenge for sustainable industrial development, particularly for late industrialisers on how to industrialise while also mitigating carbon dioxide emissions. This paper investigates the effect of technology intensity across manufacturing industries on carbon dioxide emissions: are medium- and high-technology manufacturing industries less emissions-intensive than low-technology manufacturing industries in developing countries? The paper analyses this relationship for a panel of 68 developing and emerging economies over the period 1990–2016, by adapting the environmental Kuznets curve and the stochastic effect by regression on population, affluence and technology approaches. Using two alternative measures of emissions and estimating generalised method of moments model, the results show that medium- and high-technology manufacturing industries are associated with lower carbon dioxide emissions than low-technology manufacturing industries. The results also show that these differences vary by the income levels of countries. These findings have important policy implications, suggesting that a shift towards more technology-intensive manufacturing production processes may be a more environmentally sustainable industrialisation path for developing countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent decades, urban greening has been conceptualized, and subsequently marketed, as a way of making cities more sustainable. Urban greening has been actualized in large global cities, regional centers, and also in many cities in the Global South, where it has been touted as a potential solution to the urban heat island (UHI) effect and as a way of reducing carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. This involves planting street trees and installing curbside gardens, bioswales, green walls, green roofs, and the redevelopment of former industrial zones into urban parklands. This paper questions the assumption that this "greening" of the city must necessarily lead to positive environmental impacts. While such infrastructure itself might be constructed with environmental principles in mind, wider questions concerning the production of such landscapes, and the consumption-orientated lifestyles of those who inhabit these urban landscapes, are seldom considered. Moreover, green aesthetics and environmental sustainability are not always as mutually inclusive as the concepts might suggest, as aesthetics are often a dominating influence in the process of planning green urban environments. This review reorients the focus on the way in which the UHI effect and CO2 emissions have been framed by utilizing Foucault's (1980) "regimes of truth," where environmental issues are contextualized within the "colonised lifeworld" of free-market forces. This review suggests that for sustainability to be achieved in urban contexts, the process of urban greening must move beyond quick techno-fixes through engagement in the co-production of knowledge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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With electric generation responsible for 41 percent of U.S anthropogenic carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from energy use, development of clean energy sources is essential if the United States is to reduce release of greenhouse gases and slow global warming. Many proponents of sustainable energy anticipate that electric generation from renewable sources would thrive in a deregulated market, driven by consumer demand for “green” energy and the end of incentives to build large central power plants under the cost-plus profits guaranteed by state utility commissions. This paper examines the flaws in this expectation. After reviewing the highly cyclical nature of U.S. energy policy making in recent decades, the study links the ineffectiveness of policy with the institutional setting. Under electric utility market restructuring, renewable energy generation (wind, biomass, solar, geothermal, and small-scale hydro) must overcome barriers such as price distortions, lack of storage capability, discriminatory transmission system access, and the end of linked utility rate hikes guaranteed to cover the additional expense of renewable generation. In the absence of strong federal leadership, the state commitment to renewable energy has been uneven under utility restructuring. Moreover, nuclear power—the other leading alternative to fossil fuel use—is beset by serious problems. Only renewable energy options offer long-term hope for sustainability. Along these lines, green marketing, renewable portfolio standards, system benefit charges, carbon taxes, public power, “Community Choice,” and production credits—all based on recent U.S. and European experience—are critically examined and recommendations made for changing course. At present, during this highly fluid period of utility restructuring, and absent more forceful regulation and demand management, it is dubious whether U.S. electricity market reform can encourage sufficient conversion to renewable energy to stem a rising tide of greenhouse gas emissions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The electricity sector is a complex system, especially in the Yangtze River Delta (YRD) of China. Thus, the carbon dioxide (CO2) emission of YRD's electricity sector during 2000–2020 was first calculated and then evaluated from two systematical dimensions of cross-region and the whole process (production, trade, transmission, and consumption) by an extended logarithmic mean Divisia index (LMDI). (1) During 2000–2020, the CO2 emission of YRD's electricity sector increased from 228.12 Mt to 807.55 Mt, with an average annual growth rate of 6.52%. Compared to other regions, the YRD's electricity mix effect had the strongest mitigation impact on CO2 growth. Therefore, it is important for YRD to build a low-carbon electricity system itself, including the de-carbonization of electricity production and the carbon reduction of the electricity-use process. (2) Nationally, electricity trade had an overall mitigating impact on emission growth during 2000–2020. This result means that cross-regional cooperation or trade in the electricity sector is beneficial to emission reduction. So, it is important to improve the national power grids to promote trade. (3) Jiangsu had the largest CO2 emissions, while Anhui had the fastest average annual growth rate (9.71%). Moreover, the economic activity effect was the most significant driver in all provinces, especially in Jiangsu and Anhui. Thus, Jiangsu and Anhui should strive to improve the quality of economic growth while vigorously cutting carbon emissions. (4) Electricity transmission loss had an overall driving impact on emission growth in each YRD province, especially in Zhejiang and Anhui. Meanwhile, electricity structure, electricity trade, and electricity intensity were the inhibiting factors. Particularly, the inhibiting effect of Shanghai's electricity structure was notably weak (−2.17 Mt). So, Shanghai should try hard to increase the proportion of renewable energy, while Zhejiang and Anhui should upgrade their electricity transmission equipment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of performance-based specifications (PBS) may increase quality and sustainability while lowering project costs through innovations in concrete materials selection and proportioning. A preliminary survey was conducted showing that barriers to implementation for PBS still exist, the main barrier being the enforcement of the specification, followed by cost and time. This study aims to develop guidelines to overcome the identified barriers by presenting a laboratory-scale case study of six concrete mixtures that both conform (one) and do not conform (five) to Georgia Department of Transportation specifications. This case study includes experimental results of mechanical (flexural and compressive strength) and resistivity performance properties, as well as three additional parameters: time, cost, and carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions associated with each mixture design. This study showed that innovation in material use and mixture design can increase durability and performance while reducing the overall project cost and environmental impact. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Residential and commercial buildings consume around 40% of the total energy of the world. The building sector is also responsible for 30% of the global greenhouse gas emissions. There is an urgent need to assess the environmental carbon footprint (CFP) of global building industry. This study reviews the related studies and calculates the CFP of a residential building constructed in Turkey by considering the type of construction materials, energy consumption habits, maintenance and demolition stages in a 50 year of life cycle. The CFP of a common type of residential building constructed in Turkey found to be 48.87 kgCO 2 eq/m2/year. The CFP of structural elements used during the construction phase has been calculated to be 6.94 kgCO 2 eq/m2/year, which is about 14.21% of the total footprint. It is investigated that; the operational stage is the foremost contributor, representing 64.11% of CFP. The CO 2 emissions have been decreased by 38.05% by the implementation of basic methods. Unlike other studies, this paper revealed that the CFP from transportation of habitants is 6.5% more than the construction stage contributing 15.13% of overall emissions. The comparative studies of constructions in different countries show that CFP significantly depend on the behavioral factors of citizens of a country and the system boundaries selected. The results exposed that the effects of transportation should not be disregarded in the future studies. [Display omitted] • The total life cycle CFP of the building found to be 48.87 kgCO 2 eq/m2/year. • The CFP of construction materials is calculated to be 6.94 kgCO 2 eq/m2/year. • CFP from transportation of habitants is 6.5% more than the construction stage contributing 15.13% of overall emissions. • The daily energy use of the habitants is the main contributor to the CFP, representing the 64.11% of CFP. • The CFP of the building has been decreased by 38.05% by the implementation of low-carbon strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Economic theory suggests several channels through which financial instability might influence environmental quality. However, the empirical testing of this nexus comprises only few studies with conflicting outcomes on both the presence as well as the direction of this relationship. This study aims to fill this gap by analysing the relationship between pollution emissions, financial instability, output growth, trade openness, gross fixed capital formation and foreign direct investment (FDI) using a large sample of 88 developing economies for the 1980–2014 period. For our short- and long-run estimates, we use the panel vector error correction model (P-VECM) and the panel cointegration method. Our outcomes support the presence of long-run relationships between the selected variables. Moreover, the income, trade openness, investment and financial instability variables augment carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, whereas FDI reduces the latter. The vector error correction model (VECM) models show a bidirectional, short-run connection between income and environmental degradation. Our empirical findings have some important policy implications for developing countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper presents a comparison of the fuel oil (FO) consumption and carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions of a container ship’s 8000 twenty-foot equivalent unit (TEU) during oceanographic navigation. The evaluation has two types of FOs: a 3.4% heavy fuel oil with desulfurization (HFOWD) and a 0.5% very-low-sulfur fuel oil (VLSFO), based on the sulfur cap policy of the International Maritime Organization (IMO). The results show the average FO consumption at 130 tons/day of HFOWD and 141 tons/day of VLSFO, which means shifting to VLSFO increases fuel consumption 8.4% more than the HFOWD. The average CO2 emissions are 429 tons/day of the HFOWD and 471 tons/day of the VLSFO, indicating an 9.5% increase in CO2 emissions when the IMO adopts the low-sulfur fuel policy. Moreover, the VLSFO blending of various chemicals further deteriorates and wears out the main engine of the ship. IMO’s low-sulfur fuel policy significantly reduced the emission of sulfur oxides (SOX) and particulate matter emissions. Still, we should not ignore the fact that adopting VLSFO may cause more CO2 emissions. Therefore, while switching to low-sulfur fuels, the maritime industry should improve the related energy efficiency to reduce fuel consumption and CO2 emissions.

Carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions are rapidly increasing across the world. While national governments are usually seen as having the power, authority, and ability to make significant reductions in their CO2 outputs, cross-national research rarely focuses on the institutional structures of states that moderate their CO2 emissions. Previous research that focuses on internal state factors largely focus on democracy and find wildly conflicting results. This research argues that clientelism is a missing piece of the puzzle in explaining how democracy impacts CO2 emissions. Building on the extant contradictory research, the present study uses two-way fixed effects regression analysis for 150 nations from 1971-2014 to understand how the interaction between clientelism and democracy impacts CO2 emissions. The findings reveal that controlling for clientelism reduces CO2 outputs more in high-income and low-income nations with higher levels of participatory democracy. However, the interaction is not statistically significant for all nations, nor for middle-income nations. These results suggest that reducing clientelist relationships in nations with high- and low-incomes, but not middle incomes will make participatory democracies more effective at reducing CO2 emissions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is a need to quantify agriculture's potential to sequester carbon (C) to inform global approaches aimed at mitigating climate change effects. Many factors including climate, crop, soil management practices, and soil type can influence the contribution of agriculture to the global carbon cycle. The objective of this study was to investigate the C sequestration potential of conservation agriculture (CA) (defined by minimal soil disturbance, maintaining permanent soil cover, and crop rotations). This study used micrometeorological methods to measure carbon dioxide (CO2) flux from several alternative CA practices in Harare, central Zimbabwe. Micrometeorological methods can detect differences in total CO2 emissions of agricultural management practices; our results show that CA practices produce less CO2 emissions. Over three years of measurement, the mean and standard error (SE) of CO2 emissions for the plot with the most consistent CA practices was 0.564 ± 0.0122 g CO2 m−2 h−1, significantly less than 0.928 ± 0.00859 g CO2 m−2 h−1 for the conventional tillage practice. Overall CA practices of no-till with the use of cover crops produced fewer CO2 emissions than conventional tillage and fallow. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The impact of human carbon emissions on climate has generated widespread global concern. We selected 24 countries as research objects and analysed the changes in carbon emissions in different countries between the establishment of emission reduction actions in 1990 and 2014. Then, we selected 19 factors representing four categories (economy, population, technology and energy) to explore the key factors that led to changes in carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions in different countries. Emission reduction actions since 1990 did not lead to marked improvements, and only five countries (Russia, Germany, the United Kingdom, Italy and France) achieved reductions in carbon emissions. The factors that influenced CO2 emissions varied among countries. In most developing countries, reductions in CO2 emissions were caused by reductions in poverty and inherent natural conditions. Moreover, the extent of influence of a given factor on CO2 emissions differed among countries. The global economic crisis may cause similar fluctuations in CO2 emissions in many countries. Adjustments to energy and industrial structures are the main reason for the reduction in carbon emissions, whereas economic growth and urbanization are the two major contributors to the growth of carbon emissions. According to historical carbon emissions data, a green energy revolution must be implemented to address global climate change and ensure the sustainable development of human societies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent decades, urban greening has been conceptualized, and subsequently marketed, as a way of making cities more sustainable. Urban greening has been actualized in large global cities, regional centers, and also in many cities in the Global South, where it has been touted as a potential solution to the urban heat island (UHI) effect and as a way of reducing carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. This involves planting street trees and installing curbside gardens, bioswales, green walls, green roofs, and the redevelopment of former industrial zones into urban parklands. This paper questions the assumption that this “greening” of the city must necessarily lead to positive environmental impacts. While such infrastructure itself might be constructed with environmental principles in mind, wider questions concerning the production of such landscapes, and the consumption-orientated lifestyles of those who inhabit these urban landscapes, are seldom considered. Moreover, green aesthetics and environmental sustainability are not always as mutually inclusive as the concepts might suggest, as aesthetics are often a dominating influence in the process of planning green urban environments. This review reorients the focus on the way in which the UHI effect and CO2 emissions have been framed by utilizing Foucault's (1980) “regimes of truth,” where environmental issues are contextualized within the “colonised lifeworld” of free-market forces. This review suggests that for sustainability to be achieved in urban contexts, the process of urban greening must move beyond quick techno-fixes through engagement in the co-production of knowledge.

Environmental impacts of the mineral extraction have been a public concern. Presently, there is widespread global interest in the area of mining and its sustainability that focused on the need to shift mining industry to a more sustainable framework. The aim of this study was to systematically assess all possible environmental and climate change related impacts of the limestone quarrying operation in Thailand. By considering the life cycle assessment method, the production processes were divided into three phases: raw material extraction, transportation, and comminution. Both IMPACT 2002+ and the Greenhouse Gas Protocol methods were used. Results of IMPACT 2002+ analysis showed that per 1 ton crushed limestone rock production, the total depletion of resource and GHGs emissions were 79.6 MJ and 2.76 kg CO2 eq., respectively. Regarding to the four damage categories, 'resources' and 'climate change' categories were the two greatest environmental impacts of the limestone rock production. Diesel fuel and electricity consumption in the mining processes were the main causes of those impacts. For climate change, the unit of CO2 eq. was expressed to quantify the total GHGs emissions. Estimated result was about 3.13 kg CO2 eq. per ton limestone rock product. The results obtained by the Greenhouse Gas Protocol were also similar to IMPACT 2002+ method. Electrical energy consumption was considered as the main driver of GHGs, accounting for approximately 46.8 % of total fossil fuel CO2 emissions. A final point should be noted that data uncertainties in environmental assessment over the complete life cycle of limestone quarrying operation have to be carefully considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the last decade, numerous life cycle assessments (LCAs) on environmental impacts of electricity generation with carbon capture and storage (CCS) have been conducted. This meta-analysis comprises 15 LCAs of the three CCS technologies (postcombustion, oxyfuel, precombustion) with a focus on greenhouse gas reduction for different regions (Europe, United States, Japan, global), different fuels (hard coal, lignite, natural gas), and different time horizons (between the present and 2050). It presents a condensed overview of methodological variations, findings, and conclusions gathered from these LCAs. All LCAs show the expected reduction in global warming potential but an increase in many other impact categories, regardless of capture technology, time horizon, or fuel considered. Three parameter sets have been identified that have a significant impact on the results: (1) power plant efficiency and energy penalty of the capture process, (2) carbon dioxide capture efficiency and purity, and (3) fuel origin and composition. This meta-analysis proves that LCA is a helpful tool to investigate the variety of environmental consequences associated with CCS. However, there are differences in the underlying assumptions of the LCAs as well as methodological shortcomings that yield heterogeneity of results. Without a better understanding of the technology, it is not possible to give a comprehensive picture. There also remains a wide field of subjects and technologies that have not yet been covered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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This study provides insight into sustainability challenges in Venezuela by exploring the causal interactions between oil price, energy consumption and carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions in Venezuela. Economic growth, government consumption expenditure and trade openness are included as additional determinants in the analysis. The auto-regressive distributed lag (ARDL) bounds approach to cointegration provides evidence of long-run relationship between the variables with the incorporation of structural breaks observed in the series. The estimates suggest that an increase in crude oil price significantly increases energy consumption, government consumption expenditure and energy consumption generate CO2 emissions, and CO2 emissions exert negative effects on economic growth in the oil-rich economy. This study further examined the direction of causality between the variables using the innovative accounting approach (IAA). The results suggest that crude oil price causes energy consumption in the economy. No significant causal relationship is found between energy consumption and economic growth. Energy consumption causes CO2 emissions in the economy. In addition, a unidirectional causality runs from CO2 emissions to economic growth. The response of economic growth to CO2 emissions indicates that more CO2 emissions in the economy would exert negative effects on economic growth. It is, therefore, expected that policy makers would consider energy diversification as a major component of economic diversification policies in Venezuela. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Green information technology systems (Green ITS) are proposed as a strategy to reduce greenhouse gases (GHGs) emissions and other environmental impacts while supporting ecological sustainable development. The Green ITS concept combines both Green information technology (IT) and Green information system (IS) applications. The Green ITS concept has the potential to combat the carbon emission problem globally, beyond simply Green IT, because it combines management, organizational, and technology dimensions of climate change mitigation and adaptation, especially if supported by global policy. Examples include life cycle assessment software for measuring GHG emissions, and software for monitoring GHG emissions. Previous studies on environmental burdens such as GHGs, water and air pollution, energy losses and other forms of waste alongside socio-economic dependent variables including renewable resources and climate change policies are reviewed and synthesized. The research analysis conjointly points to the usage of renewable resources such as solar and wind as a critical strategy to scale back GHG emissions and enhance green growth. Empirical evidence shows that developed countries can reduce their carbon emissions while developing countries can utilize carbon emission-free technologies as they aspire to achieve development. The two significant benefits of the Green ITS strategy are first, to provide the environmental benefits of reducing greenhouse emissions and other environmental impacts and second, to enhance global green growth, which supports achievement of ecological sustainable development. Green ITS tools support achievement of the UN SDG 7, 13 and 15, which emphasize clean energy, climate action and ecological sustainable development, respectively. Future research directions include the formulation of a strategy to combat GHGs and design of a system to monitor carbon emissions and other waste remotely. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]