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As the sustainability of the environment is a very much concerning issue for developed countries, the drive of the paper is to reveal the effects of nuclear, environment-friendly, and non-friendly energy, population, and GDP on CO2 emission for Italy, a developed country. Using the extended Stochastic Regression on Population, Affluence, and Technology (STIRPAT) framework, the yearly data from 1972 to 2021 are analyzed in this paper through an Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) framework. The reliability of the study is also examined by employing Fully Modified Ordinary Least Square (FMOLS), Dynamic Ordinary Least Square (DOLS), and Canonical Cointegration Regression (CCR) estimators and also the Granger causality method which is used to see the directional relationship among the indicators. The investigation confirms the findings of previous studies by showing that in the longer period, rising Italian GDP and non-green energy by 1% can lead to higher CO2 emissions by 8.08% and 1.505%, respectively, while rising alternative and nuclear energy by 1% can lead to falling in CO2 emission by 0.624%. Although population and green energy adversely influence the upsurge of CO2, they seem insignificant. Robustness tests confirm these longer-period impacts. This analysis may be helpful in planning and developing strategies for future financial funding in the energy sector in Italy, which is essential if the country is to achieve its goals of sustainable development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydrogen supplying to industrial users is currently the major hydrogen business worldwide and the demand for hydrogen is almost entirely supplied from fossil fuels. In the last years a widespread interest on hydrogen has grown as energy vector for the decarbonization of multiple sectors, including industry, transport and buildings. Nevertheless, the impact of natural gas and other fossil fuels substitution with hydrogen is highly affected by the mix of different technologies and energy sources applied for hydrogen generation. The paper aims to investigate current CO 2 emissions related with hydrogen generation in Australia and Italy by means of PEM and alkaline technologies; and to evaluate the potential impact considering cell characteristics variation and 3 scenarios based on energy mix. A sensitivity analysis is performed to identify the critical parameters. Based on experimental data, the energy consumption for hydrogen production using PEM technology is more sensitive to cell voltage compared to current density, which indicates the importance of cell manufacturing and electrolyte resistance. In addition, by performing sensitivity analysis regarding energy sources scenarios it is found that carbon dioxide emission in Australia is more sensitive to renewable energy sources rather than Italy. [Display omitted] • Importance of manufacturing and electrolyte resistance because of high PEM energy consumption sensitivity to cell voltage. • Predicted emission in 2030 is 5–10 kg CO 2 using PEM/alkaline technology in Italy. • 18% reduction of national electricity grid CO 2 emission in Australia is predicted. (In 2030 in comparison to 2019). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the urgency to mitigate climate change intensifies, the achievement of zero carbon targets in the built environment has become a critical objective. Building retrofitting plays a vital role in reducing energy consumption and carbon emissions in existing buildings. This paper presents an approach that combines Building Information Modeling (BIM) with multiple domains to strive for zero carbon targets in building retrofit projects. The proposed approach is based on a dynamic multi-parameter analysis that integrates indoor comfort, energy savings, CO2eq reduction, and the social cost of carbon while considering investment costs. Renewable energy technologies, such as photovoltaic panels and solar thermal systems, are emphasized to achieve the desired zero-carbon outcomes. Real-time monitoring mechanisms enable continuous performance evaluation and adaptive retrofit strategies for further energy savings. This approach is validated through a case study of an existing thermal bath building, known as "Terme Lucane", located in southern Italy. The results of the study demonstrate significant reductions in energy consumption and carbon emissions, highlighting the potential of the proposed approach to achieve zero carbon targets through the integration of multi-data BIM implementation. These findings offer a promising pathway for building retrofit projects aiming for zero carbon targets through multi-data BIM modeling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The energy needs of a Net Zero Energy Building (NZEB) are fully met by renewable energy sources. Nevertheless, the time span of the energy balance can affect the effective energy self-sufficiency of the building. The aim of this paper is to demonstrate the lack of reliability that a yearly energy balance has in characterizing an NZEB. At this scope, comparisons between two different photovoltaic systems (fixed and tracking) and two kinds of energy balance (yearly and monthly) are made for a real NZEB building located in South-Italy. The investigation was carried out through dynamic energy simulations after validating the building model. The results show that the PV surface which attains the NZEB target on yearly basis not always achieves the same objective as the monthly balance. Furthermore, considering a monthly balance, the size of the photovoltaic system with biaxial solar tracking is 50% minor than the fixed one, thanks to a steadier energy production. Also, solar tracking systems show a significantly lower reduction of operational and embodied CO 2 emissions. A final technical-economic analysis shows, however, that design solutions that satisfy NZEB target not always can meet the financial interest of the private stakeholder, showing a high discounted payback period. • The energy needs of an existing NZEB are evaluated through dynamic simulation. • Fixed and tracking PV systems are designed and compared to obtain the NZEB target. • Comparisons between yearly and monthly balance using different PV systems are made. • Yearly balance is not adequate to characterize energy self-sufficiency for an NZEB. • Tracking PVs reduce monthly withdrawal from electricity grid and CO 2 emissions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Nirano Salse in Italy is a well-studied site where natural gas seepage (NGS) and other hydrocarbon fluids and gases are emitted at the earth's surface. A novel integrated approach is applied to define a comprehensive structural interpretation of the gas seepage and flow dynamic in the mud volcano system of the Nirano Salse Regional Nature Reserve (Modena, Northern Apennines). The paper investigates the relationship between gas emissions and local structures, particularly faults and fractures, in the shallow subsurface (down to 500–600 m depth) to understand the control that structures have on fluid ascent from deep leaky hydrocarbon traps. We performed continuous monitoring of mud levels within vents; carried out geological surveys to characterize the main stratigraphic and structural discontinuities; measured the carbon emissions (CH 4 and CO 2) seepage both from volcanoes and the surrounding soil by a portable gas fluxmeter; and integrated the results with available geophysical surveys. The authors argue that the transgressive Pleistocene-Pliocene Argille Azzurre Formation hides the complex and highly structured pre-Pliocene geology of the area, in which faults and fractures act as pathways for deep fluid ascent. The emissions are aligned along a NE-SW trend at the intersection of a NE-SW fracture system and NW-SE-oriented normal faults, which are both associated to the local tensional stress field of a likely left-lateral strike-slip transfer structure or in the extrados of a fold. By examining both natural gas macroseepage and diffuse flux, it is shown that local structures control the fluid ascent and contribute to the emission of hydrocarbon gases and fluids at the Earth's surface. Understanding the structural control of carbon emissions at the Nirano Salse is also important for evaluating the carbon budget at the site, particularly in areas where there are detectable surface emissions. The study has implications for geologic, environmental, and economic issues, including hydrocarbon exploration, hazard assessment, and impact on the atmospheric carbon budget. Furthermore, the outcomes have an important implication to evaluate the potential for dangerous abrupt mud eruptions, and the site safety in proximity to the mud volcanoes. [Display omitted] • Alignment of surface mud vents with a NE-SW to ENE-WSW direction relate to a transfer strike-slip structural element in the Apennines thrust fault belt. • Green house emissions from mud volcanoes at Nirano are small compared to the anthropogenic sources of the area. • Stress concentration in the extensional quadrants of NE-SW to ENE-WSW-oriented strike-slip fault segments promotes NW-SE normal faults formation with associated fracturing and rise of CH4 and water that forms mud volcanoes. • Fluid ascent and methane emissions are related to the complex Miocene fault structures that are hidden below the Pliocene-Pleistocene marine clays. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The feasibility and efficiency of public policies aimed at decarbonizing tourism also depend on tourists' attitudes and acceptance. This paper investigates tourists' preferences and willingness to pay (WTP) for decarbonizing strategies applied to transportation and hotel accommodation. Two discrete choice experiments were conducted in the Dolomites area in Italy using direct and indirect question formats. The combination of question formats is proposed as an instrument to reduce hypothetical bias and obtain conservative WTP-range estimates. Results suggest low to zero willingness to pay for the two key attributes: the use of electric trains that produce lower amounts of carbon emissions and the possibility to offset the carbon emissions associated with tourists' hotel stays. These results indicate the need for new policy interventions to promote forms of public-private partnerships to support public and private investments, increase tourists' awareness of decarbonizing strategies and foster a move toward more sustainable behaviors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims at evaluating the best allocation of potential biomethane generation for the decarbonization of the transport system, presenting a case study in Italy. The country has some peculiar features, such as several operating biogas plants, additional potential feedstock for biogas/biomethane generation, a well-developed natural gas network and established relevant natural gas uses in different final sectors, including transport. Based on current estimates for sustainable biomethane potential by 2030, ranging from 2.3 to 7.6 billion cubic meters depending on the scenario, the analysis compares technologies for the generation, distribution and final use of biomethane. The results of the analysis confirm the potential interesting contribution of biomethane in decarbonizing the Italian transport system: a billion cubic meters of biomethane can lead to 2.33–4.37 Mt CO 2 e savings, depending on the feedstock mix and the application. On a national basis, annual climate emission savings in 2030 range from 10.0 to 26.7 Mt CO 2 e , depending on the scenario. Additional 3.1–8.1 Mt CO 2 of emissions can be avoided if the CO 2 captured during the biomethane upgrading can be stored or reused. The proposed methodology could be used to extend the analysis to other countries, and to the European context. • We analyze the climate emissions of biomethane for different supply chains. • We evaluate the effects of feedstock, distribution strategy and electricity mix. • The results confirm the important role of biomethane for transport decarbonization. • We discuss the best allocation in transport segments based on emissions savings. • We compare alternative biomethane scenarios for Italy in 2030. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The WTP ranges between €12 and €38 per ton and between €14 and €66 per flight. • It is higher for projects aimed at forest protection, afforestation, reforestation. • It is significantly lower if the description of the project financed is missing. • Gender, occupational status and education degree influence the WTP. • Also travel habits and environmental consciousness influence the WTP. The aviation industry is one of the fastest-growing sectors in producing carbon emissions. In order to reduce its carbon footprint and to respond to the increasing number of people concerned about the impact caused by air transport on climate change, the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) has recently passed the "carbon neutral growth from 2020" resolution requiring that the global net CO 2 emissions from international aviation do not exceed the 2019–2020 levels. Airlines, however, can act beyond their obligations under the ICAO resolution investing in projects aimed at reducing or offsetting all the emissions produced not only by their international flights but also by their domestic flights. The aim of this paper is to test whether Italian air travellers would be willing to donate a contribution to finance these projects and whether the willingness to pay depends on the projects' type and on the projects' effectiveness. To this aim we performed a stated-choice experiment involving a sample of 1228 Italians who travelled by plane at least once in the last 3 years. We find that their willingness to pay ranges from €12 to €38 per ton and from €14 to €66 per flight. The description of the project type to be financed via the passengers' donations is one of the most important factors influencing their willingness to pay. Other key factors are the quantity of CO 2 reduced or offset via the project and the respondents' gender, education degree, occupational status, environmental consciousness and travel habits. Our results are useful for airlines to design the donation proposals and improve the corporate image and for policy makers to support air travellers' environmental conscious behaviour and airlines' environmental sustainable strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Italy has reconsidered incentives on Renewable Energy Sources (RES) to implement the EU clean energy transition and Renewable Energy Communities (REC). Legislation on RECs shifted the focus of incentives from production to self-consumptions. In this paper, the REC model is studied in a minor island disconnected from the national grid, with strongly seasonal energy load and water demand. This is a typical Mediterranean scenario where energy demand is covered by Diesel gensets and water supply is provided with tankers. The implementation of RES is investigated, exploiting the current REC model of incentives. Two sub-optimal REC configurations were defined using time-dependent simulations on pyRES, an in-house code for energy systems. Results show the economical unfeasibility of REC when there is a poor mix of users. In contrast, REC can achieve economic profitability including industrial demand of a desalination unit (DES). The increase of self-consumption guaranteed from the DES allows to increase the NPV of the community and results in major cuts in CO 2 emissions (60% of those related to water supply and 10% of those from Diesel gensets) and a reduction of fuel costs of 22%. This method can be applied to investigate the performance of a REC in a local environment and help stakeholders in planning the expansions of RECs on the territory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Small Islands usually rely on fossil fuels for their energy supply and face common challenges such as high energy costs and carbon dioxide emissions. For these reasons they represent interesting cases for analysing the transition towards a clean and secure energy system. Nevertheless, integrating non-dispatchable Renewable Energy Sources in the power grid causes stability issues and this is particularly true for island grids. Such issue is not fully considered in long-term energy planning; indeed, an important factor that should be considered in order to ensure the reliability of the grid are Reserves. There are different types of Reserves depending on the reactiveness/response time and the duration of the service. In this paper, primary and secondary reserves have been analysed in order to plan the long-term energy transition of the small island of Favignana, Italy by means of the new version of H2RES, a Linear Programming single-objective optimisation model able to provide a long-term capacity investment and dispatching optimisation. It has been found that biomass generators are favoured to both photovoltaic and wind turbines for their ability to provide reserves and also decrease the unpredictability of the supply. Batteries and Electrolysers are also used mostly for reserve provision. • Primary and Secondary Reserves are embedded in long-term optimisation model. • Optimal energy Transition strategy towards Smart Island Energy System is found. • Biomass is the main renewable source since it reduces reserve requirement. • Electrolysers are operated for 85% of their usage time as downward reserve provider. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Field trials were conducted at traditional Mediterranean olive agro-ecosystems grown at two locations (Italy –IT, Greece –GR). Groves were managed for many years using sustainable (S , cover crops, compost application, mulching of pruning biomass) or conventional (C) practices (e.g., soil tillage, burning of pruning residuals). The IT grove was rainfed (rain) while the GR was irrigated (IRR). This study examined the seasonal variation of soil CO 2 emission (R s) to explore the effect of the management options (C, S) on R s at both sites. The second aim was to test the hypothesis that the seasonal R s is differentially modulated by soil temperature and moisture, namely that (i) soil moisture limits R s when it is below the lower limit of the readily available water (RAW LLim) and (ii) soil temperature above a threshold (max_T) reduces R s even if soil moisture is non limiting. On the whole-season basis, the mean R s rate at the rainfed site was 2.17 ± 0.06 (SE) at C rain and 2.32 ± 0.06 μmol CO 2 m−2 s–1 at S rain plot, while at the irrigated site R s was about 3.64 ± 0.11 (C IRR) and 4.05 ± 0.15 μmol CO 2 m−2 s–1 (S IRR). The seasonal oscillation of R s was consistent across locations and partitionable in three periods according to DOY (Day of Year) interval: Phase I (DOY 20–103 –GR; 20–118 -IT), Phase II (DOY 141÷257, GR; 142–257, IT) and Phase III (DOY 291–357, GR; 286–350, -IT). Pooling all the R s data across sites and managements, max_T was ∼ 20 °C discriminating a differential response of R s when soil moisture was < or > RAW LLim. These differential modulations exerted by temperature and moisture were integrated into a conditional model developed with a repeated random subsampling cross-validation procedure to effectively (R 2 = 0.84) predict R s. This paper mechanistically describes the interaction of the environment (soil moisture and temperature) and the management options (S , C) under various moisture conditions on R s and would support carbon flux accounting procedures (e.g., regulating ecosystem services) tailored to the estimation of sink/source capability of traditional olive agro-ecosystem within environmental-friendly agricultural domains. • Management and water supply options influenced the CO 2 soil emissions (R s). • Seasonal R s was partitioned in 3 phases based on soil temperature and moisture. • Temperature and moisture differentially modulated R s based on threshold values. • Sustainable plots showed high R s on most sampling dates. • The R s model was effective (R 2 =0.84) in rainfed and irrigated European sites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The construction sector contributes to 8% of carbon dioxide emissions, most of them caused by clinker production: in recent years, the efforts to reduce environmental impacts are growing. This paper investigates the environmental performances of clinker production and the factors driving emissions. For this purpose, the environmental impacts of 41 different grey clinkers produced in Italy from 2016 to 2021 certified by a third party according to the European standard EN 15804 have been assessed. Three input datasets (i.e., energy consumption, raw materials, and transport) have been investigated to identify the most significant variables that affected the environmental impact categories in the period 2016–2020: a stepwise regression allowed the identification of the optimal predictors to be included in the multiple regression models. The most significant variables are pet coke, fossil fuels, natural raw materials, and lorry transport. The identified models have been validated having regard to 2021 data. Therefore, for each impact category, multiple positive and negative dependencies which bear an effect on the environmental results have been quantified. The output provides proven quantitative results that can support cement producers to develop low-impacting clinker recipes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Medium-term energy planning in an academic end-user is performed. • 20 solutions are studied to get the environmental goal of 50% emissions reduction. • At least, 3.3 MW of Photovoltaic panels and 7 MWh of battery capacity are required. • Hydrogen integration implies a lower size of most of the energy systems. • Battery capacity is connected to both heat pump and thermal energy storage sizes. The European Union defined the ambitious carbon-neutrality goal for 2050. Such a transition must be done gradually to avoid huge investments; therefore, medium-term energy planning of energy supply systems must be performed properly considering both economic and environmental aspects. Sector coupling measures aid to achieve this ambitious target, although they require a remarkable financial investment. This paper presents an innovative methodology for the medium-term energy planning of the university campus "Marche Polytechnic University" located in Italy towards the carbon neutrality, i.e., 50 % of carbon emissions reduction by considering financial investment aspects. The university campus is a multi-carrier local energy community with multiple technologies such as photovoltaic, combined heat and power, gas-fired boilers, absorption, and electric chillers that satisfy the end-users' energy demand. A different mix of installed and new technologies (e.g., energy storage or hydrogen) are investigated through the Calliope framework. The case studies present the economic-based optimal scenario of a typical year planning, guaranteeing the same 50 % carbon emissions reduction. Results underline the importance of exploiting synergies among multiple carriers and the essential role of i) renewables (e.g., additional 3.3 MW of photovoltaic to be installed), ii) batteries with a capacity of 7 MWh, and (iii) sector coupling technologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the current scenario of transition to a Europe-wide circular economy (CE), the Waste-to-Energy (WtE) treatments represent a smart solution to generate renewable energy, reduce landfills and ensure sustainable waste management. The costs and environmental impacts of existing WtE treatments are very different for each available technology. In many cases, their identification is affected by a set of variable boundary conditions strongly dependent on local municipal requirements. In light of these considerations, the paper aims to compare the investment in three different WtE treatments (i.e., incineration, gasification, and flameless oxy-combustion) to identify the best solution to support the current transitional phase towards a CE condition. An overall yearly cost analysis was developed by varying local municipal requirements, including investment, operating, and carbon emissions costs. The overall yearly cost and the revenues, due to energy sales and tipping fees, allowed to evaluate the profitability of the investment in the plant lifetime to identify the best WtE treatment. The investment profitability was evaluated by adopting the Net Present Value (NPV) method by estimating the cash flow statement over the entire plant lifetime. The performance of the three WtE treatments, classified as "conventional" (i.e., gasification and incineration) and "innovative" (i.e., flameless oxy-combustion), were compared in a case study concerning Southern Italy's Metropolitan City of Bari. The applied methodology showed, in this case, that gasification, at the moment, has to be deemed as the most sustainable treatment for MSW management. Moreover, the study proved a high dependence between the carbon price and the profitability of the investment and, thus, in the next future the innovative oxy-combustion technology will gain an advantage over all the other technologies, when carbon price will be higher than 44 €/tonnes CO2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Deep decarbonisation – i.e. the transition towards net-zero emissions energy systems – will be enabled by a high penetration of intermittent renewables, storage and sector-coupling technologies. In this paper, we present a novel modelling approach to capture the increasing complexity of such future energy systems and help policy makers choose among the different possible transition scenarios. Salient features of our model, consisting of an extended and regionalised version of EnergyScope (Limpens et al., 2019 [1]), are a low computational time and a concise formulation which make it suitable for uncertainty and what-if analyses. As a case study, the model is applied to devise scenarios for the Italian energy transition. Specifically, we develop the first open-source whole-energy system model of Italy and assess the feasibility of its decarbonisation strategy with respect to uncertainties in the deployment of carbon capture and storage (CCS) and renewable technologies. Results show that emissions can be cut by 79%–97% vs. 1990 levels thanks to a radical electrification of the energy system coupled to a wide deployment of renewables and efficient energy conversion technologies. Finally, we discuss the synergies, advantages and disadvantages of our proposed approach with respect to alternative modelling approaches used across 88 recent deep decarbonisation studies. The analysis suggests that our model, thanks to its computational efficiency and a snapshot approach (i.e., modelling a target-year in the future), can complement more detailed and established energy models optimising the energy transition pathway (i.e., modelling the pathway from today to the target year). [Display omitted] • Novel open-source whole-energy system model for deep decarbonisation studies. • Key features: hourly resolution, target-year optimisation, computational efficiency. • Case study: deep decarbonisation of Italy in 2050 under uncertainty. • Results: 79%–97% CO 2 emission reduction is feasible and cost-effective. • Comparison with other models used in 88 recent deep decarbonisation studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Low carbon transition agendas imposed by climate change claim for ambitious strategies grounded on non-biased information provided by energy and economic models. This is particularly relevant at local and regional scales, where environmental policies are practically implemented. To this end, this paper proposes a soft-linked model combining the EPLANopt energy simulation model with an empirical Input-Output model and applies it to assess the prospective impact of future scenarios in the Italian region of South-Tyrol. The proposed approach allows to perform scenario analysis of regional contexts with an accurate and physically detailed representation of the energy supply chain, while keeping track of the indirect and sector-specific economic and environmental impacts induced by a prospective policy action: the features and capabilities of the proposed approach are not fully covered by currently available methods and models. The EPLANopt model was setup and run for a selection of prescriptive scenarios, identifying optimal Pareto solutions in terms of minimization of economic cost of energy and carbon dioxide emissions. The results were then processed and incorporated into the Input-Output model, which allowed to evaluate the economy-wide economic and environmental impacts of such scenarios for different sectors. Results of the soft-linked model complement those of the EPLANopt model alone, as they reveal significant economic and environmental indirect effects that characterize the analysed scenario and are thus important to support decision-making. • A soft-linked model combining EPLANopt with Hybrid Input-Output model is presented. • Feasible energy transition scenarios for the South-Tyrol Province are simulated. • Related economic/environmental impacts are assessed in a comparative-static way. • Potential of the model in deriving insights to support low carbon policies is shown. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study is in line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN-SDGs) that address pertinent global issues. This study focuses on the need for access to clean and affordable energy consumption, responsible energy consumption, sustainable economic growth, and climate change mitigation. To this end, this paper evaluates the relevance of the renewable energy sector on the environmental Kuznets curve (EKC) framework in Portugal, Italy, Greece, and Spain for the period 1995–2015. As an econometric strategy, we adopt the use of panel data over the highlighted countries. In the first step, we apply the unit root test recommended by Levin, Lin, and Chu in conjunction with ADF-Fisher, and Phillips-Perron for robustness and consistency. We found that the variables used in this study are integrated I (1) in the first difference. In the second step, we apply the Pedroni cointegration test, and Kao Residual cointegration test, and we observe that the variables are cointegrated in the long run. The generalized least squares (GLS), the panel fully modified least squares (FMOLS), ordinary least squares robust (OLS), and panel quantile regression are considered in this research. The econometric results validate the assumption of the environmental Kuznets curve, i.e., and there is a positive correlation between income per capita and a negative effect of squared income per capita on carbon dioxide emissions. In contrast, we observe that renewable energy reduces CO2 emissions. Finally, we also find a direct connection between the urban population and the environmental degradation in the examined blocs. These results show that in Portugal, Italy, Greece, and Spain, more is required to achieve environmental sustainability in the respective countries growth trajectory. Further policy prescriptions are appended in the concluding section of this study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]