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In the printing and packaging industry, sustainability is defined as manufacture and practices that reflect responsibility for the environment and resources to meet the needs and expectations of future generations. In this article, raw material management, cellulose resources, industrial forests, ecological and renewable alternative fiber resources were examined in the framework of the sustainability of the printing and packaging industry. The recycling of printed materials and packaging and the effects of paper-ink types and product design in this recycling have been discussed. The effect of separation and processing at the source on the efficiency of paper recycling, economy and ecology was emphasized. The greenhouse gas emissions of solvents used in inks and cleaners, the impact on climate change, water footprint and carbon footprint issues were examined. Suggestions have been made on environmental sustainability in the printing industry, what needs to be done for a competitive production, successful optimization, minimization of waste, use of existing possibilities, recycling and evaluation of alternatives and use of clean energy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Universities and their actions affect the environment directly and significantly. Therefore, the carbon footprint (CF) needs to be implemented in these institutions for mitigating climate change and its potential risks. Based on this understanding, the university consortium quality and environment (QualEnv) stands out by its main objective – to increase the university's contribution to sustainable development (SD) through the deployment of systematic environmental practices and quality processes. Hence, the purpose of this paper is to present the CF of the Latin American universities of the QualEnv consortium. Design/methodology/approach: The study was based on the actions for adopting CF and its implementation at the universities that take part in the QualEnv consortium. The measurement process and report presentation were done properly by the universities and published as institutional documents. Therefore, data were collected and analyzed through a document search, systematic literature review and participant observation. Findings: The results show knowledge deepening and systematization on CF in higher education. In addition, it presents the effort of a group of universities that, through a research network, seek to adopt practices towards a carbon-neutral university, which requires an incremental and systematic change to break out of the traditional system. Originality/value: This paper discusses the practical implications for universities and the need to implement initiatives for measuring and reducing their CF since it shows how the institutions belonging to QualEnv consortium have created their own strategies to mitigate climate change and contribute to SD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The citizen's carbon footprint is affected by various factors, but mostly by electricity consumption, daily transportation, travelling habits, as well as municipal solid waste management, a critical factor that is not frequently incorporated in carbon footprint estimations. This paper proposes a new carbon footprint calculator, the Carbon Footprint Simulation Dashboard—COMPAIR's CO2 calculator. The CO2 calculator employs Citizen Science (CS) information in order to assist citizens in understanding and comparing how future carbon emissions will be modified in accordance with changes in their daily routines. The calculator offers several statistics, e.g., the country's average carbon footprint and comparisons between EU members with respect to sectors that shape it, along with several recommendations for those domains where carbon footprint is significantly higher than the desired limits. The novelty of this tool is the integration of waste management strategies as a dimension of the total CO2 calculation. In this framework, the study presents the development of the Carbon Footprint Simulation Dashboard while two different waste management scenarios are applied with different citizen behaviours on recycling and composting. The applications highlighted the consumption in buildings that account for almost 50% of the total CO2 emissions, while the crucial role of transportation is also a key parameter. The different waste management scenarios showed a correlation between the CO2 footprint and the overall consumption/disposal habits of citizens. In the case of advanced recycling and composting, waste management accounted for up to 7% of the CO2 emissions, and this highlights the significance of behavioural choices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, it has become essential to consider the total carbon footprint of a construction project. Commonly, the question has been: ’What is the best material to be used in this context?’ In this paper we argue that this question is incomplete, not taking the complexity of design choices into consideration. This paper intends to share light on how to analyse some factors that influence the construction of buildings in order to contribute to climate change mitigation, taking this complexity into consideration. Calculation of fossil greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions for two load-bearing structures for office buildings in 4, 8 and 16 storeys with equal functional requirements; e.g. load bearing capacity, acoustic performance, fire resistance and adaptability are addressed. The main materials for the load-bearing structures are cross laminated timber (CLT) elements and precast concrete elements respectively. The result show that one cannot on a general basis conclude that either type of load-bearing structure cause less fossil GHG emissions. It is always important to consider the building design, functionality as well as external conditions such as location when considering different load-bearing structure materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mitigation actions in all sectors of society, including sports, to limit global warming have become an increasingly hot topic in public discussions and sports management. However, so far, there has been a lack of understanding and practical examples of how these organizations, especially in team sports, can holistically assess and reduce their climate impacts to achieve carbon neutrality. This paper presents a carbon footprint assessment, implemented actions for GHG emission reduction, and offers the example of a professional Finnish ice hockey team that achieved carbon neutrality. The study is based on a life cycle assessment method. The Results show that the team's carbon footprint was reduced from 350 tCO 2eq by more than 50% between seasons 2018–2019 and 2021–2022 in the assessed categories. The most GHG emission reductions were achieved in the team's and spectators' mobility and ice hall energy consumption. Furthermore, the team compensated for their remaining emissions to achieve carbon neutrality. Multiple possibilities for further GHG emission reductions were recognized. The majority of the GHG emissions were linked to the Scope 3 category, indicating that co-operation with partners and stakeholders was a key to success in attaining carbon neutrality. This paper also discusses the possible limitations and challenges that sport organizations face in assessing climate impacts and reducing GHG emissions, as well as the prospects of overcoming them. Since there are many opportunities for sports to contribute to climate change mitigation, relevant targets and actions to reduce GHG emissions should be integrated into all sport organizations' management. [Display omitted] • This the first assessment of professional ice hockey team's carbon footprint. • Multiple actions led to a significant reduction in greenhouse gas emissions. • Concludes how sport organizations can manage their environmental impacts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a global industry, sport makes potentially significant contributions to climate change through both carbon emissions and influence over sustainability practices. Yet, evidence regarding impacts is uneven and spread across many disciplines. This paper investigates the impacts of sport emissions on climate and identifies knowledge gaps. We undertook a systematic and iterative meta‐analysis of relevant literature (1992–2022) on organized and individual sports. Using a defined search protocol, 116 sources were identified that map to four sport‐related themes: (1) carbon emissions and their measurement; (2) emissions control and decarbonization; (3) carbon sinks and offsets; and (4) behavior change. We find that mega sport events, elite sport, soccer, skiing, and golf have received most attention, whereas grass‐roots and women's sport, activity in Africa and South America, cricket, tennis, and volleyball are understudied. Other knowledge gaps include carbon accounting tools and indicators for smaller sports clubs and active participants; cobenefits and tradeoffs between mitigation‐adaptation efforts in sport, such as around logistics, venues, sports equipment, and facilities; geopolitical influence; and scope for climate change litigation against hosts and/or sponsors of carbon‐intensive events. Among these, researchers should target cobenefits given their scope to deliver wins for both climate mitigation and risk management of sport. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

University campuses represent a heterogeneous ecosystem as to social, economic, energetic, and personal travel planning with a huge impact on hosting cities and territories. Sustainable policies are thus fundamental to reduce this impact and to adopt ecological behaviors. The measures for any University Sustainability Plan should be evaluated in terms of GHG emissions, as well as the overall impact of the university itself. Carbon footprint (CF) calculation is a relevant Decision Support tool that allows university organizations to measure and communicate the environmental effects of their activities. The aim of this paper is to present a carbon footprint methodology specifically designed to calculate the carbon footprint of large universities. The methodology was applied to calculate the CF of the University of Bologna by following international standards—i.e., the GHG protocol, the ISO 14064, and the ISO/TR 14069 guide—to understand the environmental impact caused by greenhouse gas emissions from direct and indirect university activities. The study was conducted upon the data available in 2020 and then was compared to the 2018 data, with the aim to recognize if the effect of the pandemic could have altered the results. In 2020, the University of Bologna emitted 16,467 tCO2e which became 15,753 tCO2e considering the offset and avoided emission provided by the internal production of energy from renewable sources. Comparison between 2020 and 2018 shows how, in 2018, most of the emissions came from transportation, representing 74% of the total emissions, while in 2020 almost 50% of total emissions derived by IT procurements. The case application demonstrates the way with which the methodology may be applied to assess environmental impact for complex university campuses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Anesthetic gases are potent greenhouse gases, which are currently released into the atmosphere where they remain for many years. Strategies to reduce the carbon footprint in anesthesiology without compromising patient safety are urgently needed. Since 2020 several departments of anesthesiology have installed anesthetic gas capture systems with which anesthetic gases can be collected. This article aims to describe the anesthetic gas capture system CONTRAfluran™ and to give an overview of the first experiences in four departments of anesthesiology working with the new device in the daily clinical routine. The CONTRAfluran™ system presents a new concept in the surgical setting that has the potential to reduce the carbon footprint in anesthesiology; however, in order to accurately estimate CO2 equivalent savings, more information concerning the reprocessing and data on the pharmacokinetics of anesthetic gases are needed. Application of the CONTRAfluran™ system in daily clinical routine is feasible when anesthesiologists are aware of specific issues. In order to minimize the carbon footprint, it remains essential to implement the specific recommendations in the position paper of the German Society of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care medicine (DGAI) and the Professional Association of German Anaesthesiologists (BDA) on ecological sustainability in anesthesiology and intensive care medicine and to support further research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the growing need for residential buildings as a result of population growth, the building sector is a high-priority area in climate change due to its large share of CO 2 emissions, the significant energy saving opportunities it represents, and the increasing expectations for occupant comfort. This paper presents the results of climate change impact assessment on a typical mid-rise residential building in four representative cities with different climatic characteristics in Turkey. Three different scenarios that characterize different solutions towards space cooling are developed, from naturally ventilated to fully air-conditioned. The energy requirements and corresponding CO 2 emissions due to space conditioning as well as occupant thermal comfort are the investigated building performance metrics. The preliminary results based on energy simulations indicate that pronounced overheating will be experienced in the future, which will have a strong effect on cooling energy use and/or occupant comfort. The projected energy demand also points to the future need to explore measures for climate change adaptation of buildings and the importance of the decarbonization of the electricity industry for climate change mitigation. The analysis results presented in this paper provide a basis for future studies on building retrofit for climate change. • Evaluation of climate change impact on a typical residential building in Turkey. • Cooling is to dominate thermal loads due to increased temperatures. • Warmer climates to be influenced most by negative effects. • Severe overheating for poorly ventilated, highly insulated buildings. • Adaptation measures needed for climate-proofing existing buildings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Brazil, Mexico and Uruguay have adopted wind energy as a means to fight climate change. However, their experiences are different and insufficiently documented. This paper analyzes the advantages and disadvantages of the wind industry in light of its future expansion in Latin America. The methodology consists of the systematization and analysis of literature written in Spanish, Portuguese and English. Four advantages and five disadvantages were identified. The advantages are wind energy's reduced carbon footprint, low production costs, the potential for job creation and income from land rentals, while the disadvantages are possible vegetation loss, impact on birds and water sources, oil and waste contamination and health damage. The challenges for public policy are: supporting research on the socioenvironmental impacts of the wind industry and designing tools for their mitigation; developing a full supply chain of materials through technological innovation; distributing the benefits of wind energy equally among the local population, and prioritizing public needs of electricity above the interest of the private sector. If these challenges are not fully met, wind energy projects will be part of a hegemonic structure that claims to solve the problems created by climate change, while in fact continuing to use an extractivist logic, incapable of benefitting people. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract For the water sector to cope with rising populations and the anticipated impacts of climate change, increasing amounts of construction output are needed to build water-related infrastructure. Amidst emerging operational energy efficiencies and gradual grid decarbonisation, the relative impact and extent of embodied carbon dioxide equivalent (embodied CO 2 e) effected from the construction and maintenance of water sector infrastructure is likely to rise. For practitioners in the water and construction sectors, there is a growing need to be able to understand and account for embodied CO 2 e. However, the contribution of embodied CO 2 e as part of the whole life cycle impacts of water related infrastructure is disputed in the current literature, and with only a handful of studies suggesting it is important its significance is not established. This work aims to explore this issue, and provide clarity. This paper shows the calculations involved to measure the embodied and operational CO 2 e of Old Ford Water Recycling Plant, a small blackwater recycling treatment facility producing 574 m3/day of reclaimed water. For the analyses, embodied carbon dioxide coefficients (ECCs) are used that were provided by the water operator Thames Water Utilities Ltd (TWU), and based on its supply chain, and datasets from Ecoinvent v3.1, a commercially available assessment tool. The final aggregated carbon footprint values calculated are 1.430 kgCO 2 e (TWU in-house analysis) and 1.566 kgCO 2 e (Ecoinvent) per cubic metre of recycled water. The results show that the contribution of embodied CO 2 e is significant, making up 50.7% (TWU) and 77.3% (Ecoinvent) of the total carbon footprint value in each analysis. The research identified that assessments could be improved if there was higher-quality data provided by manufacturers and suppliers on the embodied CO 2 e content of materials, components, and equipment. This paper further illustrates differences between calculations using generic data (Ecoinvent) and supply chain data, and the difficulties involved in producing functionally equivalent life cycle inventories. Graphical abstract Image 10027 Highlights • Contribution of embodied carbon is significant in water recycling plant case. • Embodied carbon deemed important in future project design and operation. • Generic data distorts true extent of accounted embodied impacts. • Robust information from supply chain can improve assessment accuracy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The carbon emissions associated with the built environment represent the dominant fraction of the total carbon footprint of society. As a result of the intense debate over how to address climate change, Life-Cycle Carbon Emissions Assessment and carbon footprint standards such as the PAS2050, ISO/TS 14067, and the GHG Protocol, are receiving increased attention. However, carbon emission calculations often vary in terms of boundaries, scope, units of greenhouse gas emissions, and methodologies. There is not an internationally accepted method for measuring, reporting, and verifying GHG emissions from existing buildings in a consistent and comparable way. In support of developing a standardized approach, this paper reviews current methodologies for carbon footprint accounting and outlines the inconsistencies of most life-cycle carbon assessments studies. The paper also aims to present the cutting-edge knowledge about emissions resulting from buildings during their life-cycle. The conclusion of this research, after a comprehensive literature review and critical analysis, is that there is a need for a clear, accessible and consistent method to assess the carbon emissions from buildings. The findings in this paper can also support and facilitate the discussion of the meaningful targets required to reduce carbon emissions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rising temperature in the world's atmosphere is an outcome strongly linked to man-made manufactured interventions. Recreational activities in the form of tourism are such interventions that can unleash multidimensional negative externalities if not regulated properly. The Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) region has become one of the major hubs for recreational activities in the last few decades. However, the region's tourism-led environmental degradation has received scant attention in the literature. As such, this paper unveils how tourist footprint affects the region's environmental sustainability and explores potential solutions to encourage the tourism industry to be more pro-environmental. We have used the novel GMM-PVAR technique to assess how globalization, transportation, green energy, and economic growth have affected the tourism industry and carbon footprint in the BIMSTEC region from 1990 to 2019. We lean on the empirical outcomes to propose regional sustainable tourism development policies. The GMM-PVAR model indicates that renewable energy, economic growth, and the transportation sector's development positively affect the tourism industry's growth in the region. However, globalization and environmental degradation negatively influence tourists' arrival. Contrarily, transportation services, economic growth, and tourism boost the carbon footprint in the region. Although globalization and clean energy reduce carbon footprint, these indicators are insignificant, indicating that this region is still lagging in renewable energy generation and failed to reap the positive spillovers of globalization. Based on these outcomes, we propose that the region redesign its tourism industry to encourage eco-friendly tourism by leaning more on pro-environmental strategies (i.e., powering the tourism industry through the penetration of renewable energies) and tightening environmental regulations. [Display omitted] • The indicators of sustainable tourism in the BIMSTEC region are assessed. • Analysis is conducted using the novel GMM-PVAR approach. • Additionally, determinants of carbon footprint in the region are explored. • Renewable energy, GDP growth, and transportation services boost tourism while globalization reduces tourism. • Transport sector, GDP growth and tourism boost carbon footprint in the region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To date, many cities have engaged in efforts to become more sustainable. These efforts often are translated into measures to reduce their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, leading to a proliferation of standards and methods. Discrepancies exist between these various accounting approaches in terms of the definition of system boundaries, allocation procedures, quality of data, and the reporting and verification of results. This paper examines some of the most important theoretical and practical issues and challenges of urban-related GHG accounting and highlights how existing approaches deal with these. Three different GHG emission accounting standards are compared and critically analysed: the Global Protocol for Community-Scale Greenhouse Gas Emissions (GPC), Bilan Carbone and ISO 14064-1:2018. The Organizational Environmental Footprint (OEF) and a previous analysis about footprinting performed by the European Commission are used as analytical lenses. Based on this analysis, suggestions are made for enhancing comprehensiveness and transparency, and providing guidelines for driving cities towards a more low-carbon path. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Decarbonisation of stationary energy supply, particularly electricity grids, is the current focus of climate change mitigation policy. However, studies have suggested that this narrow policy focus is insufficient to achieve meaningful global emissions reductions. Using Iceland as a case study, this paper demonstrates that significant emissions arise from transport and imported products, which are often not fully captured in territorial GHG inventories. This results in high greenhouse gas emissions per capita regardless of the nation's domestic energy supply. The result is a low carbon illusion in which rich economies believe they are reducing their GHG responsibility whilst global emissions continue to grow. This paper presents the first consumption-based carbon footprint (CBCF) analysis for Iceland, a nation where the stationary energy supply is 99% renewable, and could be viewed as a decarbonisation ‘future case’ for rich nations globally. The study combines Icelandic household expenditure data with the Multi-Regional Input-Output database Eora to calculate the CBCF of Icelandic households. The average annual CBCF of Icelandic households was 10.4 tCO 2 eq/capita, similar in magnitude to other EU nations despite Iceland's unique energy supply. GHG emissions from transport, food and goods dominated the household CBCF. The national CBCF was higher than most European nations and 55% higher than the territorial emissions inventory. Approximately 71% of household emissions were attributed to imported goods, which were mapped globally revealing that the GHG emissions burden of Icelandic consumption falls primarily on developing nations. The findings suggest that a broader GHG accounting framework and resulting policy focus is required, both in Iceland and globally, that incorporates both supply and demand-based GHG reduction strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copper (Cu) and zinc (Zn) with their unique properties are central for economic growth, quality of life, and the creation of new jobs. The base-metal producing sector is, however, under growing public pressure in respect to energy and water requirements and needs to meet several challenges, including increased demand and lower ore grades, which are generally associated with larger resource use. The development of technologies for metal production from secondary sources is often motivated by increased sustainability, and this paper aims to provide further insights about one specific aspect of sustainability--namely, climate change. The paper presents a review of carbon footprints (CF) for Cu and Zn produced from primary and secondary raw materials by analyzing data taken from scientific literature and the Ecoinvent database. Comparisons are carried out based on the source of data selected as a reference case. The data available in the literature indicate that secondary production of Cu and Zn has the potential to be more beneficial compared to primary production regarding the impact on climate change. However, the technologies used today for the production of both metals from secondary sources are still immature, and more research on this topic is needed. The general variation of data suggests that the standardization of a comparison is needed when assessing the environmental benefits of production in line with the principles of waste valorization, the zero waste approach, and circular economy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Buildings - especially the residential buildings - are among the high priority areas in climate change due to their large share of CO2 emissions, their significant energy saving potentials and the increased comfort expectations of their occupants. A systematic and numerical investigation of how building performance will be affected by climate change in the future is crucial for both retrofitting the existing buildings and making long-term strategical decisions. This paper presents the simulation-based results of the climate change impact assessment for a typical multi-storey residential building in Istanbul. In this study, RCP4.5 and RCP8.5 scenarios - representing the low/medium and high CO2 emission scenarios - defined by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) are used to generate two different climate data sets for 2060. Three cooling scenarios (natural ventilation, hybrid ventilation and air-conditioned) have been developed to represent different building usage profiles for the building simulations. Investigated performance metrics were selected as building heating/cooling energy consumption, CO2 emission and occupant thermal comfort. Analysis results analysis show that the predicted temperature rise will have a strong impact on the building cooling energy consumption and/or occupant thermal comfort. The results indicate the necessity of taking measures for adaptation of buildings to the changing climate and the importance of decarbonization of electricity generation to mitigate the effects of climate change. This study will also serve as a basis for future retrofit studies for the changing climate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Cuajimalpa campus of the Autonomous Metropolitan University (UAM) is located in the western region of Mexico City. In 2016, its global average population (students, faculty and staff) was around 2750 people. Campus policies include sustainability as one of its main aims. To evaluate and eventually reduce the environmental impact of the campus, its greenhouse gas (GHG) inventory was assessed and the carbon footprint was calculated, using the GHG protocol (GHGP): Scope 1: direct GHG emissions; Scope 2: indirect GHG emissions; and Scope 3: other indirect GHG emissions, on a calendar year basis. Scope 1 includes mobile and stationary sources and leakage of refrigerants; Scope 2 includes electrical energy usage; Scope 3 includes consumption of paper, food, water, gases, cleaning products, solvents, wastewater treatment, municipal and hazardous wastes and academic travel. In 2016, the campus produced around 3000 tons of CO2 equivalent, with Scope 1, 2 and 3 accounting for 4%, 24% and 72%, respectively. Emissions analysis by activity indicated 51% for commuting; 24% for electricity usage; 14% for academic travel; 11% for other activities. The inventory will aid the establishment of policies for reduction and mitigation of GHG, resulting in environmental and potential economic benefits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study discusses the result of a life cycle assessment (LCA) for three Egyptian aquaculture farms categorized as semi-intensive culture. The cradle-to-grave system was used to calculate the overall carbon footprint of fish unit production. The major data came from a study of three feed factories in Egypt, which included a wide range of feed manufacturing and agricultural practises in order to reveal the varied greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Pre-farm, farming, and post-farming were the three stages of the life cycle assessment. Feed manufacture, which was primarily tied to the production and processing of raw materials, was the largest source of GHG emissions for all three processes. GHG emissions were also produced during the transport of raw materials to the factory. GHG emissions were also produced during the transportation of raw materials to manufacturers, as well as feed from factories to fish farms, via ship or road. Energy consumption in feed factories varies due to variances in design technology and manufacturing efficiencies. Feed conversion ratios (FCR) have a significant influence on GHG emissions since more feed is required to produce one kilogramme of fish. The kind of packaging material and energy utilised in the factories had an impact on GHG emissions, as each type had a distinct emission factor (EF). Aside from fingerling production, there are direct and indirect N2O emissions, as well as post-farming operations like packaging, ice serving method, and customer transportation. The conclusions of the investigation revealed that According to the results of the study, the emissions linked with the three farms varied greatly. Hanafy farm had the greatest emissions, with 3.265 kg CO2e/kg fish and 50.917 tonnes CO2e/Season, followed by Hashim farm with 2.259 kg CO2e/kg fish and 45.829 tonnes CO2e/Season, and finally Aly farm with 2.223 kg CO2e/kg fish and 38.864 tonnes CO2e/Season. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One proposed strategy to solve current environmental challenges is industrial and urban symbiosis (I/UrS); however, appropriate evaluation methods are needed so that the potential benefits of I/UrS can be quantified. Several evaluation methods have been applied separately to study I/UrS, but no integrated studies have been conducted by applying different methods in the same case study area. Therefore, this study aimed to establish a comprehensive framework to evaluate I/UrS by combining the material flow analysis (MFA), carbon footprint (CF) and emergy methods. First, we developed a unified database and step-by-step process to clarify the waste distribution and recycling processes in an industrial city. Then a baseline scenario and an I/UrS scenario were set up to define the baselines and effects of I/UrS and compare the results. Finally, the three methods were applied to identify physical features in the I/UrS system. The MFA-based results showed that the use of I/UrS led to a 6.4% reduction in the physical value of material use. The CF-based results indicated that reduction of waste and by-products results in a 13.8% reduction in CO 2 e emissions. The emergy-based results showed that, with the implementation of I/UrS, the value of the emergy sustainability index (excluding labor and services) improved greatly (a 49.2% emergy reduction) as compared with the baseline case (a 14.3% reduction). In addition, the effects of implementing I/UrS by waste and by-product exchanges for blast furnace slag, scrap steel, waste paper, and waste plastic were evaluated. Whereas the CF reductions of unit ton of blast furnace slag is relatively low, emergy reductions of that is comparatively high. If policymakers only consider CF results when addressing the issue of climate change, the effects on emergy will be underestimated in this case. We conclude that the main actors in this area release huge emissions, but they also have a high potential to reduce their environmental loads. In addition, with appropriate designs, waste paper and plastics recycling could be highly efficient. Finally, the integration of the three evaluation methods should contribute to creating a low carbon and more resource independent society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With increased acknowledgment of global climate change and warming, governments, consumers, and firms are responding collectively to create today's low-carbon economy. Carbon footprint labeling has developed as a meaningful instrument to motivate greenhouse gas emission reductions. This paper reviews existing research and implementation examples to understand the development of carbon labeling. This includes discussing the evolution of the carbon labeling concept, and different measurement methodologies and standards for carbon labels. These methods and standards include life cycle assessment, Public Available Standard 2050, Greenhouse Gas Protocol, and International Organization for Standardization 14067. The review also considers carbon label implementation in different countries and the potential impacts of carbon labeling schemes. The paper closes with recommendations for carbon label implementation, summarizing the advantages and drawbacks of carbon labeling approaches. Governments, consumers, and firms may use this review to adjust their strategy for future carbon label implementation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wheat is a strategic crop for Iran with respect to food security and environmental impact. In the northeastern Golestan Province irrigated and rainfed wheat production systems co-exist. In the light of climate change the comparative assessment of the two systems regarding productivity and sustainability is of urgent importance. This paper aims to contribute to a more informed debate on the viability of irrigation in marginal crop production regions. For this purpose, the present study investigates productivity and environmental impact of 540 wheat producing farm households (259 irrigated; 281 rainfed) in Golestan by partial life cycle assessment (LCA) methodology using greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and product carbon footprint (PCF) as environmental sustainability indicators. The study finds huge heterogeneity among wheat producers with regard to yield, GHG emissions and PCF. Comparing irrigated and rainfed production showed that irrigation in average leads to 22% higher yields. However, the environmental impact of irrigated production is disproportionally high leading to 110% higher GHG emissions and 62% higher PCF, which highlights the trade-off between productivity and environmental sustainability. The major contributors to total GHG emissions of wheat production are energy for irrigation (only in irrigated production), N 2 O emissions related to fertilization and residue handling, diesel for machinery, and emissions related to fertilizer production and transport. Increased GHG emissions and PCF in irrigated compared to rainfed production are not only attributed to the energy required for irrigation, but also to increased fertilizer and other production inputs. Splitting the farmers into high, medium and low yield groups indicates the potential for increasing yields through increased input intensity without negative effects on PCF. The study's results demonstrate the potential of better balancing the trade-offs between productivity and sustainability of wheat production in marginal wheat production regions of the world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An increasing number of studies show that efficiency improvements alone will not be sufficient to attain the substantial emission reductions needed to mitigate global warming to a target of 2 °C. Consumption side changes are likely to be needed to achieve sufficient emission reductions. The United Nations emphasize the importance of developed countries taking the lead in lowering emissions to achieve the sustainable development goals. This paper assess to what extent Norwegian households can lower their carbon footprint consistent with territorial emission reductions towards the 2 °C target of global warming through implementing a set of behavioral actions. We evaluate the efficacy of the set of actions both initially and after considering rebound effects. A multiregional environmentally extended input-output database is linked with the Norwegian consumer expenditure survey to analyze both average and marginal expenditure per unit of increased income. Further, linear programming is applied to examine the changes needed by households to reach different emission reduction targets. We find that households implementing the full set of actions without re-spending can obtain a 58% decrease in their carbon footprint. When accounting for the effect of re-spending, this reduction drops to 24–35%, which is not within the requirements of the 2 °C target. The optimization analysis suggests households can achieve reductions up to 45% by restricting re-spending to specific goods and services. This indicates that curbing the rebound effect is key to achieving real reductions in household carbon footprints. We show that changing consumption patterns can significantly contribute to lowering anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions without compromising the level of economic activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Promoting urban transition is critical, particularly for China’s rapid urbanization. Circular economy strategy is widely recognized as an effective way to achieve a low-carbon transition of cities through improved waste recycling and industrial symbiosis. However, the evidence of low-carbon benefit is less reported. While the carbon footprint (CFP) represents a mature tool responding to climate change concerns, limited studies have made use of CFP as a proxy for the performance of urban circular economy promotion. The aim of this paper is to investigate the CFP with a ten years span (2002–2012) of Guiyang, so as to understand how its circular economy practices have led to low-carbon benefits. Guiyang, one of China’s national pilots of the Circular Economy (CE) City, the Low-Carbon City, as well as the Ecological Civilization City, has offered an ideal laboratory where the opportunities and challenges for a low-carbon urban transition can be explicitly discussed. A hybrid model that integrates an input-output (IO) approach and process-based inventory analysis is developed to distinguish between direct carbon emissions of sectors from energy consumption, and indirect carbon emissions related to upstream and downstream flows both from production and consumption perspectives. The CFP of Guiyang in 2002, 2007 (after becoming the circular economy pilot) and 2012 (with implementation of urban industrial symbiosis) are analyzed by taking the 2002 as year of business as usual (BAU) scenario. Particularly, we identify scenarios related to proposed urban industrial symbiosis. Results imply that dramatic resource saving and CFP reductions could be achieved simultaneously. Changes to the CFP in 2002, 2007 and 2012 provide critical insights into the role of circular economy in speeding up urban transition towards a low-carbon society. Finally, policy recommendations to tackle the barriers to regional low-carbon transition are proposed. We believe that this study is informative for policy makers of urban planning by shedding a light on innovative eco-industrial development and urban transition in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The forest and building sector is of major importance in climate change mitigation and therefore construction materials based on forest products are of great interest. While energy efficiency has had a large focus in climate change mitigation in the building sector, the carbon footprint of the construction material is gaining relevance. The carbon footprint of construction materials can vary greatly from one type to another, the building sector is consequently demanding documentation of the carbon footprint of the materials used. Using an environmental product declaration (EPD) is an objective and standardised solution for communicating the environmental impacts of construction products and especially their carbon footprint. Nevertheless, it is challenging to include the features of forest products as pools of carbon dioxide. There is currently a focus on research into methods for the accounting of sequestered atmospheric carbon dioxide and also implementation of these methods into technical standards. This paper reviews the recent research and technical standards in this field to promote a common understanding and to propose requirements for additional information to be included in EPDs of forest-based products. The main findings show the need for reporting the contribution of biogenic carbon to the total on greenhouse gas emissions and removals over the product's lifecycle. In order to facilitate the implementation of more advanced methods from research, the EPD should also include more detailed information of the wood used, in particular species and origin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biomass plays a dual role as an energy source and a solution for climate change mitigation. There are complexities surrounding decentralized electricity generation, and Ghana could not achieve its 10% renewable energy target in 2020. The paper assesses the greenhouse gas mitigation potential and economic impact of electricity from major food crop residues subjected to anaerobic digestion technology in 16 regions and 88 districts in Ghana from 2017 to 2020. Buswell equation was applied to calculate the biogas and methane yield. The environmental impact assessment was expressed as global warming potential, and the economic feasibility was conducted. The results showed that crop residues' annual theoretical and technical potential was 28.92 Mt and 17.24 Mt. The top four residues with the largest share of technical potential were maize (5.41 Mt), yam (3.58 Mt), plantain (3.05 Mt) and cassava (2.39 Mt). Biogas and electricity potentials were 1,912.74 Mm3 and 3,068.34 GWh, which could offset 15.56% of electricity consumption in Ghana. The Ashanti (478.18 GWh), Eastern (430.20 GWh), Bono East (318.29 GWh) and Northern (314 GWh) regions demonstrated the highest electricity potential. Ghana could generate the highest electricity potential of 46.52 GWh in the districts and a minimum potential of 0.89 GWh annually. Power generation potential from anaerobic digestion had a diesel displacement capacity of 923.35 × 10 6 L with a GHG emissions reduction of 2,507.35 kt CO 2 eq. The largest GHG reduction potential was 38.15 kt CO 2 eq at the district level. The findings show that the project is economically viable, with an average net present value of $ 10,105,904 per region and an electricity cost of $ 0.0321/kWh. The study provides critical insights to policymakers and industry developers for decentralized biomass-based electricity generation in Ghana. • A sustainable crop residue assessment is conducted in Ghana. • The total biogas-based electricity is 3,068.34 GWh. • Ashanti region has high electricity (478.18 GWh) than Greater Accra (9.82 GWh). • The total GHG mitigation is estimated as 2507.35 kt CO 2 eq. • The project is economically viable at a cost of $ 0.0321/kWh. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There are many opportunities for consumers to design their lives more sustainably. While a rapidly growing body of literature has investigated how consumers can reduce carbon footprints in key consumption areas, such as food, housing and mobility, an overall framework that allows structuring those options across all consumption areas is still missing. Hence, this paper presents a novel and systematic framework to identify improvement options that promote climate change mitigation and structure them based on their primary mode of impact on GHG emissions. The framework targets consumer practices and focuses on ambitious, but technically and socioeconomically feasible strategies for consumers to lower their carbon footprint. Four major categories for reducing consumption-based emissions form the basic framework, which are then subdivided into behavioural strategies and sub-strategies. The practical application of the framework is illustrated by using food consumption as an example. Systematically identifying improvement options can advance a holistic understanding of the range of behavioural strategies targeting consumer choices that operate at different stages in the supply chain. It thus provides a starting point for addressing critical questions related to the role of consumers in supporting climate change mitigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Decreasing household size is a global trend, driven by urbanization and multiple other socioeconomic trends. Going solo poses a great environmental challenge, as the possibility to benefit from scale economies in consumption and its greenhouse gas impacts is not taken advantage of. In other words, understanding of intra-household sharing patterns of different consumption categories is increasingly important in climate change mitigation. This paper explores the relationship between household sizes, urban structures, and greenhouse gas impacts of lifestyles. When urban areas grow outwards, the household sizes also grow. As a result of this, the increase in intra-household sharing seems to alleviate the negative GHG implications of urban sprawl, which is highly logical but yet not comprehended. Thus, the rise of collaborative consumption offers potential to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions of solo dwellers, and compensate for the lower intra-household sharing with inter-household sharing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Carbon footprint has become a term often used by the media in recent days. The human carbon footprint is professed to be a very serious global threat and every nation is looking at the possible options to reduce it since its consequences are alarming. A carbon footprint is a measure of the impact of human activities on earth and in particular on the environment; more specifically it relates to climate change and to the total amount of greenhouse gases produced, measured in units of carbon dioxide emitted. Effort of individuals in minimizing the carbon footprint is vital to save our planet. This article reports a study of the carbon footprint of various types of shopping bags (plastic, paper, non-woven and woven) using life cycle impact assessment (LCIA) technique in two stages. The first stage (baseline study), comprised the study of the impact of different types of shopping bags in the manufacturing phase, without considering their usage and disposal phases (cradle to gate stage). The LCIA was accomplished by the IPCC 2007 method, developed by the Inter Panel on Climate Change in SIMAPRO 7.2. The GWP (Global Warming Potential) values calculated by the IPCC 2007 method for 100 years were considered as a directive to compare the carbon footprint made by the different types of shopping bags under consideration. The next stage was the study of the carbon footprint of these bags including their usage and disposal phases (cradle to grave stage) and the results derived were compared with the results derived from the baseline study, which is the major focus of this research work. The values for usage and end-of-life phases were obtained from the survey questionnaire performed amongst different user groups of shopping bags in China, Hong Kong and India. The results show that the impact of different types of shopping bags in terms of their carbon footprint potential is very high if no usage and disposal options were provided. When the carbon footprint values from different disposal options were compared, the carbon footprint values were lower in the case where a higher percentage of reuse is preferred to recycling and disposing to landfill. The results indicate that a higher percentage of reuse could significantly scale down the carbon footprint. Once the shopping bags reached the point where they can no longer be reused, they must be forwarded to recycling options, rather than being disposed to landfill. At this juncture, consumer’s perceptions and behaviours in connection with the respective government’s policies in promoting & facilitating recycling systems could be critical in reducing the carbon footprint of various shopping bags. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

A framework and set of methods to provide quantification of carbon footprint for an office in Singapore is presented in this work. As office operations become the center of many organization's activities, a rising awareness of climate change puts the focus on the carbon footprint of office operations. Various international standards have provided guidelines in assessing the carbon footprint of organizations. However, a lack of explicit formulation and procedure in these standards makes them difficult to apply. Furthermore, organizations that are just starting to assess their footprint may not have the resources and trained personnel to perform a full-scale assessment. To fill this gap, the framework proposed in this paper categorizes the emission sources from an office into several categories: core devices, shared resources, pantry, and transportation; and a set of quantification methods then guide the practitioner in a visual manner to do their office carbon footprint. A case study was conducted with an organization in Singapore. Results showed that the organization has a monthly office carbon footprint of 2306.57 kg CO 2 e, with major emissions coming from the air-conditioning system and private car usage. The study showed that the method can be used to assess the overall emissions, as well as identifying the major emission sources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the first legally binding global agreement on climate change, the Paris Agreement aims to limit long-term global warming to less than 2 °C, preferably below 1.5 °C compared to pre-industrial levels. Road transport, as one of the primary sources of energy consumption and carbon emissions, has great potential for energy conservation and emission reduction in achieving the climate goals. However, current approaches cannot efficiently reduce road travel, making it challenging to decarbonize in the transport sector. Therefore, in this paper, we propose STRICTs, a blockchain-enabled motor vehicle restrictive and trading system based on the carbon emissions cap. STRICTs allows automated carbon emission auditing and carbon emission violation punishment without relying on third-party escrow. Through a decentralized enforcer, STRICTs also enables carbon permit trading reliably and transparently. Finally, we implement a proof-of-concept prototype of the system based on Hyperledger Fabric and conduct experiments for comprehensive performance evaluation through CO2 Emission by Vehicles dataset. The experiment results show the practically affordable performance of STRICTs. [Display omitted] • Carbon emission calculation and carbon emission permit allocation method is developed. • Vehicle data chain is built to guarantee the reliability and correctness of collected vehicle data. • Restrictions on carbon emission allowance is presented to reduce carbon emissions. • A smart-contract-based decentralized enforcer is proposed to audit user's carbon emission behavior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the booming research on the environmental footprint of, for example, electrical vehicles, heat pumps and other (smart) electricity consuming appliances, there is a clear need to know the hourly CO 2 content of one kW h of electricity. Since the CO 2 footprint of electricity can vary every hour; the footprint of for example an electric vehicle is influenced by the time when the vehicle is charged. With the availability of the hourly CO 2 content of one kW h, a decision support tool is provided to fully exploit the advantages of a future smart grid. In this paper, the GWP (Global Warming Potential) per kW h for each hour of the year is calculated for Belgium using a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) approach. This enables evaluating the influence of the electricity demand on the greenhouse gas emissions. Because of the LCA approach, the CO 2 equivalent content does not only reflect activities related to the production of the electricity within a power plant, but includes carbon emissions related to the building of the infrastructure and the fuel supply chain. The considered feedstocks are nuclear combustible, oil, coal, natural gas, biowaste, blast furnace gas, and wood. Furthermore, renewable electricity production technologies like photovoltaic cells, hydro installations and wind turbines are covered by the research. The production of the wind turbines and solar panels is more carbon intensive (expressed per generated kW h of electricity) than the production of other conventional power plants, due to the lower electricity output. The overall average GWP per kW h is 0.184 kg CO 2 eq/kW h. Throughout the 2011 this value ranges from a minimum of 0.102 kg CO 2 eq/kW h to a maximum of 0.262 kg CO 2 eq/kW h depending on the timing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Beef cattle are unique, because they not only suffer from climate change, but they also contribute to climate change through the emission of greenhouse gases (GHG). Mitigation and adaptation strategies are therefore needed. An effective way to reduce the carbon footprint from beef cattle would be to reduce the numbers and increase the production per animal, thereby improving their productivity. Sustainable crossbreeding systems can be an effective way to reduce GHG, as it has been shown to increase production. There are a wide range of different cattle breeds in South Africa which can be optimally utilized for effective and sustainable crossbreeding. This paper reports on the effects of crossbreeding on the kilogram calf weaned per Large Stock Unit (kgC/LSU) for 29 genotypes. These genotypes were formed by crossing Afrikaner (A) cows with Brahman (B), Charolais (C), Hereford (H) and Simmentaler (S) bulls and by back-crossing the F1 cows to the sire lines. A LSU is the equivalent of an ox of 450 kg with a daily weight gain of 500 g on grass pastures with a mean digestible energy (DE) content of 55% and a requirement of 75 MJ metabolizable energy (ME). Crossbreeding with A as dam line increased the kgC/LSU on average by 8 kg (+6%) - with the CA cross producing the most kgC/LSU (+8%) above that of the AA. The BA dam in crosses with C, H and S, increased kgC/LSU on average by 26 kg (+18%) above that of the AA dam, with the H x BA cross, producing the most kgC/LSU (+21%). The BA, CA, HA and SA F1 dam lines, back-crossed to the sire line breeds, increased kgC/LSU on average by 30 kg (21%), 21 kg (15%), 19kg (13%) and 26 kg (18%) above the that of the AA, respectively. The big differences between breeds in kgC/LSU provide the opportunity to facilitate effective crossbreeding that can be useful in the era of climate change. From this study it is clear that cow productivity can be increased by up to 21% through properly designed, sustainable crossbreeding systems, thereby reducing the carbon footprint of beef production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The subject of publicly disclosing Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions by companies and organizations is gaining momentum and a variety of so called 'GHG Registries' have been developed in countries around the globe, while specific requirements are being adjusted to local circumstances and needs. Different GHG Registries are currently operating worldwide, either as mandatory or as voluntary programs. Israel launched a voluntary initiative in 2010 known as the Israel GHG Reporting and Registering System. The Israel GHG Reporting Protocol was prepared by the Ministry of Environmental Protection and the Energy and Environment cluster at the Samuel Neaman Institute, in cooperation with a wide range of stakeholders, including other governmental ministries, industry and local government representatives as well as non-governmental organizations. The Israel GHG Protocol is largely based on the World Resources Institute/World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WRI/WBCSD) corporate accounting standard and ISO 14064. While the decision to join the GHG registry in Israel is currently voluntary, once an organization has joined the registry it commits to calculate and report GHG emissions according to the registry's protocol and methodology guidance to allow for consistency in the reported data and for accurate comparison of the results. The Israeli program is intended to help develop capacities and tools for organizations, industry and various other private sector entities to manage their GHG emissions by annually calculating and submitting their emission inventories which will also help them to estimate the potential for emissions reduction. This paper focuses on the analysis of the GHG emission reports submitted for 2010, 2011 and 2012 by participating companies and organizations and on how these data enable the reporting organizations to develop their databases, improve their risk management capabilities and identify opportunities for energy and process efficiency improvements that could lead to GHG emissions reduction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Beef cattle are unique, because they not only suffer from climate change, but they also contribute to climate change through the emission of greenhouse gases (GHG). Mitigation and adaptation strategies are therefore needed. An effective way to reduce the carbon footprint from beef cattle would be to reduce the numbers and increase the production per animal, thereby improving their productivity. Sustainable crossbreeding systems can be an effective way to reduce GHG, as it has been shown to increase production. There are a wide range of different cattle breeds in South Africa which can be optimally utilized for effective and sustainable crossbreeding. This paper reports on the effects of crossbreeding on the kilogram calf weaned per Large Stock Unit (kgC/LSU) for 29 genotypes. These genotypes were formed by crossing Afrikaner (A) cows with Brahman (B), Charolais (C), Hereford (H) and Simmentaler (S) bulls and by back-crossing the F1 cows to the sire lines. A LSU is the equivalent of an ox of 450 kg with a daily weight gain of 500 g on grass pastures with a mean digestible energy (DE) content of 55% and a requirement of 75 MJ metabolizable energy (ME). Crossbreeding with A as dam line increased the kgC/LSU on average by 8 kg (+6%) - with the CA cross producing the most kgC/LSU (+8%) above that of the AA. The BA dam in crosses with C, H and S, increased kgC/LSU on average by 26 kg (+18%) above that of the AA dam, with the H x BA cross, producing the most kgC/LSU (+21%). The BA, CA, HA and SA F1 dam lines, back-crossed to the sire line breeds, increased kgC/LSU on average by 30 kg (21%), 21 kg (15%), 19kg (13%) and 26 kg (18%) above the that of the AA, respectively. The big differences between breeds in kgC/LSU provide the opportunity to facilitate effective crossbreeding that can be useful in the era of climate change. From this study it is clear that cow productivity can be increased by up to 21% through properly designed, sustainable crossbreeding systems, thereby reducing the carbon footprint of beef production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Over the past decades, the cost-effectiveness principle or a cost–benefit analysis has typically been employed as an assessment tool for the expansion of drinking water utilities. With changing public awareness of the inherent linkages between greenhouse gas emissions and climate change, the addition of this new consideration in the assessment regime has altered the landscape of the traditional evaluation matrix. This paper presents a comparative evaluation based on a suite of carbon footprint and cost data associated with 20 expansion alternatives for a systematic priority analysis of a drinking water infrastructure system in South Florida. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Potato and its derivatives increasingly become globally traded products. Commercial companies more and more want to quantify the environmental footprints such as the efficiency of the use of land and water, greenhouse gas emissions, and the risks of eutrophication and contamination of the environment with pesticides. From various sources, global maps with grid cells of circa 8,600 ha (near the equator) were drawn representing potato-harvested area, potato fresh tuber yield (land use efficiency), slopes (risks of erosion), precipitation deficit (risks of depletion of fresh water resources through irrigation), and average daily maximum temperature throughout the season (risks of occurrence of pest epidemics and emission of pesticides). Hotspots for erosion are the slopes of the mountains in the Andes, African Rift, Southern China and volcanic areas in southern China, and the island countries in Southeast Asia. Fresh water availability may become limited in the East of North America, northern India, and China. Risks of insects are increased in continental hot summer climates and short spring crops with high temperatures towards harvest. Late blight is a threat in all humid areas such as maritime Europe, equatorial tropical highlands, and the humid western Pacific Ring. The examples discussed in this paper can be elaborated for more soil and weather-related factors such as acidity and salinity and heat waves or torrential rains. Sustainable long-term and long-range sourcing is deliberated as well as repercussions of trends such as globalization and climate change; the latter being relative favorable for the root and tuber crop potato compared to grain crops. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) predicts an increase of 0.2 °C per decade for the next two decades in global temperatures and a rise of between 1.5 and 4.5 °C by the year 2100. Related to the increase in world temperatures is the increase in Greenhouse Gases (GHGs) which are primarily made up of carbon dioxide (CO2), nitrous oxide (N2O), methane (CH4) and fluorinated gases. In 2004, the GHGs from agriculture contributed 14% of the overall global GHGs made up mainly of methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions. In Australia, the dominant source of CH4 and N2O emissions for the year ending June 2012 was found to be from the agricultural sector. With the recent introduction of the Clean Energy Act 2011, the agricultural sector of Australia is expected to develop appropriate GHG mitigation strategies to maintain and improve its competitiveness in the green commodity market. This paper proposes the use of Integrated Spatial Technologies (IST) framework by linking Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), Remote Sensing (RS) and Geographical Information Systems (GIS). The IST approach also integrates and highlights the use of Cleaner Production (CP) strategies for the formulation and application of cost-effective GHG mitigation options for grain production in Western Australia (WA). In this study, the IST framework was tested using data from an existing study (the baseline study) and two mitigation options. The analysis results revealed production and use of fertiliser as the “hotspot”, and for mitigation purposes was replaced with pig manure in option 1, whereas option 2 emphasised crop rotation system/s. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The nexus of water and energy and greenhouse gas emissions is now well recognised, however, quantifying the energy savings from (hot) water-efficient technologies has been largely based on modelled or assumed consumption data from water use appliances and fixtures. The aim of this paper is to determine water, energy and greenhouse gas emission savings from resource-efficient household stock using empirical water end-use data and detailed stock specifications for homes in Queensland, Australia. Hot water system type is considered with comparisons made between intervention scenarios with and without inclusion of a low energy heating system. The results confirm the significant impact that coal-fired electricity water heating has on total household energy consumption. Further, it appears that substantial savings can be achieved by substituting water (e.g. high star rating appliances) and energy (e.g. solar hot water system) efficient appliances in the home. The findings also suggest that retrofitting cheaper resource-efficient technologies are still an effective means of reducing both water and energy consumption, regardless of hot water system type. Future work in this area is needed to expand the current research outcomes, such as the consideration of all thermal losses from heating systems and the use of empirical energy end-use data. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Over the past decades, the cost-effectiveness principle or a cost–benefit analysis has typically been employed as an assessment tool for the expansion of drinking water utilities. With changing public awareness of the inherent linkages between greenhouse gas emissions and climate change, the addition of this new consideration in the assessment regime has altered the landscape of the traditional evaluation matrix. This paper presents a comparative evaluation based on a suite of carbon footprint and cost data associated with 20 expansion alternatives for a systematic priority analysis of a drinking water infrastructure system in South Florida. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are expected to cause global warming which results in extreme weather changes that could affect crop yields and productivity, food supplies and food prices. It is also expected that climate change will have an impact on animal metabolism and health, reproduction and productivity. On the other hand, the expected increased demand of animal origin products in the coming years will increase the reared animal numbers and consequently GHG emissions. This paper outlines the main GHGs emitted from livestock which are CO2, CH4 and N2O, coming from respiration, enteric fermentation and manure management respectively, with CH4 and N2O having the highest global warming potential. Ruminant livestock has the highest contribution to these GHG emissions with small ruminants share being 12.25% of the total GHG emissions from livestock''s enteric and manure CH4, and manure N2O in CO2 equivalent, producing 9.45 kg CO2 equivalent per kg body weight with the respective values for cattle, pigs and poultry being 5.45, 3.97 and 3.25. Since the production systems significantly affect the GHG emissions, the grazing, livestock crop complex, and intensive ones account for 30.5%, 67.29% and 5.51% for total CH4 emission (from enteric fermentation and manure management) and 24.32%, 68.11% and 7.57% for N2O respectively. Taking into account the positive and negative impacts of small ruminant livestock production systems to the environmental aspects in general, it is recommended that a number of potentially effective measures should be taken and the appropriate mitigation technologies should be applied in order to reduce effectively and essentially the GHG emissions to the atmosphere, with no adverse effects on intensification and increased productivity of small ruminants production systems. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The concept of Carbon Footprint, its origin, its relation with greenhouse gases and the methods to quantify it are presented and analyzed. The so-called greenhouse effect causes that the energy that reaches the earth at a certain rate is returned to a slower rate, increasing the temperature of the earth surface. Additionally, it is nowadays accepted that this effect is produced by some gases that are naturally emitted or produced by human actions. The Carbon Footprint is considered to be one of the most important tools for quantifying greenhouse emissions and in a general form it represents the quantity of gases emitted to the atmosphere and that is produced by human activities, and by goods and service consumption. Since there is no consensus about the definition of Carbon Footprint or the forms of quantifying it, this first part of the paper series analyzes the main concept and the main present views on the Carbon Footprint. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Characterizing the carbon footprint (CF) of agricultural production offers key information for pursuing low carbon agriculture and food consumption. While China has long strived for increasing food production capacity for its large and still growing population, the high emissions cost, especially from the over use of agro-chemicals, has been widely debated for the last decade. However, the CF of China''s crop production has not yet been assessed. This paper reports a basic estimate of CF of crop production using national statistical data available for the period of 1993–2007. The dataset includes the amount of individual agricultural inputs (fertilizer, pesticide, diesel, plastic film, etc.), cultivation area and total of production whole crops. Using the emission factors estimated for China''s agricultural features and available abroad, the mean overall CF of China''s crop production was estimated to be 0.78±0.08tCEha−1 yr−1 and 0.11±0.01tCEt−1 yr−1, for land use and bulk production respectively. For the duration the data covered, the carbon intensity under cultivation land use was seen to increase since 1993. Among the total, fertilizer induced emissions exerted the largest contribution of ∼60%, being 0.45±0.04tCE per ha and 0.07±0.01tCE per ton of production, on average. Compared to the UK, the estimated overall CF of China''s crop production was higher in terms of cultivation land use. While there was a significant positive correlation of carbon intensity with total production, carbon efficiency was shown in a decreasing trend during 2003-2007. Therefore, low carbon agriculture should be pursued, and the priority should be given to reducing fertilizer application in agriculture of China. However, for developing best management practices for climate change mitigation in crop production of China, further studies of crop and regional specific CFs and the variation with climate conditions and agricultural managements are needed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The transport sector is responsible for a large and growing share of global emissions that affect climate change. Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) systems have been identified as an efficient public transport option, but their total emissions across the entire operation chain have not been quantified. This paper proposed a carbon footprint model of the BRT system based on a life cycle assessment (LCA) approach, with three components: infrastructures, fuels and vehicles. A case study of Xiamen City was carried out to offer a broader perspective on the greenhouse gas (GHG) impact. Results showed that the total carbon footprint of Xiamen's BRT system was 55,927 tCO2e per year. The main emission phases, infrastructure operations, vehicle fuel consumption and infrastructure material production, respectively, accounted for 31%, 30% and 23%. The direct emission from fuel consumption was 13,059 tCO2e per year, accounting for 23% of the total carbon footprint. Considering only direct emissions, the BRT system could achieve reductions of approximately 25,255 tCO2e per year compared to the no-build option. The carbon footprint model proved effective in identifying and measuring GHG emissions of each activity of the BRT life cycle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Climate change has recently become a major focus for industry and government agencies. Some recent works have been reported on the use of pinch analysis techniques for carbon-constrained energy planning problems. This paper discusses a new application of graphical technique based on pinch analysis for company-level visualization and analysis of carbon footprint improvement. The technique is based on the decomposition of total carbon footprint into material- and energy-based components, or alternatively, into internal and external components. The decomposition facilitates the evaluation and screening of process improvement alternatives. Two industrial case studies on the production of phytochemical extracts and bulk chemicals are used to illustrate the new extension. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This study examines attitudes to tourism and climate change among residents of Hong Kong and evaluates their willingness to voluntarily modify travel behaviours to reduce environmental impacts. Previous studies on environmental behavioural change identified a significant gap between awareness and action, with some studies even suggesting that the most aware individuals are unlikely to change their behaviours. Similar findings were noted in this study. Cluster analysis identified four cohorts of tourists, ranging from the regular international tourist to the least travel active. The regular international tourist group was most aware of global warming and climate change, but least willing to alter its travel behaviour. By contrast, less travel active tourists seem most willing to travel less. The paper concludes that government intervention may be required to create meaningful behavioural change in travel patterns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Voluntary GHG management is a primary issue for many organizations. To support organizations with this activity, authoritative bodies have published many different guidelines. Nevertheless, these guidelines show limitations in identification of the direct and indirect processes that have a major impact on climate change, which should be considered in GHG management. In this paper, a life cycle approach is used to identify the processes of an organization and its supply chain that have major impacts on climate change. The results show that this approach is compatible with the current ISO standards and that in the case study the greatest emissions come from the organization’s indirect processes. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

• This paper estimates carbon emissions released by household travel demand from 47 Japanese cities. • Carbon footprint generated by private transport is found as 1.4 to 13.9 times higher than public transport. • Gasoline's direct combustion is found as the most significant reason to generate the regional difference. • The highest total carbon footprint is found in cities with fewer population. Considering its substantial and increasing contribution to global climate change, the household sector shows potential for larger carbon reductions. Among different household activities, household individual travel demands due to private or public transportation affect the environment via both direct or indirect emissions. To develop insights from a city-level perspective, carbon emissions released due to household travel demands in 47 Japanese cities were estimated in this study using the most recent available data. Given the differences in traveling preferences, spatial distribution and cluster analyses by city were also conducted. The results indicate that cities with a larger carbon footprint usually had a smaller population, whereas in megacities, less carbon per capita was released. The direct combustion of gasoline and train use were the most important factors influencing regional differences in direct and indirect emissions, respectively. The findings also indicate that customized carbon mitigation strategies that consider individual preferences and city size have a better chance of achieving decarbonization of citizen transportation in Japan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the role of entrepreneurs in advancing sustainable lifestyles (SLs) to address climate change and social inequity. It is based on empirical study of eight U.S.-based sustainable entrepreneurs, focused on reducing material consumption. While business has a key role to play, many large companies are unwilling to promote SLs as this is contrary to their current business models which are focused on growing consumption and sales. This presents an opportunity for entrepreneurial companies with innovative business models who are passionate about sustainability and social impact, and better positioned to take risks and innovate. The research examined emerging business models for advancing SLs, key success factors and challenges reported by the entrepreneurs, the social and environmental impacts of their actions, and the future opportunities for scaling up such practices. The study found that entrepreneurs are well positioned to address simultaneously environmental and social issues, however, they lack resources to effectively measure these impacts to demonstrate an overall positive benefit and strengthen their value proposition. Promoting green attributes alone is not enough to change the behavior of most consumers. It is critically important to emphasize other benefits such as a product/service quality, time or cost savings, or social impact. Social media, formal and informal sustainability networks, IT, sustainability policies, and consumer awareness are key to developing viable business models and competitive strategies that are difficult to replicate. The study found that sustainable entrepreneurs often face "costly" sustainability actions and lack the power to change „the rules of the game"; for this they need to collaborate with other key stakeholders, including NGOs, policy makers, and progressive companies. Based on the research findings the author proposes a new framework for the role of sustainable entrepreneurs as civic and political actors who not only offer innovative products and services, but help educate and influence key stakeholders, develop informal sustainability ecosystem, and thus create momentum for policy changes. Sustainable entrepreneurs act as civic and political actors who not only offer innovative products and services, but also educate and influence key stakeholders, develop informal sustainability ecosystem, and thus help create momentum for civil and political changes. Image 1 • Entrepreneurs as civic and political actors who help create momentum for political changes. • Their value proposition based on time & cost savings, social & env. impact, and quality service. • IT, sustainability networks, and social media - key to developing viable business models. • Key challenges: costly sustainable actions, impact measurement, resources, brand awareness. • Shifting to SLs requires stakeholder collaborations and bold policy action. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

By using an environmentally extended multi-regional input-output model, this paper analyses the Spanish households' carbon footprint for the 2008–2017 period considering the municipality size as well as the urban or rural residential zone where families live. Results show that, on a per capita basis, inhabitants of medium-large municipalities emit fewer carbon emissions than those settled in small ones (between 0.34 and 0.54 tCO 2 /cap depending on the year studied). This carbon unbalance is mainly explained by the higher direct carbon footprints of dwellers who reside in small municipalities and, in special, in rural zones. Furthermore, applying inequality measures through a consumption-based carbon footprint Gini coefficient, we show that both income and CO 2 emissions inequality are lower in small municipalities. In the light of the findings, in Spain, the application of a carbon pricing on direct and indirect carbon footprints will be regressive, disproportionally affecting people of small municipalities and rural areas. Accordingly, household carbon inequalities must be contemplated to avoid poorly designed climate change mitigation policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]