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Rapid uptake of greenhouse gas (GHG) mitigation measures is central to reducing agricultural and land use emissions and meeting the UK Net Zero policy. The socioeconomic challenges and barriers to uptake are poorly understood, with yet unclear structural pathways to the uptake of GHG mitigation measures. Using an online survey of 201 agricultural land managers across the UK, and applying multiple linear regression and stepwise regression analysis, this research established farm and farmers' factors influencing perceptions and willingness to adopt GHG mitigation measures. The results consistently show that farm sector, farmers' business perception, and labour availability influence willingness to adopt GHG mitigation measures. Based on the farmers' qualitative feedback, other barriers to adoption include costs and concerns for profitability, lack of flexibility in land tenancy contracts, poor awareness and knowledge of the application of some GHG mitigation measures, perception about market demand e.g bioenergy crops, and scepticism about the future impacts of adopting varying GHG mitigation measures. In the midst of the ongoing net zero transition, this study identifies existing barriers to the uptake of GHG mitigation measures, and specifically, a substantial gap between farmers and the science of GHG mitigation measures and the need to incentivise a farm and farming community-led policy interventions to promote adoption of GHG mitigation measures., Competing Interests: The authors declare no known competing interests that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright: © 2024 Jebari et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.)

Local actors have growing prominence in climate governance but key capacities and powers remain with national policymakers. Coordination between national and local climate action is therefore of increasing importance. Underappreciated in existing academic and policy literature, coordination between actors at different scales can be affected not only by politics and institutional arrangements, but also by methods of data analysis. Exploring two datasets of GHG emissions by local area in England-one of consumption-based emissions and the other of territorial emissions-this paper shows the potential for a data scaling problem known as the modifiable areal unit problem and its possible consequences for the efficacy and equity implications of climate action. While this analysis is conceptual and does not identify specific instances of the modifiable areal unit problem or its consequences, it calls attention to methods of data analysis as possible contributors to climate governance challenges. Among other areas, future analysis is needed to explore how data scaling and other aspects of data processing and analysis may affect our understanding of non-state actors' contribution to climate action., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Approximately a third of all annual greenhouse gas emissions globally are directly or indirectly associated with the food system, and over a half of these are linked to livestock production. In temperate oceanic regions, such as the UK, most meat and dairy is produced in extensive systems based on pasture. There is much interest in the extent to which such grassland may be able to sequester and store more carbon to partially or completely mitigate other greenhouse gas emissions in the system. However, answering this question is difficult due to context-specificity and a complex and sometimes inconsistent evidence base. This paper describes a project that set out to summarize the natural science evidence base relevant to grassland management, grazing livestock and soil carbon storage potential in as policy-neutral terms as possible. It is based on expert appraisal of a systematically assembled evidence base, followed by a wide stakeholders engagement. A series of evidence statements (in the appendix of this paper) are listed and categorized according to the nature of the underlying information, and an annotated bibliography is provided in the electronic supplementary material. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cement and concrete are essential for global development. However, cement manufacture is responsible for around 7–8% of global greenhouse gas emissions, with significant growth anticipated. Beyond efficiencies in cement manufacturing, other strategies for using less cement in construction through applying the principles of efficient design, circular economy and reuse also have the potential to reduce emissions. A further option is to move towards cements with different compositions and inherently lower embodied carbon dioxide. This paper focuses on these materials and the challenges to their widespread adoption, drawing mainly on applied research, trials and standardisation activities conducted in the UK and the EU. In addition to modification of standards, basic technical and practical information such as strength development curves, durability, site considerations and a shared broad body of evidence are key for specifiers to consider when using any new cement. The paper describes the role of standards and specifications and the underpinning information (applied research, published case studies and experience) essential in getting any new cement adopted. It also shows how a range of evidence from research and application can feed into a simple conceptual model and evidence base. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With many of the world's governments committing to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by mid-century, with well-defined milestones along the road, it is important to investigate how each sector can contribute towards achieving this global goal. The manufacturing sector, with its energy-intensive processes, large amounts of wastes, and hazardous and harmful emissions, is one of the main contributors to global GHG emissions, as well as other sustainability aspects, and, thus, it has great potential to contribute substantially to achieve net-zero objectives. This paper presents a techno-environmental-economic analysis of technologies that can play a key, enabling and leading role in the quest towards net-zero. Such technologies typically bring modest improvement in the environmental performance; however, the aim of this paper is to demonstrate how such small changes, when implemented in an industrial setting, can contribute significantly to the collective improvement in the environmental performance. In order to put the potential improvements into perspective, a real case study from the UK aerospace manufacturing sector is conducted. In the case study, metrics measuring potential improvements from the installation of a low-to-medium waste heat recovery system, and the upgrade of electric motors in the shopfloor to more energy efficient ones, are calculated through environmental and economic models. The models are then subject to a series of sensitivity analyses experiments to help understand the impact of different sources of uncertainty on the perceived GHG emissions, and economic and energy savings. The techno-environmental-economic analysis results revealed that these small changes, when implemented in an industrial setting, can indeed bring valuable improvements in the environmental performance of a manufacturing institute. Further, the sensitivity analysis experiments demonstrated how the environmental and economic performances are not adversely affected by different levels of fluctuations in key, likely to fluctuate, input parameters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Local authorities are well placed to realise co-benefits of integrated local energy systems; however, in the UK they have no statutory energy mandate. Planning and developing clean energy are discretionary, and persistent budget reductions, combined with the lack of strategic direction from the UK government for more localised energy provision, limit local capacity, expertise and resources. Nevertheless, some local authorities have led energy initiatives but have been unable to stimulate investment at the pace and scale required to align with net zero greenhouse gas targets. Using evidence from such initiatives, this paper discusses the institutional changes needed to enable local authorities to act. It examines existing climate and local energy plans, and their integral socio-economic value. Using this evidence, investment opportunities from locally led net zero programmes are identified. EU technical assistance funds provided a particularly successful route to local energy developments: based on value of investment secured against initial funding, it is estimated that GBP 1 million technical assistance funding to every local authority would lead to GBP 15 billion investment in local energy. Other potential funding innovations are assessed and the paper concludes with recommendations for policy and resource measures needed to convert local ambition into clean energy and energy saving investment at scale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tourism is an important and almost certainly increasing driver of anthropogenic climate change. However, intelligence on the total greenhouse gas emissions related to tourism trips – including travel to and from the destination – is limited, especially at sub-national destination scale. This paper uses an environmentally extended input-output approach to estimate the total greenhouse gas emissions consequent on inbound and domestic tourism trips in Wales, a region of the UK. We use the UN World Tourism Organisation (TSA) concept of visitors and trips to estimate the overall carbon footprint of tourism at around 3.4 megatons in 2019, 8.7% of total territorial emissions. We further compare these results with estimates for 2007 which suggests that there has been a modest reduction of under 2% per annum since 2007, but with significant data issues affecting comparability. Apparently slow progress in decarbonisation, including an increase in intercontinental visits to Wales over the period, suggest tourism here has not yet embarked upon a climate-responsible transformation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper highlights the perspectives of defence workers regarding a Just Transition of their industry, one of the most environmentally harmful sectors in terms of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, pollution and use of non-renewable resources. It is based on (i) interviews with defence sector workers in the United States and the United Kingdom (n58); and (ii) focus groups with key representatives of national and international labour unions, defence companies and relevant NGOs (n18). Some of these defence workers and their trade union representatives envisioned a transformational path towards sustainability, including converting the defence sector to more socially useful production. Drawing on Gramsci, we define these as 'counter-hegemonic views', since they challenge the hegemonic 'growth coalition' and 'treadmill of destruction' paradigms. Such views support and echo more radical interpretations of Just Transition, emphasising the necessity of a structural transformation of society to achieve a fair and effective transition to sustainability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Motivated by the growing attention on climate change and the ethical role that board characteristics and ownership may play in reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, this paper investigates the relationship between institutional ownership and GHG emissions. Using an extensive dataset from the UK and the USA, we show that institutional ownership is associated with less GHG emissions – a one standard deviation increase in the proportion of institutional ownership reduces carbon emissions by 1.02 metric tons. Our findings are robust when using alternative measures, econometric specifications and several approaches to address endogeneity. Further, we find no evidence for a stronger effect in the UK compared with the USA, as expected from our discussion of the governance contexts in the two countries. We also test the possible channel (i.e. exit and selection) through which institutional investors affect GHG emissions. In a set of additional analyses, we show that litigation risk and board gender diversity moderate the relationship between institutional ownership and GHG emissions. Finally, we also document a positive effect of the stewardship codes on the relationship between institutional ownership and GHG emissions. Our findings make significant theoretical and regulatory contributions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Extensive use of petrochemical plastic packaging leads to the greenhouse gas emission and contamination to soil and oceans, posing major threats to the ecosystem. The packaging needs, hence, are shifting to bioplastics with natural degradability. Lignocellulose, the biomass from forest and agriculture, can produce cellulose nanofibrils (CNF), a biodegradable material with acceptable functional properties, that can make packaging among other products. Compared to primary sources, CNF extracted from lignocellulosic wastes reduces the feedstock cost without causing an extension to agriculture and associated emissions. Most of these low value feedstocks go to alternative applications, making their use in CNF packaging competitive. To transfer the waste materials from current practices to the packaging production, it is imperative to assess their sustainability, encompassing environmental and economic impacts along with the feedstock physical and chemical properties. A combined overview of these criteria is absent in the literature. This study consolidates thirteen attributes, delineating sustainability of lignocellulosic wastes for commercial CNF packaging production. These criteria data are gathered for the UK waste streams, and transformed into a quantitative matrix, evaluating the waste feedstock sustainability for CNF packaging production. The presented approach can be adopted to decision scenarios in bioplastics packaging conversion and waste management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Food-based analyses of the healthiness, environmental sustainability and affordability of processed and ultra-processed foods are lacking. This paper aimed to determine how ultra-processed and processed foods compare to fresh and minimally processed foods in relation to nutritional quality, greenhouse gas emissions and cost on the food and food group level. Data from the National Diet and Nutrition Survey nutrient databank year 11 (2018/2019) were used for this analysis. Median and bootstrapped medians of nutritional quality (NRF8.3 index), greenhouse gas emissions (gCO2-equivalents) and cost (in GBP) were compared across processing categories. An optimal score based on the medians was created to identify the most nutritional, sustainable, and affordable options across processing categories. On a per 100 kcal basis, ultra-processed and processed foods had a lower nutritional quality, lower greenhouse gas emissions, and were cheaper than minimally processed foods, regardless of their total fat, salt and/or sugar content. The most nutritious, environmentally friendly, and affordable foods were generally lower in total fat, salt, and sugar, irrespective of processing level. The high variability in greenhouse gas emissions and cost across food groups and processing levels offer opportunities for food swaps representing the healthiest, greenest, and most affordable options.

Future energy scenarios include both green and blue hydrogen, as both are needed to scale up decarbonized energy supply. A transition to renewable energy is predicted over time, but the urgency we are facing cannot be met by renewable energy alone. For blue hydrogen production, the overall greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are primarily affected by emissions from natural gas production, processing, and transport (CO2 and methane), as well as process efficiency and carbon capture ratio. Few complete and updated analyses are available that cover the entire blue hydrogen value chain with the best available technology for process facilities, as well as the proper design, operation, and maintenance of all relevant systems and infrastructure. This paper analyses the GHG intensity of blue hydrogen, using recent data as well as input from technology providers on state‐of‐the‐art gas reforming technologies. Data are primarily based on natural gas production and transport in the North Sea Basin, with gas export from the Norwegian continental shelf to continental Europe or the United Kingdom, and with blue hydrogen production either in Norway or near pipeline landfall in the European Union or United Kingdom. Some data related to potential blue hydrogen production in the US Appalachian region are also given. The data show that the properly designed and operated value chains for blue hydrogen supply, with minimal emissions from natural gas supply and high carbon capture in hydrogen production, will give a major reduction in GHG emissions from energy end‐use. GHG footprint for end‐users based on blue hydrogen will typically be 80%–90% lower than for direct supply and use of natural gas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Renewable products are frequently measured due to their significant perspective. The eco-friendly availability of goods essentials allows life cycle perception to get a comprehensive representation of possible assistance. This paper highlights the importance of ethanol with respect to life cycle analysis of the wide-ranging goods in United Kingdom and Pakistan regarding ethanol production. The objective is to recognise the main drivers for eco-friendly effects in the production of ethanol as well as its comparative illustration associated with United Kingdom and Pakistan. Different methods employed to analyse the ethanol production's relationship between two countries to expose the production facts. Ethanol production is measured from end-of-life discharges are also comprised in term to allow a full association of greenhouse gas emissions, assuming deprivation of ethanol once discharged to air from domestic and personal maintenance goods. Results clearly show that how assured methodological in some situation selections affect the environmental presentation of ethanol in United Kingdom and other countries. Correspondingly, consequences for the substitutes of developed country frequently connection with developing country, creation it challenging to tell whether they are considerably different. This study suggest that production of ethanol seems as a desirable choice from a Green House Gases perception, particularly those associated to land use as well as fossil-based ethanol is more desirable. An important operational characteristic that developed countries more likely in tract with this energy way and easily give push the other countries to produce ethanol to decrease the energy crises that remains corresponding is the quantification of land use change, which has an exceptional effect in the consequences, particularly on Green House Gases emissions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To compare global warming potential (GWP) of hospitals converting from single-use sharps containers to reusable sharps containers (SSC, RSC). Does conversion to RSC result in GWP reduction?, Design: Using BS PAS 2050:2011 principles, a retrospective, before/after intervention quantitative model together with a purpose-designed, attributional 'cradle-to-grave' life-cycle tool, were used to determine the annual greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of the two sharps containment systems. Functional unit was total fill line litres (FLL) of sharps containers needed to dispose of sharps for 1-year period in 40 trusts. Scopes 1, 2 and 3 emissions were included. Results were workload-normalised using National Health Service (NHS) national hospital patient-workload indicators. A sensitivity analysis examined areas of data variability., Setting: Acute care hospital trusts in UK., Participants: 40 NHS hospital Trusts using RSC., Intervention: Conversion from SSC to RSC. SSC and RSC usage details in 17 base line trusts immediately prior to 2018 were applied to the RSC usage details of the 40 trusts using RSC in 2019., Primary Outcome Measure: The comparison of GWP calculated in carbon dioxide equivalents (CO 2 e) generated in the manufacture, transport, service and disposal of 12 months, hospital-wide usage of both containment systems in the 40 trusts., Results: The 40 trusts converting to RSC reduced their combined annual GWP by 3267.4 tonnes CO 2 e (-83.9%); eliminated incineration of 900.8 tonnes of plastic; eliminated disposal/recycling of 132.5 tonnes of cardboard and reduced container exchanges by 61.1%. GHG as kg CO 2 e/1000 FLL were 313.0 and 50.7 for SSC and RSC systems, respectively. A sensitivity analysis showed substantial GHG reductions within unit processes could be achieved, however, their impact on relevant final GWP comparison varied <5% from base comparison., Conclusions: Adopting RSC is an example of a sustainable purchasing decision that can assist trusts meet NHS GHG reduction targets and can reduce GWP permanently with minimal staff behavioural change., Competing Interests: Competing interests: TRG is an international consultant on sharps injury prevention and sharps containment to healthcare facilities, professional associations and contractors in the healthcare sector, and from time to time, Sharpsmart UK (the manufacturer of the RSC studied in this paper) use his services. All other authors are employed by, or associated with, trusts using Sharpsmart reusable sharps containers and declare no conflicts of interest., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2021. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Energy demand associated with energy consumption (commonly fossil fuels) has increased in line with the rise in world population and this has led to a number of complications. The best known and most prominent issue induced by fossil fuel utilization is unavoidable greenhouse gas emissions released as a result of the combustion of fuels. Emitted greenhouse gases from various sources, such as industrial plants, power plants, transportation services, residential utilization and so on, are largely responsible for global warming and climate change. According to latest reports, the share of the transportation sector in total energy-related CO2 emissions is approximately 23%. As a result of a detailed investigation and dissemination of transportation-induced emissions, air transportation is found to be responsible for approximately 3–4% of total energy-related CO2 emissions. The current study introduces a different perspective in the evaluation of aircraft greenhouse gas emissions. In this manner, a thermodynamic evaluation on the basis of the first and second laws of thermodynamics and a cost evaluation of greenhouse gases emitted from domestic flights in the UK are presented in the current paper, in addition to an environmental impact assessment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Failure to take climate change seriously enough has resulted in the world now facing a climate emergency, with rising global temperatures, melting polar ice caps, increasingly frequent and severe storms, floods and droughts, and rising sea levels. Despite being the first country in the world to set statutory carbon emissions reduction targets (in the Climate Change Act 2008), the UK government since 2012 has fallen increasingly behind, even by its own standards. This paper details what this has meant in terms of specific policies and identifies some of the reasons for this policy failure: in particular, a negative attitude towards regulation and a return to a reliance on market forces, plus an overriding concern to continue with 'business as usual', in terms of support for fossil-fuel industries and ever-increasing energy demand and supply. Ironically, this has resulted in a situation where radical solutions seem even more necessary and more urgent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Food systems are significant sources of global greenhouse gas emissions (GHGE). Since emission intensity varies greatly between different foods, changing food choices towards those with lower GHGE could make an important contribution to mitigating climate change. Public engagement events offer an opportunity to communicate these multifaceted issues and raise awareness about the climate change impact of food choices. An interdisciplinary team of researchers was preparing food and climate change educational activities for summer 2020. However, the COVID‐19 pandemic and lockdown disrupted these plans. In this paper, we report on shifting these events online over the month of June 2020. We discuss what we did and the reception to our online programme. We then reflect on and highlight issues that arose. These relate to: (1) the power dynamics of children, diet and climate change; (2) mental health, diet and COVID‐19; (3) engaging the wider science, agriculture and food communities; (4) the benefits of being unfunded and the homemade nature of this programme; (5) the food system, STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics) and diversity; and (6) how our work fits into our ongoing journey of food and climate change education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change and its consequences are the most important issues affecting the UK economy over the coming century and will present a critical challenge for the UK government moving forward. In particular, the challenge of getting to net zero by 2050 is going to have major ramifications for the macroeconomy. In this commentary, I lay out some of the work that has been done on the implications of climate change and the transition to net zero for the macroeconomy. Economic activity as currently structured involves using fossil fuels as part of the production process. But this releases carbon dioxide into the atmosphere and leads to higher temperatures. I take this as given, simply noting that if this rise in temperature and the change in weather patterns associated with it are going to be stopped, if not reversed, at some point in the future, then we have to move to a 'net zero' (or even 'net negative') economy in which output is produced using only those inputs which do not produce greenhouse gases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Clinical activity accounts for 70–80% of the carbon footprint of healthcare. A critical component of reducing emissions is shifting clinical behaviour towards reducing, avoiding, or replacing carbon-intensive healthcare. The objective of this systematic review was to find, map and assess behaviour change interventions that have been implemented in healthcare settings to encourage clinicians to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from their clinical activity. Methods: Studies eligible for inclusion were those reporting on a behaviour change intervention to reduce carbon emissions via changes in healthcare workplace behaviour. Six databases were searched in November 2021 (updated February 2022). A pre-determined template was used to extract data from the studies, and risk of bias was assessed. The behaviour change techniques (BCTs) used in the interventions were coded using the BCT Taxonomy. Results: Six full-text studies were included in this review, and 14 conference abstracts. All studies used a before-after intervention design. The majority were UK studies (n = 15), followed by US (n = 3) and Australia (n = 2). Of the full-text studies, four focused on reducing the emissions associated with anaesthesia, and two aimed at reducing unnecessary test ordering. Of the conference abstracts, 13 focused on anaesthetic gas usage, and one on respiratory inhalers. The most common BCTs used were social support, salience of consequences, restructuring the physical environment, prompts and cues, feedback on outcome of behaviour, and information about environmental consequences. All studies reported success of their interventions in reducing carbon emissions, prescribing, ordering, and financial costs; however, only two studies reported the magnitude and significance of their intervention's success. All studies scored at least one item as unclear or at risk of bias. Conclusion: Most interventions to date have targeted anaesthesia or pathology test ordering in hospital settings. Due to the diverse study outcomes and consequent inability to pool the results, this review is descriptive only, limiting our ability to conclude the effectiveness of interventions. Multiple BCTs were used in each study but these were not compared, evaluated, or used systematically. All studies lacked rigour in study design and measurement of outcomes. Review registration: The study was registered on Prospero (ID number CRD42021272526) (Breth-Petersen et al., Prospero 2021: CRD42021272526). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is now no doubt that current global production-consumption-disposal systems are threatening the fundamental conditions of existence on this planet. In response, the pressing need for total system transformation has gained civic and political traction, feeding into long-standing debates and interventions that are aimed at recalibrating prevailing economic and social practices. One such debate and intervention is that of the circular economy (CE). Here, advocates argue that current linear resource and energy use systems must be reconfigured into loops of re-use, repair, refurbishment, and recycling, displacing primary production and lessening greenhouse gas emissions in the process. This agenda has potentially profound implications for aspects of daily social practices. Yet, to date, little attention has been paid (politically and in research) to how the CE does and will interact with everyday habits, norms, and meanings. In response, this paper explores some of the conceptual assumptions underlying the CE 'consumer'. It argues that mainstream CE debates are underscored by an impoverished view of our relationships with complex material cultures, which in turn is creating barriers to transformation. Drawing on empirical research into responses to the CE in the UK and the Netherlands, this paper contrasts the challenges of inciting consumers to take up new, resource-efficient business models in contexts of hyper-consumerism, with a more hopeful 'small story' of overt, small-scale circular spaces, that nevertheless embed the CE and its underlying impetuses more clearly into the everyday. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Estimates of the marginal value of carbon dioxide-the social cost of carbon (SCC)-were recently adopted by both the U.S. and U.K. Governments in order to satisfy requirements to value estimated greenhouse gas (GHG) changes of new federal regulations. However, the development and use of SCC estimates comes with significant challenges and controversial decisions. This paper summarizes the key issues and then derives guidance for developing, selecting, and applying the estimates that follows from the fundamental scientific nature and economic principles associated with GHGs and climate change, as well as an understanding of the state of the art for estimating the SCC. The paper evaluates recent estimates in light of the guidance and finds the estimates inconsistent with the guidance in a number of significant areas. The paper also differentiates SCC policy applications in terms of policies with incremental versus nonincremental implications for global GHGs, and identifies serious issues for application of the SCC in setting and evaluating climate policy targets. WIREs Clim Change 2012, 3:163-195. doi: 10.1002/wcc.163 For further resources related to this article, please visit the . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change is a major issue for all levels of government, global, national and local. Local authorities' responses to climate change have tended to concentrate on their role in reducing greenhouse gases. However, the scientific consensus is that we also need to adapt to unavoidable climate change. Spatial planning at a local level has a critical anticipatory role to play in promoting robust adaptation. This paper reviews the shift in local authorities' planning policies for climate change adaptation in the UK since 2000, and provides evidence of underlying attitudes amongst planning professionals to climate change. It shows that, while the issue of climate change is becoming recognized with respect to flood risk, the wider implications (for instance, for biodiversity and water resources) are not yet integrated into plans. The reasons for this lie in lack of political support and lack of engagement of the planning profession with climate change networks. But the paper also argues there are difficulties in acknowledging the need for adaptation at the local level, with the short-term horizons of local plans at odds with perceptions of the long-term implications of climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many studies have investigated the distribution of greenhouse gas emissions associated with household consumption, highlighting that richer households have a substantially larger carbon footprint than poorer households. While these studies have typically used income or household expenditures as a proxy of households' living standards, the association between emissions and wealth has hardly been studied. Wealth is not just an important component of households' material living standards, known to be imperfectly correlated with income and expenditures, but it is also a very relevant dimension for climate policies. For instance, affluent households have more scope to invest in reducing emissions (e.g. insulation of their homes). Therefore, in this paper, we compare the inequality of emissions over wealth groups as well as groups defined by other living standard concepts such as income, expenditure and the joint distribution of income and wealth to add a focus on wealth to the analysis of emission inequality. Our study focuses on Belgium and the United Kingdom, which differ considerably in their level of wealth inequality. Our results highlight that the social distribution of emissions varies between expenditures, income, wealth and the joint distribution of income and wealth, with per capita emissions being more strongly associated with the joint distribution of income and wealth than with income alone. We also show that a significant share of households has both low income and low wealth, and may thus be lacking the means to prepare for a carbon-neutral future. Although increasing wealth taxation could provide much-needed revenues for low carbon investments, our results suggest that it would have a lower direct impact on the level of emissions and emission inequality compared to increasing taxes on high incomes. • Wealth is positively correlated with emissions. • Emission inequality according to wealth is higher than according to income. • People with low income and low wealth face a cumulative disadvantage. • Wealth inequality is a relevant dimension when designing climate policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A two-stage stochastic model is proposed for a sustainable intermodal transport. • The model enhances network resilience by preparedness and recovery initiatives. • The model incorporates various environmental and social sustainability metrics. • Potential benefits of consolidation strategies in intermodal freight are assessed. • A new solution method based on Lagrangian relaxation and inequalities is developed. Intermodal freight transport plays a pivotal role in addressing the challenges posed by global warming. The incorporation of consolidation strategies within intermodal transport networks introduces specific challenges that can exacerbate vulnerability to disruptions. This paper presents a two-stage stochastic optimization model that aims to enhance the sustainability and resilience of intermodal transport networks in the face of unexpected disruptions, while also harnessing the potential benefits of consolidation strategies. The proposed model incorporates various environmental and social sustainability metrics, including greenhouse gas emissions, noise pollution, and traffic congestion. An efficient solution methodology grounded in Lagrangian relaxation and valid inequalities is developed to deal with the inherent complexities of the proposed model. Real data from the UK's transportation system is employed to validate the effectiveness of the proposed approach. The case study exemplifies the application of the proposed model in generating practical insights for transport managers and policymakers to help them identify where to prioritize investments across the transport network. Most notably, we find that allocating a mere 0.4% of the total cost to preparedness and recovery initiatives can yield a substantial reduction of approximately 4.7% in total costs. Likewise, we find that even a modest investment in consolidation initiatives can result in remarkable cost savings of up to 34 times of the initial investment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Meeting the goal of reaching zero emissions by 2050 requires profound changes in the production of bulk materials, cement and concrete. For construction sector, this transition is also dependent on the evolution of demand, stemming from changes in the population structure and practice in structural design. Many timelines have been produced suggesting pathways to zero emissions, but none have looked at the required investment level, or the feasibility of transition looking at the level of single plants being shut, transformed or built within a single country. In this paper, we have looked at transition pathways in the United Kingdom as a function of the available funding and the possible emergence of transformative technologies. We find that trade is a necessary component of the transition, allowing for continued construction while the production apparatus is upgraded. Our results further suggest that the current level of investment is consistent with today's carbon price but falls short of what is necessary to achieve net zero by 2050. Finally we find that pathways assuming that CCS will be available at scale are particularly susceptible to overshoot their emissions target if the technological deployment fails to materialise. This is because they combine heavy investments, immature technology and concentrated risk. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this manuscript, CH4 emissions from sludge treatment centres are quantified using an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) framework, with particular focus on anaerobic digesters and digestate storage tanks. The outcomes are compared to those obtained using the carbon accounting workbook (CAW), which is the most commonly used industry tool by UK and Irish water companies to estimate the annual greenhouse gas emissions from their process operations. Path integrated concentrations are monitored with the use of an open-path tuneable diode laser absorption spectroscopy sensor embedded on a UAV. Measurements are interpolated using geostatistics (Kriging) and coupled with the mass balance approach to estimate emissions. The findings show that the CAW seems to underestimate emissions from digestate storage tanks by up to an order of magnitude. The results also show that CH4 emissions are linked with the residence time in the tank and temperature of the digestate. This study highlights the limitations of assumptions made using current reporting methods based on the carbon accounting workbook. This study proves that the UAV framework, together with the mass balance approach, provides high spatial resolution data; it captures the dynamic nature of emissions compared to the CAW and can be a cost-effective solution to estimate CH4 fluxes compared to other sensor-based systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Probabilistic projections from the UK Climate Projections 2018 are presented for four global warming levels (GWLs) at 1.5, 2, 3, and 4°C above the 1850–1900 baseline. Our results show how uncertainties associated with climate models and four representative concentration pathways (RCP) emission scenarios translate to UK regional scale changes in maximum temperature and precipitation, with data also available for minimum and mean temperatures, humidity and surface net downward shortwave radiation flux. We compare weighting the likelihood of RCPs based on (hypothetical) policy decisions, against our baseline assumption that each RCP is equally likely. Differences between weighted and unweighted GWL distributions are small, particularly in relation to the full breadth of uncertainties that are incorporated into the probabilistic projections. Finally we quantify the relative importance of scenario, model and internal variability on regional projected GWLs and show that uncertainty associated with an uncertain climate response to forcings dominates at all GWLs. Plain Language Summary: Global warming levels define the global averaged increase in temperature since the pre‐industrial period. This study looks at what the regional climate in the UK could be like in the future. We estimate how temperature and precipitation in the UK might change under four different global warming levels (GWLs) (1.5, 2, 3, and 4°C above pre‐industrial times). We account for a wide range of outcomes from both climate models and future emissions scenarios. Assuming that the range of future emissions scenarios are equally likely, the center of the ranges of years that we could reach GWLs of 1.5, 2, 3, and 4°C are 2032, 2050, 2072, and 2078 respectively. The largest influence of future climate on these range estimates comes from our understanding of how the Earth actually responds to changes in greenhouse gases. Even if we knew the exact quantity of greenhouse gas emissions we would emit in the future, we still wouldn't be able to predict the exact changes in UK climate with perfect accuracy because our understanding of the regional climate response to these emissions requires further investigation. Key Points: Probabilistic climate projections from the UK are presented for four global warming levels (GWLs) across four representative concentration pathways (RCP)We show how uncertainty associated with climate models and future emission scenarios translate to UK regional scale changesUncertainty associated with an uncertain climate response to forcings dominates at all GWLs [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores a backlash against the net zero greenhouse gas emissions target within the UK. It introduces the term "anti-net zero populism" to analyse ideological and opportunistic counter-movements working to undermine climate policy. It builds a conceptual framework based on the literatures on "policy dismantling" and "discursive opportunity structures" to analyse how right-wing populists seek to undermine the net zero goal and dismantle policies. The article compares these efforts across six specific policy areas involved in pursuing net zero. Overall, it contributes to understanding the roles of discourse for policy dismantling, and the comparative strategies pursued to undermine net zero. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Globally there are concerns over a warming climate and the UK has declared a climate and ecological emergency and has an ambitious programme for the growth of offshore windfarms to contribute to commitments to achieving a legally binding Net Zero for greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. Offshore windfarm consenting is comparatively mature in the UK but evidence gaps to inform impact assessment and uncertainty to inform decision making has led to a precautionary approach that slows the speed of consent decisions. This paper examines the approach to UK offshore windfarm consenting, reviews the precautionary but risk-based approach that environmental decision makers have adopted in light of evidence gaps, and summarises how the collection of empirical data and reviews of evidence collected from operational windfarms has improved scientific knowledge and focussed decision making. A summary is also provided of the enduring legislative safeguards that apply during the lifetime of any consent and recommendations are made on the risk appetite that advisers and decision makers should adopt in view of policy that seeks to accelerate sectoral growth whilst enhancing nature recovery. • The UK has an ambitious programme for the construction of offshore windfarms. • Environmental evidence gaps lead to a precautionary approach that slows consenting. • Consenting should use a risk-based approach and an appropriate risk-appetite. • Empirical data and reviews of evidence are needed to improve scientific knowledge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Lamb production systems are under increasing pressure to reduce their environmental footprint, particularly emissions of greenhouse gases (GHGs) such as methane. However, the metrics used to express the carbon footprint of lamb seldom consider its nutritional density and contribution to balanced diets in humans. Lamb production systems vary considerably, from low-input pastoral systems to higher-input systems feeding concentrates for the latter 'finishing' period. To date, no studies have explored the effect of finishing diet on the carbon footprint of lamb meat on a nutritional basis. Methods: Data from 444 carcasses were collected from four abattoirs across Wales, United Kingdom. Lambs were derived from 33 farms with one of four distinct finishing diets: forage crops (n = 5), grass (n = 11), concentrates (n = 7), and grass and concentrates (n = 15). Carcass data were analysed using mixed effects models. Significant differences were found in fatty acid composition of two large commercial cuts of meat from different finishing diets. To illustrate the effect of different measures of footprint, mass (kg dwt) and omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid content (g omega-3) were selected as functional units. GHG emission estimates were calculated using Agrecalc. Results: The concentrates diet had the lowest average mass-based product emissions [25.0 kg CO2e/kg deadweight (dwt)] while the grass systems had the highest (28.1 kg CO2e/kg dwt; p < 0.001). The semimembranosus muscle cut from the forage crops diet had the lowest average nutrition-based product emissions (19.2 kg CO2e/g omega-3); whereas the same muscle cut from lambs finished on the grass and concentrates diet had the highest nutrition-based product emissions (29.4 kg CO2e/g omega-3; p < 0.001). Discussion: While mass-based functional units can be useful for comparing efficiencies of different farming systems, they do not reflect how farming systems impact the nutritional differences of the final product. This study demonstrates the importance of considering nutrition when expressing and comparing the carbon footprints of nutrient-dense foods such as lamb. This approach could also help inform discussions around the optimal diets for lamb production systems from both a human nutrition and environmental sustainability perspective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Atmospheric methane (CH 4) is the second-most-important anthropogenic greenhouse gas and has a 20-year global warming potential 82 times greater than carbon dioxide (CO 2). Anthropogenic sources account for ∼ 60 % of global CH 4 emissions, of which 20 % come from oil and gas exploration, production and distribution. High-resolution satellite-based imaging spectrometers are becoming important tools for detecting and monitoring CH 4 point source emissions, aiding mitigation. However, validation of these satellite measurements, such as those from the commercial GHGSat satellite constellation, has so far not been documented for active leaks. Here we present the monitoring and quantification, by GHGSat's satellites, of the CH 4 emissions from an active gas leak from a downstream natural gas distribution pipeline near Cheltenham, UK, in the spring and summer of 2023 and provide the first validation of the satellite-derived emission estimates using surface-based mobile greenhouse gas surveys. We also use a Lagrangian transport model, the UK Met Office's Numerical Atmospheric-dispersion Modelling Environment (NAME), to estimate the flux from both satellite- and ground-based observation methods and assess the leak's contribution to observed concentrations at a local tall tower site (30 km away). We find GHGSat's emission estimates to be in broad agreement with those made from the in situ measurements. During the study period (March–June 2023) GHGSat's emission estimates are 236–1357 kg CH 4 h -1 , whereas the mobile surface measurements are 634–846 kg CH 4 h -1. The large variability is likely down to variations in flow through the pipe and engineering works across the 11-week period. Modelled flux estimates in NAME are 181–1243 kg CH 4 h -1 , which are lower than the satellite- and mobile-survey-derived fluxes but are within the uncertainty. After detecting the leak in March 2023, the local utility company was contacted, and the leak was fixed by mid-June 2023. Our results demonstrate that GHGSat's observations can produce flux estimates that broadly agree with surface-based mobile measurements. Validating the accuracy of the information provided by targeted, high-resolution satellite monitoring shows how it can play an important role in identifying emission sources, including unplanned fugitive releases that are inherently challenging to identify, track, and estimate their impact and duration. Rapid, widespread access to such data to inform local action to address fugitive emission sources across the oil and gas supply chain could play a significant role in reducing anthropogenic contributions to climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change is one of the most significant threats to global stability and requires rapid, widespread action to limit its effects. Of this action, the legislative requirements to reduce global carbon emissions will impact on all spheres of economic activity. In the United Kingdom, Defence activity currently contributes approximately 1 per cent o the national carbon emissions total. This paper researches the subject of Defence carbon emissions, a sparsely researched field, by using information from academic, contemporary data sources, government and Ministry of Defence sources. Many consider that adapting to low carbon solutions will adversely affect military performance and effectiveness. This paper will argue that the reality is that military capability can be enhanced by adopting the energy efficiency measures and technological solutions that are both available today and those that are likely to emerge as cost effective alternatives in the coming decades. It will demonstrate that by building on the emission reductions already realised, Defence can develop and implement low carbon capabilities and practices aligned to the developing low- carbon economies and continue to deliver practical capability solutions to counter future threats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper assesses the impact of ‘new’ environmental policy instruments (NEPIs), such as eco-taxes, tradable permits and environmental agreements, on the politics of regulating industrial greenhouse-gas emissions. Intense academic debate surrounds the extent to which environmental policy is driven by the public interest, public choices between actor and stakeholder interests, or embedded institutional traditions. However, the effects on environmental politics of the recent shift from direct regulation to NEPIs remain seriously under-researched. Surveys and interviews with industry and policy-makers on the implementation of United Kingdom and German climate policy indicate that, although economic pressures do influence the design of policy instruments, public choice is far from dominant; nor are industry reactions to particular NEPIs uniform between countries. This suggests that national institutional traditions are far more influential in informing policy choices and industry reactions to policy innovations than is often acknowledged. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The UK Government has set an ambitious target of achieving a national "net-zero" greenhouse gas economy by 2050. Agriculture is arguably placed at the heart of achieving net zero, as it plays a unique role as both a producer of GHG emissions and a sector that has the capacity via land use to capture carbon (C) when managed appropriately, thus reducing the concentration of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere. Agriculture's importance, particularly in a UK-specific perspective, which is also applicable to many other temperate climate nations globally, is that the majority of land use nationwide is allocated to farming. Here, we present a systematic review based on peer-reviewed literature and relevant "grey" reports to address the question "how can the agricultural sector in the UK reduce, or offset, its direct agricultural emissions at the farm level?" We considered the implications of mitigation measures in terms of food security and import reliance, energy, environmental degradation, and value for money. We identified 52 relevant studies covering major foods produced and consumed in the UK. Our findings indicate that many mitigation measures can indeed contribute to net zero through GHG emissions reduction, offsetting, and bioenergy production, pending their uptake by farmers. While the environmental impacts of mitigation measures were covered well within the reviewed literature, corresponding implications regarding energy, food security, and farmer attitudes towards adoption received scant attention. We also provide an open-access, informative, and comprehensive dataset for agri-environment stakeholders and policymakers to identify the most promising mitigation measures. This research is of critical value to researchers, land managers, and policymakers as an interim guideline resource while more quantitative evidence becomes available through the ongoing lab-, field-, and farm-scale trials which will improve the reliability of agricultural sustainability modelling in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Atmospheric methane (CH 4) concentrations have more than doubled since the beginning of the industrial age, making CH 4 the second most important anthropogenic greenhouse gas after carbon dioxide (CO 2). The oil and gas sector represents one of the major anthropogenic CH 4 emitters as it is estimated to account for 22 % of global anthropogenic CH 4 emissions. An airborne field campaign was conducted in April–May 2019 to study CH 4 emissions from offshore gas facilities in the southern North Sea with the aim of deriving emission estimates using a top-down (measurement-led) approach. We present CH 4 fluxes for six UK and five Dutch offshore platforms or platform complexes using the well-established mass balance flux method. We identify specific gas production emissions and emission processes (venting and fugitive or flaring and combustion) using observations of co-emitted ethane (C 2 H 6) and CO 2. We compare our top-down estimated fluxes with a ship-based top-down study in the Dutch sector and with bottom-up estimates from a globally gridded annual inventory, UK national annual point-source inventories, and operator-based reporting for individual Dutch facilities. In this study, we find that all the inventories, except for the operator-based facility-level reporting, underestimate measured emissions, with the largest discrepancy observed with the globally gridded inventory. Individual facility reporting, as available for Dutch sites for the specific survey date, shows better agreement with our measurement-based estimates. For all the sampled Dutch installations together, we find that our estimated flux of (122.9 ± 36.8) kg h -1 deviates by a factor of 0.64 (0.33–12) from reported values (192.8 kg h -1). Comparisons with aircraft observations in two other offshore regions (the Norwegian Sea and the Gulf of Mexico) show that measured, absolute facility-level emission rates agree with the general distribution found in other offshore basins despite different production types (oil, gas) and gas production rates, which vary by 2 orders of magnitude. Therefore, mitigation is warranted equally across geographies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To establish a baseline understanding of whether consuming food with the highest nutritional quality, lowest greenhouse gas emissions (GHGE) and cost differs between different UK demographic and socio-economic population groups. Design: Multiple linear regression models were fitted to evaluate the relationship between predictor socio-demographic variables in this study (i.e. sex, ethnic group, age, BMI and level of deprivation) and the response variables (i.e. consumption of items considered most nutritious, with a low GHGE and price, as a proportion of total items consumed). Setting: The UK. Participants: 1374 adult (18–65 years) participants from the National Diet and Nutrition Survey latest waves 9–11 (2016–2017 and 2018–2019). Results: Based on the total energy consumption in a day, the average diet-based GHGE was significantly higher for participants with a higher BMI. Non-white and most deprived participants spent significantly (P < 0·001) less money per total energy consumption. Participants with a BMI between 18·6 and 39·9 kg/m2 and those living in the least deprived areas consumed a significantly (P < 0·001) higher amount of those items considered the most nutritious, with the lowest GHGE and cost per 100 kcal. Conclusions: Consumption of food with the highest nutritional quality, lowest GHGE and cost in the UK varies among those with different socio-demographic characteristics, especially the deprivation level of participants. Our analysis endorses the consideration of environmental sustainability and affordability, in addition to the consideration of nutritional quality from a health perspective, to make current dietary guidelines more encompassing and equitable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Decarbonising heavy-duty trucks is challenging due to high journey power and energy requirements. With a growing fleet of commercial vehicles in the UK, biomethane can provide significant reductions in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions compared to fossil diesel. Methane is a potent GHG with a global warming potential (GWP) of 23–36, therefore reducing levels in the atmosphere can have a significant impact on climate change. There are a range of anthropogenic sources of methane that could be collected and processed to provide sustainable energy (upcycled), e.g., agricultural waste and the waste water system. This paper explores the impact of using upcycled methane in transport in South East England, evaluating local sources of anthropogenic methane and the environmental and economic impact of its use for a heavy-duty truck compared to fossil and battery electric alternatives. Analysis concludes that the use of upcycled methane in transport can provide significant reductions in lifecycle GHG emissions compared to diesel, fossil natural gas or battery electric trucks, and give net negative GHG emissions where avoided environmental methane emissions are considered. Furthermore, upcycling solutions can offer a lower cost route to GHG reduction compared to electrification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To achieve European Union (EU) greenhouse gas emissions of 80–95% below 1990 levels by 2050, CO2emissions from residential energy consumption must be substantially reduced. Recognition of this has led to the introduction of a range of policy instruments at both EU and member state level. These policies are examined for the EU and the UK, first by grouping them into three ‘pillars of policy’ – standards and engagement, markets and pricing, and strategic investment (each of which focus on different ‘domains of change’ embodying different economic processes) – and then by assessing the strengths and weaknesses of each pillar in terms of instrument coverage and effectiveness. Strengths and weaknesses common to both UK and EU policy landscapes are found, including a comprehensive but broadly ineffective standards and engagement pillar of policy, and an ineffective markets and pricing landscape (including effective subsidization of energy consumption in the UK, permitted by the EU), with poor coverage. The strategic investment landscape is found (until recently) to be substantially stronger in the UK compared with EU instruments and requirements. Priority reform actions are also proposed to address the weaknesses identified. The paper also offers discussion of recent policy developments in the UK. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The article stresses the need of the world to stop emitting greenhouse gases (GHG) into the atmosphere within the next few decades, that is, achieve Net Zero by 2050. Topics include the status of global emissions in the United Kingdom (UK), the 28th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP28), and the best way for the National Health Service (NHS) to reduce GHG emissions.

In this paper we examine the failure of the zero carbon homes agenda in the UK and argue that it represents a case of policy dismantling, where a range of policies and programmes have been introduced, revised and then removed by government. We bring together the sustainability transitions literature with the literature on policy dismantling, regime resistance and regime detractors, and suggest that the zero carbon housing agenda in the UK offers useful insights into the politics of sustainability transitions. We identify three phases of policy change, from policy expansion, symbolic dismantling and eventual active policy dismantling. In the conclusions we offer some suggestions on processes of policy dismantling and what this might mean for future sustainability transitions given the significant contributions of buildings to greenhouse gas emissions and the urgent need for rapid low carbon transitions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increased renewable electricity reduced electricity prices but the costs of consumer-funded support schemes were added to utility bills. Previous studies compared these two components to understand the impacts on consumers. This paper constructs a framework for the electricity sector and provides a new angle to examine the impacts of renewable support schemes on consumers and the sector, respectively. Any negative gain to consumers was offset by the positive gain received by renewable generators (and suppliers), leaving the sector unaffected. In contrast, the increase in renewable electricity brought positive gain to the sector as a whole through reduced fossil fuels imports and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. We examine the structural change in the generation mix from 2006 to 2020 in the UK and suggest that wind generation replaced coal-fired generation rather than gas-fired generation on the longer horizon. Therefore, using coal-related coefficients and a contribution share of 38.6% for renewable subsidies, we suggest that wind generation supported by the RO scheme brought positive net gain to the sector, exceeding £800 million per annum in 2018–19 and 2019–20. Therefore, the discrepancy in payoffs from the perspective of consumers and the sector imposed a difficult challenge for policymakers, as criticism would be raised if the analysis was done on consumers only. • Renewable support schemes brought net gain to the electricity sector. • The first type of net gain was avoided costs from fewer imports of fossil fuels. • The second type of net gain was avoided costs from reduced GHG emissions. • Wind replaced coal rather than gas in the generation mix in the long term. • The net gain to the electricity sector exceeded £800 million per annum between 2018 and 2020. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Refine the replicable experience of UK in decarbonizing its power sector. • Outline power reform package supporting China's carbon neutrality. • Describe landscape-regime-niche interaction in China's power sector.What can China learn from the UK's transition to a low-carbon power sector? A multi-level perspective. The power sector needs to take the lead in decarbonizing to support China's carbon neutrality goal. It is urgent to explore the potential and pathways of decarbonization of China's power sector. The United Kingdom (UK) has achieved significant greenhouse gas reductions in the power sector through a series of long-term initiatives. Firstly, this paper applies the multi-level perspective approach to investigate the historical transition pathways of the UK power sector into three stages. Then it analyzes the interactions among technological niche, socio-technological regime and landscape, and summarizes the replicable experience of decarbonization in the process. Extending the UK experience to China, this paper explores the initiatives for accelerating China's power sector decarbonization from the multi-level perspective and proposes possible future transition pathways. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The UK proposes additional bioenergy plantations and afforestation as part of measures to meet net-zero greenhouse gas emissions, but species and locations are not yet decided. Different tree species emit varying amounts of isoprene and monoterpene volatile organic compounds that are precursors to ozone and secondary organic aerosol (SOA) formation, the latter of which is a component of PM 2.5. The forest canopy also acts as a depositional sink for air pollutants. All these processes are meteorologically influenced. We present here a first step in coupling information on tree species planting suitability and other planting constraints with data on UK-specific BVOC emission rates and tree canopy data to simulate, via the WRF-EMEP4UK high spatial-resolution atmospheric chemistry transport model, the impact on UK air quality of four potential scenarios. Our "maximum planting" scenarios are based on planting areas where yields are predicted to be ≥ 50 % of the maximum from the Ecological Site Classification decision support system (ESC DSS) for Eucalyptus gunnii, hybrid aspen (Populus tremula), Italian alder (Alnus cordata) and Sitka spruce (Picea sitchensis). The additional areas of forest in our scenarios are 2.0 to 2.7 times the current suggestions for new bioenergy and afforestation land cover in the UK. Our planting scenarios increase UK annual mean surface ozone concentrations by 1.0 ppb or 3 % relative to the baseline land cover for the highest BVOC-emitting species (e.g. E. gunnii). Increases in ozone reach 2 ppb in summer when BVOC emissions are greatest. In contrast, all the additional planting scenarios lead to reductions in UK annual mean PM 2.5 – ranging from - 0.2 µg m -3 (- 3 %) for Sitka spruce to - 0.5 µg m -3 (- 7 %) for aspen – revealing that PM 2.5 deposition to the additional forest canopy area more than offsets additional SOA formation. Relative decreases in annual mean PM 2.5 are greater than the relative increases in annual mean ozone. Reductions in PM 2.5 are least in summer, coinciding with the period of maximum monoterpene emissions. Although only a first step in evaluating the impact of increased forest plantation on UK air quality, our study demonstrates the need for locally relevant data on land cover suitability, emissions and meteorology in model simulations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The majority of waste in many countries is still landfilled. This represents waste of valuable resources and could lead to higher emissions of greenhouse gases (GHG) compared to energy recovered by incineration, even when the landfill gas is recovered. This paper aims to find out which option is more sustainable with respect to the carbon footprint (global warming potential) by comparing energy recovered from MSW incineration with that from biogas recovered from landfilled waste. Materials and methods: Life cycle assessment has been used as a tool, following the ISO 14040/44 and PAS 2050 methodologies. Data have been sourced from the operator of the incinerator, the Environment Agency for England and Wales, the CCaLC and Ecoinvent databases. CCaLC v2 and GaBi v4.3 have been used for the LCA modelling. Results and discussion: The carbon footprint of MSW incineration is −0.179 t CO eq./t MSW while that from landfilling is 0.395 t CO eq./t MSW, with both systems credited for energy recovery. The results are sensitive to the composition of waste, energy options chosen to credit the systems and the recovery rate of biogas. Increasing the amount of fossil carbon in the waste by increasing paper recycling between 40 and 80 % increases the carbon footprint of incineration by 9-20 %. If instead of the electricity from the UK grid, electricity from heavy fuel oil or coal is assumed to be displaced by incineration, its carbon footprint reduces to −0.51 and −0.35 t CO eq./t MSW, respectively. Increasing the landfill gas recovery from 53 to 75 % and its utilisation for energy from 35 to 50 %, reduces the carbon footprint of landfilling by a half. Conclusions: The results indicate that waste incineration offers significant savings of GHG compared to disposal by landfill. Based on the total amount of MSW of 225,000 t/year considered in this study, MSW incineration could save around 129 kt of CO eq. per year compared to landfilling with biogas recovery, with both systems co-generating heat and electricity. At the UK level, diverting all MSW that is currently landfilled to incineration with energy recovery could save around 8.38 million tonnes of CO eq. per year or 1.5 % of the total UK GHG emissions. These savings can be increased further by recycling of bottom ash and non-ferrous metals. Incineration remains a better option than landfilling under all the conditions considered in this study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This paper explores the progress of UK local authorities and the barriers they face in developing and implementing climate policy initiatives. The UK local greenhouse gas emissions statistics are reviewed and the effectiveness of a national scheme of knowledge transfer on sustainable energy development delivered by peer mentoring is evaluated. Local carbon dioxide estimates are now available in the UK and longitudinal data can be used to partly assess the progress of local authorities in implementing climate policy initiatives. However, there are currently insufficient years of reliable data for an historical analysis. The paper identifies the main barriers towards taking greater local action to reduce greenhouse gases as lack of time, lack of resources and difficulties in engaging with the wider community. It shows that the sharing of knowledge between local authorities is an effective way of encouraging stronger local action on climate change and that the effectiveness of these policies can now be monitored more closely through UK sub-national statistics data. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This study explores the ideas of Greek prospective primary teachers about the anthropogenic greenhouse effect, particularly about its causes, consequences and cures. For this purpose, a survey was conducted: 265 prospective teachers completed a closed-form questionnaire. The results showed serious misconceptions in all areas (causes, consequences and cures). The most prominent misconception found by this survey is the conflation between the greenhouse effect and the ozone layer depletion, which is widely reported in the literature. There is also the notion that 'good things' (like clean beaches) can help ameliorate the greenhouse effect, whereas 'bad things' (like insecticides) can enhance it. One of the secondary results of the survey is that prospective teachers' main source of information about the greenhouse effect is school. This calls for educational interventions to fight misconceptions at the source. Some suggestions are presented in this paper. The results of this study are compared with the results of two similar studies conducted in the UK and in Turkey. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The UK government's much-anticipated energy white paper is strong on long-term policy, but not as good on ideas that will grab public support. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]