Search

Abstract: Emissions of greenhouse gases from agriculture are likely to come under increasing scrutiny as governments around the world develop proposals for large cuts in greenhouse gas emissions. Yet while there is a range of technically feasible measures for reducing agricultural emissions, it is not immediately apparent which options deliver the most economically efficient reductions in greenhouse gases. This paper develops a marginal abatement cost curve (MACC) for crop and soil measures applicable in UK agriculture. A range of specific abatement measures are screened for their cost-effectiveness and mitigation potential in the field. An efficient subset is identified with reference to a cost per tonne threshold of ⩽£100/tCO2e. Results indicate that the abatement potential by 2022 is likely to be between 1.628 and 10.164 MtCO2e y−1 depending on the policies implemented, with a central estimate of 5.196 MtCO2e y−1. This represents 11.5% of the 2005 UK agricultural GHG emissions. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: A variety of options exist for mitigation of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from agriculture. This paper discusses the use of the SIMSDAIRY modelling framework to analyse the whole-systems response to different methods, acting singly or in combination, to mitigate GHG emissions from a typical dairy farm in the UK. These methods comprise farm management changes, new technologies and/or plant and/or animal new functional traits focused on mitigating GHG. Different functional units were used in order to ensure that the different aspects of the farm performance were analyzed in the most relevant way (e.g. concentration of NO3 − in leachate or kg GHG emitted per unit of milk). Examples of the methods that were tested and discussed are some relating fertilization, diet, systematic and genetic changes in the system. We conclude that the effectiveness of the combined GHG mitigation methods cannot be assessed simply by adding the effectiveness of each method applied singly. Effective GHG mitigation methods may in some cases increase emissions of other forms of pollution and have very different impact on farm profitability. This study also evidences the importance of selecting the right unit of reference to measure efficacy to reduce GHG emissions and highlights the importance to integrate this type of study with socio-economic studies in order to assess the full potential of these mitigation methods. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Relatively little is known about the composition of greenhouse gas emissions from personal, non-business travel at the disaggregate levels. This paper aims to give insights into the distribution of emissions amongst the UK population. When including non-carbon climate effects air travel dominates overall greenhouse gas emissions. There is a huge range in emissions, with the highest 20% of emitters producing 61% of emissions. This ‘60-20 emission’ rule is surprisingly similar across units and scale of the analysis. Disaggregated data tell a different story than aggregated data. While income, working status, age and car ownership are significantly related to overall emissions, factors related to accessibility, household location and gender are not. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Biologically productive regions such as estuaries and coastal areas, even though they only cover a small percentage of the world's oceans, contribute significantly to methane and nitrous oxide emissions. This paper synthesises greenhouse gas data measured in UK estuary studies, highlighting that urban wastewater loading is significantly correlated with both methane (P < 0.001) and nitrous oxide (P < 0.005) concentrations. It demonstrates that specific estuary typologies render them more sensitive to anthropogenic influences on greenhouse gas production, particularly estuaries that experience low oxygen levels due to reduced mixing and stratification or high sediment oxygen demand. Significantly, we find that estuaries with high urban wastewater loading may be hidden sources of greenhouse gases globally. Synthesising available information, a conceptual model for greenhouse gas concentrations in estuaries with different morphologies and mixing regimes is presented. Applications of this model should help identification of estuaries susceptible to anthropogenic impacts and potential hotspots for greenhouse gas emissions. [Display omitted] • Urban wastewater and low oxygen levels promote high estuarine greenhouse gases. • Interactions between estuary type and anthropogenic impact amplify greenhouse gases. • Urban pressures may make estuaries a hidden source of greenhouse gases globally. • A conceptual model for estuarine greenhouse gas generation is presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The experiments get bigger, the bill always rises and the delivery date keeps slipping. This paper discusses the advantages of fusion power, which has been soaking up UK's government funds for decades, while payback from the technology never appears to get any closer. It offers the potential to provide a new major source of energy using basic fuels which are abundant and widely available (hydrogen/deuterium from water and lithium). A fusion power station would create no greenhouse gases during its operation and no long-lived radioactive waste. The goal of the international fusion research programme, starting with the construction of ITER - the experimental fusion reactor to be built in France - is the demonstration of full-scale power generation in a prototype power plant within 30 to 35 years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Food production accounts for 30% of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Less environmentally sustainable diets are also often more processed, energy-dense and nutrient-poor. To date, the environmental impact of diets have mostly been based on a limited number of broad food groups. Objectives: We link GHG emissions to over 3000 foods, assessing associations between individuals' GHG emissions, their nutrient requirements and their demographic characteristics. We also identify additional information required in dietary assessment to generate more accurate environmental impact data for individual-level diets. Methods: GHG emissions of individual foods, including process stages prior to retail, were added to the UK Composition Of Foods Integrated Dataset (COFID) composition tables and linked to automated online dietary assessment for 212 adults over three 24-hour periods. Variations in GHG emissions were explored by dietary pattern, demographic characteristics and World Health Organization Recommended Nutrient Intakes (RNIs). Results: GHG emissions estimates were linked to 98% (n = 3233) of food items. Meat explained 32% of diet-related GHG emissions; 15% from drinks; 14% from dairy; and 8% from cakes, biscuits and confectionery. Non-vegetarian diets had GHG emissions 59% (95% CI 18%, 115%) higher than vegetarian. Men had 41% (20%, 64%) higher GHG emissions than women. Individuals meeting RNIs for saturated fats, carbohydrates and sodium had lower GHG emissions compared to those exceeding the RNI. Discussion: Policies encouraging sustainable diets should focus on plant-based diets. Substituting tea, coffee and alcohol with more sustainable alternatives, whilst reducing less nutritious sweet snacks, presents further opportunities. Healthier diets had lower GHG emissions, demonstrating consistency between planetary and personal health. Further detail could be gained from incorporating brand, production methods, post-retail emissions, country of origin, and additional environmental impact indicators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Atmospheric measurements can be used as a tool to evaluate national greenhouse gas inventories through inverse modelling. Using 8 years of continuous methane (CH 4) concentration data, this work assesses the United Kingdom's (UK) CH 4 emissions over the period 2013–2020. Using two different inversion methods, we find mean emissions of 2.10 ± 0.09 and 2.12 ± 0.26 Tg yr -1 between 2013 and 2020, an overall trend of - 0.05 ± 0.01 and - 0.06 ± 0.04 Tg yr -2 and a 2 %–3 % decrease each year. This compares with the mean emissions of 2.23 Tg yr -1 and the trend of - 0.03 Tg yr -2 (1 % annual decrease) reported in the UK's 2021 inventory between 2013 and 2019. We examine how sensitive these estimates are to various components of the inversion set-up, such as the measurement network configuration, the prior emissions estimate, the inversion method and the atmospheric transport model used. We find the decreasing trend to be due, primarily, to a reduction in emissions from England, which accounts for 70 % of the UK CH 4 emissions. Comparisons during 2015 demonstrate consistency when different atmospheric transport models are used to map the relationship between sources and atmospheric observations at the aggregation level of the UK. The posterior annual national means and negative trend are found to be consistent across changes in network configuration. We show, using only two monitoring sites, that the same conclusions on mean UK emissions and negative trend would be reached as using the full six-site network, albeit with larger posterior uncertainties. However, emissions estimates from Scotland fail to converge on the same posterior under different inversion set-ups, highlighting a shortcoming of the current observation network in monitoring all of the UK. Although CH 4 emissions in 2020 are estimated to have declined relative to previous years, this decrease is in line with the longer-term emissions trend and is not necessarily a response to national lockdowns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We examine the impact of a disclosure mandate for greenhouse gas emissions on firms' subsequent emission levels and financial operating performance. For UK-incorporated listed firms a carbon disclosure mandate was adopted in 2013. Our difference-in-differences design shows that firms affected by the mandate reduced their emissions by about 8% relative to a control group of European firms. At the same time, our tests indicate that the treated firms experienced no significant changes in their gross margins. Taken together, our findings indicate that the reporting mandate had a real effect on the variable to be disclosed without adversely affecting the financial operating performance of the treated firms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has accepted that output from the Hadley Center transient climate model is 'evidence' that man-made global warming is occurring. This paper explains thatthe model output only indicates that the Hadley Center climate modeldoes not emulate climate changes in the real world. The IPCC and theHadley Center have presented the GCM model's input data as being itsoutput. This proclamation is not true and contravenes the principle of science that hypothesis are tested against observed data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Organisations attempt to contribute their share towards fighting the climate crisis by trying to reduce their emission of greenhouse gases effectively towards net zero. An instrument to guide their reduction efforts is internal carbon pricing. Next to choosing the right pricing tool, defining the exact value of an internal carbon price, especially against the background of potential regulatory external carbon prices, and assessing its impact on business units' energy systems poses a challenge for organisations. The academic literature has so far not examined the impact differences of an internal carbon price across different countries, which this paper addresses by using an optimisation model. First, it analyses the energy system cost increase of a real-world facility based on an internal carbon price compared to a potential regulatory carbon price within a country. Second, we evaluate the energy system cost increase based on an internal carbon price across different countries. The results show that with regard to internal carbon prices the additional total system cost compared to potential external carbon prices stays within 9%, 15%, and 59% for Germany, Japan, and the United Kingdom, respectively. The increase in the energy system cost in each country varies between 3% and 93%. For all countries, the cost differences can be reduced by allowing the installation of renewables. The integration of renewables via energy storage and power-to-heat technologies depends on the renewable potentials and the availability of carbon capture and storage. If organisations do not account for these differences, it might raise the disapproval of internal carbon prices within the organisation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Countries around the world have made an international commitment to decrease the amount of greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 according to the Paris Agreement. Among several power stations options of low carbon emissions, nuclear energy has been proved the most reliable source for electricity production. According to the sustainable development scenario targets, nuclear energy should play an important role in the next years for the decarbonization of the energy system. Countries with consolidated nuclear programmes such as Canada and the UK have similar nuclear fuel technology development, but they have chosen different nuclear fuel cycle options: open fuel cycle and closed fuel cycle, respectively. Both of them have future plans to continue with their nuclear programme. Therefore, this works evaluates the nuclear energy systems for three different scenarios for high, basic and low production of nuclear energy for both countries. The results compare the resources needs, the economy of the nuclear fuel cycle options, the policy of each country and the future of the nuclear power plants to achieve the reduction of the greenhouse gases. The main findings are that reprocessing is a good option for the UK for the whole or partial new nuclear fleet and becomes viable if the price of uranium increases in the market. For Canada, it is worth continuing to increase its nuclear energy up to 1.5 times its current energy capacity. The main difference between the programmes of the two countries is the higher amount of spent fuel generated in the case of Canada due to the choice of reactor technology. This paper has studied the main features of different nuclear fuel options and their perspective of the nuclear power programmes. The choice of the nuclear fuel option was made according to the uranium reserves and their best performance for the next reactor generation. The cost benefits of the closed fuel cycle will depend on the future trends of uranium price. [Display omitted] • Nuclear fuel options: Once-through cycle and closed fuel cycled. • UK and Canada nuclear energy system. • Spent nuclear fuel recycling and reprocessing. • Nuclear fuel cycle cost for open and closed fuel cycle. • Utilization of MOX in the next reactor generation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Global warming is an increasingly serious issue faced by human beings. As one of the largest contributors to global CO2 emissions, the construction industry plays a significant role in combating global warming and achieving sustainable development. This study aimed to compare the CO2 emissions in the construction industry around the world and analyze the drivers of the differences in construction emission intensities between regions in 2009 using the multiregional input–output model and structural decomposition analysis model, respectively. The results show that China, India, the USA, Russia, and Japan were the largest five construction CO2 emitters. The above five regions, especially China and Russia, had much greater construction emission intensities than the UK, which had the smallest intensity. The findings also demonstrate that the production structure effect was the largest driver enlarging the intensity differences between China and the UK, between India and the UK, between Russia and the UK, and between Japan and the UK, contributing 93.1%, 96.6%, 65.6%, and 85.3% of the differences, respectively. The energy intensity effect dominated the emission intensity difference between the USA and the UK, representing 101.6% of the difference. The top three contributors to the above effects were domestic industries except the production structure effect on the difference between Japan and the UK. This study can help policymakers better understand the disparities of CO2 emissions in the construction industry around the world and thus formulate effective policies to mitigate the emissions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The global interest in climate change makes carbon information important for decision-making. This study examines to what extent companies voluntarily disclose and manage greenhouse gas (GHG) information and whether board diversity and industry type explain variations in the level of disclosure and management of GHG information. Design/methodology/approach: Cross-sectional data analysis is used for the Financial Stock Exchange 350 (UK FTSE 350) in 2017. Disclosure of GHG information is measured using the scores of the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP), whereas board diversity is measured using gender diversity, board tenure and board skills. The control variables include firm size, leverage, industry type, board meetings, board size, board independence and CEO duality. Ordinal logistic regression (OLR) is used for data analysis. Findings: The results indicate that representation of female directors in the board of directors positively influences disclosure and management of GHG information. Conversely, a high percentage of directors with a financial and industrial background negatively affects GHG information, while board tenure has no significant effect on GHG information. Concerning the control variables, only firm size and industry type are significant in their relationships to GHG information. Research limitations/implications: The main limitation of the study is investigating only few variables of board diversity. Future studies could investigate other variables such as cultural diversity and age diversity. Furthermore, cross-sectional data analysis cannot capture the dynamic casual impact between the determinants of disclosure and management of GHG information. Future studies could use long-term data, which may yield results that are more significant. Originality/value: The study emphasizes the importance of the role of female directors in ensuring more transparency toward climate change activities. The findings of this study could be of interest to policymakers and stakeholders and could be used to take initiatives to reduce gender bias and increase the percentage of women in the boardroom. It is also likely to be beneficial for investors and stakeholders to evaluate carbon footprint of businesses and to assess the extent to which they meet their environmental responsibility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As European heatwaves become more severe, summers in the United Kingdom (UK) are also getting warmer. The UK record temperature of 38.7 °C set in Cambridge in July 2019 prompts the question of whether exceeding 40 °C is now within reach. Here, we show how human influence is increasing the likelihood of exceeding 30, 35 and 40 °C locally. We utilise observations to relate local to UK mean extremes and apply the resulting relationships to climate model data in a risk-based attribution methodology. We find that temperatures above 35 °C are becoming increasingly common in the southeast, while by 2100 many areas in the north are likely to exceed 30 °C at least once per decade. Summers which see days above 40 °C somewhere in the UK have a return time of 100-300 years at present, but, without mitigating greenhouse gas emissions, this can decrease to 3.5 years by 2100. The United Kingdom has experienced a strong heat wave in 2019 that set a new temperature record for the country of 38.7 °C. In this study the authors show that under climate change, local temperatures are increasingly likely to exceed 35 °C and 40 °C in the next decades and, hence, summers like the one of 2019 become more frequent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study sheds light on the extent to which various stakeholder pressures influence voluntary disclosure of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and how the impact is explained and moderated chief executive officer (CEO) characteristics of 215 FTSE 350 listed U.K. companies for the year 2011. The study developed a classification of GHG emission disclosure based on the guidelines of GHG Protocol, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, and Global Framework for Climate Risk Disclosure using content analysis. Evidence from the study suggests that some stakeholder pressure (regulatory, creditor, supplier, customer, and board control) positively impacts on GHG disclosure information by firms. We found that stakeholder pressure in the form of regulatory, mimetic, and shareholders pressure positively influenced the disclosure of GHG information. We also found that creditor pressure also had a significant negative relationship with GHG disclosure. Although CEO age had a direct negative effect on GHG voluntary disclosure, its moderation effect on stakeholder pressure influence on GHG disclosure was only significant on regulatory pressure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The UK has committed to various legally binding targets with regard to renewable energy technology and greenhouse gas reduction. As a result, government policy and legislation have been significant in investing in renewable energy technology, driving innovation since 1990. The aim of this work identifies the key drivers behind commitments and to assess the role of government, business and organisations in the uptake of renewable energy and the development of a decentralised energy network as a result of greenhouse gas emission reduction target. This article presents quantitative analysis of primary research from government and industry. The novel aspect of this investigation is that the conclusive outcomes arise as a result of a unique research method by combining primary and secondary sources with support of company data from Nestlé and Transport for London. The main findings demonstrated that government support is one of the key drivers for innovation into renewable technology; however, business and the public are necessary to bring renewables to market. Strategies have been identified to incorporate decentralised generation into industry for the commitment of renewables and to develop the required energy network of the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the challenge posed by climate change to public health and how healthcare can save the planet. Topics include the causes of climate change and air pollution, the need of healthcare staff to understand the health implications of climate change and act urgently according to experts, and the biggest climate change-related health risk for children in Great Britain.

We present Δ14CO2 observations and related greenhouse gas measurements at a background site in Ireland (Mace Head, MHD) and a tall tower site in the east of the UK (Tacolneston, TAC) that is more strongly influenced by fossil fuel sources. These observations have been used to calculate the contribution of fossil fuel sources to the atmospheric CO2 mole fractions; this can be done, as emissions from fossil fuels do not contain 14CO2 and cause a depletion in the observed Δ14CO2 value. The observations are compared to simulated values. Two corrections need to be applied to radiocarbon-derived fossil fuel CO2 (ffCO2): one for pure 14CO2 emissions from nuclear industry sites and one for a disequilibrium in the isotopic signature of older biospheric emissions (heterotrophic respiration) and CO2 in the atmosphere. Measurements at both sites were found to only be marginally affected by 14CO2 emissions from nuclear sites. Over the study period of 2014–2015, the biospheric correction and the correction for nuclear 14CO2 emissions were similar at 0.34 and 0.25 ppm ffCO2 equivalent, respectively. The observed ffCO2 at the TAC tall tower site was not significantly different from simulated values based on the EDGAR 2010 bottom-up inventory. We explored the use of high-frequency CO observations as a tracer of ffCO2 by deriving a constant ratio of CO enhancements to ffCO2 ratio for the mix of UK fossil fuel sources. This ratio was found to be 5.7 ppb ppm -1 , close to the value predicted using inventories and the atmospheric model of 5.1 ppb ppm -1. The TAC site, in the east of the UK, was strategically chosen to be some distance from pollution sources so as to allow for the observation of well-integrated air masses. However, this distance from pollution sources and the large measurement uncertainty in 14CO2 lead to a large overall uncertainty in the ffCO2 , being around 1.8 ppm compared to typical enhancements of 2 ppm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

New contingency policy plans are expected to be published by the United Kingdom government to set out urgent actions, such as carbon capture and storage, greenhouse gas removal and the use of sustainable bioenergy to meet the greenhouse gas reduction targets of the 4th and 5th Carbon Budgets. In this study, we identify two plausible bioenergy production pathways for bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) based on centralized and distributed energy systems to show what BECCS could look like if deployed by 2050 in Great Britain. The extent of agricultural land available to sustainably produce biomass feedstock in the centralized and distributed energy systems is about 0.39 and 0.5 Mha, providing approximately 5.7 and 7.3 MtDM/year of biomass respectively. If this land‐use change occurred, bioenergy crops would contribute to reduced agricultural soil GHG emission by 9 and 11 MtCO2eq/year in the centralized and distributed energy systems respectively. In addition, bioenergy crops can contribute to reduce agricultural soil ammonia emissions and water pollution from soil nitrate leaching, and to increase soil organic carbon stocks. The technical mitigation potentials from BECCS lead to projected CO2 reductions of approximately 18 and 23 MtCO2/year from the centralized and distributed energy systems respectively. This suggests that the domestic supply of sustainable biomass would not allow the emission reduction target of 50 MtCO2/year from BECCS to be met. To meet that target, it would be necessary to produce solid biomass from forest systems on 0.59 or 0.49 Mha, or alternatively to import 8 or 6.6 MtDM/year of biomass for the centralized and distributed energy system respectively. The spatially explicit results of this study can serve to identify the regional differences in the potential capture of CO2 from BECCS, providing the basis for the development of onshore CO2 transport infrastructures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Policymakers have been considering vehicle and fuel taxes to reduce transportation greenhouse gas emissions, but there is little evidence on the relative efficacy of these approaches. We examine an annual vehicle registration tax, the vehicle excise duty (VED), which is based on carbon emissions rates. The UK first adopted the system in 2001 and made substantial changes to it in the following years. Using a highly disaggregated dataset at the trim-variant level of UK registrations and characteristics of new cars, we estimate the effect of the VED on new vehicle registrations and their carbon emissions. The VED increased the adoption of low-emissions vehicles and discouraged the purchase of very polluting vehicles, but it had a small effect on aggregate emissions. Using the empirical estimates, we compare the VED with two hypothetical taxes: a tax proportional to carbon emissions per kilometer, and a carbon tax. The VED reduces total emissions from new cars twice as much as the emissions rate tax but by half as much as the emissions tax. Much of the advantage of the emissions tax arises from adjustments in miles driven, rather than the composition of the new car sales. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Projections of UK greenhouse gas emissions estimate a shortfall in existing and planned climate policies meeting UK climate targets: the UK's mitigation gap. Material and product demand is driving industrial greenhouse gas emissions at a rate greater than carbon intensity improvements in the economy. Evidence shows that products can be produced with fewer carbon intensive inputs and demand for new products can be reduced. The economy‐wide contribution of material productivity and lifestyle changes to bridging the UK's mitigation gap is understudied. We integrate an input‐output framework with econometric analysis and case study evidence to analyse the potential of material productivity to help the UK bridge its anticipated emissions deficits, and the additional effort required to achieve transformative change aligned with 2 and 1.5°C temperature targets. We estimate that the emissions savings from material productivity measures are comparable to those from the Government's planned climate policy package. These additional measures could reduce the UK's anticipated emissions deficit up to 73%. The results demonstrate that material productivity deserves greater consideration in climate policy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Air–water CH4 and CO2 fluxes were directly measured using the eddy covariance technique at the Penlee Point Atmospheric Observatory on the southwest coast of the United Kingdom from September 2015 to August 2016. The high-frequency, year-long measurements provide unprecedented detail on the variability of these greenhouse gas fluxes from seasonal to diurnal and to semi-diurnal (tidal) timescales. Depending on the wind sector, fluxes measured at this site are indicative of air–water exchange in coastal seas as well as in an outer estuary. For the open-water sector when winds were off the Atlantic Ocean, CH4 flux was almost always positive (annual mean of ∼0.05 mmol m -2 d -1) except in December and January, when CH4 flux was near zero. At times of high rainfall and river flow rate, CH4 emission from the estuarine-influenced Plymouth Sound sector was several times higher than emission from the open-water sector. The implied CH4 saturation (derived from the measured fluxes and a wind-speed-dependent gas transfer velocity parameterization) of over 1000 % in the Plymouth Sound is within range of in situ dissolved CH4 measurements near the mouth of the river Tamar. CO2 flux from the open-water sector was generally from sea to air in autumn and winter and from air to sea in late spring and summer, with an annual mean flux of near zero. A diurnal signal in CO2 flux and implied partial pressure of CO2 in water (pCO2) are clearly observed for the Plymouth Sound sector and also evident for the open-water sector during biologically productive periods. These observations suggest that coastal CO2 efflux may be underestimated if sampling strategies are limited to daytime only. Combining the flux data with seawater pCO2 measurements made in situ within the flux footprint allows us to estimate the CO2 transfer velocity. The gas transfer velocity and wind speed relationship at this coastal location agrees reasonably well with previous open-water parameterizations in the mean but demonstrates considerable variability. We discuss the influences of biological productivity, bottom-driven turbulence and rainfall on coastal air–water gas exchange. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present a mass balance approach to estimate the seasonal and annual budgets of carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4) of the United Kingdom (excluding Scotland) and the Republic of Ireland from concentration measurements taken on a ferry along the east coast of the United Kingdom over a 3-year period (2015–2017). We estimate the annual emissions of CH4 to be 2.55±0.48 Tg, which is consistent with the combined 2.29 Tg reported to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change by the individual countries. The net CO2 budget (i.e. including all anthropogenic and biogenic sources and sinks of CO2) is estimated at 881.0±125.8 Tg, with a net biogenic contribution of 458.7 Tg (taken as the difference between the estimated net emissions and the inventory value, which accounts for anthropogenic emissions only). The largest emissions for both gases were observed in a broad latitudinal band (52.5–54 ∘ N), which coincides with densely populated areas. The emissions of both gases were seasonal (maxima in winter and minima in summer), strongly correlated with natural gas usage and, to a lesser extent, also anti-correlated with mean air temperature. Methane emissions exhibited a statistically significant anti-correlation with air temperature at the seasonal timescale in the central region spanning 52.8–54.2 ∘ N, which hosts a relatively high density of waste treatment facilities. Methane emissions from landfills have been shown to sometimes increase with decreasing air temperature due to changes in the CH4 -oxidising potential of the topsoil, and we speculate that the waste sector contributes significantly to the CH4 budget of this central region. This study brings independent verification of the emission budgets estimated using alternative products (e.g. mass balance budgets by aircraft measurements, inverse modelling, inventorying) and offers an opportunity to investigate the seasonality of these emissions, which is usually not possible. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Potato blackleg and soft rot caused by Pectobacterium and Dickeya species are among the most significant bacterial diseases affecting potato production globally. In this study we estimate the impact of future temperatures on establishment of non-indigenous but confirmed Pectobacterium and Dickeya species in Great Britain (GB). The calculations are based on probabilistic climate change data and a model fitted to disease severity data from a controlled environment tuber assay with the dominant potato blackleg and soft rot-causing species in GB (P. atrosepticum), and three of the main causative agents in Europe (P. carotovorum subsp. brasiliense, P. parmentieri, Dickeya solani). Our aim was to investigate if the European strains could become stronger competitors in the GB potato ecosystem as the climate warms, on the basis of their aggressiveness in tubers at different temperatures. Principally, we found that the tissue macerating capacity of all four pathogens will increase in GB under all emissions scenarios. The predominant Pectobacterium and Dickeya species in Europe are able to cause disease in tubers under field conditions currently seen in GB but are not expected to become widely established in the future, at least on the basis of their aggressiveness in tubers relative to P. atrosepticum under GB conditions. Our key take-home messages are that the GB potato industry is well positioned to continue to thrive via current best management practices and continued reinforcement of existing legislation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study provides further evidence on the relationship between the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Committee and corporate environmental performance in the United Kingdom. For the purpose of exploring corporate environmental performance, the study uses Greenhouse Gas (GHG) scopes of emissions as the proxies. In the UK, listed companies report their GHG emissions under the three main emissions categories (i.e., Scope 1, Scope 2 and Scope 3) as developed by GHG protocol standards. Using Scopes 1 and 2 GHG emissions, the study proposes a negative relationship between the CSR committee and Scope 1 emissions, whereas, a positive link is proposed between CSR committee and Scope 2 emissions. The findings in this study support the hypotheses that scope 1 emission and CSR committees are negatively associated while a positive relationship was found between Scope 2 and CSR committee. Also, this research reveals the significant roles played by the presence of an environmental team and female gender diversity in moderating the CSR committee and GHG emissions relationship. Though, the CSR committee was found to have a positive effect on reducing GHG emissions, the presence of the environmental team had a much significant influence on reducing corporate GHG emissions. The findings are relevant for decision making and corporate governance measures to reduce corporate GHG emissions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The production of animal-based foods is associated with higher greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions than plant-based foods. The objective of this study was to estimate the difference in dietary GHG emissions between self-selected meat-eaters, fish-eaters, vegetarians and vegans in the UK. Subjects were participants in the EPIC-Oxford cohort study. The diets of 2,041 vegans, 15,751 vegetarians, 8,123 fish-eaters and 29,589 meat-eaters aged 20-79 were assessed using a validated food frequency questionnaire. Comparable GHG emissions parameters were developed for the underlying food codes using a dataset of GHG emissions for 94 food commodities in the UK, with a weighting for the global warming potential of each component gas. The average GHG emissions associated with a standard 2,000 kcal diet were estimated for all subjects. ANOVA was used to estimate average dietary GHG emissions by diet group adjusted for sex and age. The age-and-sex-adjusted mean (95 % confidence interval) GHG emissions in kilograms of carbon dioxide equivalents per day (kgCOe/day) were 7.19 (7.16, 7.22) for high meat-eaters ( > = 100 g/d), 5.63 (5.61, 5.65) for medium meat-eaters (50-99 g/d), 4.67 (4.65, 4.70) for low meat-eaters ( < 50 g/d), 3.91 (3.88, 3.94) for fish-eaters, 3.81 (3.79, 3.83) for vegetarians and 2.89 (2.83, 2.94) for vegans. In conclusion, dietary GHG emissions in self-selected meat-eaters are approximately twice as high as those in vegans. It is likely that reductions in meat consumption would lead to reductions in dietary GHG emissions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cities are increasingly aware of the need to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions and adapt to changes in weather patterns leading to the production of urban climate change plans. The few existing systematic studies of these plans have focused on either adaptation or mitigation issues, and are typically based on surveys completed by city officials rather than analysis of documented evidence. To gain insight into the status of adaptation and mitigation action across the UK, climate change documents from 30 urban areas (representing ~28 % of the UK's population) were analysed. An Urban Climate Change Preparedness Score, which could be applied to other urban areas outside the UK, has been devised for comparative analysis. This analysis characterizes progress against (i) Assessment, (ii) Planning, (iii) Action, and (iv) Monitoring, for both adaptation and mitigation. The Preparedness Score allows a quantitative comparison of climate change strategies across the urban areas analysed. This methodology can be transferred to other countries and makes an international comparison of urban areas and their climate change adaptation and mitigation plans possible. We found that all areas acknowledge climate change being a threat and that adaptation and mitigation planning and action is required. However, two urban areas did not have official adaptation or mitigation plans. Typically, mitigation activities across all cities were more advanced than adaptation plans. Emissions reduction targets ranged from 10 %-80 % with differing baselines, timeframes and scopes, for defining and meeting these targets. Similar variability was observed across adaptation plans. Several reasons for these differences are considered, but particularly notable is that a combination of incentives and regulation seem to stimulate more comprehensive strategies and action in many urban areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This paper reviews the relationships between land use and climate change. It explores how land use decisions will be affected by future changes in the climate, but also the feedbacks from land use change to the global climate system through greenhouse gas (GHG) fluxes. Past changes in land use were characterised by decreasing areas of agricultural use and increasing areas of forested and urbanised land. This has led to UK land use being a net sink for GHGs, mostly due to forestation. However, existing forests have on average passed their age for maximum net removals of carbon from the atmosphere. In the next decade at least, net removals from UK forests are likely to decrease significantly. Longer term scenarios of future land use change are consistent in their expectation of further declines in the agricultural area used for food production – offset to some extent by increased bioenergy cropping – along with increases in forested and urban areas. These trends are broadly consistent with the observed past land use change, but are calculated from various assumptions about future changes in drivers rather than by extrapolation from the past. Socio-economic and technological changes are likely to be the most important drivers for land use, with climate change having a smaller influence. The land use changes represented in these scenarios would likely reduce GHG emissions and enhance carbon sinks. These trends would be reinforced by small future changes in the climate, but large climatic changes are likely to cause net GHG fluxes to switch from being a sink to a source. Land use change will also be moderated by potential policy goals that seek to reduce GHG emissions from land and/or increase the size of land-based sinks. This includes strategies to reduce carbon and nitrogen emissions through increased efficiency, afforestation and biofuel production. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The article relates a report published by the Confederation of British Industry (CBI), which calls for a greater sense of urgency for Great Britain's government if it is to meet its targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. It mentions that the report also argues that failure to act immediately will mean that the government will also miss out the commercial opportunities that will emerge on the pathway to a low-carbon economy. The article notes that further information of the report is available online.

How do UK local authorities contribute to national carbon reductions? Urban energy and carbon models are emerging as a vital tool for local authorities that wish to understand the greenhouse gas emissions of their city and how to reduce them. The linkage between policy processes and tools is rarely recognized and tools are deployed ad hoc. A set of policy-relevant assessment criteria is proposed and used to review the emergent state-of-the-art in UK urban energy and carbon modelling. Drawing on the authors' own experience and the literature, a differentiation is made between accounting-style inventory tools and policy modelling tools. It is argued that although part of the same overall policy process, these two approaches lack consistency in methods and implementation. A comparison with local air pollution modelling makes this contrast apparent. A lack of clarity exists for the use of modelling in urban energy and carbon policy processes. A normalized urban modelling practice would ensure consistency while preserving local flexibility. Comment les autorités locales britanniques contribuent-elles aux réductions de carbone au niveau national? Les modèles d'énergie urbaine et de carbone apparaissent comme constituant un outil essentiel pour les autorités locales qui souhaitent comprendre les émissions de gaz à effet de serre de leur ville et la manière de les réduire. Il est rarement reconnu qu'il existe un lien entre les processus des politiques et les outils, et ceux-ci sont déployés ad hoc. Il est proposé un ensemble de critères d'évaluation pertinents à l'égard des politiques concernées, utilisé pour examiner les techniques dernier cri émergentes dans le domaine de la modélisation de l'énergie urbaine et du carbone au Royaume-Uni. En s'appuyant sur l'expérience propre des auteurs et la littérature, il est établi une différenciation entre les outils d'inventaire de type comptable et les outils de modélisation des politiques. Il est soutenu que, bien que faisant partie du même processus politique global, ces deux approches manquent de cohérence quant aux méthodes et à leur mise en oeuvre. Une comparaison avec la modélisation de la pollution de l'air au niveau local rend ce contraste évident. Il existe un manque de clarté concernant l'utilisation de la modélisation dans les processus des politiques relatives à l'énergie urbaine et au carbone. Une pratique de modélisation urbaine normalisée assurerait de la cohérence tout en préservant une flexibilité au niveau local. Mots clés: cadre bâti, rréduction du carbone, rvilles, rpolitique climatique, rénergie, rautorités locales, rmodélisation, défis de la recherche [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Miscanthus has been identified as one of the most promising perennial grasses for renewable energy generation in Europe and the United States [ Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies for Global Change 9 (2004) 433]. However, the decision to use Miscanthus depends to a considerable degree on its economic and environmental performance [ Soil Use and Management 24 (2008) 235; Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews 13 (2009) 1230]. This article assessed the spatial distribution of the economic and greenhouse gas ( GHG) costs of producing and supplying Miscanthus in the UK. The average farm-gate production cost of Miscanthus in the UK is estimated to be 40 £ per oven-dried tonne (£ odt−1), and the average GHG emissions from the production of Miscanthus are 1.72 kg carbon equivalent per oven-dried tonnes per year (kg CE odt−1 yr−1). The production cost of Miscanthus varies from 35 to 55 £ odt−1 with the lowest production costs in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, and the highest costs in Scotland. Sensitivity analysis shows that yield of Miscanthus is the most influential factor in its production cost, with precipitation the most crucial input in determining yield. GHG emissions from the production of Miscanthus range from 1.24 to 2.11 kg CE odt−1 yr−1. To maximize the GHG benefit, Miscanthus should be established preferentially on croplands, though other considerations obviously arise concerning suitability and value of the land for food production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: The UK government has published plans to reduce UK agriculture's greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. At the same time, the goal of global food security requires an increase in arable crop yields. Foliar disease control measures such as fungicides have an important role in meeting both objectives. RESULTS: It is estimated that UK winter barley production is associated with GHG emissions of 2770 kg CO2 eq. ha−1 of crop and 355 kg CO2 eq. t−1 of grain. Foliar disease control by fungicides is associated with decreases in GHG emissions of 42-60 kg CO2 eq. t−1 in UK winter barley and 29-39 kg CO2 eq. t−1 in UK spring barley. The sensitivity of these results to the impact of disease control on yield and to variant GHG emissions assumptions is presented. Fungicide treatment of the major UK arable crops is estimated to have directly decreased UK GHG emissions by over 1.5 Mt CO2 eq. in 2009. CONCLUSION: Crop disease control measures such as fungicide treatment reduce the GHG emissions associated with producing a tonne of grain. As national demand for food increases, greater yields as a result of disease control also decrease the need to convert land from non-arable to arable use, which further mitigates GHG emissions. Copyright © 2011 Society of Chemical Industry [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The 'sub-prime' meltdown has accelerated critiques of the economic modelling that underpinned the activities of banking and allied industries. Coincidentally, there has been resurgence in interest in more socialised interpretations of economic life. In this article we seek to show how it may still be possible to marry formal economic modelling with these more socialised concerns. We argue that, at a time when many economists are anticipating slower growth rates in the future, such a possibility need not be disastrous. Indeed, it could result in genuine gains in terms of sustainability and a more just and stable society. Overall, then, we outline proposals for a different long-run economic trajectory and conclude with brief comments on the suggestion that Britain can validly overcome current deficits by copying the actions of the Liberal Government of Canada during the 1990s. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article addresses the challenge of developing a 'bottom-up' marginal abatement cost curve (MACC) for greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from UK agriculture. An MACC illustrates the costs of specific crop, soil and livestock abatement measures against a 'business as usual' scenario. The results indicate that in 2022 under a specific policy scenario, around 5.38 Mt CO equivalent (e) could be abated at negative or zero cost. A further 17% of agricultural GHG emissions (7.85 Mt COe) could be abated at a lower unit cost than the UK Government's 2022 shadow price of carbon [£34 (tCOe) ]. The article discusses a range of methodological hurdles that complicate cost-effectiveness appraisal of abatement in agriculture relative to other sectors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article comments on the British government's report "Avoiding Dangerous Change," which compiles evidence presented by scientists at the Met Office's symposium on greenhouse gas stabilization held in 2005. Due to the ability of clean coal to solve short-term environmental and supply changes, energy consultancy company Mitsui Babcock proposed an immediate program to retrofitting existing coal plant, followed up by carbon capture and storage demonstrations.

The aim of this study was to assess the consequences of feasible land-use change in Great Britain on GHG emissions mainly through the gain or loss of soil organic carbon. We use estimates of per-area changes in soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks and in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, coupled with Great Britain (GB) county-level scenarios of land-use change based on historical land-use patterns or feasible futures to estimate the impact of potential land-use change between agricultural land-uses. We consider transitions between cropland, temporary grassland (<5 yr under grass), permanent grass (>5 yr under grass) and forest. We show that reversion to historical land-use patterns as present in 1930 could result in GHG emission reductions of up to ca. 11 Mt CO-eq./yr (relative to a 2004 baseline), because of an increased permanent grassland area. By contrast, cultivation of 20% of the current (2004) permanent grassland area for crop production could result in GHG emission increases of up to ca. 14 Mt CO-eq./yr. We conclude that whilst change between agricultural land-uses (transitions between permanent and temporary grassland and cropland) in GB is likely to be a limited option for GHG mitigation, external factors such as agricultural product commodity markets could influence future land-use. Such agricultural land-use change in GB could have significant impacts on Land-use, Land-Use Change and Forestry (LULUCF) emissions, with relatively small changes in land-use (e.g. 5% plough out of grassland to cropland, or reversion of cropland to the grassland cover in Nitrate Vulnerable Zones of 1998) having an impact on GHG emissions of a similar order of magnitude as the current United Kingdom LULUCF sink. In terms of total UK GHG emissions, however, even the most extreme feasible land-use change scenarios account for ca. 2% of current national GHG emissions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Anthropogenic climate change presents a major global health threat. However, the very provision of healthcare itself is associated with a significant environmental impact. Carbon footprinting techniques are increasingly used outside of the healthcare sector to assess greenhouse gas emissions and inform strategies to reduce them.Aim: This study represents the first assessment of the carbon footprint of an individual specialty service to include both direct and indirect emissions.Methods: This was a component analysis study. Activity data were collected for building energy use, travel and procurement. Established emissions factors were applied to reconcile this data to carbon dioxide equivalents (CO2eq) per year.Results: The Dorset Renal Service has a carbon footprint of 3006 tonnes CO2eq per annum, of which 381 tonnes CO2eq (13% of overall emissions) result from building energy use, 462 tonnes CO2eq from travel (15%) and 2163 tonnes CO2eq (72%) from procurement. The contributions of the major subsectors within procurement are: pharmaceuticals, 1043 tonnes CO2eq (35% of overall emissions); medical equipment, 753 tonnes CO2eq (25%). The emissions associated with healthcare episodes were estimated at 161 kg CO2eq per bed day for an inpatient admission and 22 kg CO2eq for an outpatient appointment.Conclusions: These results suggest that carbon-reduction strategies focusing upon supply chain emissions are likely to yield the greatest benefits. Sustainable waste management and strategies to reduce emissions associated with building energy use and travel will also be important. A transformation in the way that clinical care is delivered is required, such that lower carbon clinical pathways, treatments and technologies are embraced. The estimations of greenhouse gas emissions associated with outpatient appointments and inpatient stays calculated here may facilitate modelling of the emissions of alternative pathways of care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We use an innovative methodology to measure management practices in over 300 manufacturing firms in the UK. We then match this management data to production and energy usage information for establishments owned by these firms. We find that establishments in better managed firms are significantly less energy intensive. This effect is quantitatively substantial: going from the 25th to the 75th percentile of management practices is associated with a 17.4% reduction in energy intensity. Better managed firms are also significantly more productive. These results suggest that management practices that are associated with improved productivity are also linked to lower greenhouse gas emissions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Global food security is threatened by crop diseases that account for average yield losses of 16 per cent, with the greatest losses experienced by subsistence farmers in the developing world. Climate change is exacerbating the threats to food security in such areas, emphasizing the need to increase food production in northern European countries such as the UK. However, the crops must be grown in such a way as to minimize greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions associated with their production. As an example, it is estimated that production of UK winter oilseed rape is associated with GHG of 3300 kg CO2 eq. ha-1 of crop and 834 kg CO2 eq. t-1 of seed yield, with 79 per cent of the GHG associated with the use of nitrogen fertilizer. Furthermore, it is estimated that control of diseases by use of fungicides in this UK oilseed rape is associated with a decrease in GHG of 100 kg CO2 eq. t-1 of seed. Winter oilseed rape cultivar disease resistance is associated with a decrease in GHG of 56kg CO2 eq. t-1, although this figure is an underestimate. These results demonstrate how disease control in arable crops can make a contribution to both climate change mitigation and sustainable arable crop production to ensure global food security. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]