Search

Furthermore, very complicated multiphase and thermal processes are the corner stone in modern industry, high technology development, energy conversion and utilization, renewable and sustainable energy technologies, just to name a few here. Therefore, it is essential to develop new technology to improve energy utilization efficient, sustainable energy and low carbon/zero carbon technology to reduce carbon footprint. [Extracted from the article]

Variable renewable energy-based power is expected to increase toward a sustainable society, although the power cannot be dispatched effectively due to its intermittent nature. To accelerate renewable energy implementation, we simulated energy flows of paper mills installing wind energy and evaluated their potentials to function as energy hubs for appropriate early-stage design. We targeted 39 Japanese paper mills assumed to have thermal energy storage, wind–thermal energy converters and regional woody biomass installed, and analyzed the amount of power and heat selling and life cycle greenhouse gas emissions. The results for the paper mills were compared with conventional mills to examine effective conditions for greenhouse gas reduction. The amount of power or heat selling depended on the capacity of the paper mill and the installed equipment. Most paper mills could reduce greenhouse gas using thermal energy storage, wind energy, and woody biomass. The paper mill with the highest life cycle greenhouse gas reduction, compared with conventional mills, could achieve a 190% reduction. To function as a cogeneration energy hub, the equipment installed in paper mills should be designed according to the conditions of the paper mills and their regions. • Paper mills have potential as energy hubs by integrating variable renewable energy. • Thermal energy storage and wind–thermal energy converters were studied. • Energy flows and greenhouse gas emissions of paper mills were simulated. • Most mills could provide stable power and/or heat supplies and reduce emissions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate events significantly affect the lives of not only humanity but also all living things. Just as transformation in the ecosystem affects sectors, all sectors also transform the ecosystem. It is stated that the agricultural sector is at the root of the deterioration in the ecosystem due to the effect of intensive agriculture after the green revolution. It can be stated that, with an understanding far from the concept of sustainability, the foodstuffs and their waste produced in the agricultural sector are considered among the causes of climate change, which is now concentrated on the whole world in the third millennium. In this study, the effect of N 2 O gas released from produce residues and the release of enteric fermentation on the level of CO 2 released from agricultural-food systems was investigated using advanced econometric models. The findings reveal that both factors are effective. However, it can be stated that the effect of N 2 O gas released from the produce residues is greater. Suggestions such as improving feed rations and maintaining herd management strategies within certain patterns to reduce the level of enteric fermentation may contribute to the process. In produce residue management, turning waste into compost and expanding bioenergy power plants will ensure both waste disposal and resource continuity in generating energy. Otherwise, the decreasing resources in the world may come to an end, and there will be disruptions and problems in the agricultural sector, as in all sectors. Considering the increasing world population, it is inevitable that food supply security may be endangered and the hunger problem may reach an irreversible level., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Raising public awareness about the relevance of supporting sustainable practices is required owing to the phenomena of global warming caused by the rising production of greenhouse gases. The healthcare sector generates a relevant proportion of the total carbon emissions in developed countries, and radiology is estimated to be a major contributor to this carbon footprint. Neuroradiology markedly contributes to this negative environmental effect, as this radiological subspecialty generates a high proportion of diagnostic and interventional imaging procedures, the majority of them requiring high energy-intensive equipment. Therefore, neuroradiologists and neuroradiological departments are especially responsible for implementing decisions and initiatives able to reduce the unfavourable environmental effects of their activities, by focusing on four strategic pillars-reducing energy, water, and helium use; properly recycling and/or disposing of waste and residues (including contrast media); encouraging environmentally friendly behaviour; and reducing the effects of ionizing radiation on the environment. The purpose of this article is to alert neuroradiologists about their environmental responsibilities and to analyse the most productive strategic axes, goals, and lines of action that contribute to reducing the environmental impact associated with their professional activities., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

The main causes of soil organic matter (SOM) loss are land use (e.g., conventional agriculture) and land-use change (e.g., conversion of wetlands into croplands). Before World War II and until 1960s, the Ferrara province in the Emilia-Romagna region (Northeast Italy) enlarged its agricultural production area through drainage of wetlands. After that, the newly drained area was put into intensive agricultural production with practices that proved to be unsustainable, and whose negative effects (depletion of soil organic carbon [SOC] and emissions of greenhouse gases [GHGs], e.g., CO 2 ) have never been quantified. In this work, we estimated the changes in SOC 85 years after the drainage of the palustrine environment, by comparing 1937 SOC measurements with those made in 2022. Comparison of SOC maps from 1937 and 2022 indicates that most of the area suffered a significant SOC loss (∆OC 85 years from 0.05 to 18.57 wt%), except for northern areas in which the peat nature of the soil has been preserved. We also measured the 13 C/ 12 C on the 2022 soil samples and generated a present-day map of the SOC isotopic ratios, which could be used in future as a benchmark to evaluate changes in soil carbon stocks and fluxes., (© 2024 The Authors. Journal of Environmental Quality published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America.)

Greenhouse gases (GHG) emanating from agriculture, forestry, and other land use (AFOLU) sector are among top contributors to anthropogenic climate change in Africa and globally. Minimizing AFOLU sector GHG emissions in Africa is notoriously hard because of difficulties in emission estimation, the disperse nature of AFOLU emissions, and the complex links between AFOLU activities and poverty reduction. Yet, there are very few systematic reviews dealing with decarbonization pathways for the AFOLU sector in Africa. This article explores the options for achieving deep decarbonization of AFOLU sector in Africa, through a systematic review. Using the method of Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA Statement), 46 studies of interest were selected from the databases of Scopus, Google Scholar, and Web of Science. Four sub-themes were identified from the critical review of the selected studies covering key decarbonization approaches used in AFOLU sector. The literature suggests that while forest management and reforestation reduction of GHG in animal production and climate-smart practices in agriculture hold great promises for AFOLU sector decarbonization in Africa, there appears to be very limited coherent policy in the continent addressing any of these AFOLU sub-sectors., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.)

As an important policy instrument to achieve greenhouse gas emission reduction, carbon emissions trading has also promoted the green transformation of enterprises while achieving carbon reduction targets. This study uses the implementation of the Chinese carbon emissions trading pilot policy (CETPP) as a quasi-natural experiment and analyzes the impacts of the CETPP on the green transformation of enterprises with the difference-in-differences (DID) method based on a sample of 297 listed Chinese A-share high-energy-consuming enterprises. The result findings show that CETPP can significantly promote the green transformation of enterprises. The heterogeneity analysis also reveals that CETPP has differential effects on enterprises belonging to different industries, which is caused by the fact that enterprises in different industries differ significantly in their green transformation paths and modes. Moreover, CETPP has a significant facilitating effect on the green transformation of non-state-owned enterprises compared to state-owned enterprises. Finally, marketization and enterprise social responsibility are two major mechanisms for the CETPP to promote the green transformation of enterprises. Our findings reveal that policymakers should further deepen the dynamic management of carbon emission allowances and guide enterprises to actively undertake social responsibility, thus leveraging the market regulation mechanism to promote the green transformation of enterprises., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

The environmental situation of our planet is seriously degraded due to the massive spread of greenhouse gases. Several aspects can influence the quality of the environment. The present study debates the effect of financial inclusion (FI) and renewable energy consumption (REC) on the emissions of carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) emissions of the top ten countries in technological advancement (TTCTA) over the period 2004-2019. Other deterministic factors are included in the empirical study such as real gross domestic product (GDP), non-renewable energy consumption (NREC), and technological advancement (ATECH) to check their influence on environmental indicators. PMG-ARDL approach, cointegration techniques, and Granger causality tests are applied for the empirics part. In the long run, the outcomes show that real GDP, REC, and technological advancement contribute to decreasing CO 2 emissions, while NREC and FI contribute to increasing emissions levels. In the short run, only GDP and NREC significantly deteriorate the environmental quality. Granger shows a long-run bidirectional causality between CO 2 emissions, economic growth, REC, NREC, and ATECH., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Papers on population aging and the effects of environmental quality on health expenditure have critical policy consequences. However, findings in the relevant literature are mixed, and papers generally focus on developed countries. To provide new information to the literature, this paper examines the impact of globalization, economic growth, greenhouse gas emissions, and population aging on health expenditures in emerging market economies with annual data for the period 2000 to 2018. The paper follows a second-generation advanced panel data method that considers cross-sectional dependency. The estimation results reveal that population aging, economic growth, and greenhouse gas emissions have an increasing effect on health expenditures, while globalization has a decreasing effect. Furthermore, one-way causality running from population aging to health expenditures is confirmed, while a feedback causality relationship is observed between health expenditures and other indicators (globalization, economic growth, and greenhouse gas emissions). After all, the outputs of this paper can provide critical policy implications about the relationships between aging, globalization, air quality, and health expenditures in developing countries., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is a well-established and informative method of understanding the environmental impacts of consumer products across the entire value chain. However, companies committed to sustainability are interested in more methods that examine their products and activities' impacts. Methods that build on LCA strengths and illuminate other connected but less understood facets, related to social and economic impacts, would provide greater value to decision-makers. This study is a LCA that calculates the potential impacts associated with Bounty ® paper towels from two facilities with different production lines, an older one (Albany, Georgia) representing established technology and the other (Box Elder, Utah), a newer state-of-the-art platform. This is unique in that it includes use of Industrial Process Systems Assessment (IPSA), new electricity and pulp data, modeled in open source software, and is the basis for the development of new integrated sustainability metrics (published separately). The new metrics can guide supply chain and manufacturing enhancements, and product design related to environmental protection and resource sustainability. Results of the LCA indicate Box Elder had improvements on environmental impact scores related to air emission indicators, except for particulate matter. Albany had lower water use impacts. After normalization of the results, fossil fuel depletion is the most critical environmental indicator. Pulp production, electricity, and fuels for product production drive fossil fuel depletion. Climate change, land occupation, and particulate matter are also relevant. Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by pulp, electricity, papermaking, and landfill methane from the disposed product, drive climate change impacts. Pulp provides significant offsets to balance climate change impacts due to sequestration of atmospheric carbon dioxide. Ninety-nine percent of land occupation is for the growth of the trees for pulp production. Papermaking, electricity, and pulp production cause the most potential particular matter formation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chemical upcycling of plastic waste from landfills to value-added products offers both economic and environmental benefits. Reported here is a simple method to convert high-density polyethylene (HDPE) into upcycled waxes in a very high yield (up to 93%). This selectivity is achieved by reducing the degradation temperature of HDPE via the addition of an inexpensive and reusable sodium chloride. These upcycled waxes had performance comparable to those of commercial rheology modifiers. In addition, kraft paper coated with these upcycled waxes exhibited excellent water- and oil resistance. A preliminary revenue analysis showed that this innovation allows plastic-to-wax to conversion with a three-fold revenue benefit over traditional ways of producing pyrolysis waxes from plastics. Also, sodium chloride reduces the pyrolysis temperature, thus reducing energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions, supporting cleaner production, a circular economy, and generating less environmental pollution. The underlying concept reported herein can be extended to major plastics by reducing the degradation temperatures of plastics, thereby obtaining even better control over the pyrolysis products. Thus, these findings have the potential to enhance the circular economy of plastics and protect our environment from plastic waste. SYNOPSIS. Chemical upcycling of post-consumer polyethylene via a sodium chloride-catalyzed process. [Display omitted] • Demonstrated table salt-assisted pyrolysis of high-density polyethylene. • Converted polyethylene into upcycled waxes at mild temperatures and in high-yield. • Used upcycled waxes as rheology modifiers and water-proof coating material. • Performed preliminary revenue analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pulp and paper mill sludge (PPMS) is an organic residual generated from the wastewater treatments. PPMS management involves economic, environmental and social costs that will likely increase in the future as landfilling tends to be reduced or banned in certain jurisdictions. The reduction or the banning of landfilling may be considered as a climate change mitigation measure since organic waste disposal is normally associated with greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. This critical review aims to (1) describe the variety of the current and emerging PPMS management practices that are alternatives to landfilling and (2) underline the crucial need for GHG emission assessments. The management practices of the three main PPMS types (primary, secondary and de-inking) comprised in this review are land application (agriculture, silviculture, land reclamation and composting), energy recovery (combustion, anaerobic digestion, pyrolysis, bioethanol, hydrogen production and direct liquefaction) and integration in materials (biocomposite, cement, asphalt and adsorbent–absorbent). Future research should focus to increase the comprehension of known GHG determinants from the PPMS management practices and reveal unknown factors. Life cycle analyses, based on direct GHG emission measurements, are needed to determine GHG emissions from current and emerging practices and plan a responsible future reduction or banning of landfilling. Such analyses will contribute to assist decision makers in implementing the best PPMS management practices with the least impact on climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hybrid calcium carbonate (HCC) is prepared by pre-flocculating calcium oxide and ground calcium carbonate (GCC) with ionic polymers, and by injecting carbon dioxide to the pre-flocculated flocs until termination of the reaction at neutral pH. When used in papermaking, HCC gave higher bulk, higher stiffness, and higher tensile strength than GCC did. Furthermore, when higher wet pressing pressure was applied to the paper containing HCC, higher solid content was achieved with still better stiffness, smoothness, and tensile strength in comparison with the paper containing GCC. Actually, very high bulk of the HCC containing paper was compromisingly reduced to obtain high solid content by applying higher wet pressing pressure. Higher solid content achieved by combination of HCC technology and higher wet pressing pressure resulted in paper drying energy savings of more than 10%, while a high quality of all the essential printing paper properties was maintained. Drying energy savings may contribute to greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction and lowering of the paper production cost. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines the hypothesis of deterministic emissions convergence for a panel of the BRICS and Indonesia to advanced countries' emissions levels as well as to Sweden (which is a country that has clearly gone through decoupling) using a novel dataset with ten series of annual estimates of anthropogenic emissions comprising aerosols, aerosol precursor and reactive compounds, and carbon dioxide from 1820 to 2018. For that purpose, we employ four novel panel unit root tests allowing for several forms of time-dependent and state-dependent nonlinearity. The evidence supports deterministic convergence following a linear process for carbon dioxide, whereas the adjustment is asymmetric and nonlinear for carbon monoxide. Methane and nitrogen oxides exhibit logistic smooth transition converging dynamics. In contrast, black carbon, ammonia, nitrous oxide, non-methane volatile organic compounds, organic carbon, and sulfur dioxide emissions diverge. These results have implications for the abatement of greenhouse gases emissions at the global level, given the high share of emissions of the BRICS., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

The spread of communicable diseases, such as COVID-19, has a detrimental effect on our socio-economic structure. In a dynamic log-run world, socio-economic and environmental factors interact to spread communicable diseases. We investigated the long-term interdependence of communicable disease spread, economic prosperity, greenhouse gas emissions, and government health expenditures in India's densely populated economy using a variance error correction (VEC) approach. The VEC model was validated using stationarity, cointegration, autocorrelation, heteroscedasticity, and normality tests. Our impulse response and variance decomposition analyses revealed that economic prosperity (GNI) significantly impacts the spread of communicable diseases, greenhouse gas emissions, government health expenditures, and GNI. Current health expenditures can reduce the need for future increases, and the spread of communicable diseases is detrimental to economic growth. Developing economies should prioritize economic growth and health spending to combat pandemics. Simultaneously, the adverse effects of economic prosperity on environmental degradation should be mitigated through policy incentives., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Regulating the fuel consumption of small-scale fishing vessels could help to keep global warming well below 1.5 °C and lead to effective management in small-scale fisheries (SSF) of developing countries like India. In this regard, a bottom-up approach was carried out to collect the requisite data to explore the fuel consumption of small-scale fishing vessels along India's southeast coast. Consequently, twenty-four fishing vessels (type A to type X) were grouped into seven categories based on fishing methods. The estimated numerical value of fuel use intensity (FUI) ranging from 0.08 to 0.80 was used to examine the fuel-efficient fishing vessel and engine type. In addition, the estimated revenue on fuel ranging from ₹5625.06/l to ₹218.07/l and annual greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions using the Tier 1 method were used to understand the economic efficiency and GHG emission trend, respectively. The total annual GHG emissions from all the fishing vessels at the selected sites were about 1.25E + 08 t CO 2 -eq year -1 . The result shows that longline-cum-gillnetters, seine-netters, longliners and drift-gillnetters largely contributed to 65% of the annual GHG emissions. By recognizing the factors influencing the fuel consumption of fishing vessels in SSF, this sector could be understood, effectively managed, and performed well. Therefore, the possible reasons were extensively discussed through a comparative approach, and potential recommendations for effective management were made., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.)

Sustainable food systems require malnutrition and climate change to be addressed in parallel. Here, we estimate the non-CO 2 greenhouse gas emissions resulting from closing the world's dietary nutrient gap-that between country-level nutrient supply and population requirements-for energy, protein, iron, zinc, vitamin A, vitamin B12 and folate under five climate-friendly intervention scenarios in 2030. We show that improving crop and livestock productivity and halving food loss and waste can close the nutrient gap with up to 42% lower emissions (3.03 Gt CO 2 eq yr -1 ) compared with business-as-usual supply patterns with a persistent nutrient gap (5.48 Gt CO 2 eq yr -1 ). Increased production and trade of vegetables, eggs, and roots and tubers can close the nutrient gap with the lowest emissions in most countries-with ≤23% increase in total caloric production required for 2030 relative to 2015. We conclude that the world's nutrient gap could be closed without exceeding global climate targets and without drastic changes to national food baskets., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Limited.)

Environmental pollution and climate change have become nontraditional global security threats. As China's economy grows, the country faces an increasing number of challenges associated with improving atmospheric quality and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Based on China's dynamic noncompetitive input-output tables and data on energy consumption and emissions from 1994 to 2016, a hybrid input-output model is constructed to identify high-energy-consuming sectors and to quantify the impact of industrial restructuring on the intensity of air pollutant and greenhouse gas emissions from these sectors. The empirical results indicate that the impact of industrial restructuring on the intensity of air pollutant and greenhouse gas emissions from high-energy-consuming sectors was nonlinear and has undergone a "promotion reduction" shift. This study also found that the impact of industrial restructuring is more significant on the intensity of greenhouse gas emissions than on the intensity of air pollutant emissions; furthermore, the reduction in greenhouse gas emission intensity achieved by industrial restructuring after 2008 began to show results. Based on the findings of this study, we make recommendations such as the need for the Chinese government to continue to promote supply-side structural reforms in the energy sector., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Over time, short-lived climate forcers (SLCFs) have gradually gained prominence as a rationale in the international global mitigation strategy to preserve temperature below 1.5 °C by the end of this century. Scientists cite the short-term gains in air quality and health co-benefits associated with reducing SLCFs as grounds for raising the pressure on governments to eliminate SLCFs rapidly and aggressively. There is little research on whether deep SLCF mitigation during the next decade is feasible in low- and middle-income nations, particularly the hydrocarbon-based economy. This study estimates current and future emissions of potent SLCFs as methane (CH 4 ) hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) in Oman using the basic tier 1 approach of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) greenhouse gases (GHG) inventory Guidelines of 2006. Current and future emission of black carbon (BC) was also quantified using specific emission factors. A total of 38,268 Gg of SLFCs were released into the atmosphere in Oman in 2015, accounting for 38.8% of the country's total GHG emissions, and is expected to rise significantly over the next decade to reach 67,777 Gg by 2030. The analysis reveals that the source of Oman's highly potent SLCF emissions is associated with key and critical economic sectors such as the oil and gas industry, heavy road transportation, residential air conditioning (RAC), and industrial refrigeration. These vital economic sectors impose a "Grand Challenge" on the immediate reduction of SLCFs in Oman and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). Accomplishing a rapid, significant reduction in highly potent SLCFs from the three challenging sectors over a 5- to 10-year time period does not appear feasible or realistic in the context of international market mechanisms, socioeconomic factors, and mitigation targets. Achieving a significant reduction in SLCFs for a hydrocarbon-based economy requires a profound economic shift. Creating an effective long-term vision for a post-oil economy over the next two decades provides a sound foundation for implementing economic and societal transformation policies incorporating near-zero-emission measures for the potent SLCFs., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Smallholder dairy farms face enormous challenges in increasing milk production while mitigating greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, thereby enhancing climate resilience. The carbon footprint (CF) of smallholder milk production is expected to increase with increasing demand for dairy products under the business-as-usual scenario. This study estimates the carbon footprint of smallholder milk production and examines variation across farms using data from 480 households to identify viable options for mitigating GHG emissions. We applied a cradle to farm-gate life cycle assessment (LCA) approach to examine the effects of farming systems on GHG emission intensities across intensification gradients of smallholder farms (SHF) from four potential dairy districts in the central highlands of Ethiopia. According to our findings, enteric fermentation was the primary source of GHG emissions, and methane (CH 4 ) emissions from enteric fermentation and manure management accounted for the majority of total emissions across farms. The estimated average CF varies depending on farming systems, global warming potential (GWP), and allocation methods used. When GHG emissions were allocated to multiple products using economic allocation and based on IPCC (2007) and IPCC (2014) GWPs, the overall average CF of milk production was 1.91 and 2.35 kg CO 2 e/kg fat and protein-corrected milk (FPCM), respectively. On average, milk accounted for 72% of total greenhouse gas emissions. In terms of farm typology, rural SHF systems produced significantly more CF per kg of milk than urban and peri-urban SHF systems. Variations in milk yield explained more than half of the variation in GHG emissions intensity at the farm level. Feed digestibility and feed efficiency had a negative and significant (P < 0.01) association with CF of SHF. Our findings suggested that improving feed digestibility and feed efficiency by increasing the proportion of concentrate and improved forage as well as chemically upgrading straw and crop residue could provide an opportunity to both increase milk yield and reduce the CF of milk production of SHF in the study area. Supporting SHF to realize strategies contributing to climate-resilient dairy development require interventions at several levels in the dairy value chain., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature B.V.)

Climate change is an important environmental issue that is causing global temperatures to rise. The primary environmental targets are to reduce carbon emissions and mitigate the impacts of climate change. The refrigeration system is a major emitter of greenhouse gases because it uses refrigerants with a high global warming potential. Due to its excellent thermophysical properties, the R134a is the most commonly used refrigerant in refrigeration systems; however, its high GWP will need to be disposed of earlier. To achieve global environmental objectives, conventional refrigerants need to be replaced with environmentally friendly and energy-efficient refrigerants. In the present work, a mathematical simulation has been carried out to check the performance of low-GWP refrigerant mixtures as environmentally friendly alternatives for R134a in a low-temperature system. In this study, a 190-L domestic refrigerator has been considered a low-temperature system. This simulation was performed using the MATLAB software, and the REFPROP database was used to obtain thermophysical properties of the refrigerants. The results showed that the COP of HFO mixtures decreased by 4-20% compared to R134a. The exergy efficiency of the R1234ze/R134a mixture improves by 4 to 16% as compared to the other mixtures and its performance is very similar to the R134a. Due to the environmentally friendly properties and flammability aspects, R1234ze/R134a (90/10) could be a good substitute for R134a in lower temperature applications and to satisfy the Montreal and Kyoto Protocol expectations., (© 2021. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Purpose: The aim of this work is to compare greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from producing tissue paper from virgin pulp (VP) or recycled waste paper (RWP). In doing so, the study aims to inform decision makers at both company and national levels which are the main causes of emissions and to suggest the actions required to reduce pollution. Methods: An attributional life cycle assessment (LCA) was performed in order to estimate and compare the GHG emissions of the two processes. LCA allows us to assess how the choice of raw material for VP and RWP processes influences total GHG emissions of tissue paper production, what are the main drivers behind these emissions and how do the direct materials; energy requirements and transportation contribute to the generation of emissions. The cradle-to-gate approach is carried out. Results and discussion: The results show that demands for both thermal energy and electricity are higher for the RWP than for the VP if only the manufacturing stages are considered. However, a different picture emerges when the analysis looks at the entire life cycle of the production. GHG from the VP are about 30 % higher than the RWP, over the life cycle emitting 568 kg CO eq more per kilogram of tissue paper. GHG emissions from the wood pulping alone were 559 g CO eq per kilogram of tissue paper, three times higher than waste paper collection and transportation. Conclusions: In terms of GHG emissions from cradle to gate, the recycled process less intensive than the virgin one for two reasons. First, as shown in the results the total GHG emissions from RWP are lower than those from VP due to relatively lower energy and material requirements. Second is the non-recyclability nature of tissue paper. Because the tissue paper is the last use of fibre, using RWP as an input would be preferable over using VP. The environmental profile of the tissue products both from RWP and VP can be improved if the following conditions are considered by the company. First, the company should consider implementing a cogeneration unit to simultaneously generate both useful heat and electricity. Second, it may consider changing the VP mix, in order to avoid the emissions associated with long distance transpiration effort. Third, there is the option of using sludge as fuel, which would reduce the total fossil fuel requirement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Prior to COVID, thousands of medical school and residency applicants traversed their countries for in-person interviews each year. However, data on the greenhouse gas emissions from in-person interviews is limited. This study estimated greenhouse gas emissions associated with in-person medical school and residency interviews and explored applicant interview structure preferences., Methods: From March to June 2022, we developed and distributed a nine-question, website-based survey to collect information on applicant virtual interview schedule, demographics and preference for future interview format. We calculated theoretical emissions for all interviews requiring air travel and performed a content analysis of interview preference explanations., Results: We received responses from 258 first-year and 253 fourth-year medical students at 26 allopathic US medical schools who interviewed virtually in 2020-2021 and 2021-2022, respectively. Residency applicants participating in the study were interviewed at a mean of 15.3 programs (SD 5.4) and had mean theoretical emissions of 4.31 tons CO 2 eq. Medical school applicants participating in the study were interviewed at a mean of 6.9 programs and had mean theoretical emissions of 2.19 tons CO 2 eq. Ninety percent of medical school applicants and 91% of residency applicants participating in the study expressed a preference for hybrid or virtual interviews going forward., Conclusion: In-person medical training interviews have significant greenhouse gas emissions. Virtual and hybrid alternatives have a high degree of acceptability among applicants., (© 2023 Association for the Study of Medical Education and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Greenhouse gas emissions and global warming are recent issues of upward trend. This study sought to underline the causal relationships between engagement modes with green technology, environmental, social, and governance (ESG) ratio, and circular economy. Our investigation also captured benchmarking of energy companies' circular economy behaviors. A hybrid-stage partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) and multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) analysis have been adopted. This study collected 713 questionnaires from heads of departments and managers of energy companies. The findings of this study claimed that engagement modes with green technology affect the circular economy and sustainability. The findings revealed that ESG ratings have a mediating role in the nexus among engagement modes with green technology and circular economy. The results of the MCDM application revealed the identification of the best and worst energy companies of circular economy behaviours. This study is exceptional because it is among the first to address the issues of greenhouse gas emissions by providing decisive evidence about the level of circular economy behaviors in energy companies., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

This paper estimates the influences of different industries on the carbon prices and selects the industries with high market power in the carbon market. To realize price discovery in the carbon market and improve the market efficiency, we suggest that industries with higher market power should be included in the market prior to other industries. Using the LASSO regression to analyze the data from the pilot markets of China's ETS and related industrial product outputs, we find that among all related industries, the petrochemical and chemical industries affect the carbon price the most and hence should be included in China's ETS with priority. The power generation industry, though regarded as the major entity of emission control, imposes weaker influences on the carbon price. Industries that may be incorporated in China's ETS later include the transportation equipment manufacturing and the mining and metal industries., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

The draining and fertilization of peatlands for agriculture is globally an important source of the greenhouse gas nitrous oxide (N 2 O). Hitherto, the contribution of major sources to the N 2 O emission-that is, fertilization and nitrogen (N) release from peat decomposition-has not yet been deciphered. This hampers the development of smart mitigation strategies, considering that rewetting to halt peat decomposition and reducing N fertilization are promising N 2 O emission-reduction strategies. Here, we used machine learning techniques and global N 2 O observational data to generalize the distribution of N 2 O emissions from agriculturally managed peatlands, to distinguish the sources of N 2 O emissions, and to compare mitigation options. N 2 O emissions from agriculturally managed croplands were 401.0 (344.5-470.9) kt N year -1 , with 121.6 (88.6-163.3) kt N year -1 contributed by fertilizer N. On grasslands, 64.0 (54.6-74.7) kt N 2 O-N year -1 were emitted, with 4.6 (3.7-5.7) kt N 2 O-N year -1 stemming from fertilizer N. The fertilizer-induced N 2 O emission factor ranged from 1.5% to 3.2%. Reducing the current fertilizer input by 20% could achieve a 10% N 2 O emission reduction for croplands but only 3% for grasslands. Rewetting 1.9 Mha cropland and 0.26 Mha grassland would achieve the same N 2 O emission reductions. Our results suggest that N 2 O mitigation strategies for managed peatlands should be considered separately across land-use types and climatic zones. For croplands, particularly in the tropics, relevant N 2 O mitigation potentials are achievable through both fertilizer N reduction and peatland rewetting. For grasslands, management schemes to halt peat degradation (e.g. rewetting) should be considered preferentially for mitigating N 2 O and contributing to meeting climate goals., (Global Change Biology© 2024 The Authors. Global Change Biology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Due to the growing demand for livestock products both within the country and in foreign markets, there is a need to boost the production of maize-based animal feed in Thailand. However, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and the potential for reducing these emissions through the production of various types of animal feed remain ambiguous. Thus, this study is aimed at estimating GHG emissions from broiler, layer, and swine feed production in Thailand and identifying economic advantages of alternative methods to mitigate those emissions. Field surveys were carried out to quantify the input and output of energy and materials in 10 commercial feed mills so as to determine greenhouse gas emissions using proper emission factors. The scope of this study is based on the cradle-to-gate approach. The functional unit used for greenhouse gas evaluation was kg CO 2 -eq/t of feed. Total greenhouse gas emissions from broiler, layer, and swine feed production were found to be 650 ± 20, 706 ± 20, and 466 ± 20 kg CO 2 -eq/t of feed, respectively. Layer feed production created the highest greenhouse gas emissions, 1.09 and 1.52 times that of broiler and swine feed production, respectively. This is because layer feed required intensive fish meal (FM) as protein sources for improving egg quality. In broiler and swine feed production, the most significant emissions are attributed to the use of maize grain (MG) and soybean meal (SBM) as sources of carbohydrate and protein in those feeds. However, animal feed production operation at the existing condition still emits CO 2 to the atmosphere as CO 2 fixation efficiencies of 69.3, 67.5, and 75.9% for broiler, layer, and swine feed, respectively. From the sustainable resource consumption scenarios in broiler, layer, and swine feed production, approximately 39.6, 49.6, and 43.3% reduced carbon emissions could be achieved by using MG rotated with SB in the maize plantation phase and substituting FM, wheat grain and fossil fuel needed in the manufacturing process with SBM, locally-produced tapioca chips and biomass energy. Consequently, the potential cost savings of such replacements were determined to be 54.0, 62.5, and 29.7 USD/t of feed, respectively., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

It is a well-established fact that activated sludge Wastewater Treatment Plants (WWTP) are placed among the most significant contributors of Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions. The task of intelligent emission control of such plants is a great challenge, mainly due to the highly nonlinear dynamics and associated uncertainty of its constituent bioprocesses. The need for more efficient and environmentally conscious control is ever increasing, due to the upsurge of industrial and urban water usage. In the current work, a nonlinear Model Predictive Control (MPC) scheme that considers an activated sludge model is developed for pulp and paper industry. The nonlinear MPC employs a flexible controller input structure through a process superstructure formulation that enables the adaptive utilisation of the most suitable set of manipulated variables based on the prevailing operating conditions. A generalised framework of this flexible controller type along with a nonlinear dynamic model for the plant accounting for the simultaneous satisfaction of stringent control objectives on the effluent quality and the GHG minimisation is developed. The proposed controller incorporates manipulated variables for all admissible aeration intensities, internal flow recirculation streams, external carbon sources, influent flow distribution in each bioprocessing unit, unit volume variations and recirculation flow percentage. Accurate simulations indicate the achievement of a superior emission reduction performance compared to state-of-the-art MPC implementations in WWTP. Every consideration of a manipulated variable set is associated with respect to its contribution to the total GHG reduction for each mode of operation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The low-carbon supply chain is one of the predominant topics towards a green economy and it establishes the opportunity to reduce carbon emissions across the product value chain. This paper focuses on recycling and optimized sourcing in the paper industry as a case company. The main objective is to engage the case company with their supplier networks to diminish the greenhouse gases (GHG) emissions and cost in their production process. It proposes a model to support the selection of the best green supplier and an allocation of order among the potential suppliers. The proposed model contains a two-phase hybrid approach. The first phase presents the rating and selection of potential suppliers by considering economics (cost), operational factors (quality and delivery), and environmental criteria (recycle capability and GHG emission control) using Fuzzy Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (Fuzzy TOPSIS) methodology. The second phase presents the order allocation process using multi-objective linear programming in order to minimize cost, material rejection, late delivery, recycle waste and $$\mathrm{CO}_{2}$$ emissions in the production process. A case study from a paper manufacturing industry is presented to elucidate the effectiveness of the proposed model. The results demonstrate a 26.2 % reduction of carbon emission by using recycle products in the production process. The firm benefits by forming a systematic methodology for green supplier evaluation and order allocation. Finally, a conclusion and a suggested direction of future research are introduced. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• RCF wastes brick achieves 24% lower thermal properties than the control brick. • RCF wastes brick requires 10% lower firing temperature than the control brick. • Utilizing as-received waste materials requires zero grinding energy, benefiting manufacturers and cutting emissions. • Lower firing temperature saved $158,460 by cutting 417 tonnes of CO 2. Building materials drive the global economy, yet face severe environmental hurdles: resource depletion, greenhouse gas emissions, and waste generation. In order to mitigate the impact from these challenges, authorities seek sustainable and eco-friendly alternatives as an urgent need. This study focuses on the utilization of as-received rejected contaminated fines (RCF) obtained from the yellow bins' waste (paper) recycling process, in brick production. Diverse tests assessed the brick performance, including compressive strength, absorption rate, thermal conductivity, 3D CT scanning for morphological analysis, and durability analysis. Additionally, a leachate analysis was performed to evaluate the environmental implications. Economic benefits, particularly the reduction of CO 2 emissions, were also evaluated. The findings confirmed that as-received waste can be utilized for fired clay brick production without the need for pulverization. The novel brick product made with as-received RCF waste exhibited superior thermal characteristics (up to a 31.25 % reduction compared to control bricks) while meeting the essential compliance requirements outlined by national standards. Moreover, each firing cycle led to a potential value of up to USD 158,460 through a reduction of 417 tonnes of CO 2 , resulting from a 9.5 % reduction in firing temperature (1000 °C). The results from this study offer valuable insights into the potential of using RCF waste as a sustainable alternative in the brick manufacturing industry. This alternative could address the soaring demand in the current market, resolve the escalating solid waste crisis, and mitigate clay shortages, while providing a sustainable solution for the brick industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study is to employ panel data approach to investigate determinants of total GHG emissions in all European Union (EU) economies in years 1990-2018 and evaluate the role of nuclear energy in climate change mitigation. It incorporates the following variables potentially affecting the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions: economic-gross domestic product (GDP) per capita and GDP per capita squared to control for non-linear relationship between economic output and GHG emissions; structural-economic structure reflected in the share of manufacturing in total gross value added (GVA); energy-mix-share of nuclear power and renewable sources in total gross electricity production; environmental policy-the amount of environmental taxes (as a percentage of GDP) and the number of European Union Emission Trading System (EU ETS) allowances auctioned or sold (as a percentage of GDP per capita). The main findings of this study confirm the long-run relationship between GHG emissions, GDP level, and energy-mix variables. It endorses that higher share of nuclear power together with renewables in gross electricity production has significant impact on GHG emissions in the long run. In turn, it also validates the existence of the environmental Kuznets curve for selected countries., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

This paper measures the socioeconomic and resource-efficient influences of digital transformation in the public sector in the European region. To capture the socioeconomic impacts of digital public services, we employ a socioeconomic score index calculated as the unweighted average of the re-scaled scores for changes in employment, exports, and turnover from eco-industries. Regarding resource-efficient impacts, we employ the resource efficiency score index measured as the unweighted average of the re-scaled scores for material, energy productivity, and the intensity of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Measures such as user-centricity, business mobility, and key enablers are used to demonstrate the level of digitalization in the public sector. According to our estimations based on various econometric techniques, digital public services have a favorable effect on the economy and society through a positive impact on employment, exports, and turnover of eco-industries. The effects of digitalization on resource productivity follow a nonlinear U-shaped curve, suggesting that the improvement of resource efficiency is only present when the digital transformation process reaches a certain level., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Good governance and natural resource rent are important pillars of sustainable development. The paper explores the role of governance and natural resource rent in enlightening the economic, social, and environmental sustainability. To achieve this objective, panel data for six selected South Asian countries from 1996 to 2020 is used. The second-generation unit-root test of Pesaran and panel unit root test of structural break proposed by Karavias and Tzavalis (Computat Stat Data Anal 76: 391-407, Karavias and Tzavalis, Comput Stat Data Anal 76:391-407, 2014) are utilized to examine the stationarity of variables and results confirm that variables are stationary at first difference. We used the first-generation cointegration test, i.e., Pedroni (1999), Kao (1999), and (Westerlund, Oxford Bull Econ Stat 69:709-748, 2007) and second-generation cointegration given by (Westerlund and Edgerton, Oxford Bull Econ Stat 70:665-704, 2008) test to confirm the co-integration and make long-run analysis by using fully modified ordinary least squares (FMOLS) and dynamic ordinary least squares (DOLS) models. For robustness we also estimated cross-sectionally augmented autoregressive distributed lag model which is important to deal with heterogeneous slope coefficients and unobserved common factor. To check whether the residuals of the model were cross-sectionally dependent or not, we used Breusch and Pagan (1980) and Pesaran (2004) tests and confirmed the heterogeneity among sample countries by using (Pesaran and Yamagata, J Econometr 142:50-93, 2008) homogeneity test. The coefficients of long run analysis conclude that governance improves the environment by reducing greenhouse gas emissions (GGE) and is positively and significantly related to growth and social sector. Moreover, gross domestic product and trade openness are positively related to economic and social effect, whereas natural resources rent has a positive association with GGE. But the results confirm that with good governance, the natural resource rent can decrease greenhouse gas emissions. The recommendations of the study for policy purposes focus on that the governance will reduce GGE emissions and increase social and economic development and the countries should use more environment-friendly sources., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

The regional climate as it is now and in the future will put pressure on investments in sub-Saharan Africa in water resource management, fisheries, and other crop and livestock production systems. Changes in oceanic characteristics across the Atlantic Ocean will result in remarkable vulnerability of coastal ecology, littorals, and mangroves in the middle of the twenty-first century and beyond. In line with the countries' objectives of creating a green economy that allows reduced greenhouse gas emissions, improved resource efficiency, and prevention of biodiversity loss, we identify the most pressing needs for adaptation and the best adaptation choices that are also clean and affordable. According to empirical data from the field and customized model simulation designs, the cost of these adaptation measures will likely decrease and benefit sustainable green growth in agriculture, water resource management, and coastal ecosystems, as hydroclimatic hazards such as pluviometric and thermal extremes become more common in West Africa. Most of these adaptation options are local and need to be scaled up and operationalized for sustainable development. Governmental sovereign wealth funds, investments from the private sector, and funding from global climate funds can be used to operationalize these adaptation measures. Effective legislation, knowledge transfer, and pertinent collaborations are necessary for their success., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Improving China's agricultural greenhouse gases (GHG) emission efficiency has become an important way to cope with climate change in an ecologically-and ethically responsible manner. In this paper, we use a global slacks-based inefficiency model to evaluate the agricultural greenhouse gases (GHG) emission efficiency levels in China during 2000-2015. The regional disparity of China's GHG emission efficiency is examined by using a Dagum Gini coefficient. A spatial Markov chain technique is also employed to investigate the spatial dynamic evolution of agricultural GHG emission efficiency. The results show that: (1) China's agricultural GHG emission efficiency increased steadily during the study period; a certain gap in efficiency among provinces and regions also exists. (2) Between-group disparity is the main source of the overall regional disparities in China's agricultural GHG emission efficiency. The disparities between regions are on the rise, while the disparities within regions are relatively stable. (3) China's agricultural GHG emission efficiency demonstrates significant spatial dependence. This study provides policy implications for the sustainable development of China's agricultural sector., (© 2020. Springer Nature B.V.)