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The demand for e-commerce platforms has rapidly increased over the last years leading to increase demand on last mile delivery (LMD) services. Not to fall short of 2030 greenhouse gas (GHG) emission targets in the transport sector transitioning to sustainable LMD solutions is the key. Adopting electric vehicles (EVs) in delivery services can significantly reduce direct and indirect emissions, which can be of interest for many supply chain actors willing to report their sustainability practices within Scope 3 as per IPCC guidelines for the upcoming Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive. This study undertakes the eco-efficiency analysis of a local LMD company in Latvia to understand the financial viability and the external environmental cost related to fleet electrification. As a result, the eco-efficiency analysis confirms the financial and environmental advantages of EVs. The study acknowledges limitations in the current eco-efficiency framework related to the GHG emissions monetisation and recommends leveraging the voluntary carbon credit markets for a more market-based assessment of carbon pricing. The findings support the transition towards sustainable LMD options, aligning with broader sustainability goals.

The growing concern for environmental sustainability has sparked a shift towards electric vehicles as a more environmentally friendly alternative to internal combustion engine vehicles (ICEVs). This review paper comprehensively incorporates a wide range of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) studies to conduct a detailed comparison of the environmental impact of battery electric vehicles (BEVs) and internal combustion engine vehicles (ICEV) in different regions and under various scenarios. The analysis encompasses recent research from various years and diverse locations, such as the USA, Spain, Poland, Germany, the Czech Republic, China, and Japan. The LCA evaluations yield significant insights into the global warming potential (GWP) represented by CO2 equivalent emissions per vehicle kilometre over their lifespan. The findings also emphasize that BEVs charged with renewable energy offer greater environmental benefits than biofuel-driven cars. Furthermore, the study incorporates various future scenarios, such as the widespread adoption of renewable energies, which could lead to substantial reductions in CO2eq emissions. However, the comparative analysis reveals varying impacts for BEVs in different regions, particularly highlighting the importance of the electricity mix used to charge BEV batteries. Overall, the review paper serves as a valuable contribution to the broader aim of understanding transport drivetrain implications on environment. Integrating diverse LCA assessments can inform sustainable transportation policies and practices.

The significance of hydrogen in the context of the ongoing energy transition is growing noticeably. This study presents a review of the literature on the factors that influence the development of a hydrogen economy. Based on an analysis of relevant studies, we suggest the factors that drive the growth of a hydrogen economy. Unlike traditional sector-based analyses, our approach is a comprehensive examination of the hydrogen value chain, incorporating stakeholder perspectives that are frequently overlooked in technical and economic research. Drawing on recent International Energy Agency assessments and extensive desk research, we identify barriers and propose solutions critical to the successful implementation of a hydrogen economy. The study then introduces a conceptual causal loop diagram and an illustrative framework that visually depict the intricate interconnections between stakeholders and influencing factors. The findings emphasize the importance of increased political support, particularly for addressing concerns about technological immaturity and economic viability, and strategic collaborations between private companies, academia, and government institutions. The proposed solutions, which include research and development support and the formulation of national hydrogen strategies, highlight the critical role of a well-defined policy framework in advancing the green hydrogen economy. This study significantly enriches both academic understanding and practical decision-making by providing valuable insights for long-term hydrogen development.

In this paper, a newly developed dynamic simulation model for transport user behaviour analysis is presented. The study aims to evaluate the impact of various factors on human behavioural intentions, identify the inconvenience costs of public transport, and identify the necessary improvements to shift the demand for population mobility from private cars to public transport. The assessment of such aspects as travel time and travel cost is presented. Modelling assumptions are based on a specially designed public survey allowing to improve the reliability of the developed system dynamics model. Modelling results highlight the multiplicative effect of factors influencing mode shift.

The transport sector is one of the most polluting sectors in the world and 29.8 % of all greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in Latvia come from it. Given this sector’s importance, it is surprising that the external costs of transport are often measured only from the air pollution perspective, mainly CO2 emissions and the health effects associated with these emissions. However, other external costs should be considered when calculating the impact of transport. In this paper, external costs dependent on the type of motor and energy used in vehicles are calculated for Latvia’s current passenger car and light commercial vehicle situation. These external costs are compared with different proportions of battery electric vehicles (BEVs) in Latvia’s passenger and light commercial vehicle fleet. In addition, changes in employment associated with changes in the automotive sector are calculated. The results indicate that having a higher BEV proportion in the fleet reduces external costs in almost all sectors and increases job positions available in the automotive sector.

100 cities in Europe have committed to being pioneers and achieving climate neutrality by 2030. It is crucial to start with the decarbonization of cities because, although they cover only 3 % of the Earth’s land, they produce 72 % of all greenhouse gas emissions. This paper contributes to the city decarbonization research but on a smaller scale. We study the decarbonization potential of a university campus. It is a unique part of a larger urban area. It represents a cross-section of the population of different socio-economic backgrounds and ages, generating irregular schedules and constant movements of people and goods throughout the day. Riga Technical University is one of the pioneer universities in Latvia that has decided to achieve climate neutrality by 2030. This study aims to provide a qualitative review of the potential for improvements and describe the preliminary CO2 simulation model that includes Scope 1, Scope 2, and Scope 3 emissions. A particular challenge is the Scope 3 emissions, which focus on changing user habits. A survey of Riga Technical University students and employees was developed and conducted to analyse the most effective solutions for this type of emission. Survey results and future work recommendations are presented together with the model outline.

To address rising climate change problems, one significant task is reducing pollution in the transport sector by substituting fossil with biomass-based fuels. One of the potential production methods is by Fischer-Tropsch (FT) synthesis. Both gasoline and diesel types of fuel can be produced. For FT fuels a carbon containing feedstock is needed as an end product, it can be processed in multiple ways using various systems, however the main parts of production are biomass preparation and gasification, where afterwards clean-up of the synthetic gas is required. A liquid form from the syngas is achieved via FT synthesis, after which hydroprocessing is needed for separating naphtha, diesel, and lighter-molecularweight hydrocarbons or other components. For comparison of biofuel plants, the biomass of choice, production processes and end products were analysed, as well as economic feasibility of technologies, to determine whether the costs and investments required are reasonable for the possible outcome.

The current needs of sustainable urban development are rising. As the transport sector expands, emissions continue to rise. Due to their negative impact on human health and the environment, air quality requirements are becoming more and more stringent. At the same time, the amount of waste is increasing. Europe Union policies attempt to relieve the pressure that these two stressors place on urban systems as they themselves expand. Today different solutions are available to decrease greenhouse gas emissions, increase air quality and improve waste management systems. Among them, waste-to-biomethane for use in urban systems deserves more attention. The paper focuses on application of the concept of waste-to-biomethane and the case study of Valmiera is evaluated. The results show that the application of the waste-to-biomethane strategy can contribute to a complete substitution of diesel fuel in urban buses and gives savings of around 1,000 tCO2/year. The price of the biomethane was found to be the most sensitive input factor. It is suggested that it should not exceed 0.40 EUR/Nm3 for a fuel conversion project of a fleet of 10 vehicles. Such a price can be ensured, if dry fermentation technology is chosen for biogas production. However, from the sustainability perspective, wet fermentation is more preferable due to the introduction of a source-separated organic waste management system in the region and higher gas yields. Introduction of this alternative requires additional funds which is a question of policy-level decisions.