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This paper studies the optimal vehicle fleet planning and collaboration problem for a fuel vehicle (FV) transport service provider, a commercial electric vehicle (CEV) transport service provider, and a carbon emission treatment agency under carbon neutrality. The FV transport service provider pays a fixed fee or a portion of its sales revenue to a carbon emission treatment agency in exchange for technology to reduce its carbon emissions, and it can adopt three strategies (i.e., no emission reduction, purchasing technology for emission reduction, and entrusting a carbon emission treatment agency). We derive each party's optimal fleet size, price, and profit in the three scenarios. Our results suggest that carbon emission reduction strategies may improve the market performance of the FV transport service provider. Then, we find no certain strategy is always preferable to another: the optimal cooperation strategy between the transport service provider and carbon emission treatment agency depends on the fixed technology fee, ratio of revenue sharing, government penalty, the transport service market potential, and consumer green preference, as well as the cost per CEV. This paper gives the transport service provider and carbon emission treatment agency a full picture of whether, when, and how to collaborate in green commerce. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Excess emission has been observed from velvet cathodes with total emission times >150 ns. In this diode experiment, we produce a sub-relativistic electron beam with the ability to consistently change γ from 1.2 to 1.5 and β = 0.5–0.75. Electron emission in this particular diode geometry requires electric fields >40 kV/cm. The current increases at steady rates >0.05 A/ns after the head of the pulse, indicating an expansion of the emission surface and reduction in the effective AK gap. Small transients of excess emission (or arcs) are consistently observed for current pulses exceeding 150 ns. The excess emission results in beam loaded levels ≥ 10 kV on the diode voltage. The effects described here are compounded as diode voltage is increased. The principal objective of these experiments is to quantify electric field emission thresholds, current ramps, excess emission delays, effective beam loading, and impedance collapse. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study incorporates fairness concern in a low-carbon supply chain coordination mechanism where a single manufacturer sells its product to consumers through a single retailer. We develop four different scenarios of the Stackelberg master-slave game utility model—both members are neutral (NN), the manufacturer (FN) or retailer (NF) has fairness concern, and both are not neutral (FF), where the Nash bargaining fairness reference is leveraged to capture the impact of fairness preference on low-carbon supply chain optimisation decision-making profits, level of carbon emission reduction, warranty period, and revenue-sharing. Finally, numerical studies are conducted to quantify the impact of the Nash bargaining fairness concern. Research shows that: (1) fairness concern made it worse for the retailer but beneficial for the manufacturer and the system. (2) fairness concern causes a reduction in the level of carbon emission reduction and warranty period. However, the reduction of carbon emission reduction trading price and a certain range of revenue sharing effectively reduces the impact of fairness concern on members. (3) The revenue-sharing contract effectively reduces the negative impacts of fairness concern on supply chain members. The paper is a guide for enterprises development and cooperation but also provides empirical evidence for the government. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Achieving carbon peaking and carbon neutrality goals is a fundamental requirement for advancing high-quality development in China. Carbon emission efficiency (CEE) indicates the proportion of optimal emissions to actual emissions in the production system, providing a basis for reasonable carbon emission reductions. To facilitate the realisation of China's goals, this paper analyses CEE and the carbon emission reduction potential in China from 2001 to 2020. Considering the heterogeneity of both regions and industries, this paper proposes a three-hierarchy meta-frontier directional distance function (DDF) method to measure CEE under convex and non-convex assumptions of production possibility set (PPS). The empirical results show that the assumption of convex or non-convex axiom on the innermost PPS has a great impact on efficiency distribution, and the distribution of technology gap rate (TGR) is more affected by the selection of convex or non-convex assumption compared with the distribution of CEE. Currently, China's carbon emission efficiency remains low, mostly due to management inefficiency. The primary industry has more advanced emission reduction technologies than the other two industries. The eastern region has a large potential for carbon emission reduction because of its high carbon emission base, despite its high efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Governmental subsidy policy and channel information structure have substantial effects on supply chain emission reduction, operations and marketing decisions. In this paper, we use game theory to study the interplay of government subsidizing arrangement and information asymmetry on manufacturers' emission reduction and retailers' low-carbon promotion. Suppose realistically that the investment coefficients for manufacturers' emission reduction levels and retailer' low-carbon promotion levels are their respective private information. Among diverse governmental subsidy schemes, we find dual subsidizing are the best choice for the defined level of total subsidy under information asymmetry, while it is not always the best choice if the total subsidy level is uncertain. Under information asymmetry, the results show that manufacturer have no incentive to lie under any subsidy policy. However, the retailer has incentive to misrepresent individual information and its misreporting behaviour is related to the coefficient and allocation ratio of governmental subsidies. On this basis, we illustrate that a screening model can be deployed to reduce the negative effects of information asymmetry on supply chain operations. We therefore propose the method of improving the performance of low-carbon supply chains under various situations of information asymmetry and governmental subsidizing schemes to achieve system-wide Pareto improvement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The coordination strategies of a two-echelon coal supply chain consisting of a coal enterprise and a downstream enterprise are proposed considering market low-carbon preference and carbon emissions reduction. The cleaning and matching degree (CMD) is introduced to measure the quality of commercial coal which have influence on the production cost and energy consumption of the downstream enterprise. Stackelberg models are established to investigate the coordination strategies using cost-sharing contracts. We use backward induction to solve the models and analyse the optimal decisions in four scenarios. It is revealed that promoting CMD level can extend the market portion and realise more profit. The cost-sharing contract can coordinate the supply chain members, obtain profit Pareto improvement in certain condition of cost-sharing ratio and establish a win-win situation. Additionally, the emission reduction is greater than that under decentralised decision-making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

EU's Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) has been promulgated. The steel industry is included in CBAM, which will undoubtedly affect the export trade of China's steel manufacturers to the EU. It is necessary to analyse the impact of CBAM on China's steel industry quantitatively. By establishing a system dynamics model that can simulate the operation mechanism of the steel supply chain in China, we have clarified the impacts of CBAM on the China's steel export and carbon reduction. Moreover, we have reasonably set up scenarios that represent the possible decarbonisation paths of China's steel industry and evaluated the implementation effect of each policy in these scenarios. The analysis shows that CBAM will lead to a decrease of 32% in export volume and a loss of 58% in export profits for China's steel exporters. The environmental benefits of CBAM are limited. Due to the low trade exposure, CBAM is unable to promote a large-scale carbon reduction in the China's steel industry. Although CBAM will bring great pressure to steel exporters, a comprehensive policy of adopting more emission reduction measures can greatly improve the carbon reduction efficiency, effectively reduce the negative impact of CBAM, and maintain the stability of steel exports. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Non-saturated markets such as high-tech markets are attracting more and more eco-conscious consumers. Their utility can be increased by firms' investment in carbon reduction, so the overall demand can be expanded without intensifying the market competition too much. In this paper, we build a two-stage-N-firm optimisation model by assuming firms' products are horizontally differentiated and may engage in multi-dimensional competition. We analyze three scenarios: (1) Benchmark of price-only competition, (2) Two-dimensional 'price + investment effort' competition, and (3) N-firm circular differentiated competition. We find that consumers' high eco-awareness may lead firms to lower investment levels for carbon emission reduction. When the market is sufficiently saturated, we reveal that a Prisoner's Dilemma will occur where firms are trapped in investment-effort competition, so their profits are damaged. We further investigate the environmental performance and the social welfare, finding that consumers' high eco-awareness may render the environment worse and undermine the social welfare. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Decarbonising the transportation sector through electrification is critical to reducing greenhouse gas emissions. To explore the decarbonisation of conventional gasoline vehicle (GV) automakers in GV and/or electric vehicle (EV) production, we develop analytical models under pure subsidy, pure regulation, and hybrid subsidy-regulation policies. We first examine the monopoly GV automaker's EV market entry intention in each policy and find that it always increases with consumer range sensitivity and subsidy/regulation parameters, but decreases with product substitutability between the two vehicles. Then, we analyse the implication of policy changes on equilibrium outcomes. Our results show that although introducing regulations and removing subsidies have opposite effects on optimal production and driving range decisions, both might stimulate or restrict the GV automaker to decarbonise, depending on the unit carbon emissions of GVs and EVs. Finally, we extend the monopoly model to the duopoly case, showing that while entering the EV market hurts the EV automaker, it allows the GV automaker's carbon emissions to always decrease with GV credit coefficients. Together with sensitivity analyses on key parameters, our findings provide insights not only for GV automakers to respond to policy changes but also for governments to design incentives for EV diffusion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To feed a rapidly growing human population in an era of climate change and increasingly uncertain weather—such as drought and flood—humanity will need crops with increased yields, greater resiliency to extreme weather, and more resistance to disease. Appropriately enough in the Century of Biology, that means turning to genetic tools such as CRISPR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sand-casting is a process with a high-environmental impact in terms of both energy consumption and pollution emission. This work presents a meta-heuristic approach for the typical scheduling problem of mid-size sand casting foundries, with the objective to minimise the costs associated with labour, energy and wastes of melted material. Mid-size foundries usually have multiple parallel melting lines, each composed by a rotary and an electric furnace, and a single casting line which is the bottleneck of the process. The proposed approach has been tested on data related to a real industrial case study. Results show that, with respect to the scheduling implemented by the company, the proposed algorithm achieves a 3.2% reduction in emissions and a 4.1% reduction in energy consumption. Furthermore, these environment-friendly results are achieved while also increasing the company's profitability, by reducing total costs of more than 1% on the total revenue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the importance of incorporating climate education in business curricula and highlights the challenges faced by educators in doing so. It introduces En-ROADS, a computer simulation model developed by Climate Interactive, the MIT-Sloan Sustainability Initiative, and Ventana Systems, as a promising tool for experiential learning about climate change and the role of businesses in addressing it. The simulation allows participants to propose actions that can mitigate climate change and assess their impact on global temperatures and equity considerations. The article emphasizes the effectiveness of En-ROADS in increasing knowledge, engagement, and optimism towards climate action, and highlights its versatility and availability as open-source software. [Extracted from the article]

Carbon tax represents governments' approach to steering the economy towards a greener future. Our research question focuses on the impact of carbon tax policy on a firm's production decision and revenue and on total social welfare. In particular, we assume that a firm's decision is subject to its behavioural considerations or, in other words, its risk attitude. We model a government plan to charge a carbon tax, and a risk-averse (or risk-neutral) firm needs to plan its production and estimate its profit if the carbon tax policy is implemented. We show that it is possible for a risk-averse firm's optimal profit, in some cases, to be higher than that of a risk-neutral firm when facing a carbon tax. This implies that the risk-averse attitude is not necessarily harmful to the firm's profit. For operations management scholars, our model highlights the importance of integrating firms' behavioural responses into the carbon tax price. Our model suggests that for governments to implement carbon tax policy effectively, they should make carbon prices vary under certain conditions and not worry about price variation antagonising firms at large. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The new energy vehicle (NEV) is emerging as an important alternative in the automobile industry in its potential to alleviate environmental pollution and contribute to carbon neutrality. The rapid growth of NEVs has been reflected in the scaling up of electric vehicle battery production. The dramatic increase of retired batteries, however, exposes the technological limitations in current recycling operations, which will ultimately impede the sustainable development of the NEV supply chain. Blockchain technology (BT) adoption provides a solution by contributing to the construction of an efficient recycling network. Our research investigates the influence of carbon reduction instruments on the uptake of BT. The key findings are as follows. Under a carbon tax system, (1) carbon emission reduction encourages the battery supplier to adopt BT; (2) BT adoption increases the profits of NEV supply chain stakeholders. Under carbon cap-and-trade regulations, (1) the unit outsourcing fee and the performance of the BT impact the investment decision of the manufacturer; (2) the profit of the third-party enterprise is increased by introducing the BT. Under both policies, improving the efficiency of BT helps to upgrade the traceability level and contribute to carbon neutrality in the NEV supply chain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rapid growth of the global economy has boosted the shipping industry, but it has also increased energy consumption and exhaust emissions. Based on the system dynamics method, we construct a carbon abatement model of maritime supply chain, in which the interaction among company, economy, energy, environment, and policy is deeply analysed. The effect of various carbon abatement measures is simulated with a case study of Shanghai Port. The results prove that the shore power has tremendous potential for reducing emissions. Interestingly, the emission trading scheme has little effect on emission reduction. Conversely, it will increase CO2 emissions because of the vicious circle of higher CO2 production and decreased CO2 treatment capability. Case 4 is the best alternative for reducing CO2 emissions in maritime supply chain when combined measures are applied, regardless of the emission reduction effect or carbon emission intensity. Thus, it is most effective to mobilise all kinds of resources to reduce CO2 emissions when conditions permit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We consider a low-carbon tourism supply chain (LTSC) network composed of two low-carbon scenic spots (LSSs) and two travel agencies (TAs). The LSSs as leaders and the TAs as followers play Stackelberg games in the vertical direction. Meanwhile, the competing LSSs play Nash game to determine emission reduction efforts and ticket prices, and the competing TAs play Nash game to conduct retail prices. We establish four kinds of differential game models with different LTSC network structures, derive the equilibrium decision-makings of the LSSs and TAs, and explore the influences of competition or cooperation at vertical and horizontal level of the LTSC network members on the equilibrium solutions of the LSSs and TAs, low-carbon level of tourism products and performance of the LTSC network. Then, we find that the low-carbon preference of tourists improves the low-carbon level of tourism products, while the competition intensity between the LSSs leads to the decrease of the low-carbon level of tourism products. In addition, the results indicate that horizontal or vertical cooperations among the LTSC network members are not always conducive to the performance of the whole LTSC network. Only when the sensitivity of tourist demand to retail price meets certain conditions, these cooperations can develop tourism products with higher low-carbon level and bring higher revenues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fierce market competition and consumers' environmental awareness prompt manufacturers to gain competitive advantages through low-carbon production. However, many firms stay away from low carbon because of financial constraints. Considering chain-to-chain competition, this paper constructs three financing strategic models. The impacts of market competition intensity and consumers' low-carbon preference on equilibrium decisions and corporate profits are analyzed. Then, comparative analysis is conducted to find the optimal financing strategy. Finally, numerical simulation is used for further analysis and robustness tests. It is indicated that under chain-to-chain competition, low-carbon production cannot improve the negative impact of increased competition intensity on corporate profits. Intense competition weakens the manufacturer's emission reduction efforts. Moreover, the manufacturer does not always benefit more from internal financing though the low-carbon level is high. When the probability of obtaining a bank loan exceeds the threshold, bank financing is superior to internal financing. An increased low-carbon investment cost coefficient will lower the threshold, which is counterintuitive. Since the preference interval for the downstream retailer to provide prepayments is larger than the interval for the low-carbon manufacturer to choose internal financing, both parties have the incentive to negotiate prepayments. Under internal financing, the wholesale price discount does not affect corporate profits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Strengthening carbon regulations and competitive pressures are forcing supply chains to provide environmental (e-) products to replace traditional (t-) products. However, cap-and-trade policy allows manufacturers, the main carbon emission emitters, to trade their emission permits freely. Considering manufacturers' power and key role in producing and carbon trading, we develop a duopoly model consisting of two competing manufacturers. Despite asymmetrical carbon emission reduction efficiencies, the two manufacturers can independently and simultaneously decide their respective t-/e-products outputs, emission reduction levels, and permits trade quotas. The unique Nash equilibrium is derived with the overall cap. We find that the low-cost manufacturer uses its cost advantage to invest more in emission reduction, then sells the excess emission permits to its rival, but makes its rival more competitive in product market. Interestingly, our results show that cap-and-trade policy triggers an industry collusion in which manufacturers reduce competition and improve the power and profits by reducing overall output and adopting differentiated product strategy. Furthermore, the cost advantage and high product substitution can accelerate low-cost manufacturer's transformation but hinder high-cost manufacturers. The impacts of cap-and-trade policy on consumer surplus and social welfare are also discussed to provide guidance for policy makers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The utilization of hydrogen (H 2) instead of natural gas (NG) in high-temperature industries has the potential to significantly reduce global greenhouse gas emissions. To obtain detailed information on the combustion characteristics in a semi-industrial air–fuel setup, comprehensive experiments and 3D CFD simulations are performed on a low-swirl burner inside a combustion chamber. The H 2 enrichment in NG of 0–100 vol % is analyzed at burner powers of 75–120 kW and temperatures of 900–1400 ° C. The process efficiency increases by up to 10 percentage points due to higher temperatures and enhanced heat transfer. Furthermore, up to 20% lower NO x emissions are observed, which is attributed to a significant change in the flow and flame characteristics. For the first time, OH* chemiluminescence imaging is successfully applied to validate RANS simulations of an industrial turbulent flame. Further research should be directed toward evaluating OH* reaction kinetics in both laminar and turbulent NG/H 2 combustion setups. • H 2 enrichment of up to 100 vol% at powers of 75–120 kW and temperatures of 900–1400 °C. • Effect on furnace temperatures, heat transfer characteristics and NO x emissions. • Accurate and efficient 3D RANS simulation model for a detailed flame evaluation. • Novel validation method for industrial-type flame simulation using OH* imaging. • Correspondence of NG/H 2 induced OH*-chemiluminescence with 3D numerical OH*-results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Meeting the Paris Agreement’s climate targets necessitates better knowledge about which climate policies work in reducing emissions at the necessary scale. We provide a global, systematic ex post evaluation to identify policy combinations that have led to large emission reductions out of 1500 climate policies implemented between 1998 and 2022 across 41 countries from six continents. Our approach integrates a comprehensive climate policy database with a machine learning–based extension of the common difference-in-differences approach. We identified 63 successful policy interventions with total emission reductions between 0.6 billion and 1.8 billion metric tonnes CO2. Our insights on effective but rarely studied policy combinations highlight the important role of price-based instruments in well-designed policy mixes and the policy efforts necessary for closing the emissions gap. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Global research on the geological particularities of coal‐accumulating environments and the enrichment patterns of coalbed methane (CBM) is still relatively weak. This paper studies the geological characteristics and coal accumulation patterns of Carboniferous‐Permian coal‐bearing seams in the southern Qinshui Basin. The results show that the coal‐bearing strata in the basin represent the offshore marine and continental intercalated coal seam sediments developed. The southern part of the basin is dominated by lacustrine facies, and the delta front sub‐facies is locally developed. The characteristics of coal accumulation environment in the southern Qinshui Basin are characterized by basement properties, fault networks and coal‐bearing sedimentary facies, which collectively control the spatial and temporal distribution characteristics of the coal‐rich belt. The differences in coal accumulation environment in the southern basin affect the tectonic evolution, the thickness of the coal seam roof and floor and the hydrogeological conditions of the coal‐rich area, which further control the CBM enrichment in the Taiyuan‐Shanxi Formation. The aim of this study is to explore the factors of CBM enrichment and gas control mode, so as to enrich and improve the theory and method of CBM exploration, which will also help identify the appropriate underground geological structure environment for carbon sequestration (CCS), reduce greenhouse gas emissions and effectively respond to the challenge of global warming. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydrogen-enriched methane (HEM) combustion is an effective method for reducing the consumption of carbonaceous fuels. However, high adiabatic flame temperature of H 2 can cause large NO emissions. To reduce the NO and CO 2 emissions from HEM combustion, the Box-Behnken design (BBD) method combining response surface experimental design, analysis of variance, and multi-nonlinear regression models was adopted. The effects of the H 2 doping ratio (X H2), preheated air temperature (T air), excess air coefficient of burners arranged at the bottom (E x,b), and their interactions on the NO, N 2 O, and CO 2 emissions of a gas-fired boiler were investigated. According to the BBD method, the NO, N 2 O, and CO 2 emissions prediction models with R2 exceeding 0.98 were proposed, respectively. The results showed that the increase of T air had a positive effect on reducing NO emissions, as the NO exhausted from HEM combustion is mainly thermal NO. Compared with T air and E x,b , X H2 was the most significant factor affecting N 2 O and CO 2 emissions, indicating that an increase in X H2 can significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Additionally, the formation and consumption of N 2 O emissions presented a competitive mechanism at X H2 increased from 0 to 0.8, and CO 2 emissions reduced with the increase of X H2 , T air , and E x,b. Furthermore, a comprehensive emission prediction model with NO, N 2 O, and CO 2 emissions was proposed. With the target of minimizing total NO, N 2 O and CO 2 emissions, three groups of combinations for X H2 , T air , and E x,b were obtained from the equal weight, entropy weight method, and criteria importance through the inter-criteria correlation method as 1:1:1, 24:9:17, and 21:11:18. The results showed that for minimize emissions, there is not much difference in the results calculated based on the optimal boundary conditions under different weights. For various reduction targets for nitrogen, carbon, and greenhouse gases, three groups of optimal combinations of X H2 , T air , and E x,b were obtained and their accuracies were verified based on numerical calculations with relative errors below 6%. The proposed comprehensive pollutant emission prediction models are conducive to calculating the pollutant emissions of HEM combustion and guiding the investigation of prediction models considering other operating conditions. • Box-Behnken design method was first adopted to study NO, N 2 O, and CO 2 emissions. • NO, N 2 O and CO 2 emission prediction models for quick calculation were proposed. • A comprehensive emission prediction model for H 2 /CH 4 combustion was proposed. • The optimal boundary combination for less pollutant emissions was obtained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Growing expectations are being placed on green hydrogen-based steel for decarbonising the global steel industry. However, the scale of the expected demand is dispersed across numerous case studies, resulting in a fragmented picture. This study examines 28 existing scenarios to provide a cohesive view of future global demand. In the short term, the demand for green hydrogen-based steel is expected to be limited, constituting 2% of current total steel production by 2030. However, a transformation phase is expected around 2040, marked by accelerated growth. By 2050, global demand is projected to reach 660 Mt (with an interquartile range of 368–1000 Mt), equivalent to 35% (19%–53%) of current total steel production. To meet such growing demand, green hydrogen supply and electrolyser capacity will need to increase to more than 1000 times current levels by 2050. These trends highlight both short-term limitations and long-term potential. Decarbonisation efforts will therefore require immediate emission reductions with already scalable options, while simultaneously building the enabling infrastructure for green hydrogen-based steelmaking to ensure long-term impacts. [Display omitted] • Analysis of 28 scenarios provides an integrated view of global green steel demand. • Short-term demand is expected to be limited, with an estimate of ∼35 Mt by 2030. • Long-term prospects indicate significant growth, potentially reaching ∼660 Mt by 2050. • Significant scale-up of green hydrogen supply and electrolyser capacity is required. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explores aerosol direct, indirect, and feedback effects on meteorology and fine particulate matter during heat waves of August 2022 over eastern China by using an online coupled regional climate–chemistry–aerosol model. In this period, aerosols exerted mean direct (DRE) and indirect (IRE) radiative effects of −3.9 Wm−2 and −2.4 Wm−2 at TOA, which totally caused a decrease in average surface air temperature by 0.3 °C over east China, accompanied by decreases in PBLH (planetary boundary layer height) and precipitation and an increase in PM2.5 concentration. With the anthropogenic emission reduction from 2013 to 2022, DRE apparently decreased while IRE changed little, leading to a decrease in total aerosol radiative effect (TRE) by 27% at TOA. The weakened TRE resulted in increases in surface air temperature and precipitation by 0.14 °C and 2.7 mm, respectively, on average over east China, with the maximum warming exceeding 0.5 °C in BTH (Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei province). This study highlights a warming trend due to weakened TRE, which may exacerbate heat wave, and an increasing importance of aerosol IRE relative to DRE due to weak sensitivity of cloud properties to aerosol change during the emission reduction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The Greenhouse gas Observations of Biospheric and Local Emissions from the Upper sky (GOBLEU) is a new joint project by Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) and ANA HOLDING INC. (ANAHD), which operates ANA flights. GOBLEU aims to visualizes our climate mitigation effort progress in support of subnational climate mitigation by collecting greenhouse gas (GHG) data as well as relevant data for emissions (nitrous dioxide, NO2) and removals (Solar-Induced Fluorescence, SIF) from regular passenger flights. We developed a luggage-sized instrument based on the space remote-sensing techniques that JAXA has developed for Japan's Greenhouse gas Observing SATellite (GOSAT). The instrument can be conveniently installed on a coach-class passenger seat without modifying the seat or the aircraft. Results: The first GOBLEU observation was made on the flight from the Tokyo Haneda Airport to the Fukuoka Airport, with only the NO2 module activated. The collected high-spatial-resolution NO2 data were compared to that from the TROPOspheric Monitoring Instrument (TROPOMI) satellite and surface NO2 data from ground-based air quality monitoring stations. While GOBLEU and TROPOMI data shared the major concentration patterns largely driven by cities and large point sources, regardless of different observation times, we found fine-scale concentration pattern differences, which might be an indication of potential room for GOBLEU to bring in new emission information and thus is worth further examination. We also characterized the levels of NO2 spatial correlation that change over time. The quickly degrading correlation level of GOBLEU and TROPOMI suggests a potentially significant impact of the time difference between CO2 and NO2 as an emission marker and, thus, the significance of co-located observations planned by future space missions. Conclusions: GOBLEU proposes aircraft-based, cost-effective, frequent monitoring of greenhouse emissions by GOBLEU instruments carried on regular passenger aircraft. Theoretically, the GOBLEU instrument can be installed and operated in most commercially used passenger aircraft without modifications. JAXA and ANAHD wish to promote the observation technique by expanding the observation coverage and partnership to other countries by enhancing international cooperation under the Paris Agreement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydrogen, as an energy carrier, is attractive to many stakeholders based on the assumption that the extensive global network of natural gas infrastructure can be repurposed to transport hydrogen as part of a zero‐carbon energy future. Therefore, utility companies and governments are rapidly advancing efforts to pilot blending low‐carbon hydrogen into existing natural gas systems, many with the goal of eventually shifting to pure hydrogen. However, hydrogen has fundamentally different physical and chemical properties to natural gas, with major consequences for safety, energy supply, climate, and cost. We evaluate the suitability of using existing natural gas infrastructure for distribution of hydrogen. We summarize differences between hydrogen and natural gas, assess the latest science and engineering of each component of the natural gas value chain for hydrogen distribution, and discuss proposed solutions for building an effective hydrogen value chain. We find that every value chain component is challenged by reuse. Hydrogen blending can circumvent many challenges but offers only a small reduction in greenhouse gas emissions due to hydrogen's low volumetric energy density. Furthermore, a transition to pure hydrogen is not possible without significant retrofits and replacements. Even if technical and economic barriers are overcome, serious safety and environmental risks remain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ships brighten low marine clouds from emissions of sulfur and aerosols, resulting in visible "ship tracks". In 2020, new shipping regulations mandated an ∼80% reduction in the allowed fuel sulfur content. Recent observations indicate that visible ship tracks have decreased. Model simulations indicate that since 2020 shipping regulations have induced a net radiative forcing of +0.12 Wm−2. Analysis of recent temperature anomalies indicates Northern Hemisphere surface temperature anomalies in 2022–2023 are correlated with observed cloud radiative forcing and the cloud radiative forcing is spatially correlated with the simulated radiative forcing from the 2020 shipping emission changes. Shipping emissions changes could be accelerating global warming. To better constrain these estimates, better access to ship position data and understanding of ship aerosol emissions are needed. Understanding the risks and benefits of emissions reductions and the difficultly in robust attribution highlights the large uncertainty in attributing proposed deliberate climate intervention. Plain Language Summary: Ships have a unique climate effect due to brightening of low marine clouds, resulting in visible "ship tracks". These ship tracks are due to clouds interacting with ship emissions, particularly sulfur. Recently, regulations have drastically reduced allowable ship sulfur emissions. This has resulted in a decrease in observable ship tracks. Modeling and observations indicate that the reduction in ship sulfur emissions could have slightly warmed the planet starting in 2020. These changes are remarkably co‐incident with observed patterns of cloud changes and may have accelerated global warming. Key Points: Recent regulations on ship sulfur emissions have decreased ship tracks and resulted in +0.12 Wm−2 of radiative forcingObserved cloud anomalies are correlated with observed ocean temperature anomalies and shipping radiative forcingReduced ship emissions may have accelerated global warming contributing to recent warm Northern Hemisphere surface temperatures [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The global energy demand is increasing due to climate changes and carbon usages. Accumulating evidences showed energy sources using offshore wind from the sea can be added to increase our consumption capacity in long term. In addition, building offshore wind farms can also be environmentally advantageous compared to onshore farms. The assessment of wind energy resources is crucial for the site selection of wind farms. Currently, short-term wind forecast models have been developed to predict the wind power generation. However, methods are needed to improve the forecasting accuracy for ever-changing weather data. So, we try to use deep learning methods to predict long-term wind energy for identifying potential offshore wind farms. The experimental results indicate that PredRNN++ prediction model designed from the spatiotemporal perspective is feasible to evaluate long-term wind energy resources and has better performance than traditional LSTM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The future electric loads in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) are increasing significantly, particularly in the Eastern Province of the KSA. These high-rise loads are primarily driven by the operational needs of the Saudi Arabian oil company Aramco, including oil refineries, and the infrastructures of the Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (SABIC) factories. This study aims to construct a nuclear power plant in that area to supplement and support the baseload currently covered by conventional generation units powered by fossil fuels within the Saudi Electricity Company (SEC) operations. The objective function is to minimize the operational costs of the power systems to the greatest extent possible. This paper describes a case study conducted using the IBM CPLEX Optimizer software to compare the operational costs of KSA's power systems for a 24-h period. Two scenarios were considered and addressed: the first scenario without the inclusion of a nuclear power plant (NPP) and the second scenario with the inclusion of the NPP. The unit commitment problem was modeled for both scenarios. The obtained results revealed that the second scenario, which involved the penetration of the NPP, offered an optimal economic solution for operating KSA's power systems. By employing the CPLEX Optimizer software and analyzing the unit commitment problem, this study provides valuable insights into the economic advantages of integrating the NPP into the power systems of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The NPP shows viability in terms of minimizing the operational costs to 32.10 $/MWh compared to the first scenario where the operational costs were 42.10 $/MWh and resulted in almost 24% reduction in operational costs. In addition, the NPP is deemed as an optimal technology to contribute to the net zero goal by 2060, where it can reduce the reliance on fossil fuel power plants and contribute to the reduction of CO2 emissions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An independent evaluation of methane emissions data from GHGSat, a private company that operates a constellation of small microsatellites flying Fabry‐Perot spectrometers operating at 1.6 µm, was performed. Data from multiple GHGSat commercial satellites, consisting of retrieved methane, diagnostics, and, where detected, plume and emissions information from roughly 250 scenes across Canada were analyzed. From these, 10 scenes contained methane plumes with a 2% detection rate for oil and gas scenes, and 10% for landfills. Methane precision was found to be 5%/2% on average for the C1/C2–C5 designs, with some variability due to scene albedo, terrain roughness, and airmass. Synthetic GHGSat plumes, generated using Lagrangian plume dispersion model and GHGSat characteristics, indicates typical detection limits of 240/180 kg/hr(C1/C2–C5), with a best case of roughly 100 kg/hr. Emissions and their uncertainties calculated using an alternative approach were in broad agreement with GHGSat‐reported emissions. Overall, the performance of the GHGSat C2 design (also used for C3 onward) for favorable‐viewing conditions was found to be largely consistent with company‐advertised performance. Plain Language Summary: We performed an independent evaluation of methane emissions data from GHGSat, a private company that owns and operates its own group of satellites, in order to evaluate the precision of their methane data products and compare these findings with that advertised. Roughly 250 GHGSat data scenes were acquired with 10 plumes detected, 2 for oil and gas and 8 for landfills. These, combined with advanced plume models, statistical analyses, and alternative data processing software, were used in the evaluation. It was found that the GHGSat‐reported detection limit—the quantity of methane release that was is the edge of detectability—of 100 kg/hr was possible, but only for ideal conditions. Ideal in this case means a surface that is quite reflective (at the wavelengths detected by the GHGSat sensors, roughly 1.6 μm) and flat near the source of the emissions. A detection limit of 180 kg/hr is more representative of average conditions. Key Points: GHGSat methane precision was found to be 1%–5%, varying with surface reflectance, terrain variability, and solar zenith angleGHGSat methane detection limit can be as low as 100 kg/hr under ideal conditions, but more typically is about 200 kg/hrGHGSat performance was found to be generally consistent with that reported by the company [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The urgent need for mitigating climate change necessitates a transformative shift in energy production and consumption paradigms. Amidst this challenge, bioenergy emerges as a pivotal contributor to the global energy transition, offering a diverse array of solid, liquid, and gaseous fuels derived from biomass. This mini review delves into the unique potential of bioenergy innovations, particularly renewable diesel, bio jet fuel, and ethanol, to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and transform various industries. The article highlights critical technological advancements, supportive policies, and cross-sector collaboration essential for a sustainable energy transition. Specific challenges such as ensuring a consistent biomass feedstock supply, decentralizing processing units, and navigating complex regulatory frameworks are examined. Innovative solutions like decentralized biomass processing and enhanced biomass logistics are discussed as pathways to overcome these barriers. The review provides specific recommendations for near-term policies and strategies to support decentralized facilities, showcasing bioenergy's role in achieving a sustainable future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change poses a substantial threat to agricultural sustainability globally. Agriculture is a vital component of the gross domestic production of developing countries. The multifaceted impacts of climate change on agriculture, highlighting how extreme weather events such as water stress, heatwaves, erratic rainfall, storms, floods, and emerging pest infestations are disrupting agricultural productivity. The socioeconomic status of farmers is particularly vulnerable to climatic extremes with future projections indicating significant increment in ambient air temperatures and unpredictable, intense rainfall patterns. Agriculture has historically relied on the extensive use of synthetic fertilizers, herbicides, and insecticides, combined with advancements in irrigation and biotechnological approaches to boost productivity. It encompasses a range of practices designed to enhance the resilience of agricultural systems, improve productivity, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. By adopting climate‐smart practices, farmers can better adapt to changing climatic conditions, thereby ensuring more sustainable and secure food production. Furthermore, it identifies key areas for future research, focusing on the development of innovative adaptation and mitigation strategies. These strategies are essential for minimizing the detrimental impacts of climate change on agriculture and for promoting the long‐term sustainability of food systems. This article underscores the importance of interdisciplinary approaches and the integration of advanced technologies to address the challenges posed by climate change. By fostering a deeper understanding of these issues to inform policymakers, researchers, and practitioners about effective strategies to safeguard agricultural productivity and food security in the face of changing climate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to climate change and the urgent need to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions of industrial processes, decarbonizing energy‐intensive industries is highly important. In Europe, emissions trading is the main regulatory instrument providing incentives to replace conventional production facilities with low‐carbon alternatives. Using the example of primary steelmaking, this study aims to evaluate the impacts of product benchmark revisions on the transformation of integrated steel mills. To this end, an optimization model for the strategic planning of economically favorable transformation pathways is developed. The model is combined with a prospective assessment of economic and climate impacts from steelmaking processes. By applying the model to a case study from Germany, legislative conditions in which steel manufacturers are encouraged to transform their production infrastructure are identified. Based on current regulations on product benchmarks for steelmaking, investments into low‐carbon technologies are slowed down until allocations of emissions allowances expire. However, benchmark revisions have the potential to speed up transformation plans significantly. In the analyzed scenarios, the greenhouse gas emissions of primary steelmaking between 2024 and 2034 decreased by up to 15%. These results are further strengthened by sensitivity analyses on the main market influences. Hence, this study provides policy recommendations on favorable revisions of product benchmarks for primary steelmaking. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Household consumption accounts for 65–72% of total greenhouse gas emissions globally, and therefore, a change in current consumption patterns has the potential to mitigate climate change and provide emission reductions. There is knowledge on the consumption options with a high mitigation potential, but this information has not been combined with a consumer behavior information. This study examines the emission-reduction potential of suburban residents in Finland through a survey that assesses their willingness to adopt climate actions, and by calculating the potential impact of various actions. Finnish suburban households have already implemented low-impact climate actions (recycling, reducing food waste), but the implementation of high-impact actions in households could also be increased. Transitioning to a vegetarian diet, reducing air travel and limiting consumption are identified as the most effective mitigation actions when the potential increase in the implementation rate and impact on greenhouse gas emissions are considered. However, the results suggest that voluntary individual efforts alone are not sufficient to achieve the 1.5 °C carbon budget. Thus, alongside behavioural changes, strong policy measures and technological advancements are necessary. These findings emphasise the specific individual actions that should be prioritised when formulating climate policies at the national or city levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The massive CO2 emission has caused frequent occurrence of climate problems, and a typical response to climate change has reached international consensus. Digital finance and green finance, as a subversion of the traditional financial model, have become significant drivers of global carbon emissions reduction efforts. Based on the panel data, this paper profoundly compares the effects of carbon emissions reduction, mechanisms, and heterogeneous results of two forms of finance. Research finds that technology-centered digital finance focuses on suppressing carbon emissions through technological innovation, and the higher the level of regional economic is, the stronger the role of digital finance in suppressing carbon emissions through technological innovation. The concept-centered green finance focuses on carbon emissions reduction through industrial ecologization, and government-led environmental regulation plays a positive regulatory role. Although the paths of affecting carbon emissions are different, there is a natural fit between the two in terms of the essential goal of carbon emissions reduction. Based on the consideration of the differences in geographic location and financial development level, the carbon emission reduction effects of two forms of finance show apparent heterogeneity. Based on the spatial characteristics of digital finance and carbon emissions, this paper further finds that the digital finance's carbon emission reduction effects have apparent spatial spillovers. These findings provide an essential direction to formulate a reasonable carbon emissions reduction plan and accelerate realizing the "double carbon" goal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the multifaceted impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on environmental sustainability, specifically targeting ecological footprints, carbon emissions, and energy transitions. Utilizing panel data from 67 countries, we employ System Generalized Method of Moments (SYS-GMM) and Dynamic Panel Threshold Models (DPTM) to analyze the complex interactions between AI development and key environmental metrics. The estimated coefficients of the benchmark model show that AI significantly reduces ecological footprints and carbon emissions while promoting energy transitions, with the most substantial impact observed in energy transitions, followed by ecological footprint reduction and carbon emissions reduction. Nonlinear analysis indicates several key insights: (i) a higher proportion of the industrial sector diminishes the inhibitory effect of AI on ecological footprints and carbon emissions but enhances its positive impact on energy transitions; (ii) increased trade openness significantly amplifies AI's ability to reduce carbon emissions and promote energy transitions; (iii) the environmental benefits of AI are more pronounced at higher levels of AI development, enhancing its ability to reduce ecological footprints and carbon emissions and promote energy transitions; (iv) as the energy transition process deepens, AI's effectiveness in reducing ecological footprints and carbon emissions increases, while its role in promoting further energy transitions decreases. This study enriches the existing literature by providing a nuanced understanding of AI's environmental impact and offers a robust scientific foundation for global policymakers to develop sustainable AI management frameworks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Our paper explores the impact of energy consumption, foreign direct investment, and economic expansion on greenhouse gas emissions in OPECmember states. A panel data of 12 out of 13 OPEC nations over the period 1983 to 2022 obtained from the World Development Indicators is used. The autoregressive distributed lag simulation was adopted to determine the correlation among the series. Our estimations unveil that economic growth in the member states contributes 7.47 per cent to greenhouse gas emissions for every 1 percent increase, trade flow tends to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 0.37 per cent for every 1 percent rise. Though the impact of foreign direct investment on greenhouse gas emissions in the OPEC member states is negative, it is statistically insignificant. The positive association between energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions emphasizes the need for OPEC countries to move to cleaner energy sources in order to reduce environmental damage. A proactive approach to investing in clean technology is critical for governments and companies in OPEC countries. This includes supporting research and development of renewable energy sources, encouraging the adoption of environmentally-safe practices in industry and fostering innovation to promote sustainable development. Strict environmental standards for industries that contribute significantly to greenhouse gas emissions should be adopted and enforced. This includes: Setting caps on emissions, advocating for cleaner production processes, and imposing penalties for non-compliance with environmental regulations. Sustainable practices should be encouraged through tax incentives, subsidies, and other financial mechanisms designed to incentivized companies to adopt environmentally friendly processes. The implications of these findings for policymakers and future studies are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate advocates and finance industry titans suggest firms' climate policies have economic payoffs. We examine whether stock markets reward firms that have joined the Science-Based Targets Initiative (SBTi), a voluntary climate program that verifies firms' emission reduction pledges. Our analysis of S&P 500 companies' quarterly stock prices for 2010–2023 finds little evidence that SBTi verification (of any type) increases stock prices. If stock markets are not incentivizing firms to voluntarily undertake climate actions, policymakers and climate advocates need to focus on providing nonfinancial rewards to encourage firms to invest in emission reductions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, the focus on methane (CH4) reductions in the global climate negotiations has grown significantly. The 26th session of the Conference of Parties (COP26) of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) urged countries to consider further actions to reduce non-carbon dioxide greenhouse gas emissions, including CH4, by 2030, which was reiterated by COP27 and COP28. This article discusses how an obsessive focus on CH4 reduction is a serious distraction from the real challenge of limiting and reducing CO2 emissions and masks the inability of developed countries to meet their commitments. Further, even with regard to reducing CH4 emissions, the article points out that these efforts need to be placed within national contexts and circumstances. In particular, CH4 emission reductions need to focus on energy, industry, and waste sector emissions rather than the agriculture sector to ensure that there are no adverse consequences for developmental imperatives such as protecting and enhancing small farmer livelihoods and ensuring food security. In this context, the article argues that India’s actions on CH4 are entirely consistent both with her national priorities and circumstances and with the foundational principles of the UNFCCC, which prioritize the importance of poverty alleviation and sustainable development for developing countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gas injection is a well-known method for enhancing oil recovery (EOR). The utilization of greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide (CO2) or flue gas, offers the dual advantage of reducing greenhouse gas emissions while potentially enhancing the sweep efficiency in oil recovery. Nevertheless, one of the notable challenges encountered when using these gases is the precipitation and deposition of asphaltenes, leading to formation damage and a decrease in reservoir permeability, particularly in the case of light oil reservoirs. In this study, CO2 and flue gas were injected into an elongated core sample comprising four individual core plugs under reservoir conditions to displace the light live oil. The recovery factor and asphaltene deposition along the core holder were assessed and compared as two crucial parameters within the gas injection scenario. Our results indicate a significantly higher recovery factor of 86% achieved with CO2 injection compared to 36% with flue gas injection, attributable to differences in their interfacial tension and miscibility. However, the CO2 injection method exhibits more pronounced formation damage. Individual assessment of each core plug reveals that permeability impairment is most acute in the initial two core plugs, situated closer to the injection face of the extended core. These findings enhance our understanding of the mechanisms contributing to permeability impairment resulting from asphaltene deposition during CO2 and flue gas injection for EOR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses Harvard University's decision to cancel its Stratospheric Controlled Perturbation Experiment (SCoPEx), the first proposed outdoor stratospheric aerosol injection experiment. Topics include the challenges and tensions faced in developing a governance framework for solar geoengineering, the complexities of societal engagement and communication in such research, and the need for standardized and proactive research governance to address these issues effectively.