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Environmental concerns emphasize the need for sustainable finance now more than ever. The study aims to provide a comprehensive analysis of whether public funding for renewable energy impacts environmental degradation in developing countries over time. It emphasizes the relationship between green finance, renewable energy adoption, and government effectiveness in driving sustainable development. This study examines the relationship between CO2 emissions, gross domestic product, renewable energy consumption, investments in renewable and government effectiveness. The study sample includes 34 developing countries for the period between 2000 and 2020. The analysis specifically employs public flows as a measure to gauge a country's commitment to green finance. It also employs a simultaneous panel quantile regression estimator. The results reveal a cointegrating relationship among variables, with notable findings: GDP increase correlates with CO2 emissions rise, while higher renewable energy consumption correlates with CO2 emissions decrease. Interestingly, increased public funding correlates with reduced CO2 emissions for the upper quantile. Furthermore, the analysis uncovers that government policies have yet to fully align with the sustainable development goals. These findings hold critical implications for informed policymaking. Developing countries should opt for sustainable financing and create a favorable environment for investment. Moreover, funders should ensure equitable distribution of public flows within developing countries and fund less mature technologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reducing energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions to combat global climate change has become an international necessity. A large portion of energy consumption is attributed to old buildings, with increased operational costs and decreased occupational comfort. These buildings require renovation measures that can be viewed as an opportunity to implement sustainable construction and create traditionally designed buildings based on sustainable construction. This study proposes a combination of building information modeling (BIM) with Design Builder and Meteonorm software to evaluate the environmental impact of renovating buildings during the operational phase. The process involved is demonstrated in a case study application to a typical two-story single-family residential building in Tehran city, in which the building's materials, weight, and volume are determined using Revit software, and Design Builder is used to simulate the renovation effect on various building components – showing that, by combining the most effective insulation, glass, heating system, and doors, a 15% reduction in energy consumption and 44% reduction in CO2 emissions could be achieved. The study significantly advances knowledge in sustainable building practices by introducing a practical framework for decision-making in environmentally conscious building renovations, focusing on such crucial elements as insulation materials, window glass types, heating systems, and door materials. It also provides valuable insights into the practical implications of weather data for accurate environmental forecasting, emphasizing the methodology's applicability and adaptability to similar contexts, as evidenced by its successful application in a real-world case in Tehran. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

EU is actively moving towards the implementation of Euro-7 regulations, thus placing a strong emphasis on real-road emissions. Euro-7 introduced OBM (on-board monitoring), which is an enhancement of regulations that closely replicates real-world road conditions. Furthermore, there is a need to devise an effective application strategy for utilizing the driving monitoring data prior to the enforcement of OBM. This study addresses these challenges by conducting RDE (real-driving emission) tests on both 3.5-ton and 25-ton commercial vehicles to gather CO2 emissions and engine control unit data accessible through an OBD (on-board diagnostics) port. To process the RDE data, an appropriate machine learning model, XGBoost, was selected and trained. The outcome of our CO2 emission prediction for the two vehicles demonstrated that employing monitoring data yielded reliable estimates of actual road CO2 emissions. Finally, a comparative analysis was conducted between the proposed monitoring approach and the fuel-based CO2 monitoring method using the emission factor from EMEP/EEA air pollutant emission inventory guidebook 2019 utilizing fuel consumption data achieved through the OBFCM (on-board fuel and energy consumption monitoring) rule. Our method, which is based on predictive CO2 emissions monitoring, exhibited significantly greater accuracy. This outcome underscores the necessity to adopt the proposed approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydrogen is a clean energy in the world and by-product hydrogen is an important part of global hydrogen production. The yield of by-product hydrogen accounts for 18% of hydrogen production globally. To analyze the current stage and calculate CO 2 emissions reduction of by-product hydrogen, sources, purification technology, utilization models, comparison of by-product hydrogen and other hydrogen resources, reduction of CO 2 emissions, prospects of industrial by-product hydrogen were analyzed from the respective of industrial utilization. The resources of by-product hydrogen will get expanded further. It can facilitate the utilization of industrial by-product hydrogen to establish industrial zone with the factories producing by-product hydrogen and the downstream factories utilizing by-product hydrogen under the current technology conditions. By analyzing the relevant data, it is calculated that the utilization of industrial by-product hydrogen can reduce CO 2 emissions by 6.11x105 t per year in 2022. With the development of hydrogen purification technology, by-product hydrogen can provide an efficient and economical way to reduce CO 2 emissions for global warming migration before the completion of green hydrogen substitution for other hydrogen. [Display omitted] • CO 2 emissions reduction can reach 6.11x105 t/a through the utilization of by-product hydrogen in 2022. • Hydrogen purification technology plays a significant role in the utilization of industrial by-product hydrogen. • The resources of industrial by-product hydrogen will get expanded in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Germany, there are over 32,000 schools, representing great potential for climate protection. On the one hand, this applies to educational work, as understanding the effects of climate change and measures to reduce GHG emissions is an important step to empower students with knowledge and skills. On the other hand, school buildings are often in bad condition, energy is wasted, and the possibilities for using renewable energies are hardly used. In our "Schools4Future" project, we enabled students and teachers to draw up their own CO2 balances, identify weaknesses in the building, detect wasted electricity, and determine the potential for using renewable energies. Emissions from the school cafeteria, school trips, and paper consumption could also be identified. The fact that the data can be collected by the students themselves provides increased awareness of the contribution made to the climate balance by the various school areas. The most climate-friendly school emits 297 kg whilst the school with the highest emissions emits over one ton CO2 per student and year. Our approach is suitable to qualify students in the sense of citizen science, carry out a scientific investigation, experience self-efficacy through one's own actions, and engage politically regarding their concerns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, we analyze the correlation between GDP/capita variation, primary and renewable energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions on the one hand, and green taxes on the other. Green taxes are the main instruments used to limit activities that have a negative impact on the environment. These consist of taxes paid by producers and/or consumers for any activity that generates pollution. The results of dynamic regressions, validated by the applied robustness tests, indicate a significant and positive correlation between primary energy consumption and total environmental taxes, respectively energy taxes. At the same time, this shows that variation in GDP/capita significantly and positively influences transport taxes and pollution taxes. In contrast, net greenhouse gas emissions and the supply, transformation and consumption of renewable sources and waste do not significantly influence the total green taxes and their components. This finding is useful to both academic research and government policies for the realistic substantiation of the levels of green tax revenues and for establishing appropriate measures meant to reduce CO2 emissions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although technical improvements to engines and aftertreatment systems have the greatest impact on pollutant emissions, there is also potential for reducing emissions through driver behavior. This potential can be realized in the very short term, while better emission-control technologies only take effect once they have penetrated the market. In addition to a change in driving style, the vehicle owner's choice of vehicle technology and size class will also have an impact on the future emissions of the vehicle fleet. The effects of different driving styles, the tire choice, the vehicle size class, and propulsion technologies on energy consumption and tailpipe and non-exhaust emissions are analyzed in this paper for different traffic situations and start temperatures for cars with petrol and diesel combustion engines and for battery electric vehicles. The analysis is completed with the corresponding upstream emissions from fuel and electricity production. The analysis is based on a vehicle simulation using the Passenger car and Heavy-duty Emission Model (PHEM), which is based on a large database of vehicles created using measurements of real driving conditions. For the assessment of the driving style, a novel method was developed in an H2020 project, which reproduces a measured trip with a virtual eco-driver. Carbon dioxide equivalent emissions (CO2eq) increase with increasing vehicle size, but can be reduced by around 20% for conventional vehicles and 17% for battery electric vehicles (BEVs) through an environmentally conscious driving style. On average, BEVs have around 50% lower CO2eq emissions than conventional vehicles, if the emissions from vehicle production are also taken into account. On an average journey of 35 km, the cold start of modern diesel vehicles accounts for around half of the total NOx emissions, while the proportion of cold starts for petrol vehicles is around 25%. Tire and brake wear together generate a similar amount of PN23 emissions as the exhaust gases from new cars. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to investigate the transportation literature through questions with both the methods used and the econometric findings obtained by several analyses. In this context, CO2, GDP, freight transport (truck transport) and trade openness are considered as variables by performing multivariate regression, Johansen, Phillips-Ouliaris, Engle-Granger co-integration, FMOLS, DOLS, CCR and ARDL tests. According to results of econometric analysis truck transport, trade openness, economic growth caused environmental degradation and there is a stable long-run relationship among variables. All econometric models clearly confirm each other as empirically. The priority area in transportation is the reduction of emissions in road transportation, which has the largest share in greenhouse gas emissions. The steps to be taken at the global level in this field will accelerate the spread of hybrid and electric vehicles all over the world. The market share of electric vehicles is increasing day by day with the widespread use of electric vehicle technologies in recent years and many countries in the world turning to this new technology. With the interest in electric vehicles, it is observed that battery systems compatible with vehicles, engine systems, especially charging station systems have been developed, thus new market areas have emerged. Establishing the necessary infrastructure to achieve this transition is of great importance, and for this purpose, strategy development and planning activities for the development of electric vehicle and charging infrastructure should be aimed to be carried out to reduce carbon emissions. It is seen that there is also a feedback effect between the trade openness and CO2 emissions. Trade openness also affects economic growth by encouraging industrialization. Economic growth will also lead to an increase in energy demand. Similarly, insufficient energy supply will hinder economic growth by affecting exports and imports, and as a result, energy consumption will decrease. In this way, the "Green Deal Action Plan" will be a roadmap that is compatible with the transformation policies taking place in the world economy, especially in the EU, that encourages green investments, contributes to the transformation of global value chains, and thus supports value-added production. Thus, the green deal action plan can achieve the stated objectives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aviation contributes to anthropogenic climate change by emitting both carbon dioxide (CO 2) and non-CO 2 emissions through the combustion of fossil fuels. One approach to reduce the climate impact of aviation is the use of hydrogen as an alternative fuel. Two distinct technological options are presently under consideration for the implementation of hydrogen in aviation: hydrogen fuel cell architectures and the direct combustion of hydrogen. In this study, a hydrogen demand model is developed that considers anticipated advancements in liquid hydrogen aircraft technologies, forecasted aviation demand, and aircraft startup and retirement cycles. The analysis indicates that global demand for liquid hydrogen in aviation could potentially reach 17 million tons by 2050, leading to a 9% reduction in CO 2 emissions from global aviation. Thus, the total potential of hydrogen in aviation extends beyond this, considering that the total market share of hydrogen aircraft on suitable routes in the model is projected to be only 27% in 2050 due to aircraft retirement cycles. Additionally, it is shown, that achieving the potential demand for hydrogen in aviation depends on specific market prices. With anticipated declines in current production costs, hydrogen fuel costs would need to reach about 70 EUR/MWh by 2050 to fulfill full demand in aviation, assuming biofuels provide the cheapest option for decarbonization alongside hydrogen. If e-fuels are the sole option for decarbonization alongside hydrogen, which is the more probable scenario, the entire hydrogen demand potential in aviation would be satisfied according to this study's estimates at significantly higher hydrogen prices, approximately 180 EUR/MWh. • We develop a model to project liquid hydrogen demand potentials in aviation. • Global demand for hydrogen in aviation could reach about 17 million tons in 2050. • Leading to a 9% reduction in CO 2 emissions from global aviation. • Hydrogen costs must be competitive with or lower than other decarbonization options. • Simulations suggest that overall hydrogen costs will be competitive with e-fuels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Institutional quality (IQ) would contribute to environmental sustainability and could be helping to verify the Environmental Kuznets curve in any economy. To test whether IQ is sufficient enough to control pollution in the most polluted economies, the present research investigates the effects of IQ on CO2 emissions controlling economic growth, globalization, and energy proxies in the models of the 33 most polluted countries from 1990 to 2021 by using cross‐sectional dependence techniques. The long‐run results corroborate the Environmental Kuznets curve in the sample countries. Moreover, clean energy reduces and fossil fuels increase CO2 emissions. Furthermore, globalization and regulatory quality reduce CO2 emissions. The short‐run findings also validate the long‐run results. In addition, we also find the bidirectional causality of CO2 emissions with economic growth, clean energy, fossil fuels, and globalization. Moreover, one‐way causality is found from CO2 emissions to regulatory quality and political stability. We recommend promoting trade globalization, clean energy usage, and regulatory quality to support environmental sustainability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the intensifying threat to public health caused by increased CO2 emissions from energy and modern urbanization. In this connection, we focused on SAARC countries from 1990 to 2022. The study explores the dynamic association among urbanization, CO2 emissions, renewable energy, and key health indicators, namely life expectancy and infant mortality. It offers nuanced insights by highlighting the requirement for sustainable policies to meet health challenges associated with CO2 emissions and urban development in SAARC economies. To achieve the study objectives, the authors utilized panel auto regressive distributed lag for assessing short‐term and long‐run effects, and the method of moments quantile regressions to check these effects across different quantiles. The empirical results underscore the positive impact of renewable energy, urbanization, GDP, and industrialization on life expectancy. Conversely, CO2 emissions exhibit a detrimental impact on life expectancy, leading towards numerous diseases in both the short and long term. Notably, in the case of infant mortality, the study discloses that renewable energy, urbanization, GDP, and industrialization negatively affect infant mortality, while CO2 emissions positively impact infant mortality in both short and long‐run scenarios. Fully modified ordinary least squares and dynamic ordinary least squares further fortified our findings, supporting the results derived from panel auto regressive distributed lag and method of moments quantile regressions. The study's policy implications highlight the imperative for governments and policymakers to prioritize renewable energy and sustainable urbanization, mitigating the adverse health effects of CO2 emissions from non‐renewable energy sources. The study's findings further endorse a strategic shift towards renewable energy sources, positioning them as substitutes for conventional forms such as fossil fuels. Additionally, the emphasis is on planned and sustainable urbanization, facilitating improved access to health facilities and overall public health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tropical peat swamp forests are major global carbon (C) stores highly vulnerable to human intervention. In Peruvian Amazonia, palm swamps, the prevalent peat ecosystem, have been severely degraded through recurrent cutting of Mauritia flexuosa palms for fruit harvesting. While this can transform these C sinks into significant sources, the magnitude of C fluxes in natural and disturbed conditions remains unknown. Here, we estimated emissions from degradation along a gradient comprising undegraded (Intact), moderately degraded (mDeg) and heavily degraded (hDeg) palm swamps. C stock changes above- and below-ground were calculated from biomass inventories and peat C budgets resulting from the balance of C outputs (heterotrophic soil respiration (Rh), dissolved C exports), C inputs (litterfall, root mortality) and soil CH4 emissions. Fluxes spatiotemporal dynamics were monitored (bi)monthly over 1–3 years. The peat budgets (Mg C ha−1 year−1) revealed that medium degradation reduced by 88% the soil sink capacity (from − 1.6 ± 1.3 to − 0.2 ± 0.8 at the Intact and mDeg sites) while high degradation turned the soil into a high source (6.2 ± 0.7 at the hDeg site). Differences stemmed from degradation-induced increased Rh (5.9 ± 0.3, 6.2 ± 0.3, and 9.0 ± 0.3 Mg C ha−1 year−1 at the Intact, mDeg, and hDeg sites) and decreased C inputs (8.3 ± 1.3, 7.1 ± 0.8, and 3.6 ± 0.7 Mg C ha−1 year−1 at the same sites). The large total loss rates (6.4 ± 3.8, 15.7 ± 3.8 Mg C ha−1 year−1 under medium and high degradation), originating predominantly from biomass changes call for sustainable management of these peatlands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The scientific aim of this article is to elucidate the effects of various tillage practices on soil properties and crop yields; additionally, it seeks to highlight the significant potential of specific farming systems in enhancing soil organic carbon, thereby positively influencing CO2 emissions from soil. In the experimental station of Vytautas Magnus University, Kaunas District, Lithuania (54°52′50″ N and 23°49′41″ E), a long-term field experiment has been established since 1999, and studies have been conducted since 2003. The soil of the experimental site is classified as Epieutric Endocalcaric Planosol (Endoclayic, Episiltic, Aric, Drainic, Endoraptic, Uterquic), according to the World Reference Base (WRB, 2022). Two primary factors were assessed. Factor A incorporated practices of straw removal versus straw chopping and spreading, while Factor B evaluated a spectrum of tillage techniques: conventional deep plowing and two no-tillage practices, one of which involved cover crops. The findings from this long-term study highlight a significant increase in SOC stocks across all treatments over the 20-year period. Notably, the no-tillage practices, coupled with the spreading of chopped straw, demonstrated the most substantial growth in SOC levels, particularly in the top 0–10 cm soil layer. This trend underscores the effectiveness of minimizing soil disturbance and incorporating organic matter in boosting SOC stocks. The different tillage systems influence CO2 emissions from soil. Initially, direct sowing into uncultivated land, both with and without cover crops, led to a notable reduction in CO2 emissions compared to conventional plowing. However, this effect was found to vary over the growth cycle of the plant, highlighting the dynamic interaction between tillage practices, soil properties, and environmental conditions. Collaborative research efforts that involve farmers, scientists, policymakers, and other stakeholders are crucial for the development of holistic, practical, scalable solutions that enhance the sustainability and productivity of agricultural systems. This study contributes to the growing body of knowledge on sustainable agriculture, providing insights for farmers, agronomists, and policymakers in their quest to promote environmentally sound and productive agricultural systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The search for environmentally friendly and low-carbon-footprint construction materials continues progressively. Researchers are now interested in innovative materials that connect with the principles of sustainable construction, and materials such as hemp concrete prove to be promising. This article presents the results of a study that aimed to evaluate the hygrothermal performance of hemp concrete integrated into the building envelope using the hygrothermal tool WUFI Pro 6.2. The simulation model was compared and verified with existing models before its utilization for this study. The results of this verification were in good agreement, which gave us more confidence in its application for further parametric studies of building envelopes in hot climate zones. Three wall systems were simulated: (i) a wall system with hemp concrete, (ii) a compressed earth block wall, and (iii) a cement block wall. The most important variables used in the simulations were the hygrothermal properties of the materials or wall components and the incident solar radiation. The simulation results showed that hemp concrete has good thermal performance and temperature and humidity regulation capabilities of the building envelope. The interior surface temperatures of the hemp concrete walls were between 22.1 °C and 24.6 °C compared to the compressed earth block and cement block walls, where the surface temperatures were between 22.0 °C and 27 °C and between 21.2 °C and 28.7 °C, respectively, and between 23 °C and 45 °C for the exterior temperatures. These values remain the same with the increase in exterior temperatures for hemp concrete walls. In conclusion, hemp concrete could be a great alternative material for use in construction for hot climate zones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effects of fuel blends comprising ammonia and hydrogen on the technical, economic, and environmental indicators of an existing gas turbine unit with 7.6 MW output power were investigated and analyzed. Four models, each with different fuel-blending options, were designed by Aspen HYSYS and Ansys®Chemkin Pro to analyze the technical and chemical processes. Based on the technical and CO 2 emission values of each model developed in Aspen HYSYS, the focus was on Scenario 4 with ammonia and hydrogen co-firing. This scenario exhibited the highest electric efficiency and the lowest CO 2 emissions but had higher costs for generated electricity compared to other scenarios. Economic evaluations of all scenarios provided a clear understanding of each fuel cost and Levelized Cost of Electricity (LCOE). Initially, scenario 2, with ammonia co-firing, appeared to be an attractive option for further implementation. However, detailed analyses of the combustion process in each model dramatically changed the final decision and provided a good reason to focus on hydrogen fuel, which significantly reduced NOx emissions. In conclusion, Scenario 3 with hydrogen co-firing demonstrated attractive performance and favorable combustion kinetics. [Display omitted] • Performance of operating gas turbine with natural gas, NH 3 , and H 2 blends is investigated. • NOx emissions under H 2 and natural gas blend are within the requirements. • Natural gas, NH 3 , and H 2 blends enhance the performance of the cycle but costly and emit more NOx. • Hydrogen combustion remained the strongest alternative to natural gas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the impact of domestic fuel prices, population, and economic activity on transport CO2 emissions, employing Saudi Arabia as a case study. The research uncovers statistically significant long-term associations between these variables. Despite transport CO2 emissions demonstrating slight responsiveness to fuel price alterations, with estimated elasticity values between – 0.1 and – 0.15, the study affirms the relevance and timeliness of the Saudi government's strategy to curtail fuel incentives. Projections for a 2030 scenario, encompassing heightened economic activity aspirations and further escalations in domestic fuel prices to mirror true market costs, revealed a 1.8 percent annual reduction in transport CO2 emissions from 2021 to 2030 compared to a scenario with unchanging fuel prices. The insights from this study bear significance not only for Saudi Arabia but also for other oil-rich nations striving to pave the way toward a sustainable transportation future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this paper is to investigate the nonlinear relationship between ICT and CO2 emissions by controlling for economic growth, foreign direct investment, energy consumption, and trade openness. Using data from 16 Middle East and North African (MENA) countries over the period 1990–2019, we apply the Panel Smooth Transition Regression (PSTR) model, as introduced by (González A, Teräsvirta T, vanDijk D (2005) Panel smooth transition regression models. SEE/EFI Working Paper Series in Economics and Finance, No. 604), to study the potential regime-switching behavior of the relationship between the variables. The results reveal the existence of a strong regime-switching effect between ICT and CO2 emissions. It was found that after reaching a certain threshold, ICT use and penetration starts to significantly mitigate environmental degradation. Our results show that high levels of ICT not only improve environmental quality but can also be part of the solution to combat the environmental challenges that the MENA region has faced over the past decades. In addition, to account for the potential endogeneity bias, we also develop and estimate a PSTR model with instrumental variables (IV-PSTR) using the approach of (Fouquau et al., Econ Model 25:284–299, 2008). The results obtained confirm those initially found by the PSTR model. The study concludes with policy implications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As Nigeria progresses towards reaching net‐zero emissions by 2060, it is crucial to identify the factors responsible for environmental deterioration and those that enhance ecological well‐being. It is equally significant to emphasize that Nigeria's economy is heavily dependent on fossil fuels, which have proven unsustainable and environmentally unsafe. As a result, this research investigates the impact of energy intensity (EINT), renewable energy consumption (RENC), globalization (GLOX), technological innovation (TINV) and carbon dioxide emissions (CO2) in Nigeria from 1990Q1–2019Q4. The methods employed include Quantile–on–Quantile (QQ) and non–parametric causality. The QQ method reveals that EINT has both positive and negative impacts on CO2, varying in magnitude from 3 to −5. Higher quantiles of RENC tend to influence CO2 positively, whereas the lower quantile has a negative impact. Negative shocks of GLOX on CO2 have less impact, with a maximum magnitude of −1 at the upper quantile of CO2. In contrast, the positive shocks seem to have a stronger impact and vary in magnitude. TINV has negative shocks across all quantiles. In addition, a significant causality is observed in the upper, middle and lower quantiles. This study suggests that policymakers should implement policies encouraging investments in renewable energy and green technologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Results on the connection between financial development and CO2 emissions are presented in contradicting ways in earlier research. In order to solve this conundrum, the Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) framework is used in this study to examine both the direct and indirect effects of financial development on environmental degradation. Our empirical analysis is supported by the cutting-edge dynamic ARDL simulations framework for the 1960–2020 time span in South Africa. The estimated results, which are based on five separate financial development indices, corroborate South Africa's claim that the country's financial development prevents pollution. For South Africa, we also confirm the validity of the EKC theory. The results of the indirect channels demonstrate that financial development also lessens the negative impacts of income, energy usage, trade openness, and foreign direct investment (FDI) on pollution emissions. A weak financial structure is also necessary for the viability of the polluted haven hypothesis (PHH), which is examined using trade openness and FDI variables. For each of these variables, PHH vanishes at a particular point in financial development. Last but not least, increased industrial value-added increases pollution emissions, whereas increased technical innovation decreases the former. On the basis of these findings, South Africa should offer financial incentives and tax breaks to attract green FDI and encourage investments that prioritize environmental sustainability. These incentives can include grants, subsidies, and preferential tax rates for FDI projects that align with South Africa's environmental goals. Providing a favourable investment climate for green projects can stimulate sustainable economic growth and attract responsible investors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Financial development as a viable tool in nation-building and economic expansion is generally established in growth empirics. That notwithstanding, its roles in the drives towards environmental sustainability have received commending and reprimanding views in recent times. However, empirical study advancing the asymmetric effects of financial development from the broader view of measures seems limited and evolving. Hence, the present study investigates the positive and negative effects of financial development measured by broad money and domestic credit to the private sector on environmental sustainability (CO2 emissions and ecological footprint) in the Emerging Seven (E7) economies from 1995 to 2019. The empirical evidence considers the intervention of government policy through fiscal policy instruments (government spending and tax revenue), eco-digitalization, affluence, and population growth in a STIRPAT framework. The main analyses focus on advanced estimators such as pool mean group, mean group, dynamic fixed effects, and panel quantile regression. Feedback shows that negative shocks from financial development captured by broad money induce more surges in CO2 emissions. Similarly, the negative shocks from domestic credit to private sectors promote CO2 emissions, while the positive shocks moderate the emissions. The findings also uncover eco-digitalization as a viable tool to achieve environmental sustainability in the E7 economies. Furthermore, the measures of fiscal policy have differing impacts on environmental sustainability as evident from the positive and negative signs attributed to government expenditure and tax revenue. Moreover, affluence and population growth exacerbate CO2 emission surges. Policy insights that drive environmental sustainability are suggested based on the findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Limiting CO2 emissions is crucial for sustainable development, environmental protection, and climate change mitigation, ensuring a more resilient and cleaner future. Prioritizing sustainable urbanization renewable energy, and energy efficiency is vital for achieving this prosperous and sustainable future. As a result, we adopt the Fourier testing approach for stationary, cointegration, estimator, and causality, to scrutinize the role of renewable energy, energy efficiency, and urbanization on CO2 emissions in Finland over the period between 1990 and 2020, controlling economic growth and trade openness. The empirical analysis of the Fourier ARDL estimator establishes that energy efficiency measures such as gas and oil efficiency exhibit an adverse effect on CO2 emissions, so energy efficiency mitigates CO2 emissions. Similarly, the study also found that urbanization and renewable energy reduce CO2 emissions. Conversely, economic growth and trade openness induce CO2 emissions. Additionally, the Fourier-Toda-Yamamoto method provides robust evidence regarding the long-term implications of the examined factors. Based on this result, the study emphasizes that implementing a regulatory framework to enhance energy efficiency, promote renewable energy adoption, and support sustainable urban development will be an essential strategy in the global effort to attain the net-zero emissions target, which offers valuable insights to other countries seeking to transition towards cleaner and more sustainable energy sources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change, originating from greenhouse gas emissions, yields profound implications such as escalated temperatures, severe storms, disruptions in food supply chains, and amplified seismic activity, particularly impacting arid regions. As the world's largest economy and the second-largest CO2 emitter, the United States actively leads initiatives aimed at addressing environmental challenges and aligning with the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 7 and 13. This study delves into the determinants shaping renewable energy consumption and CO2 emissions within the United States, aiming to elucidate their pivotal role in advancing carbon neutrality efforts. Using quarterly data spanning from 1990 to 2020, this investigation employs the time-varying TVP-SV-VAR model to dissect the dynamic interplay among these variables. The findings reveal intricate connections across short, medium, and long-term periods: renewable energy adoption, eco-innovations, and uncertainties in climate policy were observed to mitigate CO2 emissions. Conversely, financial development exhibited a consistent association with increased CO2 emissions across all timeframes. Additionally, the progression of renewable energy sources showcased responsiveness to climate policy uncertainties, eco-innovations, and financial development across each timeframe. These outcomes hold substantial implications for the United States' pursuit of carbon neutrality goals, emphasizing the pivotal role of promoting renewable energy initiatives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research employed an extended Stochastic Impacts by Regression on Population, Affluence and Technology (STIRPAT) modelling providing original empirical evidence on how technological innovation with the presence of green finance, energy transition vectoring renewable and non‐renewable energy, population, affluence, and financial development affect environmental sustainability measured on the carbon emissions and ecological consequences in E7 during the 1996–2019 period. The study applied mean group (MG), pooled mean group (PMG), and dynamic fixed effects (DFE) after conducting various preliminary tests. The findings predominantly revealed that renewable energy, green finance, and the patent in environmental technologies play an important role in mitigating environmental degradation. However, non‐renewable energy, financial development, population growth, and affluence escalate environmental degradation in the emerging countries under investigation. The outcome of this research proved conclusively that it is vital to introduce the patent on environmental technologies to encourage the collaboration on technology development related to global climate change. Furthermore, enhancing international collaboration in research and technology will positively affect local businesses through utilizing the modern climate change mitigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the face of mounting global concerns over climate change and its far‐reaching consequences, this research paper examines the effect of economic growth, natural resources, energy sources, trade, environment‐related technologies, energy intensity, and environmental tax on carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. This study employs the Method of Moments Quantile Regression approach with data from 108 countries between 1990 and 2020. The empirical outcomes revealed a positive relationship between economic growth and CO2 emissions, following an inverted U‐shaped pattern known as the Environmental Kuznets Curve. Energy intensity and the use of fossil fuels both raise CO₂ emissions, whereas environmental taxes and the generation of renewable energy significantly reduce carbon emissions, especially at higher quantiles. Hence, implementing higher environmental tax levels and promoting cleaner energy sources mitigate pollution. Trade and the development of environment‐related technologies appear to contribute to mitigating CO2 emissions, yet their statistical significance remains inconclusive. The findings emphasize the importance of sustainable development strategies that balance economic growth with environmental protection. Policymakers should prioritize promoting renewable energy, improving energy efficiency, and reassessing environmental tax levels to align with climate change goals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An increase in the combustion of fossil fuels as a means of generating energy has resulted in adverse ecological ramifications. Therefore, to achieve environmental sustainability goals, it is essential to focus on reducing carbon emissions by conserving natural resources and adopting low‐carbon technologies. Renewable electricity generation, the advancement of environment‐related technologies, and the widespread adoption of these technologies have the potential to reduce carbon emissions and drive the shift towards a more sustainable future. Nevertheless, the impact of these initiatives in the European Union (EU) on promoting these solutions and reducing emissions is still ambiguous. Therefore, this paper aims to explore how renewable electricity generation, development of environment‐related technologies, and diffusion of environment‐related technologies limit CO2 emission in 14 selected EU countries. To achieve this goal, our study span covered the period of 1990–2019 and employed Panel Vector Autoregressive (PVAR) based impulse function to capture responses to CO2. The empirical results reveal that CO2 is positively influenced by economic growth and electricity consumption. The empirical findings indicate that renewable electricity generation, development of environment‐related technologies, and diffusion of environment‐related technologies have negative impacts on CO2 levels, implying that they could mitigate CO2 levels in 14 EU countries. The above empirical findings suggest that EU countries should invest more in the R&D, diffusion, and implementation of climate‐related technological advances in renewable energy generation. Policymakers should take action to develop market‐based environmental regulatory measures, cut fossil fuel subsidies, and boost renewable energy and climate change advances. To attain environmental sustainability and lower carbon dioxide emissions, it is crucial to implement such policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Liquid hydrogen (LH 2) storage is a feasible way to store and transport hydrogen with the advantage of high energy density, which is of great significance to the development of hydrogen energy and environmental protection. However, the energy consumption, economic costs and carbon emissions of large-scale hydrogen liquefaction plants tend to be high because of the large cooling capacity needed at liquid hydrogen temperature. To improve thermodynamic efficiencies, reduce economic costs and CO 2 emissions, a new hydrogen liquefaction process coupled with mixed refrigerant (MR) precooling cycle and steam methane reforming (SMR) is proposed. Furthermore, liquefied natural gas (LNG) cold energy is used to precool the process and evaporated natural gas is used as raw material for SMR to produce hydrogen. Multi-objective optimization method is introduced to comprehensively optimize the specific energy consumption (SEC), economic costs and CO 2 emissions. The thermodynamic model and optimization program are established in Aspen HYSYS and MATLAB. The SEC, economic costs and CO 2 emissions of the optimized results that take the balance of economic costs and CO 2 emissions are 9.38 kWh/kg, 5.419 × 106 $/year and 1.898 × 107 kg/year, respectively. Besides, it is found that there is no trade-off relationship between SEC and economic costs. • A new hydrogen liquefaction process coupled with MR cycle and SMR is proposed. • Multi-objective optimization of SEC, CO 2 emission and economic costs is performed. • The result reduces CO 2 emissions by 27.64 % at the cost of 24.99 % increasing in economic costs. • There is no trade-off relationship between SEC and economic costs. • The costs of feed hydrogen account for the highest proportion of economic costs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the effect of the nexus between remittances and ecological footprints on environmental sustainability in Africa for 19 African countries between 1990 and 2021. Both the Augmented Mean Group and Common-Correlation Effect Mean Group estimator, show that remittances and economic growth have a positive effect on ecological footprint. More so, there exists bidirectional causality between remittances, economic growth, and ecological footprint while unidirectional causality runs from ecological footprints to foreign direct investment and foreign direct investment to economic growth. To promote environmental sustainability, individual governments, and regional blocs, must ensure the trade-off and prioritization of net-zero emissions goals in Africa to move beyond mere policy documentation and into non-fossil fuel revenue-dependent and strict market regulation on remittances to promote green consumptions and sustainable livelihoods in Africa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research evaluates the determinants of pollution emissions, considering the human development index, international trade, renewable energy, and foreign direct investment (FDI) as explanatory variables. This study tests the relationship between trade intensity and FDI on carbon dioxide emissions, considering the arguments of the pollution haven hypothesis (PHH) versus halo pollution (HP). The econometric strategy applies panel data (fixed effects, random effects), a generalised linear model (Gamma), panel cointegration models such as FMOLS and DOLS, the ARDL panel model, and the panel quantile regressions to data from the G7 countries from 1990 to 2019. Before using econometric models, this investigation considers preliminary tests such as the panel unit root test (first and second generation) and the cointegration test. The econometric results show that human development decreased pollution emissions. In addition, renewable energy improves air quality and aims to reduce climate change. The inverted environmental Kuznets curve also supports the results when evaluating the relationship between the human development index and carbon dioxide emissions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Motivated by the pressing need to address environmental concerns, this study explores the relationship between environmental taxes and CO2 emissions embodied in domestic final demand in South Africa. The study uses a non‐linear autoregressive distributed lag (NARDL) model to analyse the asymmetric impact of environmental taxes. Results indicate that environmental taxes have an asymmetric impact on CO2 emissions embodied in domestic final demand in both the short and long runs. Specifically, both positive and negative shifts in environmental taxes are linked with a respective 0.06% decrease and a more pronounced 0.22% decrease in CO2 emissions embodied in domestic final demand. Moreover, positive shocks in the GDP growth rate are associated with an approximately 0.002% uptick in CO2 emissions, while negative shocks lead to a 0.012% decrease. Additionally, both positive and negative shocks in population growth exhibit a significant positive correlation with the response variable. The baseline estimates demonstrate that the joint effect of environmental taxes and the GDP growth rate is correlated with reductions in CO2 emissions embodied in domestic final demand. Similarly, the joint influence of environmental taxes and population growth rate is linked to declines in CO2 emissions. The study highlights the practical policy implications of these findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper attempts to analyze decoupling between CO2 emissions and income growth in the U.S. through the lens of Environmental Kuznets curve (EKC). Many states in the U.S. have achieved absolute decoupling in recent years, which means that CO2 emissions have decreased while the economy grows. This is partly due to the adoption of low-emission technologies, such as coal to gas switching, nuclear power, and economic restructuring towards a more sustainable economy. We argue that understanding decoupling is crucial to implement effective climate change policies. This study suggests that, after 2015, EKC has taken on the U-shaped form with many states currently located on the negatively sloped portion of the curve. It is not desirable as emissions may eventually begin to increase as the economy grows. To support this claim, we estimate panel fixed effects rolling-window EKCs using two-stage least square with two instrumental variables, unemployment rate and the trend variable. Empirical results show how the inverted U-shaped EKC has transformed into the U-shaped EKC in the U.S. This transformation is probably caused by the recent increases in emissions in transportation sector, strong electricity demand in recent years with cold winter seasons, reversals of eco-friendly energy policies, and manufacturers’ onshoring. Stakeholders should make efforts to transform the U-shaped EKC back to an inverted U-shaped EKC even in cases where absolute decoupling is observed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Financial processes have changed how economic growth is carried out, yet little research has been done examining how financialization affects the well-established association between economic activity and emissions. We construct fixed effects regression analyses with robust standard errors for 172 nations between 1960 and 2014. In this article, we estimate financial processes' moderation of the association between GDP per capita and CO2 emissions per capita, as well as whether or not such processes reduce the environmental intensity of manufacturing activities. We find that financialization decouples total GDP per capita from emissions per capita but fails to do so for growth from manufacture. Noting the absolute rise in manufacturing activity, we argue that the economic reorganization that financialization represents may obfuscate the ongoing pressure that economic growth places on the environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Countries have been faced with critical environmental problems and tried to take measures to prevent the negative effects on societies. In this context, countries, policymakers, and scholars have considered various factors. However, political stability (PS) has not been a fully recognized point. Therefore, the most recent studies have begun to include PS in empirically analyzing the environment. By considering the contemporary literature regarding factors affecting environmental quality, this research investigates the effect of PS on the environment in the Netherlands, which takes place among the countries that have a high level of PS. In doing this, the study focuses on the effect of PS by considering various controlling factors; utilizes data spanning from 1990/Q1 to 2019/Q4; employs Fourier-based ARDL and TY causality approaches as the base models; and performs the FMOLS approach for robustness. The findings present that (i) PS curbs environmental degradation; (ii) renewable energy declines environmental degradation; (iii) economic growth causes a stimulating in environmental degradation; (iv) globalization is not statistically significant on the environment; (iv) PS, renewable energy, and economic growth have a causal effect on the environmental degradation, whereas globalization does not have; (v) the results are robust based on the alternative approach. Thus, the study proves the highly effective role of PS on the environmental quality in the Netherlands. So, Netherlands policymakers should take PS into account in environmental plans so as not to miss being a carbon-neutral economy target due to the changes in the political environment. Accordingly, various policy options are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The studies have focused on changes in CO2 emissions over different periods, including the COVID-19 pandemic. Even if CO2 emissions are temporarily reduced during the pandemic according to annual figures, this may be misleading. Considering annual figures is important to understand the overall trend, but using data with much higher frequency (e.g., daily) is much better suited to investigate dynamic relationships and external effects. Therefore, this study comprehensively analyzes the association between CO2 emissions and disaggregated electricity generation (EG) sources across the globe by employing the novel wavelet local multiple correlation (WLMC) approach on daily data from 1st January 2020 to 31st March 2023. The results demonstrate that (1) based on the main statistics, daily CO2 emissions range between 69 MtCO2 and 116 MtCO2, indicating that there is an oscillation, but no sharp changes over the analyzed period. (2) based on the baseline regression using the dynamic ordinary least squares (DOLS) approach, the constructed estimation models have a high predictive ability of CO2 emissions, reaching ~ 94%; (3) in the further analysis employing the WLMC approach, there are significant externalities between EG resources, which affect CO2 emissions. The results present novel insights about time- and frequency-varying effects as well as a disaggregated analysis of the effect of EG on CO2 emissions, demonstrating the significance of the energy transition towards clean sources around the world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Photovoltaic (PV) modules have emerged as a promising technology in the realm of sustainable energy solutions, specifically in the harnessing of solar energy. Photovoltaic modules, which use solar energy to generate electricity, are often used on terrestrial platforms. In recent years, there has been an increasing inclination towards the installation of photovoltaic (PV) modules over water surfaces, including lakes, reservoirs, and even oceans. The novel methodology introduces distinct benefits and complexities, specifically pertaining to the thermal characteristics of the modules. In order to accomplish this objective, a photovoltaic (PV) module system with a capacity of 1 MW was developed as a scenario in the PVsyst Program. The scenario simulation was conducted on the Mamasın Dam, situated in the Gökçe village within the Aksaray province. To conduct the efficiency analysis, a comparative evaluation was conducted between bifacial and monofacial modules, which were installed from above the water at 1 m. The comparison was made considering two different types of modules. Additionally, the albedo effect, water saving amount, and CO2 emissions of the system were also investigated. Albedo measurements were made in summer when the PV power plant will operate most efficiently. As a result of the simulations, it was found that bifacial modules produce 12.4% more energy annually than monofacial modules due to the albedo effect. It is estimated that PV power plant installation will save 19,562.695 and 17,253.475 tons of CO2 emissions in bifacial and monofacial systems, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Food security is an indispensable concept because human life depends on it. Although numerous studies have examined food security in developing economies, there has been a lack of attention given to this issue in developed countries. Thus, this study investigates the influence of carbon dioxide emissions (CO2) on food security in the United States from 1965 to 2022 using Quantile Autoregressive Distributed Lag (QARDL) and Wavelet Coherence methods. Food security is proxied by the food production index (FPI), while the control variables are gross domestic product (GDP), population growth (POP), and inflation. The Quantile Autoregressive Distributed Lag results show that: (i) In the short‐run, CO2 influences FPI positively at the 0.05 quantile, while it harms food security at the 0.50 and 0.95 quantiles. However, in the long‐run, the impact is positive across all quantiles; (ii) In the short‐run, GDP harms FPI at the 0.05 quantile while it benefits FPI at the 0.50 and 0.95 quantiles. In the long‐run, GDP's impact across all quantiles is beneficial; (iii) In the short‐run, POP negatively influences FPI at 0.05 and 0.50 quantiles, while it positively spurs FPI at 0.95 quantiles. In the long‐run, POP positively influences FPI at quantiles of 0.05, whereas it negatively influences FPI at 0.50 and 0.95 quantiles; (iv) inflation positively influences FPI in the short and long‐run across all quantiles; (v) The Wavelet Coherence analysis showed a robust correlation across all frequencies. Policy suggestions and implications are discussed further. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The link between trade openness and CO2 emissions is a key research focus in times of pressing global sustainability needs and ongoing climate change discussions. In this study, we address the critical issue of the impact of trade openness on CO2 emissions in 20 OECD countries over a 150‐year period using historical datasets. We investigate how trade openness affects environmental sustainability within this group of nations. To overcome the challenges related to heterogeneity and cross‐sectional dependence, we applied robust cointegration techniques. Our analysis reveals direct and indirect impacts of trade openness on CO2 emissions. The direct effect demonstrated a positive correlation between trade openness and CO2 emissions, whereas the indirect effect, mediated by income growth, exerted a counteractive negative influence on this relationship. These divergent effects support the environmental Kuznets curve hypothesis. Our findings suggest that as income levels rise, the indirect effect gradually outweighs the direct effect, leading to a significant reduction in long‐term CO2 emissions in OECD countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wildfires are becoming more frequent due to the global climate change. Large amounts of greenhouse gases emitted by wildfires can lead to increases in extreme climate events. Accurately estimating the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from wildfires is important for mitigation of climate change. In this paper, we develop a novel method to estimate wildfire CO2 emissions from the relationship between local CO2 emissions and XCO2 anomalies. Our method uses the WRF-Chem assimilation system from OCO-2 XCO2 retrievals which coupled with Data Assimilation Research Testbed (DART). To validate our results, we conducted three experiments evaluating the wildfire CO2 emissions over the conterminous United States. The four-month average wildfire emissions from July to October in 2015∼2018 were estimated at 4.408 Tg C, 1.784 Tg C, 1.514 Tg C and 2.873 Tg C, respectively. Compared to the average of established inventories CT2019B, FINNv1.5 and GFASv1.2 fire emissions, our estimates fall within one standard deviation, except for 2017 due to lacking of OCO-2 XCO2 retrievals. These results suggest that the regional carbon assimilation system, such as WRF-Chem/DART, using OCO-2 XCO2 retrievals has a great potential for accurately tracking regional wildfire emissions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Managing leaf litter by using different composting methods may be an alternative approach to solid waste management in rural areas. The purposes of the study were to prepare compost from an admixture of tree leaf litter using effective microorganisms (EM) and green sunnhemp plants and assess the patterns and cumulative amounts of carbon dioxide (CO2-C) emission and CO2 mitigation potential. The N content of leaf litter from both compost methods was significantly higher. The EM-treated compost had better concentrations of microbial biomass carbon (MBC), potassium, calcium, and magnesium. The low germination and vigor index were observed in compost treated with green sunnhemp plants. The CO2 emission patterns were similar in both leaf litter compost treatments. The composting techniques used in this study can save roughly 310 kg CO2eq in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Composting leaf litter with EM and green sunnhemp plants could be a useful technique for lowering agriculture's GHG emissions, besides helping to mitigate climate change, reducing the solid waste from rural areas, and minimizing the use of mineral fertilizer in agriculture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Germany has set an ambitious goal of meeting the recommendations of COP‐26 and reducing its carbon intensity to zero by 2045. Germany is a leader in environmental patents after the United States, Japan, and South Korea, and the environmental implications of Germany's leadership in eco‐innovation hold important clues for achieving net zero goals. In particular, the European Union is one of the global communities making the greatest efforts to combat emissions, and the success of the leading role of environmental patents in this Union in reducing CO2 emissions is an important research topic for scholars. Therefore, this study investigates the impact of environmental patents on CO2 emissions under the environmental Kuznets curve (EKC) hypothesis in Germany. To this end, the study applies Bayer–Hanck and Fourier ADL approaches from 1970 to 2019. The main findings do not confirm the EKC hypothesis, while environmental patents play an active role in CO2 reduction. Based on these outcomes, Germany should consider a long‐term green policy to decouple economic growth and emissions. At the same time, German policy should promote the development and application of environmental patents to achieve the net zero targets for 2045. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explores the impact of natural resource exploitation, trade openness, and economic growth on carbon emissions in a sample of oil‐exporting nations for the period 1971–2014. To examine this relationship, we used the panel autoregressive distributed lag model and a set of econometric techniques accounting for cross‐sectional dependence. Our results indicate that the exploitation of natural resources and trade openness have a long‐term negative impact on environmental quality. Furthermore, our analysis confirms the validity of the Kuznets Environmental Curve for oil‐exporting countries. An assessment of causality reveals a bidirectional link between natural resources, economic growth, and CO2 emissions, as well as a unidirectional link between trade openness and CO2 emissions. In the light of our findings, appropriate policies could include the imposition of more stringent regulations on the exploitation of natural resources, the application of taxes on carbon emissions, and the promotion of clean and renewable technologies. Greater international cooperation is also needed to address these environmental issues on a global scale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Automated, BIM‐based life cycle assessment using the example of infrastructure construction A large proportion of CO2 emissions are caused by the construction industry. The greatest potential for reducing these emissions lies in the early planning phases. Life cycle assessments (LCAs) are the basis for ecological optimization. Nevertheless, they are rarely used, especially in infrastructure construction, because they require a lot of effort and existing BIM‐LCA tools cannot process large numbers of BIM models. Now, a team at AFRY Germany has developed the BIMetrix method, with which LCAs can be automatically created and three‐dimensionally visualized even for hundreds of BIM models. It has already been successfully used and validated in a real pilot project of Deutsche Bahn. The method opens up the possibility of reducing CO2 emissions in a systematic manner for all areas of the construction industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

CO2 emission inventory provides fundamental data for climate research and emission mitigation. Currently, most global CO2 emission inventories were developed with energy statistics from International Energy Agency (IEA) and were available at country level with limited source categories. Here, as the first step toward a high-resolution and dynamic updated global CO2 emission database, we developed a data-driven approach to construct seamless and highly-resolved energy consumption data cubes for 208 countries/territories, 797 sub-country administrative divisions in 29 countries, 42 fuel types, and 52 sectors, with the fusion of activity data from 24 international statistics and 65 regional/local statistics. Global CO2 emissions from fossil fuel combustion and cement production in 1970–2021 were then estimated with highly-resolved source category (1,484 of total) and sub-country information (797 of total). Specifically, 73% of global CO2 emissions in 2021 were estimated with sub-country information, providing considerably improved spatial resolution for global CO2 emission accounting. With the support of detailed information, the dynamics of global CO2 emissions across sectors and fuel types were presented, representing the evolution of global economy and progress of climate mitigation. Remarkable differences of sectoral contribution were found across sub-country administrative divisions within a given country, revealing the uneven distribution of energy and economic structure among different regions. Our estimates were generally consistent with existing databases at aggregated level for global total or large emitters, while large discrepancies were observed for middle and small emitters. Our database, named the Multi-resolution Emission Inventory model for Climate and air pollution research (MEIC) is publicly available through http://meicmodel.org.cn with highly-resolved information and timely update, which provides an independent carbon emission accounting data source for climate research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biomass can partially replace fossil fuels for power to reduce CO 2 emissions and save non-renewable resources. In the pulp and paper industry, a waste biomass of calcium lignin was obtained by treating chemo-mechanical pulp (CMP) wastewater with calcium oxide. To investigate waste calcium lignin and its potential use in power generation systems in place of fossil fuels, a basic experiment on calcium lignin gasification was conducted. A model of gasification combined power generation was developed. The results showed that, the gasification temperature was 800 °C, the equivalence ratio (ER) was 0.25, the syngas yield was 78.2 wt%, the lower heating value (LHV) of the syngas was 5.15 MJ/Nm3, and the highest cold gas efficiency (CGE) was 57.84%. In the model, the generated electricity and CO 2 emissions were 1.10 kg/kWh and 0.62 kg CO 2 /kWh, respectively. The use of calcium lignin biomass reduced 35.42% of CO 2 emissions compared to a traditional coal-fired power plant. In addition, the product value-added was 1.17 RMB per kWh, and this was 82.81% higher than that of the 0.64 RMB of traditional coal-fired power plant. [Display omitted] • Production of syngas from the solid waste of calcium lignin by gasification. • Syngas was used for power generation to reduce the use of fossil fuels. • A model was established to investigate the emission reduction effect of CO 2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the important manifestations of economic globalization, such as increased international trade, inward foreign direct investment (FDI), and air passenger transport (PAX) on economic growth and environmental quality in Southeast Asian countries. The results of data analysis for the period 1990–2019 using the panel autoregressive distributed lag model (ARDL) have confirmed the long run impact of these factors on economic growth and environmental quality (the reduction of CO2 emissions into the environment per unit of production) in Southeast Asia. Furthermore, international trade and PAX positively affect economic growth in both groups of lower-middle-income countries and upper-middle and high-income countries. Inward FDI, however, only has a positive effect on economic growth for the group of lower-middle-income in the short run. In the long run, it has a negative impact. On the other hand, when the manifestations of economic globalization increase, they lead to an increase in CO2 emissions, but there is a decrease in this ratio per unit of production in the long run and in most countries in the short run. These findings are the basis for making economic growth and environmental quality improvements in different regions and countries of Southeast Asia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Low carbon development for cement industry in different countries are reviewed. • New perspectives on cement industry's development have been provided. • Alternative fuel and CCUS are main directions for cement industry. • Gaps between original research and scale expansion need more innovative efforts Carbon dioxide (CO 2) emissions from the cement industry account for 26% of the total industrial emissions, and the need to develop low-carbon techniques within the cement industry is extremely urgent. Low-carbon projects and technologies for the cement industry in different regions and countries have been thoroughly reviewed in this manuscript, and the low-carbon development concept for each county has been analyzed. For developing countries such as China and India, energy saving and efficiency enhancement are currently the key points, while for developed countries and regions such as Europe, more efforts have been focused on carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS). Global CCUS projects have been previously conducted, and the majority of CCUS projects are currently performed in Europe where major projects such as the CEMCAP, CLEANKER, and IEILAC projects represent the latest research progress in cement production technologies and low-carbon technologies for the global cement industry. The development of low-carbon cement technologies has changed from focusing on the end point to instead focusing on the source and process through the exploration of hydrogen and solar energies, and more disruptive and original technologies are expected to be developed, particularly in the cement industry in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Building total CO 2 emissions must decline by more than 95 % from 2020 to 2050. Statistical studies affirm that 84 % of the fuel cell applications in the world are attributed to the residential market and are limited to the range of 0.5–5 kW. In this study, defining a building-based fuel cell, the first and second law of thermodynamics were approved for the hybrid system consisting of SOFC enhanced with an internal reformer and microturbine. In addition, an external reformer along with two heat recovery systems are integrated to change methane to hydrogen. Based on the exergy balance equation, 37 The installation of heat recoveries was very effective in hybrid system irreversibility reduction so they were able to reduce exergy losses by 38 %. The most irreversibility was related to chemical reactions that occurred in the external reformer (share of 37.3 %) and combustion chamber (share of 32 %) while the share of the fuel cell was only 10.7 %. The calculations of the second law showed that the hybrid system with heat recovery can convert 57.6 % of the input exergy into useful work. The environmental analysis revealed that establishing a hybrid system with a higher temperature is more effective than that with higher pressure. The CO 2 emissions of the hybrid system at the lowest and highest temperature were 1.946 kg/kW and 0.81 kg/kW. • Defining a building-based fuel cell, the first and second law of thermodynamics were approved for the hybrid system. • An external reformer along with two heat recovery systems are integrated to change methane to hydrogen. • The most irreversibility was related to chemical reactions that occurred in the external reformer and combustion chamber. • Establishing a hybrid system with a higher temperature is more effective than that with higher pressure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In aiding India's effort to become carbon neutral, this research focusses on its Southeastern (SE) region, investigating its potential for decarbonization and using of green hydrogen as alternate fuel for industrial operations. The study analyzed the total CO 2 emissions from the power and industrial sectors in the region, and estimated an annual emissions of 307.8 million tonnes. Considering different GDP growth scenarios, this study estimated the demand for energy and green hydrogen until 2050 for achieving energy transition. Based on the region's renewable energy capacity, an optimal energy mix of 5% small hydro, 45% wind and 50% solar power is recommended for green hydrogen production. This study found that the Cauvery and Krishna-Godavari basins have the storage potential to continuously deliver the stored hydrogen for seven years to the region, ensuring energy security. Finally, by decarbonizing industrial operations in SE region, the global temperature rise could be reduced by 0.003842 °C. [Display omitted] • Power plants are the leading CO 2 emitters, contributing to 64% of total CO 2 emissions. • Energy demand projected till 2050, with Andhra Pradesh as leading consumer. • Quantified green hydrogen and solar energy demand to achieve energy transition. • Hydrogen storage capacity of Cauvery and KG basins for energy security are assessed. • Cauvery and KG basins can potentially deliver the stored H 2 continuously for 6 years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In conjunction with an electric arc furnace (EAF) process, a rotary hearth furnace (RHF) has emerged as a supplementary ironmaking unit to produce extra iron from iron‐bearing solid wastes from an integrated steel plant. Additionally, such units offer fuel‐switching options to low‐carbon input fuels. Exergy analysis is carried out for two variants of RHF, producing iron nuggets (ironmaking technology mark 3 process) or direct reduced iron (DRI; FASTMET process), involving cold/hot charging of DRI and scrap use in EAF. Process sustainability as characterized by higher exergy efficiency and lower CO2 emission has been analyzed for two variants of RHF‐EAF steelmaking systems, blast furnace‐basic oxygen furnace (BOF), scrap‐EAF, and COREX‐BOF process. Model‐based information for these parameters for RHF‐EAF process has been compared with other major steelmaking routes based on literature information. The RHF‐EAF process variants with some modification in process flow display better sustainability with relatively higher exergy efficiencies and low CO2 emissions as compared to other steelmaking processes and reasonably meet sustainable steelmaking process evolution criterion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Attaining sustainable development entails extensive use of clean energy and low levels of carbon emissions. Hence, nuclear energy is considered an avenue to reach higher levels of sustainable development. However, the existing literature documents the ambivalent conclusion on the nuclear energy‐emissions nexus. To solve this puzzle, the present study re‐investigates the nuclear energy‐emissions nexus for Bulgaria using the Environmental Kuznets Curve framework. We adopt the methodology of novel bootstrap ARDL with sharp and smooth structural breaks. The findings document that nuclear energy is responsible for waning emissions across the long and short‐run. Also, we validate the EKC hypothesis. To provide robust empirical findings, we perform a sensitivity analysis, which reports results similar to the baseline findings. Hence, we propose to escalate the adoption of nuclear energy to curb emissions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The russian military aggression and the related socio-economic and environmental consequences have significantly affected the climate and production of ecosystem services through damage to forests, ecosystems, landscape fires and emissions of gases into the atmosphere. The study aims to estimate carbon dioxide emissions due to landscape fires in Ukraine during the year 2022. The OroraTech wildfire monitoring technology was used to detect fires, while perimeters of burned areas were delineated with Sentinel 2 time series. The Copernicus Dynamic Land Cover map was used to extract burned land covers. Emissions were calculated based on the intensity of fires (dNBR) with the share of burned biomass in different types of land cover. Biomass models were selected considering the dominant tree species within a specific region and the species structure of the sown areas of croplands. The volume of biomass losses was estimated as a result of fires of different severities. It was estimated that during in 2022, landscape fires burned 749.5 thousand hectares thereof: croplands - 419.1 thousand hectares; other natural vegetation - 273.8 thousand hectares; conifer forests - 31.1 thousand hectares; other forests - 25.5 thousand hectares. The impact of the war on landscape fires is confirmed by the large proportion of fires in the 60-kilometre buffer zone along the frontline - 68.9% of the total area of fire. Among all fires, 42.5% of fires occurred in the occupied territory. Total CO2 emissions from all types of landscape fires reached 5.20 million tons and other greenhouse gases - 0.28 million tons. It is the first detailed mapping of landscape fires with an analysis of each polygon for the whole territory of Ukraine. The results provide important information for assessing the loss of ecosystem services and estimating carbon dioxide emissions as well as for confirming the impact of hostilities on landscape fires. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]