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Open-pit mines of mineral raw materials play a key role in the development of society and economy. However, their construction and operation often have a significant environmental footprint, which includes physical, chemical and biological changes in the natural environment. This paper investigates the environmental impacts of open-pit mining and emphasizes the importance of integral use of the affected area in order to minimize negative impacts and at the same time promote their beneficial functions. The paper presents examples of rehabilitation and repurposing of open-pit mines and the possible multifunctional use of space. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study integrates various remote sensing datasets to analyze environmental changes and their impacts on ecosystems across Pakhtunkhwa Province in Pakistan. Precipitation data from the Climate Hazards Group InfraRed Precipitation with Station data (CHIRPS) dataset, along with vegetation health assessments using Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and Land Surface Temperature (LST) data from the Landsat dataset, were used to comprehensively analyze the impact of vegetation dynamics on environmental footprints (i.e., temperature, precipitation, and LST). Land use maps, generated through supervised classification of Landsat images from 1985 to 2023, highlight significant changes in different land use classes, including vegetation and forest cover. Bayesian Network Modelling (BNM) and Dummy Variable Regression (DVR) methods were employed to assess the impact of vegetation (using NDVI time series) on environmental footprint and forest cover in particular. The results suggest that the NDVI generally increase the cooling effect across most of the study area, indicating that higher vegetation density is linked to a decrease in temperatures. This inverse relationship is also apparent in the connection between the NDVI and the LST, depicting a negative trend in surface temperature over most of the pixels/districts. The regression coefficients for the NDVI and the LST vary across different pixels, ranging from −5.3839 °C to 5.2697 °C, with standard deviations from 2.057 °C to 5.138 °C, reflecting a variability in the strength of this cooling effect. Similarly, for the relationship between the NDVI and the LST, coefficients range from −7.1513 °C to 6.6322 °C, with standard deviations between 1.612 °C and 4.155 °C. In contrast, NDVI and precipitation show a positive relationship, with regression coefficients ranging from 4.1686 °C to 44.3932 °C and standard deviations between 2.242 °C and 8.224 °C, suggesting greater variability in precipitation corresponding to vegetation dynamics. Additionally, forest cover generally correlates positively with precipitation in most pixels, but the variability across pixels emphasizes the complex nature of these relationships. The study identified substantial fluctuations in land use categories over the decades, indicating environmental shifts driven by both natural and human factors. BNM demonstrated a positive impact of vegetation dynamics on precipitation and a negative impact on both temperature and LST. On the other hand, the increase in forest cover, particularly due to the Billion Tree Tsunami Project, has a significant impact on the environmental footprint identified through DVR. By combining high-resolution datasets with advanced statistical techniques, this study offers key insights into the dynamic interactions between land cover, vegetation, and climate in the study region, providing valuable information for sustainable environmental management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Current implementations of hybrid life cycle assessment (LCA) mostly do not fully exploit valuable information from multi‐regional input–output databases by aggregating regional supply chains to the lower geographical resolution of process LCA databases. We propose a method for sampling the various individual regions within the aggregated regional scope of LCA processes. This sampling maximizes the information content of hybrid LCA footprint results by preserving the regional variance, and it allows for regional price distributions from BACI/UN‐COMTRADE international trade statistics to be used to simultaneously improve the accuracy of the hybrid model. This work makes the previously hidden regional and price variance explicit and analyzes uncertainty of the hybrid carbon (global warming potential 100, GWP100) and land use footprints arising from these variances, both separately and in combination. We find that the median process footprint intensity increases by 7−3+18%$7^{+18}_{-3}\%$ for the GWP100 due to hybridization, and 90−23+143%$90^{+143}_{-23}\%$ for the land use footprint. Results show that the magnitude of the footprint uncertainty strongly depends on the product sector of the LCA process and environmental impact considered. In a case study of Swiss household consumption, we find truncation error estimates of 8.4−2.7+9.2%$8.4^{+9.2}_{-2.7}\%$ for the GWP100 and 36−14+64%$36^{+64}_{-14}\%$ for the land use footprint. Our results highlight the importance of regionalization of process LCA databases, as it has the potential to significantly improve both the precision and accuracy of derived hybrid LCA models. This article met the requirements for a gold/gold JIE data openness badge described at http://jie.click/badges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is generally accepted that in order to preserve the sustainability of resource utilization worldwide, it is imperative to maximize the positive environmental effects and minimize the negative ones in agriculture. To assess the impact of agricultural ecosystems on environmental footprints in China, this study used a time-series econometric approach spanning the period from 1990 to 2020. The suitability of the variables was confirmed through stationarity tests, followed by the application of the Johansen technique. The Johansen technique's findings showed that long-run co-integration is present in both exogenous and endogenous variables. Moreover, the bound testing technique with the ARDL model was applied to validate the long-run results. The findings revealed a positive correlation between agricultural ecological footprints and factors such as agricultural land, energy consumption, fertilizer usage, and agricultural employment with short-run elasticity. In the long run, agricultural land, energy consumption, and fertilizer usage were all identified as having a positive impact on the ecological footprint. Consequently, the agricultural ecosystem faces strain due to stringent agricultural practices aimed at enhancing production. The integration of modern technology becomes imperative to reduce carbon emissions, promote environmentally-friendly industries, and enhance the nation's land bio-capacity, thereby mitigating the strain on the ecological ecosystem. This study offers valuable insights for academia, policymakers, researchers, and planners in formulating a comprehensive strategy and vision for establishing sustainable food production and fostering favorable environmental conditions, particularly pertinent to China and with broader applicability to the global context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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The environmental footprint theory, ensemble inversion model and BP neural network model are used to assess the spatial-temporal evolution characteristics of water-carbon-nitrogen footprints, eco-environment pressure and sci-technology innovation ability of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei urban agglomeration (BTHUA) from 2000 to 2025, and then explored the correlation between eco-environment pressure and sci-technology innovation ability in different spatial scales. Results show that the eco-environment pressure generally presents a decreased tendency. Its high-value areas are mainly distributed in the northwest ecological expansion area and the low-value areas are distributed in the central core functional areas. Carbon pressure is the main source of the eco-environment pressure of most cities. There is a large spatial difference in the sci-technology innovation ability of urban agglomeration from 2000 to 2015. Beijing and Tianjin have a significant pulling effect on the central core functional area. The southern ecological expansion area (0.11) is the lowest, which is mainly limited by Xingtai. The spatial heterogeneity of sci-technology innovation ability in urban agglomeration will be reduced during the period from 2016 to 2025. There is an inverted U-shaped relationship between eco-environment pressure and sci-technology innovation ability. The inflection point of ecological environment pressure is the same as that of water resource pressure and carbon pressure (i.e., the year of 2012), which is earlier than the inflection point of nitrogen pressure (i.e., the year of 2014). In the EKC curve of all provinces and cities, the inflection point of Tianjin (i.e., the year of 2009) is earlier than Hebei (i.e., the year of 2013), and Beijing has already entered the second half of EKC. There are significant differences in coordinated development level within urban agglomeration. Beijing and Tianjin have entered a stage of virtuous cycle development, while Hebei Province is relatively backward. However, Qinhuangdao, Tangshan, and Handan are expected to enter a virtuous cycle stage by 2025. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Addressing environmental issues is inherently complex due to the fundamental question of who bears responsibility. While more prominent at the global level, this issue is also pertinent on a subnational level, such as in Indonesia, where significant disparities exist in economic development and environmental degradation across the archipelago. Our research intends to fill the gap by measuring environmental footprints in the country while accounting for the interregional trade between provinces. We utilize the Environmentally-Extended Interregional Input-Output (EE IRIO), which allows us to evaluate the relationship between economic activities, environmental footprints, and corresponding spatial distribution. The study reveals that Indonesia's carbon and water footprints are primarily consumed and produced on Java Island, whereas the agricultural footprint is produced on Sumatra and Kalimantan Islands but consumed significantly on Java Island. This result corresponds with Java Island's dominance in terms of the economy and population. The study revealed that developed regions produce footprints directly and induce footprint generation in other areas through import demand, emphasizing the relevance of ‘common but differentiated responsibility’ in local development.

This research examines the trends in environmental footprints through energy innovations, digital trade, economic freedom, and environmental regulation from the context of G7 economies. Quarterly observations from 1998-2020 have been utilized for the advanced-panel model entitled Method of Moments Quantile Regression (MMQR). The initial findings confirm slope heterogeneity, interdependence between the cross-sectional units, stationarity properties, and panel cointegration. The results through FM-OLS, D-OLS, and FE-OLS justify that energy innovations, digital trade, and environmental regulations control ecological damages. In contrast, economic freedom and growth are causing more damage to nature, like ecological footprints (EFP). Similarly, the results through MMQR confirm that the impact of energy innovations, digital trade, and environmental regulations is accepted as a panacea to control environmental degradation in G7. However, the magnitude of the coefficient varies across different quantiles. More specifically, the findings show that the impact of energy innovations is highly significant at 0.50th quantile. In contrast, through digital trade, the impact on EFP is only significant under medium and higher order quantiles (i.e. 0.50th, 0.75th-1.0th). Contrarily, economic freedom is causing more EFP across all the quantiles, where the findings are highly significant at 0.75th quantile. Besides, a few other policy implications are also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated how farmed blue mussels (Mytilus edulis) can optimize human nutrient intake. A particular focus was on assessing nutrient preservation during steaming and freeze-drying, processes that could deplete nutrients. The study compared the content of essential amino acids and fatty acids in steamed and freeze-dried blue mussels to the nutritional needs of humans and farmed Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar). Additionally, it assessed the ethyl acetate method versus the traditional, more toxic Folch method for lipid extraction from blue mussels. Both steaming and freeze-drying effectively preserved essential amino acids and fatty acids in blue mussels. A 100 g serving of steamed blue mussels contributes from 26.8 ± 0.78% (Phe) to 54.9 ± 1.66% (Thr) of the daily recommended intake of essential amino acids (EAA). For steamed freeze-dried blue mussels, over 100% of the recommended intake is met for all EAA and as much as 243% for threonine. The 100 g serving will also provide 271 mg eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA; 20:5n-3) and 220 mg docosahexaenoic acid (DHA; 22:6n-3), thus covering the required intake of n-3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids for adults as well as the recommended intake for pregnant and lactating women. Mussels are non-fed filter feeders that generally provide these nutrients with significantly lower environmental footprints, measured as global warming, eutrophication, and acidification, compared to farmed Atlantic salmon. Blue mussels can also be a valuable feed ingredient for farmed Atlantic salmon. Finally, it was demonstrated that the ethyl acetate method is not suited for lipid extraction from blue mussels, as the lipid yield was only half compared to the lipid yield using the Folch method.

The motivation for conducting this research is the growing awareness of  the increasing number of environmental issues on a global scale. As the world is facing the necessity of tackling environmental degradation, this study intends to uncover the fundamental links between global value chain participation, financial development, and their aggregate influence on environmental footprints in the context of the global economies (selected 60 countries) from 1996 to 2018. This study utilized a modern and novel technique known as the “Quantile Autoregressive Distributed Lagged Model.” The research results revealed that, in the selected economies, more natural resource rent, better financial development, and greater participation in the global value chain all positively contributed to environmental degradation across different quantiles. This implies an increasing environmental burden because of higher financial development, enhanced global value chain participation, and rising rents for natural resources. The study's findings have important policy implications, stressing the need for authorities or policymakers to incorporate environmental concerns into economic and financial policies. The authors also recommended that governments should think about enacting laws that support environmentally conscious behavior, such as rewarding investments in eco‐friendly technology and penalizing actions that harm the environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The world has become increasingly metacoupled through flows of materials, energy, people, capital, and information within and across systems. Transboundary flows, connecting adjacent and distant systems, are deemed the most critical indicators for measuring the intensity of interactions among coupled human-natural systems. To advance metacoupling flow research and governance, we make the first attempt to develop a typology of transboundary flows using six flow attributes (i.e., type, magnitude, direction, distance, time, and mode). Furthermore, we synthesize a portfolio of quantitative and practical methods for characterizing transboundary flows. To effectively govern transboundary flows for global sustainability and resilience, we highlight the need to recognize the shared risks and goals embedded in the interlinkages, use system thinking, and enhance multilateral cooperation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rothamsted Research (RRes) is the world's oldest agricultural research centre, notable for the development of the first synthetic fertilizer (superphosphate) and long‐term farming experiments (LTEs) spanning over 170 years. In 2015, RRes recruited several life cycle assessment (LCA) experts and began adopting the method to utilize high resolution agronomical data covering livestock (primarily ruminants), grassland/forage productivity and quality, and arable systems established on its North Wyke Farm Platform (NWFP) and the LTEs. The NWFP is a UK 'National Bioscience Research Infrastructure' (NBRI) developed for informing and testing systems science utilising high‐resolution data to determine whether it is possible to produce nutritious food sustainably. Thanks largely to the multidisciplinary knowledge at RRes, and its collaborators, its LCA Team has been at the forefront of methodological advances during a 6‐year Institute Strategic Programme (ISP) 'Soil‐to‐Nutrition' (S2N). While S2N investigated the co‐benefits and trade‐offs of new mechanistic understanding of efficient nutrient use across scales from pot to landscape, this commentary specifically synthesizes progress in incorporating human nutrition in the context of environmental footprinting, known as 'nutritional LCA' (nLCA). We conclude our commentary with a brief discussion on future pathways of exploration and methodological developments covering various activities along entire agri‐food supply‐chains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is a rapid increase in demand for higher quality and healthier diets in less developed regions such as rural areas. Given the large disparity in nutrition levels between urban and rural areas, such demands are justified and should be pursued. However, little attention has been paid to the environmental consequences of rural diet change and the solutions that follow. With its large scale of rural population and the rapid development of rural areas due to the implementation of Rural Revitalization National Strategy, China is taken as a typical example to explore the environmental impacts of rural dietary improvement. A framework for evaluating water footprints, carbon footprints, and ecological footprints is established, and four scenarios are presented based on increased rural income and a reduction in urban-rural imbalance. The findings revealed a significant improvement in diet quality with increasing income, decreasing urban-rural disparities, and compensating for insufficient food consumption (total deviation decreases from 69% to an average of 38%). However, such improvements would significantly increase the environmental burden, with water footprints ranging from 24% to 71%, carbon footprints ranging from 5% to 46%, and ecological footprints ranging from 20% to 122%. The primary reason is increased consumption of dairy products, meat, and aquatic products. As a result, when developing national dietary guidelines, environmental indicators should be considered alongside nutrition and health metrics. ● Demands for a more nutritional diet is increasing in developing countries. ● Dietary shifting is associated with income increase and urban-rural integration. ● Dietary transformation imposes high environmental burdens in scenarios analyzed. ● Environmental consideration should be integrated with nutrition improvement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BackgroundAnimal and plant protein sources have contrasting relationships with nutrient adequacy and long-term health, and their adequate ratio is highly debated.ObjectiveWe aimed to explore how the percentage of plant protein in the diet (%PP) relates to nutrient adequacy and long-term health but also to environmental pressures, to determine the adequate and potentially optimal %PP values.MethodsObserved diets were extracted from the dietary intakes of French adults (INCA3, n = 1,125). Using reference values for nutrients and disease burden risks for foods, we modeled diets with graded %PP values that simultaneously ensure nutrient adequacy, minimize long-term health risks and preserve at best dietary habits. This multi-criteria diet optimization was conducted in a hierarchical manner, giving priority to long-term health over diet proximity, under the constraints of ensuring nutrient adequacy and food cultural acceptability. We explored the tensions between objectives and identified the most critical nutrients and influential constraints by sensitivity analysis. Finally, environmental pressures related to the modeled diets were estimated using the AGRIBALYSE database.ResultsWe find that nutrient-adequate diets must fall within the ~15–80% %PP range, a slightly wider range being nevertheless identifiable by waiving the food acceptability constraints. Fully healthy diets, also achieving the minimum-risk exposure levels for both unhealthy and healthy foods, must fall within the 25–70% %PP range. All of these healthy diets were very distant from current typical diet. Those with higher %PP had lower environmental impacts, notably on climate change and land use, while being as far from current diet.ConclusionThere is no single optimal %PP value when considering only nutrition and health, but high %PP diets are more sustainable. For %PP > 80%, nutrient fortification/supplementation and/or new foods are required.

Studies on the environmental footprints of agricultural production have strong links with 4 out of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) established by the United Nations. Irrigation systems are essential tools for increasing agricultural yields, particularly in arid regions. However, the production and assembly of these systems can have significant environmental impacts, including excessive water consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. Although studies have approached biomass production, few of them have provided data about asset depreciation, such as irrigation systems, machinery, etc. Trying to fill this gap, this study aimed at determining the water and carbon footprints of two commonly used irrigation systems: center pivot and drip. Several variables, including the irrigated area, pump power, filter type, system flow, and pipe length, were analyzed to determine the carbon and water footprints of each component of the irrigation systems. The results reveal that the materials used for pipes and filters had the most significant impact on the water and carbon footprints, with galvanized steel pipes and sand filters having the highest footprints. Additionally, the irrigated area affected the center pivot and drip systems differently, with the depreciation of the irrigation systems being a significant variable for both water and carbon footprints. These results can support the development of sustainable irrigation practices that reduce environmental impacts while enhancing agricultural yields. Decision-makers can use this information to establish a life-cycle database and evaluate the impact of irrigation systems on water and carbon footprints. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Modern‐day firms are under extreme pressure from diverse stakeholders to integrate environmentalism, mainly sustainable, social, and environmental ingenuities like biodiversity initiatives, into their business strategy. Collaborative arrangements in the form of business groups can positively influence sustainable development and environmental ingenuities by adhering to environmental policies and regulations and pursuing environmental orientation as they have a higher political or social visibility. However, such collaborations may negatively influence ecological and carbon footprints as their stronger political legitimacy means that they are less worried about undertaking legitimation activities in the drive toward environmental protection and restoration, such as enhanced sustainable social and environmental performance. This paper adds to the emerging conflicting business strategy and environment literature to resolve whether corporate's collaborative actions protect the environment or further deteriorate it in the form of increased or decreased sustainable social and environmental performance. Using a large sample of 21,086 firm‐year observations from 2010 to 2018 in China (the world's biggest polluter), we find a negative and significant relationship between corporate's collaborative actions and sustainable social and environmental performance, implying that such collaborative arrangements have worse sustainable social and environmental performance than non‐collaborative (individual) firms. The findings highlight vital guidelines in framing stratagems about ecological protection and restoration and effectively improving the environmental footprints of the firms. Our results constitute the interests of policymakers and controllers concerned with evaluating initiatives pertaining to ecological protection and sustainable development among the collaboratively managed enterprises. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The transition to sustainable fruit production is vital for global sustainability and agricultural development. However, implementing these insights into practice faces significant challenges. Pomelo (Citrus maxima), a prominent citrus species in tropical and subtropical regions, has been cultivated to enhance farmer profitability but increasing yields often comes at the cost of environmental degradation. This study uses pomelo as a case study to assess key factors influencing pomelo production and establish optimal practices that meet consumption-based food while co-benefits for environmental and economic sustainability. A comprehensive study was conducted by combining 1155 farm surveys (from 2010, 2018, and 2022) with 31 field experiments. Life cycle assessment (LCA), classification and regression tree (CART) analysis, and scenario analysis were employed to develop pathways for sustainable pomelo production in Pinghe County, Fujian Province, China. Results show no significant differences in pomelo yield across the three years; however, pomelo production in 2022 demonstrated a 60 %–67 % lower in environmental footprints and a 64 %–76 % higher benefit-cost ratio (BCR) compared to 2010 and 2018. Tree age was identified as a critical factor influencing pomelo yield, with optimal yields observed in trees older than 12.5 years. The rate of phosphorus fertilizer application was a key determinant of the phosphorus footprint (PF), which was positively correlated with phosphorus fertilizer rates. Similarly, nitrogen fertilizer application significantly impacted both carbon and nitrogen footprints (CF and NF) as well as the BCR. CF and NF increased with higher nitrogen fertilizer rates, while BCR exhibited a negative correlation with nitrogen fertilizer application. Implementing Science and Technology Backyards (STB) followed by farmer training of slightly more than pomelo nutrient requirements practice (SNRP) or coordinate management by farmers and researchers of matching pomelo nutrients requirement practice (MNRP) had 50 %–91 % lower environmental footprints per ton of pomelo produced and 15 %–44 % higher BCR compared to current farming practices (FP) via reducing 46 %–77 % N, 49 %–92 % P 2 O 5 , and 42 %–73 % K 2 O per hectare. Moreover, adopting 100 % MNRP in pomelo production, along with sustainable fertilizer practices and the implementation of innovative fertilizers, could reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions (0.76 Tg), reactive nitrogen (Nr) emissions (8.76 Gg), phosphorus (P) losses (0.84 Gg), and augment net ecosystem economic benefits (NEEB) (0.94 billion CNY) at the county scale. Our study provides evidence-based strategies for achieving sustainable pomelo production through multi-stakeholder collaboration of STB, government, enterprises, and smallholders. [Display omitted] • Tree age was crucial factors for pomelo yield. • Chemical fertilizer use was main factor in environment and economy for pomelo production. • Matching pomelo nutrients requirement practice and dissemination are co-benefit of environment and economy. • "One-stop" multistakeholder program achieve sustainable fruit development at the county scale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The transition to healthier diets might be accompanied by trade-offs that occur in other parts of the food system. In this study the trade-offs between socio-economic, environmental, and health indicators were analyzed in different dietary scenarios for Bangladesh between 2022 and 2050. We used a global economic simulation model with updated national food consumption data, extended with a footprint module to track environmental impacts through the food value chain in Bangladesh and its trading partners. This study compares a business-as-usual (BAU) diet with the EAT-Lancet diet and the Bangladesh food-based dietary guidelines (FBDGs). The BAU diet has a higher intake of animal products and sugar, and a lower intake of vegetables, fruits, legumes, and nuts than the EAT-Lancet and FBDG diets. We found that promoting a diet with more plant-based proteins has a strong positive impact on dietary health and an overall positive impact on the environment compared to the BAU scenario. This is due to the reduced impact of animal protein production on greenhouse gas emissions and the reduced impact of rice production on water use and nitrogen application. In addition, the transition to sustainable and healthy diets had minor impacts on the wages of low-skilled workers, Bangladesh’s self-sufficiency, and the affordability of food and cereals. In particular, the FDBG diet scenario scored best on diet and cereal affordability, as well as freshwater use compared to the other two scenarios. The decrease in the self-sufficiency ratio was comparable to the BAU diet scenario and smaller compared to the EAT-Lancet diet.

Understanding how consumption patterns affect the environment and shape well-being hinges on the rationale that the data collected on what is consumed, who consumes it, and where it is consumed are indeed accurate. To identify these consumption patterns and recommend corresponding policies, researchers and policy makers often rely on national surveys. Studies have explored the accuracy of individual surveys and the level of agreement across surveys of the same type (e.g. household expenditures), but no studies have compared representative national surveys measuring consumption in different ways. This study compares household consumption measured as expenditures and as material consumption (i.e. physical units) to assess how well we currently measure what we consume. We use multiple rigorous, national surveys to estimate meat consumption, household energy use, and private automobile use in the United States, with consumption profiles parsed by affluence, race/ethnicity, and education. Our results indicate that commonly used surveys may not accurately track important aspects of household consumption. For meat consumption, which included 30 consumption profiles detailing the consumption patterns across different demographic characteristics and meat types (e.g. kilograms beef consumed/capita for Caucasians), there is considerable disagreement between data sources for 20 profiles. By contrast, national surveys accurately measure household energy and transport (disagreement for four profiles). Our findings indicate that national surveys more accurately measure consistently tracked, standardized consumables like electricity than irregularly tracked, variable goods such as food. These results cast doubt on studies that use national surveys to draw conclusions about the how the environmental impacts of food, and, potentially, other goods (e.g. manufactured goods) vary across demographic groups. Overcoming this challenge will necessitate new surveys, updating legacy databases, and harnessing breakthroughs in data science.

A sustainable diet is widely recognized as an effective way to solve environmental and healthy dilemmas. Due to economy improvement, food consumption is undergoing a dietary transition toward more animal-based products. However, very few studies explored how geographical locations are correlated with dietary environmental footprints. Here, we quantified the per capita ecological footprint (EFP) and Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of Chinese people’s food consumption during the 2015 to 2020 period. Our results showed that the southern residents with high per capita disposable income (PCDI) showed the highest EFP (0.596 ha) and GHG emissions (1946 kgCO2eq), and the northern residents with low PCDI showed the lowest EFP (0.368 ha) and GHG emissions (1260 kgCO2eq). The overconsumption of meat is severe in China, and southern high PCDI residents annually consumed 116.7% more than they need. The EFP and GHG emissions were significantly related to geographical locations (i.e., southern and northern areas), direct economic indicators (i.e., PCDI and food expenditure), and indirect economic indicators (i.e., urban and rural status, and East-Central-West areas) (all p

A novel hybrid inclined-multi effect vertical diffusion (Hybrid I-MEVD) solar still has been proposed and its viability for sustainable water distillation has been assessed based on detailed techno-enviro-economic aspects. The optimum number of diffusion chambers and recommended diffusion gap of integrated MEVD still was estimated to be 4 and 0.01 m, respectively. Incorporation of the bottom reflector at yearly average optimum tilt angle enhanced yield by about 34.0 to 90.0%. Yearly average distillate yield, coefficient of performance, and exergy efficiency were about 21.35 kg/day, 1.05, and 10.44%, respectively. Net carbon-di-oxide, sulphur-di-oxide, and nitrogen oxide emission mitigation potential ranged between 37.02 to 65.05 tons, 266.20 to 467.71 kg and 108.73 to 191.04 kg, respectively. Global warming potential, acidification potential, photochemical oxidants creation potential, eutrophication potential, and human toxicity potential were about 67.25 kg of CO2/kL of distillate, 591.04 g of SO2/kL of distillate, 178.63 g of C2H4/kL of distillate, 23.22 g of PO4/kL of distillate, and 698.53 g of DCB/kL of distillate, respectively. The minimum distillate production cost was estimated to be about 13.3 USD/kL. High distillate production rate, minimal environmental footprint, and distillate production cost justify Hybrid I-MEVD still to be a sustainable option for potable water production in fresh water-starved regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Goal and theoretical commentary: A number of recent life cycle assessment (LCA) studies have concluded that animal-sourced foods should be restricted—or even avoided—within the human diet due to their relatively high environmental impacts (particularly those from ruminants) compared with other protein-rich foods (mainly protein-rich plant foods). From a nutritional point of view, however, issues such as broad nutrient bioavailability, amino acid balances, digestibility and even non-protein nutrient density (e.g., micronutrients) need to be accounted for before making such recommendations to the global population. This is especially important given the contribution of animal sourced foods to nutrient adequacy in the global South and vulnerable populations of high-income countries (e.g., children, women of reproductive age and elderly). Often, however, LCAs simplify this reality by using 'protein' as a functional unit in their models and basing their analyses on generic nutritional requirements. Even if a 'nutritional functional unit' (nFU) is utilised, it is unlikely to consider the complexities of amino acid composition and subsequent protein accretion. The discussion herein focuses on nutritional LCA (nLCA), particularly on the usefulness of nFUs such as 'protein,' and whether protein quality should be considered when adopting the nutrient as an (n)FU. Further, a novel and informative case study is provided to demonstrate the strengths and weaknesses of protein-quality adjustment. Case study methods: To complement current discussions, we present an exploratory virtual experiment to determine how Digestible Indispensable Amino Acid Scores (DIAAS) might play a role in nLCA development by correcting for amino acid quality and digestibility. DIAAS is a scoring mechanism which considers the limiting indispensable amino acids (IAAs) within an IAA balance of a given food (or meal) and provides a percentage contribution relative to recommended daily intakes for IAA and subsequent protein anabolism; for clarity, we focus only on single food items (4 × animal-based products and 4 × plant-based products) in the current case exemplar. Further, we take beef as a sensitivity analysis example (which we particularly recommend when considering IAA complementarity at the meal-level) to elucidate how various cuts of the same intermediary product could affect the interpretation of nLCA results of the end-product(s). Recommendations: First, we provide a list of suggestions which are intended to (a) assist with deciding whether protein-quality correction is necessary for a specific research question and (b) acknowledge additional uncertainties by providing mitigating opportunities to avoid misinterpretation (or worse, dis-interpretation) of protein-focused nLCA studies. We conclude that as relevant (primary) data availability from supply chain 'gatekeepers' (e.g., international agri-food distributors and processors) becomes more prevalent, detailed consideration of IAA provision of contrasting protein sources needs to be acknowledged—ideally quantitatively with DIAAS being one example—in nLCA studies utilising protein as a nFU. We also contend that future nLCA studies should discuss the complementarity of amino acid balances at the meal-level, as a minimum, rather than the product level when assessing protein metabolic responses of consumers. Additionally, a broader set of nutrients should ideally be included when evaluating "protein-rich foods" which provide nutrients that extend beyond amino acids, which is of particular importance when exploring dietary-level nLCA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Overexploiting ecosystems to meet growing food demands threatens global agricultural sustainability and food security. Addressing these challenges requires solutions tailored to regional agro-ecological boundaries (AEBs) and overall agro-ecological risks. Here, we propose a globally consistent and regionally adapted approach for quantifying regional AEBs. Based on this approach, we develop a region-specific integrated Footprint-AEB framework that combines six environmental footprints (EFs) with AEBs to capture the overall environmental impacts on China's regional agro-ecosystems. Results indicate that individual EFs cannot reliably reveal the complexity of agro-ecological stressors without comprehensive assessment relative to regionally determined boundaries. For example, Northwest China faces higher water boundary stress despite lower water footprints compared to Central China, and regions such as Qinghai and Ningxia exhibit higher integrated AEB stress driven by combined water, land, and biodiversity stresses. Additionally, imbalanced integrated AEB stress transfer via trade, mainly from industrialized eastern to vulnerable western regions, is identified as a key driver of AEB exceedance in Northwest China. This fosters a nuanced understanding of environmental responsibility and equity. The integrated Footprint-AEB framework provides new insights into agro-ecosystem dynamics and supports targeted interventions to avoid shifting environmental stressors. These challenges confront agro-ecosystems worldwide.

Metals play a vital role in economic development, and resource scarcity is currently a huge global challenge. To better understand the economic drivers underlying metal resource depletion, it is critical to quantify the scarcity-weighted metal footprints from different perspectives. Previous studies have estimated the scarcity-weighted metal footprints from the extraction perspective (representing consumed resources out of the total available resources). However, the scarcity-weighted metal footprints from a reserve perspective have been overlooked, indicating that the global metal supply insecurity cannot be revealed comprehensively. This study quantified the global scarcity-weighted metal footprints for 13 kinds of metals by combining a reserve-based scarcity indicator with an environmentally-extended multi-regional input-output model. We also compared the reserve-based scarcity results with that of extraction-based scarcity and non-weighted. Results show that the reserve-side scarcity indicator brings to light the metal scarcity risks of some nations with small reserves (e.g., Mexico and Ireland). For example, Ireland ranked 69th and 55th in terms of actual extraction and extraction-side scarcity-weighted footprints, but 4th in terms of reserve-based scarcity-weighted footprints. Moreover, the scarcity-weighted footprints of some nations with large metal reserves (e.g., Brazil and Australia) are overestimated by the traditional extraction-based indicator. The reserve-based scarcity-weighted metal footprints can help nations identify metal supply risks from the viewpoint of their natural resource endowment. The findings can provide new insights for policymakers around the world when assessing metal resource sustainability to achieve effective resource management.

From the late 1900s onward, hydrocarbon exploitation has led to severe environmental footprints in the Khuzestan province, Iran. However, no comprehensive study has been conducted to evaluate such issues. In this research, an inclusive analysis was performed to investigate these environmental impacts. To do this, first, two datasets related to a 15-year period (2006–2021) were collated: the satellite data from the Sentinel-1 mission and the seismic data recorded by the National Iranian Geophysics Institute as well as the catalog of the global Centroid Moment Tensor project (CMT). These datasets were processed using generic mapping tools (GMT), differential synthetic aperture radar (D-InSAR) techniques, and multiple processing algorithms using a specific toolbox for oil spill application in the sentinel application platform (SNAP) programming, respectively. The results revealed three critical footprints, including regional earthquakes, land subsidence, and oil spill issues in the area. The most frequent earthquakes originated from depths less than 15 km, indicating the disturbance of the crustal tectonics by the regional hydrocarbons. Furthermore, an annual rate of land subsidence equal to 10–15 cm was observed in the coastal areas of the Khuzestan province. Moreover, two regions located in the north and west of the Persian Gulf were detected as the permanently oil-spilled areas. The applied methodology and results are quite applicable to restrict the harmful consequences of hydrocarbon production in the study area. This research will benefit not only government officials and policymakers, but also those looking to understand the environmental challenges related to oil and gas production, especially in terms of sustainable goals for the management of natural resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The wheat production in the food basket of South Asia has plateaued with threats of environmental sustainability and posing a serious challenge to future food security. For sustainable wheat production in conventional rice-wheat (CTRW) systems under changing climatic scenario, atwo-year on-farm study was conducted. We evaluated system optimization practices (SOP) of legume inclusion with CTR-zero-tillage (ZT) wheat-mungbean (CTR-ZTWMb) and direct seeded rice-ZT wheat-mungbean (DSR-ZTWMb) and triple ZT (raised bed) based futuristic systems of maize-wheat-mungbean (ZTMWMb) and soybean-wheat-mungbean (ZTSWMb). The global warming potential (GWP) of wheat production was significantly reduced by 811 kg CO 2 eq/ha (783−861) in the SOP compared to CTRW. Moreover, the water usein wheat reduced by 85.9 and 85.2 ha-mm/ha in CTR-ZTWMb and DSR-ZTWMb with higher reduction in ZTMWMb and ZTSWMb by128.7 and 118.0 ha-mm/ha, respectively over CTRW. Similarly, the total weed density was reduced at 60 (39 and 52 %) and 90 (38 and 49 %) days after sowing with CTR-ZTWMb and DSR-ZTWMb over CTRW. However, the weed density reduction was lesser with ZTSWMb and ZTMWMb at 60 (3.0 and 23.6 %), and 90 (9.8 and 31.0 %) days after sowingcompared to the CTRW.The partial factor productivity (PFP) of NPK applied was 8.5–19.0 % higher under SOP over the CTRW. The use of non-renewable energy in wheat cultivation was reduced by 24.4–28.9 % with SOP over CTRW. The enhancement in wheat grain yield (7.4–11.8 %) and net returns (98–169 US$/ha) was also recorded with CTR-ZTWMb and DSR-ZTWMb and this gain in futuristic systems (ZTMWMb and ZTSWMb) was much higher in grain yield (17.2–21.0 %) as well as in net returns (283 and 362 US$/ha) over CTRW. The adoption of these SOPs on 1 million ha could produce 0.37–1.05 million t additional wheat over CTRW. The on-farm study evidenced thatwheat production with system optimization practices of legume inclusion and zero tillage are better alternatives to achieve higher productivity and profitability with a lesserenvironmental footprint in Indo-Gangetic Plains and similar agroecological regions. [Display omitted] • System optimization practices (SOP) reduced wheat water use by 85.2–128.7 ha-mm/ha. • SOP decreased wheat production GWP by 811 kg CO 2 eq/ha. • Weed infestation reduced by 38–52 % in wheat by zero tillage with residue retention. • SOP adoption on 1 million hectares produces 0.37–1.05 million tonnes more wheat. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To examine the association of adherence to the Mediterranean Diet (MD) with Environmental Footprints (EFPs) among women of childbearing age in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Methods: Data belonging to a nationally representative sample of 482 women (19–50 years) were derived from a previous survey in the UAE. In face-to-face interviews, participants completed questionnaires addressing sociodemographic, physical activity, and dietary intake characteristics; the latter assessed using a multiple pass 24-h recall. The composite Mediterranean (c-MED) index was used to examine the adherence to the MD. Metrics for the EFPs (water use, energy use, and GHG emissions) were calculated using Life Cycle Analyses. Descriptive statistics and linear regressions were used in data analysis. Results: In the study sample, the distribution of the c-MED scores was skewed to the right, indicating a low adherence to the MD. The lowest contributions to the total c-MED score were observed for legumes (2.9%) and olive oil (1.8%). The EFPs associated with food consumption per 1000 kcal were: water use: 1256.89 ± 544.95 L/day; energy use: 18.01 ± 7.85 MJ/day, and GHG: 2.46 ± 1.46 kg CO2 eq/day. After adjustment for age, energy intake, and potential confounders, being adherent to the MD was associated with 540.57 [95% CI (− 726.6; − 354.54)] units decrease in water use and 0.94 units decrease in GHG emissions [95% CI (− 1.45; − 0.43)]. Conclusions: The findings of this study revealed an inverse association between adherence to the MD and EFPs. As such, the MD may represent a promising dietary strategy to improve health outcomes and reduce the environmental impact. Public health programs addressing the low adherence to the MD among women of childbearing age in the UAE are warranted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we examine whether the projects of the United States (U.S.) corporations have implemented initiatives to reduce the environmental footprint of their supply chains during coronavirus (COVID-19). Environmental footprint reductions could be achieved by reducing waste, reducing resource use, and reducing ecological emissions by introducing environmental management systems in the supply chains. For this aim, the project's initiatives play a crucial role. This study has the primary purpose of examining the impact of ecological footprints on financial performance achieved by US corporations' initiatives implemented through projects during the COVID-19 period. The final sample comprises 9997 company-year observations over the investigation period between 2010 and 2020. The results suggest that firms implementing the initiatives to reduce environmental footprint have shown a significant positive financial performance during the COVID-19 period. The results are robust to alternative specifications of informativeness and sensitivity tests controlling for time-invariant firm characteristics and alternative firms' performance measures. Our results corroborate with stakeholder theory, which implies implementing green policies will alleviate the agency issue and safeguard the shareholders' interest. Moreover, it clearly demonstrates the positive impact of environmental projects-focused organizations on the financial and environmental performance even while challenging and disrupting situations such as this unprecedented pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Debate on the sustainability of the global food system often compares the environmental, economic and health impacts of plant- and animal-sourced foods. This distinction can mask the considerable variation in impacts across and within these food groups. Moreover, the nutritional benefits of these food groups are insufficiently discussed. In this review, we highlight the nutritional contribution to the current global food system of both plant- and animal-sourced foods and place their impacts on human health in the global context. We highlight how the comparison of the environmental impacts of foods via life cycle analyses can change on the basis of the functional unit used, particularly the use of mass as opposed to nutrient content or nutrient richness. We review the literature on the affordability of nutrient-adequate diets, demonstrating the presence of both plant- and animal-sourced foods in affordable nutritious diets. Finally, we address the potential of alternative food sources that are gaining momentum, to ask where they may fit in a sustainable food system. We conclude that there is a clear place for both plant- and animal-sourced foods in future sustainable food systems, and a requirement for both for sustainable global nutrition; as such, the two groups are complementary and not competitive. Although significant debate exists on the role of animal-sourced foods in a sustainable food system, the human nutrition aspects of this debate are under-represented given their central significance. We review the importance of both plant- and animal-sourced foods to human nutrition and health, and demonstrate the complementary nature of the two in sustainable food systems of the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The prime objective of this research is to explore the impacts of import and export diversification and renewable energy on environmental footprints. In doing so, the authors employ the data of trade diversification, income inequality, renewable energy, and ecological footprints for 17 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) countries covering the period of 1995–2019. In econometric framework, the authors use two baseline empirical models based on key indicators such as trade (exports and imports) diversification index, income inequality, renewable energy, and globalization. The empirical analysis from both specifications suggests a cointegrating relation between the key variables of interest. The Long-run empirical estimates from FMOLS, and DOLS methods indicate that income inequality and import diversification increase ecological issues while globalization and exports diversification abate it. Further analysis through Granger causality highlights unilateral causal relationships running from renewable energy consumption to imports diversification, and from ecological footprint to imports diversification. The conclusions of this study stress the importance of harmonic policies, synchronization in trade, energy and resource consumption in achieving sustainable development goals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Providing a growing global population with healthy and sustainable diets is an immediate challenge. In the current study, estimates were obtained for the environmental footprints (land, water, and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions) in association with the Mediterranean diet (MED) and the EAT-Lancet reference diet, which represents a healthy diet derived from sustainable food systems. We used a newly developed Sustainable Healthy Diet (SHED) index that was validated for the Israeli population by Tepper et al. in 2020.MethodsA group of 525 participants were recruited via social media, email, and phone. Demographic characteristics, quality of life, and answers to the SHED-index questionnaire were obtained. Dietary assessment was performed using the 116-item Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ), which was developed for the Israeli population. Adherence to the MED was calculated using a 9-point score. Adherence to the EAT-Lancet reference diet was assessed through the consumption of 14 food components. The environmental pressure of these dietary patterns was determined based on the “footprint family indicators,” which include land, water, and carbon footprints per unit of agricultural and food products. We assigned values for each food comprising the FFQ and calculated the environmental load for each dietary pattern. Statistical analyses were performed using the R package version 4.1.1 to compare environmental footprint values according to tertiles of the MED score, EAT-Lancet score, and SHED score.ResultsThe participants (n = 525) were 49% women, educated (82% had academic education), and physically active, and only 13% were smokers. The highest tertiles of adherence to the MED, adherence to the EAT-Lancet reference diet, and the SHED index were associated with the lowest GHG emissions and land use, as well as higher water use. Meat consumption contributed the most to land use, while dairy contributed the most to GHG emissions, and fruits contributed the most to water use.ConclusionsOur analysis reveals that animal protein is the highest contributor to GHG emissions and land use, while fruits and vegetables contribute the most to water consumption. Nevertheless, most of the fruits and vegetables are grown using treated wastewater, which reduces environmental pressure. Given these findings, we suggest that MED and EAT-Lancet dietary patterns should be included in national dietary guidelines.

Input–output analyses are increasingly used to estimate consumption-based environmental footprints. The potential of estimates of social, economic, and ecosystem consequences of lifestyle interventions can be improved by detailing the complex way that final demand arises from patterns of household activities, i.e. from how households choose to use their time. We perform a systematic literature review by searching three scientific databases and using backward citation snowballing to clarify how input–output models have been used to analyse household activity patterns. We discuss the prospects of the used methods for estimating environmental footprints associated with households’ time uses in activities. We identified 48 relevant studies, each contributing with motivations and methods that are important for household activity-level environmental footprint accounting. When linked with the market economy and environmentally extended, input–output tables detailing the use of time and money across household types provide a clear picture of the connections between the economy, the social sphere, and the environment. Realistic expenditure and time-use data structures quantify the production and consumption activities that occur in households and the associated household inequalities in time use and expenditure patterns. Household activity-level environmental footprints differ notably across household activities. The reviewed studies provide the foundation for detailed and complete environmental footprint data at the household activity level to support policy decisions targeting everyday life. The current research on the topic is patchy with only one study modelling multiple countries and only one country being modelled across years. The research needs to be harmonised and scaled up to allow for comprehensive analyses. Ideally, future modelling should cover more countries with continuous data series and harmonised data collection and analysis methods.

Foreign Multinational Enterprises (FMNEs), as core participants of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), play a significant role in international transfers of pollution, emissions, and resources. To mitigate the hidden environmental pressures induced by inward FDI, it is necessary for host countries to scrutinize the environmental spillovers of FMNEs from a life cycle perspective, rather than solely focusing on direct impacts. However, existing studies have primarily centered on the direct environmental impacts of FMNEs when evaluating their environmental externalities. In response to this limitation, we employed an environmentally extended Multi-Regional Input-Output model and the Analytical AMNE database to assess the life cycle environmental impacts of FMNEs in China, a leading destination for FDI globally. The study examines five environmental impacts, including carbon emission, blue water consumption, land use, metal depletion, and air pollution. The results show that FMNEs in China have low direct environmental footprints but receive substantial environmental footprints from their major upstream partners – Chinese domestic enterprises, posing a great "hidden" environmental pressure on China. The findings reveal that the FDI into China is seemingly clean from a "direct impact" perspective but in actually not environmental friendly from a "life cycle" perspective. Our research provides insightful implications for host countries to understand the environmental spillovers of FMNEs from a life cycle perspective and attract "life-cycle clean" FDI that harmonize economic value with environmental sustainability. The findings could guide policymakers to adopt effective environmental regulations to address carbon leakage, shifting the focus from producers to initiators. • We assessed the life-cycle environmental footprints of FMNEs in China. • The carbon, blue water, land, metal and air pollution footprints are considered. • The environmental footprint of FMNEs in China increased rapidly between 2000 and 2010. • FMNEs outsource highly polluting and resource-intensive tasks to domestic firms. • FMNEs in China have an illusion of cleanliness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]