Estimation of soil carbon change from rotation cropping of rapeseed with wheat in the hydrotreated renewable jet life cycle

Better information on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and mitigation potential in the agricultural sector is necessary to manage these emissions and identify responses that are consistent with the food security and economic development priorities of countries. Critical activity data (what crops or livestock are managed in what way) are poor or lacking for many agricultural systems, especially in developing countries. In addition, the currently available methods for quantifying emissions and mitigation are often too expensive or complex or not sufficiently user friendly for widespread use.The purpose of this focus issue is to capture the state of the art in quantifying greenhouse gases from agricultural systems, with the goal of better understanding our current capabilities and near-term potential for improvement, with particular attention to quantification issues relevant to smallholders in developing countries. This work is timely in light of international discussions and negotiations around how agriculture should be included in efforts to reduce and adapt to climate change impacts, and considering that significant climate financing to developing countries in post-2012 agreements may be linked to their increased ability to identify and report GHG emissions (Murphy et al 2010, CCAFS 2011, FAO 2011).

Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from the incineration of municipal solid waste (MSW) have become a concern in the solid waste community from the perspective of climate change mitigation and response. In this study, we aimed to estimate the GHG emissions from the incineration of MSW in Seoul, with a population of about 10 million, by using the IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) 2006 guideline and scenario analysis for 2030 and 2040. In 2021, Seoul generated 2899 kt of MSW/yr. Approximately 40% (1163 kt/yr) of Seoul’s MSW was disposable (or non-recyclable) waste. Out of the disposable waste, about 741 kt/yr of combustible waste was treated by incineration, resulting in 545 kt CO2 eq emissions, which was about 7.5 times higher than the 74 kt CO2 eq in 2000. The dominant contributor to the GHG emissions was plastic waste, accounting for the largest fraction of 92% (501 kt CO2 eq/yr in 2021). Scenario analysis showed that if the current situation (BAU scenario) is considered, with the assumption of no reduction in MSW generation, the capacity of Seoul’s four incineration facilities will be exceeded in 2029. All other scenarios (S1, S2, and S3) showed reduced amounts of MSW incineration and GHG emissions compared to the BAU scenario. Especially, S3 (waste reduction and increased recycling rate) revealed a 53% reduction when compared to the BAU scenario. Based on the results of our scenario analysis, it is expected that in 2040, the GHG emissions from incineration will be in a range of from about 389 kt CO2 eq to 832 kt CO2 eq, depending on the waste minimization policy and recycling efforts in the future. Strengthened regulations on and efforts towards plastic waste reduction and the recycling of MSW will be crucial with the perspectives of GHG emissions by incineration and resource recovery.

Carbon emission from pig production is an issue of great importance owing to its effect on global warming. Differed from widespread large-scale pig farms in North America and Europe, small-scale and smallholder pig farms are mainly concentrated in China. However, information on carbon emissions from Chinese smallholder pig farms is limited. Additionally, large amounts of drugs and vaccines have been applied during smallholder pig production in China, yet their contribution to carbon emissions is unclear. Therefore, detailed dataset which records all inputs during a pig's entire life cycle should be obtained, so as to accurately determine the magnitude of carbon emissions from Chinese smallholder pig farms. This study took Yancheng, eastern China, as an example and adopted the carbon footprint (CF), life cycle inventory (LCI), and Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) greenhouse gas (GHG) field calculations to accurately estimate the GHG emissions resulting from pig production of China. Furthermore, the contributions of vaccine application and other driving forces behind GHG emissions were identified using statistic methods. In the study area, the pig CFs in the nursery period, fattening period, and full life cycle were 5.83, 4.73, and 6.75kg CO2 eq·kg-1 respectively. The CF of pig production in the study area varied from 4.74 to 9.48kg CO2 eq·kg-1, with an average of 6.75kg CO2 eq·kg-1; this average was, overall, higher than that of large-scale pig farms in North America and Europe. GHG emissions from manure (42.87%) and fodder (27.77%) were responsible for a large proportion of the total CF. Normal vaccine inputs contributed highly (15.33%) to the total CF. The contribution of vaccine application to the CF is roughly evaluated, suggesting it may be a potentially important source of GHG emissions in pig production and should receive more attention in the future. Furthermore, GHG emissions from smallholder pig production farms can be significantly reduced by developing a mixed crop-livestock system, increasing the application of organic fertilizers, and installing biogas digesters.

The European Union (EU) has proposed legislative revisions to achieve climate neutrality in EU by 2050. The Land Use, Land-Use Change and Forestry (LULUCF) Regulation, adopted in 2018, is being revised to ensure that accounted greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from LULUCF are balanced by equivalent accounted removals of carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere. This study focuses on the impact of targeted tree introduction in agricultural land in Latvia, specifically afforestation of drained organic soil and implementation of agroforestry systems (riparian buffer strips), on national GHG reduction targets for the LULUCF sector. The potential contributions of selected measures were evaluated using evaluation methods including GHG emissions factors based on the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) guidelines and recent scientific studies. The study differentiated between different land use categories by GHG emissions from soil and CO2 removals in living biomass, dead wood, litter, mineral soil, and organic soil. Basic scenarios were compared with additional scenarios that included afforestation of drained organic soils and implementation of agroforestry systems. The study analysed the possibilities of achieving LULUCF sector goals for 2030, 2035, and 2050 with the selected scenarios. According to the basic scenarios, the LULUCF sector has been a continuous source of GHG emissions since 2019, partly compensated by forest management by 2040, but after 2040 forest management becomes a source of GHG emissions as well. The study shows that afforestation of organic soils currently used for agricultural production can reduce GHG emissions and ensure the achievement of national LULUCF targets for 2021-2025, with a significant decrease in GHG emissions by 3.9 million t CO2 eq. during the 2021-2025 period if compared to the basic scenario. However, the study finds that national target of net GHG removals is not achieved for 2026-2030 according to both basic and afforestation scenarios if no additional measures, e.g., establishment of the shelter belts, are implemented.

Operationalizing marketable blue carbon

Biodiesel is an alternative to tackle global warming, especially for reducing greenhouse gases (GHG) emissions when replacing fossil fuels. However, it can compete for land with food production. Brazil is a global player on soybeans farming and most of the biodiesel produced in the country comes from it. This work proposes a new approach to evaluate its impact, associating land use change (LUC) analysis with life cycle assessment (LCA) in a representative Brazilian soybeans farming zone. LUC assessment used Landsat satellite imagery analysis from the years 1993 and 2013, and intergovernmental panel on climate change (IPCC) guidelines to estimate GHG emissions. LCA was based on field data collection processed with SimaPro®. Results show that the increment on annual GHG emissions per hectare, derived from the apportioning total emissions for the period studied, was 50.16 kg CO2 eq ha−1 y−1. From this increment, 97.1 % come from LUC, being the largest share from converting pastures to soybeans farming (81.2 % of the total emissions). However, in the area, a large share of converted pastures are degraded, acting as source of emissions, not as sink as considered by IPCC. At the same time, practices like no-tillage make soybeans a carbon sink. Therefore, results could change if alternative approaches were to be adopted, being a challenge for future work. Therefore, when considering biodiesel from soybeans, a close regard to local land use dynamics is essential to evaluate impacts. Besides, promoting more efficient use of land already cleared with the goal to avoid deforestation can turn biodiesel into a sustainable renewable energy source.

The Ecology of Meat

In this study, the authors report the first greenhouse gas emission inventory of Morelos, a state in central Mexico, in which the emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), and nitrous oxide (N2O) have been identified using the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) methodology. Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions were estimated as CO2 equivalents (CO2 eq) for the years 2005, 2007, and 2009, with 2005 being treated as the base year. The percentage contributions from each category to the CO2 eq emissions in the base year were as follows: 38% from energy, 30% from industrial processes, 23% from waste, 5% from agriculture, and 4% from land use/land use change and forestry (LULUCF). As observed in other state inventories in Mexico, road transportation is the main source of CO2 emissions, wastewater handling and solid waste disposal are the main sources of CH4 emissions, and agricultural soils are the source of the most significant N2O emissions. The information reported in this inventory identifies the main emission sources. Based on these results, the government can propose public policies specifically designed for the state of Morelos to establish GHG mitigation strategies in the near future. Implications: In this paper, the emissions of greenhouse gases that are generated in the state of Morelos in central Mexico were calculated. The authors calculated carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide gases emitted from the categories energy, waste, industrial processes, agriculture, and LULUCF. These emissions correspond to 1.24% of the total issued nationwide. These first results will be the basis for mitigation and adaptation strategies against climate change, as well as for establishing public policies in the study area.

Wildfires have been an important process affecting forests and rangelands worldwide. In the Mediterranean region, wildfires burn about half a million hectares of forest and scrubland every year. Fuel loads are the main factor controlling fire risk and its propagation. The reduction of fuel loads by grazing could help to decrease the spread and intensity of wildfires in this region. This study aims to assess the contribution of sheep grazing on fuel load management and their role to the mitigation of wildfire greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The methodological approach is based on a simulation of the grazing pressure required to reduce a given quantity of fuel, under the assumption that if it is not consumed, it becomes fuel. Following, a simulation model was designed to estimate the total GHG emissions prevented through grazing, by reducing the risk of fire. These emissions were estimated based on the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) framework. The accumulated fuels were estimated to be 3126.65 kg dry matter (DM) ha−1 and the biomass potentially consumed by sheep was 1416.03 kg DM ha−1 yr−1, corresponding to 45.29% of accumulated fuel loads. Our findings suggest a value of 3.88 sheep ha−1 day−1 as the ideal to reduce 4833.63 kg CO2eq ha−1 yr−1 of emissions, distributed between CO2 (−2221.76 kg CO2eq ha−1 yr−1; 45.96%), NOx (−1873.41 kg CO2eq ha−1 yr−1; 38.76%), CO (−454.55 kg CO2eq ha−1 yr−1; 9.40%), CH4 (−186.35 kg CO2eq ha−1 yr−1; 3.86%) and N2O (−97.56 kg CO2eq ha−1 yr−1; 2%). The results of this study also underline that livestock can help to mitigate climate change in areas prone to wildfires.

Greenhouse gas emissions from the Canadian pork industry

Pemanasan global telah menyita perhatian dunia bahkan akan semakin bertambah besar dimasa yang akan datang mengingat akibat yang ditimbulkannya UNO, melalui program lingkungan UNEP (United Nations Environment Programme) dan Organisasi Meteorologi Dunia (World Meteorological Organization, WMO) membentuk The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) pada 1988 untuk meneliti dan menganalisa isu-isu ilmu pengetahuan yang muncul. Makalah ini akan membahas tentang emisi GRK dari empat industri yaitu baja, aluminium, semen dan kimia.Guna mengantisipasi meningkatnya emisi GRK maka keempat industri ini perlu melakukan kerjasama. Model kerjasama apa yang paling tepat juga akan dibahas pada makalah ini.Selanjutnya alternatif solusi yang bisa. Ada beberapa emisi GRK dari sektor industri, mulai dari industri kimia, baja, semen dan alumunium. Dalam Protocol Kyoto, tersedia tiga mekanisme fleksibel dalam upaya pencapaian target penurunan emisi GRK, yaitu Emissions Trading (ET) atau perdagangan emisi antar negara maju, Joint Implementation (JI) atau pelaksanaan penurunan emisi secara bersama sama antar negara maju, dan Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) atau kerjasama antara negara maju dan negara berkembang. Studi ini menyimpulkan bahwa salah satu cara yang strategis untuk melindungi atmosfir adalah dengan cara mengontrol penggunaan sumber daya alam melalui emisi GRK.

Evaluation of the effect of accounting method, IPCC v. LCA, on grass-based and confinement dairy systems’ greenhouse gas emissions

Bioenergy from perennial grasses mitigates climate change via displacing fossil fuels and storing atmospheric CO2 belowground as soil carbon. Here, we conduct a critical review to examine whether increasing plant diversity in bioenergy grassland systems can further increase their climate change mitigation potential. We find that compared with highly productive monocultures, diverse mixtures tend to produce as great or greater yields. In particular, there is strong evidence that legume addition improves yield, in some cases equivalent to mineral nitrogen fertilization at 33–150 kg per ha. Plant diversity can also promote soil carbon storage in the long term, reduce soil N2O emissions by 30%–40%, and suppress weed invasion, hence reducing herbicide use. These potential benefits of plant diversity translate to 50%–65% greater life-cycle greenhouse gas savings for biofuels from more diverse grassland biomass grown on degraded soils. In addition, there is growing evidence that plant diversity can accelerate land restoration. Bioenergy from perennial grasses mitigates climate change via displacing fossil fuels and storing atmospheric CO2 belowground as soil carbon. Here, we conduct a critical review to examine whether increasing plant diversity in bioenergy grassland systems can further increase their climate change mitigation potential. We find that compared with highly productive monocultures, diverse mixtures tend to produce as great or greater yields. In particular, there is strong evidence that legume addition improves yield, in some cases equivalent to mineral nitrogen fertilization at 33–150 kg per ha. Plant diversity can also promote soil carbon storage in the long term, reduce soil N2O emissions by 30%–40%, and suppress weed invasion, hence reducing herbicide use. These potential benefits of plant diversity translate to 50%–65% greater life-cycle greenhouse gas savings for biofuels from more diverse grassland biomass grown on degraded soils. In addition, there is growing evidence that plant diversity can accelerate land restoration.

ABSTRACTThe open lots and manure stockpiles of dairy farm are major sources of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in typical dairy cow housing and manure management system in China. GHG (CO2, CH4 and N2O) emissions from the ground level of brick-paved open lots and uncovered manure stockpiles were estimated according to the field measurements of a typical dairy farm in Beijing by closed chambers in four consecutive seasons. Location variation and manure removal strategy impacts were assessed on GHG emissions from the open lots. Estimated CO2, CH4 and N2O emissions from the ground level of the open lots were 137.5±64.7 kg hd-1 yr-1, 0.45±0.21 kg hd-1 yr-1 and 0.13±0.08 kg hd-1 yr-1, respectively. There were remarkable location variations of GHG emissions from different zones (cubicle zone vs. aisle zone) of the open lot. However, the emissions from the whole open lot were less affected by the locations. After manure removal, lower CH4 but higher N2O emitted from the open lot. Estimated CO2, CH4 and N2O emissions from stockpile with a stacking height of 55±12 cm were 858.9±375.8 kg hd-1 yr-1, 8.5±5.4 kg hd-1 yr-1 and 2.3±1.1 kg hd-1 yr-1, respectively. In situ storage duration, which estimated by manure volatile solid contents (VS), would affect GHG emissions from stockpiles. Much higher N2O was emitted from stockpiles in summer due to longer manure storage.Implications: This study deals with greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from open lots and stockpiles. It’s an increasing area of concern in some livestock producing countries. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) methodology is commonly used for estimation of national GHG emission inventories. There is a shortage of on-farm information to evaluate the accuracy of these equations and default emission factors. This work provides valuable information for improving accounting practices within China or for similar manure management practice in other countries.

Limbah B3 secara signifikan meningkatkan produksi Gas Rumah Kaca (GRK) yang dapat mempengaruhi Global Warming Potential (GWP). Salah satu industri atau pabrik semen di Pulau Sumatera Indonesia mampu menghasilkan Gas Rumah Kaca (GRK) dari limbah B3 pada saat penambangan (tambang limestone). Penelitian ini memiliki goals untuk mengestimasikan emisi Gas Rumah Kaca (GRK) dengan sistem proses pembakaran (insinerasi) menggunakan metode IPCC. Metode IPCC mengestimasikan emisi karbon dioksida (CO2), metana (CH4), dan dinitrogen monoksida (N2O), yang kemudian dikonversikan menjadi dampak Global Warming Potential (GWP). Perkiraan dampak Global Warming Potential (GWP) pada tahun 2022 adalah sebesar 7,296E+01 Ton CO2 eq. Rinciannya yakni emisi CO2 7,296E+01 Ton CO2, emisi CH4 1,348E-06 Ton CH4, dan emisi N2O 6,739E-06 Ton N2O. Emisi CO2 diketahui mempunyai dampak paling besar, yakni mencapai 99,997098%, dengan kontributor dominan adalah limbah B3 cair jenis oli bekas. Hazardous waste significantly increases the production of Green House Gases (GHG) which can affect the Global Warming Potential (GWP). One of the industries or cement factories on the Indonesian island of Sumatra is capable of producing Green House Gases (GHG) from hazardous waste during mining (limestone mining). The aim of this research is to estimate Green House Gas (GHG) emissions with a combustion process system (incineration) using the IPCC method. The IPCC method estimates emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), and nitrous monoxide (N2O), which are then converted into Global Warming Potential (GWP) impacts. The estimated impact of Global Warming Potential (GWP) in 2022 is 7,296E+01 Tons CO2 eq. The details are CO2 emissions of 7,296E+01 tons of CO2, CH4 emissions of 1,348E-06 tons of CH4, and N2O emissions of 6,739E-06 tons of N2O. CO2 emissions are known to have the greatest impact, reaching 99.997098%, with the dominant contributor being liquid hazardous waste such as used oil.