Assessment Of Greenhouse Gas Emissions Research Articles

Recultivation Strategies for Peat Extraction Fields: a Case Study in Latvia

Peat bogs are serving as habitats for diverse species and essential components of the natural environment. Currently, peat extraction is actively carried out in various regions to meet the demands of industries such as horticulture and in some cases even energy production. To mitigate land degradation caused by peat mining, the European Commission, through the Nature Restoration Law (Regulation (EU) 2024/1991), has established a goal to restore habitats. This includes repurposing peat mining fields into areas designated for various restoration measures. When defining a repurposing strategy for a specific peat extraction field, an important aspect is to assess the environmental impact of the different scenarios. This study is made in cooperation with the Latvian peat extraction company with the goal of achieving climate neutrality by the year 2050. The company is a significant producer of peat substrate with a capacity of 115 thousand tonnes per year. Ten recultivation scenarios were identified for the company’s peat extraction field: afforestation, blueberry cultivation, cranberry cultivation, paludiculture, waterbodies, croplands, grasslands, renaturalisation, solar parks and wind parks. These scenarios were compared with the baseline scenario, i.e. the situation if peat extraction were to continue in this field. The required data for the recultivation scenarios were collected and normalized to the functional unit of 1 ha. The obtained life cycle assessment results for each recultivation scenario were assigned to the respective planned area for each scenario foreseen by the company’s climate neutrality plan. All scenario emissions have been attributed to 50 years of land use, starting from implementation of the scenarios in 2025. Three main emission reference points were identified for the 50-year greenhouse gas emissions assessment: short-term 2030 (when peat extraction for energy in Latvia must cease), medium-term 2050 when climate neutrality must be achieved and long-term - emissions after 50 years (2075), when the vegetative life of berry plants has reached its end and when forest stands have reached the optimum age for tree harvesting. The results show that the highest emissions per 1 ha over 50year period are from the installation and reconstruction of solar panels. For each scenario, the emissions per respective planned area were calculated. It was determined that each scenario individually results in lower emissions compared to the baseline. However, when the emissions from all scenarios are added together, the sum is greater than the baseline. Therefore, it is necessary to investigate the recultivation scenarios further and optimise the land areas to optimise the recultivation scenario area and impact from them.

Spatially Resolved Greenhouse Gas Emissions of U.S. Milk Production in 2020.

This study provides a comprehensive and spatially resolved assessment of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from the U.S. dairy industry, spanning from cradle to farm gate. The primary goal is to refine emission estimates for key sources, including enteric fermentation, manure, and feed production, using the latest climate science, predictive models, and updated industry data, including a broader range of dietary rations across 12 distinct dairy regions. Compared with previous studies that employed generalized models and less granular data, this approach offers greater accuracy and regional specificity. In addition to establishing the 2020 GHG emissions baseline, we compare the results to 2007 estimates to highlight trends and improvements in emission intensities and production practices. U.S. raw milk production in 2020 generated 138.88 million tonnes of CO2e, corresponding to an average of 1.38 kg CO2e per kg of fat- and protein-corrected milk (FPCM), with regional emissions ranging from 1.24 to 1.87 kg CO2e/kg FPCM. Notably, the study shows that while enteric fermentation and manure emissions remain substantial contributors, their share of total emissions is less than in previous assessments. A sensitivity analysis explores the impact of key methodological choices, ensuring robust results that support mitigation strategies and inform the dairy sector's path toward net neutrality by 2050.

Assessing greenhouse gas emissions and energy consumption from 15 sugar cane farms in Karvir taluka, India using the cool farm tool

AbstractThis study aimed to determine the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and energy consumption of sugarcane farms in Karvir, India, and the potential reductions achieved by switching to diammonium phosphate (DP) fertilizer instead of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium (NPK) fertilizer, and by using hydropower electricity instead of diesel for energy requirements. We employed the Cool Farm Tool to evaluate the aforementioned issues. The research incorporated data from 15 farms, agricultural centers, sugarcane industries, and laboratory analyses. The findings indicated that the existing output of 740,000 metric tons of sugarcane from 8500 hectares y−1 resulted in total greenhouse gas emissions of 79 kilotons of CO2 eq annually. Hydropower generation demonstrated a 27% (average) decrease in emissions compared to diesel (p < 0.01). Furthermore, DP exhibited a decline of 12% on average in emissions in comparison to NPK. We categorized GHG emissions from sources such as residue, soil fertilizer, energy consumption, cattle dung, pesticides, and off‐farm transportation, with CO2 being the most significant, followed by CH4 and N2O. The outputs show the necessity for low‐emission and energy‐efficient alternatives to crop residue burning, a shift to hydropower instead of diesel, and a transition from NPK to DP when feasible.

Study of the Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Electric Buses Powered by Renewable Energy Sources in Poland

The subject addressed in this article is the application of the life cycle assessment (LCA) method for studying the greenhouse gas emissions attributable to public bus transport. The article provides a discussion on the results of the authors’ in-house study on the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions generated over the life cycle of the buses used in Poland’s public transport with the use of well-to-wheel (WTW) fuel life cycle analysis. The project started by adopting the methodology and assumptions for the research; next, the data required to perform the relevant analyses were collected and the greenhouse gas emissions attributable to the operation of buses equipped with both diesel fuel (DF) internal combustion engines and electric engines (BEVs) were assessed against real-life data using a selected Polish municipal transport company as an example in 2022. The study also included an assessment of GHG emissions from electric buses powered by renewable energy sources (RESs), using data from the chosen municipal transport company. For the RES fractions of 25%, 50%, and 75% in the energy mix, emission reductions of approx. 19%, 38%, and 57% have been achieved, respectively. For an energy mix entirely derived from RESs, the reduction in emissions comes to ca. 76% vis-à-vis Poland’s energy mix in 2022.

Comparative life cycle greenhouse gas emission and cost assessment of hydrogen fuel and power for Singapore

Comparative life cycle greenhouse gas emission and cost assessment of hydrogen fuel and power for Singapore

Comprehensive assessment, intelligent prediction, and precise mitigation strategies for greenhouse gas emissions in full-scale wastewater treatment plants.

Comprehensive assessment, intelligent prediction, and precise mitigation strategies for greenhouse gas emissions in full-scale wastewater treatment plants.

Effects of different proportions of organic substitution for mineral fertilizers on soil methanogenic and methanotrophic communities in paddy fields.

Mineral fertilizers are widely used to improve rice yields, but their overuse has caused severe environmental problems. Replacing mineral fertilizers with organic alternatives might be an effective practice for enhancing agro-ecosystems. This study investigated treatments with varying proportions of organic substitution to determine the optimal approach for increasing soil fertility and rice yield. In addition, the relationship between soil methane emission characteristics and associated microbial communities was studied by microcosm experiments and high-throughput sequencing to assess greenhouse gas emissions. Compared with mineral fertilizers alone, treatment with organic substitution, especially at high proportions, increased soil pH, fertility, and crop yield. Treatment with a medium proportion of organic substitution increased cumulative methane (CH4) emissions by 44.8% relative to mineral fertilization alone, but that with low and high proportions showed similar emissions compared with mineral fertilization alone. Organic substitution treatment significantly increased the gene copy numbers of soil methanogens and methanotrophs, with the highest increases observed under high proportions of organic substitution. The gene copy number of methanogens increased by 4.87 times, and that of methanophiles increased by 13.11 times. Additionally, organic substitution treatment significantly changed their community compositions. High organic substitution was associated with an exceptionally high abundance of methanotrophs. Treatment with a high proportion of organic substitution enhanced the relative abundance of Type I taxa of methanotrophs and increased soil pH to trigger higher pmoA abundance, thus strengthening methane oxidation capacity without additional cumulative CH4 emissions compared with mineral fertilizers alone. Besides, treatment with a high proportion of organic substitution increased crop yield and reduced the amount of mineral fertilizers needed, resulting in less environmental pollution. This study comprehensively evaluated the effects of organic substitution for mineral fertilizers, providing an essential theoretical basis for the sustainable development of agriculture.

Natural abundance isotope techniques offer a key to better deciphering the impact of microplastics on the nitrogen cycle

As human activities intensify, ecosystems are constantly being polluted by microplastics, which may change the microbe-driven nitrogen cycling and associated nitrous oxide emissions therein. However, the exact impact of microplastics on specific nitrogen cycling processes remains to be clarified, limiting accurate assessments of nitrous oxide production. Additionally, a gap in our understanding of the isotopic dynamics of nitrogen cycling under the impact of microplastics restricts deeper insights into nitrogen cycling in microplastic-polluted environments. Accordingly, this study represents the first integration of natural abundance isotope techniques with microcosm experiments involving various microplastics, offering a novel approach for detailed investigation into the impacts of microplastics on the nitrogen cycle dynamics and their potential role in regulating nitrous oxide production. Our results suggest that microplastics of different sizes (0.02 mm, 0.1 mm, and 1 mm) and polymer types (polypropylene, polyvinyl chloride, polyamide, and polyethylene) impact both nitrite production and consumption, highlighting the important role of size in these processes. Particularly, nitrite dual isotopic signatures help identify specific nitrogen cycling processes impacted by microplastics. More importantly, isotopic evidence indicates that nitrite may be lost from the environment primarily by reduction to gaseous products nitrous oxide or dinitrogen in polyethylene and polyvinyl chloride, especially the largest-size polyamide treatments. Conversely, polypropylene treatment, especially at large sizes, may promote nitrite oxidation, thus retaining more nitrogen within the environment. Our findings offer a new paradigm for the comprehensive assessment of the impact of microplastics on the nitrogen cycle and highlight the importance of considering microplastics when assessing greenhouse gas emissions, especially in the context of increasing microplastic pollution.

Assessment of Energy Consumption and Greenhouse Gas Emissions in a UK Quick-Service Restaurant Using EnergyPlus

To reduce energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions, the adoption of efficient refrigeration and cooking equipment and other innovative technologies need to be considered in the food service sector. In quick-service restaurants (QSRs), there is a strong interaction between the structure, internal machinery, and heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system. The impact of these interactions in a UK-based QSR was modelled using EnergyPlus™ 2022 v22.2.0. The modelling examined the effects of applying carbon reduction technologies, predicted climate change impacts, and electrical grid carbon intensity (EGCI) from 2022 to 2050. The findings revealed that among the individual technologies applied, an enhanced efficiency of 20% in refrigeration and kitchen equipment gave the most favourable outcome, contributing to a 15.7% reduction in carbon emissions. The results also showed that climate change impacts on the energy consumption of the QSR were minimal. Additionally, combining technologies could achieve savings of 35.9% in carbon emissions, while predicted changes in the EGCI could potentially yield a 98% reduction in carbon emissions between 2022 and 2050. The findings highlight the significance of the early adoption of carbon reduction technologies to minimise cumulative emissions. These insights offer a foundation for developing more effective carbon reduction strategies in the food service sector.

Assessment of greenhouse gas emissions from coal-fired power plants based on non-dispersive infrared technique: a case study

ABSTRACT Greenhouse gases (GHGs) such as carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), and nitrous oxide (N2O) emanating from coal-fired power plants contribute substantially to the greenhouse effect. In the face of the continual trend of global warming, curbing GHGs emissions has emerged as an essential step to lessen anthropogenic carbon emissions and attain the targets of carbon peak and neutrality. The practical implementation of strategies to reduce carbon emissions from coal-fired power stations necessitates the precise monitoring and recording of associated greenhouse gas emissions. In the study presented herein, a measurement system based on non-dispersive infrared (NDIR) spectroscopy has been devised, enabling the concurrent assessment of CO2, CH4, and N2O concentrations. An investigative case study has been conducted to examine the relationship between the operational conditions of coal-fired power plants and the emissions of greenhouse gases, thereby providing an enriched understanding of the variables that affect these emissions. The findings of this study may act as a significant guide for future enhancements and fine-tuning of measures to control greenhouse gas emissions from coal-fired utility boilers.

Prospective life cycle analysis of a BIPV façade − Life cycle assessment of greenhouse gas emissions using future projections for a case study

Prospective life cycle analysis of a BIPV façade − Life cycle assessment of greenhouse gas emissions using future projections for a case study

Assessing greenhouse gas emissions in hospitals: The development of an open-access calculator and its application to a German case-study

Assessing greenhouse gas emissions in hospitals: The development of an open-access calculator and its application to a German case-study

Assessing Greenhouse Gas Emissions in Urban Water Management: Scenarios Analysis for Mitigation

Urban water systems are essential infrastructure but significantly contribute to greenhouse gas emissions through their operation. This study analyzed the greenhouse gas emissions of Incheon’s water system and proposed effective reduction strategies. In 2021, total greenhouse gas emissions from Incheon’s water system are 410,407 tCO2eq, with the sanitation sector accounting for 82.1% and water supply for 17.9%. N2O from wastewater treatment contributes 59.2% of total emissions, followed by CO2 (36.6%) and CH4 (4.2%). Sensitivity analysis using system dynamics identified per capita water consumption (LPCD) reduction as the most impactful mitigation strategy, surpassing widely adopted strategies such as renewable energy adoption. Scenario analysis showed that an aggressive policy could reduce emissions by 28.8% by 2050 compared to the baseline scenario. These findings provide a decision-making policy for carbon-neutral urban water management, emphasizing the need for integrated approaches to water management, emphasizing water demand reduction, energy efficiency, and sludge management.

The Carbon Footprint of Different Modes of Birth in the UK and the Netherlands: An Exploratory Study Using Life Cycle Assessment

(BJOG. 2024;131(5):568–578. https://doi.org/10.1111/1471-0528.17771) The research explores the carbon footprint associated with different childbirth procedures in the UK and the Netherlands, particularly looking at cesarean birth (CB) and vaginal deliveries (VD) in both hospital and home settings. Identifying and reducing high-emission areas, including maternity care, is crucial as health care accounts for about 5% of worldwide greenhouse gas emissions. Using life cycle assessment (LCA), this study offers information on the carbon footprint (a quantitative assessment of greenhouse gas emissions attributed to an occurrence and expressed in CO2e) associated with childbirth so that maternity health care professionals can make environmentally conscious choices.

Optimizing Ethiopian greenhouse gas inventories with customized clinker-specific emission factors in the cement sector

Cement, a fundamental component of concrete, holds significant importance in global construction and infrastructure development. Despite being predominantly produced and consumed locally, the impact of cement extends globally, particularly in terms of energy consumption and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Uncertainties surround the quantification of Ethiopia's CO2 emissions, leading to notable discrepancies among various sources. These disparities stem from factors such as country-specific CO2 emission factors, variations in statistical standards, and challenges in obtaining production data, especially for clinker and cement outputs. This study addresses these issues by emphasizing emission factors and defining CO2 accounting boundaries. This research uniquely employs detailed measurements at the factory level for clinker and cement production, providing comprehensive insights into chemical composition and environmental impacts across eight prominent cement industries in Ethiopia. Data was gathered through on-site surveys and sampling techniques, adhering to standardized methodologies outlined by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). The study incorporates methods categorized under IPCC tier one and two calculators for provincial, production line, and national integrations. Key findings include nuanced variations in CaO and MgO concentrations, crucial for understanding raw material sources and production methodologies. The determination of an Ethiopian-specific CO2 emission factor for clinker (0.49 t CO2/t) highlights technological and efficiency gaps compared to global benchmarks. Moreover, analysis of clinker-to-cement ratios indicates that by optimizing production processes, a reduction of up to 4.3% in CO2 emissions is achievable, aligning with international sustainability standards. By addressing these methodological and data challenges, this study contributes to a more accurate assessment of GHG emissions in Ethiopia's cement industry. It underscores the need for updated emission factors and refined methodologies to inform policy decisions and foster sustainable practices in global construction.

EARice10: a 10 m resolution annual rice distribution map of East Asia for 2023

Abstract. Timely and accurate high-resolution annual mapping of rice distribution is essential for food security, greenhouse gas emissions assessment, and support of sustainable development goals. East Asia (EA), a major global rice-producing region, accounts for approximately 29.3 % of the world's rice production. Therefore, to acquire the latest rice distribution of the EA, this study proposed a novel rice distribution mapping method based on the Google Earth Engine (GEE) platform, producing a 10 m resolution annual rice distribution map (EARice10) of EA for 2023. A new synthetic aperture radar (SAR)-based rice distribution mapping index (SRMI) was firstly proposed and combined with optical indices to generate representative rice samples. In addition, a stacking-based optical–SAR adaptive fusion model was designed to fully integrate the features of Sentinel-1 and Sentinel-2 data for high-precision rice mapping in EA. The accuracy of EARice10 was evaluated using more than 90 000 validation samples and achieved an overall accuracy of 90.48 %, with both the user accuracy and the producer accuracy exceeding 90 %. The reliability of the product was verified by R2 values ranging between 0.94 and 0.98 with respect to official statistics and between 0.79 and 0.98 with respect to previous rice mapping products. EARice10 is accessible at https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.13118409 (Song et al., 2024).

Achieving sustainable carbon neutrality of food processing: Toward a net‐zero margarine production facility

AbstractDecarbonization and ultimately net‐zero production are rapidly becoming top priorities in today's corporate environment. The food processing industry is recognized as one of the key industries in the process of decarbonizing the entire industrial sector. Therefore, this article presents a methodology for achieving sustainable net‐zero production within the food industry. The approach involves a series of strategically planned steps that enable decision‐makers to accomplish the desired outcome effectively. These steps include determining the baseline carbon footprint, identifying, prioritizing, and implementing carbon footprint reduction opportunities, and implementing carbon offsetting. Additionally, the methodology incorporates an assessment of greenhouse gas emissions in relation to predicted production volumes, as production levels directly influence the emissions from a production facility. The proposed methodology was applied to a margarine production plant case study. The results indicate that implementing the suggested carbon footprint reduction opportunities reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 22%, assuming constant production volume. Achieving carbon neutrality, however, would require the purchase of carbon offsets. The most cost‐effective carbon offsetting scenarios result in an additional cost of 3.33%–6.52% on purchased energy, which presents a manageable financial impact for the company.

2050 net-zero scenarios and well-to-wheel greenhouse gas emissions assessment of South Korea's road sector

2050 net-zero scenarios and well-to-wheel greenhouse gas emissions assessment of South Korea's road sector

Analysis of Energy Use and Environmental Impacts of Pistachio (Pistacia vera L.) in Conventional and Bio-friendly Production Systems

Humankind and natural ecosystems are facing global changes. There is a clear influence of human activities due to the use of contaminant energies among other factors. Therefore, it is a priority to find clean energies with less environmental impacts coming from bio-friendly production systems. Therefore, the main aim of this research is to examine energy use patterns, greenhouse gas emission (CO2, N2O, and CH4) and life cycle assessment (LCA) in pistachio (Pistacia vera L.) production systems. As experimental plots, we selected one plantation located in the North Khorasan province of Iran. Data were collected from two pistachio orchards with conventional (CPS) and with bio-friendly production systems (BPS). In 2 seasonal years, from 2020 to 2021, a functional unit of 1000 kg pistachio was used. The results indicated that total energy consumption in the conventional pistachio production system reached 58,759.86 MJ ha−1 in comparison to bio-friendly pistachio production systems with 31,149.02 MJ ha−1, accounting for 36.0% of fertilizer energy, 26% of diesel energy, and 12.7% of electricity. The energy use efficiency for the CPS and BPS was respectively 0.38 and 0.73, and also energy productivity for CPS reached 0.01 kg MJ ha−1 and BPS 0.02 kg MJ ha−1. Results indicated that the direct energy for CPS was 19.6% and for BPS 39.03%, but indirect energy inputs for CPS and BPS registered 76.4 and 60.5%, respectively. It was found that the non-renewable form of energy input for CPS was 83.8% and for BPS just 57.6%. We conclude that chemicals (pesticides, fertilizers), fuel and electricity were the most important inputs for the pistachio production system, which also influenced total CO2, N2O and CH4 emissions due to chemical inputs for CPS. In CPS and BPS, the total global warming potential (GWP) was 2445.24 and 1507.99 kg CO2eq ha−1, respectively. Compared to CPS, the application of the BPS method reduces total damage to human health, ecosystems, and resources.

Assessment of greenhouse gas emissions and environmental impacts in the manufacturing process of thermoelectric coolers: A life-cycle impact perspective.

Assessment of greenhouse gas emissions and environmental impacts in the manufacturing process of thermoelectric coolers: A life-cycle impact perspective.