CO2e Emissions Research Articles

Evaluating Cleaning Services in Civil Environments: Microbiological and Life Cycle Analysis Comparing Conventional and Sustainable Methods

In response to the growing global concern for environmental sustainability, a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) study was conducted to evaluate the environmental benefits of the “Formula Servizi” GREEN protocol compared to a conventional cleaning protocol, as mandated by the updated Criteria for Environmental Sustainability (CAM—Criteri Ambientali Minimi) for cleaning services. The CAM, effective on 19 June 2021, requires companies to demonstrate the environmental advantages of their cleaning protocols over traditional methods. This study aligns with the new CAM guidelines and employs UNI EN ISO 14040–14044 technical standards for a comprehensive comparative analysis. The study highlights the significance of maintaining hygiene to ensure safety in various contexts, emphasizing the importance of environmental sampling and monitoring to prevent contamination and infection transmission. Despite the complexity and expenses associated with microbiological monitoring, this research affirms its crucial role in validating cleaning procedures, particularly in healthcare facilities, food service areas, and industrial settings. The findings reveal that both the “Traditional” and “GREEN” cleaning protocols demonstrate satisfactory effectiveness in controlling microbiological contamination according to established guidelines. Moreover, the LCA results indicate that the “GREEN” protocol, while exhibiting higher water consumption and wastewater treatment, showcases a strategic use of more sustainable cleaning and laundry detergents. Despite the increased water usage in certain phases, the significantly lower environmental impact per unit of weight demonstrates the potential for optimizing both environmental sustainability and operational efficiency in future Life Cycle Sustainability Assessment (LCSA) endeavors. The comparative LCA further reveals that the “GREEN” protocol enables an annual avoidance of 260 g of CO2-e emissions per square meter of cleaned surface. The most significant reduction in absolute terms is associated with the use of eco-labeled detergents in the laundry system, resulting in the avoidance of 654.1 kg of CO2-e per year of service (−77% compared to traditional laundry detergents).

The carbon footprint of total knee replacements.

ObjectiveDetailed quantifications of the environmental footprint of operations that include surgery, anaesthesia, and engineering are rare. We examined all such aspects to find the greenhouse gas emissions of an operation.MethodsWe undertook a life cycle assessment of 10 patients undergoing total knee replacements, collecting data for all surgical equipment, energy requirements for cleaning, and operating room energy use. Data for anaesthesia were sourced from our prior study. We used life cycle assessment software to convert inputs of energy and material use into outputs in kg CO2e emissions, using Monte Carlo analyses with 95% confidence intervals.ResultsThe average carbon footprint was 131.7kg CO2e, (95% confidence interval: 117.7-148.5kg CO2e); surgery was foremost (104/131.7kg CO2e, 80%), with lesser contributions from anaesthesia (15.0/131.7kg CO2e, 11%), and engineering (11.9/131.7kg CO2e, 9%). The main surgical sources of greenhouse gas emissions were: energy used to disinfect and steam sterilise reusable equipment (43.4/131.7kg CO2e, 33%), single-use equipment (34.2/131.7kg CO2e, 26%), with polypropylene alone 13.7/131.7kg CO2e (11%), and the knee prosthesis 19.6kg CO2e (15%). For energy use, the main contributors were: gas heating (6.7kg CO2e) and heating, cooling, and fans (4kg CO2e).ConclusionsThe carbon footprint of a total knee replacement was equivalent to driving 914km in a standard 2022 Australian car, with surgery contributing 80%. Such data provide guidance in reducing an operation's carbon footprint through prudent equipment use, more efficient steam sterilisation with renewable electricity, and reduced single-use waste.

Dosagem de argamassas de alta resistência ecoeficientes otimizadas pelo modelo de empacotamento compressível

Abstract The production of eco-efficient cement-based materials is essential to reduce CO2 emissions from the construction industry. A substantial reduction in global CO2 emissions can be achieved by using clinker in mortar and concrete more efficiently and using low-CO2 minerals as partial replacements for Portland cement. However, the proportioning of eco-efficient composites is complex and the reduction in clinker content may affect its properties. This paper aims to optimize the mix design of high-strength mortars containing supplementary cementitious materials (limestone filler, fly ash, metakaolin, silica fume). The compressible packing model associated with a simplex mixture design were used together with chemical parameters, to limit the amount of active SCMs for the model iterations. The results show a significant decrease in the environmental impact of the mortars, which presented compressive strengths between 76 and 118 MPa at 91 days and binder indexes between 10 and 15 kg/m3/MPa. The reactivity of the SCMs (based on the modified Chapelle test) were successfully used to establish the Portland cement substitution (up to 13%), preventing the presence of unreacted SCMs and optimizing the use of limestone filler and sand, which have a lower environmental impact. The high-performance blends reached 8.73 kg CO2e/MPa, up to a 30% reduction in CO2e emissions compared to the mortar with only Portland cement.

Decarbonisation Index (DCI): an LCA-based key performance indicator for the automotive industry

PurposeRoad vehicles cause considerable amounts of CO2e emissions over their life cycle. Original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) report CO2e emissions of past years on corporate level according to the Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Protocol and produce vehicle LCAs to identify GHG hotspots on the product-level. However, no approach to combine this past and future orientation of emissions modelling on fleet and product level yet exists. We demonstrate that this research gap is closed by using the “Decarbonisation Index” (DCI).MethodsWe identify the missing elements of OEMs’ absolute emissions reporting and vehicle LCAs to develop a resource-efficient, dynamic and modular key performance indicator (KPI) addressing both past and future scope 1–3 GHG emissions of OEMs. We assess in how far other existing approaches such as the Organisational LCA (O-LCA), the Organisation Environmental Footprint (OEF) and modular LCA can be used to develop these missing elements in a holistic modelling approach. After the derivation of the DCI, we provide a list of modelling options and data sources showing that the DCI can serve different means of an OEM, from a rough estimate of emissions to a basis for a detailed decarbonisation steering model involving several brands and departments.Results and discussionIn the case study, we compute a 2015 and 2035 DCI (in t CO2e per vehicle) by using the basic DCI calculation model and publicly available data of the Volkswagen Group as well as data derived from publicly available scenarios. We demonstrate that even with this simplistic approach, the DCI delivers meaningful results indicating the core measures for an OEM’s decarbonisation programme: an electrified fleet with renewable energy sources being used throughout the supply chain and use phase. A Monte Carlo simulation of the 2015 results demonstrate the DCI’s robustness regarding the identification of core measures but also its dependency on changing (external or internal) methodological requirements.ConclusionsThe DCI can be used by OEMs regardless of their company structure, powertrain portfolio or market coverage to monitor past emissions and model future emissions. The DCI combines the product-level of the vehicle LCA with the fleet-level necessary to develop a decarbonisation strategy. Its modular approach facilitates the use of generic LCA data or supplier-specific data on component level. Incrementally incorporating supplier-specific data is crucial to calculate the effect of real-world reduction measures in relation to generic databases used so far. An adaptation of the methodology to newly available data and regulations is thus possible and necessary. By adjusting past-reported DCI values to a new methodological set, an OEM’s decarbonisation progress can be analysed albeit the constantly developing methodology.

Future Scenarios of Firewood Consumption for Cooking in the Mexican Tropical Region

Within domestic food cooking, burning firewood in three-stone fires (TSF) is a common practice by more than 16 million users in the Mexican tropical climate region (CR-TR). This article aims to evaluate the implementation of improved firewood cookstoves (ICS) to replace TSF in the CR-TR by constructing firewood consumption scenarios covering 2018–2050. The results show that in CR-TR, with the implementation of ICS, the consumption of 354.95 PJ of firewood, 36.6 Mt of CO2e, 1.29 Mt of CO, and 163.78 kt of PM2.5 can all be avoided. The most important reduction in firewood consumption, CO2e emissions and CO and PM2.5 pollutants, occurs in exclusive firewood users and mixed users who utilize firewood as the primary fuel source, both of whom are low socioeconomic level in rural areas. Furthermore, most paying-for-firewood users often show negative mitigation costs and a high 50% IRR, while all non-paying-for-firewood users have mitigation costs ranging from 7.74 to 41.23 USD/tCO2e. At the end of the results section, we perform a sensitivity analysis of the relevant parameters, which complements this study. Therefore, implementing ICS will contribute to the solution of climate change, deforestation, and facilitate the formulation of sustainable development policies for the most vulnerable population sector of the Mexican CR-TR.

Environmental impact of the supervised toothbrushing programme amongst children in Scotland

ObjectivesTo understand the environmental impact of providing a nationwide supervised toothbrushing programme (Childsmile) for 5-year-old children in Scotland. MethodsA life cycle assessment was conducted to assess the annual environmental effects of the supervised toothbrushing programme in early years childcare, as well as each dental procedure (dental restoration under local anaesthesia (LA), single tooth extraction under LA, and multiple teeth extraction under general anaesthesia) spanning from 2001/02 to 2009/10. The expected savings in annual carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) emissions for all combined dental treatments in subsequent years were calculated compared to those in 2001/02. ResultsAn overall decrease in CO2e emissions was evident in the Childsmile programme and across all dental procedures. The estimated reduction in emissions across all procedures varied from 102.5 tonnes in 2002/03 to 461.1 tonnes in 2009/10 when compared to 2001/02. Within three years, the expected emissions savings from all combined dental procedures surpassed the emissions generated by implementing the Childsmile programme. ConclusionsOver time, there was a significant reduction in annual CO2e emissions for all combined dental treatments in children. In the eighth year of the Childsmile, emissions savings were more than 4.5 times greater than the emissions generated during its implementation. Clinical significanceThe study highlights the importance of educating public by individual dentists about the environmental impact of caries prevention programmes and paediatric dental treatments as this may influence patient choice. It also encourages commissioners of community dental programmes to support the implementation of supervised toothbrushing programmes in early years childcare.

Regulation on carbon emissions for buildings with special conditions: analysis, calculation model and stakeholder perspectives

Climate change enhances the focus on reducing global greenhouse gases from the construction industry since it is responsible for 37% of the emissions. Several nations are implementing regulating laws by requiring life cycle assessments and by setting a threshold of CO2e emissions. In the case of Denmark, the valid limit value of 12 kg CO2e/m2/year is based primarily on a sample of conventional buildings consisting of residential and office buildings. Initially, 90% of all new buildings are expected to comply with this value, while the remaining 10% must apply strategies for carbon reduction. Some building typologies that need to serve specific functions might not be able to reduce emissions due to special conditions, which will result in additional carbon emissions, and thus, exceed the limit value. This study identifies special conditions, such as hygiene requirements, that can lead to exceeding the limit value and recommends adaptation to handle the allowable additional carbon emissions in building regulations. The findings of the study are useful for policymakers that must decide how to handle special conditions of buildings in regulations.

Life Cycle Assessment and Building Information Modeling Integrated Approach: Carbon Footprint of Masonry and Timber-Frame Constructions in Single-Family Houses

The analysis of the carbon footprint of buildings is a key tool for assessing the impact of different buildings on climate change. Several frameworks and methodologies are available to calculate the footprint of buildings, including standards and norms, Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), and dedicated software tools. The use of Building Information Modeling (BIM) programme for these calculations is both scientifically justified and very practical. This scientific publication focuses on the application of a BIM-based research methodology to analyse the carbon footprint of a single-family house. The research process included the following steps: (i) the design of a single-family house with masonry construction using Archicad 26, BIM programme, (ii) simulation of the building energy performance using the EcoDesigner Star plug-in, (iii) LCA using the plug-in for Archicad, (iv) preparation of a second model with timber-frame construction for comparison, and (v) comparative analysis of the single-family house models with masonry construction (building A) and timber-frame (building B). Analysis of the results highlights significant differences in CO2e emissions between buildings and the varying impact of individual elements on the total CO2e emissions of the buildings studied. Building A had significantly higher net emissions, amounting to 43,226.94 kg CO2e, in stark contrast to Building B’s significantly lower 13,522.13 kg CO2e. This discrepancy was also mirrored in the emission intensity, with Building A emitting at a rate of 281.06 kg CO2e/m2 compared to Building B’s 96.72 kg CO2e/m2. These findings are relevant for future work on sustainable building design and construction aiming to minimise negative environmental impacts. The goal of minimising the cumulative carbon footprint of buildings is critical to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals and combating climate change.

The underestimated global warming potential of refrigerant losses in retail real estate: the impact of CO2 vs CO2e

PurposeThis paper investigates the impact of CO2 vs CO2 “equivalents” (CO2e) by analyzing fugitive emissions, with a particular focus on Fluorinated gases (F-gases), arising from refrigerant leakages in buildings. F-gases are an especially powerful set of GHGs with a global warming potential hundreds to thousands of times greater than that of CO2.Design/methodology/approachThe significant impact of CO2e is tested by means of an empirical study with current consumption data from German food retail warehouses. This evaluation involves the analysis of the Carbon Risk Real Estate Monitor's country- and property-type specific pathway, coupled with a paired samples t-test to examine the hypotheses. The assessment is undertaken by evaluating the type of gas and the amount of leakage reported in the baseline year, subsequently converting these values to CO2e units.FindingsOn average, F-gases account for 40% of total building emissions and nearly 45% of cumulative emissions until 2050. In light of ongoing climate change and the rising number of Cooling Degree Days (CDDs), it becomes imperative to assess both the environmental and economic impact of F-gases and to transition toward environmentally friendly refrigerants.Originality/valueThe analysis sheds light on the seldom-addressed threats posed by CO2e emissions stemming from refrigerant losses. By identifying these threats, investors can devise strategies to mitigate potential future costs and carbon risks.

Comparison of Methods for Calculating Indirect Upstream Carbon Emissions from Information and Communication Technology Manufacturing

The use of Information Communication technology (ICT) is rapidly increasing in an age of digitalization. Measurement of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) emissions from ICT is crucial for reducing them. Most ICT organizations focus on Scope 1 and 2 emissions as they have greater control over them, commonly ignoring Scope 3 emissions. Scope 3 Category 1 (S3C1) emissions occur throughout the raw material acquisition and manufacturing stages of an ICT product's life cycle accounting for a large portion of the sector's overall CO2e emissions and energy consumption. By not reporting Scope 3 emissions, companies lose the ability to reduce their overall CO2e corporate emissions. Although Category 1 and 11 under Scope 3 account for 85% of ICT's worldwide CO2e emissions, the methodologies for calculating S3C1 emissions in ICT are understudied. This study focuses on these emissions in the framework of Sustainable Development Goals 9, 12, and 13. Product life cycle assessment (PLCA) and Spend-based methods have been used to analyze S3C1 emissions in the ICT sector with two case examples of laptop computers and smartphones. The Excel Management Life Cycle Assessment (EMLCA) tool has been used for the S3C1 emissions estimation. PLCA and Spend-based methods are compared on their ability to calculate CO2e emissions. It is concluded that the Spend-based is faster than PLCA for predicting ICT emissions with modest uncertainty for smartphone and laptop components. Furthermore, this work explores the advantages and downsides of both methods.

Understanding freight drivers' behavior and the impact on vehicles' fuel consumption and CO2e emissions

Despite the significant impact of driver behavior on fuel consumption and carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) emissions, this phenomenon is often overlooked in road freight transportation research. We review the relevant literature and seek to provide a deeper understanding of the relationship between freight drivers’ behavior and fuel consumption. This study utilizes a real-life dataset of over 4000 driving records from the freight logistics sector to examine the effects of specific behaviors on fuel consumption. Analyzed behaviors include harsh acceleration/deceleration/cornering, over-revving, excessive revolutions per minute (RPM), and non-adherence to legal speed limits ranging from 20 to 70 miles per hour (mph). Our findings confirm existing literature by demonstrating the significant impact of certain driving characteristics, particularly harsh acceleration/cornering, on fuel consumption. Moreover, our research contributes new insights into the field, notably highlighting the substantial influence of non-adherence to the legal speed limits of 20 and 30 mph on fuel consumption, an aspect not extensively studied in previous research. We subsequently introduce an advanced fuel consumption model that takes into account these identified driver behaviors. This model not only advances academic understanding of fuel consumption determinants in road freight transportation, but also equips practitioners with practical insights to optimize fuel efficiency and reduce environmental impacts.

Penilaian AHP Jalur Hijau Koridor Transjakarta 8 DKI Jakarta Berdasarkan Fungsi Ekologis Vegetasi

Greenbelt and green infrastructure are still very limited in Jakarta. Transjakarta Corridor 8 Harmoni - Lebak Bulus covers Central Jakarta, West Jakarta, and South Jakarta which are government centers and densely populated settlements. The high activity in the area causes an increase in transportation flows and greenhouse gas emissions. The transportation sector is the highest contributor to CO2e emissions in the capital city, thus reducing environmental quality, especially the greenbelt in Transjakarta Corridor 8. The assessment of ecological functions in this study consists of 7 variables, namely noise reduction, pollution reduction, air humidity, view control, glare control, direction and accident prevention. The research location is divided into 5 segments with the analysis method used, namely the assessment of ecological function aspects and the formulation of recommendations based on Hierarchical Process Analysis. The results of the assessment on ecological functions with noise-canceling variables were (Polyalthia longifolia) Glodongan Tiang, (Casuarina sp.) Spruce, (Acacia auriculiformis) Acacia, and (Archontophoenix alexandrae) Alexander Palm. The results of the pollution reduction assessment of each segment are dominated by vegetation types (Mangifera indica) Mango, (Polyalthia longifolia) Glodongan Tiang, (Carbera odollam) Bintaro. Based on the results of the questionnaire, the AHP assessment weight was obtained. The combined AHP results show the highest priority scale for the evaluation recommendations of this research is Pollution Reduction as the most important variable with a weight of 0.348, the second rank is Accident Reducer with a weight of 0.300, the third rank is Glare Control with a weight of 0.150. The combined results of 3 experts produce a consistency ratio value of 0.05, the consistency ratio value of 0.05 is smaller than 0.10 so it can be said to have met the consistent requirements.
 
 Keywords: analytical hierarchy process, emission, roadside greenbelt

Productivity, energy use efficiency, economics and CO2 emission from integrated fish-duck farming in floodplain wetland ecosystems of eastern India

The study aims to assess productivity, economics, energy use efficiency and CO2e emissionfrom integrated fish-duck farming system (IFDF system) in floodplains of the eastern India.A total of six fish ponds were constructed and developed as IFDF system under floodplainsin which fingerlings were stocked @4000 acre-1 and integrated with 150 numbers of KhakiCampbell ducks. Average growth rate of fishes ranged from 27 g month-1 of mrigal to 31.7 gmonth-1 of grass carp and average body weight ranged from 465.2 g of mrigal to 823.2 gof grass carp. The fish equivalent yield was obtained as 3.06 t acre-1 year-1. The total energyinput, output and energy use efficiency ratio estimated were 111.8 GJ and 21.2 GJ and 0.19,respectively. Net income earned was ₹234393 acre-1 year-1 and BC ratio estimated was 1.91.Further, 0.56 kg CO2e was emitted to produce 1.0 kg of fish equivalent, which was muchlower than that of the production of rice, mutton and milk. Keywords:CO2e emission, Economics, Energy, Fish-duckfarming, Floodplain, Productivity

Carbon reduction performance and economic analysis in building construction - a pilot trial of low-carbon construction in the O•PARK2 construction phase

With the wide application of green building standards to reduce the carbon emissions from the operation phase, the carbon emissions during the construction phase are becoming more and more significant. Carbon footprint management is necessary and low-carbon measures, including low-carbon construction materials, construction site electrification, on-site renewable energy systems, and low-carbon alternative fuels should be considered. Taking a real case of a Design-Build-Operate project, O•PARK2, as a pilot trial, this study investigates the carbon reduction efficiency and cost increment of various low-carbon measures, and introduces the Green Premium Index to explore the tradeoff between carbon reduction and carbon offsetting by credit purchasing. Low-carbon measures adopted in O•PARK2 were proved to be carbon reduction efficient, achieving 4,612 tonnes of CO2e emission reduction. Early development of decarbonisation strategy enables further emission reduction and lower cost increments during the construction phase, in which low-carbon construction material should be prioritised, followed by construction site electrification, and the use of solar panels and B5 biodiesel. With low-carbon construction materials locally manufactured, construction decarbonisation progress in Hong Kong will be significantly enhanced. Lowcarbon construction should see carbon reduction as the main direction, and carbon offsetting as supplemental.

Picture This: A Deep Learning Model for Operational Real Estate Emissions

We present a deep learning model estimating carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) emissions in the real estate sector. The model, which utilizes convolutional neural networks (CNNs) and image classification techniques, is designed to estimate CO2e emissions based on publicly available images of buildings and their corresponding emissions. Our findings show that the model has the ability to provide reasonably accurate estimations of CO2e emissions using images as the sole input. Notably, incorporating primary energy sources as additional input further improves the accuracy up to 75%. The creation of such a model is particularly important in the fight against climate change, as it allows for transparency and fast identification of buildings, contributing significantly to CO2e emissions in the building sector. Currently, information on emission intensity in the real estate sector is scarce, with only a few countries collecting and providing the required data. Our model can help reduce this gap and provide valuable insights into the carbon footprint of the real estate sector.

Greenhouse gas emissions from agricultural residue burning have increased by 75 % since 2011 across India

Quantifying crop residue burning across India is imperative, owing to its adverse impacts on public health, the environment, and agricultural productivity. Specific information about the extent and characteristics of agricultural crop burning can verify the emission potential of agricultural systems and thereby facilitate targeted dissemination of agricultural innovations and support policymakers in mitigating the harmful effects. With a focus on district-level burning estimates, our study provides a comprehensive seasonal analysis of agricultural burning in India, including burned area, dry matter burned, and gaseous emissions for seven major crops from 2011 to 2020. To quantify the actual residues burned, we developed a remote sensing-based approach that incorporates the monitoring of agricultural burned area to quantify the actual residues burned. Including this satellite measure of the burned area greatly improves emissions estimates and minimizes error compared to typical approaches, which instead use an assumed fraction of total residues that are burned for each crop type. We estimated that emissions have increased by approximately 75 % for CO and Greenhouse gasses - CO2, CH4 and N2O - from 2011 to 2020. Total CO2e emissions increased from ~19,340 Gg.yr−1 in 2011 to ~33,834 Gg.yr−1 in 2020. Most emissions occurred during end of the Kharif season, followed by Rabi, caused by the burning of rice and wheat residues. Among the Indian states, Punjab has the highest burning activity, with 27 % (2.0 million hectares) of its total cultivated area burned in 2020. Interestingly, Madhya Pradesh has emerged as the second-largest contributor, accounting for 30 % of the total burned area across India in 2020. Our study demonstrates how satellite data can be used to map agricultural residue burning at scale, and this information can provide crucial insights for policy framing, targeting, and interventions to manage agricultural residues without compromising air quality and climate.

Environmental Consequences of Intensive Aquaculture Practices at Moyna Purba Medinipur West Bengal India with Special Reference to Carbon Footprint and Carbon Sequestration.

Moyna of Purba Medinipur district is widely known as an aquaculture hub of West Bengal, India. Though very good production is achievable from this fish culture system, management practices are inappropriate, which could create the sustainability problem of this culture system. The present study was thus undertaken for the estimation of plankton population, water quality, carbon footprint and carbon sequestration of this intensive aquaculture practices. Information on spawn to fry, fry to fingerlings and grow-out culture were collected through the structured questionnaire from the fish farmers. The plankton density, primary productivity, carbon footprint and carbon sequestration were analyzed using standard procedures. The phytoplankton, zooplankton and primary productivity were maximum at the stocking period and minimum during the middle of culture period. The lowest feed conversion ratio (FCR) was noticed with the minimum amount of feed applied in the pond. The CO2-e emission ranged from 0.56 to 4.89kg CO2-e/kg fish (av. 2.13) for the production levels of 5.0 to 10.7 t/ha/yr. The pond water developed salinity and ammonium-N increased from 0.01 to 0.50mg/l. The ponds with high feed loading (28 to 32 t/ha/yr) had the highest average sediment accumulation rate (11.0 ± 3.0cm/yr) and carbon sequestration (704 ± 30g C/m2/yr).

Modern AAC additive—A ready tool helping with decarbonization of AAC production by reduction of water, cement, lime and energy consumption

AbstractEuropean Association of AAC producers (EAACA) has set the goal for the AAC industry to become carbon‐neutral by 2050, so it is now more important than ever to explore ways to achieve it. One of the readily available solutions is a dedicated additive for AAC production, production, the effects of which positively affect the reduction of CO2e emissions. The additive is a tool helping the chemical reaction and offers improvements in two key emission sources for AAC. The first one is cement and lime usage, responsible for 74% of CO2e emissions in AAC production. A few percent cutbacks of binders consumption generate direct results in this area. The second one is the production process itself, being accountable for 13% of CO2e emissions. Lowering water content in the mix directly results in a lower requirement for steam during autoclaving, therefore impacting energy usage. Reductions in these two areas can be calculated in terms of CO2e emissions, as well as economical savings. The financial advantages generated by the additive are always higher than the cost of it. The chemical and process background presented in this paper is supported with examples from AAC plants worldwide, and complemented by GHG methodology calculation where 3,6% of CO2e emissions reductions can be achieved solely by using modern additive for production.

EAACA net zero roadmap for autoclaved aerated concrete

AbstractThis roadmap sets out a pathway for Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (AAC) products to reach net‐zero emissions by 2050 with the potential to become carbon negative, thereby absorbing more carbon dioxide from the atmosphere than they produce. The roadmap aligns the European Autoclaved Aerated Concrete Association (EAACA) and its members with the objectives of the Paris Agreement to limit global warming to 1.5°C and supports policies to decarbonize Europe's buildings and construction sectors. AAC is a lightweight, yet strong and durable building material that offers ultra‐efficient thermal insulation, optimum fire protection, and a high load‐bearing capacity. With its net‐zero roadmap and the potential to become carbon negative, AAC has a role to play as a building material in helping to reduce the life‐cycle emissions of Europe's buildings. The roadmap sets out the main levers that must be applied to achieve this. We have drawn these from known technologies and have based our net‐zero target on a life‐cycle analysis provided by an independently verified Environmental Product Declaration. As the majority of CO2e emissions come not from the manufacture of AAC itself, but from the manufacture of two key raw materials—cement and lime—the roadmap draws on the decarburization pathways published by global and European cement and lime industry associations. The building and construction sectors account for a significant share of Europe's greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to climate change. Through this roadmap, the EAACA and its members are committed to achieving net‐zero emissions in AAC products by 2050 and supporting the development of a climate‐neutral Europe.

Climate labels and the restaurant industry: a qualitative study

As the food industry accounts for more than one-third of global anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions, it is one of the largest contributors to climate change. Strategies for reducing CO2e (equivalent) emissions must be implemented to regulate the impact the food systems have on the climate. Environmental communication using climate labels and sharing information on carbon footprints can help reduce GHGs emissions from restaurant purchases on a systemic scale. The aim is to gain insights and study how a carbon label influences the concept of a climate-friendly restaurant and its capacity to bridge the gap between knowledge, awareness, and action. What are the motivations for restaurant employees to adopt climate-friendly behavior? How does the label’s use influence restaurants’ decision to track their carbon footprint over time, communicate the carbon footprint of dishes, and adapt menus to be more climate-friendly? The data were collected with semi-structured interviews with video communication with three restaurant chains, all using labels. The data collected via the interviews were examined using an inductive thematic analysis to identify key themes. The transcending transmission approach to communication was used to gain insights into instrumental and constitutive communication dynamics. As the theoretical framework, ‘symbolic interactionism’ helps untangle constitutive aspects of environmental communication surrounding climate labels to analyze the process of conceptualization through usage, co-creation, and interpretation. The analysis brought forward three main themes: the interactions between the scientific data accessible in the tool and the restaurants. Second, the diverse implications of sustainability marketing for motivating climate actions and what they look like. And finally, climate actions and how they are being apprehended and implemented by the restaurants. The promise of climate labels was discussed by elaborating on socio-cultural dynamics, sustainability marketing, and activism forces and impulses influencing the motivations for restaurants. We then discussed the capacity to transcend information into action through collaboration and inclusiveness to avoid greenwashing. Restaurants have a commercial interest in implementing climate labels in their business and an intrinsic desire to be a company that takes action for the planet because of the restaurants ‘employees’ convictions. However, restaurants find themselves in a tricky situation where they can be criticized if they take ‘wrong’ actions that can be considered greenwashing and criticized if they do nothing. The software enables restaurants to legitimize their actions and communicate them, making them resilient and evolving.