Effects Of Global Change Research Articles

Plot-level estimates of aboveground biomass and soil organic carbon stocks from Nepal’s forest inventory

Given the contribution of deforestation and forest degradation to the global carbon cycle, forest resources are critical to mitigating the global climate change effects. Improved forest monitoring across different biomes is important to understand forest dynamics better and improve global projections of future atmospheric CO2 concentration. Better quantification of the forest carbon cycle advances scientific understanding and informs global negotiations about carbon emissions reduction. High-quality estimates of forest carbon stocks are currently scarce in many developing countries. Here, we present the most comprehensive georeferenced data set to date of plot-level forest carbon estimates for Nepal. Based on field observations from Nepal’s national forest inventory of 2010–2014; the data set includes estimates for two major forest carbon pools, aboveground biomass (AGB) and soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks from 2,009 and 1,156 inventory plots, respectively. The dataset fills an important knowledge gap about forest carbon stocks in the Central Himalayas, a region with highly heterogeneous environmental conditions and rich biodiversity that is poorly represented in existing global estimates of forest carbon.

Accelerated examination of patent applications for «green» technologies: foreign experience for Ukraine

The article is devoted to the study of international experience in implementing programs of accelerated examination of patent applications in the field of «green» technologies, as well as the impact of the approaches taken by the National Intellectual Property Offices of foreign countries on the implementation of this program in Ukraine. The author provides a thoroughanalysis of the peculiarities of obtaining legal protection for «green» technologies when filing patent applications for accelerated examination. The qualification requirements and process requirements for participation in the program are considered. The impact of the programs on the dissemination of «green» technologies and knowledge about them is also investigated. The objectives of the study are to determine the basic requirements for participation and processparameters in the programs of accelerated examination of patent applications in the field of «green» technologies, and the feasibility of introducing this program in Ukraine. In turn, accelerated examination programs have accelerated the dissemination of technological knowledge in the field of «green» technologies in the first years after the publication of patents. It seems relevant to introduce a program of accelerated expertise in the field of «green» technologies in Ukraine. Since the creation of such a mechanism will allow for a quick search for technical solutions to reduce the impacts and consequences of climate change in Ukraine; to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and adapt to the effects of global climate change; to environmental threats associated with the war in Ukraine, where there is already a significant level of air, water and land pollution, problems with the generation, accumulation, storage, processing, recycling and disposal of waste; to energy saving technologies and alternative energy sources. A balanced program system would include broad subject matter qualifications (to include as many useful «green» technologies as possible) with reasonable process restrictions (to keep the workload of the examiners at a manageable level) and thus ensure a sufficiently high speed of examination.

Control of hydrologic conditions and vegetation composition on carbon dynamics characterized by 13C enrichment in a dune-meadow cascade ecosystem in a semi-arid region

The variation of 13C enrichment (Δ13C and Δδ13C) is an effective indicator of the spatiotemporal dynamics of carbon stock. However, based on 13C enrichment, the effects of global climate change, land use types and historical vegetation succession on carbon dynamics have been found to be equivocal. Taking semi-mobile dune (SD) and meadow wetland (MW) ecosystems in the Horqin Sandy Land as examples, this study examined the stable carbon isotope ratios (δ13C) during the growing seasons in 2019 and 2020, and determined the factors controlling the continuum δ13C. The results revealed that throughout the carbon migration process, under different physiological mechanisms of carbon assimilation, distribution, and respiration, the seasonal variation of carbon isotope patterns exhibited significant differences in the air-plant-soil continuum of dune and meadow ecosystems. The MW with long-term stable vegetation coverage had higher soil carbon turnover than that in SD. In SD, both long-term and short-term restoration-accelerated soil carbon turnover. The effect of soil moisture (Ms) on Δδ13C (the surface soil δ13C minus leaf δ13C) will exceed that of air temperature in SD and MW. In MW, field capacity (FC) was the decisive indicator of various sources of Ms (rainfall, groundwater) affecting 13C enrichment variation. Δ13C (the discrimination of leaf carbon isotope) exerted a positive effect on Δδ13C only when Ms at 0–20 cm < FC, indicating the variable effect of photosynthesis on soil respiration throughout the growing seasons. Moreover, vegetation composition can also affect the extent to which soil respiration responds to photosynthesis.

Global Changes Alter the Successions of Early Colonizers of Benthic Surfaces

The successions of benthic communities over time are strongly influenced by the first colonizers, because surface associations are facilitated by modifications to the adhesive properties promoted by primary colonizers, such as bacteria, protozoans, diatoms, algal propagules, spores, and invertebrate larvae. Bacteria are often the first colonizers on marine submerged surfaces, both organic (e.g., algae, seagrasses and invertebrates) and inorganic. However, they are promptly followed by diatoms and other microorganisms. Consequently, diatoms may represent key elements in the determination of the colonization patterns, although the development of epiphytic communities is a dynamic process influenced by several factors, including nutrient availability, the ability to synthesize and secrete extracellular material, the competition among species and the influence of grazers on individual colonizers. The process may be drastically impacted by global warming and ocean acidification due to the increasing atmospheric levels of CO2. The impact of such global stressors on benthic ecosystems, especially on the primary microphytobenthic assemblages, is still poorly investigated, and may have deleterious consequences for the benthic successions. In this review, we analyze the adhesion patterns of marine microorganisms according to their surface features and the effects of global changes on critical pioneer colonizers, such as the benthic diatoms. The results are remarkable, as they highlight emergent concerns in ecosystem conservation and the prediction of benthic communities.

Projecting shifts in the distributions of Chinese endemic vertebrate species under climate and land-use change

Human-induced climate and land-use change impact species’ habitats and survival ability. A growing body of research uses species distribution models (SDMs) to predict potential changes in species ranges under global change. We constructed SDMs for 411 Chinese endemic vertebrates using Maximum Entropy (MaxEnt) modeling and four shared socioeconomic pathways (SSPs) spanning to 2100. We compared four different approaches: (1) using only climatic and geographic factors, (2) adding anthropogenic factors (land-use types and human population densities), but only using current data to project into the future, (3) incorporating future estimates of the anthropogenic variables, and (4) processing species occurrence data extracted from IUCN range maps to remove unsuitable areas and reflect each species’ area of habitat (AOH). The results showed that the performance of the models (as measured by the Boyce index) improved with the inclusion of anthropogenic data. Additionally, the predicted future suitable area was most restricted and diminished compared to the current area, when using the fourth approach. Overall, the results are consistent with other studies showing that species distributions will shift to higher elevations and latitudes under global change, especially under higher emission scenarios. Species threatened currently, as listed by the IUCN, will have their range decrease more than others. Additionally, higher emission scenarios forecast more threatened species in the future. Our findings show that approaches to optimizing SDM modeling can improve accuracy, predicting more direct global change consequences, which need to be anticipated. We also show that global change poses a significant threat to endemic species even in regions with extensive protected land at higher latitudes and elevations, such as China.

Impact of global change on environmental hazards of different clays: A case study on Aliivibrio fischeri

The effects of global change in marine ecosystems are expected to lower pH from the current 8.1–7.5–7.0, which will have significant impacts on marine species. The purpose of this study is to investigate whether the ecotoxicity of ten different natural clays change significantly in response to the acidification process and what factors are associated with the observed changes. In this study, the ecotoxicological response of a bacterium (Aliivibrio fischeri) was tested under current (pH= 8.1) and acidified (pH 7.5 and 7.0) conditions. The ecotoxicity detected in the solid phase test (SPT protocol) and in the contact water was affected by the pH, which increased the ecotoxicity from 2/10 clays (pH 8.10) to 7/10 clays (pH 7.00), also shifting the detected effects from low to high toxicity values. The analyses performed on the natural clays studied show that pH can affect the release of metals, metalloids and rare earths from the clays into the contact water phase, affecting the toxicity observed. This phenomenon depends on the type of clay and is closely related to its mineralogical composition. As consequence, in a globally changing scenario, ecotoxicity, even of natural materials such as clay, cannot be considered stable, but must be accurately revaluated depending on the mineralogical and chemical composition of the clay. Moreover, the mineralogical composition of clays showed different efficiency in absorbing bacteria on the surface of clay particles. It was found that live bacterial cells were absorbed on the clay surface in numbers that were dependent on both clay types and pH levels.

New trends in sugarcane fertilization: Implications for NH3 volatilization, N2O emissions and crop yields

Recycling nutrients helps to reduce the environmental impact of agriculture and contributes to alleviating the effects of global climate change. A recent trend in sugarcane cultivation is the application of concentrated vinasse (CV) combined with fertilizers into an organo-mineral formulation to improve logistics, reduce costs and foster the circular economy. However, the implications of the application of such organo-mineral formulation in sugarcane fields are unclear. In this study, we evaluated the effects of the organo-mineral formulation containing granular urea (UR), and a nitrification inhibitor (NI) on crop yields, NH3 volatilization, and N2O emissions. Field experiments were conducted during two fertilization seasons, dry and wet, and the treatments were: control; UR; UR + NI; CV; CV + UR; and CV + UR + NI. CV was applied at 7 m3 ha−1. The treatments (except control and CV) were balanced to receive the same amount of N and K. Compared with UR, the organo-mineral formulation of CV + UR decreased NH3 volatilization losses from 7% to 4% in the dry season and from 3.5% to 0.5% in the wet season. Conversely, compared with UR, N2O emissions increased significantly (p ≤ 0.05) in CV + UR in the wet season from 1% to 2% of applied N. In the dry season, no differences were observed. The addition of NI was effective in mitigating N2O emissions in both seasons. Emission reductions ranged from 43 to 48% in the dry season and from 71 to 84%, in the wet season. Fertilization with UR or the organo-mineral formulation influenced sugarcane yield only in the dry season, with the highest yield in CV + UR. NI did not affect crop yield. In general, emission intensities (kg CO2eq Mg−1 of stalk) were highest in CV + UR. We conclude that the organo-mineral formulation reduced NH3 losses and increased N2O emissions compared with regular solid fertilizer and that NI was effective for mitigating N2O emissions.

Embodied Energy and Carbon Footprint of Concrete Compared to Other Construction Materials

The main objective of infrastructure design codes is to protect the public’s welfare, health, and safety, none of which appear directly related to the current sustainability movement that has focused on protecting the natural environment, conserving resources, and minimizing the toxicity of construction materials and processes. Some United States jurisdictions have adopted language related to sustainability based on the United States Green Building Council to curtail adverse effects of global climate change, minimize environmental impact of new construction of built assets (i.e., buildings and infrastructure), and in some cases, improve air quality in the community. The focus of this paper is to compare the embodied energy and carbon footprint of various construction materials: concrete, steel, timber, masonry, and fiber reinforced composites. To properly compare these materials from a sustainability standpoint, we propose an index that characterizes material ecological properties by dividing strength and stiffness by embodied energy. The index is similar to the structural specific properties index used to characterize the mechanical properties of materials (i.e., strength and stiffness divided by density). Using this ecological index, concrete and steel appear to be the most sustainable materials. As a result of their higher strength and stiffness, concrete and steel require less embodied energy to satisfy specific structural demands. Keywords: embodied energy, carbon footprint, LEED, specific embodied energy

Estimating population viability of the northern Great Plains piping plover population considering updated population structure, climate change, and intensive management

One challenge in wildlife conservation is understanding how various threats and management actions may influence long-term population viability. This is particularly evident when there is considerable uncertainty regarding population structure and vital rates. Reassessment of current knowledge and population trends is necessary for listed species to improve management actions that benefit conservation. We present an updated population viability analysis for northern Great Plains piping plovers (Charadrius melodus circumcinctus) based on the latest scientific data on survival, fecundity, and connectivity. Further, we explore the consequences of potential management actions and the stochastic effects of global climate change on population viability through changes in survival and fecundity. Our results predict elevated risks of extinction after 50 years (0.088 – 0.373) compared to previous predictions (0.033) based on assumed conditions of low connectivity among four major breeding groups structured as a metapopulation. We explored eight scenarios based on empirically-derived, higher connectivity rates and found that the northern Great Plains population never had a mean predicted population growth rate greater than one (0.946 – 0.996). Two scenarios that simulated a reduction in adult survival showed higher extinction probabilities (0.267 – 0.373), whereas two other scenarios that simulated an increase in fecundity exhibited lower extinction probabilities (0.088 – 0.103). These results indicate that viability of the northern Great Plains population of piping plovers could be improved with management actions that increase fecundity as long as adult survival is not simultaneously reduced. Lastly, breeding groups appeared to function less independently when connectivity rates were higher, as the breeding population was divided evenly among breeding groups. This indicates that the presumed metapopulation structure of our study system may need to be re-evaluated, and that empirically-based estimates of connectivity are essential to assessing population viability of mobile species that exhibit a spatially structured distribution.

The clustering of spatially associated species unravels patterns in tropical tree species distributions

AbstractComplex distribution data can be summarized by grouping species with similar or overlapping distributions to unravel spatial patterns and separate trends (e.g., of habitat loss) among spatially unique groups. However, such classifications are often heuristic, lacking the transparency, objectivity, and data‐driven rigor of quantitative methods, which limits their interpretability and utility. Here, we develop and illustrate the clustering of spatially associated species, a methodological framework aimed at statistically classifying species using explicit measures of interspecific spatial association. We investigate several association indices and clustering algorithms and show how these methodological choices drive substantial variations in clustering outcomes and performance. To facilitate robust decision‐making, we provide guidance on choosing methods appropriate to one's study objective(s). As a case study, we apply our framework to modeled tree distributions in Borneo and subsequently evaluate the impact of land‐cover change on separate species groupings. Based on the modeled distribution of 390 tree species prior to anthropogenic land‐cover changes, we identified 11 distinct clusters that unraveled ecologically meaningful patterns in Bornean tree distributions. These clusters then enabled us to quantify trends of habitat loss tied to each of those specific clusters, allowing us to discern particularly vulnerable species clusters and their distributions. This study demonstrates the advantages of adopting quantitatively derived clusters of spatially associated species and elucidates the potential of resultant clusters as a spatially explicit framework for investigating distribution‐related questions in ecology, biogeography, and conservation. By adopting our methodological framework and publicly available codes, practitioners can leverage the ever‐growing abundance of distribution data to better understand complex spatial patterns among species distributions and the disparate effects of global changes on biodiversity.

Directions, experience and prospects for the implementation of carbon projects in Russia

At the moment, the problem of increasing greenhouse gas emissions is global, requiring prompt action to mitigate the effects of global climate change. In recent decades, there has been a clear correlation between global climate change and an increase in greenhouse gas emissions of anthropogenic origin. The strengthening of the climate agenda is leading to an expansion of activities in the field of developing ways to decarbonize, as a result, business and industry are considering various options for reducing emissions, in particular the implementation of carbon projects. The article summarizes the experience of implementing climate projects in Russia both in the first period of the Kyoto Protocol and under the current legislation. Climate projects implemented at enterprises of various industries in various areas are considered, including projects on energy efficiency, renewable energy sources, forest carbon projects. An overview of joint implementation projects in the following industries is presented: non-ferrous metallurgy, steelmaking, oil refining, energy, chemical industry, etc. Special attention is paid to the description of the prospects for the development of new natural and climatic projects related to wetlands, aimed at the restoration and secondary watering of peatlands. Taking into account the fact that the ability of wetlands in general and peatlands in particular to sequester and store carbon has been sufficiently studied, and Russia has the world's largest peat reserves, it is therefore advisable to use the potential of wetlands for the development and implementation climate projects with subsequent issuance and sale of carbon credits on the national or international markets.

Assessment of dry bulk carriers regarding decarbonisation and entropy management

ABSTRACT The effects of global climate change and related corporate awareness have brought carbon management models to the fore in sectoral strategies aiming to reduce air pollution/carbon emissions. Dry bulk carriers, making up 42.7% of the shipping market, have a significant share in the decarbonisation process. Reducing fuel consumption of ships, playing a significant role in air pollution, is a requirement for environmental sustainability. Thus, a model adopting a holistic approach is required to support decision-making processes in the shipbuilding industry. The study aims to develop a decarbonisation framework by conducting sectoral environmental impact analyses based on entropy management. In this study, the ships’ average exergetic efficiency is calculated as 16.91%, and the sectoral improvement potential is 69.32%, so the improvement potential on entropy generation is 79.44%. In the end, it has been concluded that alternative energy solutions are vital for sectoral development in the shipping industry, and recommendations are presented.

Stable isotopes and a changing world.

The measurement of naturally occurring stable isotope ratios of the light elements (C, N, H, O, S) in animal tissues and associated organic and inorganic fractions of associated environments holds immense potential as a means of addressing effects of global change on animals. This paper provides a brief review of studies that have used the isotope approach to evaluate changes in diet, isotopic niche, contaminant burden, reproductive and nutritional investment, invasive species and shifts in migration origin or destination with clear links to evaluating effects of global change. This field has now reached a level of maturity that is impressive but generally underappreciated and involves technical as well as statistical advances and access to freely available R-based packages. There is a need for animal ecologists and conservationists to design tissue collection networks that will best answer current and anticipated questions related to the global change and the biodiversity crisis. These developments will move the field of stable isotope ecology toward a more hypothesis driven discipline related to rapidly changing global events.

Screening Microbial Interactions During Inulin Utilization Reveals Strong Competition and Proteomic Changes in Lacticaseibacillus paracasei M38

Competition for resources is a common microbial interaction in the gut microbiome. Inulin is a well-studied prebiotic dietary fiber that profoundly shapes gut microbiome composition. Several community members and some probiotics, such as Lacticaseibacillus paracasei, deploy multiple molecular strategies to access fructans. In this work, we screened bacterial interactions during inulin utilization in representative gut microbes. Unidirectional and bidirectional assays were used to evaluate the effects of microbial interactions and global proteomic changes on inulin utilization. Unidirectional assays showed the total or partial consumption of inulin by many gut microbes. Partial consumption was associated with cross-feeding of fructose or short oligosaccharides. However, bidirectional assays showed strong competition from L. paracasei M38 against other gut microbes, reducing the growth and quantity of proteins found in the latter. L. paracasei dominated and outcompeted other inulin utilizers, such as Ligilactobacillus ruminis PT16, Bifidobacterium longum PT4, and Bacteroides fragilis HM714. The importance of strain-specific characteristics of L. paracasei, such as its high fitness for inulin consumption, allows it to be favored for bacterial competence. Proteomic studies indicated an increase in inulin-degrading enzymes in co-cultures, such as β-fructosidase, 6-phosphofructokinase, the PTS D-fructose system, and ABC transporters. These results reveal that intestinal metabolic interactions are strain-dependent and might result in cross-feeding or competition depending on total or partial consumption of inulin. Partial degradation of inulin by certain bacteria favors coexistence. However, when L. paracasei M38 totally degrades the fiber, this does not happen. The synergy of this prebiotic with L. paracasei M38 could determine the predominance in the host as a potential probiotic.

Regional Effects of Global Climate Changes in the Ural River Basin

The study data obtained on regional climate changes (surface layer temperature and atmospheric precipitation) in the Ural River basin are reported for a 70-year period (1950–2020). Variations in the basic parameters of the regional climate in the basin studied were obtained by standard statistical data analysis, as well as by calculation of the integral climate anomaly indices. Statistically significant linear trend coefficients illustrate a steady increase in the average annual air temperature in the Ural River basin. The largest contribution to the growth of this parameter is made in the first three months of the calendar year (January–March) and the autumn months (October–November). The long-term course of precipitation values is devoid of unidirectional and statistically significant trends. The important macroregional trend is an increase in precipitation during the cold period. In conclusion, it should be noted that the diverse physical and geographical conditions of the regional climate are indicative of a spatially nonuniform response to the global and macroregional changes.

Effect of epidemic diseases on wild animal conservation.

Under the background of global species extinction, the impact of epidemic diseases on wild animal protection is increasingly prominent. Here, we review and synthesize the literature on this topic, and discuss the relationship between diseases and biodiversity. Diseases usually reduce species diversity by decreasing or extinction of species populations, but also accelerate species evolution and promote species diversity. At the same time, species diversity can regulate disease outbreaks through dilution or amplification effects. The synergistic effect of human activities and global change is emphasized, which further aggravates the complex relationship between biodiversity and diseases. Finally, we emphasize the importance of active surveillance of wild animal diseases, which can protect wild animals from potential diseases, maintain population size and genetic variation, and reduce the damage of diseases to the balance of the whole ecosystem and human health. Therefore, we suggest that a background survey of wild animal populations and their pathogens should be carried out to assess the impact of potential outbreaks on the population or species level. The mechanism of dilution and amplification effect between species diversity and diseases of wild animals should be further studied to provide a theoretical basis and technical support for human intervention measures to change biodiversity. Most importantly, we should closely combine the protection of wild animals with the establishment of an active surveillance, prevention, and control system for wild animal epidemics, in an effort to achieve a win-win situation between wild animal protection and disease control.

Emission Trade-Off between Isoprene and Other BVOC Components in Pinus massoniana Saplings May Be Regulated by Content of Chlorophylls, Starch and NSCs under Drought Stress.

The aim of this work was to study the changes in the BVOCs emission rates and physiological mechanistic response of Pinus massoniana saplings in response to drought stress. Drought stress significantly reduced the emission rates of total BVOCs, monoterpenes, and sesquiterpenes, but had no significant effect on the emission rate of isoprene, which slightly increased under drought stress. A significant negative relationship was observed between the emission rates of total BVOCs, monoterpenes, and sesquiterpenes and the content of chlorophylls, starch, and NSCs, and a positive relationship was observed between the isoprene emission rate and the content of chlorophylls, starch, and NSCs, indicating different control mechanism over the emission of the different components of BVOCs. Under drought stress, the emission trade-off between isoprene and other BVOCs components may be driven by the content of chlorophylls, starch, and NSCs. Considering the inconsistent responses of the different components of BVOCs to drought stress for different plant species, close attention should be paid to the effect of drought stress and global change on plant BVOCs emissions in the future.

Environmental Degradation and Development Diplomacy for Nepal

This article aims to shed light on the challenges of global warming and climate change. The disasters produced by such phenomena are impacting the lives of people inhabiting the mountains, hills, and Tarai areas of Nepal. It also explains how to safeguard our ecological environment and mitigate the effects of global warming and climate change. Similarly, it also elaborates on how Nepal can face this difficulty as 80 percent of our population has been affected and the income of the people has been diminishing with low productivity in agriculture. With the active pursuance of development diplomacy under the overall economic diplomacy as a Middle Income Country (MIC), it is envisaged that Nepal will be able to cope with the new situation at the time of world recession as well as facing the adverse aftermath of Covid-19 pandemic with the good preparation to negotiate and implement the projects.

The effects of corporate governance mechanisms on voluntary corporate carbon disclosures: evidence from the emerging economy

PurposeThis study examines the effects of corporate governance mechanisms on voluntary corporate carbon disclosure in Bangladeshi firms.Design/methodology/approachTo investigate the association between corporate governance mechanisms and corporate carbon disclosures, this study employs ordinary least square (OLS) methods. To mitigate the potential endogeneity concerns, the authors also introduce firm fixed effect (FE) and random effect (RE). Primarily, the study sample includes 250 firm-year observations over the period 2015–2019 for listed companies on the Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE) in Bangladesh. Subsequently, corporate governance mechanisms that influence voluntary carbon disclosure were examined using both univariate and OLS models.FindingsThe findings of this study suggest that firms with a larger board size and more independent directors have a positive impact on the firm's intensity to disclose carbon-related information. However, no evidence has been found of the existence of an environmental committee, and the presence of female directors on the board tends to be associated with a higher level of voluntary corporate carbon disclosure.Originality/valueThe study offers necessary evidence of the determinants of corporate carbon disclosures, which will be useful for managers, senior executives, policymakers and regulatory bodies. To improve corporate governance practices and formulate separate sets of regulations and reporting criteria, disclosing extensive and holistic carbon-related information obligatory. Further, the outcomes of this study based on Bangladeshi firms can be comprehensive for other developing countries to take precautions to tackle the effect of global climate change.

Social, economic, and technical factors affecting CO2 emissions in Iran.

Most scholars support the increase in carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions as one of the major causes of the increase in global climate change. Therefore, reducing CO2 emissions from the main emitter countries, including Iran as the sixth emitter, is important to deal with the harmful effects of global climate change. Accordingly, the main aim of this paper was to analyze the social, economic, and technical factors affecting CO2 emissions in Iran. Previous studies on diverse variables affecting emissions are not very accurate and reliable as they do not consider indirect effects. This study applied a structural equation model (SEM) to estimate the direct and indirect impacts of factors on the emissions by panel data for 28 provinces of Iran from 2003 to 2019. According to geographical location, three distinct regions, the north, center, and south of Iran were considered. The findings suggest that a 1% increase in social factor directly increased CO2 emissions by 2.23% (in the north) and 1.58% (in the center), but indirectly reduced emissions by 0.41% (in the north) and 0.92% (in the center). Hence, the total effects of the social factor on CO2 emissions were estimated at 1.82%, and 0.66% in the northern, and central regions, respectively. In addition, the total effects of the economic factor on CO2 emissions were estimated at 1.52%, and 0.73% in those regions. The results of this study showed that the direct effects of a technical factor on CO2 emissions were negative in the north and center. However, they were positive in the south of Iran. Based on the empirical results of this study, three policy implications are discussed in order to control CO2 emissions in regional distinctions of Iran as follows: First, policymakers should pay attention to the social factor, i.e., the growth of human capital in the southern region with the aim of increasing sustainable development. Second, Iranian policymakers must prevent unilaterally increasing gross domestic product (GDP) and financial development in the north and center. Third, policymakers should pay attention to the technical factor, i.e., improving energy efficiency, as well as upgrading information and communications technology (ICT) in the northern and central regions, and limiting the technical factor in the southern region.