Emission Reduction Strategies Research Articles

Scenarios for Adoption of Low-Carbon Household Cooking Fuels in Biomass-Dependent Informal Settlements of Urban Sub-Saharan Africa: A Critical Analysis of Kisumu City

The use of unclean cooking fuels is widespread in urban informal settlements in Africa, while the adoption of clean fuels is largely done by stacking with traditional biomass fuels. Rapid urbanisation has aggravated the situation since it hampers effective planning for climate action and the provision of clean and affordable cooking fuels. It is, therefore, essential to deploy effective household carbon emissions (HCE) reduction strategies that are cognizant of the fuel use patterns and household dynamics of households in urban informal settlements. This study highlights the status of HCE in Kisumu City’s informal settlements and subsequently explores possible pathways for reducing emissions through the adoption of low-carbon cooking fuels. The paper features existing and plausible emissions scenarios in the informal settlements of Kisumu City. The study adopts a descriptive correlation research design targeting a sample 419 households drawn from seven informal settlements of Kisumu City. Binary logistic regression is used to establish the relationships that exist between household characteristics and the adoption of clean fuels. Multiple linear regression analysis reveals existing and probable emission pathways, informed by varying household characteristics and adjusting fuel-stacking scenarios. Household income has a positive correlation with adoption of clean fuel combinations (p<0.01), while household size does not have a significant relationship with adoption of clean fuels. The annual HCE attributable to cooking in Kisumu City’s informal settlements is 976 KgCO2. Fuel stacking nuances are vital considerations in choosing practical emission reduction pathways for these households. Emission reduction scenario that contemplates transitioning households that use charcoal in their fuel stacks to using LPG has the highest emission reduction potential of 72%. Although an emission scenario that includes LPG in the fuel mix of households that do not use it has an emission reduction potential of just 9%, it is the most realistic option since it accommodates the phenomenon of fuel stacking

Ecological and Economic Benefits of Greenhouse Gas Emission Reduction Strategies in Rice Production: A Case Study of the Southern Rice Propagation Base in Hainan Province

Developing tailored emission reduction strategies and estimating their potential is crucial for achieving low-carbon rice production in a specific region, as well as for advancing China’s dual carbon goals in the agricultural sector. By utilizing water-saving and drought-resistant rice (WDR) with enhanced water and nitrogen utilization efficiency, the mitigation strategies were constructed for rice production systems, and their potential for emission reduction was estimated in the southern rice propagation base of Hainan Province. This study revealed that the implementation of a reduction strategy, which involves dry direct seeding and dry cultivation, combined with a 53% reduction in nitrogen fertilizer, can effectively synergize the mitigation of methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions from rice paddies. Compared with traditional flooded rice cultivation, this integrated approach exhibits an impressive potential for reducing net greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 97% while simultaneously doubling economic benefits. Moreover, when combined with plastic film mulching, the strategy not only sustains rice yields but also achieves a remarkable emission reduction of 92%, leading to a fourfold increase in economic benefits. Our study provides a comprehensive low-carbon sustainable development strategy for rice production in the southern rice propagation base of Hainan Province and offers valuable insights for researching GHG emissions in other regions or crops. These emission reduction pathways and the assessment method could contribute to the realization of low-carbon agriculture.

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emissions from internal floating-roof tank in oil depots in Beijing: Influencing factors and emission reduction strategies analysis

The internal floating-roof tank is the main type of storage tank for refined oil products. The volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emission from the internal floating-roof tank plays a dominant role in the unorganized emission source of the oil depot. In this study, we selected six typical oil depots in Beijing to investigate VOC emission characteristics from the tank top vent hole using infrared imaging technology and flame ionization detector (FID). The results reveal that infrared thermal imager is efficient in quickly identifying the emission level of the tank discharge point. The ambient temperature and wind speed have a direct effect on sealing loss, the turnover can greatly influence the wall hanging loss, and the concentration of VOCs emitted from the tank top vent hole is negatively correlated with liquid height. Furthermore, the influence of accessories type of the internal floating-roof tank on the concentration of VOCs emission from the top vent hole is also studied when other parameters remain unchanged, and find the floating deck type and sealing mode have a significant influence on their VOCs emissions, of which the combination of pontoon type floating deck and secondary seal are effective in controlling the concentration of VOCs emitted from the tank top vent hole. Finally, based on our experimental results, several feasible emission reduction strategies are proposed in terms of source prevention and process control in order to achieve the fine management of the whole process. This paper provides important technical support and policy thoughts for VOCs emission control during oil storage.

Marine fishery carbon emission reduction and changing factors behind marine fishery eco-efficiency growth in China

The accurate assessment of marine fisheries' carbon emissions (MFCE) and the identification of spatial and temporal variation in marine fisheries eco-efficiency (MFEE) and its drivers under the carbon emission reduction constraint can facilitate high-quality development and the achievement of the ‘carbon neutrality’ goal. Current assessments of MFEE exclude carbon emissions and focus on single-factor methodologies, which limit their utility in guiding emission reduction strategies. In this study, using provincial data on carbon emissions from marine fisheries from 2008 to 2021, we constructed a model of undesired output emission efficiency through a directional distance function to determine the undesired output emission reduction potential of each province. The global Malmquist–Luenberger (GML) model was also used to explore the spatial and temporal trends of MFCE and MFEE in China and the drivers influencing MFEE growth. Different mechanisms underlying the MFEE growth in three major marine economic zones were investigated. The results show that (1) MFCE is declining, with carbon sources from marine fisheries showing a decline and carbon sinks showing rapid growth. The year 2015 was an important turning point for carbon emissions from marine fisheries. (2) The level of carbon emission potential of marine fisheries differed among Chinese coastal provinces and cities during the study period, and the three major marine economic circles belonged to different types of carbon emission reduction potential. Under the carbon emission reduction constraint, the MFEE values showed a fluctuating upward trend with significant differences in growth rates and power sources, while pure technical efficiency drove the optimal development of eco-efficiency. (3) The marine economy, resource use, industrial structure, environmental regulation, and science and technology improve MFEE, whereas the degree of openness to the outside world negatively impacts MFEE; the trend of high-quality development of marine fisheries under the carbon emission reduction constraint is positive.

Modelling the effect of context-specific greenhouse gas and nitrogen emission mitigation options in key European dairy farming systems

Understanding the environmental consequences associated with dairy cattle production systems is crucial for the implementation of targeted strategies for emission reduction. However, few studies have modelled the effect of tailored emission mitigation options across key European dairy production systems. Here, we assess the single and combined effect of six emission mitigation practises on selected case studies across Europe through the Sustainable and Integrated Management System for Dairy Production model. This semi-mechanistic model accounts for the interacting flows from a whole-farm perspective simulating the environmental losses in response to different management strategies and site-specific conditions. The results show how reducing the crude protein content of the purchased fraction of the diet was an adequate strategy to reduce the greenhouse gas and nitrogen emission intensity in all systems. Furthermore, implementing an anaerobic digestion plant reduced the greenhouse gas emissions in all tested case studies while increasing the nitrogen emissions intensity, particularly when slurry was applied using broadcast. Regarding the productivity increase, contrasting effects were observed amongst the case studies modelled. Moreover, shallow slurry injection effectively mitigated the intensity of nitrogen losses from the fields due to strong reductions in ammonia volatilisation. When substituting urea with ammonium nitrate as mineral fertiliser, site-specific conditions affected the mitigation potential observed, discouraging its application on sandy-loam soils. Rigid slurry covers effectively reduced the storage-related nitrogen emissions intensity while showing a minor effect on total greenhouse gas emission intensity. In addition, our results provide novel evidence regarding the advantages of cumulative implementation of adapted mitigation options to offset the negative trade-offs of single-option applications (i.e. slurry covers or anaerobic digestion and slurry injection). Through this study, we contribute to a better understanding of the effect of emission mitigation options across dairy production systems in Europe, thus facilitating the adoption of tailored and context-specific emission reduction strategies.

Effects of new urbanization on China's carbon emissions: A quasi-natural experiment based on the improved PSM-DID model

Examining the influence mechanisms of new urbanization on urban carbon emissions is of great practical significance to guide cities' low-carbon and sustainable development and achieve China's “dual carbon” goal. To investigate the impact of the new urbanization policy on carbon emissions, this study conducted quasi-natural experiments on 19 urban agglomerations, including 115 cities in China, from 2011 to 2018. Based on the improved propensity score matching-difference-in-differences model, the study constructed an evaluation system based on the technique for order performance by similarity to an ideal solution or the TOPSIS-entropy method for analyzing the development status of new urbanization. Finally, the influence mechanisms and regional heterogeneity of multidimensional new urbanization development on carbon emissions were examined. The results were threefold. (1) The new urbanization policy significantly inhibits carbon emissions in the pilot cities. (2) The new urbanization policy affects urban carbon emissions through economic and population urbanization, which have an inverted U-shaped relationship with carbon emissions, and public service and environmental urbanization, which inhibit carbon emissions. (3) Regional heterogeneity exists among mechanisms. For relatively developed regions, the policy significantly affects carbon emission reduction. In rapidly developing regions, the policy implementation increases carbon emissions. The policy does not significantly impact carbon emissions in remote and underdeveloped regions. This study is a significant reference for formulating a carbon emissions reduction strategy according to local conditions.

Spatial and temporal variations of surface background ozone in China analyzed with the grid-stretching capability of GEOS-Chem High Performance

Surface background ozone, defined as the ozone in the absence of domestic anthropogenic emissions, is important for developing emission reduction strategies. Here we apply the recently developed GEOS-Chem High Performance (GCHP) global atmospheric chemistry model with ∼0.5° stretched resolution over China to understand the sources of Chinese background ozone (CNB) in the metric of daily maximum 8 h average (MDA8) and to identify the drivers of its interannual variability (IAV) from 2015 to 2019. The GCHP ozone simulations over China are evaluated with an ensemble of surface and aircraft measurements. The five-year national-mean CNB ozone is estimated as 37.9 ppbv, with a spatially west-to-southeast downward gradient (55 to 25 ppbv) and a summer peak (42.5 ppbv). High background levels in western China are due to abundant transport from the free troposphere and adjacent foreign regions, while in eastern China, domestic formation from surface natural precursors is also important. We find greater importance of soil nitric oxides (NOx) than biogenic volatile organic compound emissions to CNB ozone in summer (6.4 vs. 3.9 ppbv), as ozone formation becomes increasingly NOx-sensitive when suppressing anthropogenic emissions. The percentage of daily CNB ozone to total surface ozone generally decreases with increasing daily total ozone, indicating an increased contribution of domestic anthropogenic emissions on polluted days. CNB ozone shows the largest IAV in summer, with standard deviations (seasonal means) of ∼5 ppbv over Qinghai–Tibet Plateau (QTP) and >3.5 ppbv in eastern China. CNB values in QTP are strongly correlated with horizontal circulation anomalies in the middle troposphere, while soil NOx emissions largely drive the IAV in the east. El Nino can inhibit CNB ozone formation in Southeast China by increased precipitation and lower temperature locally in spring, but enhance CNB in Southwest China through increased biomass burning emissions in Southeast Asia.

Exploring Cutting-Edge Approaches to Reduce Africa's Carbon Footprint through Innovative Technology Dissemination

This paper investigates the possibility of revolutionizing Africa's carbon footprint through innovative technology dissemination strategies for GHG emission reduction. It highlights the importance of harnessing renewable energy sources to mitigate climate change and promote sustainable development in Africa. This paper also examined several technology diffusion theories in order to unleash Africa's climate-smart potential by tying them to the recommended techniques for dealing with technological diffusion concerns. These theories varied from diffusion of innovation theory to planned behaviour theory. By analysing these theories, it was found that the most appropriate technology diffusion theory for the assessment of innovative technology dissemination strategies for GHG emission reduction in Africa would be the Diffusion of Innovations Theory. This is due to the theory's emphasis on the dissemination and adoption of new ideas, technologies, or innovations by people or groups within a social system. It would give useful insights into the variables influencing the adoption and dissemination of novel technology for reducing GHG emissions in Africa. The paper also discusses the challenges and barriers faced in the diffusion of renewable energy technologies across the continent while proposing innovative strategies to overcome these obstacles and unlock Africa's untapped climate-smart potential. These strategies include promoting policy and regulatory frameworks that incentivize investment in renewable energy, fostering partnerships between governments, private sector entities, and international organizations to support technology transfer and capacity building, and implementing financial mechanisms such as green bonds and carbon pricing to mobilize funding for renewable energy projects. These proposed strategies were also used to develop seven policies required for innovative technology dissemination strategies for GHG emission reduction in Africa. These policies aim to address the unique challenges faced by African countries in adopting and implementing innovative technologies for GHG emission reduction. By focusing on capacity building, financial incentives, and knowledge sharing, these strategies seek to promote the widespread adoption of sustainable technologies across the continent. They emphasize the importance of collaboration between governments, private sector entities, and international organizations to ensure the successful implementation and long-term sustainability of these policies.

Research on Low-carbon Dual-channel Supply Chain Emission Reduction and Financing Strategy Based on Blockchain

Research on Low-carbon Dual-channel Supply Chain Emission Reduction and Financing Strategy Based on Blockchain

A Hybrid Predictive Model as an Emission Reduction Strategy Based on Power Plants’ Fuel Consumption Activity

A Hybrid Predictive Model as an Emission Reduction Strategy Based on Power Plants’ Fuel Consumption Activity

A Qualitative Review on the Strategies to Reduce the Buildings’ Carbon Emissions

As stated in the Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) document, which establishes emission reduction objectives for 2030, the Government of Indonesia has ratified the Paris Agreement, a worldwide agreement to decrease emissions of greenhouse gases (GHG) and to address the consequences of climate change. This was accomplished through Law No. 16 of 2016. To achieve zero emissions, Indonesia focuses on reducing the use of fossil fuels, adopting environmentally friendly technologies, and increasing the utilization of renewable energy. Global environmental challenges, driven by climate change, have far-reaching implications, including severe health and economic consequences. This study aims to explores the strategies globally performed to reduce the carbon emissions of buildings. To obtain that objective, this study uses a qualitative literature review. The study shows that strategies that can help reduce the buildings carbon emissions include population dynamics, solar photovoltaic, solar water heaters, material use, energy consumption, building stock, and economic considerations. The finding presents a unique opportunity for prioritizing green building practices and carbon emission reduction strategies in Indonesia.

Evolutionary Game Analysis of Emission Reduction Strategies between Port and Shipping Enterprises and Shippers under Carbon Trading Mechanism

Evolutionary Game Analysis of Emission Reduction Strategies between Port and Shipping Enterprises and Shippers under Carbon Trading Mechanism

A Tripartite Evolutionary Game Model for Carbon Reduction Decisions in Shipping Industry

Considering the carbon trading mechanism and the preference of cargo side for low carbon shipping, this paper constructs an evolutionary game model of three parties, namely, government, shipping enterprises and cargo side, and analyzes the evolutionary process of the choice of carbon emission reduction strategies of the three parties. Numerical analysis and sensitivity analysis are conducted based on the practical experience of Shanghai carbon trading pilot. The results show that, (1) Under the current conditions, the three-party strategy will eventually evolve into {the government actively supervises, shipping enterprises negatively reduce emission, and the cargo side actively responds}. (2) The stronger government intervention, the increase of carbon price can guide shipping enterprises to actively reduce emissions. (3) The idea of decarbonization driven by the demand side should be paid attention to, which can help bring together all parties to reduce emissions.

The Evolutionary Game Study on Emission Reduction Strategies of Non-compliant Port and Shipping Enterprises under Media Participation and Government Supervision

The Evolutionary Game Study on Emission Reduction Strategies of Non-compliant Port and Shipping Enterprises under Media Participation and Government Supervision

Estimating the GHGs and the MAC of Agricultural Production Systems in China

As the second largest source of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, the agricultural system has an arduous task of reducing emissions. There is an urgent need to think about how to achieve the goal of peaking carbon emissions in agricultural production at the lowest cost. This paper applied the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) factor method to calculate the GHG emissions of China’s agricultural production systems and deconstruct it into the crop farming and animal husbandry sectors. Input–output indicators based on parametric directional distance functions were constructed to assess the green production efficiency (GPE) of different agricultural sectors and scientifically quantify the marginal abatement costs (MACs) of different GHGs. The results showed the following: (a) During 2000 to 2020, GHG emissions from China’s agricultural production systems averaged 87.73 million tons of CO 2 -eq and showed a fluctuating downward trend. CH 4 emissions accounted for the largest average proportion of 55%, mainly animal enteric fermentation and rice methane emissions. (b) The average level of agricultural GPE in China is 0.79, and 0.76 for crop farming is slightly higher than 0.67 for animal husbandry. (c) The average MAC is 1,861.71 yuan/ton CO 2 -eq, and it is increasing year by year. The shadow price is positively correlated with the efficiency level. The “high-efficiency–low-cost” areas are key areas for agricultural emission reduction, such as Henan and Shandong provinces. Formulate emission reduction strategies according to the characteristics of regional GHG emissions to promote the realization of the “dual carbon” goal of agriculture.

Energy Consumption and Unit Process Emissions in Laser Removal of Diamond-like Coatings from Tooling

Laser cleaning technology is a promising technology for selective removal of coatings from substrates to facilitate re-use and recoating. A leading coating of interest for reduced friction and operating forces is Diamond like Carbon (DLC) coating. This paper reports on the energy requirements and associated unit process scope 2 emissions for the DLC laser removal process to facilitate re-use of tooling in a circular economy. This work can assist in providing a greater understanding of the energy requirements and of energy consumption and emissions reduction strategies for the DLC removal process. This is important for the transition to net-zero emissions in manufacturing.

Does innovation facilitate meeting the CO2 emission reduction targets of China: A non-linear approach

China has been implementing energy efficiency and CO2 emission reduction schemes at the provincial level that have been embedded in the National Five Year Plans of the country. We set out to investigate the relationship between R&D expenditures and CO2 emissions in China at the province level in the context of the planned emissions reduction targets. We explore the possibility of the existence of a non-linear relationship between R&D expenditures and CO2 emissions with a non-parametric methodology, a fixed effect panel data quantile (FEQR) regression estimator applied to a panel of 30 provinces. We stratify the sample according to the five emissions reduction target tiers of the 12th Five-Year National Plan of China and we investigate the role of R&D expenditures in emissions reduction within each of the tiers. We find an inverse U relationship with different turning points for the three middle tiers and a U-shaped relationship for the tier under the most stringent environmental regulation. We find no effect in the tier with the least stringent emissions reduction targets. A further investigation shows that the above results are attributed to sectors with relatively low energy intensity and not to the sectors of heavy industry. The results allow us to draw broad conclusions about the effectiveness of investment in new technologies as a means of meeting the CO2 targets in China.

The importance of photochemical loss to source analysis and ozone formation potential: Implications from in-situ observations of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in Guangzhou, China

The chemical loss of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) is influenced by atmospheric and is closely related to the photochemical formation of ozone (O3). Therefore, research on the atmospheric chemical transformation of VOCs is essential to understand their contribution to O3 formation. This study collected data on photochemical-related atmospheric components and meteorological factors in spring at a typical comprehensive observation platform in Guangzhou, China. The photochemical age method was used to evaluate the loss of VOCs due to atmospheric photochemical transformation and to analyze the contribution of such transformation to the source apportionment of VOCs and to the ozone formation potential (OFP). The results show that the mean photochemical loss of total volatile organic compounds (TVOCs) during the observation period was 4.1 ppbv, accounting for approximately 15% of the initial TVOC content. Alkenes had the highest consumed concentration/initial concentration (C/I ratio) of 37.3%. A comparison of the source apportionment results obtained using observational positive matrix factorization (Ob-PMF) and in situ positive matrix factorization (In-PMF) revealed that photochemical losses significantly affected VOCs emitted from industrial and biological sources. Furthermore, neglecting the photochemical loss of VOCs in PMF source apportionment could lead to an underestimation of the contribution of VOCs from industrial and biological sources. The calculated values of OFP under VOC loss (OFPC–VOCs) showed that OFPC-VOCs constituted approximately 30% of the OFP of the initial VOCs. 93.2% of the OFP was attributed to the photochemical loss of alkenes and aromatic hydrocarbons, indicating their significant influence on O3 formation. This study emphasizes the importance of fully considering the photochemical loss of VOCs for accurately assessing their sources and contributions to ozone pollution. It also provides theoretical support for formulating VOC emission reduction strategies in the Pearl River Delta region.

Digital Data Management Practices for Effective Embodied Carbon Estimation: A Systematic Evaluation of Barriers for Adoption in the Building Sector

The pervasive impact of industrialisation on our daily existence has precipitated carbon emissions that demand critical attention. Although international conventions and scholarly research have scrutinised carbon emission sources and reduction strategies, the integration of digital tools and databases for estimating embodied carbon emissions remains in an incipient phase. Consequently, this review study aims to seek to optimise opportunities for digital transformation and sustainable practices while addressing the digital carbon footprint in the building sector. Employing the PRISMA guidelines, we systematically analysed 59 publications amassed from Scopus and Web of Science databases. The study’s search parameters encompassed the analytical dimensions of “embodied carbon”, “emission data”, and “barriers to digital transformation”. Through this rigorous process, 32 salient challenges and barriers were synthesised, encapsulated within four overarching parameters: traceability, accuracy, auditability, and efficiency. At its core, this study’s primary objective resides in the evaluation of existing barriers and challenges within the realm of carbon emission estimation. By doing so, it aspires to proffer a cogent knowledge model capable of catalysing the development of digital methodologies and models that can, with a high degree of accuracy, assess the burgeoning digital carbon footprint within the expansive domain of the building sector.

Characteristics analysis of solid waste generation and carbon emission of beer production in China

As the largest beer producer and consumer in the world, China's endeavors to reduce solid waste generation (SWG) and carbon emissions (CEs) in the course of beer production assume paramount significance. This study aims to assess the SWG and CEs in beer production within China at both national and provincial levels, and further delves into the spatial distribution characteristics and evolving patterns across the country. Key findings of the study include:(1) Peak SWG and CEs were recorded in 2013, reaching 861.62 million tons and 2315.10 tCO2e, respectively, followed by a consistent decline. (2) Among the three types of solid waste, spent grain exhibited the highest generation rate, contributing to 94.38% of the total. (3) The emergence of China's beer industry dates back to the 1980s in the northeastern region, expanding to the southeastern and the Yangtze River Basin during the 1990s, ultimately extending nationwide. (4) The spatial distribution of beer production revealed significant regional disparities and notable industry concentration. Notably, many provinces witnessed reduced CEs from beer production starting in 2015, although the extent of reduction varied in different provinces. These findings serve as a scientific foundation for formulating emission reduction strategies in beer producing and offer insights for other food industries in China.