Sector Emissions Research Articles

Investigation into the Environmental Sustainability Actions Adapted by Small and Medium Enterprises of the Accommodation and Tour Operator Sectors of Sri Lanka

Tourism is a key driver of development for many countries, including Sri Lanka. In 2018, it generated USD 4.38 million in foreign exchange, contributed by 4.9 percent to the GDP, and generated over 380,000 direct and indirect employment opportunities. The contribution of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) to this industry prevents economic leakages and increases the multiplier effect. The tourism industry also can destroy the very environment it depends on for sustenance, through heavy emissions from energy use and waste production. Research has highlighted the importance of the quality of the environment as a pull factor for destination profitability in the long run. The tourism transport-related emissions for Sri Lanka are high, the accommodation sector's GHG emissions at 3 percent is more than the global average of 1%, indicating major areas for improvement. With the accommodation sector's energy consumption predicted to surpass that of the industrial sector, the attention given to sustainable tourism practices by the SMEs that make up the industry must be investigated. In that context, this research aims to investigate the energy-saving and waste-reduction practices towards emission reduction, adopted by the Tour Operator (TO) and Accommodation Provider (AP) SMEs in the tourism industry of Sri Lanka. To do so, a qualitative methodology was adopted with a narrative inquiry over a virtual platform with 06 TOs and 17 APs identified through convenience sampling, and data analysis performed through thematic content analysis technique. Notable results for AP revealed that 12 APs consume electricity off the grid, with solar energy utilization still being limited to obtaining hot water for guest bathrooms for 5 APs, due to the high initial cost involved, and lack of adequate technical know-how in solar battery maintenance (3Aps in Tissamaharama). Poor government support towards renewable energy discouraged 17 APs from adopting the same. Energy use for TO is minimized through the use of hybrid along with conventional fossil-fuel-powered vehicles for tours. Single-use plastic items reintroduced during the COVID-19 pandemic for AP are gradually being replaced by reusable glass bottles, wooden/ metal cutlery, and paper/metal straws. All AP practice waste segregation, and the 3R concept (reduce, reuse, recycle). 4 TOs provide reusable metal bottles that are refilled during the tour using larger water cans and a handheld pump. As the sustainable practices of TO are currently optional, it is recommended to include sustainability criteria into registration process with the SLTDA. For AP it is recommended for the government to play a more active facilitating role in the renewable energy sector and to ensure the skills requirement for device maintenance is promptly met.
 
 Keywords: Small and medium enterprises, Sustainable tourism development, Energy saving practices, Waste reduction

Is carbon footprint reduction always preferred over offsetting? An analysis of tourists' preferences in the Mallorca region

This research is devoted to the analysis of tourists’ preferences for climate change (CC) mitigation policies in the Mallorca region. The stated choice experiment, used for evaluation, was designed combining a set of alternatives, characterised by carbon footprint reduction and offset policies, taking into account the existence of environmental direct benefits, but also indirect benefits that improve tourist experience or co-benefits derived from the location of policy projects. Economic welfare in form of willingness to pay (WTP) was estimated, and the alternatives were compared using compensating variation values. The study's findings validate the prevailing preference for carbon reduction policies over offsetting measures, except when the first don't have co-benefits and the latter are implemented locally. In the latter case, there is no significant difference in WTP between reducing the carbon footprint and locally offsetting it. Results not only contributes to the ongoing economic debate surrounding CC mitigation policies but also provides key information for designing mitigation schemes in diffuse emission sectors such as tourism.

THE ROLE OF THE CLEAN ENERGY TRANSITION IN GLOBAL PRACTICE: EMISSION REDUCTION, UTILIZATION AND STORAGE OF HYDROCARBON

The energy sector is the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions into the atmosphere, contributing to climate change. In turn, climate change can disrupt energy networks themselves, strain infrastructure and create security risks for people.Producing electricity and heat by burning fossil fuels – coal, oil or gas – produces large amounts of greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide and nitrous oxide, which blanket the Earth and trap the sun’s heat.Carbon abatement, utilization, and storage involve reducing carbon dioxide levels, typically at large single-point sources such as power plants or industrial facilities that use fossil fuels or biomass as fuel. If the resulting CO2 is not used on-site, it is compressed and transported by pipeline, ship, rail, or truck for use in a variety of applications, or injected into deep geologic formations such as depleted oil and gas reservoirs and saline aquifers.Hydrocarbon abatement, utilization and storage can be retrofitted into existing power plants and industrial plants, allowing them to operate continuously. Companies, through restructuring, can address hydrocarbon emissions in sectors that are difficult to reduce capacity, especially in sectors such as cement, steel or chemicals. Reducing emissions, utilization and storage of hydrocarbon can balance emissions that are impossible or technically difficult to reduce.

Environmental performance assessment in the transport sector using nonparametric frontier analysis: A systematic literature review

The increasing environmental issues relating to carbon dioxide emissions are a primary concern globally and have triggered excessive research to investigate possible ways to reduce such emissions, especially in the transport sector, as initiated by Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 13. This study investigates the importance of the nonparametric frontier analysis methodology, particularly Data Envelopment Analysis, in measuring environmental performance in the transport sector, emphasising how EU countries are working on meeting the recommendations of SDG 13. Researchers and policymakers have indisputably identified the transport sector as the primary source of global emissions. This paper aims to underline the significant environmental trends in the transport sector, including research topics, key works, research methods, future research direction, and recommendations to explore possible global or regional research agendas. In this regard, we mainly focus on various techniques used to measure the environmental performance within the transport sector. This research considers 186 articles from 46 journals. The survey's main findings show the ever-increasing attention paid to studying the transport sector's emissions, emphasising road and passenger car CO2 emissions as the major source of emissions in the transport sector. In the existing literature, the top three frequently adopted methodologies for measuring environmental performance in transportation include Data Envelopment Analysis, emission analysis, and simulation. This study shows research gaps and future directions on environmental performance assessment within the transport sector, particularly maritime and aviation.

Impact of anthropogenic emission control in reducing future PM2.5 concentrations and the related oxidative potential across different regions of China

Affected by both future anthropogenic emissions and climate change, future prediction of PM2.5 and its Oxidative Potential (OP) distribution is a significant challenge, especially in developing countries like China. To overcome this challenge, we estimated historical and future PM2.5 concentrations and associated OP using the Danish Eulerian Hemispheric Model (DEHM) system with meteorological input from WRF weather forecast model. Considering different future socio-economic pathways and emission scenario assumptions, we quantified how the contribution from various anthropogenic emission sectors will change under these scenarios. Results show that compared to the CESM_SSP2–4.5_CLE scenario (based on moderate radiative forcing and Current Legislation Emission), the CESM_SSP1–2.6_MFR scenario (based on sustainability development and Maximum Feasible Reductions) is projected to yield greater environmental and health benefits in the future. Under the CESM_SSP1–2.6_MFR scenario, annual average PM2.5 concentrations (OP) are expected to decrease to 30 μgm−3 (0.8 nmolmin−1m−3) in almost all regions by 2030, which will be 65 % (67 %) lower than that in 2010. From a long-term perspective, it is anticipated that OP in the Fen-Wei Plain region will experience the maximum reduction (82.6 %) from 2010 to 2049. Largely benefiting from the effective control of PM2.5 in the region, it has decreased by 82.1 %. Crucially, once emission reduction measures reach a certain level (in 2040), further reductions become less significant. This study also emphasized the significant role of secondary aerosol formation and biomass-burning sources in influencing OP during both historical and future periods. In different scenarios, the reduction range of OP from 2010 to 2049 is estimated to be between 71 % and 85 % by controlling precursor emissions involved in secondary aerosol formation and emissions from biomass burning. Results indicate that strengthening the control of anthropogenic emissions in various regions are key to achieving air quality targets and safeguarding human health in the future.

Temporal regulation of renewable supply for electrolytic hydrogen

Electrolytic hydrogen produced using renewable electricity can help lower carbon dioxide emissions in sectors where feedstocks, reducing agents, dense fuels or high temperatures are required. This study investigates the implications of various standards being proposed to certify that the grid electricity used is renewable. The standards vary in how strictly they match the renewable generation to the electrolyser demand in time and space. Using an energy system model, we compare electricity procurement strategies to meet a constant hydrogen demand for selected European countries in 2025 and 2030. We compare cases where no additional renewable generators are procured with cases where the electrolyser demand is matched to additional supply from local renewable generators on an annual, monthly or hourly basis. We show that local additionality is required to guarantee low emissions. For the annually and monthly matched case, we demonstrate that baseload operation of the electrolysis leads to using fossil-fuelled generation from the grid for some hours, resulting in higher emissions than the case without hydrogen demand. In the hourly matched case, hydrogen production does not increase system-level emissions, but baseload operation results in high costs for providing constant supply if only wind, solar and short-term battery storage are available. Flexible operation or buffering hydrogen with storage, either in steel tanks or underground caverns, reduces the cost penalty of hourly versus annual matching to 7%–8%. Hydrogen production with monthly matching can reduce system emissions if the electrolysers operate flexibly or the renewable generation share is large. The largest emission reduction is achieved with hourly matching when surplus electricity generation can be sold to the grid. We conclude that flexible operation of the electrolysis should be supported to guarantee low emissions and low hydrogen production costs.

Exploring the relationship between economic diversification and energy-related CO2 emissions in a petroleum-producing country

Purpose This study aims to quantify sectoral energy and carbon intensity, revisit the validity of the Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) and explore the relationship between economic diversification and CO2 emissions in Bahrain. Design/methodology/approach Three stages were followed to understand the linkages between sectoral economic growth, energy consumption and CO2 emissions in Bahrain. Sectoral energy and carbon intensity were calculated, time series data trends were analyzed and two econometric models were built and analyzed using the autoregressive distributed lag method and time series data for the period 1980–2019. Findings The results of the analysis suggest that energy and carbon intensity in Bahrain’s industrial sector is higher than those of its services and agricultural sectors. The EKC was found to be invalid for Bahrain, where economic growth is still coupled with CO2 emissions. Whereas CO2 emissions have increased with growth in the manufacturing, and real estate subsectors, the emissions have decreased with growth in the hospitability, transportation and communications subsectors. These results indicate that economic diversification, specifically of the services sector, is aligned with Bahrain’s carbon neutrality target. However, less energy-intensive industries, such as recycling-based industries, are needed to counter the environmental impacts of economic growth. Originality/value The impacts of economic diversification on energy consumption and CO2 emissions in the Gulf Cooperation Council petroleum countries have rarely been explored. Findings from this study contribute to informing economic and environment-related policymaking in Bahrain.

China’s cross-regional carbon emission spillover effects of urbanization and industrial shifting

With rapid urbanization and industrial shifting in China, demographic and industrial relocation leads to cross-regional carbon emission spillovers, which are playing an increasingly important role in regional carbon transfer and growth. However, how urbanization and industrial shifting influence carbon spillover still needs to be clarified. In this study, we use multi-regional input-output (MRIO) and scenario analyses to investigate the carbon spillover effects of urbanization, industrial shifting, and their synergy effect on provincial and sectoral carbon emissions in China during 2012–2017. The results showed that urbanization in China further increased carbon spillover in the provinces that already have a high spillover. Industrial shifting, as represented by cross-regional trade between sectors, drove changes in cross-regional carbon spillovers and significantly increased the spillover from Henan, Guangdong, and Hebei by 57.7, 29.9, and 23.6 Mt, respectively. By contrast, the synergy effect of urbanization and industrial shifting on carbon spillover was smaller than their separate effects, with Shandong having the highest increase about 0.61 Mt. Furthermore, at the sectoral level, the production and distribution of electricity and heat-power (PEH), smelting and processing of metals (SPM), and mining and washing of coal (MWC) sectors transmitted the largest carbon emission spillover effects among regions. Based on these findings, more fine-grained policy suggestions for assigning responsibility for carbon reductions and mitigation measures at the regional and sectoral levels in the context of urbanization and industrial shifting.

Quantifying effects of long-range transport of NO2 over Delhi using back trajectories and satellite data

Abstract. Exposure to air pollution is a leading public health risk factor in India, especially over densely populated Delhi and the surrounding Indo-Gangetic Plain. During the post-monsoon seasons, the prevailing north-westerly winds are known to influence aerosol pollution events in Delhi by advecting pollutants from agricultural fires as well as from local sources. Here we investigate the year-round impact of meteorology on gaseous nitrogen oxides (NOx=NO+NO2). We use bottom-up NOx emission inventories (anthropogenic and fire) and high-resolution satellite measurement based tropospheric column NO2 (TCNO2) data, from S5P aboard TROPOMI, alongside a back-trajectory model (ROTRAJ) to investigate the balance of local and external sources influencing air pollution changes in Delhi, with a focus on different emissions sectors. Our analysis shows that accumulated emissions (i.e. integrated along the trajectory path, allowing for chemical loss) are highest under westerly, north-westerly and northerly flow during pre-monsoon (February–May) and post-monsoon (October–February) seasons. According to this analysis, during the pre-monsoon season, the highest accumulated satellite TCNO2 trajectories come from the east and north-west of Delhi. TCNO2 is elevated within Delhi and the Indo-Gangetic Plain (IGP) to the east of city. The accumulated NOx emission trajectories indicate that the transport and industry sectors together account for more than 80 % of the total accumulated emissions, which are dominated by local sources (>70 %) under easterly winds and north-westerly winds. The high accumulated emissions estimated during the pre-monsoon season under north-westerly wind directions are likely to be driven by high NOx emissions locally and in nearby regions (since NOx lifetime is reduced and the boundary layer is relatively deeper in this season). During the post-monsoon season the highest accumulated satellite TCNO2 trajectories are advected from Punjab and Haryana, where satellite TCNO2 is elevated, indicating the potential for the long-range transport of agricultural burning emissions to Delhi. However, accumulated NOx emissions indicate local (70 %) emissions from the transport sector are the largest contributor to the total accumulated emissions. High local emissions, coupled with a relatively long NOx atmospheric lifetime and shallow boundary layer, aid the build-up of emissions locally and along the trajectory path. This indicates the possibility that fire emissions datasets may not capture emissions from agricultural waste burning in the north-west sufficiently to accurately quantify their influence on Delhi air quality (AQ). Analysis of daily ground-based NO2 observations indicates that high-pollution episodes (>90th percentile) occur predominantly in the post-monsoon season, and more than 75 % of high-pollution events are primarily caused by local sources. But there is also a considerable influence from non-local (30 %) emissions from the transport sector during the post-monsoon season. Overall, we find that in the post-monsoon season, there is substantial accumulation of high local NOx emissions from the transport sector (70 % of total emissions, 70 % local), alongside the import of NOx pollution into Delhi (30 % non-local). This work indicates that both high local NOx emissions from the transport sector and the advection of highly polluted air originating from outside Delhi are of concern for the population. As a result, air quality mitigation strategies need to be adopted not only in Delhi but in the surrounding regions to successfully control this issue. In addition, our analysis suggests that the largest benefits to Delhi NOx air quality would be seen with targeted reductions in emissions from the transport and agricultural waste burning sectors, particularly during the post-monsoon season.

Carbon emissions embodied in investment: Assessing emissions reduction responsibility through multi-regional input-output analysis

Investment makes an outstanding contribution to the global economy while significantly impacting on global carbon emissions. However, few attempts have been made to analyze temporal changes in historical emissions induced by investment, and it is difficult to determine which countries are responsible for emissions reductions. Here we investigate the evolution in the carbon emissions embodied in investment (ECI) at global and national levels with the Global Multi-regional input-output (GMRIO) model, aiming to address the question of “Who should be responsible for how much, when it comes to emissions reductions?”. Our results show that global ECI increased by 72.4% from 1990 to 2021, with intermediate input structure being the key driver. Specifically, China, the United States and India had the highest ECI, and domestic investment level was responsible for promoting the growth of investment-related emissions. Improvements in emission intensity were the primary contributor to reductions. The construction, electrical and machinery, and transport equipment sectors were the leading sectors in shaping national investment-related emissions. To enable more effective reduction policies measures of ECI reduction, serious consideration should be given to technology cooperation and sharing.

Apportionment and Inventory Optimization of Agriculture and Energy Sector Methane Emissions Using Multi‐Month Trace Gas Measurements in Northern Colorado

AbstractQuantifying sector‐resolved methane fluxes in complex emissions environments is challenging yet necessary to improve emissions inventories and guide policy. Here, we separate energy and agriculture sector emissions using a dynamic linear model analysis of methane, ethane, and ammonia data measured at a Northern Colorado site from November 2021 to January 2022. By combining these sector‐apportioned observations with spatially resolved inventories and Bayesian inverse methods, energy and agriculture methane fluxes are optimized across the study's ∼850 km2 sensitivity area. Energy sector fluxes are synthesized with previous literature to evaluate trends in energy sector methane emissions. Optimized agriculture fluxes in the study area were 3.5× larger than inventory estimates; we demonstrate this discrepancy is consistent with differences in the modeled versus real‐world spatial distribution of agricultural sources. These results highlight how sector‐apportioned methane observations can yield multi‐sector inventory optimizations in complex environments.

Study of Peak Carbon Emission of a City in Yangtze River Delta Based on LEAP Model

Based on the LEAP model framework, a LEAP-X sub-sector calculation model suitable for X City was constructed in this study. Four scenarios including a baseline scenario, low-carbon scenario, enhanced low-carbon scenario, and peak in 2023 scenario were set up to predict and analyze the carbon emission situation. The calculation and analysis results showed that it could achieve the carbon peak before 2030 only under the enhanced low-carbon scenario and peak in 2023 scenario. The peak year of the enhanced low-carbon scenario was around 2025 with a peak carbon emission of approximately 170 million tons, but the peak time may actually be delayed. Industry was the largest sector of carbon emissions, and the petrochemical industry was the largest portion of industry, the proportion of which was always maintained at approximately 30% under different scenarios. However, the proportion of power generation and steel industry decreased annually, whereas the proportion of the net imported power gradually increased. Industrial structure optimization and energy structure adjustment were the main driving factors of carbon peak in X City. Carbon emissions per unit of GDP will fall by approximately 41% in 2030 compared with that in 2020 under the enhanced low-carbon scenario.

Carbon Emission Characteristics and Influencing Factors of Typical Processes in Drinking Water Treatment Plant

Based on the actual operating conditions and data monitoring, the carbon emission characteristics of typical processes of a drinking water treatment plant (DWTP) in Tianjin were studied. The total carbon emission intensity measured by CO2-eq was 0.254 kg·m-3, and the proportion of carbon emissions from electricity consumption and reagent consumption was 81.76% and 9.15%, respectively. The key carbon emission sectors of electricity consumption were the water supply pump house, ultrafiltration membrane process, and inlet pump house, which accounted for 50.99%-73.51%, 17.64%-20.70%, and 17.97%-22.40% of the total carbon emission from electricity consumption in the DWTP, respectively. The contribution of sodium hypochlorite to the carbon emission of reagent consumption was 89.12%-90.30%, followed by ferric chloride, PAC, and ammonium sulfate. In the traditional water purification process, the carbon emission intensity of the process unit was in the order of inlet pump house > rapid filter > sedimentation tank. The order in the ultrafiltration membrane advanced treatment process was inlet pump house > ultrafiltration membrane > mechanical coagulation > clarification tank. The carbon emission intensity of the rapid filter process and the ultrafiltration membrane process were 0.070 9 kg·m-3 and 0.109 0 kg·m-3, respectively. The ultrafiltration membrane process could save 23% of the reagent consumption, and its carbon emission of electricity consumption was twice that of the traditional treatment process. The analysis of factors affecting carbon emission in key sectors showed that the raw water quality parameters such as turbidity, pH, ammonia nitrogen, temperature, etc., were significantly correlated with the carbon emission intensity of sodium hypochlorite. There was a significant linear regression relationship between ex-factory water pressure, daily water supply, and carbon emission intensity of the water supply pump house. The control measures of water quality and water pressure can effectively reduce the carbon emissions of the DWTP.

Factorial optimization-driven input-output analysis for socio-economic and environmental effects of GHG emission reduction in electric power systems – A Canadian case study

Low-carbon transition of electric power system plays an important role in meeting national greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reduction goals. Analyzing the effects of such transition on various sectors could provide targeted and effective mitigation policy recommendations at sectoral level. In this study, a factorial optimization-driven input-output model has been developed to explore socio-economic and environmental (SEE) effects of GHG emission reduction in Canada's electric power system under uncertainty and their interactions. The results highlight the importance of optimizing the structure of a certain system (e.g., energy system or electric power system) on the emission reduction of the whole society under a specific mitigation target. Significance of indirect GHG emissions for sectoral emission reduction policy formulation is further emphasized, especially for agriculture- and manufacturing-related sectors. In addition, factors with significant interactive effects on sectoral total outputs have been identified. Increasing the proportion of clean power (i.e., wind/solar power, small modular reactor power, and coal-fired power with carbon capture and storage technology) is conducive to promoting sectoral total outputs and GHG emission reduction by 2050. The modelling framework can be extended and applied to other regions to help analyze SEE effects under various emission mitigation policies and scenarios.

Structural Changes in CO2 Emissions in Russia: Sector-Specific Features

The study examines structural changes in carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions in Russia from 1970 to 2022. The main focus is on the analysis of the emission dynamics in key sectors of the economy. Based on data from the EDGAR database, the authors perform correlation and regression analyses to identify relationships between emissions in different sectors. The research results show that Power Industry and Transport remain the primary sources of CO2 emissions, while the share of the Buildings and Fuel Exploitation sectors in total emissions has decreased. Correlation analysis revealed strong relationships between emissions in different sectors of the economy. Particularly significant correlations are observed between Agriculture and Processes, as well as between Agriculture and Buildings. The results of the regression analysis confirm the presence of strong relationships between CO2 emissions in these sectors, which can be used to forecast future changes. The findings emphasize the need for further efforts to reduce carbon footprints. The results can serve as an important tool for formulating strategic decisions and policies aimed at the transition to a low-carbon economy. The identified trends taken into account will allow one to adequately respond to modern challenges and ensure the sustainable development of the country in the long term.

Hydrogen economy potential and low-carbon development.

The issue of hydrogen production and the formation of its cost price as a solution to global energy problems has been examined in the article. The main idea of the article is focused on exploring the potential of the hydrogen economy to achieve the goals of the Paris Climate Agreement and decarbonize many emission sectors. The study reveals and describes the main ways of producing gray, blue and green hydrogen and related problems of reducing the cost of one kilogram of hydrogen. Hydrogen is a universal energy carrier, both in the way it is produced and in the final products it can produce. The functioning of regional hydrogen markets with existing value chains has been described in the article. The main characteristics of hydrogen trade in the era of energy transition are defined and substantiated. Carbon intensity is a key characteristic of hydrogen trade. One of the common problems associated with electrolysis is the consumption of water used as feedstock. Therefore, water is another important resource in the production of hydrogen. It was determined that a situation is not foreseen when water consumption will become the main obstacle to the expansion of the use of renewable hydrogen. The study substantiates that the cost of green hydrogen will decrease by 2030 due to the decrease in the cost of electricity and the expected decrease in the cost of electrolyzers. Continued technological innovation and economies of scale are also likely to drive down the price as well. It is predicted that by 2050, the cost of green hydrogen will be even lower than that of blue hydrogen. Hydrogen can provide decarbonization of many emission sectors. At the same time, the role of carbon emissions regulation is vital for increasing the attractiveness of hydrogen technologies for investors.

Atlas of ozone chemical regimes in Europe

While concentrations of most air pollutants have been decreasing in Europe over the last 20 years, O3 is showing variable trends, with increasing average and decreasing peak concentrations. The complexity of O3 chemistry adds to the difficulty of understanding both the trends observed and how concentrations can be mitigated. This paper tries to answer the following questions: which emission sectors should be targeted and what levels of reduction could be achieved? To address these reflections, an Atlas of O3 chemical regimes has been constructed. For this Atlas, 22 European cities were selected and the surrogate model Air Control Toolbox (ACT) was used to evaluate the simulated changes in several ozone metrics as a result of reductions in road transport and industrial emissions. O3 chemical regimes have been classified and put in perspective with meteorological and emission data at each city location and around. The O3 sensitivity to road transport and industrial emissions differ from one city to another, but also for the same city when considering different ozone metrics and seasons (e.g., annual means versus SOMO35 or summer peaks). Counterproductive impacts yielding O3 increase when emissions are reduced are mainly encountered in regions or periods where O3 concentration are relatively low. In terms of meteorological factors, O3 chemical regimes are mostly impacted by the amount of solar radiation received but wind speed also has a considerable impact. Most cases show a higher sensitivity to emission reductions from road transport or equal sensitivity to emission reductions from road transport and industry. Very few cases are more sensitive to emissions from the industrial sector. However, the response of annual or seasonal average O3 metrics to industrial and road transport emissions can be considered relatively low with a maximum reduction of 33% for a 100% reduction of both industrial and road transport emissions. This is because anthropogenic emission can only mitigate ozone above a substantial natural tropospheric background. It is precisely this incremental anthropogenic ozone, which should be targeted by efficient policies as we also demonstrate that none of the cities studied would exceed the European target value with a 100% reduction in emissions.

Which EU Country Contributes Most to GHG Emissions in the LULUCF Sector Relative to Population and GDP?

Abstract In pursuit of climate neutrality, EU nations must collectively address the problem of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and air pollutants, which necessitates equitable economic strategies. However, the heterogeneous economic, social, and geographical profiles present hurdles in enacting a cohesive policy framework and realizing shared goals. Land use, land use change and forestry (LULUCF) sector play a crucial role in achieving the EU 2050 climate neutrality goal, as LULUCF is both a source and a sink for GHG emissions, it provides products like wood and biomass that help to reduce emissions in other sectors. This paper aims to compare GHG emissions of different EU countries by using targeted indicators related to per capita and to GDP per capita to enhance the analysis. The results reveal substantial differences in emissions in relation to population and GDP per capita between selected EU countries, even among countries with similar profiles, such as Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania. Notably, countries with lower GDP per capita and smaller population tend to have higher emission values, suggesting less efficiency in managing land use and forestry. The study highlights the need for multi-year data analysis to identify trends in emissions and removals within the LULUCF sector, considering the impacts of natural disasters and economic activities such as bark beetle outbreak or wood harvesting.

Productive and Consumptive Emission Characteristics of Energy-related Nitrogen Oxides in Eastern Chinese Cities

Nitrogen oxides (NO x ) have long been the focus of air pollution control. Examining the spatial and driving characteristics of NO x emissions at the urban scale and from the supply-chain perspective is critical. Using the inventory method and the environmentally extended input–output analysis, energy-related NO x emissions of 90 cities in eastern China were calculated, and the spatial patterns and driving sectors of urban emissions were analyzed from both production- and consumption-based perspectives. The results show that the production-based emissions of eastern Chinese cities are substantially affected by their industrial structure and are higher in the north and lower in the south. The cities with higher consumption-based emissions are mainly those with large populations and relatively developed economies. Production-based NO x emissions per unit gross domestic product (GDP) are higher in the north and lower in the south, and emissions per unit area are generally higher in coastal areas and lower in inland areas. The emission intensities of 5 selected major urban agglomerations differ, due to the influences of industrial structure and population density. The consumption-based NO x emissions per capita are mainly affected by urban affluence and consumption patterns. The sectors that contribute most to the production-based emissions per unit GDP are mainly “mining and processing”, “petroleum, chemical and non-metallic mineral products”, “metal products”, “production and supply of electricity, natural gas and water” and “transportation, storage, and postal services”, while the sector that contributes most to the consumption-based emissions per capita is the construction industry. Emission reduction strategies are proposed for both consumption-oriented and production-oriented cities.

Study on carbon emission driving factors and carbon peak forecasting in power sector of Shanxi province.

The realisation of the low-carbon transition of the energy system in resource-intensive regions, as embodied by Shanxi Province, depends on a thorough understanding of the factors impacting the power sector's carbon emissions and an accurate prediction of the peak trend. Because of this, the power industry's carbon emissions in Shanxi province are measured in this article from 1995 to 2020 using data from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). To obtain a deeper understanding of the factors impacting carbon emissions in the power sector, factor decomposition is performed using the Logarithmic Mean Divisia Index (LMDI). Second, in order to precisely mine the relationship between variables and carbon emissions, the Sparrow Search Algorithm (SSA) aids in the optimisation of the Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM). In order to implement SSA-LSTM-based carbon peak prediction in the power industry, four development scenarios are finally built up. The findings indicate that: (1) There has been a fluctuating upward trend in Shanxi Province's total carbon emissions from the power industry between 1995 and 2020, with a cumulative growth of 372.10 percent. (2) The intensity of power consumption is the main factor restricting the rise of carbon emissions, contributing -65.19%, while the per capita secondary industry contribution factor, contributing 158.79%, is the main driver of the growth in emissions. (3) While the baseline scenario and the rapid development scenario fail to peak by 2030, the low carbon scenario and the green development scenario peak at 243,991,100 tonnes and 258,828,800 tonnes, respectively, in 2025 and 2028. (4) Based on the peak performance and the decomposition results, resource-intensive cities like Shanxi's power industry should concentrate on upgrading and strengthening the industrial structure, getting rid of obsolete production capacity, and encouraging the faster development of each factor in order to help the power sector reach peak carbon performance.