Global Greenhouse Gas Emissions Research Articles

Long-term management of rice agroecosystem towards climate change mitigation

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change recognize to agriculture the responsibility for about 15 % of global anthropogenic greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, contributing to global warming. The increasing nutrient inputs in industrial agriculture affect the GHG concentration in the atmosphere and varies substantially due to rate and type of fertilizers applied to the crops, making the management more or less sustainable. In this perspective, this study has investigated at small scale the effect of different adjusted agricultural management practices, based on different nutrient dosage, to optimize the effect of rice cropping systems on carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions. Farmyard manure (FYM), rice stubbles and Azolla integrated with chemical fertilizers have been correlated with microbial and enzymatic activities, and with different carbon and nitrogen fractions in acid Inceptisol. Results have revealed that the integrated nutrient management used in rice-rice agroecosystem yielded a peak for CO2 and CH4 emissions, whereas two peaks for N2O emission. This study has shown an increase in greenhouse gas emission intensity (GHGI) and grain yield of rice in the following order: rice stubbles > FYM > Azolla and it has confirmed CH4 emission as the dominant contributor to GHGI from the rice-rice agroecosystem. When analyzed together GHGs emission and soil properties, a positive correlation was found with biological properties as well as with the different carbon and nitrogen fractions in soil. The highest GHGI has been highlighted in the treatment where recommended dose of chemical fertilizers has been combined with rice stubbles, primarily due to the increase in CH4 emissions. In contrast, the lowest GHGI has been exhibited in Azolla treated plot, probably due to the cumulative effects of the photosynthetic rate of Azolla, the release of oxygen from the Azolla roots, and the physical protection capacity of the Azolla cover, which partially avoid the CH4 diffusion from the standing water. The seasonality did not affect the estimated rates of GHGI that have been lower both in case of winter and autumn rice compared to previous studies, probably for dissimilarities in management practices. Further research is required in other cropping sequences for addressing the ecological contribution of smallholder agriculture to help reducing GHG emissions, thus, mitigating global warming with actions at local scale.

Electrolysis in Chloride Molten Salts for Sustainable Critical Metals Production and Recovery

Critical materials, such as rare-earth metals, are essential to numerous applications, including clean energy; however, the present industrial practices for producing rare-earth metals involve environmentally damaging and thus unsustainable chemical and electrochemical processes. An alternative moderate-temperature chloride-based molten salt electrolysis process can address these issues, providing energy efficient and sustainable metal production. While it is being developed presently for rare-earth electrowinning, one can easily envision its broader application to rare-earth electrorefining and the electrolytic production of high-volume metals like Fe and Al. Presently, these high-volume metals industries account for nearly 10% of global greenhouse gas emissions. Thus, the chloride MSE process presents a huge opportunity for truly achieving sustainability if it is developed further for producing Fe, Al, Ti, Mg, and other commodity metals.

Risks associated with global warming of 1.5 to 4 °C above pre-industrial levels in human and natural systems in six countries

The Topical Collection “Accrual of Climate Change Risk in Six Vulnerable Countries” provides a harmonised assessment of risks to human and natural systems due to global warming of 1.5–4 °C in six countries (China, Brazil, Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, and India) using a consistent set of climate change and socioeconomic scenarios. It compares risks in 2100 if warming has reached 3 °C, broadly corresponding to current global greenhouse gas emission reduction policies, including countries’ National Determined Contributions, rather than the Paris Agreement goal of limiting warming to ‘well below’ 2 °C and ‘pursuing efforts’ to limit to 1.5 °C. Global population is assumed either constant at year 2000 levels or to increase to 9.2 billion by 2100. In either case, greater warming is projected to lead, in all six countries, to greater exposure of land and people to drought and fluvial flood hazard, greater declines in biodiversity, and greater reductions in the yield of maize and wheat. Limiting global warming to 1.5 °C, compared with ~ 3 °C, is projected to deliver large benefits for all six countries, including reduced economic damages due to fluvial flooding. The greatest projected benefits are the avoidance of a large increase in exposure of agricultural land to severe drought, which is 61%, 43%, 18%, and 21% lower in Ethiopia, China, Ghana, and India at 1.5 °C than at 3 °C, whilst avoided increases in human exposure to severe drought are 20–80% lower at 1.5 °C than 3 °C across the six countries. Climate refugia for plants are largely preserved at 1.5 °C warming in Ghana, China, and Ethiopia, but refugia shrink in areal extent by a factor of 2, 3, 3, 4, and 10 in Ghana, China, India, Ethiopia, and Brazil, respectively, if warming reaches 3 °C. Economic damages associated with sea-level rise are projected to increase in coastal nations, but more slowly if warming were limited to 1.5 °C. Actual benefits on the ground will also depend on national and local contexts and the extent of future investment in adaptation.

Navigating the green shipping: Stochastic hydrogen hub deployment in inland waterways

The maritime industry is shifting toward sustainability to help combat climate change, given the sector’s significant contribution to global greenhouse gas emissions. This study focuses on the strategic integration of hydrogen fuel—a zero-emission alternative—into inland waterway transport systems. We recognize the operational characteristics of inland shipping networks and the complexities of two-stage financial planning. Consequently, we propose a two-stage stochastic framework for the deployment of hydrogen refueling hubs, taking into account financial uncertainties in the future. This approach contrasts with a myopic strategy and a two-stage deterministic framework, addressing both immediate financial constraints and future uncertainties. We focus on the Yangtze River’s shipping network as a case study, and our analysis validates the superior performance of our proposed two-stage stochastic strategy. This suggests its potential to accommodate volatile future financial uncertainties while ensuring the economic and operational viability of hydrogen integration.

Beyond predict and provide: Embracing sufficiency synergies in road freight electrification across the European Union

The challenge of aligning with the net-zero ambitions of the European Union necessitates a critical examination of the road freight transport sector, a pivotal contributor to global commerce and greenhouse gas emissions. Despite the sector's potential for electrification to mitigate emissions, the prevailing ‘predict and provide’ planning approach may inadvertently reduce this low-carbon transition to mere technological substitution, neglecting deeper intrinsic transport issues. This perspective critiques the ‘predict and provide’ approach and advocates for the adoption of ‘sufficiency-oriented planning’. It presents a comprehensive, interconnected approach, challenging not only the technology in use but also the foundational principles of transport demand. Furthermore, it explores the broader implications of this multi-system transition for the energy sector. The perspective consequently underscores the necessity of a paradigm shift in planning for road freight transport electrification for the sector to genuinely contribute to sustainability objectives and not risk diminishing the transformative potential of this transition.

The Living Wonders case: A Backwards Step in Australian Climate Litigation on Coal Mines

Abstract As one of the world’s largest exporters of coal and gas, Australia’s domestic regulation of fossil fuels plays an important part in global greenhouse gas emission reduction efforts. This analysis examines the Australian Federal Court’s Living Wonders decision—the latest judicial review challenge to coal mines based on Australia’s federal environmental law, the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act).1 This legislation has significant flaws as a tool for regulating the climate impacts of fossil fuel projects, which the Living Wonders decision emphasises. The Federal Court found no legal error in the Environment Minister’s reasoning that large export-oriented coal mines will produce ‘no net increase’ in global emissions and/or have emissions which are too ‘small’ to warrant detailed assessment under the EPBC Act. The Living Wonders judgment delivers a blow to hopes for progressive, climate-friendly interpretation of Australia’s federal law in coal litigation and strengthens arguments for law reform.

Quality of Cold Chain Equipment, a Guarantee of Carbon Footprint Reduction from Food Waste to a Sustainable Environment

The objective of this work was to evaluate the current status of commercial cold chain equipment primarily, and secondarily to determine elements associated with the management of cold chain equipment.
 To achieve this, a cross-sectional descriptive study began on August 7 to September 23 of 2023, covering 84 commercial establishments including supermarkets, delicatessens and butchers, food, and butchers in the city of Lubumbashi. The data were collected by interview and direct cross-sectional observation on the evaluation of the conservation of frozen products (fish, meat, and cold meats) on the market in the city of Lubumbashi.
 The results show us that the structures using cold chains are food stores, butchers, delicatessens, and supermarkets and sometimes in a certain combination. All these structures mainly use freezing and sometimes refrigeration and freezing to guarantee this Cold chain freezers, quick freezers, refrigerated cabinets and refrigerators and finally insulated boxes are all the equipment used for this purpose and using the supply of electric current throughout and often using generators and rarely solar panels in the event of an outage electric current. Thus, these structures operate in an environment rich in temperature fluctuations leading to rapid deterioration of food, waste, responsible for 4% of global greenhouse gas emissions GHG, the equivalent of the contribution of the entire African continent to climate change.
 This work demonstrated the importance of the quality of cold chain equipment on food quality and its impact on the carbon footprint, a situation observable from the production, transport, storage, and elimination of food. the use of solar energy would be a solution in this process because it produces less greenhouse gases.

Promoting green transportation through changing behaviors with low-carbon-travel function of digital maps

Climate change is a challenge for global sustainable development. The transportation sector contributes considerably to global greenhouse gas emissions. In China, it accounts for about 10% of total CO2 emissions with high mitigation potential. Public transit systems can save energy and reduce carbon emissions. Carbon-inclusive action based on digital technology is becoming the primary measure for promoting green transit in China. To understand the level and nature of the public’s awareness of green transit and identify potential pathways to change their behaviors toward green transit, this study collected 7369 questionnaires nationwide and examined the public’s behavior and preferences regarding green transportation and their attitudes toward digital technologies that support green transportation, in the first such study in the Chinese context. The study found that (1) most respondents understand and accept the concept of green transportation, especially younger respondents, under the age of 39; (2) convenience, safety, and weather are the most important factors considered; (3) digital tools provide innovative and interesting options for public participation in green mobility. The government, social organizations, enterprises, and various stakeholders must strive to foster consensus and collaborative participation. This involves partnering with digital technology enterprises and establishing emission reduction standards for low-carbon living, particularly in the realm of green transportation.

Effects of depth of straw returning on maize yield potential and greenhouse gas emissions.

Appropriate straw incorporation has ample agronomic and environmental benefits, but most studies are limited to straw mulching or application on the soil surface. To determine the effect of depth of straw incorporation on the crop yield, soil organic carbon (SOC), total nitrogen (TN) and greenhouse gas emission, a total of 4 treatments were set up in this study, which comprised no straw returning (CK), straw returning at 15cm (S15), straw returning at 25cm (S25) and straw returning at 40cm (S40). The results showed that straw incorporation significantly increased SOC, TN and C:N ratio. Compared with CK treatments, substantial increases in the grain yield (by 4.17~5.49% for S15 and 6.64~10.06% for S25) were observed under S15 and S25 treatments. S15 and S25 could significantly improve the carbon and nitrogen status of the 0-40cm soil layer, thereby increased maize yield. The results showed that the maize yield was closely related to the soil carbon and nitrogen index of the 0-40cm soil layer. In order to further evaluate the environmental benefits of straw returning, this study measured the global warming potential (GWP) and greenhouse gas emission intensity (GHGI). Compared with CK treatments, the GWP of S15, S25 and S40 treatments was increased by 9.35~20.37%, 4.27~7.67% and 0.72~6.14%, respectively, among which the S15 treatment contributed the most to the GWP of farmland. GHGI is an evaluation index of low-carbon agriculture at this stage, which takes into account both crop yield and global warming potential. In this study, GHGI showed a different trend from GWP. Compared with CK treatments, the S25 treatments had no significant difference in 2020, and decreased significantly in 2021 and 2022. This is due to the combined effect of maize yield and cumulative greenhouse gas emissions, indicating that the appropriate straw returning method can not only reduce the intensity of greenhouse gas emissions but also improve soil productivity and enhance the carbon sequestration effect of farmland soil, which is an ideal soil improvement and fertilization measure.

China contributed to low-carbon development: carbon emission increased but carbon intensity decreased

IntroductionPopulation expansion and economic development increased global greenhouse gas emissions, leading to serious environmental degradation. China, the world's largest developing country and promoter of the “Belt and Road Initiative” (BRI), accounts for 28.8% of the world"s total energy carbon emissions. How to reduce energy consumption to achieve the “double carbon” target (i.e., carbon peaking and carbon neutrality) and promote the implementation of Green BRI is still a serious challenge that China needs to face. MethodsWe evaluated China's carbon emissions using three indicators (i.e., total carbon emission, carbon intensity, and carbon emissions effect), and used spatial analysis to reveal the spatial and temporal trends of China's carbon emissions. In addition, the LMDI model was adopted to explore the driving mechanism of carbon emissions, so as to seek a path that can achieve harmonious economic and environmental development, as well as the “double carbon” target.ResultsChina's total carbon emission increased at a rate of 226.12% from 2000 to 2019, while the carbon intensity decreased at a rate of 48.84%. Carbon emission showed a trend of increasing and then decreasing from southwest to northeast. From 2000 to 2019, the total carbon emission, Gross Domestic Product (GDP), population size and total energy consumption are growing in synergy. Economic and population effects are positively related to carbon emissions, while technology effects are negatively related to it, indicating technological innovations contribute to the reduction of carbon emissions.DiscussionSome suggestions were proposed to control carbon emissions with a view to helping policy makers to formulate relevant policies. The findings provide a scientific basis and reference for the country to achieve the “double carbon” target and the low-carbon sustainable development of BRI.

The use of machine learning techniques to investigate the properties of metakaolin-based geopolymer concrete

The construction industry significantly contributes to global greenhouse gas emissions, highlighting the imperative for developing environmentally friendly construction materials. Geopolymers, particularly those utilizing metakaolin (MK), have emerged as a promising green alternative to conventional concrete. However, the acquisition of MK-based geopolymer concrete with optimal mechanical properties poses challenges due to numerous influential factors, disagreement over various findings, and the lack of a reliable predictive model. This study aimed to address this gap by employing a wide range of machine learning methods, namely gradient boosting machine, random forest, decision tree, artificial neural network, and support vector machine. Different optimization and regularization techniques were used to comprehensively understand the factors affecting the compressive strength of MK-based geopolymer concrete, including mixture design, chemical characteristics of the initial binder and activators, and different curing regimes. The results demonstrated the exceptional performance of the gradient boosting machine in predicting the compressive strength of MK-based geopolymer concrete, achieving a coefficient of determination of 0.983 and a mean absolute error of 1.615 MPa. Additionally, the study employed partial dependence plots, feature importance analysis, and SHapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP) to elucidate the proposed models. The coarse-to-fine aggregate ratio, H2O/Na2O molar ratio, extra water content, and sodium hydroxide concentration were identified as the most critical parameters affecting the compressive strength of MK-based geopolymer concrete. This research contributes to advancing the development of sustainable construction materials, streamlining experimental tasks, minimizing the need for labor and materials, improving time efficiency, and providing valuable insights for optimizing the design of MK-based geopolymer concrete.

Local government stakeholders' perceptions of potential policy actions to influence both climate change and healthy eating in Victoria: A qualitative study.

Climate change is a defining public health issue of the 21st century. Food systems are drivers of diet-related disease burden, and account for 30% of global greenhouse gas emissions. Local governments play a crucial role in improving both the healthiness and environmental sustainability of food systems, but the potential for their actions to simultaneously address these two issues is unclear. This study aimed to explore the perceptions of Australian local government stakeholders regarding policy actions simultaneously addressing healthy eating and climate change, and the influences on policy adoption. We conducted 11 in-depth semi-structured interviews with stakeholders from four local governments in Victoria, Australia. Data were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis. We applied Multiple Streams Theory (MST) 'problem', 'politics and 'policy' domains to explain policy adoption influences at the local government level. Key influences on local government action aligned with MST elements of 'problem' (e.g., local government's existing risk reports as drivers for climate change action), 'policy' (e.g., budgetary constraints) and 'politics' (e.g., local government executive agenda). We found limited evidence of coherent policy action in the areas of community gardens, food procurement and urban land use. Barriers to further action, such as resource constraints and competing priorities, could be overcome by better tailoring policy action areas to community needs, with the help of external partnerships and local government executive support. SO WHAT?: This study demonstrates that Victorian local stakeholders believe they are well-positioned to implement feasible and coherent interventions that address both healthy eating and climate.

An Approach to Large-Scale Cement Plant Detection Using Multisource Remote Sensing Imagery

The cement industry, as one of the primary contributors to global greenhouse gas emissions, accounts for 7% of the world’s carbon dioxide emissions. There is an urgent need to establish a rapid method for detecting cement plants to facilitate effective monitoring. In this study, a comprehensive method based on YOLOv5-IEG and the Thermal Signature Detection module using Google Earth optical imagery and SDGSAT-1 thermal infrared imagery was proposed to detect large-scale cement plant information, including geographic location and operational status. The improved algorithm demonstrated an increase of 4.8% in accuracy and a 7.7% improvement in MAP@.5:95. In a specific empirical investigation in China, we successfully detected 781 large-scale cement plants with an accuracy of 90.8%. Specifically, of the 55 cement plants in Shandong Province, we identified 46 as operational and nine as non-operational. The successful application of advanced models and remote sensing technology in efficiently and accurately tracking the operational status of cement plants provides crucial support for environmental protection and sustainable development.

Use of biofertilizers in cocoa (Theobroma cacao): a review

The intensive use of agrochemicals in recent years has led to serious environmental complications. These products are responsible for around 10% of global greenhouse gas emissions, in addition to degrading the soil. Currently, biofertilizers appear as substitutes for chemical fertilizers. Biofertilizers are organic compounds that, when applied, provide almost all the nutrients necessary for crop growth. The use of organic materials as a basis to produce biofertilizers is an ecologically correct approach in the integrated management and use of waste, as they are cheap and renewable sources of nutrients for sustainable use. Cocoa (Theobroma cacao L.) plays an important role in socioeconomic activities in Brazil, and to ensure the success of commercial cocoa farming ventures, it is essential to use quality seedlings during their production, one of the main factors is fertilization, which is directly related to obtaining well-nourished and good-looking seedlings. In this sense, the objective of this review is to summarize the beneficial impact of biofertilizers on cocoa farming.

Modelling & Spatial Mapping of Residential-Sector Emissions for Sub-National & Urban Areas

The residential sector accounts for 33% of energy-related Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions globally and must undergo rapid emissions reductions in order to support broader society-wide sustainability and net-zero transitions. Additionally, urban areas account for approximately 70% of global GHG emissions. To provide a baseline for urban climate action plans and mitigation strategies, sub-national municipalities must quantify their sectoral baseline emissions in detail and develop strategies for reducing emissions relative to these baselines. Therefore, it is important to establish clear methodologies for computing these baselines in accordance with the best available science. This paper establishes a novel methodology for developing a residential sector emissions model using a data-driven and spatial mapping approach. This would form an important component of future multi-sectoral baseline emissions inventories.•The residential sector emissions model combines publicly available census and building energy performance datasets in order to model and visualize the distribution of energy demand and resultant emissions across an urban study domain in Ireland.•The methodology presented was developed in line with the approaches and requirements of the Global Covenant of Mayors and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.•It is envisioned that this residential sector emissions model methodology could be applied in any urban area worldwide.

Subsidizing extensive cattle production in the European Union has major implications for global agricultural trade and climate change

Pastureland maintenance is seen as a land-based measure to reduce dependency on feed concentrates and mitigate greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from livestock production in the EU, while providing other ecosystems services. This paper assesses potential market-mediated impacts, including global Land Use Change (LUC) and GHG emissions, from increased subsidies to pasture-based livestock production in the EU. A tax recycling strategy (TRS) is simulated against a baseline up to 2030 under the shared socioeconomic pathway 2 (SSP2). This implies a budget-neutral increase in the level of pasture subsidies in individual Member States, as land subsidies for other cropping activities decrease. We employ the computable general equilibrium (CGE) model GTAP in its recursive-dynamic version, GTAP-RDEM, extended with the Multi-Regional Input-Output (MRIO) database FABIO to disaggregate agri-food sectors from 21 to 31. This approach allows considering price- and income-dependent feedbacks when assessing long-run changes in the global economy, improving the sectoral resolution relative to GTAP v10.The policy increases pastureland areas and cattle production in almost all EU Member States, whereas cropland and crop production decrease, causing significant changes across EU agri-food markets. Crop prices increase, leading to the reduced output of intensive animal production sectors, mainly pig and poultry. Cropland areas decrease and most EU countries increase imports of grain, oilseeds, and cakes, essentially soybean cake from Brazil and North America. While GHG emissions decrease in those EU countries where pasturelands expand mainly at the cost of croplands, GHG emissions increase in those countries where pastureland expansion comes with forest loss. As a result, net GHG emissions increase in the EU-27 in 2030 (+2.49 Mt CO2-eq). Emissions from LUC in major non-EU grain- and oilseed-exporting countries increase, e.g., by 102.52 Mt CO2-eq in Brazil and by 129.17 Mt CO2-eq in North America. The simulated policy shows that promoting extensive livestock per se does not meet the objectives of the Common Agricultural Policy and the EU Green Deal. The TRS should be complemented with policies to foster crop diversification and promote the use of domestic feed sources (e.g., legumes) to effectively ensure feed self-sufficiency and that extensive cattle production in the EU does not lead to deforestation in carbon-rich countries.

Comparison of Embodied Carbon of 3D-printed vs. Conventionally Built Houses

The construction sector makes a considerable contribution to global greenhouse gas emissions. Considering the ongoing urbanization trends and climate change urgency, the exploration of alternative construction techniques should be a mandate. 3D-printing represents an emergent technology and more and more specimen are being built. We collect data of raw material use for houses that have already been built using 3D-printing. Assessing the construction related emissions, we find that the four examples, for which we could obtain the data, do have less emissions per square meter than conventionally built houses (10 international examples). We argue that 3D-printing represents an interesting alternative, but further research is necessary, not just in terms of environmental implications but also to better understand the social implications, e.g. health and safety or labor.

Does the Financial and Innovation Performance of European and Asian–Oceanian Companies Coincide with the Targets of the Green Deal?

The Paris Agreement, signed in 2015 and put into effect in 2016, led to the European Green Deal. It envisages ensuring climate neutrality by 2050. To achieve this, solutions to the climate challenge have to be implemented globally. This research aims to evaluate interactions among corporate financial, innovation, and environmental performance indicators in European and Asian–Oceanian companies. Financial performance refers to the financial capacity and financial resources of companies that enable the creation of more sustainable innovations. More sustainable innovation could contribute to limiting global warming to 1.5 °C. Science indicates that global greenhouse gas emissions need to be cut down by 43% by 2030, compared to 2019 levels, to limit global warming to 1.5 °C. According to our results, it is possible to compare which region, Europe or Asia, moved towards climate neutrality in the analyzed period of 2008–2019. By determining their starting positions, we seek to disclose how companies can contribute to climate change reduction. The results reveal that for both analyzed regions, financial and innovation indicators have an important impact on environmental performance. We found that the ROA ratio and R&D expenditures are significantly linked to carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions as an indicator of environmental performance. The interaction between ROA and CO2 emissions was identified as being stronger in Asia–Oceania. The relationship between R&D expenditures and CO2 emissions was more robust in Europe. Therefore, Europe is participating in the race towards sustainable goals by increasing R&D expenditures to stimulate green economy development. In the race to achieve the Green Deal’s long-term 2050 targets, companies will have to combine their strategic decisions, while business survival requires profitability, meaning that the race towards climate neutrality goals will hardly be possible without corporate R&D expenditures.

Climate change linked to drought in Southern Madagascar

Southern Madagascar experienced a prolonged drought over the last five years, but whether these conditions are a manifestation of global climate change has been unclear. Here, we document trends beginning as early as 1980 towards a later rainy-season onset across three distinct remotely sensed indicators: precipitation, soil moisture, and vegetation greenness. All three indicators closely covary, particularly over the last decade when satellite observational resolution and accuracy is greatest. Furthermore, observed soil moisture trends early in the rainy season agree with the mean from CMIP6 historical and SSP5-8.5 simulations, but are distinct from pre-industrial control simulations, implicating anthropogenic changes in radiative forcing as the source of the trends. Physically, these models simulate a poleward migration of the mid-latitude jet that leads to a delay in the seasonal steering of storm tracks over Southern Madagascar. Soil moisture trends driven by anthropogenic forcing made the recent drought significantly more likely over 2017–2022 (p < 0.01), and such droughts are expected to become increasingly likely over this century. These results indicate that, although Madagascar has not substantially contributed to global greenhouse gas emissions, farmers in Southern Madagascar will need to adapt to drier conditions early in the rainy season as a consequence of global climate change.

Legal pathways towards sustainable blue food systems in the aquaculture sector

The workshop, organized by Mathilde Morel on January 10th 2024, as a part of her PhD project and preparatory work for her PhD midway presentation, aimed to convene experts within the realm of blue food systems with the overarching objective of exploring viable pathways toward sustainability transitions. The reason for this inquiry stems from the escalating recognition that contemporary food systems are increasingly linked to adverse environmental and socioeconomic repercussions, contributing substantially to approximately 30% of global greenhouse gas emissions. This imperative for change is driven by numerous factors, including the climate crisis, rapid urbanization, evolving dietary preferences, and the expansion of the global population. Consequently, a foundational shift towards food systems characterised by diminished environmental impacts and carbon footprints becomes imperative. Furthermore, aligning with the Agenda 2030, there is an urgent call for expeditious adoption of a more resource-efficient bioeconomy within the world's food systems. Within this context, the integration of sustainable blue food systems, particularly in food producing sectors such as aquaculture, emerges as a critical facet of the solution. Despite the prevailing inclination towards augmenting sea-based food consumption through diverse blue growth strategies, it is crucial to ensure that unsustainable practices inherent in land-based food systems, are not replicated in marine environments. To actualize sustainable blue food systems in the aquaculture sector, the realization of resilient, equitable, and enduring solutions is paramount. The anticipated outcome of this investigative endeavour is rooted in the understanding that the application of legal and regulatory mechanisms can wield substantial influence in the transition process. Such mechanisms are integral to the formulation of comprehensive aquaculture management strategies that strike a judicious balance between safeguarding, rehabilitation, and utilization. The workshop constitutes a key touch base activity and outcome for the project SECURE, UiT The Arctic University of Norway.