One thermodynamic parameter that is crucial to heat transport within the fluidized bed inside the rotary kiln, during clinker production, is the specific heat capacity. The particular parameter is often considered constant in the open literature, while, in reality, it strongly depends on the fluidized bed’s temperature and composition, considering that the temperature inside the kiln ranges from approx. 800 K up to 2000 K. For the current study, a mixing rule reported in the literature was applied in order to calculate the Cp of the fluidized bed, utilizing temperature and composition profiles available in the literature. An in-house code was developed for the comparison of the literature-reported Cps and those resulting from the mixing rule. It was discovered that the Cp of the fluidized bed had a proportional increase with the increase in the temperature along the length of the kiln. The deviation between the two values (calculated and literature) is relatively small in some cases, whereas, in others, it is quite significant, ranging from 1.56% to 52.49%, thus making the adoption of the temperature-dependence of Cp necessary. Establishing a more accurate relation for the specific heat capacity leads to a better energy balance inside the kiln, which, along with other improvements, can lead to a decrease in the energy consumed and a significant reduction in greenhouse gas emissions.

ABSTRACT The rapid adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) is essential for reducing air pollution and achieving environmental sustainability. However, the inefficient placement of electric vehicle charging stations (EVCSs) can limit accessibility, increase costs, and reduce overall system efficiency, thereby slowing EV adoption. This study addresses the complex challenge of optimally locating EVCSs by evaluating and ranking candidate sites using a comprehensive multi-criteria framework. To select the optimal site location, 66 criteria were considered, comprising 55 factors identified from the literature and 11 additional criteria proposed by experts. A novel hybrid multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) method was introduced to prioritize candidate locations systematically. Additionally, fuzzy theory was applied to handle uncertainty in decision-making processes. The proposed MCDM was validated through a real-world case study. The results indicate that “Income Rate,” “Greenhouse Gases Emission Reduction,” and “Investment Pay-back Period” are the most influential factors in EVCS site selection.

Abstract The European Union aims to achieve climate-neutrality by 2050, with interim 2030 targets including 55% greenhouse gas emissions reduction compared to 1990 levels, 10 Mt of domestic green hydrogen production, and 50 Mt of domestic CO 2 injection capacity annually. To support these targets, projects of common and mutual interest (PCI-PMI)—large infrastructure projects for electricity, hydrogen and CO 2 transport, and storage—have been identified by the European Commission. This study focuses on PCI-PMI projects related to hydrogen and carbon value chains, assessing their long-term system value and the impact of pipeline delays and shifting policy targets using the sector-coupled energy system model PyPSA-Eur. Our study shows that PCI-PMI projects enable a more cost-effective transition to a net-zero energy system compared to scenarios without any pipeline expansion. Hydrogen pipelines help distribute affordable green hydrogen from renewable-rich regions in the north and southwest to high-demand areas in central Europe, while CO 2 pipelines link major industrial emitters with offshore storage sites. Although these projects are not essential in 2030, they begin to significantly reduce annual system costs by more than €26 billion from 2040 onward. Delaying implementation beyond 2040 could increase system costs by up to €24.2 billion per year, depending on the extent of additional infrastructure development. Moreover, our results show that PCI-PMI projects reduce the need for excess wind and solar capacity and lower reliance on individual CO 2 removal technologies, such as direct air capture, by 13–136 Mt annually, depending on the build-out scenario.

Against the backdrop of the global dietary structure shifting toward high-protein livestock products, rising pork demand driven by population growth, and the in-depth integration of the “dual carbon” goal with the strategy for green and sustainable agricultural development, China—as the world’s largest pig breeding and consuming country—bears the livelihood mission of ensuring meat supply through its pig industry while confronting practical challenges such as excessive resource consumption and worsening environmental pollution. To address the coordinated dilemma of “production efficiency-resource consumption-environmental impact,” this study takes 199 self-breeding and self-raising pig farmers in three northeastern provinces of China as research objects, and systematically measures the ecological efficiency of fattening pig rearing and quantifies the greenhouse gas emission reduction potential by combining the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and Super-efficiency SBM-DEA models. The LCA results indicate that the manure treatment and feed processing stages are the core contributing links to global warming potential, acidification potential, and eutrophication potential. The DEA calculation shows that the ecological efficiency of large-scale farmers is significantly higher than that of small-scale scattered farmers: the former exhibits high redundancy in labor and epidemic prevention inputs, while the latter features comprehensive redundancy in factors such as the number of sows and land. The analysis of emission reduction potential reveals that the greenhouse gas reduction rate of small-scale scattered farmers is much higher than that of large-scale farmers, making them the key target for regional agricultural carbon emission reduction. This study reveals the scale differences and optimization paths of ecological efficiency in pig breeding in Northeast China from the micro-subject perspective, providing empirical support and decision-making basis for targeted industrial emission reduction, efficient resource allocation, and green transformation.

In recent years, the concern over the climate impact of ruminant livestock production has caused a drastic change in corporate actions. Companies that are involved in the production of beef now commonly have company climate goals aimed at some level of greenhouse gas emission reduction or outright “net-zero” or “climate neutrality” targets. Setting these targets have also caused considerable concern with some stakeholders with claims of greenwashing and lawsuits arising. Additionally, the individuals who will ultimately be responsible for these companies achieving their targets, the producer, has little idea these targets are being set yet alone the practice suite needed to achieve them. This has created an environment that leads to confusion for stakeholders and ever-evolving benchmarks for what is acceptable or not. We discuss this complicated science of ruminant livestock climate goal setting, within the larger framework of achieving the goals set by the Paris Climate Accord and companies’ desires to improve their social license to operate. Viewing this process as an extension of the industries desire to extend and/or improve their social license to operate, the desire for companies to set goals is rational and, conversely, the push back is fair and a part of the evolving value set of society. However, all parties would benefit by improving on key aspects of the social license, such as improving transparency, engaging with those stakeholders with differing views, and maintaining a science based approach.

ABSTRACT A just transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy has been associated with a variety of duties, including climate change mitigation and promoting procedural, distributive, and recognitional justice. Several authors have discussed transitional justice tensions between the need for rapid greenhouse gas emissions reductions and other aspects of a just transition, such as fair inclusion of stakeholders. We make the case that such trade-offs are often uncertain, and that this has important moral implications tied to inductive risks. Inductive risks arise when decision-making requires accepting or rejecting an uncertain statement, where the moral harms of errors may be asymmetrical. This line of reasoning suggests that very strong evidence should be required to accept that imposing injustices on marginalized populations is necessary for rapid emissions reductions.

Synergistic enhancement of nitrogen removal and greenhouse gas reduction in manganese-based integrated vertical constructed wetland for wastewater treatment through improved redox environment.

Structural change in agricultural inputs and greenhouse gas Emissions: Pathways for sustainable environmental management in China.

Ammonia is an attractive hydrogen carrier and zero‐carbon fuel for decarbonization goals. To address the challenges posed by ammonia's low flame velocity and elevated ignition temperature, a dual‐fuel approach combining port‐injected ammonia with directly injected diesel has proven effective in enhancing combustion performance. This study focuses on optimizing the thermal efficiency and minimizing emissions in ammonia‐diesel direct injection (ADDF) engines by examining the influence of ammonia energy ratio (AER) and fuel injection timing on combustion dynamics and emission patterns. Results reveal that the indicated thermal efficiency peaks at 45.06% when AER approaches 20%, with efficiency declining at both lower and higher ratios. The incomplete combustion of ammonia becomes more pronounced at elevated AER levels, reaching 11.06% unburned ammonia at 40% AER, primarily due to ammonia's sluggish combustion rate and its inhibitory effect on dehydrogenation reactions. Regarding nitrogen oxides, nitric oxide (NO) emissions demonstrate a decreasing trend with higher AER values, attributed to the reduction of NO to molecular nitrogen under specific combustion conditions. The greenhouse gas emissions, predominantly comprising carbon dioxide and nitrous oxide, show an upward trend with increasing AER, as nitrous oxide (N 2 O) formation is favored in low‐temperature ammonia combustion zones. The presence of a well‐mixed diesel‐air charge during the ignition delay period promotes more complete combustion, thereby reducing residual ammonia emissions. Through meticulous optimization of injection parameters and combustion control strategies, the research achieved a 1.32% enhancement in thermal efficiency, attaining 45.35% at 40% AER, coupled with a significant 29.14% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions.

Abstract To achieve the 2050 net-zero goal in Taiwan, the Kaohsiung City government has committed to achieve a 30% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030. The Kaohsiung House Project was initiated in 2014 to enhance the sustainability and living quality of private residential buildings across the Kaohsiung city. The project offered incentives such as additional floor area for incorporating green building features, including vertical greenery, renewable energy systems, and universal design elements. However, the scope was limited to operational carbon reduction (i.e., energy conservation), and the embodied carbon reduction was not included in the Kaohsiung House Project. As a result, the structure system design plays the most important role in reducing embodied carbon, and the LEBR rating can rise from 1 to 3 levels via material changes. Changing the interior floor from ceramic tile to stone and changing the concrete framework from wood to metal will increase the construction cost. Using low-carbon concrete and changing interior walls didn’t show a significant difference in construction cost. Changing the exterior finishing from ceramic tile to painting will reduce the cost and embodied carbon.

Superconducting fault current limiters (SFCL) are protective devices that limit the current in power lines when it suddenly increases above a certain safe level as a consequence of a fault. This element is connected in series with the line and has a null impedance when the line current is below the safe value (limit current) but significative increase the impedance when the line current tries to surpass this value. The variance of impedance is only due to the internal state of superconductors, without the participation of any mechanical element. Obviously, there are not any similar elements manufactured with conventional technology. There are two basic types of SFCL: those that present a resistive impedance (R-SFCL) after transition, and those which present an inductive impedance (I-SFCL). The authors are working on an SFCL concept that includes both mechanisms operating interactively. In this work, the combined transition mechanism is explained, the prototype under study is presented, and some theoretical and experimental results are shown. Key words. Superconductor, Fault current limiter, SFCL

The use of renewable hydrogen is becoming increasingly relevance as a sustainable alternative to conventional energy sources, particularly in the transport and industrial sectors. One of its main advantages is that it enables energy use without generating direct pollutant emissions, thus contributing to the reduction of greenhouse gases emissions and the mitigation of climate change. Green hydrogen in these sectors is typically produced through different electrolysis technologies. These processes are often powered by renewable energy sources—such as solar or wind—which are inherently variable over time. This paper presents a comprehensive comparison of the main electrolysis technologies, including alkaline electrolysis (ALKEL), proton exchange membrane electrolysis (PEMWEL), and anion exchange membrane electrolysis (AEMWEL). It analyzes their respective advantages, limitations, efficiency levels, response times, and adaptability to intermittent energy supplies. The study also explores the technical challenges associated with integrating each technology with renewable power sources, emphasizing key factors to consider when selecting the most suitable method. It is important to note that this analysis does not take cost into account, focusing instead on technical parameters and operational performance. The objective is to provide insights that support informed decision-making for the deployment of hydrogen technologies within sustainable energy systems. Key words. Renewable Hydrogen, electrolysis, AEMWEL, PEMWEL, AWEL.

Microencapsulated nitrogen inhibitors promote ecosystem sustainability via greenhouse gas emission reduction and maize yield improvement

Digital innovation integration into biotechnology for development of sustainable protein frontiers for poultry nutrition in a circular bioeconomy.

Decarbonization, i.e., the reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions into the atmosphere, represents a dramatic and irreversible shift in the entire value chain of the global economy. This highlights the need to identify the optimal decarbonization pathways for all market sectors. In this article, we present a basic analysis of the energy flow, i.e., energy generation and consumption in the United States, that allows the prioritization of actions supporting the energy transition, with a specific focus on electrification. The analysis results show that while the key steps to decarbonize the energy demand sectors (i.e., buildings, industry, and transportation) are relatively easy to identify, the most effective order of taking these steps is not. Given the variations in the efficiency of electricity generation, measured by the amount of energy wasted during the process, vis-à-vis individual efficiencies of the energy demand sectors and their geographic dependencies, the impact of prioritization is significant. For the energy demand sectors that have lower efficiency than electricity generation, electrification should progress regardless of the pace of decarbonization of energy generation. However, for the remaining energy demand sectors, the optimized decarbonization plan is more nuanced and requires detailed consideration of all available and future technologies. In some cases, immediate electrification may result in increasing GHG emissions, at least until decarbonization of energy generation progresses. Thus, careful energy transition planning is required for all sectors of the economy.

Design and evaluation of climate-adaptive greenhouses for semi-arid regions using CFD model

Abstract In Japan, the “Building Whole Life Carbon Assessment Tool (J-CAT / Japan Carbon Assessment Tool for Building Lifecycle)”, which calculates the Whole Life Carbon (WLC) of buildings primarily based on the original emission intensities derived from which a domestic inter-industrial relation database, named the Embodied Energy and Emission Intensity Data for Japan Using Input-Output Tables(3EID), was released in 2024.This report presents case studies utilizing J-CAT for specific uses. We evaluated six subjects, including a nearly Zero-Energy Building (nZEB), highlighting trends in Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions, and discussed the input data settings related to Operational Carbon (OC) and refrigerant leakage, as well as their impacts. The results of the case studies indicated that, particularly for office buildings, the total emissions impact from OC due to energy consumption and embodied carbon associated with refrigerant leakage was significant. Therefore, it was found that efforts towards ZEB conversion through optimal architectural planning can contribute to the reduction of GHG emissions.

Comparison of greenhouse gas emission reductions in wood-based plastics production in Japan

This paper presents a critical strategic analysis of international carbon pricing and its environmental, economic, and social impacts. It examines and reviews the impact of carbon taxes and emissions trading systems (ETS) on the reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, technological innovation, and structural change over the long term through systematic literature review and content analysis. This study also considers distributional equity, competitiveness, administrative capacity, and carbon leakage risk and concludes that a carbon price is not a pillar to be used to attain the level of decarburization that would be needed to meet international climate targets but a complementary pillar that should be combined with stronger regulatory, fiscal, and industrial policies. Global cooperation, better policy formulation, strategic revenue application, and emphasis on social equity are thus important in the effectiveness and legitimacy of carbon pricing at the international level.

Abstract In line with the objective endorsed by the Council of the European Union, a climate-neutral European Union must be achieved by 2050. This means significantly reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the EU by 2050 and finding ways to offset residual and unavoidable emissions. Energy communities, in particular, are seen as citizen-led energy actions that will help pave the way for a clean energy transition. Along with the European Union’s objective of achieving climate neutrality by 2050, the involvement of citizens in the energy transition and the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions is of paramount importance. One way to facilitate the transition is through the creation of energy communities: citizen-led initiatives that promote the use of renewable energy sources and local energy production. However, the success of these initiatives depends not only on regulatory and technological conditions, but also on citizens’ willingness to cooperate and act collectively. The paper explores what would motivate Latvian residents to participate in energy communities and assesses their potential for engagement, with a particular focus on multi-apartment buildings and their potential role in energy communities. Drawing on a theoretical literature review and survey data, the study assesses the awareness, motivation, and barriers to the development of energy communities among the public and building managers. It provides an in-depth analysis of residents’ attitudes and their potential for participation in Latvia – a country where the concept of energy communities is still relatively new and largely unexplored. The results of the study show that residents prefer economic benefits over the benefits of the local community or the environment, and also show the small experience of the population in collective action. These findings of the study contribute to a broader understanding of the social aspects of the European energy transition in the case of Latvia and are useful for both policy makers and local governments, which should take the lead in organising and coordinating the development of energy communities.