ABSTRACT With the increase of coal gasification ash production and the environmental problems caused by its accumulation, it is of great significance to study its application in concrete. In this paper, the flexural performance of coal gasification ash concrete beams under low cyclic loading is studied. The effects of coal gasification ash content, concrete strength and reinforcement ratio on the seismic performance of the specimens are discussed. The mechanical properties such as load-deflection, crack width and steel bar strain were measured by experiments. It was found that when the content of coal gasification ash was 20 %, the flexural capacity and seismic performance of the specimen beam were the best. The calculation formulas of cracking load and ultimate bearing capacity based on coal gasification ash were further proposed, and their rationality was verified by ABAQUS finite element simulation. The results show that the proper amount of coal gasification ash can not only improve the mechanical properties of the beam, but also reduce carbon emissions and production costs, which provides a theoretical basis for the promotion of coal gasification ash in engineering applications.

Carbon emissions from the construction industry have attracted significant public attention, and the sector's low-carbon transition is crucial for achieving carbon neutrality. Although extensive research has been conducted in this field, limited studies have investigated the combined effects of structural performance design and seismic safety technologies on carbon emission reduction. This study aims to simultaneously enhance structural safety and reduce carbon emissions using the seismic energy dissipation technology. Eight reinforced concrete frame structures with varying numbers of floors are selected as case studies in accordance with the Chinese design code. By incorporating additional energy dissipation devices, the required dimensions of structural components in structures with damper (SWD) are reduced compared with structures without damper (SWOD), thereby lowering carbon emissions and improving seismic performance. Both SWOD and SWD systems are designed for each of the eight reinforced concrete frame structures for comparative analysis. Structural component dimensions are calculated using SAUSG software, and key performance indicators, including the natural period and inter-story drift ratio, are analyzed to verify compliance with code-specified safety requirements. Engineering quantities and life-cycle energy consumption are quantified, including the production and transportation of materials, as well as construction and dismantling stages. The results indicate that SWDs reduce material and energy consumption, with average carbon emissions 17.4% lower than those of SWODs. This study provides a novel perspective on carbon emission reduction during the design phase and offers an effective technical pathway for the coordinated development of low-carbon buildings and seismic resilience.

Algal community composition drives lake greenhouse gas emissions via dissolved organic matter transformation and microbial processing.

A stratigraphy-informed framework for GHG emission reduction and resource recovery in shield tunnel spoil management

Variable effects of biochar on soil greenhouse gas emissions: A meta-analysis of climate, soil, and biochar property interactions.

The role of green finance, hydrogen technologies and high-tech exports in climate action: Introducing a new green-based index of finance (GFINI).

Water-level operation creates redox windows that govern greenhouse-gas pathways in reservoir drawdown soils.

Utilisation of calcium carbonate derived from pilot-scale indirect CO2 mineral carbonation of waste concrete: Impacts on mechanical and microstructural properties of mortar

Climate change and vertical thermal stratification of the water column in the Mediterranean Sea: implications for marine aquaculture.

Increased atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions in the atmosphere due to excessive usage of fossil fuels, rapid industrial development and human growth have raised a global interest in the greenhouse effect. CO2 conversion is important not just because it is a greenhouse gas that causes a variety of climate consequences, but also because it is the most abundant source of valuable organic chemicals. Upgrading CO2 into valuable chemicals and materials offers a pathway toward net-zero or even carbon-negative production of fuels, pharmaceuticals, alcohols, plastics, etc. However, current CO2 conversion technologies have the problems of high operational costs, high energy consumption, limited to a few-carbon products, and a risk of secondary pollutants. Microbial electrosynthesis (MES) is a novel microbial electrochemical technology that integrates the metabolic activities or genetic behaviour of microorganisms on electrodes to convert CO2 into organics with electrical energy input. Recent developments in electrode and reactor design, synthetic biology-based strain engineering, and genetic engineering have enhanced the production rates and selectivity of MES. This review explores the transformative potential and recent progress of MES with CO2 upgrading strategies, aiming to identify the determinants of the process and its future research directions.It also highlights the current challenges of MES related to upscaling, long-term stability, selecting optimal microbial strains, achieving net-negative carbon emissions, and other operational limitations that need to be addressed for commercial viability.

• Soil physicochemical traits and microbes characterized along a salinity gradient • Salinity, sulfur, and iron shape microbial structure across wetlands • Sulfur-reducing bacteria dominate highly saline soils • Salinization lowers CH 4 but increases CO 2 emissions Coastal wetlands play a critical role in carbon sequestration, biogeochemical cycling, and ecosystem stability. These habitats support diverse microbial communities that regulate organic matter decomposition and greenhouse gas fluxes, influencing climate-related feedback mechanisms. However, rising sea levels and saltwater intrusion may disrupt microbial processes, particularly those associated with the sulfur cycle and methane dynamics. Here, we characterize soil physicochemical properties and microbial communities along a salinity gradient in three temperate coastal wetlands to assess the impact of salinity on organic matter decomposition and greenhouse gas emissions. Using full-length Oxford Nanopore MinION 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing, we analyzed microbial communities across freshwater, brackish, and saline wetland soils. Our results indicate that sulfur-reducing bacteria dominate salinized sites, while brackish environments are characterized by obligate anaerobic taxa involved in sulfate reduction, fatty acid degradation, and denitrification. These microbial assemblages contribute to lower CH 4 emissions but increased CO 2 fluxes in the brackish areas, highlighting key microbial-mediated trade-offs in wetland carbon cycling. By integrating microbial diversity, and metabolic functions with soil geochemistry, this site-specific but ecologically meaningful case study improves our understanding of microbe-soil interactions in temperate wetland ecosystems facing increased salinization due to climate change.

The management of waste materials is a critical factor in addressing climate change due to its significant contribution to Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions, particularly methane and carbon dioxide. Inefficient disposal practices in landfills, incineration, and transportation of waste exacerbate environmental degradation. This paper provides a comprehensive review of the climate impacts of different waste management systems, including landfilling, recycling, and Waste-to-Energy (WTE) technologies. Furthermore, a detailed bibliometric analysis is performed to map the knowledge domain’s emerging trends, key researchers, and collaboration networks. The combined analysis highlights the importance of adopting sustainable waste management strategies such as circular economy models, energy recovery, and improved infrastructure to reduce emissions. The review emphasizes the role of policy frameworks and innovative technologies in minimizing the carbon footprint of waste materials, with an emphasis on global best practices and case studies. The study aims to inform policymakers and urban planners on optimizing waste management systems to mitigate climate change and enhance urban resilience. • Reviews the climate impacts of waste materials, operations, and infrastructure. • Identifies landfilling and incineration as major greenhouse gas sources. • Highlights circular economy and waste-to-energy as key mitigation strategies. • Reveals strong global collaboration and rising research interest in this field. • Offers policy insights for sustainable and climate-resilient waste management.

Decoupling energy poverty alleviation from carbon emissions in China: Urban–rural differences and driving mechanisms

Hybrid LSTM-XGBoost framework with city embeddings for CO2 emissions forecasting and scenario comparison.

Resource recovery for sustainable construction: Strength and microstructure characteristics of municipal solid waste incineration ash as a green alternative to cement in cementitious composites

Proactive transition or passive contraction——The impact of geopolitical risk on carbon emissions

Degradable and non-degradable microplastics regulate soil greenhouse gas emissions: Multi-factor insights and key monitoring factors from a Kolmogorov-Arnold Network ensemble model.

Comparative assessment of radiocarbon and balance method for determining biogenic and fossil CO2 emissions from waste-to-energy plants in Austria and China.

Paphia undulata enhances sedimentary CH4 and N2O emissions via divergent microbial mechanisms.

Vegetated coastal lagoons provide carbon dioxide (CO2) uptake and are often inventoried as blue carbon (C) sinks. We measured greenhouse gas (GHG) fluxes, CO2, methane (CH4), and nitrous oxide (N2O), at the water-air interface in dominant habitats including oyster aquaculture, eelgrass, and bare sediments of two temperate, eutrophic coastal lagoonal systems in Rhode Island (RI), and estimated sediment C accumulation in eelgrass habitats. We examined whether system GHG emissions at the water-air interface offset estimated eelgrass sediment C accumulation. Although highly variable, we often measured net CO2 and CH4 emissions from eelgrass and other habitats, which offset some or all of the estimated C accumulation in eelgrass sediments. At Potter Pond the monthly (May - October 2023) mean CO2 equivalent (CO2e) over a 100y horizon at the bare habitat (-0.0071 ± 0.63 ug m-2 s-1) was a net sink, while the mean CO2e-100y at eelgrass (4.74 ± 0.91 ug m-2 s-1) and oyster (2.30 ± 0.71 ug m-2 s-1) habitats were net sources. At Pt. Judith Pond the mean CO2e-100y across months and among habitats ranged from 2.49 ug m-2 s-1 at the oyster habitat to 5.08 ug m-2 s-1 at the eelgrass habitat. High CO2 and CH4 emissions might be attributed to the abundance of labile macroalgae, which decomposes rapidly, and to mineralization of legacy C in sediments associated with declining eelgrass. GHG emissions in eutrophic, vegetated lagoons might offset sediment C accumulation and cause an overestimation of blue C sinks.