Engineering plasmon-enhanced cathode for photo-electrocatalytic conversion of CO2: Insight into the activity trends.

As the global population grows, the meat industry must increase production sustainably. This review summarizes challenges and opportunities in both animal-based and cultivated meat production. For animal-based systems, strategies include genetic breeding for desirable traits, improved feed efficiency via additives and management, and innovative farming to mitigate carbon emissions. Cultivated meat, though still emerging, requires expanding stem cell sources and bioreactor capacity, supported by 3D scaffolds and advanced culture technologies. High costs of serum-free media remain a barrier but may be overcome by reducing fetal bovine serum or using cost-effective growth factors. Harnessing sustainable energy and AI to optimize bioprocesses and resource allocation can make cultivated meat a viable, scalable alternative to conventional production. Overall, by integrating advances in traditional animal farming with bioprocess optimization and AI to overcome scalability and economic hurdles, this dual strategy positions sustainable meat production as a key solution to meet rising global demand.

Mitigating carbon emissions in a legacy spark-ignition engine via ammonia supplementation: An efficiency-NOx trade-off study

Research on the coupling coordination and spatial influence effect of the digital economy and carbon emission

Composting is widely used for agricultural waste management, and the composting method significantly influences composting processes. This study compared static composting (SC), turning composting (TC), forced aeration composting (AC), and membrane-covered forced aeration composting (MAC) to evaluate which method is more effective for mitigating carbon emissions and promoting humification. Compared to the other methods, MAC shortened the composting period and reduced cumulative CH 4 emissions by 53.4%–99.7% and cumulative CO 2 emissions by 25.7%–66.2%. Moreover, MAC promoted the formation and transformation of humic precursors, achieving the highest degree of humification among the methods. Microbial–physicochemical association networks suggested that MAC had more microorganisms associated with humic-precursor-related processes than with carbon-emission-related processes. Microbial co-occurrence networks further revealed that MAC enhanced microbial cooperation, particularly bacterial–fungal interactions, which played a critical role in humification. Notably, MAC increased the relative abundance of bacterial pathways associated with substrate metabolism in the early stage and enriched pathways for secondary metabolite biosynthesis in the late stage, while shifting the fungal community toward saprotroph dominance. Overall, by combining a parallel comparison of composting methods with the elucidation of the underlying microbial mechanisms, this study reinforced the application potential of MAC. • Membrane-covered forced aeration composting (MAC) reduced carbon emissions. • MAC resulted in the highest degree of polymerization (DP = 1.91). • More microorganisms processed humus precursors than carbon emissions in MAC. • MAC enhanced microbial cooperation intra- and inter-domain. • MAC enhanced humification-related bacterial metabolic pathways.

Land-use transition (LUT), a pivotal vector for anthropogenic intervention in the carbon cycle, profoundly influences the formation and evolution of regional carbon emission patterns. This study focuses on Hainan, China's sole tropical island, and establishes a model accounting for carbon emissions associated with LUT based on related remote-sensing data, socioeconomic statistics, and energy consumption-related data between 2000 and 2025. We combine spatial autocorrelation analysis, an extended logarithmic mean Divisia index decomposition model, and the Tapio decoupling model to systematically elucidate the spatiotemporal features of LUT-associated carbon emissions, their driving factors, and their decoupling relation with economic growth. Notably, Hainan Province features an LUT involving decreasing and increasing proportions of carbon-sink land and carbon-source land, respectively, with construction land expansion being the primary transition mode driving carbon emission growth. The associated carbon emission response features a spatial differentiation pattern of high values concentrated in the north and west and low values localized in the south and east. In addition, carbon sources and sinks demonstrate considerable spatial agglomeration. Economic output is the core driver promoting carbon emission growth, with improvements in land-use efficiency and energy intensity being critical for carbon emission mitigation. During the examined period, the correlation between LUT-associated carbon emissions and economic growth evolves from weak to strong decoupling, demonstrating the remarkable efficacy of peak carbon and carbon neutrality goals in guiding emission reduction-focused LUT. Overall, this research provides a scientific basis for coordinating LUT and low-carbon development in the Hainan Free Trade Port initiative.

Purpose The purpose of this study is to investigate the impact of different e-retailing channel structures, specifically the Reseller Model and the Marketplace Model, on profitability, consumer return behaviour, and environmental sustainability. The study further aims to propose a collaborative Returns Provider Program (RPP) to address the operational and environmental challenges associated with cross-border returns. Design/methodology/approach The study develops a non-cooperative Stackelberg game-theoretic model to analyze the strategic interactions between manufacturers and e-retailers under alternative retail channel structures. Two baseline models, reseller model and marketplace model, are constructed and then extended to global settings with and without a returns provider program. Closed-form equilibrium solutions are derived to examine how retail prices, profits and carbon emissions respond to changes in return rates, international shipping costs and residual value arrangements. Findings The results show that channel structure critically shapes profit allocation among manufacturers and e-retailers. Manufacturers benefit more in the reseller setting, whereas marketplace model earns higher retailing profits in the marketplace setting. Return-related risks shift from manufacturers in reseller model to e-retailers in marketplace market. The RPP reduces both the financial and environmental burdens of cross-border returns, particularly when non-defective return rates, global shipping costs and residual values are high. Consequently, the RPP not only optimizes economic performance but also mitigates carbon emissions, aligning with global sustainability goals, particularly SDG 12 (responsible consumption and production) and SDG 13 (climate action). Originality/value This study contributes to the literature by extending supply chain research beyond the dyadic perspective, incorporating manufacturers, e-retailers, third-party return providers, and environmental considerations into a multi-stakeholder framework. It is among the first to integrate e-retailing channel choice, cross-border return logistics, and carbon emission considerations within a unified Stackelberg game-theoretic framework, and to formally evaluate a returns provider program as a sustainable retailing solution. It offers actionable insights for optimizing channel strategies and implementing sustainable reverse logistics in global e-retailing.

Valorising cinnamon crop residue: Hydrochar production for sustainable agriculture and carbon emission mitigation.

Efficient and selective CO2 capture represents a crucial technological challenge for carbon emission mitigation in post-combustion processes. This study demonstrates a dual-strategy approach combining high surface area engineering with post-synthetic functionalization (sulfonation and nitration) that breaks the traditional trade-off between adsorption capacity and selectivity in porous polymers for CO2 capture, thereby simultaneously enhancing CO2 adsorption capacity and CO2/N2 selectivity. We synthesized a hyper-cross-linked polymer (HCP-TPB) using triphenylbenzene (TPB) as a rigid building block and dibromomethane as a cross-linker, achieving exceptional textural properties (BET surface area: 2738 m2 g-1) and CO2 uptake (21.3 wt% at 273 K). Through post-synthetic sulfonation and nitration, the polymer framework was deliberately engineered to deliver three notable performance improvements: (1) increased CO2 capacity to 23.7 wt% for HCP-TPB-SO3H and 23.3 wt% for HCP-TPB-NO2 at 273 K, (despite reduced surface area (1796 and 1564 m2 g-1) respectively); (2) enhanced CO2/N2 selectivity (from 16 for the pristine HCP-TPB to 32 and 42 for HCP-TPB-SO3H and HCP-TPB-NO2 at 273 K), and (3) improved Ideal Adsorption Solution Theory (IAST)-predicted selectivity (14→22→35) for 15:85 CO2/N2 mixtures at 298 K. These results establish an effective structure-property relationship between sulfonic and nitro functionalities and gas separation performance.

To investigate the evolutionary patterns of multi-source carbon emissions and formulate scientific reduction pathways in China, this study constructed an integrated "accounting-decomposition-prediction" analytical framework. Utilizing China's energy consumption, land use, and waste management data from 2000 to 2022, multi-source carbon emissions were calculated through the IPCC coefficient method, with key driving factors decoupled using the logarithmic man divisia index (LMDI) model. The system dynamics (SD) model combined with scenario analysis was employed to simulate carbon emission trends from 2023 to 2050. The results demonstrate that: ① Total carbon emissions exhibited phased characteristics of "rapid growth followed by decelerated increase," projected to peak at 12.193 billion t (in terms of CO2, the same as below) in 2030 before declining to 8.224 billion t by 2050. ② Carbon emission intensity achieved leapfrog reduction, decreasing from 3.177 4 t·(104 RMB)-1 in 2 000 to 0.355 8 t·(104 RMB)-1 in 2050, with a cumulative reduction of 88.80%. ③ Driver decomposition revealed that energy intensity significantly inhibited emissions (cumulative reduction of 1 973.90 Mt from 2001 to 2022), while per capita GDP demonstrated the strongest positive contribution (cumulative increase of 5 516.83 Mt). ④ The coordinated development scenario verified the time-sensitive compensation mechanism of policy interventions, establishing quantitative targets for key parameters including GDP, energy structure, and industrial composition. This study establishes a multi-source carbon analytical system, identifies the optimal emission reduction path through multi-policy coordination, and provides quantitative tools and decision-making support for constructing low-carbon oriented regional sustainable development systems.

ABSTRACT The transition to sustainable agriculture requires technologies that simultaneously enhance crop yields and reduce environmental impacts. Solar‐driven nitrate valorization, when coupled with CO 2 capture from industrial flue gas, presents a promising dual strategy for producing high‐value fertilizers while mitigating carbon emissions. However, its practical implementation is hindered by two interrelated challenges: (i) the intermittent nature of solar irradiation and (ii) the competitive hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), which severely compromises Faradaic efficiency (FE) of desired nitrogenous products. Here, we address these challenges by designing a heterogeneous CuPd electrocatalyst featuring an amorphous/crystalline heterojunction. This catalyst suppresses HER across a broad potential window (−0.4 to −1.4 V), maintaining >80% FE(ammonia) for >100 h. The catalytic robustness enables stable solar‐powered electrolysis even under low irradiation (0.4 sun), achieving >70% FE(ammonia) and 6% solar‐to‐fuel conversion efficiency, while catholyte simultaneously captures CO 2 at a rate of 6–20 mg h −1 . Techno‐economic analysis demonstrates cost competitiveness against biological counterparts. When applied to plant cultivation, this artificial photosynthesis system boosts solar‐to‐biomass conversion efficiency by 3.5‐fold compared to natural photosynthesis. By unifying solar energy harvesting, waste nitrate reduction, and carbon sequestration, our work provides a scalable blueprint for a closed‐loop agrochemical ecosystem and advanced catalyst design for intermittent renewable‐powered electrosynthesis.

ABSTRACT The transition to sustainable agriculture requires technologies that simultaneously enhance crop yields and reduce environmental impacts. Solar‐driven nitrate valorization, when coupled with CO 2 capture from industrial flue gas, presents a promising dual strategy for producing high‐value fertilizers while mitigating carbon emissions. However, its practical implementation is hindered by two interrelated challenges: (i) the intermittent nature of solar irradiation and (ii) the competitive hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), which severely compromises Faradaic efficiency (FE) of desired nitrogenous products. Here, we address these challenges by designing a heterogeneous CuPd electrocatalyst featuring an amorphous/crystalline heterojunction. This catalyst suppresses HER across a broad potential window (−0.4 to −1.4 V), maintaining >80% FE(ammonia) for >100 h. The catalytic robustness enables stable solar‐powered electrolysis even under low irradiation (0.4 sun), achieving >70% FE(ammonia) and 6% solar‐to‐fuel conversion efficiency, while catholyte simultaneously captures CO 2 at a rate of 6–20 mg h −1 . Techno‐economic analysis demonstrates cost competitiveness against biological counterparts. When applied to plant cultivation, this artificial photosynthesis system boosts solar‐to‐biomass conversion efficiency by 3.5‐fold compared to natural photosynthesis. By unifying solar energy harvesting, waste nitrate reduction, and carbon sequestration, our work provides a scalable blueprint for a closed‐loop agrochemical ecosystem and advanced catalyst design for intermittent renewable‐powered electrosynthesis.

Broadening the discourse on mitigating carbon emissions from thawing permafrost.

The critical role of green consumption in mitigating carbon emissions is widely acknowledged. As a prerequisite for green consumption, consumer green awareness (CGA) plays a pivotal role in advancing sustainable development. This study constructs a comprehensive indicator system for CGA from the three dimensions of “antecedent-behavior-outcome” and measures the CGA levels of 30 provinces in China from 2014 to 2022. Using the Theil index, kernel density estimation, Moran’s I, and Markov chain methods, we analyze its spatiotemporal evolution characteristics. Furthermore, spatial econometric models are applied to explore its driving factors. The results show that China’s CGA exhibits sustained growth during the study period, but regional disparities are widening, driven by inter-regional rather than intra-regional differences. Moreover, China’s CGA gradually demonstrates the long-tailed and multimodal distribution, accompanied by emerging spatial clustering effects. In terms of transition dynamics, CGA demonstrates a short-term “gradient lock”, which is substantially alleviated when spatial spillover effects are incorporated. Additionally, we find that economic development, the advancement of emerging industries, accelerated urbanization, emphasis on education, and policy guidance significantly promote CGA, while overconsumption inhibits CGA. Among these factors, economic development, informatization, e-commerce, education, and policy guidance show significant spillover effects.

Purpose As the pace of carbon emission reduction in China slows, understanding how to reduce carbon emission inequality becomes increasingly important. However, urban-rural carbon emission inequality has received limited attention. This study aims to explore the causal relationship between smart logistics policy (SLP) and urban–rural carbon emission inequality (URCEI), and aims to provide new insights into mitigating carbon emission inequality. Design/methodology/approach Using a difference-in-differences model and a dataset comprising 32,317 observations from 2045 counties in China between 2000 and 2022, this study measures the impact of SLP on URCEI and estimates the regional moderating variables influencing this relationship. Findings The results indicate that SLP significantly mitigates URCEI. Furthermore, the study identifies rural population density, fixed asset investment, the number of employees in the scientific and technical services industry, and the number of invention patent applications as critical factors influencing this causal relationship. Originality/value This study provides new evidence on the role of SLP in mitigating URCEI and introduces regional moderating variables, offering a novel perspective for reducing URCEI.

The transport sector has emerged as a significant contributor to carbon dioxide emissions in Asia, driven by rapid economic growth, urbanization, and transportation demand. While the government has focused on the use of public transportation for mitigating carbon emissions, there is a lack of empirical evidence on its environmental impact. This research attempts to understand the impact of rail transportation on carbon dioxide emissions in 16 countries in Asia from 2005 to 2019. Panel data regression techniques, such as pooled OLS, fixed-effects, and random-effects, are employed, in addition to Structural Equation Model to understand the direct and indirect impact of public rail investment on the environment. The result show that the rail transportation has a significant impact on carbon emissions as a 1% increase in railway infrastructure is associated with approximately 0.138% reduction in CO 2 emissions. Urbanization, however, has a positive and significant impact on carbon emissions. In addition, analysis of regional heterogeneity revealed that rail transportation has a significant impact on carbon emissions in Asia, although the impact is low in South Asia.

As a vital engine of economic growth, the digital economy can boost agricultural productivity while curbing carbon emissions from grain production, thereby facilitating the green transformation of traditional agriculture and the sustainable development of grain production systems. It serves as a pivotal anchor for achieving China’s dual-carbon strategic goals in the agricultural sector and supporting the long-term sustainability of national grain security. This paper conducts an in-depth analysis of the carbon emission mitigation mechanisms of the digital economy for sustainable agricultural production. Using panel data covering 30 provincial-level regions in China from 2012 to 2021, this study employs and integrates panel regression estimation, mediating effect analysis, and the Spatial Durbin Model (SDM) framework to identify the underlying pathways through which the digital economy affects carbon emissions from grain production and drives low-carbon sustainable transformation of agriculture. The findings reveal the following: (1) The digital economy exerts a significant negative effect on carbon emission intensity in grain production, laying an empirical foundation for digital-enabled sustainable grain production; (2) It indirectly reduces carbon emission intensity by promoting the development of green finance as a mediating channel, unlocking the sustainable empowerment mechanism of green finance for agricultural low-carbon transition; (3) The development of the digital economy presents pronounced spatial spillover effects: improved digital development in one region also lowers grain production carbon emission intensity in neighboring areas, supporting cross-regional coordinated sustainable development of grain production; (4) The carbon-reduction effects of the digital economy exhibit regional heterogeneity, with more significant emission-reduction outcomes observed in eastern and central regions, while such effects are less prominent in western regions, providing a basis for formulating differentiated regional agricultural sustainable development policies. Based on these findings, this paper puts forward a series of targeted policy recommendations, offering theoretical and practical references for the high-quality development of green and low-carbon agriculture and the overall advancement of sustainable agricultural and rural modernization.

Abstract Electrochemical CO 2 reduction (CO 2 R) powered with renewable electricity has been considered as a promising approach for carbon emission mitigation and sustainable production of value‐added chemicals. Developing active and selective electrocatalysts capable of achieving high multi‐carbon product selectivity at low overpotentials remains a critical challenge. In this work, we develop a lanthanum (La) doping strategy to optimize Cu‐based catalysts for enhanced CO 2 R performance. As a result, the optimized La‐modified CuO catalyst achieves a remarkable Faradaic efficiency of over 75% toward multi‐carbon products at a modest potential of approximately −0.5 V versus reversible hydrogen electrode, achieving a practical relevant current density of over 200 mA cm −2 . This high selectivity represents a twofold enhancement over state‐of‐the‐art CuO‐based catalysts under identical conditions. Detailed kinetic assessments and mechanistic investigations reveal that La incorporation enhance *CO binding strength on Cu and facilitate COCO dimerization, thereby facilitating the production of multi‐carbon products. Overall, this work establishes an effective approach for boosting multi‐carbon production through strategic rare‐earth element modification, thereby advancing the development of efficient CO 2 R systems for sustainable chemical synthesis. image

Repurposing decommissioned wind turbine blades provides a vital pathway to mitigate carbon emissions, yet the escalating volume of large-scale waste poses a severe environmental challenge. Recognizing the limitation that existing research focuses predominantly on small-scale legacy blades, this study addresses this gap by assessing the mechanical properties and microstructure of a 54-m (2.0 MW) blade decommissioned due to repowering after 10 years of service. GFRP samples extracted from the root, mid-span, and tip were investigated using X-ray computed tomography and a comprehensive suite of mechanical tests. The investigation confirmed a low internal porosity (~1.2%) without service-induced macroscopic interfacial cracking, alongside superior residual performance, exemplified by a tensile strength of 849.5 MPa at the root. Statistical analysis employing ANOVA revealed significant spatial variations, supporting a graded reuse strategy: roots with superior tensile strengths for critical members, mid-spans for axial compression, and tips as a reliable property baseline for general reuse, while Weibull analysis verified the statistical reliability required for structural design. Based on these superior residual properties, a raft-type wave energy converter utilizing repurposed blade segments was proposed. A comparative carbon footprint assessment revealed that this blade-repurposed WEC achieved a 71.5% reduction in carbon emissions and a 37.4% reduction in structural mass compared to conventional steel counterparts. These findings substantiate the viability of large-scale DWTBs as high-value resources for decarbonizing marine infrastructure within a circular economy.

Teleconsultation services have emerged as vital components of digitally enabled, sustainable health care delivery. Emirates Health Services (EHS) launched its e-visits program to enhance outpatient care accessibility, operational efficiency, and environmental stewardship. The objective of this research was to conduct a comprehensive evaluation of the E-visits program over 2023-2024, assessing its financial, environmental, and societal value. A retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted using electronic health record data across all qualifying EHS facilities. Multidimensional analyses evaluated direct consultation cost reductions, physician time savings, carbon emission mitigation, and broader societal benefits. Uniquely, the study incorporated an opportunity cost framework that estimated the economic value of time saved by employed patients-a dimension often overlooked in telehealth evaluations. Subgroup analyses ensured demographic and geographic representation. E-visits accounted for a substantial proportion of consultations, particularly among women (65.9%) and working-age patients. Physician time savings averaged more than 4 min per consultation, equating to more than 14 full-time employees' time saved on average. The program averted approximately 5,920.8 metric tons of CO2 emissions. Uniquely, this study estimated over United Arab Emirates Dirham (AED) 50 million in combined annual savings, including not only organizational efficiencies but also patient-level and community-wide economic gains-such as reduced travel and fuel costs and opportunity cost savings from recovered work hours. The calculated net present value over 2 years exceeded AED 65 million. This study presents a novel and comprehensive model for evaluating telehealth impact, uniquely quantifying opportunity costs for employed patients alongside community and organizational benefits. The findings demonstrate how E-visits can drive transformational change across multiple domains of value, reinforcing the case for sustainable, digital-first care models.