Mitigate GHG Emissions Research Articles

Effect of Animal and Poultry Manure Processing Technologies on Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Introduction. The agricultural sector is one of the most important sources of anthropogenic emissions. The correct accounting of greenhouse gas emissions in this sector depends on technologies used to process animal/poultry manure. To date, there is a lack of research to adjust the methane and nitrous oxide emissions from existing animal/poultry manure sto­rages, because of the variety of technologies used. This is why the methodological approach developed to estimate the annual emissions of methane and nitrous oxide is so important.Aim of the Study. The study is aimed at determining the impact of manure and litter processing technologies on annual emissions of methane and nitrous oxide.Materials and Methods. To determine the emission of nitrous oxide and methane, there were calculated mass of animal/poultry manure and its total nitrogen and carbon content; there were analysed manure processing technologies such as long-term manure storing, passive and active composting, biofermentation, drying and granulation, incineration. There were performed calculations for two options: 1) according to the National Inventory of Anthropogenic Emissions, taking into account the share of manure processed with the use of each technology in 2022; 2) according to the actual data of technology distribution in 2022. The predictive estimate for the period up to 2030 was made for regions in the North-Western Federal District of the Russian Federation.Results. The study analysed animal and poultry housing technologies at three types of enterprises: agricultural organizations, peasant (private) farms, and household farms. There was calculated the animal/poultry manure mass generated at each type of enterpri­ses and determined the share of manure processed with the use of each technology. Based on the data of the North-Western Federal District, there were calculated methane and nitrous oxide emissions in 2022 in CO2-eq.Discussion and Conclusions. There was estimated the effect of manure collection and sto­rage technologies on methane and nitrous oxide emissions. The obtained data on emissions exceeded by 35.6% (methane) and 14.2% (nitrous oxide) those calculated by the methods used in National Inventory indicating their refinement expediency. Categorization of agricultural enterprises makes calculations simpler for regional and national assessments. The refined data on manure collection and storing technologies and the emissions specific for these technologies will help to perform prediction calculations and determine options for technological upgrading to mitigate GHG emissions.

Adapter Le Systeme Alimentaire Rd Congolais Au Changement Climatique

Purpose: This research on "Adapting the DR Congolese food system to climate change" aims to make available scientific data likely to curb the divide between potential wealth and food security on the one hand and to realize the state of research on the subject on the other hand. Methodology: We carried out documentary research using the digital network for data collection. We consulted articles published in international journals, activity reports of specialized structures (UN, OECD). Certain programs and documents developed by the Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development of the DRC. At the end of the compilation, we proceeded to the objective analysis of the capacities of the DRC to want to overcome climate hazards. Finding: At the end of our investigations, we estimate that efforts to adapt to climate change in the DRC are at the embryonic and fragmentary stage. There is no inclusive, coherent and binding policy for adaptation to climate change. We insist on the fact that "Adapting the DR Congolese food system to climate change" must be considered as a four-link cycle including: Implementation of the general principles of combating and/or mitigating GHG emissions, Research and development with substantial investment, Transformation of GHGs, waste, etc, Finally, the fourth link that completes the cycle; it is the range of solutions in terms of reactions, responses, advice, awareness of the entire national community. Recommendation: To adapt the Congolese food system to climate change; it will require a synergy of activities spread across the four links forming the planning cycle

Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Cold Chains in Agrifood Systems

Cold chains are essential components of agrifood system activities, from storage and food processing to transport, retail, and household consumption. We devise a comprehensive methodology, validated against established data, to estimate both direct (due to refrigerant use) and indirect (from energy use) greenhouse gas emissions from agrifood system cold chains, expanding previous approaches, which had focused on direct emissions only. We found that in 2022, world-total indirect emissions from energy use in cold chains were more than twice the direct component from refrigerants. This resulted in a new estimate of world-total GHG emissions from agrifood system cold chains of 1.32 Gt CO2eq in 2022, with significant growth over the past two decades (0.52 Gt CO2eq in 2000). Household consumption and food processing represented the most significant contributors to agrifood system emissions from cold chains, together representing in 2022 three-fourths of the total. These results align well with known global patterns of energy use in the refrigeration sector and highlight the importance of targeting cold chains within agrifood system with GHG emission mitigation actions.

Unraveling the Sustainability Footprint: A Descriptive Analysis of Co-firing Technologies for Advancing Energy Transition in Indonesia

Abstract Indonesia has ambitious renewable energy goals of achieving 23% utilization of renewable energy in primary energy mix by 2025 and 31% by 2050. To reduce emissions, the government plans to phase out Coal-Fired Power Plants (PLTU) by 2030 and adopt co-firing technology to decrease coal usage. Co-firing involves burning renewable materials alongside fossil fuels to reduce carbon emissions. However, concerns have arisen regarding this method’s sustainability, considering the environmental impact of various biomass sources. This research utilizes a descriptive analysis method to examine and assess the critical sustainability factors related to co-firing in Indonesia. While biomass can help mitigate GHG emissions, a comprehensive assessment of net emissions from the biomass process is crucial. Careful planning and policies for co-firing implementation are essential to mitigate negative effects and promote a greener future for Indonesia.

Mathematical modeling for hydrogen blending in natural gas pipelines moving towards industrial decarbonization: Economic feasibility and CO2 reduction analysis

Hydrogen blending has proved to be a promising alternative to reduce CO2 emissions in current applications such as the industrial sector in which natural gas is the fuel source since it can mitigate GHG emissions and help to reach nation’s goal of decarbonization. This study explored the feasibility of different hydrogen blend compositions going from 1% to 30% hydrogen content (by volume) by computational simulations to determine the best performance of the system considering real operating conditions from Central Plant at UC Irvine. This work also performed an economic analysis as part of the implementation plan. It was determined that a blend of 19% H2 content could be implemented without any major renovation of utility infrastructure based on the operating conditions and change in the properties of the mixture. An addition of 30% H2 can reduce around 11% of the emissions produced by pure natural gas. This is equivalent to 1422 kg of CO2 in 1 h. It is evident that the higher the H2 content, the better the CO2 benefits that would be produced, but for the actual application of higher hydrogen content, there is a need for a better understanding of the effects of hydrogen in the current natural gas pipeline. Based on the CO2 savings, it was determined that a 30% blending of hydrogen may save about 22.2% of the economic cost compared to natural gas.

A framework for cost-effectiveness analysis of greenhouse gas mitigation measures in dairy industry with an application to dairy farms in China

The dairy industry is a significant contributor to global greenhouse gas emissions (GHG). Although much effort has been directed to explore the cost-effective measures for many sectors such as electricity, building infrastructure, transportation, research on mitigation measures within dairy industry remains limited. A notable obstacle is the absence of a cost-effectiveness analysis (CEA) framework to guide decision-makers and practitioners in this sector. In response, we propose a comprehensive CEA framework tailored to mitigate GHG emissions in the dairy industry. Our conceptual framework consists of six steps: defining the system boundary to determine the activities generating GHG emissions; identifying GHG emission sources within the system boundary; identifying potential mitigation measures; determining methods to quantify GHG emissions; collecting data to estimate both GHG emissions and mitigation costs; and applying general econometric methodologies to analyze the cost-effectiveness of mitigation measures. We further conducted a case study focusing on dairy farms in China, analyzing three categories of mitigation measures: feed, energy, and manure management. The results indicate that implementing effective feed and energy measures is a cost-saving strategy, reducing the cost per unit of milk production. Conversely, adopting effective manure management measures may lead to increased costs for dairy farms. The findings offer strategic recommendations for reducing GHG emissions from dairy production in China and provide analytical insights and strategic references applicable to other developing countries.

Enhancing climate action in OECD countries: the role of environmental policy stringency for energy transitioning to a sustainable environment

Climate change affects the world economy, environment, and human well-being, jeopardizing overall sustainability. The escalating impacts of climate change emphasize the necessity to assess the moderating influence of environmental policy stringency (EPS) on the association of energy transition (ET) and GHG emissions from 1990 to 2020 across 36 OECD countries. Further, this study incorporates the direct impact of energy transition (ET), environmental-related technology (ERTs), green innovation (INV), and Gross Domestic Product (GDP) on GHG emission. For this purpose, study employs an extensive range of econometric techniques, including DOLS, FMOLS, CCR, and MMQR approaches to evaluate data attributes. The findings of MMQR demonstrate that interaction of ET*EPS contributes to lower GHG emissions from −0.271% to −0.300% across all quantiles (20th to 80th). This indicates that the implementation of environmental policies fosters adoption of energy transitions to mitigate the negative effects of climate change, particularly to reduce GHG emissions. Further, environmental-related technologies (ERTs) and green innovation (INV) decrease GHG emissions by 0.15%–0.13% and 0.967%–2.049%, respectively, across all quantiles, thus encouraging environmental sustainability. The heterogeneous effect of ERTs is due to varying levels of adoption of environmental technologies in sample countries. The findings highlight the crucial need for integrating environmental policy strictness and energy transition measures to effectively mitigate GHG emissions. It highlights the significance of adaptive, responsive policies that are in line with SDGs 7 & 13, which concentrate on sustainable energy practices and integrated climate action in OECD economies.Graphical

The environmental and agronomic benefits and trade-offs linked with the adoption alternate wetting and drying in temperate rice paddies

ContextAlternating wetting and drying (AWD) is an irrigation practice, alternative to continuous flooding, to improve the agro-environmental sustainability of rice cultivation. Benefits include reduction in water consumption, methane (CH4) emissions and arsenic (As) concentrations in grain. However, drainage periods during AWD can negatively affect nitrogen (N) use efficiency by the crop and grain yields, while increasing nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions and cadmium (Cd) contents in grain. ObjectiveThe objective of this study was to provide a holistic evaluation of AWD adoption in temperate rice cropping systems, including associated trade-offs. We hypothesized that the adoption of AWD in water seeded rice paddies can reduce the global warming potential (GWP) without affecting plant N uptake or introducing yield gaps, and also maintain a high quality of rice grain by limiting the uptake of metal(loid)s present in the soil, thereby resulting in an overall positive agro-environmental performance. MethodsIn a two-year field experiment in NW Italy two alternative irrigation practices involving water seeding followed by AWD management of different severity (AWDsafe and AWDstrong) were evaluated relative to the conventional water seeding and continuous flooding (WFL), comparing three different rice varieties. Yields and yield components, plant N uptake, apparent N recovery (ANR), metal(loid) concentrations in grain, and CH4 and N2O emissions were evaluated. ResultsAWDsafe and AWDstrong maintained or increased yields compared to WFL depending on varieties, despite an increase in sterility. There were no consistent differences in N uptake and ANR. Both AWDsafe and AWDstrong significantly reduce As concentration in grain, but significantly increase Cd and nickel (Ni). AWDsafe and AWDstrong reduced CH4 emissions by 45–55 % and 40–73 %, respectively, compared toWFL, while no increase in N2O emissions was observed. This resulted in a reduction in the GWP of 46 and 54 % with AWDsafe and AWDstrong, respectively. Conclusions and ImplicationsAWD was shown to be effective for mitigating GHG emissions from temperate rice cropping systems while maintaining high yield performance comparable or higher than WFL. AWD may represent a viable alternative to continuous flooding to improve agro-environmental sustainability of temperate rice cropping systems, but the trade-off between decreasing As and increasing Cd and Ni contents in the grain may represent an important concern for food safety with the adoption of this alternative water management practice.

Eco-techno-economic assessment of methanol production: A comparative study of GHG mitigation strategies through CCS and electrified CCU pathways

Mitigating GHG emissions from industries and other sectors of our economy is a vital aspect of having a sustainable economy. This paper offers an in-depth process development and eco-techno-economic performance analysis of different methanol production pathways, namely CCU-assisted electrified reforming and CCS-assisted pathways, in comparison to conventional methanol production using natural gas. Through model simulations with Aspen Plus, eco-techno-economic analyses, and extensive sensitivity analysis, the research aims to provide valuable insights into the economic and environmental implications of these pathways. Our results revealed that our proposed electrified pathways, E-CRM-80 and E-CRM-90, show substantial reductions in capital investment by 27 % and 19 %, in comparison to TRM. In terms of economic viability, the MSP of methanol for E-CRM-80 and E-CRM-90 in regions with cheaper renewable energy sources is $291 and $319/tonne CO2, lower than the $377 and $670/tonne CO2 required for CCS and TRM. Notably, E-CRM-80 and E-CRM-90 surpass CCS in cost when the mitigation credit exceeds $300 and $350/tonne CO2. The integrated e-TEA/LCA model underscores the significance of electricity consumption in CCU processes, providing insights into the achievable lifecycle GHG reduction across all pathways. In Quebec, characterized by the lowest electricity cost, the electrified pathway requires a reduced life cycle GHG reduction credit, even lower than the CCS technology. For E-CRM-80 and E-CRM-90 to achieve lower GHG mitigation credits than the CCS pathway, the electricity grid must emit less than 37 and 11 g CO2/kWh. Conversely, in Alberta, with high electricity prices, CCU pathways are less favorable compared to CCS.

A Review of Options and Costs for Mitigating GHG Emissions from the U.S. Dairy Sector

The U.S. dairy sector is a significant emitter of methane and nitrous oxide, with the US EPA estimating it produced around 90 Tg CO2 eq. in 2021. This paper reviews the literature on and evaluates various mitigation actions for reducing GHG emissions in the U.S. dairy sector, focusing on both direct and indirect emission sources. We conducted a narrative literature review based on the cradle to gate life-cycle assessment method, covering the entire dairy supply chain up until milk enters retail establishments, including dairy and feed producing farm practices, processing, transportation, and their associated emissions/costs. The papers included were selected over a three year process depending on discussions with experts and issues mentioned in the emerging literature. We review significant opportunities for the U.S. dairy sector to reduce emissions, particularly through improved enteric fermentation and manure management practices. Additionally, we cover the potential for mitigating indirect emissions from feed production, processing, and transportation, areas less frequently covered in existing studies. This review also covers a gap in the literature by integrating economic findings including cost analysis and incentives to mitigate based on the social value of emissions reductions.

Robust Hydropower Planning Balances Energy Generation, Carbon Emissions and Sediment Connectivity in the Mekong River Basin

AbstractWe present a framework for strategic dam planning under uncertainty, which includes GHG emissions mitigation as a novel objective. We focus on the Mekong River Basin, a fast‐developing region heavily relying on river‐derived ecosystem services. We employ a multi‐objective evolutionary algorithm to identify strategic dam portfolios for different hydropower expansion targets, using process‐related and statistical models to derive indicators of sediment supply disruption and GHG emissions. We introduce a robust optimization approach that explores variations in optimal portfolio compositions for more than 5,000 state‐of‐the‐world configurations, regarding sediment origins and trapping and GHG emissions. Thus, we can rank dam projects' attractiveness based on their frequency of inclusion in optimal portfolios and explore how uncertainty affects these rankings. Our results suggest that developing dams in the upper Mekong would be a more robust option for near‐term development than, for example, the lower Mekong and its tributaries, for both environmental and energy objectives. Our work presents a novel approach to better understand the basin‐scale cumulative impacts of dam development in high‐uncertainty, data‐scarce contexts like the Mekong Basin.

Interpretable GHG emission prediction for papermaking wastewater treatment process with deep learning

The content of pollutants in papermaking wastewater is highly varied due to heterogeneous raw materials, product types, and biochemical process conditions, resulting in significant uncertainty of GHG emissions mitigation in the treatment process. This study established a modified Benchmark Simulation Model no.1-based mechanism model to reveal the characteristics of GHG emissions and support GHG reduction in the papermaking wastewater treatment process. Due to its heavy dependence on the Benchmark Simulation Model No. 1 (BSM1) and plentiful parameters, it was instead further proposed Deep Neural Networks (DNN) models and Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) models to estimate GHG emissions with high accuracy (R2 > 0.94) greatly reduced computational complexity (8920.6 times). The global sensitivity analysis upon DNN revealed key factors for GHG emission with strong explainability, supporting the development of GHG reduction control strategies for the papermaking wastewater treatment process.

Techno-economic evaluation of GHG emissions mitigation of biomethane upgrading technologies

The current trend in the European biogas industry is to shift away from electricity production towards the production of biomethane for the need to replace natural gas. The upgrading of biogas to biomethane is normally performed by separating the biogas in a stream containing natural gas grid quality methane and a stream containing mostly CO2. The CO2 stream is normally released into the atmosphere; however, part of the methane may still remain in it, and, if not oxidized, even a small fraction of methane released may jeopardise all the GHG emissions savings from producing the biomethane, being methane a powerful climate forcer. Scope of this work is to assess the opportunity cost of installing an Off Gas Combustion (OGC) device in biomethane upgrading plants. The currently available technologies for biogas upgrading to biomethane and the most common technology of OGC (the Regenerative Thermal Oxidisers, RTO) are described according to their performances and cost. Then the cost per tonne of CO2eq avoided associated to the adoption of RTO systems in relation to the upgrading performance is calculated to identify a potential threshold for an effective and efficient application of the RTO systems. It is found that, in case of upgrading technologies which can capture almost all biomethane in the upgrading off-gas (i.e. 99.9%), currently the adoption of an RTO to oxidise the methane left in the off-gas would add costs and need additional fuel to be operated, but would generate limited GHG emission savings, therefore the cost per tonne of CO2eq emissions avoided would result not competitive with other GHG emissions mitigation investments. While the installation of RTOs on upgrading systems with a methane slip of 0.3%, or higher, normally results cost competitive in reducing GHG emissions. The installation of an RTO on systems with a methane slip of 0.2% results in a cost per tonne of CO2eq emissions avoided of 50–100 euro, which is comparable to the current cost of CO2 emissions allowances in the EU ETS carbon market, representing therefore a reasonable choice for a threshold on methane slip regulation for biogas upgrading systems.

Moving Waste Sector Towards Climate Neutrality. Scenario Analysis

The upward economic growth, the development of the industrial, transport and agricultural sectors, and technological innovations contribute to the constant stimulation of the demand and supply of new products and services, inevitably contributing to the increase in the amount of waste. Mitigation of climate change is not a short-term goal; therefore, sustainable and reasonable practices in the waste management sector could contribute to positive changes in mitigating GHG emissions and climate change in general. However, it is not clear whether by implementing the current domestic waste management policy of Latvia and the action measures contained in it, it is objectively possible to achieve the strategic goals and desired results set at the European Union as well as at the national level, what is the impact of the set goals and the success of their implementation so far, and whether these political settings will not remain only at the level of ideas and wishes. In the scientific literature, several proposals developed as a result of research have been put forward for reducing the climate neutrality of the waste sector with the help of various technologies and technological innovations. At the same time, it is difficult to evaluate the proposals and solutions put forward in the research results in relation to an individual situation; for example, if a municipality in Latvia would like to implement it in order to evaluate their effectiveness, benefits and applicability. Difficulties are caused by the research results presented in the scientific literature, which are not expressed as indicators that would help to apply this solution to each individual case and its characteristic values. The purpose of the study is to evaluate the political goals set by Latvia in the household waste management sector in the context of the political goals set by the European Union for achieving climate neutrality and to provide an objective assessment of the achievement of the goals set by Latvia. In order to achieve the goals, an analysis of the scenarios of the household waste management sector established by Latvia's policy will be carried out, an evaluation of the actions implemented as a result of the policy and still planned will be carried out. Also, in order to achieve the goals of the study, indicators will be developed, with the help of which the effectiveness and applicability of the implementation of various technological innovations could be assessed. The development of indicators will be based on the information reflected in the scientific literature about the results of the implementation of technological innovations in the household waste management sector. As a result of the literature analysis, the absolute values of the selection of criteria for the implementation of technological innovations will be determined, as well as key performance indicators will be determined in such categories as technological solution, economic factor, impact (mitigation) on the environment, social factor. The scientific novelty of the research is based on the creation of a value database of the criteria for the implementation of technological innovations, and the development of an evaluation matrix based on it, based on the collected indicators, which would help to assess the applicability and availability of the technological innovations introduced in the waste management sector in order to promote the goals set in the political documents for achieving climate neutrality. As a result of the research, an assessment of the compliance of the climate neutrality goals set in the political planning documents will be carried out based on the indicators included in the developed matrix, in order to achieve the best waste management solutions.

Enhanced downstream processing of NGL using intensified fluid separation technologies

Downstream processing of natural gas liquids (NGL) provides feedstock needed for plastic production, upgraded fuels and heating, but it is one of the largest high-pressure and energy intensive processes. This original study is the first to integrate novel process intensification options from a holistic viewpoint for the full process covering all sections: 1) NGL recovery, 2) NGL fractionation, and 3) isomerization. Intensified fluid separation technologies (e.g. complex columns, thermal coupling, and heat pumps) are explored and integrated into a full NGL process to improve the energy efficiency and mitigate GHG emissions, and to establish the limits of operation, utility usage, and specific product costs. All NGL processes are rigorously simulated in Aspen Plus, and evaluated based on a fair economic and sustainability analysis.The enhanced recycle split vapor process for NGL recovery results in a full heat recovery for the reboiler of the demethanizer (2.9 MW energy savings), while the enhanced gas subcooled process results in 17.9% reduction of the refrigerant duty, 20.2% reduction of the electrical duty, and 19.9% reduction of the total utility cost. For the NGL fractionation section, heat pump assisted double dividing wall process improves energy intensity for a fraction of the utility cost although requiring external incentives (e.g., carbon tax) to become commercially viable. The total utility costs as well as GHG emissions are reduced up to 30% and 49%, respectively, while the specific product cost reduces to $23.45/t or $24.38/t with carbon tax. The heat pump assisted recycled isomerization process for the last section increased AKI from 65.3 to 89.6, with 19.1% reduction of utility usage and 42.4% reduction of carbon emission.

Tackling fuel poverty and decarbonisation in a distributed heating system through a three-layer whole system approach

Residential heating displays huge decarbonisation potential towards Net-Zero. The complexity of heating system and socio-economic system appeals for a systematic design to avoid exacerbating fuel poverty. This study develops a three-layer heat-for-all model which integrates building stocks analysis, distributed heating system optimisation, economic and environmental impacts simulation to tackle heating decarbonisation and fuel poverty simultaneously. This whole system model is a powerful decision support tool that can help conceive heating decarbonisation strategies for wider regions and countries. More than 400,000 scenarios are created, considering the effects of future policy schemes (No Grant, Business as Usual, Proposed), minimum emission reduction target, carbon intensity of grid, future natural gas, and electricity prices. Results show that optimised heating system decarbonisation plan heavily relies on future energy prices. In the case study, only air source heat pumps are chosen when electricity price is lower than 3 times gas price. Secondly, investment in heating system could stimulate the greenhouse gas emission of whole supply chain, hedging the emission reduction achieved in heating system. This further reveals that life cycle thinking is imperative in GHG emission mitigation. Thirdly, electricity decarbonisation plays a vital role in achieving whole system emission reduction. The grid carbon intensity reduction makes substantial contribution to the emission reduction of heating system and industry system. In tackling fuel poverty, it's worth noticing that the fuel poverty is aggravated with more grant support under certain scenarios, since current policy schemes focus on capital investment in heating system but overlook the increased energy bills. It appeals for a more comprehensive policy design considering all stakeholders.

Integration between olive cultivation and sheep farming in Brazil: Carbon footprint mitigation potential

Two economic activities have been integrated in southern Brazil: olive cultivation and sheep farming. The favorable edaphoclimatic conditions in the southern region for cultivating olive trees and cultural preferences for the consumption of sheep meat make this integration a valuable strategy. Considering that every activity causes environmental impact and the exploitation of natural resources, new systems that promote sustainable development and the efficient use of these resources become necessary. This paper presents the first study of the carbon footprint of the life cycle of integrating of sheep and olive farming, with the objective to build an inventory based on primary data collected on olive and sheep farms in Brazil, determine the carbon footprint of the conventional and integrated system and estimate the potential for mitigating GHG emissions. The evaluation was performed using the life cycle assessment (LCA) methodology. The study focuses on the detailed analysis of the processes and activities that are responsible for GHG emissions, including enteric methane emissions, methane emissions from manure management, emissions from nitrogen fertilizer use and limestone application and energy consumption. For this, two major scenarios were considered, the first centered around on the traditional olive cultivation and sheep farming systems individually, and the second involved their synergistic integration. The findings indicate that the conventional system is associated with a global warming impact of 6.8 kg CO2eq per liter olive oil and kg live weight. In contrast, the integrated system demonstrates a significant mitigation potential of 27.7%, resulting in a reduced global warming impact of 4.92 kg CO2eq. This advantage is a consequence of the synergy between the systems, as they now occupy the same area, which allows the sharing of agricultural activities and agrochemical inputs, in addition to optimizing nutrient recycling and complementing each other. Additionally, the results of a sensitivity analysis showed that enteric methane from sheep and the application of limestone to the soil are the most influential parameters on the carbon footprint, indicating that they are key parameters for the development of GHG mitigation strategies, some of which were discussed in the article.

Relationship between Dairy Cow Health and Intensity of Greenhouse Gas Emissions.

The dairy industry is facing criticism for its role in exacerbating global GHG emissions, as climate change becomes an increasingly pressing issue. These emissions mostly originate from methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O), and carbon dioxide (CO2). An optimal strategy involves the creation of an economical monitoring device to evaluate methane emissions from dairy animals. Livestock production systems encounter difficulties because of escalating food demand and environmental concerns. Enhancing animal productivity via nutrition, feeding management, reproduction, or genetics can result in a decrease in CH4 emissions per unit of meat or milk. This CH4 unit approach allows for a more accurate comparison of emissions across different animal production systems, considering variations in productivity. Expressing methane emissions per unit allows for easier comparison between different sources of emissions. Expressing emissions per unit (e.g., per cow) highlights the relative impact of these sources on the environment. By quantifying emissions on a per unit basis, it becomes easier to identify high-emission sources and target mitigation efforts accordingly. Many environmental policies and regulations focus on reducing emissions per unit of activity or output. By focusing on emissions per unit, policymakers and producers can work together to implement practices that lower emissions without sacrificing productivity. Expressing methane emissions in this way aligns with policy goals aimed at curbing overall greenhouse gas emissions. While it is true that total emissions affect the atmosphere globally, breaking down emissions per unit helps to understand the specific contributions of different activities and sectors to overall greenhouse gas emissions. Tackling cattle health issues can increase productivity, reduce GHG emissions, and improve animal welfare. Addressing livestock health issues can also provide favourable impacts on human health by reducing the prevalence of infectious illnesses in livestock, thereby mitigating the likelihood of zoonotic infections transmitting to humans. The progress in animal health offers the potential for a future in which the likelihood of animal diseases is reduced because of improved immunity, more effective preventative techniques, earlier identification, and innovative treatments. The primary objective of veterinary medicine is to eradicate clinical infectious diseases in small groups of animals. However, as the animal population grows, the emphasis shifts towards proactive treatment to tackle subclinical diseases and enhance production. Proactive treatment encompasses the consistent monitoring and implementation of preventive measures, such as vaccination and adherence to appropriate nutrition. Through the implementation of these measures, the livestock industry may enhance both animal well-being and mitigate the release of methane and nitrous oxide, thereby fostering environmental sustainability. In addition, advocating for sustainable farming methods and providing farmers with education on the significance of mitigating GHG emissions can bolster the industry's endeavours to tackle climate change and infectious illnesses. This will result in a more robust and environmentally sustainable agriculture industry. This review seeks to conduct a thorough examination of the correlation between the health condition of cattle, the composition of milk produced, and the emissions of methane gas. It aims to identify areas where research is lacking and to provide guidance for future scientific investigations, policy making, and industry practices. The goal is to address the difficulties associated with methane emissions in the cattle industry. The primary global health challenge is to identify the causative relationship between climate change and infectious illnesses. Reducing CH4 and N2O emissions from digestive fermentation and animal manure can be achieved by improving animal well-being and limiting disease and mortality.

Cost-Driven Assessment of Technologies’ Potential to Reach Climate Neutrality in Energy-Intensive Industries

Efforts towards climate neutrality in Europe must prioritise manufacturing industries, particularly the energy-intensive industry (EII) subsectors. This work proposes a novel approach to assessing transformation options for EII subsectors. At the center of this approach we position a potential analysis of technologies’ impact on subsector decarbonisation—an approach only known so far from the investigation of renewable energy potentials. These so-called technical climate neutrality potentials, supplemented by a set of indicators taking into account energy consumption, capital and operational expenditures, and GHG taxation programs per technology and subsector, enable cross-sector comparisons. The indicators allow the reader to compare the impact on GHG emission mitigation, energy demand, and cost for every considered technology. At the same time, we keep an open mind regarding combinations of technological solutions in the overall energy system. This ensures that the technology pathways with the greatest climate neutrality potential are easily identified. These focal points can subsequently serve in, e.g., narrative-driven scenario analyses to define comprehensive guides for action for policymakers. A case study of Austria for the proposed potential analysis demonstrates that bio-CH4 and electrolysis-derived H2 are the most economical green gases, but GHG certificate costs will be necessary for cost-competitiveness in high-temperature applications. Electrification offers advantages over conventional technologies and CO2-neutral gas alternatives in low-to-mid temperature ranges. Under the given assumptions, including GHG emission certificate costs of 250 EUR/t CO2, alternative technologies in the identified climate neutrality pathways can operate at total annual costs comparable to conventional fossil-based equivalents.

Business risk management programs and the adoption of beneficial management practices in Canadian crop agriculture

AbstractCanada's agricultural business risk management (BRM) programs require significant public expenditure, with unclear consequences related to climate change adaptation and mitigation through the adoption of beneficial management practices (BMPs). This study examines the relationship between Canada's current suite of BRM programs and the adoption of practices that mitigate GHG emissions in crop agriculture. We review the impacts of agricultural insurance on climate adaptation and mitigation, identifying impacts on both the intensive and extensive margins of production. We consider five potential program modifications, including: (1) changes in producer insurance premiums in AgriInsurance for the adoption of practices that would decrease the actuarially fair insurance rate if they were properly incorporated in the calculation; (2) dedicated insurance products related to trials of specific BMPs; (3) adjustments to current programs to allow more whole‐farm considerations and intercropping; (4) cross‐compliance measures on AgriInvest tied to environmental education; and (5) reduced insurance coverage for unfavorable environmental practices. While the effects of these potential modifications remain uncertain, they will drive the data collection process necessary to ensure that Canada's BRM programs play an appropriate role in greenhouse‐gas reducing BMP adoption and climate change adaptation and mitigation.