Tonnes Of Greenhouse Gas Emissions Research Articles

Switches in food and beverage product purchases can reduce greenhouse gas emissions in Australia

Switching between similar food and beverage products may reduce greenhouse gas emissions (GHGe). Here, using consumer data linked to 23,550 product-specific GHGe values, we estimated annual GHGe attributable to product purchases consumed at home in Australia and calculated reductions from specific switches. Potential changes to mean Health Star Rating, mean energy density and the proportion of ultraprocessed foods purchased were assessed. Approximately 31 million tonnes of GHGe were attributable to products consumed at home in 2019, the three highest contributors of GHGe being ‘meat and meat products’ (49%), ‘dairy’ (17%) and ‘non-alcoholic beverages’ (16%). Switching higher-emission products for ‘very similar’ lower-emission products could reduce total emissions by 26%. Switches to ‘less similar’ lower-emission products could lead to a 71% reduction. Switches had little impact on the average Health Star Rating, energy density of purchases and proportion of ultraprocessed foods purchased. Directing manufacturing and marketing towards lower-environmental-impact products and signposting such options to consumers are key.

Grave-to-cradle photothermal upcycling of waste polyesters over spent LiCoO2

Lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) and plastics are pivotal components of modern society; nevertheless, their escalating production poses formidable challenges to resource sustainability and ecosystem integrity. Here, we showcase the transformation of spent lithium cobalt oxide (LCO) cathodes into photothermal catalysts capable of catalyzing the upcycling of diverse waste polyesters into high-value monomers. The distinctive Li deficiency in spent LCO induces a contraction in the Co−O6 unit cell, boosting the monomer yield exceeding that of pristine LCO by a factor of 10.24. A comprehensive life-cycle assessment underscores the economic viability of utilizing spent LCO as a photothermal catalyst, yielding returns of 129.6 $·kgLCO−1, surpassing traditional battery recycling returns (13–17 $·kgLCO−1). Solar-driven recycling 100,000 tons of PET can reduce 3.459 × 1011 kJ of electric energy and decrease 38,716 tons of greenhouse gas emissions. This work unveils a sustainable solution for the management of spent LIBs and plastics.

The climate wins! – How a gamification approach can foster sustainable consumption on university campuses and beyond

Purpose Educational institutions have a special social responsibility to initiate processes of sustainability transformation in society, nevertheless, activities that effectively address students as well as employees are rather moderate. To initiate change alongside strategic and political decisions, this paper aims to present findings of a gamification intervention (hereafter referred to as climate duel), which was implemented in a field study and tested to assess its potential as a supporting and transformative approach in a university context. Design/methodology/approach A three-month field study was conducted with two universities of applied sciences. The study included an environmental impact analysis of the two participating university departments, the conception and testing of the intervention and associated surveys to evaluate the effectiveness of the intervention in order to and to obtain feedback that would allow the duel to be scaled up at other universities or institutions. Findings Three hundred seventy-five people took part and saved 2.6 tons of greenhouse gas emissions through their participation in the climate duel and their corresponding behavioural changes. In addition, feedback from the participants yielded positive results in terms of behavioural changes and generated valuable evidence for future implementations. Nevertheless, there is still room for improvement, especially in terms of supporting communication activities that promote social relatedness to motivate each other, share experiences or deal with implementation difficulties in everyday life. Originality/value Building on the promising effects of gamification, the study is a showcase for applied science. With the possibility of testing a theory-based intervention in practice, an implementable, effective and scalable measure for universities that helps to accelerate the transformation process is available.

Environmental impact assessment of battery boxes based on lightweight material substitution

Power battery is one of the core components of electric vehicles (EVs) and a major contributor to the environmental impact of EVs, and reducing their environmental emissions can help enhance the sustainability of electric vehicles. Based on the principle of stiffness equivalence, the steel case of the power cell is replaced with lightweight materials, a life cycle model is established with the help of GaBi software, and its environmental impact is evaluated using the CML2001 method. The results can be summarized as follows: (1) Based on the four environmental impact categories of GWP, AP, ADP (f), and HTP, which are the global warming potential (GWP), acidification potential (AP), abiotic depletion potential (ADP (f)) and human toxicity potential (HTP), the environmental impact of lightweight materials is lower than that of the steel box. Among them, the aluminum alloy box has the largest reduction, and the Carbon Fiber Sheet Molding Compound (CF-SMC) box is the second. (2) In the sensitivity analysis of electric structure, an aluminum alloy box is still the most preferable choice for environmental impact. (3) In the sensitivity analysis of driving mileage, the aluminum alloy box body is also the best choice for vehicle life. (4) Quantitative assessment using substitution factors measures the decrease in greenhouse gas emissions following the substitution of steel battery box with lightweight materials. The adoption of aluminum alloy battery box can lead to a reduction of 1.55 tons of greenhouse gas emissions, with a substitution factor of 1.55 tC sb−1. In the case that composite materials have not been recycled commercially on a large scale, aluminum alloy is still one of the best materials for the integrated environmental impact of the whole life cycle of the battery boxes.

A Feasible Proposal for Energy-Efficient Roof Retrofitting in Southern European Obsolete Residential Neighborhoods

1960s Europe saw a large number of residential neighborhoods built to house those migrating from the countryside. Today, more than 50 years later, these neighborhoods suffer high levels of functional, social, and technical obsolescence. In response to this, the University of Seville developed the Aura Strategy as an intervention methodology to find global solutions to issues in outdated neighborhoods. To provide visibility to this aspect of the Aura Strategy, the retrofit proposal presented in this article provides a solution to improve the roofing of buildings in a case study neighborhood (Polígono de San Pablo, Seville) and an analysis of the results in terms of energy and financial savings for local residents. The results show that for a population of roughly 18,000 (in 2018), net savings, including energy and retrofitting costs, ranging from nearly €6.5 to over €8.6 million can be made over the 20-year life-cycle span. Likewise, the results obtained on the reduction of thermal loads indicate a 72% decrease in energy consumption, equivalent to a saving of close to 4500 tons of greenhouse gas emissions for the district and the entire life-cycle time period, with the consequent benefits on the impact on air quality and the fight against climate change.

The greenhouse gas emissions reduction co-benefit of end-of-life electric vehicle battery treatment strategies

Vehicle electrification stands as a pivotal catalyst for effecting a low-carbon transition within the transportation sector. End-of-life (EoL) battery treatment, which is mainly aimed at facilitating material recycling, provides considerable co-benefit in reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. This study assesses the life-cycle GHG emissions from battery production, and examines the impact of three EoL battery treatment strategies: second use, regeneration, and recycling. Prospective scenarios of GHG emissions from electric vehicle battery production in China are further provided. The results show that under the Business as Usual (BAU) scenario, GHG emissions peak at 36 million tons in 2030, with 18 million tons for LFP and 18 million tons for NCM, and decrease to 11 million tons in 2060, with 4 million tons for LFP and 7 million tons for NCM. GHG emissions have more reduction potential as the collection rate increases and the proportion of different strategies applied changes. In a scenario with improved collection rates, GHG emissions would be reduced by 21% in 2060 compared to BAU. In a prioritized regeneration scenario, GHG emissions can be reduced by 32% in 2060, with 64% of lithium resources being supplied by regenerated batteries. In a prioritized second use scenario, GHG emissions can be reduced by 104% in 2060, which involves replacing 27 kilotons of lithium input and mitigating 13 million tons of GHG emissions related to the energy storage system. In light of these findings, we advocate for policy recommendations aimed at fostering the advancement of EoL battery treatment technologies and expediting the transformation of battery manufacturing processes towards carbon neutrality.

Optimal sizing of an integrated renewable energy system and effective utilization of surplus energy in electric vehicle charging

Renewable energy based power generation has proven to be a viable standalone option in areas where extending the grid is challenging. This study addresses this issue by assessing the possibility of an integrated renewable energy system (IRES) to electrify twelve villages in the Uttarakhand state of India. Four battery energy storage (BES) devices, namely Lead-Acid (LA), Sodium-Sulfur (NAS), Lithium-Ion (Li-Ion), and Nickel-Iron (Ni-Fe) are considered for storage in this study. Using the Chimp optimization algorithm (ChOA) on the MATLAB© platform, eight different configurations consisting of solar photovoltaic (SPV) array, a micro-hydropower (MHP) plant, and a biogas generator (BGG) are modeled and optimized. The study reveals that the optimal IRES configuration with the lowest cost and highest performance comprises 676 SPV panels (260 kWp), one MHP plant (25 kW), one BGG (40 kW), and 648 NAS batteries (778 kWh). This configuration has a total system life cycle cost (LCC) of INR 68.77 million and cost of energy (COE) of 16.77 INR/kWh at 0 % loss of power supply probability. The optimization problem was run 1–50 times and found that the proposed ChOA algorithm is more robust compared to others, displaying the lowest Best, Worst, and Mean values of LCC (across all eight configurations), convergence rapidity (26th iteration), and least computational time (3481 sec). However, GWO (seven configurations), MFO (34th iteration), and GA (4154 sec) stand very close to ChOA performance in terms of providing minimum LCCs, convergence rapidity, and computational time, respectively. Furthermore, surplus energy (SE) is effectively utilized by incorporating electric vehicles (EVs) as dump load in the system. The proposed integrated charging (IC) strategy outperforms other charging strategies by energizing 134 EVs, utilizing 99.59 % of SE, and reducing the total COE to 10.57 INR/kWh. Finally, the proposed IC strategy results in a net saving of 94,479.39 tons of greenhouse gas emissions. These findings support the feasibility of implementing a standalone IRES to electrify the study area and provide electricity to EVs.

Orica eliminates a quarter of a million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions from Hunter site

Orica eliminates a quarter of a million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions from Hunter site

Life Cycle Assessment of LPG Engines for Small Fishing Vessels and the Applications of Bio LPG Fuel in Korea

This study aimed to evaluate the environmental impact of using liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) in small fishing vessels by conducting a life cycle assessment (LCA) in Korea. For the first time in the country, LPG engines designed for small fishing ships were utilized in this study. In addition, this research examined the potential benefits of employing Bio LPG, a renewable LPG produced from two distinct raw materials (crude palm oil (CPO) and refined, bleached, and deodorized (RBD) palm oil), instead of conventional LPG. The LCA findings reveal that utilizing LPG fuel in small fishing vessels can reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by more than 30% over conventional gasoline and diesel fuels. During the life cycle of vessels that use LPG fuel instead of gasoline and diesel fuels, there is a reduction of 2.2 and 1.2 million tons of GHG emissions, respectively. Moreover, substituting conventional fossil fuels with Bio LPG can result in over 65% reduction in GHG emissions. For the life cycle of boats that use Bio LPG fuel in place of gasoline and diesel fuels, the reduction of GHG emissions was 4.9 million tons and 2.5 million tons for CPO and 5.2 million tons and 2.7 million tons for RBD, respectively. This study not only underscores the substantial advantages of using Bio LPG over conventional fossil fuels but also presents conventional LPG as a way to reduce GHG emissions and promote sustainable practices in the fishing industry.

Quantifying the impact of farmers' social networks on the effectiveness of climate change mitigation policies in agriculture

AbstractTo reduce agricultural greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, farmers need to change current farming practices. However, farmers' climate change mitigation behaviour and particularly the role of social and individual characteristics remains poorly understood. Using an agent‐based modelling approach, we investigate how knowledge exchange within farmers' social networks affects the adoption of mitigation measures and the effectiveness of a payment per ton of GHG emissions abated. Our simulations are based on census, survey and interview data for 49 Swiss dairy and cattle farms to simulate the effect of social networks on overall GHG reduction and marginal abatement costs. We find that considering social networks increases overall reduction of GHG emissions by 45% at a given payment of 120 Swiss Francs (CHF) per ton of reduced GHG emissions. The per ton payment would have to increase by 380 CHF (i.e., 500 CHF/tCO2eq) to reach the same overall GHG reduction level without any social network effects. Moreover, marginal abatement costs for emissions are lower when farmers exchange relevant knowledge through social networks. The effectiveness of policy incentives aiming at agricultural climate change mitigation can hence be improved by simultaneously supporting knowledge exchange and opportunities of social learning in farming communities.

Think before you throw! An analysis of behavioral interventions targeting PET bottle recycling in the United States

The United States generates 42 Mt of plastic waste each year and is one of the biggest contributors to ocean plastic waste. Consequently, plastic has become synonymous with the linear economy, and many scholars are studying and proposing circular economy solutions to mitigate plastic pollution. Recycling has received much attention from both social sciences and engineering as a circular economy strategy, but no study has yet quantified how behavioral interventions could asymmetrically affect different populations. This study combines agent-based modeling, material flow analysis, system dynamics, and life cycle assessment to assess the effect of four behavioral interventions on the collection rates of polyethylene terephthalate bottle waste, displaced virgin plastic manufacturing, and avoided greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Results show that, while behavioral interventions would require about 300–900 GJ of additional energy at end-of-life due to improved collection rates, they would avoid about 500–700 thousand metric tons of GHG emissions. Results also illustrate the importance of habits in disposal behaviors and show that different forms of interventions can be better adapted to particular social contexts than others. While the circular economy and its application to plastic waste should certainly not be restricted to recycling, this study demonstrates that improved collection rates and recycling technologies can contribute to reducing the amount of plastic waste polluting our oceans.

Growing more food with less chemicals

The overuse of agricultural chemicals cuts into farmers’ incomes, generates tons of greenhouse gas emissions, and represents a major source of water pollution. Some companies say they can solve these problems by using drones, satellites, and artificial intelligence to give farmers a clearer picture of what’s happening in their fields and help them apply only the chemicals they need. Proponents of this approach argue that it has the potential to dramatically reduce the use of chemicals on farms. In response, large agricultural firms are shifting toward a business model in which farmers pay for the outcome, such as a field free of weeds, rather than a specific chemical. These tools could make the food system more secure and less harmful to the environment. But they won’t have any impact if farmers don’t adopt them. Jon Walz’s century-old farm in Stapleton, Nebraska, has 300 head of cattle, corn fields, and other

Evaluation of agriculture wells electrification policy and development of a long-term sustainable energy strategy

The electrification of agriculture wells in the developing countries is considered as one of the major solutions for increasing energy efficiency and utilization of renewables to achieve sustainable and smart agriculture sector. This study aims to re-evaluate the plan for the electrification of agricultural wells in Iran as a case study in the framework of an environmental energy analysis model and under possible scenarios to achieve sustainable policy-making until 2041. To evaluate the cost-benefits of electrification of agricultural wells, an economic bottom-up end-use analysis model was developed using LEAP. In this study, a methodology was developed to analyze different solutions for energy demand of groundwater well subsector of agriculture sector. The superior scenario, called energy efficiency package, was introduced. To amend the government's policy on the electrification of agricultural wells, and by integrating the strategies of electrification and intelligent measurements and monitoring of wells, this research, suggested a sustainable solution on the use of solar and wind energy in the form of energy efficiency package. This solution could save 8.19 million barrels of crude oil equivalent and reduce 5.24 million tons of greenhouse gas emissions by 2041 at a cost of −369.3 dollars per ton of carbon dioxide equivalent.

Impact of Remote Cardiac Monitoring on Greenhouse Gas Emissions: Global Cardiovascular Carbon Footprint Project

BackgroundRemote monitoring (RM) of patients with cardiac implantable electronic devices (CIEDs) is efficient and requires fewer resources than conventional monitoring. However, the impact of RM on the carbon footprint (CF) is not known. ObjectivesThe authors sought to evaluate the reduction in cost and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions with RM as compared to conventional monitoring of CIEDs and its relevance to CF. MethodsData were obtained from a third-party RM provider on 32,811 patients from 67 device clinics across the United States. Distance from home address to the device clinic for patients on RM was calculated. Savings in total distance traveled over 2 years was calculated using frequency of follow-up required for the device type. National fuel efficiency data and carbon emission data were obtained from the Bureau of Transportation Statistics and U.S. Environmental Protective Agency, respectively. The average gas price during the study period was obtained from U.S. Energy Information Administration. ResultsIn the study population, RM resulted in a total saving of 31.7 million travel miles at $3.45 million and reduction of 12,518 metric ton of GHG from gasoline. There was a reduction of 14.2-million-page printouts, $3 million in cost, and 78 tons of GHG. Improvement in workforce efficiency with RM resulted in savings of $3.7 million. There was a net saving of $10.15 million and 12,596 tons of GHG emissions. ConclusionsRM of patients with a CIED resulted in significant reductions in GHG emissions. Efforts to actively promoting RM can result in significant reduction in CF.

Automobile manufacturing in India by 2050 – War on EV

First-tier suppliers strive to cut costs while enhancing delivery lead times, dependability, and flexibility in the dynamic and competitive climate of the automotive sector. The development of electric cars has increased in several nations in order to lessen reliance on oil and environmental degradation. In order to prepare for their potential applications, this study discusses new technologies and vehicle production in India by 2050. A key component of India's carbon neutrality policy is the promotion of plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs). A net-zero emission goal by 2050, 500 GW of non-fossil fuel energy capacity by 2030, 50% of energy needs coming from renewable energy sources, a reduction of 1 billion tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions and a reduction of the economy's carbon intensity of less than 45% are five of India's new pledges. It is crucial to comprehend the growth of the automotive industry and its effects on prices, sales, industrial fuel efficiency, and the need for PEV battery materials.This research statistically analyses the dynamics of India's passenger car advertise from 2020 to 2050 under various technological development scenario by looking at vehicle technologies, costs, regulatory incentives, infrastructure, and driving behaviour. As a further addition, this study also addresses the technical difficulties and cutting-edge technologies for future advancements in the dependability, safety, and efficiency of EVs.

Quantifying Catch Rates, Shark Abundance and Depredation Rate at a Spearfishing Competition on the Great Barrier Reef, Australia.

Simple SummaryCatch-per-unit-effort at a spearfishing competition in North Queensland, Australia was 1.25 fish per hour. Citizen scientists reported 358 sharks comprising of 10 species/groups, with 3.11 sharks observed per hour. Twelve percent of all sharks sighted in this study were regarded as potentially dangerous to humans. This is the first scientific study of shark depredation for spearfishing. C. amblyrhynchos were primarily responsible for depredation, with 5.9% of speared fish taken. Sixty percent of interviewees perceived that shark numbers have increased in the past 10 years.We developed and applied a method to quantify spearfisher effort and catch, shark interactions and shark depredation in a boat-based recreational spearfishing competition in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park in Queensland. Survey questions were designed to collect targeted quantitative data whilst minimising the survey burden of spearfishers. We provide the first known scientific study of shark depredation during a recreational spearfishing competition and the first scientific study of shark depredation in the Great Barrier Reef region. During the two-day spearfishing competition, nine vessels with a total of 33 spearfishers reported a catch of 144 fish for 115 h of effort (1.25 fish per hour). A subset of the catch comprised nine eligible species under competition rules, of which 47 pelagic fish were weighed. The largest fish captured was a 34.4 kg Sailfish (Istiophorus platypterus). The most common species captured and weighed was Spanish Mackerel (Scomberomorus commerson). The total weight of eligible fish was 332 kg and the average weight of each fish was 7.1 kg. During the two-day event, spearfishers functioned as citizen scientists and counted 358 sharks (115 h effort), averaging 3.11 sharks per hour. Grey Reef Sharks (Carcharhinus amblyrhynchos) comprised 64% of sightings. Nine speared fish were fully depredated by sharks as spearfishers attempted to retrieve their catch, which equates to a depredation rate of 5.9%. The depredated fish included four pelagic fish and five reef fish. The shark species responsible were Grey Reef Shark (C. amblyrhynchos) (66%), Bull Shark (Carcharhinus leucas) (11%), Whitetip Reef Shark (Triaenodon obesus) (11%) and Great Hammerhead (Sphyrna mokarran) (11%). There were spatial differences in fish catch, shark sightings and rates of depredation. We developed a report card that compared average catch of fish, sightings of sharks per hour and depredation rate by survey area, which assists recreational fishers and marine park managers to assess spatio-temporal changes. The participating spearfishers can be regarded as experienced (average 18 days a year for average 13.4 years). Sixty percent of interviewees perceived that shark numbers have increased in the past 10 years, 33% indicated no change and 7% indicated shark numbers had decreased. Total fuel use of all vessels was 2819 L and was equivalent to 6.48 tons of greenhouse gas emissions for the competition.

A Feasibility Study of Utilizing Nuclear Energy for an Existing MED-TVC Desalination Plant

This study aims to investigate the viability of using a nuclear heating reactor to supply energy and replace the used fossil crude oil energy supply of an existing MED-TVC (Multi-Effect Distillation-Thermal-Vapor-Compression) desalination plant located in Saudi Arabia. The MED-TVC, with a 91,200 m3/day capacity, was simulated using Aspen Plus®. The MED-TVC desalination plant was built in a parallel arrangement with oil-fired steam boilers, and it uses Red Sea water with a salinity of about 45,000 ppm. The simulation results of the MED-TVC are in good agreement with the actual data of the existing desalination plant. The heat required to operate the existing MED-TVC was determined to be 169 MW (th). This amount of heat was utilized as an input to DEEP (Desalination Economic Evaluation Program) to evaluate the production cost of fresh water using nuclear energy instead of fossil fuel. An economic comparison between the two energy sources was carried out in this study. The production cost of freshwater was estimated to be USD 1.38/m3 when using a nuclear reactor. In contrast, the estimated production cost was USD 0.95/m3 when using oil-fired boilers at a subsidized oil price of USD 4.4/bbl. The economic analysis has considered the discounted domestic crude oil prices in Saudi Arabia. Nuclear energy is cost-competitive with oil if Saudi Arabia raises the price of domestic crude oil to more than USD 15 per barrel or imposes a carbon tax of at least USD 20 per ton of greenhouse gas emissions.

Which type of electric vehicle is worth promoting mostly in the context of carbon peaking and carbon neutrality? A case study for a metropolis in China.

Electric vehicles (EVs) have been promoted acceleratively to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, however, the GHG emission reduction potential of different powertrain EVs has not been investigated thoroughly. In this study, we firstly quantified and compared the GHG emissions of different powertrain vehicles in a life cycle perspective with particular focus on energy and climate consequences, for current and future integrated scenarios, to facilitate carbon reduction assessment for Shanghai. Four major types of EVs were considered. The results show that life cycle total energy consumption and GHG emissions of all EVs are lower than that of gasoline internal combustion engine vehicles (GICEVs), among which battery-powered electric vehicles (BEVs) is the lowest. Compared with GICEVs, the total energy use and GHG emissions of BEVs decrease by 34.2% and 41.7% respectively. As the electrification of vehicle powertrain system innovates, the life cycle emissions of GHG are gradually concentrated to the upstream stage. The sensitivity analysis demonstrates that life cycle GHG emissions of vehicles are most sensitive to the proportion of thermal power than other three parameters (utilization rate of recycled steel, vehicle lifetime and curb weight). The scenario analysis indicates that BEVs present the more favorable carbon emission decline performance over other EVs from a long-term perspective. It is estimated that up to 12.5 million tons of GHG emissions could be reduced under the optimistic scenario in 2050 in Shanghai. In the process of energy conversion from oil to electricity in transport in Shanghai, BEVs should be constantly promoted.

Integrated climate change and air pollution mitigation assessment for Togo

Togo, in west Africa, is vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, but has made a negligible contribution to causing it. Togo ratified the Paris Agreement in 2017, committing to submit Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) that outline Togo's climate change mitigation commitment. Togo's capital, Lomé, as well as other areas of Togo have ambient air pollutant levels exceeding World Health Organisation guidelines for human health protection, and 91 % of Togolese households cook using solid biomass, elevating household air pollution exposure. In Togo's updated NDC, submitted in 2021, Togo acknowledges the importance and opportunity of achieving international climate change mitigation targets in ways that improve air quality and achieve health benefits for Togo's citizens. The aim of this work is to evaluate priority mitigation measures in an integrated assessment of air pollutant, Short-Lived Climate Pollutant (SLCP) and Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions to identify their effectiveness in simultaneously reducing air pollution and Togo's contribution to climate change. The mitigation assessment quantifies emissions for Togo and Grand Lomé from all major source sectors for historical years between 2010 and 2018, for a baseline projection to 2030 and for mitigation scenarios evaluating ten mitigation measures. The assessment estimates that Togo emitted ~21 million tonnes of GHG emissions in 2018, predominantly from the energy and Agriculture, Forestry and Other Land Use sectors. GHG emissions are projected to increase 42 % to 30 million tonnes in 2030 without implementation of mitigation policies and measures. The implementation of the ten identified priority mitigation measures could reduce GHG emissions by ~20 % in 2030 compared to the baseline, while SLCPs and air pollutants were estimated to be reduced more, with a more than 75 % reduction in black carbon emissions in 2030. This work therefore provides a clear pathway by which Togo can reduce its already small contribution to climate change while simultaneously achieving local benefits for air quality and human health in Togo and Grand Lomé.

Good for the Gut [food - waste

Researchers are finding innovative ways to recycle discarded food waste to create prebiotics. There is some evidence that pectin oligosaccharides, which have been produced from carbohydrates extracted from certain food waste such as potato peel, could be used to make a prebiotic - but so far it has only been done on a small scale within a lab setting. Food waste is a problem of supersized proportions. One third of the food we grow - 1.3 billion tonnes - is wasted. Not only is this shameful when 690 million people go to bed hungry every night, but it also produces an estimated 1.8 billion tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions. Turning our noses up at leftovers is part of the problem. The priority is to minimise waste, by eating wonky veg, for example, or redistributing surplus food to hungry people, or animals if it is of lesser quality. But the bulk of wasted food doesn't even reach our plates. Some food is inedible because it has gone off, become contaminated, or is an inedible by-product of the food industry such as onion skins. These products are then either recycled for fertiliser, burned for energy, or simply go to landfill. But thankfully, there's appetite for a new solution to address food waste: recycling that retains the value of food molecules so they can still provide nourishment.