Techno-economic and environmental assessment of photovoltaic–battery microgrids across diverse U.S. states

Operational-level synergistic strategy for enhancing carbon benefits in coal-fired power plants

Salt marsh soil organic carbon (SOC) is a key blue carbon pool affected by both disturbance and restoration; yet its long-term global dynamics remains poorly understood. Here we provide the global assessment of surface SOC changes in salt marshes from 2002 to 2019, combining multi-source remote sensing imagery with the machine learning calibrated by field observations. We find a net global SOC loss of 0.52 million tonnes, primarily driven by declines in North America and Oceania, which are only partially offset by gains in Asia and South America. The United States alone accounts for ~60% of the global loss, equivalent to 6.2 million tonnes of CO2 if fully released. Losses are concentrated in mature salt marshes with large SOC storage, while gains occur primarily in newly formed salt marshes with relatively low SOC density. These patterns suggest that global restoration efforts are failing to keep pace with degradation. To avert irreversible climate and ecological damage, the protection of mature, carbon-rich salt marshes must become a core component of global climate strategies.

The Permian Rotliegend Group Leman Sandstone Formation has been a prolific gas reservoir in the UK Southern North Sea for more than five decades and now provides an excellent opportunity for CO 2 storage. Geological evaluation of the depleted Victor Field, now designated the Viking South Carbon Store, has demonstrated its suitability for subsurface storage. Integration of seismic interpretation, with well log and core data confirm a laterally extensive, high-quality and well-connected reservoir characterised by a high net to gross and minimal heterogeneity. Structural mapping defines a simple trap composed of a closed fault-bound horst block. A contiguous reservoir with limited aquifer support is confirmed from production data. The primary seal for the Leman Sandstone Formation storage unit is provided by the regionally continuous Zechstein Group evaporites and the overlying Bunter Shale Formation. Secondary containment is provided in the Bunter Sandstone Formation which adds to the integrity of the storage complex. After producing over 1.05 trillion cubic feet of gas in its 31-year history, Viking South has a theoretical storage capacity of between 79 and 88 million tonnes of CO 2 . Viking South is one of the UK's most technically mature storage opportunities in the UK and the project is well positioned to help decarbonise the Humber region.

Anesthesia contributes substantially to healthcare-related greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions especially by inhalational agents such as desflurane, sevoflurane, nitrous oxide, relying on single-use equipment and having high energy demand equipment. Over the past decade, increased awareness of these impacts has led to growing research into sustainable anesthesia, exploring interventions such as low-emission techniques, equipment reuse, waste reduction, and workflow optimization. A scoping review was conducted according to PRISMA and PRESS guidelines. The databases Embase and MEDLINE were searched for studies (2010–2025) reporting on interventions to reduce anesthesia-related carbon footprint equivalents (CO 2 e). Eligible studies were prospective or retrospective in human patients and reported results in CO 2 e. Two reviewers independently screened and extracted data. Study quality was assessed using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool (MMAT). Of 3309 records identified, 33 studies met the inclusion criteria and were included in the synthesis. Five studies were rated as low quality. The included studies, conducted across ten countries, evaluated diverse sustainability interventions including nitrous oxide restriction, reduction or elimination of desflurane, promotion of total intravenous or regional anesthesia, optimization of fresh gas flows, equipment reuse, waste reduction, telemedicine, and departmental educational programs. Reported outcomes showed CO 2 e reductions ranging from 50% to over 90%, with some interventions achieving absolute savings of several tonnes CO 2 e per year. Our analysis shows that various strategies, including low-emission techniques, equipment reuse, waste reduction, and telemedicine, can significantly lower anesthesia-related CO 2 e without compromising patient safety. The greatest impact comes from combining behavioral, technical, and organizational measures, highlighting the need for a coordinated, system-wide approach.

Research Originality: This study is among the first to introduce an Environmentally Extended Input-Output (EE-IO) framework to quantify the carbon externalities of state-owned assets (BMN) management in Indonesia. This area has received limited empirical attention. Research Objectives: The study aims to systematically measure direct and indirect carbon emissions associated with BMN utilization and assess their implications for public asset governance. Research Methods: An EE-IO model is constructed using Indonesia’s 2016 input-output table, sectoral emission intensities, and audited government electricity expenditure data to estimate emission multipliers and carbon impacts. Empirical Results: The Electricity and Gas Supply sector exhibits the highest emission multiplier (4,919.05 tons CO₂ per billion Rupiah). Electricity-related BMN expenditure is estimated to generate 28.4 million tons of CO₂, revealing a substantial but previously under-recognized source of environmental burden. Implications: The findings support emission-informed budgeting, emission-based performance indicators, and the integration of carbon accountability into public asset management. JEL Classification: Q56, H54, D57, H83

Healthcare is responsible for ~4.4% of global carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions and endoscopy is the third largest contributor. This study aimed to quantify CO2 use in colonoscopy and assess the impact of different valves and practices on emissions and costs.CO2 use was measured using a mass flow meter. The study compared CO2 flow using the standard gas/water valves, which continuously release CO2, with non-leak valves, which only release CO2 when depressed. It also assessed the impact of judicious use of CO2. An unpaired student t test was used to calculate statistical significance.Without a colonoscope attached, CO2 flow averaged 3.24 L/min. With the standard valve, flow dropped to 2.55 L/min, and with the non-leak valve, it was negligible. CO2 emissions were measured intraprocedurally during 351 colonoscopies. Using a non-leak valve and/or judicious CO2 application significantly reduced emissions compared with standard practice using a standard valve. This approach could reduce local emissions by >87%. Nationally, it would lead to emissions reductions of 106.5 metric tons of CO2 per annum with cost savings of >£260 000.Judicious CO2 application and use of a non-leak valve significantly reduced CO2 emissions and costs in colonoscopy, contributing to the UK National Health Service goal of delivering a "net zero" service. We suggest turning off CO2 when not needed, adopting non-leak valves, implementing this practice in other endoscopic procedures, and encouraging all endoscope manufacturers to develop similar valves.

Towards greener shipping: Thermodynamic modelling and feasibility of methanol reforming, CO₂ capture and port-side CO2 utilisation for UK maritime corridors

Sustainable logistics: Optimizing multi-day routes with flexible endpoints

Climate change is causing measurable harm globally1,2. Political and legal efforts seek to link these damages with specific emissions, including in discussions of loss and damage (L&D)3,4; however, no quantitative definition of L&D exists5,6, nor is there a framework to link past and future emissions from specific sources to monetized, location-specific damages. Here we develop such a framework, which is integrated with recent efforts to estimate the social cost of carbon7. Using empirical estimates of the non-linear relationship between temperature and aggregate economic output, we show that future damages from past emissions-one component of L&D-are at least an order of magnitude larger than historical damages from the same emissions. For instance, one tonne of CO2 emitted in 1990 caused US$180 in discounted global damages by 2020 ($40-530) and will cause an additional $1,840 through 2100 ($500-5,700). Thus, settling debts for past damages will not settle debts for past emissions. In other illustrative estimates, a single long-haul flight per year over the past decade leads to about $25k ($6,000-77,000) in future damages by 2100, and US emissions since 1990 caused $500 billion ($180-1,300 billion) of damage in India and $330 billion ($110-820 billion) in Brazil. Carbon removal offers an alternative to transfer payments for settling L&D, but is increasingly ineffective in limiting damages as the delay between emission and recapture increases.

ABSTRACT Carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) is a key technology for enabling the large‐scale, low‐carbon utilization of fossil fuels. Scientific and rational source–sink matching is an important basis for site selection in CCUS cluster deployment projects. This study focuses on geological formations in North China, such as saline aquifers, coalfields, oil fields, and gas fields. First, it explores methods for assessing the CO 2 geological storage potential of each formation type. Second, it discusses CCUS source–sink matching and pipeline network optimization methods based on the saving mileage method and the least‐cost path method. Subsequently, it conducts source–sink matching research for CCUS cluster deployment in North China. Finally, it puts forward recommendations for the cluster deployment of CCUS in the region. The research findings indicate that over a 30‐year planning horizon, the cumulative CO 2 emissions from 16 large coal‐fired power plants in North China are nearly 5.0 billion tons. The total geological storage potential for CO 2 in the region is 16.0 billion tons, with saline aquifers offering a distinct storage advantage. After pipeline network optimization, saline aquifers, coal seams, and oil fields can store a total of 3.05 billion tons, 1.47 billion tons, and 0.48 billion tons of CO 2 , respectively. The optimized plan requires a cumulative planned pipeline length of 2399.5 km and a total investment of $299.97 billion. Compared to the initial plan, pipeline length and cumulative investment can be reduced by 39.83% and 13.64%, respectively. By utilizing the cost path analysis tool in ArcGIS, the impacts of factors such as terrain slope, land‐use type, road traffic, and population density on the CCUS pipeline network layout can be comprehensively considered. The CCUS cluster deployment in North China can focus on regions such as those south of the Yin Mountains, east of the Taihang Mountains, south of the Yanshan Mountains, and the southern part of the Qinshui Basin. It is essential to fully leverage the advantages of saline aquifers. Demonstration projects should be established on a cluster basis to streamline the overall layout of the CCUS pipeline network. The study identified source–sink matching schemes that can integrate different regions: by connecting CO 2 Emission Source No. 10 with No. 3, Storage Sink No. 8 with No. 4, and Storage Sink No. 1 with Emission Source No. 6, the various CCUS cluster deployment areas in North China can be integrated into a unified whole. This study provides theoretical support for the implementation of CCUS cluster deployment and demonstration projects in North China.

ABSTRACT Around 1.3 billion tons of food is wasted globally per year, producing 3.3 billion tons of CO 2 . Anaerobic digestion (AD) of food waste (FW) is a sustainable and economical solution to this crisis, which produces biogas and aids in environmental protection by sequestering methane, a potent greenhouse gas. The nutrient‐rich digestate slurry can be used as a bio‐fertilizer. Thus, this process enhances logistics, reduces pollution, and facilitates resource recovery by lowering waste volume and transportation cost. This review article is divided into sections on FW classification, the biochemical pathway in AD, the microflora involved, key operating parameters, limiting factors in AD, and the use of additives to enhance biogas production. It also covers the current research gaps, challenges, and future perspectives. The findings demonstrated AD as a viable technology for converting FW to biogas. It will expand the knowledge of sustainable and scalable biogas generation by combining FW heterogeneity with cutting‐edge AD methods, which can significantly improve the economic and commercial feasibility of FW valorization, pilot‐scale productivity, and energy recovery in real‐world applications.

The petrochemical sector accounted for 15% of global industrial direct CO2 emissions in 2021, with China contributing 43% of global chemical output and therefore being central to climate-change mitigation efforts. However, the lack of China-specific, process-based assessments has constrained targeted strategies. Here, we present a comprehensive CO2 emissions analysis of 3119 petrochemical plants in China, capturing variations across 123 products, 185 processes, feedstocks, energy use, and product relationships within production chains. We estimate annual emissions at 813.7 million tonnes (Mt) CO2 (±25%) in 2021, offering refined region-specific details beyond previous global or national assessments. We identify distinct emission hotspots at specific processes and product-chain stages, where low-carbon substitutions in feedstocks and reactions can reduce carbon intensity by up to 2.9 tonnes of CO2 per tonne of product, while key stages in integrated complexes can account for up to 50% of chain emissions. These findings highlight the need for coordinated, chain-wide interventions to enable decarbonization.

The rapid adoption of electric mining trucks in open-pit mining faces a significant scheduling challenge: effectively coordinating transportation tasks with loading/unloading and battery swapping. To address this, we model the integrated operation process as a flow shop with battery swapping, enabling the coordination of these interdependent processes. Given the problem's computational intractability, we develop a three-stage customised ALNS algorithm with proactive battery management, featuring a novel two-dimensional encoding scheme and problem-specific destroy-repair operators. Extensive experiments demonstrate the superior performance of the proposed ALNS over commercial solvers and benchmark metaheuristics. A case study shows the approach can reduce carbon emissions by 31.97% under average grid conditions, translating to an annual reduction of approximately 11.7 thousand tonnes of CO 2 . This study provides a practical decision-making tool for achieving sustainable and continuous mining production.

The European Union’s transition to climate neutrality by 2050 requires measurable reductions in energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions, especially in territories characterized by geographical constraints, such as mountainous regions. The study analyzes how European funding guidelines are translated into concrete technical interventions for public buildings in mountainous areas of Romania, using a representative case study from Rodna, Bistrița-Năsăud County. The methodology is based on the national energy performance calculation framework (Mc 001/2022), harmonized with Directive 2010/31/EU and aligned with the EN ISO 52016-1 framework, while maintaining compatibility with the quasi-steady-state methodology implemented in MC 001/2022, and includes the assessment of compliance with the “Do No Significant Harm” (DNSH) principle also. The integrated energy rehabilitation of the analyzed building led to reductions in final energy consumption of 30–45%, primary energy consumption of 40–45%, and operational CO2 emissions of 45–50%. The integration of renewable energy sources increased their share to approximately 35% of the building’s energy mix. The estimated annual reduction of 40–45 tons of CO2 highlights the direct climate impact of investments financed from European funds. The results confirm that European funding instruments function not only as financial mechanisms, but also as governance instruments capable of steering the transition towards a low-emission construction sector in vulnerable mountain regions.

This Lake Toba, one of Indonesia’s most prominent tourist destinations, holds significantpotential to be developed into a sustainable and environmentally friendly tourism area through theintegration of renewable energy. Among the available options, solar energy utilization via SolarPhotovoltaic (PV) systems offers a strategic pathway to achieve energy sustainability and reducereliance on fossil fuels. This study aims to evaluate the solar radiation potential, land requirements,technical design of Solar PV systems, and economic feasibility to support sustainable ecotourismdevelopment in the Lake Toba region. A quantitative research approach was applied, combiningsolar radiation assessment based on Global Horizontal Irradiance (GHI) data from BMKG and theGlobal Solar Atlas with financial feasibility analysis using Levelized Cost of Electricity (LCOE),Net Present Value (NPV), and Payback Period metrics. The results indicate that the Lake Tobaregion receives an average solar radiation of 4.8–5.1 kWh/m²/day, allowing a 1 MWp Solar PVsystem to generate approximately 1.37 GWh of electricity annually. Economically, the systemyields an estimated LCOE of USD 0.056/kWh, significantly lower than diesel-based generationcosts of USD 0.15–0.20/kWh. Environmentally, such a system could reduce carbon emissions byaround 1,163 tons of CO₂ per year, directly supporting Indonesia’s national decarbonization argets. Overall, Solar PV deployment in the Lake Toba region is technically viable, economically competitive, and environmentally impactful, while also strengthening Lake Toba's image as a green tourism destination.

Plant-scale industrial carbon accounting is critical for developing targeted emission-reduction policies. However, most assessments of carbon-intensive sectors rely on aggregate statistics, which obscure significant heterogeneity among individual plants. China's pulp and paper industry (PPI), the largest globally, encompasses diverse production processes, raw material inputs, and emission sources. Existing accounting frameworks rely on statistical data and average emission factors within poorly defined system boundaries, which prevents differentiation at the individual plant level. Here, we propose a multimodal data fusion framework that integrates high-resolution remote-sensing imagery with plant textual data to capture structural and operational characteristics undetectable by any single data modality. Applied to 720 pulping and papermaking plants across China, the framework achieves R2 values of up to 0.96 across five plant types and estimates total sectoral carbon emissions at 163.6 million tonnes of CO2 in 2022, with pronounced regional disparities concentrated in eastern coastal provinces. Analysis of functional-zone contributions further reveals that wastewater treatment areas are a consistent cross-category emission driver, and that just 5% of high-emission plants account for approximately 43% of sectoral emissions—a skewed structure that demands differentiated regulatory intervention. Incorporating regional solar radiation data, rooftop photovoltaic deployment is projected to reduce annual PPI emissions by up to 10.3%, with primary-fiber pulp plants offering the greatest mitigation leverage. Beyond China's PPI, this scalable, data-driven approach provides a transferable blueprint for granular, plant-level carbon accounting in other heterogeneous heavy industries.

Review of Emerging Nanomaterials for CO₂ Capture and Capture-to-Conversion: Materials, Devices, and System-Level Perspectives

Harbor craft are significant contributors to air pollution in port areas due to their high engine loads and frequent maneuvering operations. This study develops a high-resolution emission inventory for five commercial harbor vessels operating in the Port of Iskenderun from 2022 to 2024 and evaluates the emission reduction potential of phased tugboat electrification. Using a bottom-up activity-based approach, emissions of NOₓ, CO₂, SO₂, and PM were calculated from vessel-specific engine characteristics, operational records, and load-dependent emission factors. The results show that tugboats are the dominant emission sources, accounting for the majority of port-wide pollutant loads, while pilot and supply vessels contribute substantially less. Spatial scenario modeling reveals that emission reductions do not scale linearly with electrification level. The area achieving ≥ 50% emission reduction increased from near-zero under 25% electrification to ~ 8.8 km2 at 50% and ~ 13.9 km2 at 75%, indicating a threshold-like spatial expansion of air quality benefits. Full electrification of tugboat propulsion and onboard auxiliary systems would eliminate direct exhaust emissions from electrified tugboats at the point of use, avoiding more than 20,000 tons of CO₂ and several hundred tons of NOₓ, SO₂, and PM over 3 years. These findings identify tugboat electrification as a high-leverage mitigation strategy and highlight 75% adoption as a critical threshold for achieving meaningful port-wide air quality improvement.

• The study explores low-carbon technology adoption to mitigate global warming. • The Indonesian government's roadmap targets NZE for the power sector transition. • Shifting from fossil power to renewables is critical to achieve NZE target. • A cost-benefit analysis shows a $4510.3B net gain for NZE with a 2.1 % tariff rise. • These findings show NZE is viable without a strict timeline and offers net benefits. To mitigate global warming, Indonesia must transition from fossil-based to renewable power generation. This study applies a CBA to assess BAU and NZE scenarios. Modeling results indicate that NZE is optimally achieved by 2075, later than the government’s 2060 target, reflecting coal plant lifetimes, gradual CCS integration, substituting fossil-based power plants with new renewable energy-based power plants, and current investment patterns. This study employed a least-cost optimization approach applied exclusively to the electricity generation mix modeled within the LEAP and NEMO framework. Sensitivity analyses conducted on electricity tariff growth rates and carbon pricing to assess the robustness of the NZE pathway. The results indicate that the cost–benefit analysis yields a positive net benefit of USD 4510.3 billion, supported by a 2.1 % annual tariff escalation and a carbon price of USD 25 per ton of CO₂, confirming that the NZE pathway is economically feasible. These findings provide policy-relevant insights, showing that while NZE by 2075 is cost-optimal, alignment with the 2060 commitment demands urgent policy action and sustained financial support.