Tons Of CO2e Research Articles

Geographic Equity and Environmental Sustainability of Conference Models: Results of a Comparative Analysis.

We conducted a comparative analysis of in-person, virtual, and hybrid conferences on tuberculosis hosted by Keystone Symposia and examined the number of participants, their country of residence, carbon dioxide equivalents (CO2e) produced, and participant impressions regarding scientific quality. Data were available from three in-person meetings, one virtual meeting, and one hybrid. The virtual conference hosted 2.5-fold more participants compared with the in-person conferences (842 versus an average of 328) from more than double the number of countries (68 versus an average of 33). The virtual conference attracted 4.5-fold more participants from countries with a high burden of tuberculosis, compared with the average in-person conference (209 versus an average of 46). For in-person meetings, an average of 79% of participants were based in high-income countries. For the virtual meeting, 53% of participants were from high-income countries, and 47% from low- and middle-income countries. For the hybrid conference, there were 465 participants from 43 countries, of which 289 attended in person from a total of 20 countries, and 176 participated virtually from 34 countries. Of those who took part in person, 91% were from high-income countries. The average CO2e emissions from an in-person conference was 696 tons of CO2e, with 96.0% from air travel. The virtual meeting produced 0.48 ton of CO2e from electricity usage, a 1,450-fold decrease compared with in-person events. Virtual conferences scored a content quality rating of 87.3% to 90.8% compared with a range of 86.4% to 92.2% for in-person conferences.

Characteristics and distribution of greenhouse gas emissions from motorcycles in Hanoi, Vietnam

Motorcycles contribute to the notable emission of greenhouse gases (GHG) and air pollutants in urban areas. These vehicles are the most widely used means of road transportation in Vietnam. This study is the first to use the EMISENS model in combination with the IVE modelling system to calculate greenhouse gas emissions from motorcycles at tier 3 in IPCC guideline. There are more than 8700 motorcycles circulating on the roads in Hanoi per hour. With the characteristics of motorcycles compiled, the average age of motorcycles is around 11 years, and each vehicle travels an average of 16.4 km per day with an average start-up frequency of 3.46. The emission factors of greenhouse gases CO2 and CH4 when running (erunning) were 72.55 and 0.24 grams per km, respectively. The emission factors for CO2, CH4 and N2O during vehicle start-up (estart-up) were 6.96, 0.53 and 0.0009 grams per start-up, respectively. Inventory emission data from 2021-2023 reveal that that motorcycles in Hanoi emitted nearly 4.6 mil tons of CO2e per year. Emission distribution is concentrated in inner-city districts and some residential areas at the intersections with provincial roads, national highways, and industrial parks.

The potential of carbon markets to accelerate green infrastructure based water quality trading

Green infrastructure solutions can improve in-stream water quality in lieu of building electricity-consuming gray infrastructure. Permitted under the United States Clean Water Act, these programs allow regulated utilities to trade point-source water quality obligations with non-point source mitigation efforts in the watershed. Carbon financing can provide an incentive for water quality trading. Here we combine data on impaired waters, treatment technologies, and life cycle greenhouse gas emissions in the Contiguous United States, and compare traditional treatment technologies to alternative green infrastructure. We find green infrastructure could save $15.6 billion dollars, 21.2 terawatt-hours of electricity, and 29.8 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions per year while sequestering over 4.2 million tonnes CO2e per year over a 40 year time horizon. Green infrastructure solutions may have the potential to generate $679 million annually in carbon credit revenue (at $20 per credit), which represents a unique opportunity to help accelerate water quality trading.

ANALISIS KEEKONOMIAN PERANCANGAN PLTS TERAPUNG DAN PLTMH DI BENDUNGAN SIDAN

The target of using new and renewable energy (EBT) in Indonesia is still to reach the target set at 23% by 2025. The design of Floating PLTS and PLTMH at the Sidan Dam is one thing to maximizing the use of New Renewable Energy, especially in BaIi Province. Therefore, carbon emission analysis and economic analysis on the design of Floating SoIar Energy Power PIant and MycroHydro power plants are carried out. The capacity of the Floating Solar Power Plant utilizes 5% of the dam water level of 1.4 MW and the capacity of the MycroHydro power plants is 0.29 MW. The Floating Solar Power Plant and MycroHydro power plants designed have an investment cost of IDR 22,239,823,399 and IDR 2,739,517,355. Economic analysis of Floating Solar Power Plant is based on NPV of IDR 3,414,844,329, PI of 1.15, and PP of 16.86 years. The economic analysis of MycroHydro power plants is based on NPV of Rp 16,759,312,607, PI of 7.12 and PP of 2.16 years. Reduction in carbon emissions in 25 years for Floating Solar Power Plant amounted to 336,015 tons of CO2e and for MycroHydro Power Plants amounted to 503,548 tons of CO2e.

Energy policy pathways to inform climate policy in Saudi Arabia

In 2022, Saudi Arabia's anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions amounted to 810 million tons of CO2e. The country has pledged to cut its emissions by 278 million tons of CO2e per year by 2030. This paper contributes a modeling view on the climate-related effects of various energy policies on the Saudi energy system. We use an energy system model designed to represent seven sectors in the Saudi economy. In addition to a baseline, which entails the continuation of current domestic policies, we look at a scenario that incorporates some of the plans announced by the Saudi government. We also examine the baseline scenario with a cap on total CO2 emissions equal to those exhibited with the announced plans. The model then makes the necessary decisions to abate CO2. We find that the energy system contributes 130 million tons of CO2e to the nationally determined contribution amount in 2030. Also, a non-prescriptive scenario that caps energy-system CO2 emissions produces the same emissions reductions as the announced plans while lowering the present cost by 2030 by $70 billion. The corresponding implicit marginal abatement cost of CO2 approaches 35 $/tonCO2 by 2045. This cost would displace around half of crude and fuel oil use in the Saudi energy system.

Potential for Carbon Credits from Conservation Management: Price and Potential for Multi-Habitat Nature-Based Carbon Sequestration in Dorset, UK

Carbon offsetting is currently a major tool in managing carbon emissions and informing sustainability plans of organisations in the drive to net-zero. This study aims to identify the offsetting potential of existing conservation schemes, and whether carbon offsetting credits could provide finance these conservation activities. The results from Dorset, in the UK, indicate that many existing conservation schemes in woodlands, heathlands, and grasslands cannot only enhance biodiversity but also capture significant amounts of carbon, and while habitats differ by region and country, the general results should be applicable elsewhere. We show that the cost per additional tonne of carbon sequestered as a result of conservation activities varies considerably between different conservation projects. On average, across the conservation projects we studied, the cost of this offsetting is GBP 80 per tonne CO2e sequestered and ranging between GBP 120 and GBP 0, depending on the project and whether existing biodiversity grants would be available. However, this figure was based on adapting and refining the existing conservation projects and did not involve expensive factors, such as purchase of land, which make the prices potentially unrealistic, especially in a Global North context. While the costs identified are higher than many offsetting schemes at present, it could present a useful option for those wishing to localise their offsetting. The concept is highly scalable and could remove significant amounts of carbon dioxide. Combining the approach with biodiversity credits or other credit schemes could make the higher costs more attractive to potential buyers.

Reducing the Environmental Impact of Health Care Conferences: A Study of Emissions and Practical Solutions.

We aimed to examine the impact of different conference formats (in-person, virtual, and hybrid) of the ASCO conference on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and to recommend sustainable options for future conferences. This study used data on the number of attendees, their departure locations, and the type of attendance (in-person v virtual) provided by ASCO between 2019 and 2022. The GHG emissions resulting from air and ground travel, remote connectivity, conference space utilization, hotel stays, distributed conference materials, and electricity use were estimated for each year. Emissions were stratified by attendee country of origin, type of attendance, and year. Simulations were conducted to evaluate how changes in conference size, location, and format impact emissions, as well as estimate the resulting mitigations from adopting the proposed changes. The highest estimated GHG emissions, calculated in carbon dioxide equivalents (CO2e), were associated with the 2019 in-person conference (37,251 metric tons of CO2e). Although international attendees had the largest contribution to emissions in all years (>50%), location optimization models, which selected conference locations that most minimized GHG emissions, yielded only minimal reductions (approximately 3%). Simulations examining changes to the conference format, location, and attendance percentage suggested that hub-and-spoke, where multiple conference locations are selected by global region, or hybrid models, with both in-person and virtual components, are likely to cause the largest drops in emissions (up to 86%). Using historical conference data, this study identifies key aspects that can be modified to reduce emissions and consequently promote more sustainable and equitable conference attendance. Hybrid conferences may be the best solution to maintain the networking opportunities provided by conferences while balancing out their environmental footprint.

Greenhouse gas emissions from US irrigation pumping and implications for climate-smart irrigation policy

Irrigation reduces crop vulnerability to drought and heat stress and thus is a promising climate change adaptation strategy. However, irrigation also produces greenhouse gas emissions through pump energy use. To assess potential conflicts between adaptive irrigation expansion and agricultural emissions mitigation efforts, we calculated county-level emissions from irrigation energy use in the US using fuel expenditures, prices, and emissions factors. Irrigation pump energy use produced 12.6 million metric tonnes CO2e in the US in 2018 (90% CI: 10.4, 15.0), predominantly attributable to groundwater pumping. Groundwater reliance, irrigated area extent, water demand, fuel choice, and electrical grid emissions intensity drove spatial heterogeneity in emissions. Due to heavy reliance on electrical pumps, projected reductions in electrical grid emissions intensity are estimated to reduce pumping emissions by 46% by 2050, with further reductions possible through pump electrification. Quantification of irrigation-related emissions will enable targeted emissions reduction efforts and climate-smart irrigation expansion.

Design of Solar Power Plant Capacity for Auxiliary Load at Labuan Steam Power Plant (PLTU) PT. PLN (PERSERO)

Solar Power Plants are a form of renewable energy that harness sunlight to generate electricity through solar panels. This research designs a PLTS system for use at the Labuan Steam Power Plant (PLTU) of PT. PLN (Persero), aimed at reducing the plant's own electricity consumption. This study evaluates the design and installation of a PLTS system on a 7200 m² area at the Labuan PLTU and conducts a technical and economic comparison between On-Grid and Off-Grid PLTS systems. The research methods include field surveys, shading potential measurements, and design simulations using PVSyst software. The results show that the On-Grid PLTS installation at the Labuan PLTU Administration Building is technically and economically feasible, with a BenefitCost Ratio (BCR) of 1.20 and a Payback Period (PP) of 16.93 years. The implementation of this PLTS system has the potential to reduce carbon emissions by 84,187 tons of CO₂e per year, supporting PT. PLN's program to achieve the 23% renewable energy mix target by 2025.

The relevance of sustainable laboratory practices.

Scientists are of key importance to the society to advocate awareness of the climate crisis and its underlying scientific evidence and provide solutions for a sustainable future. As much as scientific research has led to great achievements and benefits, traditional laboratory practices come with unintended environmental consequences. Scientists, while providing solutions to climate problems and educating the young innovators of the future, are also part of the problem: excessive energy consumption, (hazardous) waste generation, and resource depletion. Through their own research operations, science, research and laboratories have a significant carbon footprint and contribute to the climate crisis. Climate change requires a rapid response across all sectors of society, modeled by inspiring leaders. A broader scientific community that takes concrete actions would serve as an important step in convincing the general public of similar actions. Over the past years, grassroots movements across the sciences have recognized the overlooked impact of the scientific enterprise, and so-called Green Lab initiatives emerged seeking to address the environmental footprint of research. Driven by the voluntary efforts of researchers and staff, they educate peers, develop sustainability guidelines, write scientific publications and maintain accreditation frameworks. With this perspective we want to advocate for and spark leadership to promote a systemic change in laboratory practices and approach to research. Comprehensive evidence for the environmental impact of laboratories and their root-causes is presented, expanded with data from a current case study of the University of Groningen showcasing annual savings of 398 763 € as well as 477.1 tons of CO2e. This is followed by guidelines for sustainable lab practices and hands-on advice on how to achieve a systemic change at research institutions and industry. How can we expect industry, politics, and society to change, if we as scientists are not changing either? Scientists should lead by example and practice the change they want to see.

Regulation Mechanism for Designing Decarbonization Pathways in the Copper Industry Toward Carbon Neutrality.

The transformation of the global power structure caused by the carbon neutrality goal will promote copper consumption. It is crucial to explore the decarbonization pathways of the copper industry to help fulfill greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reduction targets. This study utilized material flow analysis and life cycle assessment methods to investigate 12 different subscenarios based on international trade, circular economy, technology evolution, and environmental market factors. Policy combination scenario is employed to reveal the mechanism of decarbonization. The results show that refined copper consumption in China is expected to increase by 62.3% in 2060 compared to 2020. The GHG emissions of China's copper industry will reach 9.1 million tonnes (Mt) CO2e in 2060, technology evolution and environmental market are crucial for realizing carbon neutrality goal of this industry, accounting for 26.4 and 47.2% of emissions reductions, respectively, between 2020 and 2060. International trade and circular economy play important roles in the high-quality carbon peaking stage; however, imported copper and domestic secondary copper will constitute the basic supply of copper resources in China in the long run, and the comparative advantages of them will gradually weaken. Policy combination scenario can achieve the incentive synergy effect, with GHG reduced to 0.5 Mt CO2e in 2060. The enhanced application of policies such as material substitution and carbon emission trading will further promote industry to achieve net-zero GHG emission. We suggest regulating the industry's structure based on the international systemic circulation pattern and accelerating the construction of a green circular chain in the short term to achieve sustainable copper supply and high-quality carbon peaking. Promoting a high-quality technology development strategy and enhancing the environmental markets are recommended in the long term to achieve carbon neutrality.

Peering into a Simplified Digestor for Households: Performance, Cost and Carbon-Neutral Niche

In this study, a black-shading cylindrical water tank made of high-density polyethylene was locally manufactured as a household digestor for treating cow manure in Bangladesh. Effluent slurry instead of water was reused for manure dilution under manure-to-slurry ratios of 1:2 and 1:1, to assess this small prototype’s production efficiency and feasibility. The specific biogas production at both ratios matched well, by 0.12 m3/kg VS and 0.14 m3/kg VS, respectively, while the former slurry dilution operation outperformed in daily and accumulative biogas production by 16% and 57%, correspondingly, referring to 0.49 Nm3/d on average and 8.55 Nm3 in total, potentially meeting a 2 h household cooking energy requirement. From a nationwide viewpoint, slurry dilution was proven to be a great initiative to conserve water amounting to 50,286,751 m3 for 114,810 households of 6 person-equivalents annually, while cutting chemical costs by USD 32,720,684/yr and trimming annual greenhouse gas emission by 1.8 million tons of CO2e. This study revealed that a small prototype digestor could be an alternative energy source for cost-effective and eco-friendly household applications.

Factors influencing the carbon footprint of milk production on dairy farms with different feeding strategies in western Europe

Greenhouse gas emissions from dairy production represent a major source of emissions especially in Western Europe where the sector has grown over the past decade. Different feeding strategies have evolved and there is a need to identify effective mitigation measures. Life cycle assessment (LCA) was used to examine carbon footprints (CFs) of milk production across 71 commercial dairy farms in Ireland, Northern Ireland, England, Spain (Galicia and Basque regions), Portugal and France based on monthly data collection over two years. Emissions up to the farm gate were calculated within a global boundary with both higher tier emission factors (HTEF) applicable in respective countries, and default emission factors (DEF). The global warming potential (GWP) used was the GWP100 metric, however results were also calculated using GWP20 for comparison. Functional units were: (i) one tonne fat and protein corrected milk (FPCM); (ii) 1 ha of on-farm agricultural area (FAA); (iii) 1 ha of global agricultural area (GAA). Farms were categorised based on the proportion of time that cows spent grazing. Mean CF per tonne FPCM (FPCM-CF) were 1,129, 1237 and 1519 kg CO2e for grazing (>220d grazing; n = 16), mixed (up to 219d grazing; n = 17) and housed farms (0d grazing; n = 38), respectively. housed had the widest range, from 884 to 2494 kg CO2e/tonne FPCM, and included the farm with the overall lowest FPCM-CF. housed also had the highest mean CF per ha FAA: 44.1 tonne CO2e, followed by mixed (15.2 tonne) and grazing (11.6 tonne). CF (tonne CO2e) per ha GAA followed the same ranking: housed (15.1), mixed (9.8) and grazing (9.2). There was no difference in ranking of the feeding strategies using DEF in comparison with HTEF. A stepwise regression analysis identified feed efficiency and age at first calving as important factors in determining FPCM-CF for all farms. Furthermore, N surplus was important for grazing &mixed farms. The proportion of uncovered slurry storage, milk yield per cow and the amount of bought in concentrate per cow were important for housed farms. Wide variation in CFs implies considerable potential for lowering emissions per tonne FPCM and per ha FAA and GAA, but it is imperative that mitigation measures are tailored to feeding strategy.

Implementation of electric vehicles to support energy conservation and efficiency improvement in the transportation sector in Indonesia

More than 45.7% of Indonesia’s total energy consumption in 2021 came from the transportation sector. The transportation sector needs to improve energy efficiency and apply energy conservation measures in order to reduce energy consumption. The use of electric cars as an environmentally friendly replacement for internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles is one effort in this direction. Using electric vehicles will reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the transportation sector; however, if fossil fuels continue to dominate the power sector, this will also lead to an increase in global GHG emissions. The power sector must employ NRE as much as possible in order to cut emissions. The energy system model, which is projected to be operational until the year 2100, was created using the LEAP and NEMO tools. Power plants are optimized for electricity delivery using the BAU and NZE scenarios. As a result of the energy system’s optimization, the usage of petroleum products will be reduced by about 778.7 million BOE in 2100, and the transportation sector’s GHG emissions will be reduced by 304.4 million tons of CO2e. By promoting energy efficiency, conservation, and the environment’s impact, the use of electric vehicles can improve Indonesia’s NZE situation in the transportation sector.

Environmental Impacts of Machine Learning Applications in Protein Science.

Computing tools and machine learning models play an increasingly important role in biology and are now an essential part of discoveries in protein science. The growing energy needs of modern algorithms have raised concerns in the computational science community in light of the climate emergency. In this work, we summarize the different ways in which protein science can negatively impact the environment and we present the carbon footprint of some popular protein algorithms: molecular simulations, inference of protein-protein interactions, and protein structure prediction. We show that large deep learning models such as AlphaFold and ESMFold can have carbon footprints reaching over 100 tonnes of CO2e in some cases. The magnitude of these impacts highlights the importance of monitoring and mitigating them, and we list actions scientists can take to achieve more sustainable protein computational science.

Greenhouse gas emission reduction opportunities for the Norwegian salmon farming sector - can they outweigh growth?

Norwegian farmed Atlantic salmon is a nutritious type of food in increasing demand and although production has stagnated and is faced by various challenges, it is likely to continue to expand in the future. We present results from a detailed greenhouse gas emission assessment of the most important Norwegian farmed salmon export products along with improvement measures. By scaling up both baseline results and reduction opportunities, based on growth projections, we estimate current and future emissions of the sector as a whole. We show that export of gutted salmon to Europe by truck dominates Norwegian salmon exports, not only in volume and value, but also in emissions, followed by export of fresh gutted salmon and fillets to Asia and fillets to the US by air. The cumulative greenhouse gas emissions are dominated by feed production followed by emissions from overseas airfreighting of fresh products. The five most important emission reduction measures, based only on existing technology and without particular order were 1) slightly increased feed efficiency, 2) increased utilization of side streams occurring in secondary processing after export, 3) seafreight to market instead of road and air, 4) higher energy efficiency and cleaner energy sources, and 5) changed feed composition. Collectively, they have the potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions of current production by 60%, from 5.2 to 2.1 million tonnes of CO2e, assuming the same relative importance of each supply chain.This implies that a medium growth-scenario, representing more than a doubling of the volume of salmon farmed to 3.3 million tonnes, would be possible while reducing total sector emissions by 16% if the improvement measures were fully implemented. For larger reductions, either lower growth or more ambitious implementation of improvement measures is needed. Although greenhouse gas emissions are often linked to resource efficiency and wider sustainability, this is not always the case, and it is important to avoid shifting burdens from climate to e.g. eutrophication or biodiversity impacts. However, many environmental impacts of salmon farming are centered around feed efficiency, and even problems with welfare, escapees, and in part eutrophication are reflected in lower feed efficiency resulting in higher greenhouse gas emissions. In addition to the systematic collection of robust data for more continuous monitoring of greenhouse gas emission performance over time, we therefore recommend identifying additional indicators to monitor to ensure the sector develops not only towards climate neutrality but also towards broader sustainability.

Environmental factors controlling biochar climate change mitigation potential in British Columbia's agricultural soils

AbstractTo combat climate change, carbon dioxide must be prevented from entering the atmosphere or even removed from it. Biochar is one potential practice to sequester carbon, but its climate change mitigation potential depends on a multitude of parameters. Differentiating areas of low and high climate change mitigation through biochar addition is key to maximize its potential and effectively use the available feedstock for its production. This study models the realistic application of 1 metric tonne (t) per hectare (ha) of forest harvest residue derived biochar over the climatically and pedologically diverse agricultural area of British Columbia, Canada, and provides a framework and assumptions for reproducibility in other parts of the world. The model accounts for the direct (input of organic carbon) and indirect (enhanced plant biomass) effects of biochar on soil organic carbon stock, its impact on nitrous oxide emissions from soils, and the avoided emissions from the reduced lime requirement due to biochar's alkalinization potential. Impacts are modelled over 20‐year time horizon to account for the duration and magnitude variation over time of biochar effect on plant biomass and nitrous oxide emissions from soil and conform to the IPCC GWP 20‐year time horizon reporting. The results show that a single application of 1 t of biochar per ha−1 can mitigate between 3 and 5 t CO2e ha−1 over a 20‐year time frame. Applied to the 746,000 ha of agricultural land of British Columbia this translate to the mitigation of a total of 2.5 million metric tonnes (Mt) CO2e over a 20‐year time frame. Further, the results identify agricultural areas in the Lower Mainland region (the southwestern corner of British Columbia) as the area maximizing climate change mitigation potential through biochar addition due to a combination of relative high temperature, high precipitation, and crops with high nitrogen requirement.

The Indonesian Government’s Role in Setting Renewable Energy Targets to Reduce GHG Emissions from the Electrical Energy Sector

Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are being blamed for global warming, and the Indonesian government is concerned about it. The government has proven its concern for GHG reduction by participating in the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and signing the Paris Agreement. In order to meet the Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) target in the National Energy General Plan (RUEN) 2015-2050, the government has issued regulations and plans designed to achieve the objective of producing up to 31% of the nation’s electrical energy from renewable sources by 2050. The RUEN transcription in the General Plan of Regional Energy (RUED) will be implemented in the RUED of West Papua (RUED-P), which is expected to reach the target of 33% of the energy production from renewable sources by . The main issues with implementing NDC targets in RUEN and RUED-P are related to time and costs. This paper investigates the effectiveness of current and proposed government regulations in achieving Indonesia's NDC target by 2030 through the implementation of RUEN and RUED-P in the province of West Papua. The simulation results show that the target of achieving the NDC target of a 29% reduction in GHGs through RUEN can be surpassed. The potential exists to achieve a reduction of 54,363 tons CO2e (or 30.01%), compared to the ‘business as usual’ (BAU) scenario of 77.619 tons CO2e. However, the NDC target of a 41% reduction by 2050 will not be met as implemention of the West Papua regional scenario via the RUED-P will result in a GHG reduction of only 55,393 tons of CO2e, or 28.63% under this scenario. By imposing a 2030 target for energy production from renewable sources amounting to 33% of total generating capacity under RUED-P, the NDC target can actually be exceeded. Under every scenario, the state-owned electric company (PLN) operates at a deficit under current customer pricing. For this reason, the government needs to increase the basic electricity tariff to IDR 2,500 per kWh in order to support PLN operations and not burden the state's budget by subsidizing PLN’s losses.

Circular wood use can accelerate global decarbonisation but requires cross-sectoral coordination

Predominantly linear use of wood curtails the potential climate-change mitigation contribution of forestry value-chains. Using lifecycle assessment, we show that more cascading and especially circular uses of wood can provide immediate and sustained mitigation by reducing demand for virgin wood, which increases forest carbon sequestration and storage, and benefits from substitution for fossil-fuel derived products, reducing net greenhouse gas emissions. By United Kingdom example, the circular approach of recycling medium-density fibreboard delivers 75% more cumulative climate-change mitigation by 2050, compared with business-as-usual. Early mitigation achieved by circular and cascading wood use complements lagged mitigation achieved by afforestation; and in combination these measures could cumulatively mitigate 258.8 million tonnes CO2e by 2050. Despite the clear benefits of implementing circular economy principles, we identify many functional barriers impeding the structural reorganisation needed for such complex system change, and propose enablers to transform the forestry value-chain into an effective societal change system and lead to coherent action.

Developing basin-specific emission factors for accurate methane inventory and emission reduction strategies in Zonguldak Coal Basin, Turkey: Implications for enhancing safety and sustainability

This study develops basin-specific emission factors using historical coal production and methane emissions data to enhance methane inventories and emission reduction strategies in Turkey's Zonguldak Coal Basin. The basin is known for high levels of coal mine methane (CMM) emissions, posing a serious safety hazard to miners and affecting mine productivity. However, limited data on in-situ parameters related to Coal Mine Methane (CMM) emissions have been available. The study analyzes historical trends in CMM emissions (1980–2020) from the basin's underground coal mines, revealing declining emissions alongside coal production. Over this period, approximately 2.28 billion cubic meters of CMM were released. Continued historical coal production rates suggest a significant 6.63 MWe power generation potential. The investigation into coal production, average mining depth, and coal seam gas content reveal that CMM emissions primarily depend on coal production and mining depth. Utilizing available methane mitigation technologies could prevent an estimated 55.7 million tons of methane annually (equivalent to around 692,000 tons of CO2e). Importantly, the study calculates basin-specific emission factors (ranging from 7.24 m3/t to 21.66 m3/t) based on historical measurements, providing a more accurate regional representation than the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) default values. These factors are vital for identifying high-emission areas and guiding emission reduction strategy development. This study addresses a critical data gap in Turkey's estimation of methane emissions from underground coal mining, particularly in the Zonguldak coal basin. It establishes a foundation for future research on methane emissions from coal mines at various scales, contributing to improved understanding, emissions mitigation, safety enhancement, and sustainable coal mining practices.