1
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Rankin KH, Saxe S. A Future Growth Model for Building More Housing and Infrastructure with Less Embodied Greenhouse Gas. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2024. [PMID: 38868922 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.4c02070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2024]
Abstract
Global demand for housing and the climate crisis have created a seemingly impossible choice between the need to build more and the need to emit less from construction materials. Here, we present the future infrastructure growth (FIG) model, a generalizable method for finding pathways to build enough housing and infrastructure while reducing material emissions, in line with climate commitments. FIG uses open data to quantify the emissions of existing neighborhoods as if they were built new; it then uses these quantifications to forecast future cradle-to-gate embodied emissions from new residential buildings and linear infrastructure construction. This novel approach allows for detailed analysis that scales to a city, region, and/or national level and captures variability in construction norms, designs, and codes. We demonstrate FIG on Canada, using the model to find neighborhood-level drivers of embodied emissions and the most effective reduction strategies through 2030 and 2050. Current construction practices will cause a 437% overshoot of Canada's climate commitments if housing growth targets are met. Avoiding this overshoot requires a near-total reliance on multiunit buildings and best-in-class design supported by improvements in material manufacturing, building within existing urban boundaries, and halving the use of new materials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Keagan H Rankin
- Department of Civil & Mineral Engineering, University of Toronto, 35 St George Street, Toronto, Ontario M5S 1A4, Canada
| | - Shoshanna Saxe
- Department of Civil & Mineral Engineering, University of Toronto, 35 St George Street, Toronto, Ontario M5S 1A4, Canada
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2
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Fishman T, Mastrucci A, Peled Y, Saxe S, van Ruijven B. RASMI: Global ranges of building material intensities differentiated by region, structure, and function. Sci Data 2024; 11:418. [PMID: 38653964 PMCID: PMC11039455 DOI: 10.1038/s41597-024-03190-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2023] [Accepted: 03/25/2024] [Indexed: 04/25/2024] Open
Abstract
The construction materials used in buildings have large and growing implications for global material flows and emissions. Material Intensity (MI) is a metric that measures the mass of construction materials per unit of a building's floor area. MIs are used to model buildings' materials and assess their resource use and environmental performance, critical to global climate commitments. However, MI data availability and quality are inconsistent, incomparable, and limited, especially for regions in the Global South. To address these challenges, we present the Regional Assessment of buildings' Material Intensities (RASMI), a new dataset and accompanying method of comprehensive and consistent representative MI value ranges that embody the variability inherent in buildings. RASMI consists of 3072 MI ranges for 8 construction materials in 12 building structure and function types across 32 regions covering the entire world. The dataset is reproducible, traceable, and updatable, using synthetic data when required. It can be used for estimating historical and future material flows and emissions, assessing demolition waste and at-risk stocks, and evaluating urban mining potentials.
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Grants
- 2706/19 Israel Science Foundation (ISF)
- 2706/19 Israel Science Foundation (ISF)
- 232970 Canada Research Chairs (Chaires de recherche du Canada)
- IIASA-Israel program, Horizon Europe research and innovation programme under grant agreement no. 101056868 (CIRCOMOD)
- IIASA-Israel program, Horizon Europe research and innovation programme under grant agreement no. 101056810 (CircEUlar), Energy Demand changes Induced by Technological and Social innovations (EDITS) project, which is an initiative coordinated by the Research Institute of Innovative Technology for the Earth (RITE) and the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA), and funded by the Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry (METI), Japan
- IIASA-Israel program, Energy Demand changes Induced by Technological and Social innovations (EDITS) project, which is an initiative coordinated by the Research Institute of Innovative Technology for the Earth (RITE) and the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA), and funded by the Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry (METI), Japan
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomer Fishman
- Institute of Environmental Sciences (CML), Faculty of Science, Leiden University, 2300 RA, Leiden, Netherlands.
- International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA), 2361, Laxenburg, Austria.
| | - Alessio Mastrucci
- International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA), 2361, Laxenburg, Austria
| | - Yoav Peled
- School of Sustainability, Reichman University, Herzliya, 4610101, Israel
| | - Shoshanna Saxe
- Department of Civil and Mineral Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, M5S 1A4, Canada
| | - Bas van Ruijven
- International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA), 2361, Laxenburg, Austria
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3
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Lu H, You K, Feng W, Zhou N, Fridley D, Price L, de la Rue du Can S. Reducing China's building material embodied emissions: Opportunities and challenges to achieve carbon neutrality in building materials. iScience 2024; 27:109028. [PMID: 38433904 PMCID: PMC10906394 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2024.109028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2022] [Revised: 08/08/2023] [Accepted: 01/22/2024] [Indexed: 03/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Embodied emissions from the production of building materials account for 17% of China's carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions and are important to focus on as China aims to achieve its carbon neutrality goals. However, there is a lack of systematic assessments on embodied emissions reduction potential of building materials that consider both the heterogeneous industrial characteristics as well as the Chinese buildings sector context. Here, we developed an integrated model that combines future demand of building materials in China with the strategies to reduce CO2 emissions associated with their production, using, and recycling. We found that measures to improve material efficiency in the value-chain has the largest CO2 mitigation potential before 2030 in both Low Carbon and Carbon Neutrality Scenarios, and continues to be significant through 2060. Policies to accelerate material efficiency practices, such as incorporating embodied emissions in building codes and conducting robust research, development, and demonstration (RD&D) in carbon removal are critical.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongyou Lu
- Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Kairui You
- Institute of Technology for Carbon Neutrality, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China
- School of Material Sciences and Energy Engineering, Shenzhen University of Advanced Technology, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Wei Feng
- Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
- Institute of Technology for Carbon Neutrality, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China
- School of Material Sciences and Energy Engineering, Shenzhen University of Advanced Technology, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Nan Zhou
- Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - David Fridley
- Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Lynn Price
- Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
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4
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Watari T, Yamashita N, Serrenho AC. Net-Zero Embodied Carbon in Buildings with Today's Available Technologies. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2024; 58:1793-1801. [PMID: 38228319 PMCID: PMC10832066 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.3c04618] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2023] [Revised: 12/10/2023] [Accepted: 12/11/2023] [Indexed: 01/18/2024]
Abstract
Greenhouse gas emissions from building construction─i.e., the embodied carbon in buildings─are a significant and growing contributor to the climate crisis. However, our understanding of how to decarbonize building construction remains limited. This study shows that net-zero embodied carbon in buildings is achievable across Japan by 2050 using currently available technologies: decarbonized electricity supply, low-carbon steel, low-carbon concrete, increased timber structures, optimized design, and enhanced building lifespan. The largest emissions savings would come from increased use of timber structures, with annual savings of up to ∼35% by 2050, even in cases where timber replaces low-carbon steel and concrete. Moreover, we show that an expanded domestic timber supply, coupled with responsible reforestation, could improve forest carbon uptake by up to ∼60% compared to the business-as-usual scenario, without the need to increase forest area. This is achieved through a forest-city carbon cycle that transfers carbon stocks of mature trees to cities as building materials and rejuvenates forests through reforestation. Collectively, our analysis demonstrates that the decarbonization of building construction depends not on future technological innovation, but rather on how we design and use buildings with the options we already have.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takuma Watari
- Material
Cycles Division, National Institute for
Environmental Studies, Tsukuba 305-8506, Japan
- Department
of Engineering, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1PZ, United Kingdom
| | - Naho Yamashita
- Graduate
School of Environmental Studies, Nagoya
University, Nagoya 464-8601, Japan
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5
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Mikheenkova A, Mukherjee S, Hirsbrunner M, Törnblom P, Tai CW, Segre CU, Ding Y, Zhang W, Asmara TC, Wei Y, Schmitt T, Rensmo H, Duda L, Hahlin M. The role of oxygen in automotive grade lithium-ion battery cathodes: an atomistic survey of ageing. JOURNAL OF MATERIALS CHEMISTRY. A 2024; 12:2465-2478. [PMID: 38269086 PMCID: PMC10805348 DOI: 10.1039/d3ta05516g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2023] [Accepted: 12/06/2023] [Indexed: 01/26/2024]
Abstract
The rising demand for high-performance lithium-ion batteries, pivotal to electric transportation, hinges on key materials like the Ni-rich layered oxide LiNixCoyAlzO2 (NCA) used in cathodes. The present study investigates the redox mechanisms, with particular focus on the role of oxygen in commercial NCA electrodes, both fresh and aged under various conditions (aged cells have performed >900 cycles until a cathode capacity retention of ∼80%). Our findings reveal that oxygen participates in charge compensation during NCA delithiation, both through changes in transition metal (TM)-O bond hybridization and formation of partially reversible O2, the latter occurs already below 3.8 V vs. Li/Li+. Aged NCA material undergoes more significant changes in TM-O bond hybridization when cycling above 50% SoC, while reversible O2 formation is maintained. Nickel is found to be redox active throughout the entire delithiation and shows a more classical oxidation state change during cycling with smaller changes in the Ni-O hybridization. By contrast, Co redox activity relies on a stronger change in Co-O hybridization, with only smaller Co oxidation state changes. The Ni-O bond displays an almost twice as large change in its bond length on cycling as the Co-O bond. The Ni-O6 octahedra are similar in size to the Co-O6 octahedra in the delithiated state, but are larger in the lithiated state, a size difference that increases with battery ageing. These contrasting redox activities are reflected directly in structural changes. The NCA material exhibits the formation of nanopores upon ageing, and a possible connection to oxygen redox activity is discussed. The difference in interaction of Ni and Co with oxygen provides a key understanding of the mechanism and the electrochemical instability of Ni-rich layered transition metal oxide electrodes. Our research specifically highlights the significance of the role of oxygen in the electrochemical performance of electric-vehicle-grade NCA electrodes, offering important insights for the creation of next-generation long-lived lithium-ion batteries.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anastasiia Mikheenkova
- Ångström Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, Uppsala University SE 751 21 Uppsala Sweden
| | - Soham Mukherjee
- Ångström Laboratory, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Uppsala University SE 751 21 Uppsala Sweden
| | - Moritz Hirsbrunner
- Ångström Laboratory, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Uppsala University SE 751 21 Uppsala Sweden
| | - Pontus Törnblom
- Ångström Laboratory, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Uppsala University SE 751 21 Uppsala Sweden
| | - Cheuk-Wai Tai
- Department of Materials and Environmental Chemistry, Arrhenius Laboratory, Stockholm University Stockholm 10691 Sweden
| | - Carlo U Segre
- Department of Physics and CSRRI, Illinois Institute of Technology Chicago IL 60616 USA
| | - Yujia Ding
- Department of Physics and CSRRI, Illinois Institute of Technology Chicago IL 60616 USA
| | - Wenliang Zhang
- Laboratory for Condensed Matter, Paul Scherrer Institute Forschungsstrasse 111 Villigen PSI 5232 Switzerland
| | - Teguh Citra Asmara
- Laboratory for Condensed Matter, Paul Scherrer Institute Forschungsstrasse 111 Villigen PSI 5232 Switzerland
| | - Yuan Wei
- Laboratory for Condensed Matter, Paul Scherrer Institute Forschungsstrasse 111 Villigen PSI 5232 Switzerland
| | - Thorsten Schmitt
- Laboratory for Condensed Matter, Paul Scherrer Institute Forschungsstrasse 111 Villigen PSI 5232 Switzerland
| | - Håkan Rensmo
- Ångström Laboratory, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Uppsala University SE 751 21 Uppsala Sweden
| | - Laurent Duda
- Ångström Laboratory, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Uppsala University SE 751 21 Uppsala Sweden
| | - Maria Hahlin
- Ångström Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, Uppsala University SE 751 21 Uppsala Sweden
- Ångström Laboratory, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Uppsala University SE 751 21 Uppsala Sweden
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6
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Gu Y, Yang H, Wu Y, Tuo M, Xu M, Hu G, Zuo T. Regulation Mechanism for Designing Decarbonization Pathways in the Copper Industry Toward Carbon Neutrality. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2024; 58:1518-1530. [PMID: 38151825 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.3c09314] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2023]
Abstract
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.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yifan Gu
- Institute of Circular Economy, Beijing University of Technology, Beijing 100124, China
| | - Hongyang Yang
- Institute of Circular Economy, Beijing University of Technology, Beijing 100124, China
| | - Yufeng Wu
- Institute of Circular Economy, Beijing University of Technology, Beijing 100124, China
| | - Mingxuan Tuo
- Institute of Circular Economy, Beijing University of Technology, Beijing 100124, China
| | - Ming Xu
- School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Guangwen Hu
- Institute of Circular Economy, Beijing University of Technology, Beijing 100124, China
| | - Tieyong Zuo
- Institute of Circular Economy, Beijing University of Technology, Beijing 100124, China
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7
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Frantz D, Schug F, Wiedenhofer D, Baumgart A, Virág D, Cooper S, Gómez-Medina C, Lehmann F, Udelhoven T, van der Linden S, Hostert P, Haberl H. Unveiling patterns in human dominated landscapes through mapping the mass of US built structures. Nat Commun 2023; 14:8014. [PMID: 38049425 PMCID: PMC10695923 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-43755-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2023] [Accepted: 11/17/2023] [Indexed: 12/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Built structures increasingly dominate the Earth's landscapes; their surging mass is currently overtaking global biomass. We here assess built structures in the conterminous US by quantifying the mass of 14 stock-building materials in eight building types and nine types of mobility infrastructures. Our high-resolution maps reveal that built structures have become 2.6 times heavier than all plant biomass across the country and that most inhabited areas are mass-dominated by buildings or infrastructure. We analyze determinants of the material intensity and show that densely built settlements have substantially lower per-capita material stocks, while highest intensities are found in sparsely populated regions due to ubiquitous infrastructures. Out-migration aggravates already high intensities in rural areas as people leave while built structures remain - highlighting that quantifying the distribution of built-up mass at high resolution is an essential contribution to understanding the biophysical basis of societies, and to inform strategies to design more resource-efficient settlements and a sustainable circular economy.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Frantz
- Geoinformatics - Spatial Data Science, Trier University, Trier, Germany.
- Geography Department, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
| | - Franz Schug
- Geography Department, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Integrated Research Institute on Transformations of Human Environment Systems (IRI THESys), Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- SILVIS Lab, Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Dominik Wiedenhofer
- Institute of Social Ecology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - André Baumgart
- Institute of Social Ecology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Doris Virág
- Institute of Social Ecology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Sam Cooper
- Geography Department, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | | | - Fabian Lehmann
- Institute for Computer Science, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Thomas Udelhoven
- Environmental Remote Sensing and Geoinformatics, Trier University, Trier, Germany
| | | | - Patrick Hostert
- Geography Department, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Integrated Research Institute on Transformations of Human Environment Systems (IRI THESys), Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Helmut Haberl
- Institute of Social Ecology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Vienna, Austria
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8
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Wang X, Li Z, Cheng Y, Yao H, Li H, You X, Zhang C, Li Y. Wheat straw hydrochar induced negative priming effect on carbon decomposition in a coastal soil. IMETA 2023; 2:e134. [PMID: 38868226 PMCID: PMC10989761 DOI: 10.1002/imt2.134] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2023] [Accepted: 08/18/2023] [Indexed: 06/14/2024]
Abstract
The mechanisms underlying hydrochar-regulated soil organic carbon (SOC) decomposition in the coastal salt-affected soils were first investigated. Straw-derived hydrochar (SHC)-induced C-transformation bacterial modulation and soil aggregation enhancement primarily accounted for negative priming effects. Modification of soil properties (e.g., decreased pH and increased C/N ratios) by straw-derived pyrochar (SPC) was responsible for decreased SOC decomposition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiao Wang
- Marine Agriculture Research Center, Tobacco Research InstituteChinese Academy of Agricultural SciencesQingdaoChina
- National Center of Technology Innovation for Comprehensive Utilization of Saline‐Alkali LandDongyingChina
- Qingdao Key Laboratory of Coastal Saline‐alkali Land Resources Mining and Biological BreedingTobacco Research InstituteQingdaoChina
| | - Zhen Li
- Marine Agriculture Research Center, Tobacco Research InstituteChinese Academy of Agricultural SciencesQingdaoChina
| | - Yadong Cheng
- Marine Agriculture Research Center, Tobacco Research InstituteChinese Academy of Agricultural SciencesQingdaoChina
- National Center of Technology Innovation for Comprehensive Utilization of Saline‐Alkali LandDongyingChina
- Qingdao Key Laboratory of Coastal Saline‐alkali Land Resources Mining and Biological BreedingTobacco Research InstituteQingdaoChina
| | - Hui Yao
- Marine Agriculture Research Center, Tobacco Research InstituteChinese Academy of Agricultural SciencesQingdaoChina
- National Center of Technology Innovation for Comprehensive Utilization of Saline‐Alkali LandDongyingChina
- Qingdao Key Laboratory of Coastal Saline‐alkali Land Resources Mining and Biological BreedingTobacco Research InstituteQingdaoChina
| | - Hui Li
- Department of Crop and Soil SciencesNorth Carolina State UniversityRaleighNCUSA
| | - Xiangwei You
- Marine Agriculture Research Center, Tobacco Research InstituteChinese Academy of Agricultural SciencesQingdaoChina
- National Center of Technology Innovation for Comprehensive Utilization of Saline‐Alkali LandDongyingChina
- Qingdao Key Laboratory of Coastal Saline‐alkali Land Resources Mining and Biological BreedingTobacco Research InstituteQingdaoChina
| | - Chengsheng Zhang
- Marine Agriculture Research Center, Tobacco Research InstituteChinese Academy of Agricultural SciencesQingdaoChina
- National Center of Technology Innovation for Comprehensive Utilization of Saline‐Alkali LandDongyingChina
- Qingdao Key Laboratory of Coastal Saline‐alkali Land Resources Mining and Biological BreedingTobacco Research InstituteQingdaoChina
| | - Yiqiang Li
- Marine Agriculture Research Center, Tobacco Research InstituteChinese Academy of Agricultural SciencesQingdaoChina
- National Center of Technology Innovation for Comprehensive Utilization of Saline‐Alkali LandDongyingChina
- Qingdao Key Laboratory of Coastal Saline‐alkali Land Resources Mining and Biological BreedingTobacco Research InstituteQingdaoChina
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9
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Vélez-Henao JA, Pauliuk S. Material Requirements of Decent Living Standards. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2023; 57:14206-14217. [PMID: 37696762 PMCID: PMC10537420 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.3c03957] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2023] [Revised: 08/16/2023] [Accepted: 08/17/2023] [Indexed: 09/13/2023]
Abstract
Decent living standards (DLS) provide a framework to estimate a practical threshold for the energy, GHG, and material consumption required to alleviate poverty. Currently, most research has focused on estimating the energy required to provide the DLS. However, no attempt has been made to estimate the material consumption needed to provide the DLS. Thus, we ask the following questions: First, what is the amount of materials in stocks and flows needed to provide a DLS? Second, which lifestyle and technology choices are effective in providing a DLS without creating an excessive demand for additional materials? To provide a DLS, a material footprint (MF) of 6 t/(cap*yr) with a lower and upper bound between 3 and 14 t/(cap*yr) is required. The direct and indirect in-use stocks required are estimated at 32 t/cap and 11 t/cap, respectively. Nutrition (39%) and mobility (26%) contribute the most to total MF. Buildings account for 98% of direct stocks, while the construction sector accounts for 61% of indirect stocks. We extend the coverage of the DLS by including the collective service dimension and link the material stock-flow-service nexus and life cycle assessment to compute the MF and in-use stocks needed to provide the DLS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johan Andrés Vélez-Henao
- Faculty of Environment and
Natural Resources, University of Freiburg, 8 Tennenbacher Straße 4, 79106 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Stefan Pauliuk
- Faculty of Environment and
Natural Resources, University of Freiburg, 8 Tennenbacher Straße 4, 79106 Freiburg, Germany
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10
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Shirizadeh B, Villavicencio M, Douguet S, Trüby J, Bou Issa C, Seck GS, D'herbemont V, Hache E, Malbec LM, Sabathier J, Venugopal M, Lagrange F, Saunier S, Straus J, Reigstad GA. The impact of methane leakage on the role of natural gas in the European energy transition. Nat Commun 2023; 14:5756. [PMID: 37717065 PMCID: PMC10505150 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-41527-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2022] [Accepted: 09/06/2023] [Indexed: 09/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Decarbonising energy systems is a prevalent topic in the current literature on climate change mitigation, but the additional climate burden caused by methane emissions along the natural gas value chain is rarely discussed at the system level. Considering a two-basket greenhouse gas neutrality objective (both CO2 and methane), we model cost-optimal European energy transition pathways towards 2050. Our analysis shows that adoption of best available methane abatement technologies can entail an 80% reduction in methane leakage, limiting the additional environmental burden to 8% of direct CO2 emissions (vs. 35% today). We show that, while renewable energy sources are key drivers of climate neutrality, the role of natural gas strongly depends on actions to abate both associated CO2 and methane emissions. Moreover, clean hydrogen (produced mainly from renewables) can replace natural gas in a substantial proportion of its end-uses, satisfying nearly a quarter of final energy demand in a climate-neutral Europe.
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Affiliation(s)
- Behrang Shirizadeh
- Deloitte Economic Advisory, 6 Place de La Pyramide Tour Majunga Deloitte, 92800, Puteaux, France.
- CIRED, 45 bis avenue de La Belle Gabrielle, 94736, Nogent sur Marne Cedex, France.
| | - Manuel Villavicencio
- Deloitte Economic Advisory, 6 Place de La Pyramide Tour Majunga Deloitte, 92800, Puteaux, France
| | - Sebastien Douguet
- Deloitte Economic Advisory, 6 Place de La Pyramide Tour Majunga Deloitte, 92800, Puteaux, France
| | - Johannes Trüby
- Deloitte Economic Advisory, 6 Place de La Pyramide Tour Majunga Deloitte, 92800, Puteaux, France
| | - Charbel Bou Issa
- Deloitte Economic Advisory, 6 Place de La Pyramide Tour Majunga Deloitte, 92800, Puteaux, France
| | - Gondia Sokhna Seck
- IFP Energies Nouvelles, 1-4 Avenue Bois Preau, 92852, Rueil-Malmaison, France
| | - Vincent D'herbemont
- IFP Energies Nouvelles, 1-4 Avenue Bois Preau, 92852, Rueil-Malmaison, France
| | - Emmanuel Hache
- IFP Energies Nouvelles, 1-4 Avenue Bois Preau, 92852, Rueil-Malmaison, France
| | - Louis-Marie Malbec
- IFP Energies Nouvelles, 1-4 Avenue Bois Preau, 92852, Rueil-Malmaison, France
| | - Jerome Sabathier
- IFP Energies Nouvelles, 1-4 Avenue Bois Preau, 92852, Rueil-Malmaison, France
| | | | - Fanny Lagrange
- Carbon Limits, C. J. Hambros plass 2, 0164, Oslo, Norway
| | | | - Julian Straus
- SINTEF Energy Research, Sem Sælands Vei 11, 7034, Trondheim, Norway
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11
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Ikei H, Jo H, Miyazaki Y. Physiological Effects of Visual Stimulation by a Japanese Low Wooden Table: A Crossover Field Experiment. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2023; 20:6351. [PMID: 37510583 PMCID: PMC10378921 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph20146351] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2023] [Revised: 07/10/2023] [Accepted: 07/11/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023]
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the physiological effects of visual stimulation by a unique Japanese low wooden table on the prefrontal cortex and autonomic nervous activities. A within-participants experiment with 26 male university students was conducted in a Japanese-style room. The visual stimuli were a low wooden table (WT) made of Japanese cypress and a low cloth-covered table (control) for an exposure time of 90 s. Near-infrared spectroscopy was used to measure the prefrontal cortex activity in the left and right prefrontal cortices as an indicator of oxyhemoglobin (oxy-Hb) concentration. Autonomic nervous activity was measured as an indicator of sympathetic (low-frequency/high-frequency component ratio, LF/HF), and parasympathetic (high-frequency components, HF) nervous activities were assessed by heart rate variability. Furthermore, the modified semantic differential method and the Profile of Mood States 2nd edition were used to measure psychological responses. Physiologically, the oxy-Hb concentration in the left prefrontal cortex and ln (LF/HF) were significantly lower during visual exposure to the WT than to the control. Psychologically, more comfortable, relaxed, and natural impressions, as well as improved mood states, were reported during visual stimulation to the WT than to the control. This study demonstrated that viewing a WT led to physiological relaxation and had a positive psychological effect on the participants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Harumi Ikei
- Center for Environment, Health and Field Sciences, Chiba University, 6-2-1 Kashiwa-no-ha, Chiba 277-0882, Japan
| | - Hyunju Jo
- Center for Environment, Health and Field Sciences, Chiba University, 6-2-1 Kashiwa-no-ha, Chiba 277-0882, Japan
| | - Yoshifumi Miyazaki
- Center for Environment, Health and Field Sciences, Chiba University, 6-2-1 Kashiwa-no-ha, Chiba 277-0882, Japan
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12
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Iyer AV, Rao ND, Hertwich EG. Review of Urban Building Types and Their Energy Use and Carbon Emissions in Life-Cycle Analyses from Low- and Middle-Income Countries. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2023; 57:9445-9458. [PMID: 37339013 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.2c06418] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/22/2023]
Abstract
Urbanization, slum redevelopment, and population growth will lead to unprecedented levels of residential building construction in "low- and middle-income" (LMI) countries in the coming decades. However, less than 50% of previous residential building life-cycle assessment (LCA) reviews included LMI countries. Moreover, all reviews that included LMI countries only considered formal (cement-concrete) buildings, while more than 800 million people in these countries lived in informal settlements. We analyze LCA literature and define three building types based on durability: formal, semiformal, and informal. These exhaustively represent residential buildings in LMI countries. For each type, we define dominant archetypes from across the world, based on construction materials. To address the data deficiency and lack of transparency in LCA studies, we develop a reproducibility metric for building LCAs. We find that the countries with the most reproducible studies are India, Sri Lanka, Turkey, Mexico, and Brazil. Only 7 out of 54 African countries have reproducible studies focused on either the embodied or use phase. Maintenance, refurbishment, and end-of-life phases are included in hardly any studies in the LMI LCA literature. Lastly, we highlight the necessity for studying current, traditional buildings to provide a benchmark for future studies focusing on energy and material efficiency strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aishwarya V Iyer
- Center for Industrial Ecology, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06511, United States
- Yale School of the Environment, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06511, United States
| | - Narasimha D Rao
- Yale School of the Environment, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06511, United States
- International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA), A-2361 Laxenburg, Austria
| | - Edgar G Hertwich
- Industrial Ecology Program, Department of Energy and Process Engineering, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), 7495 Trondheim, Norway
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13
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Fang YR, Sun X, Zhang S, Liu G, Liu X, Zhang P, Kang Y, Dai H. Regionally differentiated promotion of electric vehicles in China considering environmental and human health impacts. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH LETTERS : ERL [WEB SITE] 2023; 18:074022. [PMID: 37362199 PMCID: PMC10285718 DOI: 10.1088/1748-9326/acdbde] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2023] [Revised: 05/12/2023] [Accepted: 06/06/2023] [Indexed: 06/28/2023]
Abstract
Private passenger vehicles, with its high emissions of CO2 and air pollutants, poses a severe threat to global climate and human health, particularly for a large developing country like China. Although both energy efficiency improvement of internal combustion engine vehicles (ICEVs) and the wide adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) could contribute to reducing emissions, how they should be jointly implemented in provinces with a heterogeneous context to maximize their net benefits remains insufficiently explored. Here, based on an integrated modeling framework associated with one factual (REF) and four counterfactual scenarios to explore the priority and best-ranked ordering of both EVs' penetration and high energy-efficient ICEVs in 31 Chinese provinces to achieve the most environmental and human health benefits from 2011 to 2018. The results demonstrate that electrification of the passenger fleet, which is charged by a slightly cleaner power source relative to 2011, yields significant co-benefits of CO2 reduction and air quality improvement. Compared with REF, the fleet electrification scenario would lead to 3167 cases of avoided mortality and attain US$4.269 billion of health benefits in 2018, accounting for 0.03% of China's gross domestic product. Nonetheless, highly efficient ICEVs are found to harbor decarbonization potential and health benefits in northern China. Based on these results, Sichuan, Hebei and seven other provinces in east China should promote EVs imminently; conversely, eight provinces with a high share of thermal power must continually advance their implementation of ICEVs in the near future. Such prioritization of EVs and ICEV development at the provincial level provides timely insights for devising tailored policies regarding passenger car transition and for maximizing climate and health benefits based on regional heterogeneity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan Ru Fang
- College of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Peking University, Beijing 100871, People’s Republic of China
| | - Xin Sun
- China Automotive Technology and Research Center Co., Ltd, No. 68, East Xianfeng Road, Dongli District, Tianjin 300300, People’s Republic of China
- Automotive Data of China (Tianjin) Co., Ltd, No. 3 Wanhui Road, Zhongbei Town, Xiqing District, Tianjin 300393, People’s Republic of China
- Automotive Data of China Co., Ltd, Boxing 6th Road, Beijing Economic Development Zone, Beijing 100176, People’s Republic of China
| | - Silu Zhang
- College of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Peking University, Beijing 100871, People’s Republic of China
| | - Gang Liu
- College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, People’s Republic of China
| | - Xiaorui Liu
- College of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Peking University, Beijing 100871, People’s Republic of China
| | - Peng Zhang
- China Automotive Technology and Research Center Co., Ltd, No. 68, East Xianfeng Road, Dongli District, Tianjin 300300, People’s Republic of China
- Automotive Data of China (Tianjin) Co., Ltd, No. 3 Wanhui Road, Zhongbei Town, Xiqing District, Tianjin 300393, People’s Republic of China
- Automotive Data of China Co., Ltd, Boxing 6th Road, Beijing Economic Development Zone, Beijing 100176, People’s Republic of China
| | - Yifei Kang
- Beijing Yiwei New Energy Vehicles Big Data Application &Technology Research Center, 2 North Xisanhuan Road, Haidian District, Beijing 100081, People’s Republic of China
| | - Hancheng Dai
- College of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Peking University, Beijing 100871, People’s Republic of China
- Institute for Global Health and Development, Peking University, Beijing 100871, People’s Republic of China
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14
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Wang R, Hertwich EG, Fishman T, Deetman S, Behrens P, Chen WQ, de Koning A, Xu M, Matus K, Ward H, Tukker A, Zimmerman JB. The legacy environmental footprints of manufactured capital. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2023; 120:e2218828120. [PMID: 37276416 PMCID: PMC10268226 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2218828120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2022] [Accepted: 04/19/2023] [Indexed: 06/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The foundations of today's societies are provided by manufactured capital accumulation driven by investment decisions through time. Reconceiving how the manufactured assets are harnessed in the production-consumption system is at the heart of the paradigm shifts necessary for long-term sustainability. Our research integrates 50 years of economic and environmental data to provide the global legacy environmental footprint (LEF) and unveil the historical material extractions, greenhouse gas emissions, and health impacts accrued in today's manufactured capital. We show that between 1995 and 2019, global LEF growth outpaced GDP and population growth, and the current high level of national capital stocks has been heavily relying on global supply chains in metals. The LEF shows a larger or growing gap between developed economies (DEs) and less-developed economies (LDEs) while economic returns from global asset supply chains disproportionately flow to DEs, resulting in a double burden for LDEs. Our results show that ensuring best practice in asset production while prioritizing well-being outcomes is essential in addressing global inequalities and protecting the environment. Achieving this requires a paradigm shift in sustainability science and policy, as well as in green finance decision-making, to move beyond the focus on the resource use and emissions of daily operations of the assets and instead take into account the long-term environmental footprints of capital accumulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ranran Wang
- Institute of Environmental Sciences (CML), Leiden University, 2333 CCLeiden, The Netherlands
| | - Edgar G. Hertwich
- Department of Energy and Process Engineering, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, 7491Trondheim, Norway
| | - Tomer Fishman
- Institute of Environmental Sciences (CML), Leiden University, 2333 CCLeiden, The Netherlands
| | - Sebastiaan Deetman
- Institute of Environmental Sciences (CML), Leiden University, 2333 CCLeiden, The Netherlands
| | - Paul Behrens
- Institute of Environmental Sciences (CML), Leiden University, 2333 CCLeiden, The Netherlands
| | - Wei-qiang Chen
- Institute of Urban Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xiamen361024, China
| | - Arjan de Koning
- Institute of Environmental Sciences (CML), Leiden University, 2333 CCLeiden, The Netherlands
| | - Ming Xu
- School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing100190, China
| | - Kira Matus
- Division of Public Policy, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong999077, China
| | - Hauke Ward
- Institute of Environmental Sciences (CML), Leiden University, 2333 CCLeiden, The Netherlands
| | - Arnold Tukker
- Institute of Environmental Sciences (CML), Leiden University, 2333 CCLeiden, The Netherlands
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15
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Watari T, Cao Z, Serrenho AC, Cullen J. Growing role of concrete in sand and climate crises. iScience 2023; 26:106782. [PMID: 37250298 PMCID: PMC10214720 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.106782] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2022] [Revised: 10/23/2022] [Accepted: 04/25/2023] [Indexed: 05/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Concrete production poses multiple sustainability challenges, including resource over-exploitation and climate change. Here we show that growing global demand for buildings and infrastructure over the past three decades has quadrupled concrete production, reaching ∼26 Gt/year in 2020. As a result, annual requirements for virgin concrete aggregates (∼20 Gt/year) exceeded the extraction of all fossil fuels (∼15 Gt/year), exacerbating sand scarcity, ecosystem destruction, and social conflict. We also show that despite industry efforts to reduce CO2 emissions by ∼20% per unit of production, mainly through clinker substitution and improved thermal efficiency, increased production has outweighed these gains. Consequently, concrete-related CO2 emissions have tripled between 1990 and 2020, and its contribution to global emissions has risen from 5% to 9%. We propose that the policy agenda should focus more on limiting production growth by changing how concrete structures are designed, constructed, used, and disposed of to address the sand and climate crises.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takuma Watari
- Material Cycles Division, National Institute for Environmental Studies, 16-2, Onogawa, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8506, Japan
- Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge, Trumpington Street, Cambridge CB2 1PZ, UK
| | - Zhi Cao
- Energy and Materials in Infrastructure and Buildings (EMIB), University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - André Cabrera Serrenho
- Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge, Trumpington Street, Cambridge CB2 1PZ, UK
| | - Jonathan Cullen
- Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge, Trumpington Street, Cambridge CB2 1PZ, UK
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16
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Long Y, Yoshida Y, Jiang Y, Huang L, Wang W, Mi Z, Shigetomi Y, Kanemoto K. Japanese urban household carbon footprints during early-stage COVID-19 pandemic were consistent with those over the past decade. NPJ URBAN SUSTAINABILITY 2023; 3:19. [PMID: 37009569 PMCID: PMC10052282 DOI: 10.1038/s42949-023-00095-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2022] [Accepted: 02/20/2023] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
As urbanization accelerates worldwide, substantial energy and services are required to meet the demand from cities, making cities major contributors to adverse environmental consequences. To bridge the knowledge gap in the absence of fine-grained city-level climate protection measures due to data availability and accuracy, this study provides a detailed carbon emission inventory for analyzing the monthly fluctuations based on citizens' daily consumption behaviors. Here, carbon emissions embodied in approximately 500 household consumption items were calculated in 47 prefectural-level cities in Japan from 2011 to June 2021. We analyzed the results considering the regional, seasonal, demand, and emission way-specific aspects, and compared the emission before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Notably, the carbon footprints during the pandemic were consistent with the previous level despite downtrends in specific categories. This study provides an example of utilizing city-level emission data to improve household green consumption behavior as references for enriching city-level decarbonization paths.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yin Long
- Graduate School of Engineering, University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-8654 Japan
| | - Yoshikuni Yoshida
- Graduate School of Engineering, University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-8654 Japan
| | - Yida Jiang
- Graduate Program in Sustainability Science - Global Leadership Initiative, The University of Tokyo, 5-1-5 Kashiwanoha, Kashiwa, Chiba, 277-8563 Japan
| | - Liqiao Huang
- Graduate School of Engineering, University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-8654 Japan
| | - Wentao Wang
- The Administrative Center for China’s Agenda 21, No. 8 Yuyuan Nan Road, Haidian District, Beijing, China
| | - Zhifu Mi
- The Bartlett School of Sustainable Construction, University College London, London, WC1E 7HB UK
| | - Yosuke Shigetomi
- Faculty of Environmental Science, Nagasaki University, 1-14 Bunkyo-machi, Nagasaki, 852-8521 Japan
| | - Keiichiro Kanemoto
- Research Institute for Humanity and Nature, 457-4 Motoyama, Kamigamo, Kita-ku, Kyoto, 603-8047 Japan
- Graduate School of Environmental Studies, Tohoku University, Aoba, 468-1, Aramaki, Aoba-ku, 980-8572 Sendai, Japan
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17
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Rousseau LSA, Kloostra B, AzariJafari H, Saxe S, Gregory J, Hertwich EG. Material Stock and Embodied Greenhouse Gas Emissions of Global and Urban Road Pavement. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2022; 56:18050-18059. [PMID: 36455072 PMCID: PMC9775204 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.2c05255] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2022] [Revised: 11/10/2022] [Accepted: 11/11/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Roads play a key role in movements of goods and people but require large amounts of materials emitting greenhouse gases to be produced. This study assesses the global road material stock and the emissions associated with materials' production. Our bottom-up approach combines georeferenced paved road segments with road length statistics and archetypical geometric characteristics of roads. We estimate road material stock to be of 254 Gt. If we were to build these roads anew, raw material production would emit 8.4 GtCO2-eq. Per capita stocks range from 0.2 t/cap in Chad to 283 t/cap in Iceland, with a median of 20.6 t/cap. If the average per capita stock in Africa was to reach the current European level, 166 Gt of road materials, equivalent to the road material stock in North America and in East and South Asia, would be consumed. At the urban scale, road material stock increases with the urban area, population density, and GDP per capita, emphasizing the need for containing urban expansion. Our study highlights the challenges in estimating road material stock and serves as a basis for further research into infrastructure resource management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lola S. A. Rousseau
- Industrial
Ecology Programme, Department of Energy and Process Engineering, NTNU − Norwegian University of Science and
Technology, Høgskoleringen
5, 7034 Trondheim, Norway
| | - Bradley Kloostra
- Department
of Civil & Mineral Engineering, University
of Toronto, 35 St. George Street, Toronto, OntarioM5S 1A4, Canada
| | - Hessam AzariJafari
- School
for Environment and Sustainability, University
of Michigan, Dana Building, 440 Church Street, Ann Arbor, Michigan48109, United States
- Civil
& Environmental Engineering, Massachusetts
Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, Massachusetts02139, United States
| | - Shoshanna Saxe
- Department
of Civil & Mineral Engineering, University
of Toronto, 35 St. George Street, Toronto, OntarioM5S 1A4, Canada
| | - Jeremy Gregory
- MIT
Climate and Sustainability Consortium, Massachusetts
Institute of Technology, 105 Broadway Street, Cambridge, Massachusetts02142, United States
| | - Edgar G. Hertwich
- Industrial
Ecology Programme, Department of Energy and Process Engineering, NTNU − Norwegian University of Science and
Technology, Høgskoleringen
5, 7034 Trondheim, Norway
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18
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Long X, Chen B, Wang P, Zhang M, Yu H, Wang S, Zhang H, Wang Y. Exports Widen the Regional Inequality of Health Burdens and Economic Benefits in India. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2022; 56:14099-14108. [PMID: 36126152 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.2c04722] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Both the ever-complex international and subnational supply chains could relocate health burdens and economic benefits across India, leading to the widening of regional inequality. Here, we simultaneously track the unequal distribution of fine particle matter (PM2.5) pollution, health costs, and value-added embodied in inter- and intranational exports for Indian states in 2015 by integrating a nested multiregional input-output (MRIO) table constructed based on EXIOBASE and an Indian regional MRIO table, Emissions Database for Global Atmospheric Research (EDGAR), the Community Multi-Scale Air Quality (CMAQ) model, and a concentration-response function. The results showed that the annual premature deaths associated with PM2.5 pollution embodied in inter- and intranational exports were 757,356 and 388,003 throughout India, accounting for 39% and 20% of the total premature deaths caused by PM2.5 pollution, respectively. Richer south and west coastal states received around half of the national Gross Domestic Product (GDP) induced by exports with a quarter of the health burden, while poorer central and east states bear approximately 60% of the health burden with less than a quarter of national GDP. Our findings highlight the role of exports in driving the regional inequality of health burdens and economic benefits. Therefore, tailored strategies (e.g., air pollution compensation, advanced technology transfer, and export structure optimization) could be formulated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinyi Long
- Fudan Tyndall Center and Shanghai Key Laboratory of Atmospheric Particle Pollution and Prevention (LAP3), Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Fudan University, Shanghai 200082, China
| | - Bin Chen
- Fudan Tyndall Center and Shanghai Key Laboratory of Atmospheric Particle Pollution and Prevention (LAP3), Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Fudan University, Shanghai 200082, China
| | - Peng Wang
- Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200082, China
- IRDR International Center of Excellence on Risk Interconnectivity and Governance on Weather, Shanghai 200082, China
| | - Mengyuan Zhang
- Fudan Tyndall Center and Shanghai Key Laboratory of Atmospheric Particle Pollution and Prevention (LAP3), Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Fudan University, Shanghai 200082, China
| | - Huajun Yu
- Fudan Tyndall Center and Shanghai Key Laboratory of Atmospheric Particle Pollution and Prevention (LAP3), Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Fudan University, Shanghai 200082, China
| | - Sijing Wang
- Fudan Tyndall Center and Shanghai Key Laboratory of Atmospheric Particle Pollution and Prevention (LAP3), Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Fudan University, Shanghai 200082, China
| | - Hongliang Zhang
- Fudan Tyndall Center and Shanghai Key Laboratory of Atmospheric Particle Pollution and Prevention (LAP3), Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Fudan University, Shanghai 200082, China
- IRDR International Center of Excellence on Risk Interconnectivity and Governance on Weather, Shanghai 200082, China
| | - Yutao Wang
- Fudan Tyndall Center and Shanghai Key Laboratory of Atmospheric Particle Pollution and Prevention (LAP3), Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Fudan University, Shanghai 200082, China
- IRDR International Center of Excellence on Risk Interconnectivity and Governance on Weather, Shanghai 200082, China
- Shanghai Institute for Energy and Carbon Neutrality Strategy, Fudan University, Shanghai 200082, China
- Institute of Eco-Chongming (SIEC), Shanghai 200082, China
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19
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Efficient use of cement and concrete to reduce reliance on supply-side technologies for net-zero emissions. Nat Commun 2022; 13:4158. [PMID: 35851585 PMCID: PMC9293885 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-31806-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2022] [Accepted: 06/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Decarbonization strategies for the cement and concrete sector have relied heavily on supply-side technologies, including carbon capture and storage (CCS), masking opportunities for demand-side intervention. Here we show that cross-cutting strategies involving both the supply and demand sides can achieve net-zero emissions by 2050 across the entire Japanese cement and concrete cycle without resorting to mass deployment of CCS. Our analysis shows that a series of mitigation efforts on the supply side can reduce 2050 CO2 emissions by up to 80% from baseline levels and that the remaining 20% mitigation gap can be fully bridged by the efficient use of cement and concrete in the built environment. However, this decarbonization pathway is dependent on how CO2 uptake by carbonation and carbon capture and utilization is accounted for in the inventory. Our analysis underscores the importance of including demand-side interventions at the heart of decarbonization strategies and highlights the urgent need to discuss how to account for CO2 uptake in national inventories under the Paris Agreement. A new study finds supply-side efforts alone are unlikely to lead to net-zero emissions across the cement and concrete cycle by 2050, advocating for more efficient use of cement and concrete in the built environment and more strategic options for decarbonization.
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20
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Life Cycle Analysis Challenges through Building Rating Schemes within the European Framework. SUSTAINABILITY 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/su14095009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
The decarbonisation of buildings is a crucial milestone if European cities mean to reach their mitigation targets. The construction sector was responsible for 38% of the GHG emissions in 2020. From these emissions, 11% is calculated to be currently embodied in building materials. In this context, an evaluation from a life cycle perspective is becoming increasingly necessary to achieve the objectives set. Currently, there are different building rating systems (BRS) at European level that allow the evaluation of the degree of sustainability of buildings. During this study, the authors have evaluated to what extent and how the most extended five BRS (NF Habitat HQE, VERDE, DGNB, BREEAM, and HPI systems) in the European framework have integrated the life cycle methodology during their evaluation process. Four methodologies have been used in the research in order to analyse these five systems: quantitative assessment, multi-level perspective, mapping–gap analysis, and expert interviews. Although each methodology has produced different results, the need to harmonise the evaluation criteria at the European level, the insufficient consistency of data software, and the availability of skilled LCA professionals for wider LCA market penetration, among others, should be highlighted. The quality and harmonised data of construction products is required for LCA to give aggregated and transformative results.
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21
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Zhou Z, Ge Y, Liu Y. Real-time monitoring of carbon concentration using laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy and machine learning. OPTICS EXPRESS 2021; 29:39811-39823. [PMID: 34809337 DOI: 10.1364/oe.443732] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2021] [Accepted: 11/05/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
The spectral analysis based on laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) is an effective approach to carbon concentration monitoring. In this work, a novel LIBS-based method, together with a system designed independently, was developed for carbon monitoring. The experiments were conducted in two modes: static and dynamic. In static monitoring, gases in three scenarios were selected to represent different carbon concentrations, based on which measurements of carbon concentrations were performed through a mathematical model. Then, K-nearest Neighbors (KNN) was adopted for classification, and its accuracy could reach 99.17%, which can be applied for the identification of gas composition and pollution traceability. In dynamic monitoring, respiration and fossil fuel combustion were selected because of their important roles in increasing carbon concentration. In addition, the simulation of combustion degree was performed by the radial basis function (RBF) based on the spectral information, where the accuracy reached 96.41%, which is the first time that LIBS is proposed to be used for combustion prediction. The innovative approach derived from LIBS and machine learning algorithms is fast, online, and in-situ, showing far-reaching application prospects in real-time monitoring of carbon concentrations.
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