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Abstract Sodium-promoted vanadium oxide catalysts supported on MCM-41 and TiO 2 (anatase) were investigated for the partial oxidation of ethanol to acetaldehyde. The catalysts were prepared by incipient wetness impregnation with a vanadium oxide content of 6 wt.%. The experimental characterization was performed by X-ray diffraction (XRD), N 2 adsorption, temperature-programmed reduction (TPR), and diffuse reflectance UV–vis. Temperature-programmed oxidation (TPO) was also used to identify carbon deposits on the spent catalysts. The presence of sodium plays a strong role in the dispersion and reducibility of the vanadium species as detected by TPR analysis and optical absorption spectroscopy. While sodium addition increases the dispersion of the VO x species, its presence also decreases their reducibility. Additionally, TPO of the spent catalysts revealed that an increase in the Na loading decreases the carbon deposition during reaction. In the case of the catalysts supported on MCM-41, these modifications were mirrored by a change in the activity and selectivity to acetaldehyde. Additionally, on the VO x /TiO 2 catalysts the catalytic activity decreased with increasing sodium content in the catalyst . A model in which sodium affects dispersion, reducibility and also acidity of the supported-vanadia species is proposed to explain all these observations.

Worldwide, the penetrations of photovoltaic (PV) and energy storage systems are increased in power systems. Due to the intermittent nature of PVs, these sustainable power systems require efficient managing and prediction techniques to ensure economic and secure operations. In this paper, a comprehensive dynamic economic dispatch (DED) framework is proposed that includes fuel-based generators, PV, and energy storage devices in sustainable power systems, considering various profiles of PV (clear and cloudy). The DED model aims at minimizing the total fuel cost of power generation stations while considering various constraints of generation stations, the power system, PV, and energy storage systems. An improved optimization algorithm is proposed to solve the DED optimization problem for a sustainable power system. In particular, a mutation mechanism is combined with a salp–swarm algorithm (SSA) to enhance the exploitation of the search space so that it provides a better population to get the optimal global solution. In addition, we propose a DED handling strategy that involves the use of PV power and load forecasting models based on deep learning techniques. The improved SSA algorithm is validated by ten benchmark problems and applied to the DED optimization problem for a hybrid power system that includes 40 thermal generators and PV and energy storage systems. The experimental results demonstrate the efficiency of the proposed framework with different penetrations of PV.

AbstractClimate change impacts are being felt across sectors in all regions of the world, and adaptation projects are being implemented to reduce climate risks and existing vulnerabilities. Climate adaptation actions also have significant synergies and tradeoffs with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including SDG 5 on gender equality. Questions are increasingly being raised about the gendered and climate justice implications of different adaptation options. This paper investigates if reported climate change adaptation actions are contributing to advancing the goal of gender equality (SDG 5) or not. It focuses on linkages between individual targets of SDG 5 and climate change adaptation actions for nine major sectors where transformative climate actions are envisaged. The assessment is based on evidence of adaptation actions documented in 319 relevant research publications published during 2014–2020. Positive links to nine targets under SDG 5 are found in adaptation actions that are consciously designed to advance gender equality. However, in four sectors—ocean and coastal ecosystems; mountain ecosystems; poverty, livelihood, sustainable development; and industrial system transitions, we find more negative links than positive links. For adaptation actions to have positive impacts on gender equality, gender-focused targets must be intentionally brought in at the prioritisation, designing, planning, and implementation stages. An SDG 5+ approach, which takes into consideration intersectionality and gender aspects beyond women alone, can help adaptation actions move towards meeting gender equality and other climate justice goals. This reflexive approach is especially critical now, as we approach the mid-point in the timeline for achieving the SDGs.

The cluster on Enabling Technologies in the framework of the Fast Track on Energy Communities workshop held in Rome during the Sustainable Places 2021 conference presented a series of H2020 projects and their innovative technological solutions to facilitate the uptake of energy communities, demand-response and energy efficiency projects in Europe.

The adverse effects of agriculture and livestock production on the environment are well-known and require mitigation in order to achieve sustainability in the food production chain. This study focused on adverse effects related to biogeochemical flows of phosphorus and nitrogen cycles which natural balances have been greatly disturbed by current practices. To assess the potential benefits and detrimental effects of proposed mitigation measures, adequate impact indicators are required. The challenge lies in identifying and providing indicators that cover the important aspects of environmental sustainability and allow a direct comparison of policy alternatives. A review of potential indicators that are also consistent with those used to indicate the performance of agricultural and general sustainability (i.e. the European Green Deal) led to the selection of fifteen agri-environmental indicators covering the main environmental issues in agriculture. The indicators identified offered an effective representation of environmental behaviour and would be useful in communicating a comprehensive ‘dashboard’ for professional end users of solutions to nutrient recovery and nutrient efficiency improvement in arable and livestock systems. The selected dashboard indicators (DBI) covered the dimensions of ‘use of primary resources’, ‘emissions to the environment’ and ‘resilience to climate change’. Five case studies were investigated to test the DBI using an Excel questionnaire applying the qualitative approach of the Delphi method together with expert knowledge. As expected, the results indicated that there were potential benefits of the technologies in terms of improved ‘nutrient recovery’ and decreased ‘nitrate leaching’. Potential disadvantages included increased electricity and oil consumption and greater ammonia volatilisation due to the increased use of organic fertilisers. The indicator ‘water’ received more neutral responses; thus, the specific technology was not expected to consistently affect the indicator. In relation to ‘particulate matter’, the results were indicated to be ‘unknown’ for some solutions due to the difficulty of predicting this indicator. Furthermore, methodologies for estimating quantitative values for the dashboard indicators were proposed, and a quantitative assessment was performed for the solution ‘catch crops to recover nutrients’, confirming the responses in the qualitative assessment. The dashboard indicators selected covered the main aspects of the solutions, identified in more comprehensive studies of environmental impacts, as being suitable for the rapid assessment of technologies for nutrient recovery in agriculture. As such, they can be used as a pre-screening method for technologies designed to improve the environmental sustainability of arable and livestock systems. info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion