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Dynamics of societal material stocks such as buildings and infrastructures and their spatial patterns drive surging resource use and emissions. Building up and maintaining stocks requires large amounts of resources; currently stock-building materials amount to almost 60% of all materials used by humanity. Buildings, infrastructures and machinery shape social practices of production and consumption, thereby creating path dependencies for future resource use. They constitute the physical basis of the spatial organization of most socio-economic activities, for example as mobility networks, urbanization and settlement patterns and various other infrastructures. This dataset features a detailed map of material stocks for the whole of Germany on a 10m grid based on high resolution Earth Observation data (Sentinel-1 + Sentinel-2), crowd-sourced geodata (OSM) and material intensity factors. Temporal extent The map is representative for ca. 2018. Data format Per federal state, the data come in tiles of 30x30km (see shapefile). The projection is EPSG:3035. The images are compressed GeoTiff files (*.tif). There is a mosaic in GDAL Virtual format (*.vrt), which can readily be opened in most Geographic Information Systems. The dataset features area and mass for different street types area and mass for different rail types area and mass for other infrastructure area, volume and mass for different building types Masses are reported as total values, and per material category. Units area in m² height in m volume in m³ mass in t for infrastructure and buildings Further information For further information, please see the publication or contact Helmut Haberl (helmut.haberl@boku.ac.at). A web-visualization of this dataset is available here. Visit our website to learn more about our project MAT_STOCKS - Understanding the Role of Material Stock Patterns for the Transformation to a Sustainable Society. Publication Haberl, H., Wiedenhofer, D., Schug, F., Frantz, D., Virág, D., Plutzar, C., Gruhler, K., Lederer, J., Schiller, G. , Fishman, T., Lanau, M., Gattringer, A., Kemper, T., Liu, G., Tanikawa, H., van der Linden, S., Hostert, P. (accepted): High-resolution maps of material stocks in buildings and infrastructures in Austria and Germany. Environmental Science & Technology Funding This research was primarly funded by the European Research Council (ERC) under the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme (MAT_STOCKS, grant agreement No 741950). ML and GL acknowledge funding by the Independent Research Fund Denmark (CityWeight, 6111-00555B), ML thanks the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC; project Multi-Scale, Circular Economic Potential of Non-Residential Building Scale, EP/S029273/1), JL acknowledges funding by the Vienna Science and Technology Fund (WWTF), project ESR17-067, TF acknowledges the Israel Science Foundation grant no. 2706/19.

AbstractMetro systems act as fast and efficient transport systems for many modern metropolises; however, enhancing higher usage of such systems often conflicts with providing suitable accessibility options. The traditional approach of metro accessibility studies seems to be an ineffective measure to gage sustainable access in which the equal rights of all users are taken into account. Bangkok Metropolitan Region (BMR) transportation has increasingly relied on the role of two mass rapid transport systems publicly called “BTS Skytrain” and “MRT Subway”, due to limited availability of land and massive road congestion; however, access to such transit arguably treats some vulnerable groups, especially women, the elderly and disabled people unfairly. This study constructs a multi-dimensional assessment of accessibility considerations to scrutinize how user groups access metro services based on BMR empirical case. 600 individual passengers at various stations were asked to rate the questionnaire that simultaneously considers accessibility aspects of spatial, feeder connectivity, temporal, comfort/safety, psychosocial and other dimensions. It was interestingly found by user disaggregated accessibility model that the lower the accessibility perceptions—related uncomfortable and unsafe environment conditions, the greater the equitable access to services, as illustrated by MRT — Hua Lumphong and MRT — Petchaburi stations. The study suggests that, to balance the access priorities of groups on services, policy actions should emphasize acceptably safe access for individuals, cost efficient feeder services connecting the metro lines, socioeconomic influences and time allocation. Insightful discussions on integrated approach balancing different dimensions of accessibility and recommendations would contribute to accessibility-based knowledge and potential propensity to use the public transits towards transport sustainability.

Transport can play a key role in mitigating climate change, through reducing traffic, emissions and dependency on private vehicles. Transport is also crucial to connect remote areas to central or urban areas. Yet, sustainable and flexible transport is among the greatest challenges for rural areas and rural–urban regions. Innovative transport concepts and approaches are urgently needed to foster sustainable and integrated regional development. This article addresses challenges of sustainability, accessibility, and connectivity through examining complementary systems to existing public transport, including demand-responsive transport and multimodal mobility. We draw upon case studies from the Metropolitan Area of Styria, Ljubljana Urban Region and rural Wales (GUSTmobil, REGIOtim, EURBAN, Bicikelj, Bwcabus, Grass Routes). In-depth analysis through a mixed-methods case study design captures the complexity behind these chosen examples, which form a basis for analysing the effects of services on accessibility for different groups, connectivity to public transport and usability as a “first and last mile” feeder. We further explore the weaknesses of complementary transport systems, including legal, organisational and financial barriers, and offer potential solutions to structure and communicate complementary transport systems to improve access and use. Looking ahead, we use the case studies to anticipate innovative, sustainable “mobility as a service” (MaaS) solutions within and between urban and rural areas and consider how future public policy orientations and arrangements can enable positive change. A main concern of our article and the contribution to scientific literature is through exploring the benefit of well-established multi-level governance arrangements when introducing smaller-scale mobility solutions to improve rural–urban accessibility. It becomes clear that not a one-size-fits-all model but placed-based and tailored approaches lead to successful and sustainable concepts.

Market penetration of electric vehicles is nowadays gaining considerable momentum and so is the move towards increasingly distributed clean and renewable electricity sources. The penetration rate varies among countries due to several factors, including the social and technical readiness of the community to adopt and use this technology. In addition, the increasing complexity of power grids, growing demand as well as environmental and energy sustainability concerns intensify the need for energy management solutions and energy demand reduction strategies. Hence, integration strategies for energy-efficiency in the building and transport sector are of increasing importance. The present study analyses key parameters leading to Electric Vehicle adoption, utilizing background data from countries where Electric Vehicles have already been introduced and adopted in everyday living, and presents a case study of an energy management scheme in Greece, where the penetration rate is still low. Based on the above, an optimization algorithm is proposed, where buildings, photovoltaic plants, storage systems, and Electric Vehicles (utilization of Vehicle to Grid technology) can efficiently meet the energy requirements and peak-hour energy demand, in both economic and sustainability terms. The study proposes a hybrid approach, based on Analytic Hierarchy Process methodology and Genetic algorithms, aiming to foster the diffusion of the Vehicle to Grid concept to support building energy demand.

There has been a tremendous increase in the level of human activity on Earth since the start Industrial Revolution which has promoted great development within societies. However, recent scientific studies have shown that our actions have caused detrimental damage to our environment resulting in the observable phenomenon known as climate change. Some of the adverse effects of climate change include the destruction of habitats, changes in weather patterns and propagation of diseases ��� to name a few. This trend impacts all systems inhabiting our planet and has very grievous implications for the future if no action is taken. A major contributor to climate change is the transport sector which causes significant CO2 and green house gas pollution ��� due the heavy reliance on consuming fossil fuels. These harmful gases have been proven to facilitate global warming. The international community has recognised these undeniable facts and therefore is taking decisive steps to ensure that all sectors to become sustainable. There is a strong advocacy by the global community to promote "sustainable Transport" and ensure that the transport sector becomes emission free and less carbon intensive. An innovative solution to facilitate this transition to sustainable transport is the adoption of electric vehicles (EV���s) which are environmentally friendly and very efficient. EV���s are developing at a rapid pace and the EU is taking a lead in this revolution. Within the EU, the Netherlands has taken proactive steps to deploy as many EV within the country and has set ambitious goal to go all-electric by 2030. Given this bold target; this prompted the question that if the EV market share is forecasted to increase in the Netherlands, how much will it cost to install the appropriate infrastructure to accompany these vehicles? Hence the scope is to answer the following research question: ���To determine the financial viability of installing public electric vehicle charging infrastructure (Level 2 and 3) in the Netherlands���. It was concluded that public charging infrastructure is capital intensive and the associated costs cannot be borne by the government alone - effective financial co-operation between the public and private sectors is required. To get a holistic view to address this research question, global EV trends, the Dutch EV market and Dutch policies have been included.

Sustainable transport, such as using inland waterway transport (IWT), represents a major pillar of the European Green Deal to reduce global warming. To evaluate the different inland transport modes (road, rail, IWT), it is crucial to know the external costs of these modes. The goal of this paper is a critical review of external cost categories (e.g., accidents, noise, emissions) and external cost calculation methods of IWT to provide ideas for future research. We identified 13 relevant papers in a literature review dealing with external costs of IWT. In a meta-analysis, the papers were assigned to the seven external cost categories: accident, noise, congestion, habitat damage, air pollution, climate change and well-to-tank emissions. The most investigated external cost categories are climate change, air pollution and accidents. Two studies were identified as the major external cost calculation methods for IWT in the abstract. Our paper shows that the data basis of IWT is significantly lower than for road/rail. The measurement of energy consumption and related emissions of IWT needs to be qualitatively and quantitatively improved and brought up to the level of road traffic, to ensure an accurate comparison with other modes of transport.

Traffic congestion significantly contributes to climate change due to the emissions of Greenhouse Gases (GHGs) such as Carbon Dioxide (CO2), Nitrous Oxide (N2O), and Ozone (O3). Rapid urbanization and poor planning coupled with increased motorization and fragmented public transport system in cities such as Nairobi have led to increased vehicular emissions especially during heavy traffic along the various roads and within the Central Business District (CBD). To reduce GHG emissions in the urban transport sector, institutional coordination and relevant policy tools must be considered. This study aimed at estimating CO2 emissions from different vehicles during traffic congestion, using Uhuru Highway as a case study. The relationship between traffic congestion and CO2 emissions was analyzed using qualitative and quantitative methods, through a bottom-up approach. Questionnaires were administered to get individual vehicle characteristics and opinions on the best actions for the reduction of CO2 emissions along Uhuru Highway in Nairobi. The Average Annual Daily Traffic (AADT) for different vehicles from 2014 to 2019 was used to estimate the CO2 emissions. Results showed that private cars predominate over other vehicle types, contributing to 73% of the total CO2 emissions in Nairobi (CBD). Private cars are the highest contributor of CO2 emissions with a total of 25.3 million Carbo dioxide equivalent (gCO2e), between 2014 and 2019. In comparison, Public Service Vehicles, commonly referred to as Matatus emitted 6.89 million gCO2e, Light Commercial Vehicles (1.82 million gCO2e), Heavy Goods Vehicles (251,683 gCO2e), and motorcycles (181,054 gCO2e). To minimize CO2 emissions, the study recommended the enforcement of strong mobility policies to control the high motorization rate. One of these policies is the prioritization of the development of the mass public transport systems to achieve the potential health, economic and environmental gains within the CBD.

Recently, electric vehicle (EV) technology has received massive attention worldwide due to its improved performance efficiency and significant contributions to addressing carbon emission problems. In line with that, EVs could play a vital role in achieving sustainable development goals (SDGs). However, EVs face some challenges such as battery health degradation, battery management complexities, power electronics integration, and appropriate charging strategies. Therefore, further investigation is essential to select appropriate battery storage and management system, technologies, algorithms, controllers, and optimization schemes. Although numerous studies have been carried out on EV technology, the state-of-the-art technology, progress, limitations, and their impacts on achieving SDGs have not yet been examined. Hence, this review paper comprehensively and critically describes the various technological advancements of EVs, focusing on key aspects such as storage technology, battery management system, power electronics technology, charging strategies, methods, algorithms, and optimizations. Moreover, numerous open issues, challenges, and concerns are discussed to identify the existing research gaps. Furthermore, this paper develops the relationship between EVs benefits and SDGs concerning social, economic, and environmental impacts. The analysis reveals that EVs have a substantial influence on various goals of sustainable development, such as affordable and clean energy, sustainable cities and communities, industry, economic growth, and climate actions. Lastly, this review delivers fruitful and effective suggestions for future enhancement of EV technology that would be beneficial to the EV engineers and industrialists to develop efficient battery storage, charging approaches, converters, controllers, and optimizations toward targeting SDGs.