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For a sustainable building industry, reusable construction with a low demand for primary resources is needed. Moreover, if we want to reduce the amount of construction and demolition waste, construction with recycled aggregate should be considered. To investigate the environmental impacts of such concrete construction, life cycle assessment (LCA) was used to compare the following types of concrete construction: Reusable blocks with recycled brick aggregate, reusable blocks with recycled concrete, reusable blocks with natural aggregate, and regular concrete wall. Firstly, the properties of new concrete with recycled aggregate were measured, such as physical, mechanical, and thermal properties. Then, different constructions were designed and assessed using the method of Institute of Environmental Sciences (CML2001) and the method of National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (ReCiPe 2016) as characterization methods. Unsurprisingly, the regular concrete wall had a higher impact on most of the impact categories, e.g., 113 kg CO2 eq. (in the first scenario, using CML2001). In accordance with the circular principles, the reusability of blocks and recycling of aggregate are the main factors that affect the environmental impact of the constructions. Thus, the global warming potential (GWP) of construction with reusable recycled concrete blocks was only 53 kg CO2 eq. (in the second scenario). Moreover, we show differences in the results of CML2001 and ReCiPe 2016, e.g., in the Photochemical Oxidant Creation category.

In recent years, eco-driving has proven to be an effective tool for reducing fuel consumption and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Until now, most research carried out has focused on ordinary drivers applying eco-driving techniques on their usual routes. However, there is little research on professional driver couriers. This research is aimed at analyzing the effects that eco-driving has on fuel consumption and GHG emissions on courier deliveries in small cities such as Caceres (Spain). For this purpose, a real-life experiment was performed with professional drivers with Spanish post vans from the public sector company Correos. In the first period, driving was under normal conditions (non-eco), and after a theoretical training eco-driving course, there was a second driving period (eco). Driving parameters (speeds, accelerations, rpm, and consumptions) were recorded on all trips to analyze how effective the eco-driving was. The research concluded that eco-driving training does not correlate with more sustainable driving for professional drivers under pressure with the need to deliver packages on time. However, there is a trend in fuel savings when using higher capacity routes.

The impact of contrails on Earth’s climate is probably not negligible, yet there are only a few initiatives aimed at mitigating the influence of aviation on the environment. To achieve zero CO2 emissions, aircraft manufacturers and airlines propose complex and costly methods and technologies such as synthetic fuels, hybrid engines, or expensive carbon offsetting. On the other hand, contrail mitigation by achievable operational measures has the potential to achieve benefits with a very positive cost-benefit ratio without the need for a complex technological change in aviation. It seems that one suitable tool for contrail mitigation is the change in flight level. Therefore, we focused on the assessment of flight levels with typical contrails occurrence and common flight levels used by air traffic management. Some influence of tropopause height throughout the year was presumed to be a factor, therefore we studied different times of the year. The tropopause height influences not only contrail occurrence but also the preferred flight level, as airlines tend to avoid flying directly in the tropopause. We present some basic statistics about the frequency of contrail occurrence based on flight level. We focused on long-lived contrails to emphasize the more important contrails in this context. Information about flight levels is based on ADS-B data transmitted by aircraft and recorded by a ground station near the place of contrail occurrence, which was based on optical survey.

CO2 and SO2, while having different environmental impacts, are both linked to the burning of fossil fuels. Research on joint patterns of CO2 emissions and SO2 emissions may provide useful information for decision-makers to reduce these emissions effectively. This study analyzes both CO2 emissions and SO2 emissions embodied in interprovincial trade in 2007 and 2010 using multi-regional input–output analysis. Backward and forward linkage analysis shows that Production and Supply of Electric Power and Steam, Non-metal Mineral Products, and Metal Smelting and Pressing are key sectors for mitigating SO2 and CO2 emissions along the national supply chain. The total SO2 emissions and CO2 emissions of these sectors accounted for 81% and 76% of the total national SO2 emissions and CO2 emissions, respectively.

Global economic trends have shown the progression of social inequalities and environmental deterioration in the grey economy. New economic practices and policies need to be developed in order to achieve the sustainable development goals (SDGs). A green economy (GE) has a correlative role with the implementation of sustainable development (SD), which could revive the grey economy, human well-being, and social equity, as well as substantially decrease environmental risks and ecological scarcities. This study aims to develop a hybrid methodological and mathematical approach to prioritize the most effective variables from classified GE and SDGs criteria (23 criteria) to implement SD. This study has deliberated over the Decision making trial and evaluation laboratory (DEMATEL) technique for considering interconnections among numerous criteria to collect the most effective variables (12 criteria) based on three pillars (3Ps) of SD. Likewise, the analytic network process (ANP) technique ranked these effective variables by considering their network relations based on three indicators. Lastly, integration was used to finalize and prioritize the most effective variables based on their weight from the ANP technique. This study will highlight the green economy with exclusive environmental issues and sustainable growth as the greatest effective variables among GE and SDGs criteria for SD implementation.

This paper reports the experimental and simulation analysis of a window system incorporating Phase Change Materials (PCMs). In this study, the latent heat storage material is exploited to increase the thermal mass of the building component. A PCM-filled window can increase the possibilities of storage energy from solar radiation and reduce the heating cooling demand. The presented measurements were performed on a specific window panel that integrates a PCM. The PCM window panel consists of four panes of safety glass with three gaps, of which the first one contains a prismatic glass, the second a krypton gas, and the last one a PCM. New PCM window panel technology uses the placement of the PCM in the whole space of the window cavity. This technology improves the thermal performance and storage mass of the window panel. The results show the incongruent melting of salt hydrates and the high thermal inertia of the PCM window panel. The simulation data showed that the PCM window panel and the double glazing panel markedly reduced the peak temperature on the interior surface, reduced the air temperature inside the room, and also considerably improved the thermal mass of the building. This means that the heat energy entering the building through the panel is reduced by 66% in the summer cycle.

The paper appraised the nexus between electricity consumption, agriculture, GDP, oil production, and carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions in Nigeria using a decoupling approach. The result showed that agriculture, electricity, and GDP were predictive variables for CO2 emissions in the Granger causality analysis. The relationship between GDP and CO2 emissions also indicated that the amount of CO2 released tends to rise as the economy’s output and industrial sectors grow, making GDP and CO2 emissions increasingly relevant indicators as a driver of CO2 emissions. Modern agriculture is reliant on large-scale use of fossil fuels and fertilizer production, as well as GHG emissions from crop and livestock production. However, increasing per capita real production can help to enhance quality of the environment, and speed up the uptake of renewable energy which can consequently help to ameliorate global warming. As a result of this study’s policy implications, policies in the agricultural sector that could combat CO2 emissions, including deforestation, land clearing, fertilization with highly environmentally destructive chemicals, neglected integration of agroforestry, and social forestry practices, can help reduce CO2 emissions in the agricultural sector. In addition, the study recommends that the financial markets’ monetary policy should regulate the GDP to charges to compensate for their various sectors’ contributions to CO2 emissions. This investigation might help policymakers in Nigeria to define the CO2 emission monetary and fiscal strategies. In addition, more alternative energy sources such as biofuels, hydropower, solar energy, and other renewable resources should be embraced in Nigeria as sustainable substitutes for fossil fuels.