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AbstractThis study describes the relationships between climate change and the concept of a circular economy, outlining the need for synergies within a company's context. It reports on a bibliometric analysis of the relations between climate change and circular economy, and it provides evidence and assessments based on a sample of 11 large companies in the chemical industry. The results show that there is a concern in the academic literature to discuss circular economy efforts to combat climate change, reduce carbon emissions, strengthen the supply chain, assess the life cycle of products, their environmental impact, and waste management, and identify barriers to implementing the circular economy. In addition, there is a close association between the CE concept and tackling climate change in how organisations report their practices to the stakeholders, in considering concepts of recycling, reusing, adopting renewable energy, seeking resource efficiency, and rethinking strategies. The study concludes by providing some suggestions that may assist companies in intensifying their efforts to reduce their carbon footprint, combining them with more circular business models. Efforts from interested stakeholders must focus on defining CE in a more detailed manner, as well as its implementation at the different stages of production and consumption, especially in operations for which no uniform approach or common practice can be established. In this context, implications for positive social and environmental impacts by promoting a faster and more proactive climate transition in the chemical sector are presented. The novelty of this paper relies on the fact that it advances knowledge on matters related to the circular economy under a climate change context, identifying current trends and suggesting some measures which may optimise current business practices of the chemical sector.

Abstract The rapid uptake of renewable energy sources requires new forms of flexibility in electricity systems, including a more responsive demand-side. The social acceptability, scale and economic value of flexible demand remain subjects of conjecture. In this paper we inform this debate with a multi-methods approach using three instruments: surveys, observations and modelling. This multi-method approach brings out similarities and differences between Germany and Great Britain in relation to demand-side flexibility. Participants in both countries express a high willingness to participate in time variant tariffs, but their implementation may need to be context specific. In Germany national peak demand occurs at midday, when PV generation results in lower emission factors. Conversely, British peak demand is in the early evening when emission factors are at their highest. The differences in responses allow us to explore important technical and cultural differences affecting the need for flexibility. Germany gains most from flexibility during the daytime in summer, while flexibility in Great Britain contributes most during winter evenings. We observe high degrees of acceptability of time-variant electricity tariffs (55%) and willingness to shift demand is high, resulting in peak demand reductions of up to 14.5%. However, the resulting cost and carbon savings of these efforts is less than 2% in both countries. We conclude that short term carbon or cost savings may be less powerful motivators for load shifting measures than long term system decarbonisation.

Abstract Behavior change towards sustainable lifestyles such as adoption of renewable energy technologies is a significant element in the fight against anthropogenic climate change. Increasingly, private households can be observed to take up different renewable energy technologies; however, the introduction of these technologies is not accompanied by a broader adoption of pro-environmental behaviors, as recent studies have shown. At the same time, group settings and social capital seem to promote the uptake of wide-ranging sustainability measures. Six case studies were conducted among different sustainable community projects in Germany to shed light on why and how broad sustainability transformation in such settings comes about. Findings suggest that successful implementation of wide-ranging sustainable measures and changes in behaviors in community settings result from motivations that originate from an interplay of social needs, social capital, social norms, and environmental concern. Strong environmental attitudes, not among all, but a critical mass of members and key individuals are necessary. The desire for community and other motives, along with social influence and social norms push individuals with low environmental concern to participate in sustainable endeavors.

AbstractThe preparation of nanomaterials for energy applications such as intercalation batteries and materials that can act as substrates for water oxidation is a subject of major interest nowadays. In this work, we report the deposition of Prussian blue (PB) and its cobalt analogue (CoPBA) on mesoporous titania thin films (MTTF) using the successive ionic layer adsorption reaction (SILAR) technique under soft conditions. A bifunctional ligand, 1,10‐phenanthroline‐5,6‐dione (pd), was used to functionalize the titania surface and promote the growth of PB and CoPBA. The resulting PB@MTTF and CoPBA@MTTF nanocomposites were characterized using several techniques and it was determined that PB and CoPBA grow in a controlled and sequential manner, maintaining the mesoporous architecture. Both PB@MTTF and CoPBA@MTTF demonstrated very good electroactive properties, while CoPBA@MTTF exhibited water oxidation capabilities. The flexibility of this PBA@MTTF platform allows the incorporation of any labile transition metal ion or fragment into the structure of the coordination polymer embedded into a mesoporous matrix, opening the door for (photo)electrochemical devices and catalysts.

As Europe is not on track in meeting its 2020 energy savings target, there has been quite some debate to make the energy savings target binding instead of indicative. Although the final draft text of the Energy Efficiency Directive left the option of a binding target explicitly open for the period beyond 2014, this statement has watered down in the adopted Directive: If still not on track mid-2014, the European Commission will propose "further measures." In this paper, we argue that a binding energy savings target could be the first EU legal initiative to look beyond 2020 serving as a beacon for other policies such as for renewables and greenhouse gases that need redefinition after 2020. We therefore explore four possible design options of a binding savings target and assess their feasibility. We conclude that a binding target at Member State level (opposed to an EU-wide target like for the EU Emission Trading System (ETS)) is the most feasible. A binding target at Member State level would ensure political accountability and commitment to deliver results while providing flexibility to choose and apply the most suitable tools to achieve the target. It could provide a framework to guide ambitious and coherent implementation of EU energy efficiency policies, as well as the strengthening of national policies. Furthermore, binding targets at Member State level will make Member States take an ambitious position in Brussels when new energy or CO2 performance standards for appliances and transport modes are to be set. A Member State binding target applied to end-users (excluding ETS companies) is a design option that covers the vast majority of the cost-effective energy savings potential, maintains the flexibility for ETS companies, and supports the most cost-effective achievement of a greater share of renewables.

Abstract The transport sector is one of the major drivers of global climate change, with a large share related to the personal use of cars. Paradoxically, as efforts are undertaken to reduce this share, a trend to buy large, heavy cars with comparatively high fuel consumption is occurring nearly worldwide. In this article, we analyze the possible influence of social norms in car-buying decisions and in particular in the trend towards sport utility vehicles (SUVs). We develop a model applying a multi-criteria decision analysis approach and quantify the influence of social norms on car-buying decisions. Four main data sources are used: Surveys on German car buyers and their preferences conducted by VuMA Touchpoints and ARAL, longitudinal data by the Sinus-Institute on different social groups in German society, as well as ADAC assessments on characteristics of different car types. Our results indicate that social norms play a significant role in driving the demand for heavyweight passenger cars across most social groups, while the desire for social esteem leads some groups in particular to purchase SUVs and off-road vehicles. By taking society’s heterogeneity into account, we show that social norms are group-specific and not universal in society. Nevertheless, car choice is to a certain extent always influenced by social norms and ranges among different social groups between 24% and 42% in our model calculations. The novel approach taken in this research can be applied beyond the mobility sector to other environmentally significant consumer behaviors.

Torrefaction is a promising bioenergy pre-treatment technology, with potential to make a major contribution to the commodification of biomass. However, there is limited scientific knowledge on the techno-economic performance of torrefaction. This study therefore improves available knowledge on torrefaction by providing detailed insights into state of the art prospects of the commercial utilisation of torrefaction technology over time. Focussing on and based on the current status of the compact moving bed reactor, we identify process performance characteristics such as thermal efficiency and mass yield and discuss their determining factors through analysis of mass and energy balances. This study has shown that woody biomass can be torrefied with a thermal and mass efficiency of 94% and 48% respectively (on a dry ash free basis). For straw, the corresponding theoretical energetic efficiency is 96% and mass efficiency is 65%. In the long term, the technical performance of torrefaction processes is expected to improve and energy efficiencies are expected to be at least 97% as optimal torgas use and efficient heat transfer are realised. Short term production costs for woody biomass TOPs (torrefied pellets) are estimated to be between 3.3 and 4.8 US$/GJLHV, falling to 2.1–5.1 US$/GJLHV in the long term. At such cost levels, torrefied pellets would become competitive with traditional pellets. For full commercialisation, torrefaction reactors still require to be optimised. Of importance to torrefaction system performance is the achievement of consistent and homogeneous, fully hydrophobic and stable product, capable of utilising different feedstocks, at desired end-use energy densities.

The goal of this paper is to review bottom-up models for industrial energy demand with a particular focus on their capability to model barriers to the adoption of energy-efficient technologies. The integration of barriers into the models is an important prerequisite for a more detailed and realistic modeling of policies for energy efficiency. Particularly with the emergence of more and more varying policy instruments, it also becomes crucial for the models to take account of these policies as well as the barriers they address in a more realistic way. Our review revealed that, despite the broadly evident existence of market failures and barriers for energy-efficient technologies, they are only partly and in a rather aggregated form considered in today's bottom-up models. The state-of-the-art bottom-up model is based on an explicit representation of the technology stock and considers the costs of energy efficiency options in detail. But with regard to barriers, most models only make use of an aggregated approach, like an adjusted discount rate. While some models do not even consider technology costs and energy prices, but instead use exogenous technology diffusion rates, other more advanced models took first steps towards considering barriers in more detail. The latter allows differentiation between multiple parameters that influence technology adoption. Still, even in the most advanced models, only a few of the observed barriers are explicitly considered. At the same time, new approaches to considering barriers like uncertainty or the (slow) spread of information are being developed in other disciplines. We conclude the paper by summarizing promising ways to improve representation of barriers in bottom-up models.