• Energy Research
• 11. Sustainability close
• 8. Economic growth close
• ES close
• DE close
• EU close

Purpose In Italy, composting olive mill waste has become a common practice, since it mitigates the environmental problems associated with spreading the waste on land. Compost can be used to prepare growth media for plant nursery cultivation as a substitute for peat, a non-renewable resource whose extraction has long raised environmental concerns. Here, we investigate two common composting procedures--open windrow and static-pile in gas-permeable bags--and compare them to evaluate their environmental impact. Methods We perform a cradle-to-grave life cycle assessment (LCA) in accordance with ISO 14040 and 14044. The LCA considers carbon storage in the soil after 100 years, fugitive greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and the impacts avoided by substituting for peat. We use cumulative energy demand, global warming potential (GWP), acidification potential, and eutrophication potential indicators in a contribution analysis and explore how the re-use of olive pits for energy production and reduction of commercial fertilizers improves the environmental balance. We also present a scenario analysis that indicates how parameter fluctuations affect the results. Results and discussion Our study shows that peat's impacts can be significantly reduced from 1162.3 to 96.3 kg CO2-eq/Mg for open windrow compost or 43.1 kg CO2-eq/Mg for static-pile compost in gas-permeable bags. For static-pile composting, the lack of volatile organic compound and ammonia emissions and the detection of oxygen concentrations above 12% vol. suggest fully aerobic conditions. Fugitive greenhouse gas emissions were the most important contributions to the GWP. In the contribution analysis for static-pile composting, the avoidance of compost spreading and the carbon storage effect (due to compost usage) contributed 54% of the overall impacts to GWP and between 21 and 45% to the other indicators. Conclusions This LCA study illustrates how horticulturists can improve their resource management practices by recycling olive mill waste materials. Proper management of composting unit aeration can reduce fugitive GHG emissions.

Advanced technologies, optimized operation and infrastructure are not sufficient to achieve the CO2 mitigation goals agreed on for the aviation sector. Carbon neutral alternative liquid fuels are required to fill the gap towards a carbon-neutral growth from 2020 on. The Power-to-Liquid process is one option to produce synthetic jet fuels from renewable energy. The technical and economic performance of production processes based on renewable electricity and CO2 was investigated and evaluated. Hydrogen can be generated by water electrolysis from fluctuating renewable power sources. Together with CO2 the reverse water-gas-shift reaction forms syngas. The Fischer-Tropsch synthesis produces long chained hydrocarbons from syngas. Downstream product separation and upgrading generates gasoline, jet fuel and diesel. Another process concept is based on high temperature co-electrolysis of steam and CO2 producing synthesis gas at high temperature and pressure. The process performance is evaluated via flowsheet simulation models and pinch point analyses comparing the Power-to-Fuel efficiency as well as carbon conversion into liquid fuels. A baseline Power-to-Fuel efficiency of 44 % for the concept based on water electrolysis can be increased to 60 % using the co-electrolysis concept. The baseline carbon conversion of 73 % grows to 98 %. The sensitivity of various operation conditions was analyzed. A cost analysis based on market data and equipment factors was performed for the investment year 2014. Employing stationary power input of 105 €/MWh, production costs of 3.38 €/kg were found for the water electrolysis concept. The production costs of the co-electrolysis concept compare to 2.83 €/kg. The sensitivity of the electrolyzer capital cost and electricity prices were analyzed and their effect on the production costs will be presented. Investment and operating costs to fill the gap towards carbon-neutral air transport growth from 2020 on can be predicted based on 2014 costs and technology status. A comparison to other renewable jet fuels regarding land use, feedstock potential and economic measures will be provided.

Die Metropolregion Santiago (MRS) verzeichnete in den letzten Jahren ein großes Bevölkerungswachstum und einen Anstieg des Lebensstandards. Als Folge davon hat sich das Aufkommen von Siedlungsabfällen fast innerhalb von 10 Jahren verdoppelt. Die Daten für den aktuellen Zustand des Abfallmanagements wurden durch Feldforschungen, Fragebögen, Feldbesuche und durch eine systematische Auswertung von bereits vorliegender Literatur erhoben. Das integrative Nachhaltigkeitskonzept der Helmholtz-Gemeinschaft diente als konzeptioneller Rahmen für die Studie. Zur Bewertung des aktuellen Zustands des Abfallmanagements wurden Nachhaltigkeitsindikatoren identifiziert, deren aktuelle Werte bestimmt und Zielwerte festgelegt. Die Nachhaltigkeitsanalyse zeigt, dass die größten Defizite darin liegen, dass nahezu die gesamte Abfallmenge ohne jegliche Vorbehandlung deponiert wird. Damit verbunden sind lang andauernde Emissionen von Treibhausgasen. Um herauszufinden, wie der informelle Sektor im Abfallmanagement zur Nachhaltigkeit beiträgt, wurden veröffentlichten Erfahrungen mit informellen Müllsammlern in Lateinamerika analysiert. Dabei wurden die entsprechenden Akteure sowie etablierte Allianzen zwischen diesen Akteuren identifiziert. Schlüsselfaktoren für ein nachhaltiges Abfallmanagement unter Einbeziehung des informellen Sektors sind die Legalisierung der Schattenwirtschaft und feste Verträge mit Partnerunternehmen. Relevante Akteure für die Gestaltung der Arbeitsbedingungen des informellen Sektors sind Vertreter privater und öffentlicher Unternehmen, einzelne gesellschaftliche Gruppen sowie Vertreter von Nichtregierungsorganisationen. Schließlich wurden drei explorative Szenarien für das Bezugsjahr 2030 entwickelt: Business as Usual (BAU), Collective Responsibility (CR) und Market Individualism (MI). Das BAU-Szenario enthält eine getrennte Sammlung von Bioabfall und von Wertstoffen; hervorgerufen durch einen verstärkten Organisationsgrad der informellen Müllsammler und den Ausbau von Bring-Systemen. Die Errichtung mechanischer Sortierungsanlagen trägt zur Verwertung der Materialien und zum Recycling bei. Das entstehende Deponiegas und Biogas wird als erneuerbare Energiequelle genutzt. Das CR-Szenario enthält eine getrennte Sammlung von Bioabfall und Wertstoffen. Dies wird erreicht durch eine verstärkte Zusammenarbeit mit den jetzt organisierten Müllsammlern und durch den Ausbau von Bring-Systemen. Mechanische Sortierungsanlagen tragen zur Verwertung von Materialien und zum Recycling bei. Durch Abtrennung einer heizwertreichen Fraktion in mechanisch biologischen Anlagen werden Sekundärbrennstoffe produziert. Darüber hinaus werden, das entstehende Deponiegas sowie das in Vergärungsanlagen erzeugte Biogas energetisch genutzt. Im MI-Szenario sind Wiederverwertungsstrategien von untergeordneter Bedeutung. Es gibt kein Interesse an einer Zusammenarbeit mit den informellen Müllsammlern und keine Anreize für einen verstärkten Organisationsgrad in diesem Bereich. Deshalb bleibt die Branche weitgehend informell. Technologische Entwicklungen in diesem Szenario enthalten die mechanische Sortierung von gemischtem Abfall und die energetische Verwertung von Deponiegas. Die Ergebnisse zeigten, dass das Pro-Kopf-Aufkommen an Siedlungsabfällen im Jahr 2030 in allen Szenarien deutlich höher als im Jahr 2007 ist und der festgelegte Zielwert von 1,6 kg/Kopf/Tag nicht erreicht wurde. Den höchsten Wert (2,0 kg/Kopf/Tag) weist das MI-Szenario auf, der niedrigste Wert (1,8 kg/Kopf/Tag) wurde im CR-Szenario gefunden. Eine Vorbehandlung der gesammelten gemischten Siedlungsabfälle findet nur im CR-Szenario statt, der entsprechende Wert beträgt 18 %, der Zielwert wird damit nicht erreicht. Die höchsten Treibhausgasemissionen treten im MI-Szenario (295 kg CO2-eq/Kopf/Jahr) auf, den niedrigsten Wert (155 kg CO2-eq/Kopf/Jahr) findet man im CR-Szenario. All diese Werte sind, verglichen mit dem festgelegten Zielwert von 71 kg/Kopf/Jahr, deutlich zu hoch. Der Zielwert für die Wiederverwertungsquote wurde im CR-Szenario erreicht (43 %), den niedrigsten Wert zeigt das MI-Szenario (20 %). Die Zielwerte für das Einkommen der Müllsammler wurden im CR-Szenario erreicht (128 %). Im MI-Szenario beträgt dieser Wert lediglich 51 %. Die Kosten für das Abfallmanagement im Verhältnis zum Bruttoinlandsprodukt sinken in den drei Szenarien. Aus den Ergebnissen lässt sich ableiten, dass ein Einbeziehen von mehreren Faktoren erforderlich ist, um die Nachhaltigkeit des Abfallmanagementsystems in den drei Szenarien zu steigern und dass es von wesentlicher Bedeutung ist, schon vorhandene und gut funktionierende Subsysteme, wie das der informellen Müllsammler, zu nutzen und zu stärken. Ebenso ist die Umsetzung robuster Behandlungstechnologien, die einen Beitrag zur Reduktion negativer Umweltauswirkungen leisten, zu forcieren. Diese Technologien sollten preiswert sein, um ihren Einsatz auch unter wirtschaftlich vertretbaren Gesichtspunkten zu ermöglichen. The Metropolitan Region of Santiago (MRS) has experienced a large growth in population in recent years and a rise in the standard of living. Therefore, its municipal solid waste (MSW) has almost doubled in 10 years. Data about the current situation of MSW management in MRS were collected during field research, interviews, field visits and by a systematic evaluation of existing documentary literature. The Integrative Sustainability Concept of the Helmholtz Association provided a conceptual framework for the study. The sustainability analysis showed that the largest deficits are in the current amount of MSW deposited at sanitary landfills without any pre-treatment, and the emission values of greenhouse gases associated with waste treatment and final disposal. To find out if and how the informal waste sector contributes to sustainability, experiences of organization of informal primary collectors in Latin America were analyzed. The key factors which have an influence on their working conditions were identified. These factors include the existence of a legal framework for the informal waste sector; the existence of alliances with production companies guaranteeing a reliable industrial market for secondary raw materials and expansion of activities beyond collection of recyclables. Key stakeholders included people from the public and the private sector, from the civil society and from NGOs. Three explorative scenarios were developed for the year 2030: Business as Usual (BAU), Collective Responsibility (CR), and Market Individualism (MI). Waste generation, waste composition and different practices of waste collection, recovery and treatment were taken into account for the scenarios formulation. The BAU scenario incorporated separate collection of biowaste, recyclable materials with some participation of organized primary collectors and an expansion of drop-off systems. The mechanical sorting of mixed waste was introduced. The utilization of landfill gas as an energy source was promoted and the production of biogas in anaerobic digestion plants was implemented. The CR scenario incorporated separate collection of biowaste, commitment to work together with the primary waste collectors and an expansion of drop-off systems. The mechanical and mechanical biological treatment of mixed waste was introduced. The utilization of landfill gas as an energy source is promoted and the production of biogas in anaerobic digestion plants was implemented. In the MI separate collection of biowaste and recyclable materials was irrelevant. An organization of the informal primary collectors did not take place. Mechanical sorting of mixed waste was introduced. Utilization of landfill gas as an energy source was promoted. The results showed that the generation flux of MSW is at least 50% larger in all scenarios in 2030 compared to the year 2007, exceeding the limit value proposed. The highest value (2.0 kg/(person•day) is obtained in the MI scenario, and the lowest (1.8 kg/(person•day)) in the CR scenario. Pre-treatment of mixed MSW collected is only achieved in the CR scenario with a value of 18%, however, the target value is not achieved. The highest greenhouse gas emission value is obtained in the MI scenario with 295 kg CO2eq/(person•year), the lowest value of 155 kg CO2-eq/(person•year) is obtained in the CR scenario; a value that is still very high in comparison with the suggested target. The largest recycling rate is obtained in the CR scenario (43%), which is better than the target value proposed, the lowest recycling rate is obtained in the MI scenario (20%). The income of primary collectors in comparison with the income of one individual household is improved significantly in the CR scenario (128%), in the MI scenario, earnings of primary collectors decreased to 51%. The share of GDP spent on MSW management is lower in 2030, compared to the year 2007, in all scenarios the largest value of 0.17% is obtained in the CR scenario, and the lowest value of 0.14% is obtained in the MI scenario. The results of the evaluation of the scenarios showed that the largest sustainability deficits are the amount of mixed MSW which undergoes pre-treatment, the greenhouse gas emissions associated to MSW treatment and disposal, as well as the share of GDP spent on MSW management. The results obtained suggested that an integration of several factors is required to increase sustainability. It is essential to strengthen and take advantage of the subsystems which are working within the waste management system, as in the case of the informal sector. In addition to the implementation of flexible treatment technologies which help to decrease negative environmental impacts. Moreover, the costs of these technologies should be affordable, allowing a better financial management.

Extensive cost in the building industry comes from cooling and heating to create thermal comfort. Hence, it is necessary to utilize passive solutions, in addition to suitable design, in order to reduce energy consumption. This research attempts to investigate the impact of archetype patterns in office buildings on annual energy consumption for cooling, heating and daylight loads. For this purpose, the DesignBuilder software was used to compare the forms. In this study, four conventional construction forms were considered, including the single and dense form, central courtyard buildings, U form and linear form, and each was considered with two, four and six-stories. Forms were simulated in the three cities of Bushehr, Shiraz and Tabriz, with hot-humid, hot-dry and cold climates, respectively. The results revealed that the office building with a linear form in Bushehr had the lowest energy consumption in the two and four-story forms, and also in the six-story form, the central courtyard form had the lowest energy consumption. Additionally, the central courtyard forms in Tabriz and Shiraz had the lowest energy consumption in all cases. Finally, the linear form possessed the most natural daylight through all of the studied cases for the three cities in terms of natural light gain.

1. A More Sustainable City Hopes for cities to solve the social, environmental, and economic problems of the early 21st century loom large over discourses on sustainability in the United States. On a rapidly urbanizing planet, it is often argued, the global challenge of creating a more sustainable kind of living can best be tackled in cities and by urban actors. Besides the widespread notion of an emerging urban era, this focus on cities can be explained by the common assumption that these ar...

AbstractClimate change strongly affects the health of sub-Saharan African populations. Effective adaptation strategies are required in order to enhance their limited adaptive capacities. The DFG-funded Research Unit (RU) “Climate change and health in sub-Saharan Africa” unites nine research institutions from Burkina Faso, Kenya, Germany, and Switzerland that will design, implement, and evaluate four different adaptation projects in these two African countries from 2020 until 2022.First, the effectiveness of an agro-biodiversification and nutrition program will be established for the reduction of child undernutrition of climate-sensitive nutrients in rural Burkina Faso and Kenya. Two respective cluster-randomized controlled trials (cRCT) will be conducted, each consisting of 2 × 600 children. Second, another cRCT will be conducted among 2 × 300 households in rural Burkina Faso to investigate how sunlight-reflecting cool-roof coatings affect human health outcomes, including cardiovascular and heat-related outcomes. Further outcomes comprise indoor temperature, carbon footprint, and productivity. Third, an index-based weather insurance (IBWI) will be introduced in rural Burkina Faso. The effects of IBWI on childhood nutritional status, dietary behavior, and healthcare seeking will be determined in 2 × 20 villages. Fourth, microbial larviciding has been evaluated as a promising environmental control for malaria vectors in Burkina Faso. Here, the interactions between climatic factors and the effectiveness of the intervention will be tested using spatiotemporal models.

In recent years, a ban on short-haul flights for which alternative, more environmentally friendly transportation is available has been on European regulatory agendas, particularly in countries like Germany, with its well-developed high-speed rail (HSR) and a dense network of low-cost, point-to-point airline traffic. This study aims to quantify the potential impact on CO2 emissions of substituting short-haul flights with rail frequencies in 87 German air travel corridors. Using OAG data on passenger bookings and airline schedules for 2019, as well as current rail travel times, we determine the target flights by looking at the actual proportion of connecting passengers per frequency. We estimate a potential reduction in CO2 emissions of between 2.7% and 22%, depending on how strict the flight substitution is. However, the social benefits of those carbon emissions might fall short of the travel time losses experienced by the passengers. Increased investment to improve rail speeds and intermodal accessibility appears necessary before the substitution policies can be implemented.