• Energy Research
• Closed Access close
• FR close
• NL close
• ZENODO close

This project has received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No. 723649 Indoor environmental quality (IEQ) measurement and survey data of demonstration buildings in the hybridGEOTABS project

This version of the article has been accepted for publication, after peer review (when applicable) and is subject to Springer Nature's AM terms of use, but is not the Version of Record and does not reflect post-acceptance improvements, or any corrections. The Version of Record is available online at: http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41559-024-02417-5. Deposited by shareyourpaper.org and openaccessbutton.org. We've taken reasonable steps to ensure this content doesn't violate copyright. However, if you think it does you can request a takedown by emailing help@openaccessbutton.org.

This paper aims to investigate the causal links among export diversification, per capita income, and energy demand for 20 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) countries. Human capital, industry share, and Foreign Direct Investments (FDI) are included within a multivariate framework. Using data covering the 1995���2018 period, an innovative sequential Artificial Neural Networks experiment is developed. Empirical results highlight that the export diversification index negatively affects the neural target corresponding to energy demand. Conversely, per capita GDP displays a significant influence on the acceleration of the same energy target. Hence, findings suggest that export diversification plays a mitigating role in the demand for energy, which is congruent with the literature. Moreover, economic growth is found to be substantially driven by export diversification, while no evidence of a causal effect is found among export diversification, human capital, and FDI. Such inferences are finally corroborated by a Decision Tree model, conducted as a final robustness check. In line with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), adequate measures are suggested to improve energy savings along the supply chain, without hindering the economic performance of the Asian region. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S037877882101104X

Abstract This paper examines the linkages among Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) penetration, electricity consumption, economic growth, urbanization, and environmental pollution for 25 OECD countries over the 1990–2017 period. We first conduct several panel data analyses and then write and apply a new Machine Learning (ML) algorithm. Empirical findings show that ICT usage enhances economic growth, and it is also a crucial driver of electricity consumption, which, in turn, translates into polluting emissions. The ML results highlight internet usage emerges as a substantial CO2 emissions-enabler, thus corroborating our panel data findings. Potential policy measures are discussed.

Six Medicago truncatula genotypes differing in cadmium susceptibility were used to test the effect of this heavy metal on mineral, carbohydrate and amino acid supply in growing radicles. Cadmium treatment caused alteration of macronutrient (Ca and K), microelement (Fe, Zn and Cu), carbohydrate (total soluble sugars (TSS), glucose, fructose and sucrose) and free amino acid (FAAS) accumulations. These mobilization changes differed in the tested genotypes. Carbohydrates were determining to susceptible lines' growth in control condition; free amino acids enabled tolerant lines to counteract cadmium intrusion. Transcriptional changes in response to cadmium treatment were analyzed on MtMST, a gene encoding a monosaccharide transport protein. A significant down-regulation was observed in the most susceptible line TN1.11. Glucose was over-consumed in tolerant lines. Thus, glucose metabolism integrity seems essential to maintain growth under cadmium exposure. Analysis of germination medium showed solute losses at the expense of suitable mobilization to the growing embryonic axis and highlights cadmium-triggered membrane alterations. FAAS and TSS leakages were reduced in tolerant lines while monosaccharide losses were accentuated in susceptible lines. This research work gave an overview of cadmium deleterious effects on biomass mobilization and membrane integrity. Carbon metabolism is shown to be primordial to enhance early embryonic growth and nitrogen metabolism is revealed to be crucial to establish seedling growth under cadmium stress.

Municipal solid waste generation is becoming a prominent issue in the environmental arena. The aim of this paper is to investigate the relationship among municipal waste generation, greenhouse gas emissions, and GDP in Switzerland over the period 1990-2017. We apply both time series procedures (stationarity and causality tests) and a Machine Learning approach. Empirical findings underline a bidirectional causal relationship between municipal solid waste generation and GDP, indicating that the Environmental Kuznets Curve hypothesis holds for Switzerland. Moreover, we found that waste recovery (recycling and composting) is a key driver in mitigating greenhouse gas emissions. In fact, in the Tree Model, the probability that a change in the waste recovery variable could lead to a reduction in the greenhouse gas emissions registered a value of 87%.

To reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, the European Union (EU) has targets for utilizing energy from renewable sources. By 2030, a minimum of 3.5% of energy in the EU’s transport sector should come from renewable biological sources, such as crop residues. This paper analyzed EU’s “advanced bioethanol” potential from wheat straw and maize stover and evaluated its environmental (land, water, and carbon) footprint. We differentiated between gross and net bioethanol output, the latter by subtracting the energy inputs in production. Results suggest that the annual amount of the sustainably harvestable wheat straw and maize stover is 81.9 Megatonnes (Mt) at field moisture weight (65.3 Mt as dry weight), yielding 470 PJ as gross (404 PJ as net) advanced bioethanol output. Calculated net advanced bioethanol can replace 2.95% of EU transport sector’s energy consumption. EU’s advanced bioethanol has a land footprint of 0.28 m2 MJ−1 for wheat straw and 0.18 m2 MJ−1 for maize stover. The average water footprint of advanced bioethanol is 173 L MJ−1 for wheat straw and 113 L MJ−1 for maize stover. The average carbon footprint per unit of advanced bioethanol is 19.4 and 19.6 g CO2eq MJ−1 for wheat straw and maize stover, respectively. Using advanced bioethanol can lead to emission savings, but EU’s advanced bioethanol production potential is insufficient to achieve EU’s target of a minimum share of 3.5% of advanced biofuels in the transport sector by 2030, and the associated water and land footprints are not smaller than footprints of conventional bioethanol.