• Energy Research

Aircraft operations from above ground level to 3000 feet impact air quality and cause health issues, particularly for people working and living in and around airports. This paper evaluates the current emission calculation methods to identify the most accurate way to generate an emission inventory. Journal articles on aircraft influence on air quality were selected for a systematic literature review (SLR). After screening 277 articles written in English, 60 articles on emission calculation methods were included in the analysis. Based on the analysis, air quality can be more accurately assessed when considering direct emissions from an aircraft than when measuring atmospheric pollutant concentrations. While the International Civil Aviation Organization’s (ICAO) advanced approach was the most widely used from the literature reviewed, airport-specific, time-in-mode, and actual atmospheric conditions where aircraft operate offer the potential for significant improvement. The SLR demonstrates a need for more accurate emission calculation methods to assess the aircraft’s influence on air quality. The SLR guides airlines and airports to maintain an accurate emission inventory, which will set future targets to improve air quality.

Rapid population growth and urbanization have led to an increase in Construction and Demolition (C&D) waste, prompting government and industry bodies to develop better waste management practices. Waste trading has emerged as a targeted intervention to divert waste from landfill sites and create a second life for waste material. This paper examines key barriers and enablers influencing the creation of a marketplace for waste trading. A systematic literature review was undertaken to examine global efforts in creating a marketplace for C&D waste. A framework on enablers and barriers for developing a marketplace for C&D waste emerged from the review, based on market-based, operational, and governance factors. References demonstrated that markets for materials such as glass and metals have already been established, but there are increasing marketplace opportunities for other recycled materials. Technology-based market applications are emerging as targeted interventions to facilitate online trading, which will provide a more accessible and user-friendly marketplace for sellers and buyers. Further research should test the complex interactions between people and technology associated with online waste trading platforms, as well as help develop the business case for a C&D waste marketplace.

The construction and demolition (C&D) waste stream is the main source of solid waste in Australia. While there is a strong circularity drive in Australia’s and state/territory governments’ waste regulatory framework, clear guidelines for C&D waste management are yet to be developed for the built environment sector in Australia. This study proposes a suite of construction industry-specific guidelines for achieving circular economy (CE) goals by reviewing issues related to “Design for Zero Waste” (DfZW) and “Design for Recycling” (DfR). To do so, this study explores the current CE practices in construction and infrastructure projects in both global and Australian contexts through a systematic literature review. In addition, barriers and enablers of CE in the built environment were identified. This study provides a list of guidelines that can help industry practitioners achieve CE in the construction sector in Australia. These guidelines draw on the main themes identified through the literature review: circularity practices, resource management, innovation, and optimisation. Thus, this study bridges the gap between theory and practice by offering clear, circular guidelines for designing out C&D waste in Australia. The proposed guidelines enable industry practitioners to keep products and materials in use for a longer period and develop strategies to regenerate natural systems. Future research should focus on several aspects, including measuring emissions reductions linked to the strategies shown in the proposed guidelines.

While the aviation sector has long been referenced as contributing to the causes of climate change, the need for aviation to adapt to the consequences of climate change has not been as well researched or considered. The paper is a systematic quantitative literature review on climate change and aviation, which aims to explicate significant issues affecting aviation in a changing climate and to identify the aviation industry responses on climate change and adaptation. There are 46 references involved in the detailed assessment, selected according to variables such as methodology, paper outcomes and industry stakeholder. This emergent aviation and climate change adaptation literature could be broadened to cover more disciplines and approaches, an increased range of aviation stakeholders and go further beyond the larger airport case studies in developed countries. Further practical and policy developments are needed, particularly surrounding adaptation planning in aviation and the social justice implications of associated policies.

AbstractVarious studies have advocated the potential for Demand Responsive Transport (DRT) services to deliver sustainable local public transport. This paper investigates the sustainability credentials of DRT services using evidence from UK-based research. More specifically, six potential DRT market niches were identified, including those which offer potential commercial opportunities (e.g. airport surface access) and those that meet social needs (e.g. non-emergency hospital trips). Mode share of these DRT services, against car or bus travel, was simulated from mixed logit models within a panel data modelling framework estimated from survey data. The survey was conducted of over 400 respondents in urban (Rochdale, Manchester) and rural (Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire) areas.Experience shows that it is particularly difficult to make DRT services financially viable. Of the DRT services investigated, those targeting airline or train passengers offer potential. However, they are in direct competition with the car, and so their success depends on the cost and availability of parking spaces. Some of the DRT schemes explored meet social needs, such as to access shopping facilities or hospitals, but they face cost challenges. In addition, institutional barriers for new DRT schemes need to be overcome in order to develop a sustainable local public transport system.

Sustainable development reflects an underlying tension to achieve economic growth whilst addressing environmental challenges, and this is particularly the case for the aviation sector. Although much of the aviation-related focus has fallen on reducing aircraft emissions, airports have also been under increasing pressure to support the vision of a low carbon energy future. One of the main sources of airport-related emissions is passenger journeys to and from airports (the surface access component of air travel), which is the focus of this paper. Two aspects associated with the relationship between sustainable development and airport surface access are considered. Firstly, there is an evaluation of three technological innovation options that will enable sustainable transport solutions for surface access journeys: telepresence systems to reduce drop-off/pick-up trips, techniques to improve public transport and options to encourage the sharing of rides. Secondly, the role of behavioral change for surface access journeys from a theoretical perspective, using empirical data from Manchester airport, is evaluated. Finally, the contribution of technology and behavioral intervention measures to improvements in sustainable development are discussed.

AbstractThis paper examines how office-based lighting and computer use behaviours relate to similar behaviours performed by the same individuals in a household setting. It contributes to the understanding of energy use behaviour in both household and organisational settings, and investigates the potential for the ‘spillover’ of behaviour from one context to another. A questionnaire survey was administered to office-based employees of two adjacent local government organisations (‘City Council’ and ‘County Council’) in the East Midlands region of the UK. The analysis demonstrates that the organisational or home setting is an important defining feature of the energy use behaviour. It also reveals that, while there were weak relationships across settings between behaviours sharing other taxonomic categories, such as equipment used and trigger for the behaviour, there was no evidence to support the existence of spillover effects across settings.