• Energy Research
• 11. Sustainability close
• 2. Zero hunger close
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China's household energy demands' life-cycle water uses from 2002 to 2015 are quantified with an Input-Output analysis disaggregating rural and urban impacts. 9.73 and 1.60 km3 of water was withdrawn and consumed respectively in the life cycle of Chinese household energy demands in 2015, which was dominated by power and heat uses. An average urbanite's household energy uses, including coal, gas, petroleum products, power and heat, require about four times of life-cycle water uses than its rural counterpart. Among all upstream sectors, while agricultural sectors accounted for the largest shares for all energy uses, oil and gas extraction made significant contributions to petroleum products and gas consumption. A Structural Decomposition Analysis is conducted to disentangle the impacts of four driving factors, i.e. population, demand, economic structure and technology. Population change reduced energy consumption's life-cycle water use for rural households but increased that for urban households. Each economic sector's water intensity decreases, which represent technology advancement, played the dominant role curbing household energy consumption's life-cycle water uses. While power and heat dominates the household energy use profile, urbanization is accompanied by household consumption shifting from coal to gas and petroleum products. In order to reduce household energy consumption's impacts and reliance on water resources, it is imperative to reduce energy production's water use by adopting water-saving technologies, such as air cooling, as well as to reduce upstream sectors' water intensities, such as by promoting drip irrigation.

AbstractThe 2011 White Paper on Transport of the European Commission spells out a series of targets for 2030 and 2050. One of the 10 targets is explicitly related to urban transport and stipulates: “Halve the use of ‘conventionally fuelled’ cars in urban transport by 2030; phase them out in cities by 2050. Achieve essentially CO2-free city logistics in major urban centres by 2030.”With this paper we present and discuss a roadmap that deals with the question who needs to do what by when in order to reach the White Paper goal for urban transport. The “stakeholder-driven” roadmap was developed in the FP7 project TRANSFORuM. The paper will present the key findings and the suggested action steps identified in the roadmap. The paper will also exemplify three possible urban transformation pathways towards the urban target. This approach emerged from stakeholder consultations which highlighted the need to take into account the widely differing conditions among European cities.

Les pays en développement, qui contribuent à 90 % de la production aquacole mondiale, sont considérés comme des points chauds du risque climatique mondial. Cependant, aucune étude ne se concentre sur la mesure de la vulnérabilité de l'aquaculture au niveau régional ou infranational aux aléas climatiques ou aux catastrophes. Cette étude a mesuré le niveau de vulnérabilité de l'aquaculture à la variabilité et au changement climatiques dans les 64 districts du Bangladesh en utilisant une approche d'indice de vulnérabilité composite (utilisant 19 indicateurs climatiques, environnementaux et socio-économiques) et un système d'information géographique (SIG). Les résultats révèlent que l'aquaculture dans 12 districts, à savoir Satkhira, Mymensingh, Panchagarh, Lalmonirhat, Nilphamari, Thakurgaon, Sunamganj, Dinajpur, Kurigram, Noakhali, Lakshmipur et Cox' s Bazar, présente une vulnérabilité très élevée (de la vulnérabilité la plus élevée à la plus faible), qui s'explique par leur niveau d'exposition plus élevé, leur niveau de sensibilité modéré et leur niveau de capacité d'adaptation inférieur à modéré. Parmi ceux-ci, 8 districts appartiennent à l'intérieur des terres et 4 districts aux régions côtières du pays. Trois districts, à savoir Dhaka, Chittagong et Bandarban, ont le plus faible niveau de vulnérabilité de l'aquaculture (dans l'ordre de la vulnérabilité la plus faible à la plus élevée) principalement en raison de la très grande capacité d'adaptation et du niveau modéré ou faible de sensibilité et d'exposition. Cette étude ponctuera la vulnérabilité de l'aquaculture continentale et développera et priorisera les actions visant à réduire les impacts climatiques. Los países en desarrollo, que contribuyen con el 90% de la producción acuícola mundial, se consideran puntos críticos de riesgo climático mundial. Sin embargo, ningún estudio se centra en medir la vulnerabilidad de la acuicultura a nivel distrital o subnacional a los peligros o desastres climáticos. Este estudio ha medido el nivel de vulnerabilidad de la acuicultura a la variabilidad y el cambio climático en los 64 distritos de Bangladesh utilizando un enfoque de índice de vulnerabilidad compuesto (utilizando 19 indicadores climáticos, ambientales y socioeconómicos) y un sistema de información geográfica (SIG). Los resultados revelan que la acuicultura en 12 distritos, a saber, Satkhira, Mymensingh, Panchagarh, Lalmonirhat, Nilphamari, Thakurgaon, Sunamganj, Dinajpur, Kurigram, Noakhali, Lakshmipur y Cox 's Bazar, tiene una vulnerabilidad muy alta (en orden de mayor a menor vulnerabilidad), lo que se explica por su mayor nivel de exposición, nivel moderado de sensibilidad y menor a moderado nivel de capacidad de adaptación. Entre estos, 8 distritos pertenecen al interior y 4 distritos a las regiones costeras del país. Tres distritos, a saber, Dhaka, Chittagong y Bandarban, tienen el nivel más bajo de vulnerabilidad de la acuicultura (en orden de menor a mayor vulnerabilidad) principalmente debido a una capacidad de adaptación muy alta y un nivel moderado o bajo de sensibilidad y exposición. Este estudio puntualizará la vulnerabilidad de la acuicultura continental y desarrollará y priorizará acciones para reducir los impactos climáticos. Developing countries, which contribute 90% of global aquaculture production, are considered global climate risk hotspots. However, no study focuses on measuring district- or sub-national-level aquaculture vulnerability to climatic hazards or disasters. This study has measured the level of aquaculture vulnerability to climate variability and change in all 64 districts of Bangladesh using a composite vulnerability index approach (using 19 climatic, environmental and socio-economic indicators) and geographical information system (GIS). The results reveal that aquaculture in 12 districts namely Satkhira, Mymensingh, Panchagarh, Lalmonirhat, Nilphamari, Thakurgaon, Sunamganj, Dinajpur, Kurigram, Noakhali, Lakshmipur, and Cox's Bazar have very high vulnerability (in order of highest to lowest vulnerability), which are explained by their higher level of exposure, moderate level of sensitivity, and lower to moderate level of adaptive capacity. Among these, 8 districts belong to inland and 4 districts to coastal regions of the country. Three districts, namely Dhaka, Chittagong, and Bandarban, have the lowest level of aquaculture vulnerability (in order of lowest to highest vulnerability) mainly because of very high adaptive capacity and moderate or low level of sensitivity and exposure. This study will punctuate the vulnerability of inland aquaculture and develop and prioritize actions to reduce the climatic impacts. تعتبر البلدان النامية، التي تساهم بنسبة 90 ٪ من الإنتاج العالمي لتربية الأحياء المائية، نقاطًا ساخنة لمخاطر المناخ العالمي. ومع ذلك، لا تركز أي دراسة على قياس مدى تأثر الاستزراع المائي على مستوى المنطقة أو المستوى دون الوطني بالمخاطر أو الكوارث المناخية. قاست هذه الدراسة مستوى ضعف تربية الأحياء المائية أمام تقلب المناخ وتغيره في جميع مقاطعات بنغلاديش البالغ عددها 64 مقاطعة باستخدام نهج مؤشر الضعف المركب (باستخدام 19 مؤشرًا مناخيًا وبيئيًا واجتماعيًا واقتصاديًا) ونظام المعلومات الجغرافية (GIS). تكشف النتائج أن الاستزراع المائي في 12 مقاطعة وهي ساتخيرا وميمنسينغ وبانتشاغاره ولالمونيرات ونيلفاماري وثاكورغاون وسونامغانج وديناجبور وكوريغرام ونواخالي ولاكشميبور وكوكس بازار لديهم ضعف شديد للغاية (بالترتيب من الأعلى إلى الأقل ضعفًا)، وهو ما يفسره ارتفاع مستوى تعرضهم ومستوى حساسيتهم المعتدل ومستوى قدرتهم على التكيف من الأقل إلى المعتدل. من بين هذه المناطق، تنتمي 8 مقاطعات إلى المناطق الداخلية و 4 مقاطعات إلى المناطق الساحلية في البلاد. ثلاث مقاطعات، وهي دكا وشيتاغونغ وباندربان، لديها أدنى مستوى من الضعف في تربية الأحياء المائية (من الأدنى إلى الأعلى ضعفًا) ويرجع ذلك أساسًا إلى القدرة العالية جدًا على التكيف والمستوى المعتدل أو المنخفض من الحساسية والتعرض. ستحدد هذه الدراسة مدى ضعف الاستزراع المائي الداخلي وتطوير الإجراءات وترتيب أولوياتها للحد من الآثار المناخية.

This study models the CO2 emissions from electric (EV) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEV), and compares the results to published values for the CO2 emissions from conventional vehicles based on internal combustion engines (ICE). PHEVs require fewer batteries than EVs which can make them lighter and more efficient than EVs. PHEVs can also operate their onboard ICEs more efficiently than can conventional vehicles. From this, it was theorized that PHEVs may be able to emit less CO2 than both conventional vehicles and EVs given certain power generation mixes of varying CO2 intensities. Amongst the results it was shown that with a highly CO2 intensive power generation mix, such as in China, PHEVs had the potential to be responsible for fewer tank to wheel CO2 emissions over their entire range than both a similar electric and conventional vehicle. The results also showed that unless highly CO2 intensive countries pursue a major decarbonization of their power generation, they will not be able to fully take advantage of the ability of EVs and PHEVs to reduce the CO2 emissions from automotive transport.

AbstractClimate is widely assumed to be the primary process that limits the distribution ranges of plants. Yet, savannas have vegetation not at equilibrium with climate, instead its structure and function are shaped by interactions between fire, herbivory, climate, and vegetation. I use the rich literature of a dominant African savanna woody plant, Colophospermum mopane, to demonstrate that climate and disturbance interact with each demographic stage to shape this species range limits. This synthesis highlights that climate‐based predictions for the range of C. mopane inadequately represents the processes that shape its distribution. Instead, seed bank depletion and rainfall limitation create a demographic bottleneck at the early seedling stage. The legacy of top‐kill from disturbance changes tree stand architecture causing a critical limitation in seed supply. Exposure to top‐kill at all demographic stages causes a vigorous resprouting response and shifts tree architecture from that of 1–2 stemmed tall trees to that of a short multi‐stemmed shrub. The shorter, multi‐stemmed shrubs are below the height threshold (4 m) at which they can produce seeds, resulting in shrub‐dominated landscapes that are effectively sterile. This effect is likely most pronounced at the range edge where top‐kill‐inducing disturbances increase in frequency. The proposed mechanistic, demographic‐based understanding of C. mopane's range limits highlights the complexity of processes that interact to shape its range edges. This insight serves as a conceptual model for understanding the determinants of range limits of other dominant woody savannas species living in disturbance limited ecosystems.

The purpose of this Consensus Statement is to provide a global, collaborative, representative and inclusive vision for educating an interprofessional healthcare workforce that can deliver sustainable healthcare and promote planetary health. It is intended to inform national and global accreditation standards, planning and action at the institutional level as well as highlight the role of individuals in transforming health professions education. Many countries have agreed to ‘rapid, far-reaching and unprecedented changes’ to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 45% within 10 years and achieve carbon neutrality by 2050, including in healthcare. Currently, however, health professions graduates are not prepared for their roles in achieving these changes. Thus, to reduce emissions and meet the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), health professions education must equip undergraduates, and those already qualified, with the knowledge, skills, values, competence and confidence they need to sustainably promote the health, human rights and well-being of current and future generations, while protecting the health of the planet. The current imperative for action on environmental issues such as climate change requires health professionals to mobilize politically as they have before, becoming strong advocates for major environmental, social and economic change. A truly ethical relationship with people and the planet that we inhabit so precariously, and to guarantee a future for the generations which follow, demands nothing less of all health professionals. This Consensus Statement outlines the changes required in health professions education, approaches to achieve these changes and a timeline for action linked to the internationally agreed SDGs. It represents the collective vision of health professionals, educators and students from various health professions, geographic locations and cultures. ‘Consensus’ implies broad agreement amongst all individuals engaged in discussion on a specific issue, which in this instance, is agreement by all signatories of this Statement developed under the auspices of the Association for Medical Education in Europe (AMEE). To ensure a shared understanding and to accurately convey information, we outline key terms in a glossary which accompanies this Consensus Statement (Supplementary Appendix 1). We acknowledge, however, that terms evolve and that different terms resonate variably depending on factors such as setting and audience. We define education for sustainable healthcare as the process of equipping current and future health professionals with the knowledge, values, confidence and capacity to provide environmentally sustainable services through health professions education. We define a health professional as a person who has gained a professional qualification for work in the health system, whether in healthcare delivery, public health or a management or supporting role and education as ‘the system comprising structures, curricula, faculty and activities contributing to a learning process’. This Statement is relevant to the full continuum of training – from undergraduate to postgraduate and continuing professional development.