• Energy Research
• 12. Responsible consumption close
• 9. Industry and infrastructure close
• 14. Life underwater close
• KZ close
• KH close

Renewable energy has become more popular since it is cost-effective and more efficient than conventional energy sources. Biomass-based renewable energy is primarily used in emerging economies to ensure environmental sustainability. This study examines the asymmetric correlation between biomass energy consumption and CO2 emissions in the top-10 biomass energy consumer countries (Brazil, Canada, Thailand, China, Italy, India, Germany, USA, UK, and Japan). A new approach "Quantile-onQuantile (QQ)" is employed by utilizing the data from 1991 to 2018. Biomass energy consumption, with the exception of Thailand, significantly mitigates CO2 emissions at various quantiles in selected countries. As a robustness check, we used the quantile regression test, whose findings are consistent with the outcomes from the quantile-on-quantile method. However, the degree of asymmetry in the biomass energy-CO2 nexus varies by country, necessitating extra attention and government vigilance when developing biomass energy and environmental policies.

The goal is to conduct modeling and analyze the management efficiency of the energy industry and the agro-industrial complex based on the introduction of digitalization to stimulate economic growth in Kazakhstan. When writing the work, the following research methods were used - bibliometric, statistical, factorial, grouping and generalization, regression, comparative. Results - an economic assessment of the development of the electric power industry and the agro-industrial complex was carried out. It is noted that the economy of Kazakhstan is quite energy-intensive and costly. It is shown that the increasing level of agricultural production exceeds the demand for electricity consumption. The serious deterioration of electrical equipment and agricultural machinery has been identified, which is a barrier to the promotion of digital technologies. The stimulation of the growth of electricity generation from renewable energy sources based on the use of innovative and digital technologies is analyzed. The modeling of the development of the agro-industrial complex is carried out on the basis of the use of information, communication and digital technologies of smart farms on the example of the Almaty region. Presented and summarized measures for the implementation of innovative projects in digital energy and smart agriculture. The problems and recommendations are given for accelerating the implementation of digitalization in the energy sector and the agro-industrial complex. The role of digital and electronic technologies in agriculture and the energy complex in promoting the economic growth of Kazakhstan has been substantiated.

Abstract It is increasing clear that biofuels can be a viable source of renewable energy in contrast to the finite nature, geopolitical instability, and deleterious global effects of fossil fuel energy. Collectively, biofuels include any energy-enriched chemicals generated directly through the biological processes or derived from the chemical conversion from biomass of prior living organisms. Predominantly, biofuels are produced from photosynthetic organisms such as photosynthetic bacteria, micro- and macro-algae and vascular land plants. The primary products of biofuel may be in a gas, liquid, or solid form. These products can be further converted by biochemical, physical, and thermochemical methods. Biofuels can be classified into two categories: primary and secondary biofuels. The primary biofuels are directly produced from burning woody or cellulosic plant material and dry animal waste. The secondary biofuels can be classified into three generations that are each indirectly generated from plant and animal material. The first generation of biofuels is ethanol derived from food crops rich in starch or biodiesel taken from waste animal fats such as cooking grease. The second generation is bioethanol derived from non-food cellulosic biomass and biodiesel taken from oil-rich plant seed such as soybean or jatropha. The third generation is the biofuels generated from cyanobacterial, microalgae and other microbes, which is the most promising approach to meet the global energy demands. In this review, we present the recent progresses including challenges and opportunities in microbial biofuels production as well as the potential applications of microalgae as a platform of biomass production. Future research endeavors in biofuel production should be placed on the search of novel biofuel production species, optimization and improvement of culture conditions, genetic engineering of biofuel-producing species, complete understanding of the biofuel production mechanisms, and effective techniques for mass cultivation of microorganisms.

Assessing Biodiversity Declines Understanding human impact on biodiversity depends on sound quantitative projection. Pereira et al. (p. 1496 , published online 26 October) review quantitative scenarios that have been developed for four main areas of concern: species extinctions, species abundances and community structure, habitat loss and degradation, and shifts in the distribution of species and biomes. Declines in biodiversity are projected for the whole of the 21st century in all scenarios, but with a wide range of variation. Hoffmann et al. (p. 1503 , published online 26 October) draw on the results of five decades' worth of data collection, managed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature Species Survival Commission. A comprehensive synthesis of the conservation status of the world's vertebrates, based on an analysis of 25,780 species (approximately half of total vertebrate diversity), is presented: Approximately 20% of all vertebrate species are at risk of extinction in the wild, and 11% of threatened birds and 17% of threatened mammals have moved closer to extinction over time. Despite these trends, overall declines would have been significantly worse in the absence of conservation actions.

Effective waste administration is one of the major environmental issues of the present time. The isolation, taking care of, transportation and transfer of waste is to be appropriately overseen in order to limit the hazard to nature. The efficient estimation of waste is best acknowledged when it is isolated. The customary method for physically isolating the waste uses exertion that is more human, time and cost. This work proposes a waste tracking system with integrated waste sorting mechanism, which is an easy and economical way to segregate and track domestic waste. It is intended to sort the domestic waste into metallic, plastic and glass categories. After segregation, the tracking system informs the server how much waste each household is producing. Along these lines, a successful framework for waste management is made helpful for recycling procedures for better environmental cleaning ecosystem with proper waste management operations.

The construction sector has undergone several transformations to address adverse environmental, economic, and social impacts. The concept of the circular economy (CE) has transcended into this domain to solve the needs of construction amid resource constraints. Furthermore, advanced digital tools are being implemented across industries owing to the boost given by the fourth industrial revolution. This paper aims to develop a framework that investigates the effect of digital tools on CE implementation in the construction sector. The study is based on a three-step approach, where first, an initial framework design based on a systematic literature review was conducted. This is followed by framework optimization using semistructured interviews with experts and validation through a case study. This study resulted in the development of a new framework, which aims to investigate how advanced digital tools can be used in the construction sector to enhance CE implementation. The contribution of the present study is two-fold: (1) the integration (addressing existing research gap) of CE and digitalization concepts in the construction sector; (2) an investigation into the critical barriers, offering insights for construction practitioners.

In this article, the main goal is an attempt to present conclusions on the analysis of changes in China's environmental policy in the framework of sustainable development goals. Within the framework of the SDGs, China is moving in three main directions: economic, social and environmental. All three components are somehow interconnected with each other; however, the article provides conclusions only on the environmental component. Thus, data for the last ten years are taken as a basis, including reasonable indicators in the UN 2030 agenda. It is important to note that despite the fact that China paid great attention to the economy during a significant period of its existence, however, positive shifts towards improving the environment have recently been noticed. It was concluded that this change has made a positive contribution to China's sustainable development by creating a more balanced framework for future development using both mandatory and market-based instruments. Nevertheless, in order to achieve the SDGs in the field of ecology, it is necessary, on the one hand, to accelerate the process of creating an “ecological civilization”, and on the other hand, pay attention to policy coordination, considering existing problems in the environmental, social and economic spheres. в данной статье главной целью служит попытка предоставить выводы по анализу изменений экологической политики Китая в рамках целей устойчивого развития. В рамках ЦУР Китай двигается в трех основных направлениях: экономической, социальной и экологической. Все три компонента так или иначе взаимосвязаны с друг-другом, однако в статье приводятся выводы только по экологическому компоненту. Таким образом за основу взяты данные за последние десять лет, в том числе обоснованные показатели в повестке ООН до 2030 года. Важно отметить, что несмотря на то, что Китай в существенное время своего существования уделял большое внимание экономике, в последнее время были замечены позитивные сдвиги в сторону улучшения экологии. Был сделан вывод о том, что данное изменение внесло позитивный вклад в устойчивое развитие Китая, сформировав более сбалансированную структуру для будущего развития с использованием как обязательных, так и рыночных инструментов. Тем не менее для выполнения ЦУР в области экологии нужно, с одной стороны, ускорить процесс создания «экологической цивилизации», а с другой, обратить внимание на координацию политики с учетом существующих проблем в экологической, социальной и экономической сферах. Осы мақалада негізгі мақсат - тұрақты даму мақсаттары шеңберінде Қытайдың экологиялық саясатындағы өзгерістерді талдау бойынша қорытындыларды ұсыну әрекеті болып табылады.. ТДМ шеңберінде Қытай үш негізгі бағытта қозғалады: экономикалық, әлеуметтік және экологиялық. Барлық үш құрамдас бір-бірімен қандай да бір түрде байланысты, дегенмен мақалада тек экологиялық компонент бойынша қорытындылар берілген. Осылайша, БҰҰ-ның 2030 күн тәртібіндегі негізді көрсеткіштерді қоса алғанда, соңғы он жылдағы деректер негізге алынды. Қытай өзінің өмір сүрген елеулі кезеңінде экономикаға үлкен көңіл бөлгеніне қарамастан, соңғы уақытта қоршаған ортаны жақсарту бағытында оң өзгерістер байқалғанын атап өткен жөн. Бұл өзгеріс міндетті және нарықтық құралдарды пайдалана отырып, болашақ даму үшін анағұрлым теңдестірілген негіз құру арқылы Қытайдың тұрақты дамуына оң ықпал етті деген қорытындыға келді. Осыған қарамастан, экология саласындағы ТМД-ға қол жеткізу үшін, бір жағынан, «экологиялық өркениетті» құру үдерісін жеделдету қажет, ал екінші жағынан, саясатты үйлестіруге назар аудару қажет. экологиялық, әлеуметтік және экономикалық салалардағы бар проблемалар. Международные отношения и Регионоведение, Выпуск 4 (50) 2022