Given the implication of household time allocation for its overall physical and economic well-being, this study examines how cooking time allocations influence households’ ability to afford cooking energy. It adds to the emerging discourse on the time use and energy poverty nexus, focusing on time spent on daily meal preparation and energy affordability. Descriptive analysis, multivariate logistic regression, and Lewbel Instrumental Variable estimation techniques are employed to analyse data from 1,184 households sampled across 51 of Ghana’s marine fishing communities. The descriptive results show that households devote an average of 3.36 hours to daily meal preparation, with half of all households (50.1
Rapid renewable capacity additions are widely interpreted as evidence of power-sector decarbonization, yet observable renewable growth frequently coexists with fossil persistence. For climate mitigation governance, transition monitoring must distinguish between capacity additions and physical asset displacement. Using unit-level asset data from the Global Integrated Power Tracker (2010–2026), we develop an auditable, stock-based monitoring framework for characterizing the operating-stock dimension of the global power transition. By explicitly separating realized changes in operating assets from forward-looking pipeline orientation, we show that these dimensions often diverge. Although global development pipelines are broadly renewable-tilted (median renewable pipeline share = 0.828), realized stock reallocation remains sharply polarized across subregions. Fossil persistence remains widespread even under substantial renewable expansion: among subregions with net positive stock reallocation, 12 of 14 remain expansion-led, and among the highest-ranking subregions on this stock-based measure, 80
Despite prevalent public support for solar energy, recurring local pushback over siting underscores the need to explore how ecological risk, procedural fairness, and community values influence acceptance. This study analyzes 52 public comments on the proposed Vista Sands Solar Project in Wisconsin using a hybrid framework that integrates the Social Acceptance of Renewable Energy model with Framing Theory. Findings show widespread support for renewable energy, but acceptance becomes conditional when projects are perceived to disrupt ecosystems, undermine place-based identity, weaken procedural legitimacy, create distributive inequities, or rely on inadequate risk mitigation. The most prominent themes—siting conflict (22.8
The utilization of sintering ash (SA), an industrial waste rich in sodium sulfate, as a phase change material (PCM) for thermal energy storage (TES) offers a sustainable solution for the construction sector. This study investigates the thermal properties of SA-derived PCM, evaluating its environmental performance and raw material costs. A multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) approach was employed to benchmark the findings against existing literature. Experimental results revealed that while SA contained 86
Methyl paraben (MeP), an endocrine-disrupting preservative widely present in pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs), is frequently detected in aquatic environments and thus necessitates efficient remediation strategies. In this study, a UV-C-activated bromine (UV-C/bromine) process was investigated for the abatement of MeP, and its performance benchmarked against the UV-C/chlorine (UV-C/Cl), UV-C/hydrogen peroxide (UV-C/H2O2), and UV-C/persulfate (UV-C/PMS) processes under equivalent UV-C exposure conditions. The UV-C/bromine process achieved 91.3
Accelerating the transition of China’s energy consumption structure toward low-carbon development is essential for achieving global carbon neutrality goals. As the country with the world’s largest share of energy-related emissions, China provides a critical case in which substantial provincial disparities remain. Using panel data from 30 provinces from 2012 to 2022, this study develops an integrated framework combining Geographically and Temporally Weighted Regression (GTWR), eXtreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost), and SHapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP) to examine the driving mechanisms of low-carbon energy transition from a regional inequality perspective. The results reveal persistent east–west disparities, significant spatial clustering, and clear temporal shifts in the effects of key drivers. Results reveal pronounced spatiotemporal heterogeneity. Green technology innovation consistently showed the strongest positive effect, while industrialization and urban–rural income gaps exerted stronger negative impacts in central and western regions. Government intervention shifted from a negative factor in early years to a positive driver in later years, which reflects the evolving role of policy in steering decarbonization. Moreover, nonlinear threshold effects were identified, such as U-shaped impacts of government intervention and scale-sensitive effects of afforestation. Findings show that China’s low-carbon transition is evolving from regional heterogeneity toward policy convergence, yet inequalities remain significant. These results underscore the need for targeted strategies for reducing disparities, including technology diffusion and financial support in less-developed provinces, to ensure a more balanced and equitable energy transition. This study contributes new empirical insights to understanding low-carbon drivers and designing decarbonization policies for ensuring an equitable and coordinated national transition.
As the world moves toward net-zero emissions, carbon capture, utilization and storage (CCUS) especially geologic CO2 sequestration has emerged as a critical climate mitigation strategy. This review examines the current scientific and technical landscape of geologic CO2 storage, highlighting key challenges and strategic considerations essential for its large-scale deployment. Also, it explores viable storage formations, including depleted hydrocarbon reservoirs, deep saline aquifers and unmineable coal seams. It outlines essential site selection criteria, with a focus on geological characterization, structural integrity and risk mitigation to ensure long-term containment and safety. Technical aspects such as CO2 injection methods and monitoring systems are assessed in depth. Advances in seismic imaging, geochemical tracers and real-time monitoring technologies are discussed for their role in tracking CO2 behaviour in the subsurface. Beyond technical feasibility, the review evaluates the socio-economic and regulatory dimensions shaping the global scalability of geologic CO2 sequestration. It emphasizes the importance of public perception, stakeholder engagement and evolving policy frameworks in enabling broad acceptance and implementation. The study also explores synergies and trade-offs between CO2 storage and enhanced methane recovery from coal seams with stable mineral trapping mechanism. A life cycle assessment is presented, analyzing emissions, cost-effectiveness and scalability to position geologic sequestration within a broader energy transition context. In India, while policy interest in CCUS is rising, deployment readiness remains low due to technical, regulatory, financial and institutional barriers. The review calls for integrating CCUS into India’s net-zero strategy through sectoral roadmaps and the NDC framework. By offering a multidisciplinary perspective, this review informs policymakers, researchers and industry stakeholders, contributing to the advancement of sustainable, low-carbon pathways needed to address the global climate crisis.
This study employs Bayesian regression and Bayesian Model Averaging (BMA) to analyze the determinants of the ecological footprint (EF) in Finland from 1990 to 2023. Using Hamiltonian Monte Carlo (HMC) sampling and model averaging through the Bayesian Adaptive Sampling (BAS) algorithm, the paper accounts for parameter uncertainty, nonlinearity, and multicollinearity in environmental data. The analysis includes key predictors such as GDP, renewable energy consumption (REN), foreign direct investment (FDI), urbanization (URB), and innovation (measured by PA), alongside interaction term FDI⋅URB. Posterior estimates reveal a positive association between GDP and EF, while REN is robustly linked to a reduction in EF. The squared GDP term shows only weak support, leaving the existence of an Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) pattern in Finland uncertain. The interaction FDI×URB is negative, suggesting that foreign investment may exert a less harmful ecological impact in highly urbanized settings, though this effect is not robust. Bayesian diagnostics confirm model convergence and predictive reliability, supported by low LOOIC and WAIC values. Model comparison using Bayes Factors shows no substantial evidence favoring complex specifications over simpler ones. The BMA results identify REN as the most robust determinant, whereas GDP and its squared term display only moderate inclusion probabilities, with all other predictors showing weak empirical support. This study provides methodological and policy-relevant contributions by integrating advanced Bayesian modeling with environmental macroeconomics, offering robust insights into sustainability transitions in Finland.
As an important pillar of digital economy development, digital infrastructure (DI) is profoundly reshaping urban green transformation and sustainable development. Urban ecological resilience (UER) is an important indicator for evaluating the capacity of urban ecosystems to withstand disturbances, adapt to change, and sustain evolutionary development. It is also a key dimension for assessing the long-term sustainability of cities. Although existing studies have extensively examined the effects of DI on economic growth, carbon reduction, and green development, direct empirical evidence on whether and how DI enhances UER remains limited. To address this gap, this study treats the Broadband China Strategy (BCS) as a quasi-natural experiment and uses panel data for 275 prefecture-level cities in China from 2011 to 2023 to employ a multi-period difference-in-differences model. It systematically examines the impact of DI on UER and its underlying mechanisms. The results show that, first, DI significantly enhances UER. The BCS pilot policy increases the UER index by 0.0037 on average, equivalent to an improvement of about 1.65
Achieving “carbon peaking by 2030 and carbon neutrality by 2060” is pivotal to China’s sustainable development and requires rigorous, comprehensive assessments of carbon budget magnitudes and trajectories. Leveraging advanced datasets and a coupled ecological–energy–environmental–economic modeling framework, this study quantifies China’s dynamic carbon budget and delineates energy transition pathways for 2018–2060. Results show that the SSP1‑2.6 pathway substantially curbs anthropogenic CO₂ emissions and fosters a more balanced regional carbon budget. Under the RES scenario, wind and solar emerge as the dominant energy sources, while carbon tax–funded subsidies yield short‑term GDP gains of 0.01
Energy poverty and environmental degradation remain pressing challenges in sub-Saharan Africa, where reliance on traditional biomass contributes to deforestation, greenhouse gas emissions, and health risks. Rice, a staple food for millions, generates significant by-products that often cause environmental harm when burned or discarded. Renewable energy valorisation of these by-products offers a promising pathway toward sustainable energy transitions and circular economy practices. Yet, little is known about farmers’ awareness of and willingness to adopt such practices in sub-Saharan Africa. This study examines these dynamics in Nigeria, using survey data from 150 farmers. The findings reveal that while nearly two-thirds of respondents are aware of valorisation opportunities, less than half are willing to adopt them. Competing uses for rice by-products, including animal feed and reliance on firewood and charcoal, significantly influence adoption behaviour. Bivariate probit regression analysis identifies education, household size, farm size, livestock ownership, and dependence on traditional energy sources as significant determinants of both awareness and willingness. The results further highlight the untapped potential of rice husks compared to straw, which remains largely burned or discarded. Based on these findings, the study recommends targeted awareness campaigns, affordable energy technologies, and financial incentives to foster adoption. Promoting renewable energy valorisation of rice by-products can, in turn, strengthen Nigeria’s energy security, reduce environmental degradation, and advance sustainability transitions within a circular economy framework.
Improved biomass gasification methods and more accurate classification of biomass types are crucial for more sustainable energy production and more efficient use of energy resources. This study provides new information on the isotopic changes of C3 (wheat straw) and C4 (corn straw) biomass during aqueous phase reforming gasification, demonstrating a novel approach for identifying biomass sources and improving gasification processes. Isotope measurements were conducted using the CM-CRDS (Combustion Module-Cavity Ring-Down Spectroscopy) system. Changes in carbon isotopes during the gasification process and the isotopic differences between the gasification products obtained from C3 and C4 plants were determined. The isotopic values of both biomass types exhibited a positive shift during the gasification process, ranging from − 27.615 to -25.811 for C3 plants and from − 14.297 to -14.192 for C4 plants. This indicated that the solid and liquid phases were enriched in the 13 C isotope, while the lighter 12 C tends to form carbon dioxide and other gases (CH₄, C₂H₂, and C₂H₆). This study compared the hydrolysis and gasification performances of C3 and C4 plant biomass. TOC (total organic carbon) analysis showed that C4 biomass released more organic carbon (6884.8 mg/L) and was more easily hydrolyzed. GC-TCD (gas chromatography with a thermal conductivity detector) yielded higher amounts of gas and hydrogen (45.02
Understanding the factors that drive interprovincial energy transfers is vital for optimizing energy allocation and supporting low-carbon transition strategies. In this study, we integrated a multi-regional input–output model with a gravity model to identify the asymmetrical effects of export- and import-side characteristics on the direction and volume of embodied energy flows in China. The combined model incorporates distance to estimate energy kilometers and the associated carbon footprint (CF). Using this model, we simulated energy transfers and CF changes for 2018–2022 based on the regression results. The results show that (1) energy transfers are mainly driven by export-side characteristics, with flows moving from regions with higher GDP, urbanization rates, energy supply, and energy intensity to those with lower levels, among which energy intensity is the dominant factor. (2) The total energy flow increased by 30.22
High Temperature Aquifer Thermal Energy Storage (HT-ATES) is a promising sustainable energy storage solution, capitalizing on the stable and continuous nature of geothermal energy. Research has advanced significantly since the pioneering field tests in the 1970s. Existing field studies demonstrated high storage capacity and heat recovery efficiency (> 60
As a highly effective means of heat recovery from industrial waste gas, the organic Rankine cycle (ORC) demonstrates substantial potential for enhancing energy sustainability. However, the impact of water vapor in waste gas is often overlooked in existing studies. To address this gap, an ORC system utilizing moist waste gas as the heat source is developed, employing R245fa, R113, and R134a as working fluids. The thermodynamic performance of the ORC system is systematically examined, focusing on the impacts of waste gas initial and final temperatures as well as evaporation temperature under varying moisture content scenarios. The results show that latent heat is released from moist waste gas with a humidity greater than 0.08 kg/kg when the final temperature reaches 50 ℃. Under constant humidity conditions, the net power output rises with a reduction in the waste gas’s final temperature, a trend that is characterized by an inflection point. Both net power output and exergy efficiency improve with higher evaporation temperatures. Of all the working fluids investigated, R113 demonstrated the greatest net power output and exergy efficiency, followed by R245fa and R134a. For moist waste gas, when the final temperature is below 59.36 ℃, exergy efficiency decreases as the initial temperature rises, while the trend reverses beyond this temperature range. Furthermore, the exergy efficiency of moist waste gas remains stable within this specific temperature range.
Mitigating agricultural nitrate and phosphorus losses is crucial for pollution control and food security. While many studies focus on scenario analysis of mitigation potential, few are grounded in observational evidence. To address this gap, we synthesized results from 488 global in-situ measures, identifying six effective strategies that could reduce China’s farmland nitrate and phosphorus losses to water by 20.6-49.7
Palm oil mill effluent (POME) represents a major environmental burden due to its exceptionally high organic load and complex pollutant profile. Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) offer a distinctive waste-to-energy platform capable of simultaneously treating POME while recovering electrical energy through microbial metabolism. This study evaluates the performance of POME-fed MFCs across three interrelated dimensions: wastewater treatment efficiency, electrochemical energy recovery, and electron loss mechanisms that constrain system performance. Reported chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal efficiencies range from approximately 40
Given the wide variability in how biomaterials reduce carbon emissions—stemming from differences in both biomass feedstocks and the non-bio-based materials they replaced—this study employed a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) to evaluate the potential of various biomaterials in mitigating greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and contributing to reducing environmental impacts and cumulative energy demand. Three representative biomaterials: wood, bamboo, and kenaf fibers were examined across five case studies: wood replacing aluminum (Al) alloy, bamboo replacing polyvinyl chloride (PVC) pipes, bamboo replacing PVC packaging, natural kenaf fiber reinforced composites replacing glass fiber (GF) sheet molding compound (SMC), and wood replacing polycarbonate (PC). Their respective contributions to carbon neutrality were assessed using LCA. These materials individually impact environmental factors such as Global Warming Potential (GWP), acidification, etc. were identified throughout their lifecycle. Results indicated that the wood replacing Al alloy had the greatest impact on achieving carbon neutrality in terms of reducing GWP and cumulated energy demand (CED). An implicit analysis was conducted comparing GWP and CED in material substitution to highlight how different materials affect these environmental metrics and demonstrate the potential of alternative options in reducing GHG emissions and energy use across the lifecycle. It can be concluded that both the specific biomaterials employed and the non-bio-based materials they replace should be considered in order to effectively compare their respective contributions to carbon neutrality. This dual perspective is essential, as biomaterials differ in carbon sequestration and energy demand, while non-bio-based counterparts vary in emissions and energy intensity. Such insights can guide decision-makers in selecting effective strategies to optimize biomass utilization and advance carbon neutrality.
As a post-transition economy with significant reliance on energy imports, Hungary faces ongoing challenges in harmonizing economic growth with environmental sustainability in the context of globalization and European integration. Existing empirical research predominantly assumes linear relationships between growth and the environment, resulting in a limited understanding of how environmental outcomes vary across different economic growth regimes and business cycle phases, particularly in post-transition settings. Drawing on the Environmental Kuznets Curve and decoupling frameworks, this study posits that the ecological footprint responds asymmetrically to economic growth and energy imports across low-, medium-, and high-growth regimes in these economies. Utilizing annual data for Hungary from 1970 to 2023, this study apply a Multiple-Threshold Autoregressive Distributed Lag (MT-ARDL) model, supplemented by structural break tests and frequency-domain Granger causality analysis, to identify regime-specific short- and long-run dynamics. The findings indicate that environmental degradation is most severe during low-growth periods, when economic growth exerts a disproportionately large positive elasticity on the ecological footprint. In contrast, medium- and high-growth regimes exhibit partial decoupling, driven by improvements in energy efficiency, expansion of renewable energy adoption and alignment with EU regulations. Energy imports exacerbate ecological pressure during moderate growth but mitigate environmental degradation during high-growth phases, reflecting cleaner energy substitution, technological advancements, and deeper market integration. Globalization positively contributes to long-term sustainability through institutional strengthening and the diffusion of green technology. Overall, the results demonstrate that environmental performance depends on the timing of economic growth rather than growth itself. This underscores the need for counter-cyclical, growth-regime-specific sustainability and energy policies, providing policy-relevant insights for ESG-oriented climate governance in Hungary and other post-transition and emerging economies.
Photovoltaics is emerging as the most widespread renewable energy sources globally, yet with increased reliance on alternative energy sources, concerns for land usage have been increased as well. Photovoltaic farms, while typically converted from agricultural farms, have the ability to be key multipurpose lands, incorporating agricultural or conservation initiatives in the same area. While developers advertise increased pollination services from under-panel pollinator habitat to surrounding agricultural lands, many sites plant and manage non-native grass instead of pollinator specific habitat. The purpose of this study was to estimate the potential crop yields from converting the non-native grassland under photovoltaic farms to pollinator habitat. We found that incorporating pollinator habitat into photovoltaic farms has the potential to have a substantial impact on crops in the surrounding landscape. We found yield increases of approximately 9.2
