Grey water footprint evaluation and driving force analysis of eight economic regions in China

Cui, S., Dong, H. Wilson, J., 2020. Grey water footprint evaluation and driving force analysis of eight economic regions in China. Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 27, 20380–20391; doi.org/10.1007/s11356-020-08450-8.

Abstract:

The grey water footprint (GWF) can be used to connect wastewater quality and quantity, making it a powerful tool for policy makers and those responsible for managing wastewater systems. As a supplementary to existing GWF research, this study explores the GWF evolution of eight economic regions in China by taking into consideration the GWF of livestock feeding. In addition, we use the logarithmic mean division index method to study the background driving forces of GWF in primary industry for eight economic regions. Results show that the overall GWF in China fluctuates from 6082 billion m3 to 6238 billion m3 between the years 2003 and 2015. Primary industry contributes most to the GWF because of livestock feeding, particularly for the northwest economic region, accounting for 84.81% in 2015. The southwest economic region has the highest total GWF, and east coast region has the lowest total GWF. An analysis of driving forces shows that economic scale and industrial structure are the driving forces that best explain the GWF for the East coast, middle of Yellow River, Northwest, and Southwest economic regions. The effects of economic scale and pollution producing intensity are driving the GWF in the Northeast Regions. For the North coast and middle Yangtze River Regions, economic scale, industrial structure, and pollution producing intensity are driving forces for GWF. While for the South coast region, population is an important contributor apart from economic scale and industrial structure. Policy implications from perspective of the agriculture GWF and endowment of different regions were finally discussed.

Investing in Canada's Future: The Cost of Climate Adaptation at the Local Level

Green Analytics Corp., 2020. Investing In Canada's Future: The Cost Of Climate Adaptation At The Local Level.

Executive Summary:

Climate change is increasing the frequency and severity of extreme weather events across Canada. In 2019, the federal government released the report Canada’s Changing Climate. It found that the annual average temperature in Canada has increased by 1.7°C since 1948, with higher temperature increases in Canada’s North, the Prairies and northern British Columbia. While every region in Canada experiences the impacts of the warming climate differently, evidence indicates an increase in the severity of heat waves and drought, more frequent and intense rainfall events, changes in snow and ice cover, and more frequent and intense storm surges in coastal regions. For Canada and its economy, the consequences are severe. While a number of studies have attempted to measure the cost of climate change in terms of the damage it will cause or the impact it will have on the economy, there is more to be done to estimate the cost of adapting to climate change.

Climate change adaptation, or disaster mitigation, means taking strategic actions to reduce a community’s vulnerability to the impacts of climate change. In the past decade, climate adaptation in Canada has progressed from research, to public engagement, to actions to reduce the impacts of climate change. All levels of government have developed climate change adaptation strategies and are investing in specific adaptation measures. The Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) and Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC) commissioned Green Analytics to establish a credible estimate of the investment in municipal infrastructure and local adaptation measures needed to reduce the impacts of climate change in Canada.

Municipalities, as the owners and operators of 60% of the public infrastructure in Canada, are on the frontlines of both the impacts of climate change and the solutions to protect Canadians. However, addressing climate risks by retrofitting existing infrastructure and implementing new adaptation measures poses an additional burden on the limited financial capacity of municipalities. Municipalities cannot shoulder the cost of adapting to climate change alone. Climate change adaptation is a shared responsibility among all orders of government, and will require a long-term commitment to action. This study is the first attempt to estimate the long-term need for investment in climate change adaptation measures at the local level.

A Conceptual Framework To Understand The Business Case For Ecohealth In Ontario.

Green Analytics Corp., 2020. A Conceptual Framework To Understand The Business Case For Ecohealth In Ontario.

Introduction:

Greenspaces offer opportunities for engagement with the natural environment and provide ecosystem services that contribute to positive health outcomes. Such opportunities include children’s play, physical exercise and athletic activities, quiet relaxation and meditation, social engagement and reprieve from urban noise and heat (WHO, 2016). In addition, ecosystem services and vegetation cover from greenspaces mitigate air pollutants, reduce surface temperatures and urban heat island effect by creating shade and increasing evapotranspiration, mitigate flooding, and increase community resiliency to climate change.

Greenspace investments lead to health benefits by increasing the number of users who experience positive physical and mental health outcomes and by increasing the amount of greenspace within an urban area thereby reducing exposure to negative impacts from air pollutants, heat, noise, and climaterelated health risks. Greenspace investments include changes in the accessibility, size, amount, quality, type, and amenities present. These factors influence the number of greenspace users, how users engage with greenspaces, and exposure to environmental stressors. Taken together, greenspace use and protection from environmental stressors determine the potential magnitude of associated health benefits. The associated benefits of improvements in public health lead to economic savings associated with reduced burden of illness, decreased use of health services, and increased productivity.

The conceptual framework presented in this document connects investments in greenspaces to health benefits and the associated economic value of improvements in public health. Making these connections helps users better understand and communicate the value of greenspace investments and provides a mechanism to support informed program, policy and planning decisions. In addition to presenting a conceptual framework (Section 4), this document includes the results of a literature review and jurisdictional scan both of which informed the conceptual framework design. This is a living document with the intention that the literature review and conceptual framework will incorporate emerging research and evolve as the overall project advances.

China’s non-fossil energy development and its 2030 CO2 reduction targets: The role of urbanization

Zhang, X., Geng, Y., Shao, S., Wilson, J., Song, X., You, Wei., 2020. China’s non-fossil energy development and its 2030 CO2 reduction targets: The role of urbanization. Applied Energy, 261, 114353.

Abstract:

China has pledged to peak its carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions and lower its CO2 intensity by 60–65% from the 2005 level by 2030. Understanding the role of energy structural adjustment in achieving such targets is critical along with China’s rapid urbanization process. This study aims to uncover the drivers of China’s non-fossil energy development during 1990–2016, and conduct scenarios and probability analyses of different energy consumption and CO2 emission trajectories until 2050. Results show that economic scale plays a key role with urbanization identified as an essential factor in driving non-fossil energy development. The consumption of fossil fuels will continue to increase with rapid urbanization, leading to higher CO2 emissions. China will only achieve the 2030 targets if energy structural adjustment is completed on schedule. Under the current policies, CO2 emissions may peak between 2030 and 2032, while CO2 intensity will decrease. Such findings provide valuable insights and suggest that China should achieve low carbon transition through energy structural adjustment, while taking urbanization as an opportunity.

Energy footprint pathways of China

Tian, X., Chen, B., Geng, Y., Zhong, S., Gao, C., Wilson, J., … Dou, Y. (2019). Energy footprint pathways of China. Energy, 180, 330–340.

Abstract:

China is the largest energy consumer in the world. Identifying China's energy consumption pathways at sectoral levels provides critical information to support energy efficiency improvements, reduce total energy consumption and address issues of access and equity. This study evaluates China's energy footprint based on multi-regional input-output analysis at sectoral level from 1995 to 2009. The foreign and domestic dependency of China's energy footprint is investigated at sectoral level as well. The main results show that the percentage of China's energy footprint to the total global energy footprint increased from 7.6% in 1995 to 15.2% in 2009. China's sector c18, which relates to the sale of Motor Vehicles, Motorcycles and fuel, is the top energy consuming sector over the study period. At a sub-sectoral level, the dominant energy pathway contributing to c18 is China's sub-sectoral c17 (Energy supply sector); c8 (Energy refined sector); c12 (Metal sector); c11 (Other Non-Metallic Mineral sector); Korea's sectoral c9 (Chemical sector) and c8 (Energy refined sector) and Russia's sectoral c17 (Energy supply sector). In terms of dependency on other countries, China's energy footprint network depends most on Russia, USA and Germany.

Taking the First Steps beyond GDP: Maryland’s Experience in Measuring “Genuine Progress”

Hayden, Anders & Wilson, Jeffrey. (2018). Taking the First Steps beyond GDP: Maryland’s Experience in Measuring “Genuine Progress”. Sustainability. 10. 462. 10.3390/su10020462.

Abstract:

Gross Domestic Product’s (GDP) limitations as a prosperity indicator are now widely recognized, leading to a search for “beyond-GDP” alternatives. The US state of Maryland has calculated one such alternative, the Genuine Progress Indicator (GPI), since 2010. What effect is Maryland’s GPI having in practice? Is there any evidence to date that the GPI has shaped policy and public priorities in ways that live up to its supporters’ hopes—whether for a transformative shift beyond the economic-growth paradigm or simply better policymaking? What key obstacles exist to fulfilling those goals? This article draws on semi-structured interviews with elite respondents—including Maryland’s former governor, senior public servants, academics, non-governmental organization employees and foundation leaders—involved in producing, advocating and using the GPI, along with analysis of relevant documents. Although significant impacts on policy are not yet evident and a change of governor has removed high-level support, the GPI initiative has revealed innovative possibilities for more environmentally and socially minded policymaking and introduced new ideas with potential long-term impacts. However, various challenges remain, including strengthening the political constituency behind the GPI, more deeply embedding it into the policymaking process and addressing the GPI’s own limitations in supporting a beyond-GDP economic narrative.

Technical and economic assessment of RES penetration by modelling China's existing energy system

You, W., Geng, Y., Dong, H., Wilson, J., Pan, H., Wu, R., … Liu, Z. (2018). Technical and economic assessment of RES penetration by modelling China’s existing energy system. Energy, 165 (PB), 900–910.

Abstract:

The expansion of renewable energy sources for electricity generation is an important part of China's energy strategy to reduce the dominance of coal generated power. Different energy systems face unique challenges with their different energy structures and economic context, which make it necessary to identify the roadmap for renewable energy development with consideration of local energy system. Our study aims to fill a research gap by identifying the penetration of renewable energy in China's energy system. The study begins with a brief review of the current state of renewable energies in China and then identifies the effect of large penetration of wind power and solar energy. China's energy system is simulated using the EnergyPLAN model and assessed under different penetration points of renewable energy sources from technical and economic perspectives. Different realistic intervals of penetration are discussed. Finally, our analysis identifies that the maximum realistic penetration of wind power and solar energy are respectively 38% and 27%.

Regional impacts of launching national carbon emissions trading market: A case study of Shanghai

Liu, Z., Geng, Y., Dai, H., Wilson, J., Xie, Y., Wu, R., … Yu, Z. (2018). Regional impacts of launching national carbon emissions trading market: A case study of Shanghai. Applied Energy, 230, 232–240.

Abstract:

This study investigates the impacts of launching a national carbon trade market through the IMED|CGE (Integrated Model of Energy, Environment and Economy for Sustainable Development|Computable General Equilibrium) model, between Shanghai and the Rest of China (ROC). Five scenarios are established by considering China’s Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) targets, including a baseline scenario (BaU scenario), a carbon cap on ETS participating sectors scenario (CAPsec scenario), a carbon cap on Shanghai and ROC regions scenario (CAPreg scenario), a carbon cap scenario with local carbon emissions trading among ETS participating sectors (ETsec scenario) and a carbon cap scenario with inter-regional carbon emissions trading (ETreg scenario). The results under the ETreg scenario predict a carbon price of 164.64 USD/tCO2 and a total carbon trade volume of 189.91 Mt by 2030. The metal smelting sector will be the largest seller of emissions quotas in Shanghai, whereas the power generation sector will be the largest buyer. Due to its higher carbon mitigation cost and increasing autonomous carbon intensity, the aviation sector will face more challenges to reduce emissions among ETS participating sectors in Shanghai. The results indicate that launching a national carbon trade market could generate both economic and environmental benefits and help China achieve its NDC targets.

Urban metabolism of megacities: A comparative analysis of Shanghai, Tokyo, London and Paris to inform low carbon and sustainable development pathways

Han, W., Geng, Y., Lu, Y., Wilson, J., Sun, L., Satoshi, O., Geldron, A., Qian, Y. (2018). Urban metabolism of megacities: A comparative analysis of Shanghai, Tokyo, London and Paris to inform low carbon and sustainable development pathways. 

Abstract:

Megacities consume a large amount of energy and materials, leading to various environmental impacts. In this paper, multi-scale integrated analysis of societal and ecosystem metabolism (MuSIASEM) is applied to compare and analyze the metabolic characteristics of four global megacities. This paper extends the analytical framework of MuSIASEM to the N-3 level (detailed industries) providing a higher level of details than current applications. Based on model results, among the four global megacities, Shanghai's labor productivity and energy efficiency are lowest given its large manufacturing sector and complex industrial structure. Tokyo's labor productivity is the highest with a productive tertiary sector. London has the lowest exosomatic energy metabolic rate and a mature tertiary sector. Paris has the best social welfare system. Such results highlight key factors affecting the metabolic pathways of the respective cities and provide city planners and policy-makers critical information to support green growth and low carbon development.

A bibliometric analysis on trends and characters of carbon emissions from transport sector

Tian, Xu & Geng, Yong & Zhong, Shaozhuo & Wilson, Jeffrey & Gao, Cuixia & Chen, Wei & Yu, Zhongjue & Hao, Han. (2017). A bibliometric analysis on trends and characters of carbon emissions from transport sector. Transportation Research Part D: Transport and Environment. 59.

Abstract:

Transport sector’s substantial contribution to global greenhouse gas emissions has made it a growing area of study and concern. In order to identify trends and characteristics of carbon emissions research in the transportation sector we conducted a Bibexcel and complex network analysis for the period 1997–2016. In addition, we identify critical themes and contributions of research articles using h-index, PageRank and cluster analysis. We report contribution of countries, authors, institutions and journals, as well as performance of citations and keywords. Cociting situations between different countries, authors, and institutions are also analyzed using network analysis. Between 1997 and 2016 we found a rise in publications on carbon emissions in the transportation sector and increased cooperation between countries, authors, and institutions. Authors from the USA, China and United Kingdom published the most articles and articles with the highest academic influence. Tsinghua University from China is the leading institution in carbon emissions research in the transportation sector. The most widely published author and cited author is Dr. He. We conclude our analysis by analyzing keywords and trends to suggest critical topic areas of future research. The systematic approach undertaken in this study can be extended and applied to other research topics and fields.

Efficient distribution of carbon emissions reduction targets at the city level: A case of Yangtze River Delta region

Liu, Z., Geng, Y., Dong, H., Wilson, J., Micic, T., Wu, R., Cui, X., Qian, Y., You, W., Sun, H. (2018). Efficient distribution of carbon emissions reduction targets at the city level: A case of Yangtze River Delta region. Journal of Cleaner Production, 172, 1711–1721.

Abstract:

The Chinese central government has released detailed carbon emissions abatement targets at the provincial level, but provides no specific emissions reduction targets at the city level. Most provincial governments simply allocate carbon emissions reduction tasks to their cities based on the GDP of their cities. Allocation approaches, however, should emphasize the most effective distribution to reach overall targets that reflect actual reduction capacities of cities. This paper proposes an allocation method at the city level by combining a data envelop analysis method, an entropy weight method and a clustering analysis method using the Yangtze River Delta region as a case study. Results of our analysis indicate that cities with higher carbon emissions abatement potentials, financial abilities, a larger number of above scaled industrial enterprises and higher GDP are better positioned to reduce carbon emissions and should be assigned proportionately higher reduction targets. The merits and policy implications of the proposed approach are discussed in comparison to simply using GDP to allocate emission reduction targets.

Preparation and characterization of magnetic Fe3O4–chitosan nanoparticles for cellulase immobilization

Lin, Yan & Liu, Xi & Xing, Zhaohui & Geng, Yong & Wilson, Jeffrey & Wu, Deyi & Kong, Hainan. (2017). Preparation and characterization of magnetic Fe3O4–chitosan nanoparticles for cellulase immobilization. Cellulose. 24. 10.1007/s10570-017-1520-6.

Abstract:

Cellulase immobilization is an important issue for cellulose hydrolysis in bioethanol production. In this study, Fe3O4 nanoparticles were synthesized using a coprecipitation method and were coated with chitosan. Glutaraldehyde was used as crosslinking reagent for cellulase immobilization. The morphology, structure, and related physical and chemical properties of the supports were studied by X-ray diffraction, a physical property measurement system, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and Transmission electron microscopy. Response surface methodology was used to determine the optimal cellulase loading efficiency (LE) and standard recovery ratio (RR). The verification tests show the immobilized particles had an LE of 99.6% and an RR value of 68.5%. It was found that immobilized cellulase had a wider range of adaptability to hydrolysis pH and temperature when compared with free cellulase. Five hydrolysis experiments demonstrated effective hydrolysis using immobilized cellulase while maintaining on average 80% of the free cellulase’s activity.