Environmental Impact Assessment Review最新文献

{"title":"Environmental impacts of decommissioning a nuclear power plant: A life cycle assessment of a Magnox site","authors":"Joel Kirk ,&nbsp;Rachael Clayton ,&nbsp;Anthony Banford ,&nbsp;Laurence Stamford","doi":"10.1016/j.eiar.2025.107880","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.eiar.2025.107880","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>With over 400 nuclear power reactors around the world, decommissioning will be an ongoing challenge for some decades. Countries which pioneered nuclear power, such as the UK, USA, Russia and France, are already amassing considerable experience of decommissioning end-of-life reactors. This is a complex undertaking with varied waste streams and has been simplified in previous life cycle assessments of nuclear power, with only one prior study focusing on the detail of decommissioning. The present study applies LCA to the entire decommissioning process of a UK Magnox power plant using Sphera LCA FE (formerly GaBi) with supporting data sourced from ecoinvent v3.9.1. The functional unit is ‘one decommissioned Magnox nuclear site’ and the system boundary is gate to grave, starting once the plant has been defueled and ending with a remediated site. The total climate change impact was found to be 212 kt CO₂ eq., or 3.1 g CO₂ eq./kWh. Across 19 environmental impacts, construction of disposal facilities are key hotspots (35 % ILW disposal facility, 27 % LLW disposal facility), with waste packaging accounting for 30.8 % of the total impact. Sensitivity analysis considered enhanced recycling and waste rerouting, identifying a potential climate change impact reduction of 18.9 % (40 kt CO₂ eq.) if concrete recycling rates were increased to 60 %. Steel recycling saw an overall emission reduction of 10.3 % (21.9 kt CO₂ eq.) when the savings in producing virgin steel were credited to the system <em>via</em> system expansion. Further research is recommended into the environmental impacts (and optimisation) of treatment processes needed to decontaminate and reuse/recycle concrete and steel in order to realise the above gains. Furthermore, greater use of LCA in general within radioactive waste treatment and disposal could lead to substantial improvements in understanding and sustainability.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":309,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Impact Assessment Review","volume":"113 ","pages":"Article 107880"},"PeriodicalIF":9.8,"publicationDate":"2025-02-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143512168","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Assessing the impacts and driving factors of land regulation on urban and rural environmental pollution","authors":"Yating Yang ,&nbsp;Youwen Zhang ,&nbsp;Ruifang Luo ,&nbsp;Xiaoyuan Chen ,&nbsp;Ruilian Zhang","doi":"10.1016/j.eiar.2025.107885","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.eiar.2025.107885","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Land regulation plays a crucial role in shaping environmental outcomes in both urban and rural areas along with global climate change. This study examines the impacts of land regulation on environmental pollution and identifies key driving factors influencing this relationship. Using a comprehensive dataset and empirical analysis, we assess how land regulations affect environmental pollution levels across diverse regions. The findings reveal that although both urban and rural areas are making progress in reducing environmental pollution, rural areas remain more polluted than urban ones. Compared to 2007, the difference between rural and urban environmental pollution increased by 7.24 % in 2022. Urban and rural environmental pollution have exhibited opposing trends in their evolution. While urban environmental pollution has increased, rural environmental pollution has shown a declining trajectory. In 2010, the gap was the smallest, almost negligible (0.11). In 2021, the difference between rural and urban pollution levels reached its peak (9.78), meaning the gap between the two was at its widest. The research shows that in urban region, factors like land regulation (−0.252), economic development (−0.438), industrialization (−1.734), marketization (−0.700), and environmental regulation (−0.428) are linked to lower pollution levels. On the other hand, urbanization (0.029) and global integration level (0.294) are the key factors that contribute to higher pollution level. While in rural region, economic growth (−0.686) helps reduce rural pollution, but factors like industrialization (1.387), urbanization (0.029), and increased market (2.075) or global integration (0.131) contribute to worsening pollution in rural areas. In the eastern and western region, the land regulation leads to a reduction in urban environmental pollution but results in an increase in rural environmental pollution. In the central region, the land regulation has no impact on urban environmental pollution but leads to an increase in rural environmental pollution. The research aims to make contribution by distinguishing the impacts of land regulation in urban and rural environmental settings and offering region-specific policy recommendations to balance development and environmental sustainability.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":309,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Impact Assessment Review","volume":"113 ","pages":"Article 107885"},"PeriodicalIF":9.8,"publicationDate":"2025-02-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143508570","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Micro-level structural change decomposition of carbon productivity: Application to electricity generation in Finland","authors":"Natalia Kuosmanen ,&nbsp;Timo Kuosmanen ,&nbsp;Terhi Maczulskij","doi":"10.1016/j.eiar.2025.107877","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.eiar.2025.107877","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The transition to renewable energy can lead to major structural changes within the energy sector: climate policies encourage the entry of cleaner producers while at the same time driving polluting firms out of the market. However, previous macro-level structural decompositions of carbon intensity and carbon productivity fail to capture the underlying micro-level dynamics, such as firm entry and exit, industry switching, and the reallocation of emissions between firms. The purpose of this study is to fill this gap by presenting a novel micro-level structural change decomposition of carbon productivity. Using comprehensive firm-level register data of the greenhouse gas emissions in the Finnish electricity generation industry in 2000–2019, we find that more efficient allocation of carbon emissions across firms was the main driver of carbon productivity growth in Finnish electricity generation during the study period. We also find that structural change, especially the entry of new firms, played a significant role in the carbon productivity development of this industry.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":309,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Impact Assessment Review","volume":"113 ","pages":"Article 107877"},"PeriodicalIF":9.8,"publicationDate":"2025-02-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143508565","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Accounting and sensitivity analysis of CO2 emissions from typical food cold chain equipment in China","authors":"Qi Cui ,&nbsp;Enyuan Gao ,&nbsp;Shifang Huang ,&nbsp;Meng Chen ,&nbsp;Hanfei Yu ,&nbsp;Zhongbin Zhang ,&nbsp;Zhili Sun ,&nbsp;Huaqian Jing ,&nbsp;Xiaosong Zhang","doi":"10.1016/j.eiar.2025.107881","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.eiar.2025.107881","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The current status of CO₂ emissions from cold chain equipment in China is somewhat unclear due to deficiencies in accounting methods and relevant data. Future emission reduction efforts could not be effectively guided and conducted as a result. Given this situation, the actual running data and holdings of typical cold chain equipment are obtained, as well as the latest authoritative parameters. CO₂ emission characteristics of individual cold chain equipment are examined. Results suggest that for large equipment such as cold stores, the CO₂ emissions due to high GWP refrigerant leakage are remarkably high. For the R507A cold store, refrigerant-related emissions can account for a maximum of 87.2 % of total annual emissions and 92.1 % of total lifetime emissions, respectively. The situation is reversed for small equipment such as refrigerated vehicles and domestic refrigerators. Refrigerant-related emissions are relatively negligible, even with high GWP refrigerant use and high refrigerant leakage rates. A sensitivity analysis indicates that the size of the equipment has a significant impact on CO₂ emissions. This factor is considered for estimating the current total CO₂ emissions. Results show total emissions of 203.1 Mt. for medium refrigerant leakage scenario. Total energy- and refrigerant-related emissions are 164.8 and 38.3 Mt., respectively, making the former a priority for future reductions. Emissions from refrigerated retail and refrigerated end equipment are 90.6 and 74.7 Mt., respectively, which are the two largest emitters. This study may contribute to the sustainable development of cold chain equipment in China.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":309,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Impact Assessment Review","volume":"113 ","pages":"Article 107881"},"PeriodicalIF":9.8,"publicationDate":"2025-02-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143508569","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Environmental efficiency of electricity supply chain systems in China: A dual heterogeneity perspective","authors":"Ruizeng Zhao ,&nbsp;Jie Wu ,&nbsp;Jiasen Sun","doi":"10.1016/j.eiar.2025.107876","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.eiar.2025.107876","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Evaluating the environmental efficiency of electricity systems can provide guidance for green and low-carbon development. However, the current evaluation framework fails to fully account for heterogeneity in power output and technology. This research develops a network data envelopment analysis model incorporating dual heterogeneity to assess the environmental efficiency of a composite electricity supply chain system (ESCS) comprising parallel and series connections. The current study yields several key findings. First, the environmental efficiency of China's ESCS exhibits an M-shaped trend from 2011 to 2021. Second, the low efficiency of a clean energy power subsystem is the primary factor reducing the overall environmental efficiency of ESCS. Third, significant regional disparities exist in the efficiency of ESCS and its subsystems. Fourth, the eastern region has technological advantages, the western and central areas require improved management levels, and the northeastern region has substantial room for technological advancement. Fifth, the environmental efficiency of ESCS exhibits spatial distribution characterized by agglomeration patterns of high–high and low–low. Lastly, targeted recommendations based on empirical findings are provided.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":309,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Impact Assessment Review","volume":"113 ","pages":"Article 107876"},"PeriodicalIF":9.8,"publicationDate":"2025-02-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143487857","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Regulating effects and impact mechanisms of ecosystem regulating services on air quality: Evidence from the Yangtze River Economic Belt, China","authors":"Qiaoling Luo ,&nbsp;Xiangyun Zeng ,&nbsp;Junfang Zhou ,&nbsp;Mingxing Liu ,&nbsp;Youcheng Chu","doi":"10.1016/j.eiar.2025.107887","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.eiar.2025.107887","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Air quality, increasingly threatened by global climate change and human activities, critically impacts human well-being (HWB). While ecosystem services, benefits humans derive from natural ecosystems, are known to support HWB, the specific regulatory effects of ecosystem regulating services (ERS) on air quality remain unclear. Taking Yangtze River Economic Belt (YREB) as a case, this study addresses this gap by introducing the air quality-ERS coordination index (AECI) to quantify the regulating effects of ERS on air quality. Coupling degree models, random forest regression, Shapley additive explanations, and accumulated local effects models were employed to examine the spatio-temporal heterogeneity and mechanisms influencing ERS regulating effects. The findings indicate that: (1) From 2000 to 2020, ERS in the YREB declined erratically, while air quality initially worsened but improved after 2013, influenced by China's air quality policies. (2) Analysis was divided into natural development (2000−2013) and policy intervention (2013−2020) periods, with ERS closely linked to air quality in both. (3) During policy intervention period, AECI values were 7.9 times higher than in natural development period. Along the urban development gradient, AECI increased in natural development period but decreased in policy intervention period, showing marked core-edge heterogeneity. Core cities exhibited the highest AECI in policy intervention period, indicating stronger policy responsiveness. (4) Population density, temperature, and land surface temperature were dominant factors influencing ERS regulating effects on air quality, with varying impacts across periods. This study enhances the understanding of ERS-air quality interactions and provides a scientific basis for future research and policy formulation.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":309,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Impact Assessment Review","volume":"113 ","pages":"Article 107887"},"PeriodicalIF":9.8,"publicationDate":"2025-02-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143487858","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Can China's renewable energy policy synergies help clean energy transition?","authors":"Bo Wang ,&nbsp;Guangchuan Liu ,&nbsp;Silin Zhou ,&nbsp;Zishan Tang ,&nbsp;Zuyao Liu ,&nbsp;Nana Deng ,&nbsp;Zhaohua Wang","doi":"10.1016/j.eiar.2025.107878","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.eiar.2025.107878","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Energy transition as a key strategy for achieving climate goals is garnering global attention, with nations actively employing renewable energy (RE) policy instruments to facilitate this shift. Despite extensive research on individual policy impacts, the synergistic or trade-off effects of multiple policies on energy transition require further exploration, especially in countries with market conditions similar to China. This study introduces a provincial energy transition index (ETI) and employs text and association rule mining to discern the policy intensity and key synergies of China's typical RE policies (including feed-in tariff (FIT), carbon emission trading (CET), tradable green certificates (TGC), electricity market (EM) reform, and renewable portfolio standard (RPS)). Based on provincial panel data from 2006 to 2022 in China, their effectiveness is evaluated using a difference-in-differences (DID) estimation. Empirical results indicate that: (1) the national ETI increased by 10.3 % during the study period, with significant regional disparities. (2) three key policy synergies—EM-TGC, FIT-EM-TGC, and RPS-EM-TGC—were identified, with their temporal evolution reflecting a shift in China's energy transition policies from administrative to market-oriented mechanisms. (3) synergy analysis reveals that the EM-TGC synergy is more effective than the standalone TGC policy, and the coordination of FIT further enhances the EM-TGC synergy in current stage of energy transition. Compared to other policy combinations, the RPS-EM-TGC combination is more effective, promoting synergistic development in new energy generation, grid integration, and market absorption. Beyond the China context, this analysis contributes to policy discourse on advancing energy transition in regulated markets.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":309,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Impact Assessment Review","volume":"113 ","pages":"Article 107878"},"PeriodicalIF":9.8,"publicationDate":"2025-02-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143480022","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Synergistic efficiency in pollution and carbon reduction: Measurement, evolution, and pathways in Chinese cities","authors":"Pingping Ma ,&nbsp;Ming Zhang ,&nbsp;Wenqi Wu ,&nbsp;Bangzhu Zhu","doi":"10.1016/j.eiar.2025.107879","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.eiar.2025.107879","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>A comprehensive assessment on the synergistic efficiency level in pollution and carbon reduction (SRPC) is critical for advancing localized accountability and promoting in-depth ecological governance. To address the bias of univariate modeling, we create a comprehensive evaluation index system to quantify SRPC levels and unveil the spatiotemporal dynamics in 284 Chinese cities from 2002 to 2022 by utilizing an enhanced TOPSIS model. Furthermore, the random forest model combined with biased dependency graph technique is used to thoroughly investigate the drivers and response pathways of spatiotemporal heterogeneity in SRPC. The findings indicate that, temporally, national SRPC demonstrates a U-shaped trend, yet the high-quality synergies remain largely unrealized. Spatially, there is a gradient pattern characterized by “east leading, central lagging, west declining, and northeast catching up.” In terms of spatial correlation, intercity clustering is significantly positive, with influence expanding progressively from eastern coastal cities to the central inland regions. However, a notable multi-level differentiation persists, of which, energy structure is the primary driver, explaining 35.3 % of SRPC difference. Meanwhile, the explanatory power of population density has declined, supplanted by rising contributions from industrial concentration and public participation. Further analysis reveals differential impacts of individual factors across subregions exacerbate the spatiotemporal heterogeneity of SRPC.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":309,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Impact Assessment Review","volume":"113 ","pages":"Article 107879"},"PeriodicalIF":9.8,"publicationDate":"2025-02-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143480023","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The integration of multi-agent system and multicriteria analysis for developing participatory planning alternatives in urban contexts","authors":"Caterina Caprioli","doi":"10.1016/j.eiar.2025.107855","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.eiar.2025.107855","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Decision-making problems, particularly in transformation and planning processes, often involve multiple conflicting objectives/criteria that should be considered. However, it is possible to distinguish between two different types of problems. In the first type, a predefined and discrete set of alternatives has to be evaluated. In the second type, conversely, the set of suitable solutions is not explicated in advance but requires constraint functions for its definition. Alternative generation for choice problems is a vital activity in decision analysis that is sometimes overlooked and underdeveloped. Within this context, the present contribution proposes an integrated approach for supporting a participatory process of scenario planning. This approach combines three interrelated steps. Firstly, data pertaining to the context are collected using SWOT and Stakeholder Analysis. Secondly, the elicitation of preferences expressed by the main stakeholders involved in the planning process is conducted through a multicriteria method. Thirdly, a multi-agent system (MAS) supports the scenario building phase. MAS takes into account both the satisfaction of citizens' and stakeholders' preferences and the comprehensive sustainability of the site, according to a set of multi-dimensional indicators. The generation of alternative scenarios is contingent upon the consideration of preferences and sustainable performance, but also on the suitability of current and new land uses, which are based on a rich set of data elaborated through a Geographic Information System (GIS). The case study of Basse di Stura in Turin (Italy) represents a useful example to test the applicability of this integrated approach. This is due to the fact that the transformation in this area is at an impasse, due to the high pollution of the soil and the different perspectives of the stakeholders involved. The results reveal the ability of this integrated approach in facilitating the development of participatory solutions, that can take into account sustainable objectives, stakeholders' needs and the specificity of the context under analysis.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":309,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Impact Assessment Review","volume":"113 ","pages":"Article 107855"},"PeriodicalIF":9.8,"publicationDate":"2025-02-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143463759","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The effects of employment of various age groups due to a budget neutral shift from labour to environmental taxes in EU countries","authors":"Wiktor Wojciechowski ,&nbsp;Dalia Streimikiene ,&nbsp;Adam Wojciechowski","doi":"10.1016/j.eiar.2025.107867","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.eiar.2025.107867","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study investigates the effects of employment of different age groups due to a budget-neutral shift from labour to environmental taxes (referred to as Environmental Fiscal Devaluation, EFD) within the EU economies, focusing on different age groups. Using the local projection method, the research provides empirical evidence that shifting tax burdens to energy taxes, carbon taxes, and pollution levies significantly enhances labour market performance, particularly for younger workers. The impact of EFD is shown to be more pronounced in countries with flexible labour market regulations, suggesting that institutional contexts play a critical role in maximizing employment gains. The results further reveal that the positive effects of EFD are more substantial during periods of economic expansion compared to recessions. These findings contribute to ongoing debates on green budget reforms and emphasize the importance of complementary labour market reforms to fully realize the benefits of environmental tax shifts. The study offers valuable insights for policymakers aiming to design tax policies that support both environmental objectives and economic growth without compromising employment.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":309,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Impact Assessment Review","volume":"113 ","pages":"Article 107867"},"PeriodicalIF":9.8,"publicationDate":"2025-02-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143463758","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}