Sustainable Production and Consumption最新文献

{"title":"Water and land use in China's food systems: Exploring potential mitigation strategies","authors":"Wenjun Shi ,&nbsp;Hanlin Liu ,&nbsp;Yosef Steinberger ,&nbsp;Yuanchao Hu ,&nbsp;Yang Yang ,&nbsp;Qingfeng Meng ,&nbsp;Guanghui Xie","doi":"10.1016/j.spc.2024.12.001","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.spc.2024.12.001","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The potential adverse impact of increasing international food trade on the environment has received growing global attention in recent years, underscoring the importance of sustainable food systems worldwide. China is facing the critical issues regarding food security, particularly the country's increasing reliance on food imports and the associated environmental challenges. However, the current understanding of water and land pressures from food demand and food security risks arising from growing food imports remains limited. This study conducts a detailed examination of water and land use in China's food systems from 2000 to 2019, utilizing a comprehensive dataset of 132 domestic and 320 imported and exported products and develop varying mitigation scenarios based on counterfactual analysis and global food equation. These findings reveal a significant annual increase in the water and land resources embedded in food imports, with external dependencies on these resources exceeding 37 % by 2019. The research identifies several mitigation strategies, including closing yield gaps and reducing food waste, which could decrease the reliance on external water and land by up to 31 %. However, transitioning to dietary patterns recommended by Chinese guidelines is likely to increase overall demand for these resources. Intensifying these strategies would minimize reliance on external resources, reducing alternative water demand by 38 % and land demand by 41 %. Conclusively, the study highlights the importance of global strategic policy interventions to strengthen food security while minimizing the reliance on external water and land resources, with China serving as a critical case study. These interventions are essential for ensuring the resilience of the food system against future global shocks.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48619,"journal":{"name":"Sustainable Production and Consumption","volume":"53 ","pages":"Pages 28-39"},"PeriodicalIF":10.9,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143133140","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Sustainability vs profitability: Innovating in circular economy financing practices by European banks","authors":"Olga Rataj ,&nbsp;Ludovico Alcorta ,&nbsp;Jan Raes ,&nbsp;Ela Yilmaz ,&nbsp;Luigi Eugenio Riccardo ,&nbsp;Federico Sansini","doi":"10.1016/j.spc.2024.11.025","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.spc.2024.11.025","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This paper explores the role of financial organizations in advancing circular economy (CE) transitions, examining the tension between profitability and sustainability values. Substantial financial resources are required to support circular economy business models (CEBM) to meet the Paris Agreement targets, as the extraction and processing of materials, fuels, and food account for nearly half of total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The study finds that in CE transitions, the emphasis on financial values over sustainability values diminishes within the institutional logic of financial organizations. Notably, sustainability values take precedence at the initial stages of institutional change — a unique insight. However, at later stages, financial logic begins to dominate as CE projects are expected to yield financial returns, though sustainability values remain influential. The research also reveals that lower-level managers and employees drive institutional change through a bottom-up, collective process grounded in sustainability values. Findings suggest that financial organizations must engage in both learning and unlearning, reflecting the transformative nature of CE financial innovations and the associated institutional changes. Moreover, the exchange of insights on CE is multi-directional; banks not only receive insights from external actors but also contribute their own. The study underscores that learning about CE is a collaborative effort, requiring joint efforts and shared learning among organizations, industries, and stakeholders.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48619,"journal":{"name":"Sustainable Production and Consumption","volume":"53 ","pages":"Pages 1-16"},"PeriodicalIF":10.9,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143132779","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"China's climate change mitigation and adaptation strategies for decreasing environmental impacts in the agricultural sector","authors":"Armaghan Kosari-Moghaddam ,&nbsp;Yadong Yang ,&nbsp;Yating Du ,&nbsp;Yijia Zhang ,&nbsp;Xinyi Du ,&nbsp;Zixuan Liu ,&nbsp;Morten Birkved ,&nbsp;Meisam Tabatabaei ,&nbsp;Mortaza Aghbashlo ,&nbsp;Benyamin Khoshnevisan ,&nbsp;Junting Pan","doi":"10.1016/j.spc.2024.12.006","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.spc.2024.12.006","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>While the agricultural sector plays a profound role in food provisioning, achieving sustainability poses formidable challenges worldwide. In this context, this study projects the environmental impacts of China's agricultural sector in the years 2030 and 2050 in line with the framework of shared socioeconomic pathways (SSPs) in comparison to the base period from 1994 to 2019. Accordingly, a spatiotemporal assessment was undertaken by employing the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) method in seven geographical regions across China. In the base period, China's agricultural sector experienced increasing environmental impacts, between ∼10 % to ∼30 % from 1994 to 2014, while it decreased by ∼8 % from 2014 to 2019. On average, 33 % of the total environmental challenges impacted the eastern region of China. The projections also indicate that the transition towards sustainability (SSP1) could reduce environmental impacts by ∼52 % in 2030 and by ∼76 % in 2050, in comparison to 2019. Conversely, adopting regional rivalry strategies (SSP3) can result in a ∼ 3 % increase in environmental impacts in 2030 and a ∼ 30 % decrease in 2050 compared to 2019. The findings underscore the decisive role of agricultural management policies in controlling environmental impacts and facilitating the decarbonization of the Chinese agricultural sector.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48619,"journal":{"name":"Sustainable Production and Consumption","volume":"53 ","pages":"Pages 147-161"},"PeriodicalIF":10.9,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143132781","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"China's carbon peak analysis and life-cycle greenhouse gas emission estimation under the plastics limit order","authors":"Yanpeng Cai ,&nbsp;Huiquan Li ,&nbsp;Ya Zhou ,&nbsp;Jianwen Chu","doi":"10.1016/j.spc.2024.12.005","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.spc.2024.12.005","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Polyethylene terephthalate, polyethylene, and polypropylene plastics are widely used in China. Presently, detailed information on greenhouse gas emissions of polyethylene terephthalate, polyethylene, and polypropylene and the corresponding carbon peak is affected under the newly launched plastics limit order. Key paths and strategies for emissions reduction are not clear yet. In this research, an accounting model for greenhouse gas emissions was developed. Then, a scenario of plastics limit order was set to analyze characteristics of greenhouse gas emissions and carbon peak potential for polyethylene terephthalate, polyethylene, and polypropylene. Certain mitigation and carbon peak strategies were proposed. Results indicated that the main pathways of greenhouse gas were the manufacturing process of polyethylene terephthalate fibers, polyethylene films, and PP woven goods. Moreover, polyethylene terephthalate, polyethylene, and polypropylene would have a significant emission reduction (equivalent to the emissions of 26 new power plants (500 MW)) by 2030 under the prohibition scenario. Notably, although substitution scenarios could reduce waste, the reduction of greenhouse gas would not be obvious. Optimizing waste management has significant effects on emission reduction. The scenario of multiple measures would contribute significantly to realizing carbon reduction and peak (PET, PE, and PP reducing by 152.2, 92.2, and 21.5 Mt CO₂e). The research results of this study would identify the key paths of greenhouse gas emissions and carbon peak potential under the plastics limit order.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48619,"journal":{"name":"Sustainable Production and Consumption","volume":"53 ","pages":"Pages 190-202"},"PeriodicalIF":10.9,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143132778","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Enhancing the circular bioeconomy transition in Germany: A systematic scenario analysis","authors":"Sören Richter ,&nbsp;Nora Szarka ,&nbsp;Alberto Bezama ,&nbsp;Daniela Thrän","doi":"10.1016/j.spc.2024.12.004","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.spc.2024.12.004","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study employs a systematic-formalised scenario approach to examine critical drivers and interdependencies affecting the transition to a circular bioeconomy in Germany. By addressing current knowledge gaps, we highlight unique factors often absent from overarching scenario discussion in the research field. The work focuses on circularity, system integration efficiency, high-quality data input, and a culture of transparent scenario development. Our findings uncover previously unnoticed causal relationships and system interdependencies, offering new insights into the dynamics that can support or hinder potential transition pathways for a sustainable circular bioeconomy. A central outcome of this research is the identification of system-level interdependencies that influence sustainable resource management and the development of circular value chains. Furthermore, we advocate for a more detailed data level for bioeconomy technologies and offer targeted recommendations for policymakers, industry stakeholders, and researchers. These recommendations guide the practical steps needed to foster a thriving circular bioeconomy at both national and international levels. Contributing to the broader discourse on scenario-based research, the systematic-formalised approach of influence and consistency analysis underscores the importance of transparent scenario conception in bioeconomy studies. This emphasis aims to enhance the quality and effectiveness of future research efforts and scenario interpretation. The research deepens our understanding of German pathways towards a circular bioeconomy and provides a framework for evaluating complex systems. This manuscript is designed to inspire readers and encourage them to broaden their perspectives on bioeconomy transition and apply new insights to diverse research contexts.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48619,"journal":{"name":"Sustainable Production and Consumption","volume":"53 ","pages":"Pages 125-146"},"PeriodicalIF":10.9,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143132780","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Corrigendum to “Development and application of a nutritional quality model for life cycle assessment of protein-rich foods” [Sustain. Prod. Consump. 50 (2024) 35–44]","authors":"Ana Fernández-Ríos ,&nbsp;Laura Batlle-Bayer ,&nbsp;Sahar Azarkamand ,&nbsp;Jara Laso ,&nbsp;Pere Fullana-i-Palmer ,&nbsp;Alba Bala ,&nbsp;Rita Puig ,&nbsp;Rubén Aldaco ,&nbsp;María Margallo","doi":"10.1016/j.spc.2024.12.009","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.spc.2024.12.009","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":48619,"journal":{"name":"Sustainable Production and Consumption","volume":"53 ","pages":"Page 162"},"PeriodicalIF":10.9,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143132769","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Assessing the carbon neutrality capacity of wetland and non-wetland ecosystems in a typical coastal region","authors":"Yanan Guan ,&nbsp;Xin Tian ,&nbsp;Junhong Bai ,&nbsp;Hui Zhou ,&nbsp;Lixiang Wen","doi":"10.1016/j.spc.2024.11.028","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.spc.2024.11.028","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>To achieve carbon neutrality in 2060, increasing carbon sequestration and reducing carbon emissions are necessary to mitigate climate change. In this study, we developed a framework for assessing the carbon neutrality of wetland and non-wetland ecosystems, by clarifying the wetland, non-wetland carbon sinks as well as carbon emissions, and selected the Yellow River Delta High-efficient Eco-economic Zone (YRDHEZ) in China as a case study. The results indicated that the total ecosystem carbon sinks fluctuated between 18.0 and 23.5 MtCO₂ yr⁻¹, with a decrease of 15.3% during the study period. The carbon sinks decreased from 9.1 to 5.2 MtCO₂ yr⁻¹ in wetland ecosystems and from 15.1 to 11.2 MtCO₂ yr⁻¹ for non-wetland ecosystems. The total anthropogenic carbon emissions showed a trend of initial increase, followed by a decrease, peaking at 111.0 MtCO₂ yr⁻¹ in 2015. The carbon neutrality capacity decreased from 31.7% to 6.8% for wetland ecosystems, from 44.8% to 17.3% for non-wetland ecosystems, which did not reach carbon neutrality. Comprehensive policies are proposed by forming a wetland carbon offset restoration system, optimizing low-carbon patterns, developing carbon emission trading. These results revealed a significant imbalance between carbon sinks and anthropogenic carbon emissions, highlighting the urgent need for carbon neutrality and environmental sustainability.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48619,"journal":{"name":"Sustainable Production and Consumption","volume":"53 ","pages":"Pages 17-27"},"PeriodicalIF":10.9,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143133139","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Consumers would rather buy a product with a levy for enhancing animal welfare than for environmental sustainability","authors":"Jeanine Ammann ,&nbsp;Gabriele Mack ,&nbsp;Nadja El Benni ,&nbsp;Rita Saleh","doi":"10.1016/j.spc.2024.11.024","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.spc.2024.11.024","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Taxes have been identified as efficient measures to facilitate sustainable behaviour change but tend to be unpopular. Sustainability levies, which are a special type of tax, are less investigated and could come with fewer prejudices. To test consumers' preferences for different sustainability levy options, we conducted an online survey in Switzerland with 481 participants (51 % female). They were presented with six products (i.e. fresh/processed vegetables, dairy, and meat) and for each product, they had four levy options to choose from. For vegetables, they were: (A) reduction of risks related to plant protection products, (B) more support for local farmers, (C) support for environmental sustainability, and (D) sustainability projects in general. For the animal products, option A was an increase in animal welfare. For all three comparisons (fresh vs. processed of vegetables, meat and dairy), the number of participants who chose the general sustainability information increased for processed products compared to fresh products. Further, we found that for the animal products, the majority of participants preferred the levy that increased animal welfare. For vegetables, participants preferred a levy that reduced risks related to plant protection products and supported local farmers. We found that when the sustainability levy was not defined, it tended to be understood as environmental sustainability. Using multinomial logistic regression, we identified the perception of farmers as a significant predictor of a levy choice to support local farmers. We conclude that animal products should ensure and transparently communicate animal welfare to drive sustainable behaviour change. Similarly, improving the public perceptions of farmers and encouraging interaction between farmers and consumers can help build public support for local farmers and promote the purchase of sustainable products.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48619,"journal":{"name":"Sustainable Production and Consumption","volume":"53 ","pages":"Pages 99-108"},"PeriodicalIF":10.9,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143133048","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Rapid sustainability assessment of sludge management technologies for industrial scale-up","authors":"Hossein Sabet ,&nbsp;Shabnam Sadri Moghaddam ,&nbsp;Farzad Piadeh","doi":"10.1016/j.spc.2024.12.007","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.spc.2024.12.007","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Sludge reduction technologies have advanced significantly because of their potential in effective waste management. However, the need for scalable and sustainable wastewater treatment technologies is critical in addressing the challenges posed by population growth and environmental concerns. These technologies still lack a comprehensive framework that can evaluate the relationships between techno-economic, environmental life cycle, socio-policy, and reliability as well as sensitivity, and uncertainty analysis. Furthermore, the reliance on expert judgment, in evaluating new technologies, while valuable, often is slow, costly, and sometimes hindered by a lack of familiarity with disruptive innovations due to experts' knowledge gaps and constrained future outlooks. Hence, this study introduces an integrated rapid sustainability assessment framework designed to evaluate pilot sludge reduction technologies across technical, economic, reliability, environmental, and socio-political dimensions. The framework leverages a data-driven, scenario-based multi-criteria decision-making approach, incorporating rigorous sensitivity and uncertainty analyses to enhance the reliability of evaluations. This framework is validated through a case study involving three alternatives: (1) Anoxic/Oxic Membrane bioreactor, (2) Anaerobic Side-Stream Reactor, and (3) Anaerobic Main-Stream Reactor. Using the proposed approach, 145,530 potential future scenarios were analysed, incorporating five key criteria and 20 vital indices. The results indicate that the second alternative outperforms the other options in 86 % of the evaluated scenarios. However, its performance may be sensitive to any changes in pollutant removal efficiency, operational costs, and global warming potential when scaled to full industrial applications. In comparison to current approaches, this user-friendly framework not only shows its ability to capture a broader range of uncertainties, but also identifies trends and potential challenges that may not be readily apparent through expert intuition alone. This method also provides a holistic view of the environmental, technical, reliability and socio-policy impacts, facilitating informed decision-making for scaling pilot technologies to industrial applications.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48619,"journal":{"name":"Sustainable Production and Consumption","volume":"53 ","pages":"Pages 163-176"},"PeriodicalIF":10.9,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143133049","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Life cycle assessment of biological nutrient removal considering seasonal variations in environmental impacts","authors":"Filiz Daskiran ,&nbsp;Huseyin Guven ,&nbsp;Hale Ozgun ,&nbsp;Mustafa Evren Ersahin","doi":"10.1016/j.spc.2024.12.010","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.spc.2024.12.010","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Wastewater treatment plays a critical role in mitigating environmental impacts. However, the environmental performance of treatment processes varies depending on operational configurations and external factors such as seasonal changes. This study aimed to investigate three wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) with different biological nutrient removal (BNR) configurations -anaerobic-anoxic-oxic (A2O), five-stage Bardenpho, and Johannesburg processes- using the life cycle assessment (LCA) approach to comparatively examine their environmental performances and to conduct an LCA study using two functional units (FUs) (1 m³ of wastewater treated and 1 kg of total nitrogen (TN) removed), revealing seasonal environmental impacts for A2O process to reveal the difference in interpretation according to the FU selected. The ReCiPe 2016 methodology was employed, focusing on ten key impact categories, including global warming, marine eutrophication, freshwater eutrophication, human carcinogenic toxicity, human non-carcinogenic toxicity, marine ecotoxicity, freshwater ecotoxicity, terrestrial ecotoxicity, terrestrial acidification, and fossil resource scarcity. The results show that the Johannesburg process achieves better environmental performance compared to the others. The superior performance of the Johannesburg process can be attributed to having no fugitive methane (CH₄) emissions due to the absence of anaerobic digester in the sludge treatment and its competitive TN removal rates, which align directly with sustainability objectives like emission reduction and reducing carbon footprint. Choosing the right FU is crucial for sustainability. The FU based on 1 kg TN removed provided a more representative view of environmental efficiency under changing seasonal conditions. These findings emphasize the importance of aligning FU selection with sustainability goals. In terms of wastewater management policy, the study suggests that monitoring based on the percentage of pollutant load removed or total annual emissions generated would be more meaningful, taking into account changing external conditions such as seasonal factors.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48619,"journal":{"name":"Sustainable Production and Consumption","volume":"53 ","pages":"Pages 177-189"},"PeriodicalIF":10.9,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143132768","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}