Energy, Sustainability and Society最新文献

{"title":"Navigating the winds of change: presentation of wind power development by regional newspapers in Northern Sweden and Finland","authors":"Therese Bjärstig,&nbsp;Hanna Lempinen","doi":"10.1186/s13705-025-00526-y","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s13705-025-00526-y","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><p>Dramatic reductions in anthropogenic CO₂ emissions are needed to mitigate the impacts of rapidly accelerating climate change. In Sweden and Finland efforts to realize the political ambitions to meet international climate objectives, and promote the growth of ‘green’ industries, have focused on rapid expansion of wind farms, but in both countries wind power developments have been controversial. These controversies are especially prominent in the northern regions of the countries which have become hotspots of wind power development. In this article, we focus on these regional wind power debates with the aim to extend scholarly understanding of the spatial justice dimensions of how ‘just’ and ‘green’ transitions unfold. We do this by examining representations of the ways in which the effects of regional wind power development, their management and the ‘right’ places for wind power are debated in 372 articles in Swedish and Finnish regional news media published during 2020–2023.</p><h3>Results</h3><p>In regional media representations, wind power is discussed in terms of a wide range of experienced and potential impacts. Negative impacts including harm to the environment, biodiversity and human health are discussed. Yet, the positive effects are emphasized, including contributions to national policy goals and the regional socioeconomic benefits of the emergence of a green, low-carbon economy in both the Swedish and Finnish articles. However, envisioned means for managing wind power development in a fair manner differ: compensations and the right to municipal veto are strongly highlighted in the Swedish articles, while Finnish articles focus on the integrity of democratic processes and planning. As the green transition continues to unfold, northern regions are increasingly being represented as the ‘right’ places for wind power, both from outside and within those regions.</p><h3>Conclusions</h3><p>Our findings highlight the perceived importance of local and regional socioeconomic benefits and local self-determination for positive perceptions of large-scale wind power developments in our focal administrative and legal contexts. Local and regional histories and encounters with earlier resource development continue to shape reactions to and interpretations of resource development projects in contemporary Euro-Arctic North.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":539,"journal":{"name":"Energy, Sustainability and Society","volume":"15 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.6,"publicationDate":"2025-05-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://energsustainsoc.biomedcentral.com/counter/pdf/10.1186/s13705-025-00526-y","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144140147","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Drivers and constraints in an emerging rural biogas system: actors’ perceptions from Northern Savonia","authors":"Kalle Aro,&nbsp;Matti Kojo,&nbsp;Pasi Rikkonen,&nbsp;Saija Rasi","doi":"10.1186/s13705-025-00524-0","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s13705-025-00524-0","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><p>The biogas niche is usually approached from a top-down perspective, and its actors are considered a unanimous advocacy group in the national policy discourse. This setting downplays the diversity of actors and their opinions at a subnational level.  In this study, ten biogas actors from the farm-level, industry, regional administration, and potential end-users in the Finnish region of Northern Savonia were interviewed. The actors’ perceptions of the national and regional biogas sectors were explored.</p><h3>Results</h3><p>The national biogas policy framework appears discontinuous, and statements regarding biogas targets are perceived as ambiguous, thus lacking creditability at a local level. The economic feasibility of rural biogas production places a strong boundary condition for the local biogas system. When moving from the national to a local level, individual actor’s perception of the optimal value chain becomes highlighted. Extending the actor network beyond the regional context was deemed vital for the long-term stability of the locally emergent biogas ecosystem. As municipalities can influence both production and consumption domains, they were called to play a more active role in constructing local biogas systems.</p><h3>Conclusions</h3><p>The results of this study provided three insights: (1) social, political, and environmental drivers influence the biogas sector in addition to techno-economic drivers; (2) drivers and constraints are perceived differently by actors in agricultural biogas production than by actors in distribution and end-use; and (3) the local biogas niche contains partly divergent perceptions of how the biogas system should be organised. Connecting actors early through joint planning and formulating case-by-case business models may help mediate any conflicts of interest.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":539,"journal":{"name":"Energy, Sustainability and Society","volume":"15 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.6,"publicationDate":"2025-05-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://energsustainsoc.biomedcentral.com/counter/pdf/10.1186/s13705-025-00524-0","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143944192","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Examining spatial variations in the relationship between domestic energy consumption and its driving factors using multiscale geographically weighted regression: a case study in Nottingham, England","authors":"Yuan Feng,&nbsp;Ying Miao,&nbsp;Ed Turner","doi":"10.1186/s13705-025-00523-1","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s13705-025-00523-1","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><p>Domestic energy consumption contributes to over a quarter of the UK’s carbon emissions, understanding how it is driven can be helpful for delivering a fair energy transition to net zero. Energy usage is noted as a spatial phenomenon, however, the spatial variability of how it is driven is rarely considered in existing UK studies. To contribute to this research gap, this study examines the spatial variations in the relationship between domestic energy consumption and its driving factors using the local spatial statistical modelling technique <i>multiscale geographically weighted regression</i> (MGWR). With explanatory variables on dwelling and household characteristics, this study analyses data at Lower Layer Super Output Area (LSOA) level on the study area, Nottingham, a somewhat socio-economically deprived city that also has the UK’s largest district heating (DH) system supplying low-carbon residential heating.</p><h3>Results</h3><p>The study reveals domestic energy consumption is driven by factors at different spatial scales with spatially varied or even spatially heterogeneous patterns. Specifically, higher domestic energy consumption is affected differently across local areas by larger percentages of dwellings with 4 or more bedrooms, unemployment, terraced dwellings, whilst by smaller percentages of social-rented housing tenures and central heating type of district heating. The impacts of dwelling energy efficiency, median household income, percentage of households with 3 or more people, fuel poverty, and central heating with renewable energy, vary across different local areas. Therefore, while there are identifiable relationships between these factors and domestic energy consumption, they differ by locality, and aggregated level analysis may fail to accurately to capture these patterns.</p><h3>Conclusions</h3><p>Nuanced local patterns of how domestic energy consumption is driven suggest placed-based approaches and more local deliberation to devise policies may be more suitable than “one-size-fit-all” policy plans to achieve the envisioned outcomes of rapid and fair domestic energy decarbonisation and just energy transition to net zero.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":539,"journal":{"name":"Energy, Sustainability and Society","volume":"15 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.6,"publicationDate":"2025-05-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://energsustainsoc.biomedcentral.com/counter/pdf/10.1186/s13705-025-00523-1","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143938363","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Reshaping roles and value logics among distributed system operators for future electricity systems","authors":"Martin Warneryd,&nbsp;Kersti Karltorp","doi":"10.1186/s13705-025-00522-2","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s13705-025-00522-2","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><p>This paper seeks to explore the roles of distribution system operators (DSOs) in future energy systems. Measures to combat climate change have led to a transition in the energy sector, where old system fundamentals are becoming obsolete, which results in changing rules for incumbent actors, such as DSOs. These actors must uphold heavily regulated operations within their distribution networks, while landscape trends are changing with a growing number of prosumers and distributed energy resources. To understand these future roles and increase the preparedness for future scenarios and facilitate thinking beyond current lock-ins, action-oriented workshops were held with two Swedish DSOs, departing from pre-developed future imaginaries, structured through transition theory. Researchers were actively involved in the workshops, to guide the participants in the discussions and to provide additional knowledge from transition processes. This was structured through transition theory, mainly in terms of linking transition management fundamentals to the topics in the workshops and basing the workshop discussions on an imagined future socio-technical system-wide approach using four focus areas.</p><h3>Results</h3><p>Results included descriptions of roles within future energy systems and their connection to specified value logics from different target groups which would, from the DSO perspective, create value in a future energy system. Roles included sustainable developer, facilitator for increased collaboration, balancing actor, and communicator. In addition, competence requirements were outlined concerning the described roles. The future logic was also described in a conceptual value model for an active DSO in a prosumer-oriented energy system, creating value in all different value logics. Moreover, it provided the steps necessary to develop a pathway aimed at the transformation of DSOs.</p><h3>Conclusions</h3><p>The study provided a constructive approach for DSOs to prepare for a future, more prosumer-oriented and flexible energy system, avoiding being locked in current system thinking and focusing on necessary roles and competencies suitable for a DSO. In addition, the utilization of the value logics approach helped place the prosumers in a differentiated manner, which can have implications for strategies among DSOs to create the necessary relations and collaborations for an efficient and value-creating future energy system.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":539,"journal":{"name":"Energy, Sustainability and Society","volume":"15 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.6,"publicationDate":"2025-05-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://energsustainsoc.biomedcentral.com/counter/pdf/10.1186/s13705-025-00522-2","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143919206","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Harnessing energy abundance: sustainable expansion of solar parks in Lower Saxony through harmonized spatial planning","authors":"Ole Badelt,&nbsp;Julia Wiehe,&nbsp;Christina von Haaren","doi":"10.1186/s13705-025-00519-x","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s13705-025-00519-x","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><p>The shift from fossil fuels to renewable energy sources brings substantial changes in land use. Germany, with limited land availability, needs a spatial framework to allocate renewable energy while safeguarding biodiversity and ecosystem services. This process should include public participation at the local level. Respective models have been developed for decision support on wind turbine allocation but methods are still lacking for solar parks. This paper aims to identify the safe operating space for solar energy supply that is inclusive and compatible with humans and nature. We propose criteria for Germany with different classes of legal legitimization to define the local decision space. The method is applied in the exemplary case of the federal state of Lower Saxony and the two municipalities—Springe and Wedemark.</p><h3>Results</h3><p>The results show that this decision space is sufficiently large to involve both the local public and decision-makers in determining the energy mix and siting of renewable plants. In Lower Saxony, 13% of the state's area (611.932 ha) has low spatial resistance to solar parks. With a reference plant's power density of 1.01 MW/ha, this land could generate up to 667 TWh/a, far exceeding the share needed for Lower Saxony’s contribution to Germany’s projected energy demand in 2050. This provides flexibility for regional and local stakeholders to shape their energy landscape within the bounds of downscaled national climate targets and human- and nature-compatible development. In addition, co-benefits with other extensive land-use objects, such as groundwater protection, can be provided on these sites.</p><h3>Conclusions</h3><p>Our findings offer valuable guidance for regional planning boards and encourage public participation in the decision-making process by providing transparent information about the spatial options and limits of solar development. The model can improve planning, since different planning levels could access and utilize the scalable data. Equal criteria at all levels increase the intersubjectivity and comprehensibility of approval decisions and thus also the legal certainty of land designations for solar parks.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":539,"journal":{"name":"Energy, Sustainability and Society","volume":"15 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.6,"publicationDate":"2025-04-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://energsustainsoc.biomedcentral.com/counter/pdf/10.1186/s13705-025-00519-x","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143861257","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Not in my backyard? Prospects, problems and perceptions of lithium extraction in Austria","authors":"Matthias Kowasch,&nbsp;Simon P. J. Batterbury,&nbsp;Christoph Baumann,&nbsp;Frank Melcher,&nbsp;Gertrude Saxinger,&nbsp;Emma Wilson","doi":"10.1186/s13705-025-00521-3","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s13705-025-00521-3","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><p>The European Green Deal has rekindled interest in the mining of critical raw materials within Europe’s borders. The Weinebene lithium deposit, near Wolfsberg (Austria), deemed uneconomic as late as the 2000s, has attracted interest from developers because of the widespread demand for the metal for battery technology and in the electro-mobility sector. Based on a multi-scalar analysis, the main objective of this study is to investigate local citizens’ and politicians’ perceptions of potential environmental and socio-economic impacts of the Wolfsberg project. We deploy an interdisciplinary political geology approach that assesses its geological feasibility, social acceptability and the associated power relations, in the light of European debates around so-called ‘green extractivism’.</p><h3>Results</h3><p>The exploitation of the lithium deposit seems to be promising from a geological point of view: the Weinebene hard rock, vein-type spodumene deposit was assessed at 12.9 Mt grading 1% Li2O, and the planned mine could provide 10,500 tpa LiOH/year for a period of 20 years, which would be around 4.5% of global production in 2021. However, the main results of the study show that conflicts are emerging around local environmental impacts, for example, the increase of traffic. Such environmental impacts resulting in greater CO₂ emissions contradict decarbonisation objectives and ecological transitions. Local youth and politicians have highlighted the possibility of local mineral production, job creation and economic development. Nevertheless, politicians have criticized the company’s communication policy.</p><h3>Conclusions</h3><p>The geological analysis suggests adequate lithium resources. Otherwise, the Wolfsberg project is undermined by the lack of an open public dialogue on its future. Local residents and politicians are barely involved in the planning and permitting stages. The company European Lithium is confident of starting extraction soon, but in reality this is still uncertain. More widely, our results point towards the need for a strong degrowth strategy to generally reduce mineral consumption in Europe while also stopping destructive mining projects in the Global South. Local public perceptions have to be taken more into account when it comes to the future of lithium extraction in Europe’s ‘backyard’. Mechanisms need to be developed to fully integrate local residents into decision making processes.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":539,"journal":{"name":"Energy, Sustainability and Society","volume":"15 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.6,"publicationDate":"2025-04-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://energsustainsoc.biomedcentral.com/counter/pdf/10.1186/s13705-025-00521-3","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143835618","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Mapping the suitability of North Africa for green hydrogen production: an application of a multi-criteria spatial decision support system combining GIS and AHP for Tunisia","authors":"Maria Cristina Pinto,&nbsp;Maria Gaeta,&nbsp;Emere Arco,&nbsp;Piero Boccardo,&nbsp;Stefano Paolo Corgnati","doi":"10.1186/s13705-025-00512-4","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s13705-025-00512-4","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><p>In the energy transition framework towards decarbonization, green hydrogen, obtained through water electrolysis powered by renewable energy, is gaining importance. In order to pave the way to its production and trade, it is required to assess its main advantages and challenges, which are not only energy-related but involve also techno-economic, social, environmental, and geopolitical aspects. In line with this, the current article aims to provide a Multi-criteria Spatial Decision Support System to investigate the suitability of North African countries with respect to the production of solar-based hydrogen and its potential trade, and to apply it to Tunisia, as one of the most promising countries for becoming a competitive hydrogen exporting leader. Combining the Analytic Hierarchy Process and the Geographical Information System, this study focuses on evaluating the land suitability for solar hydrogen production at a country level, serving as the foundation for a methodology applicable across the entire North African region. After defining ten different criteria, these are spatially analysed and then prioritized according to different experts’ preferences, so that a final suitability map is obtained. The added value of the study is the inclusion of social and geopolitical criteria in this kind of assessments, often focused on techno-economic parameters alone.</p><h3>Results</h3><p>The suitability map allows to classify the majority of the Tunisian areas as moderately or highly suitable, even if the most favourable areas in terms of availability of resources are often negatively influenced by the geopolitical or economic assessment. The sensitivity analysis has also proved the high suitability of Tunisia, with no areas assessed as very low suitable even if the different criteria are extremized.</p><h3>Conclusions</h3><p>Among the several influencing factors addressing the suitability for green hydrogen uptake, this article makes it possible to explore the social and geopolitical externalities, as well as the environmental and techno-economic dimensions. Even if stakeholders’ preferences affect the final results, the sensitivity analysis makes it possible to test their robustness. Supporting the adoption of new clean technologies towards the carbon-neutrality target, the methodological framework could be applied for other countries and also tailored on other specific technological pathways.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":539,"journal":{"name":"Energy, Sustainability and Society","volume":"15 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.6,"publicationDate":"2025-04-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://energsustainsoc.biomedcentral.com/counter/pdf/10.1186/s13705-025-00512-4","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143793175","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The impact of the transition to a green economy on Romania’s economic growth","authors":"Dorina Niță,&nbsp;Nadia Stoicuța,&nbsp;Alina Nițescu,&nbsp;Claudia Isac,&nbsp;Oana Dobre-Baron","doi":"10.1186/s13705-025-00520-4","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s13705-025-00520-4","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><p>Globally and regionally, nations are going through a period of important changes determined by the climate and environmental challenges in the context of the transition towards green economy, by the energy crisis caused by the Russian–Ukrainian war started in 2022, as well as the economic and social effects of the COVID-19 pandemics, which all affect economic growth. Providing a sustainable development capable of contributing to the increase of welfare and life longevity requires high rates of economic growth as well as a healthy living environment. At present, boosting the transition to the green economy is considered as an alternative. Based on a multivariable linear regression model, this study aims to analyze the connection and influence of five macroeconomic indicators, on Romania’s economic growth over a period of 16 years (2006–2021), where the indicators are considered to be representative for green economy.</p><h3>Results</h3><p>The results pinpoint both the existence of a positive and long-term relation among the total greenhouse gas emissions, the value of the production of environmental goods and services, the total environmental taxes and real GDP, and the negative impact of the total generation of renewable electricity and investments for environmental protection upon real GDP. These results provide a relevant picture of the complex interdependences between the environmental indicators and economic growth, amid the significant challenges determined by the implementation of sustainability strategies.</p><h3>Conclusions</h3><p>Romania’s transition towards green economy not only represents an initiative based on the obligations resulting from joining the European Union’s Green Agenda, but also results from acknowledging the consequences of climate change; in accordance, our analysis intends to empower policy makers in intensifying the current levels of the total generation of renewable energy and the investments for environmental protection, so that these might reach the thresholds required to transform them into decisive factors of economic growth.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":539,"journal":{"name":"Energy, Sustainability and Society","volume":"15 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.6,"publicationDate":"2025-04-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://energsustainsoc.biomedcentral.com/counter/pdf/10.1186/s13705-025-00520-4","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143761751","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Public participation GIS scenarios for decision-making on land-use requirements for renewable energy systems","authors":"Christine Rösch,&nbsp;Elham Fakharizadehshirazi","doi":"10.1186/s13705-025-00518-y","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s13705-025-00518-y","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><p>The transition to renewable energy is crucial for decarbonising the energy system but creates land-use competition. Whilst there is consensus on the need for local responsibility in achieving climate neutrality, debates continue over where to implement renewable energy plants. The Public Participation Geographic Information System (PPGIS) scenario approach can facilitate these debates and improve equity and procedural and distributive justice.</p><h3>Results</h3><p>The findings highlight the effectiveness of the PPGIS method in assessing the spatial impact of technologies on agriculture and landscapes. The approach was tested in a rural German municipality to help stakeholders and citizens recognise the potential for land-based solar energy even under strict constraints. These insights were shared to support decision-makers on land-use changes to increase renewable energy production.</p><h3>Conclusions</h3><p>The findings indicate that the PPGIS scenario approach is valuable for improving equity and mutual understanding in local decision-making processes. Incorporating stakeholders’ and citizens’ perspectives into renewable energy planning enhances the transparency, legitimacy, and acceptability of land-use decisions. The ability to visualise and quantitatively assess different scenarios makes PPGIS particularly useful for addressing the complexities of public debates on land-use requirements for renewable energy systems.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":539,"journal":{"name":"Energy, Sustainability and Society","volume":"15 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.6,"publicationDate":"2025-03-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://energsustainsoc.biomedcentral.com/counter/pdf/10.1186/s13705-025-00518-y","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143645603","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Advanced computing to support urban climate neutrality","authors":"Gregor Papa,&nbsp;Rok Hribar,&nbsp;Gašper Petelin,&nbsp;Vida Vukašinović","doi":"10.1186/s13705-025-00517-z","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s13705-025-00517-z","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><p>Achieving climate neutrality in cities is a major challenge, especially in light of rapid urbanization and the urgent need to combat climate change. This paper explores the role of advanced computational methods in the transition of cities to climate neutrality, with a focus on energy supply and transportation systems. Central to this are recent advances in artificial intelligence, particularly machine learning, which offer enhanced capabilities for analyzing and processing large, heterogeneous urban data. By integrating these computational tools, cities can develop and optimize complex models that enable real-time, data-driven decisions. Such strategies offer the potential to significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions, improve energy efficiency in key infrastructures and strengthen the sustainability and resilience of cities. In addition, these approaches support predictive modeling and dynamic management of urban systems, enabling cities to address the multi-faceted challenges of climate change in a scalable and proactive way.</p><h3>Main text</h3><p>The methods, which go beyond traditional data processing, use state-of-the-art technologies such as deep learning and ensemble models to tackle the complexity of environmental parameters and resource management in urban systems. For example, recurrent neural networks have been trained to predict gas consumption in Ljubljana, enabling efficient allocation of energy resources up to 60 h in advance. Similarly, traffic flow predictions were made based on historical and weather-related data, providing insights for improved urban mobility. In the context of logistics and public transportation, computational optimization techniques have demonstrated their potential to reduce congestion, emissions and operating costs, underlining their central role in creating more sustainable and efficient urban environments.</p><h3>Conclusions</h3><p>The integration of cutting-edge technologies, advanced data analytics and real-time decision-making processes represents a transformative pathway to developing sustainable, climate-resilient urban environments. These advanced computational methods enable cities to optimize resource management, improve energy efficiency and significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions, thus actively contributing to global climate and environmental protection.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":539,"journal":{"name":"Energy, Sustainability and Society","volume":"15 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.6,"publicationDate":"2025-03-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://energsustainsoc.biomedcentral.com/counter/pdf/10.1186/s13705-025-00517-z","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143583435","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}