Article
Engineering, Environmental
Yisheng Wang, Mingjun Xie, Yazhen Wu, Xi Zhang, Minghao Wang, Yuqiang Zhang, Yang Xie
Summary: China's commitment to peak carbon emissions and achieve carbon neutrality has positive impacts on air quality, public health, and the economy. The stringent climate mitigation policy in China can significantly reduce premature deaths related to ozone and result in substantial economic savings.
RESOURCES CONSERVATION AND RECYCLING
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Kaleem Anwar Mir, Pallav Purohit, Sylvain Cail, Seungdo Kim
Summary: Pakistan's urban air pollution is severe, and current control measures are inadequate. Implementing sustainable development strategies and advanced control measures can significantly improve air quality and human health, while reducing greenhouse gas emissions and control costs.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & POLICY
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Arun Khatri-Chhetri, Ciniro Costa Junior, Eva Wollenberg
Summary: Global agricultural development programs have been successful in reducing greenhouse gas emissions, especially through forest management and promotion of improved agroforestry systems. Improved crop management and grassland management also contribute significantly to emissions reduction. However, the impact of soil organic carbon sequestration needs to be carefully interpreted. In order to achieve emission reduction goals and ensure food security, global agriculture development programs should prioritize the development and implementation of agricultural policies.
GLOBAL ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGE-HUMAN AND POLICY DIMENSIONS
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Noah Scovronick, David Anthoff, Francis Dennig, Frank Errickson, Maddalena Ferranna, Wei Peng, Dean Spears, Fabian Wagner, Mark Budolfson
Summary: The co-benefit of air quality motivates reduced emissions and requires global cooperation to prevent runaway temperature rise under different climate policy regimes. Even in the self-interested case, air quality co-benefits may lead to high levels of mitigation in certain regions, expanding the range of possible policy outcomes.
ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH LETTERS
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Erika Garcia, Jill Johnston, Rob McConnell, Lawrence Palinkas, Sandrah P. Eckel
Summary: This study evaluated the benefits of using low-emission vehicles (ZEVs) on respiratory health and air quality in California, and found a slower adoption rate of ZEVs in areas with lower educational attainment. The results showed that the adoption of ZEVs was associated with improvements in air quality and a decrease in asthma-related emergency department visits, but the adoption gap among low-income populations threatens the equitable distribution of these benefits.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Correction
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Haoqi Qian, Shaodan Xu, Jing Cao, Feizhou Ren, Wendong Wei, Jing Meng, Libo Wu
Summary: Correction notice has been published for this paper.
NATURE SUSTAINABILITY
(2021)
Article
Construction & Building Technology
Danielle Boyd, Minal Pathak, Renee van Diemen, Jim Skea
Summary: This research explores the approaches taken by eight cities in planning for mitigation co-benefits of adaptation strategies. The research analyses and compares the approaches set out in city adaptation plans, identifies common barriers faced by cities, and outlines three actions as recommendations for cities. The research highlights the importance of delivering mitigation co-benefits of adaptation actions and identifies certain types of co-benefits that are commonly utilized by cities.
SUSTAINABLE CITIES AND SOCIETY
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Drew Shindell, Muye Ru, Yuqiang Zhang, Karl Seltzer, Greg Faluvegi, Larissa Nazarenko, Gavin A. Schmidt, Luke Parsons, Ariyani Challapalli, Longyi Yang, Alex Glick
Summary: Societal benefits from climate change mitigation are realized through various pathways, with improvements in air quality and reduced heat exposure leading to significant health and productivity gains. Monetized benefits, which include avoided deaths and increased labor productivity and crop yields, are in the tens of trillions of dollars. The emphasis on localized, near-term impacts of air quality can help align policies with societal benefits and increase acceptance of mitigation measures.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2021)
Review
Environmental Sciences
Ayyoob Sharifi
Summary: This study emphasizes the importance of urban climate change adaptation and mitigation plans in addressing climate change. It highlights the synergistic benefits and interactions between adaptation and mitigation measures, as well as different measures providing co-benefits and synergies. The research calls for more empirical studies to better understand the magnitude of synergistic benefits between different measures.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Emily Floess, Andrew Grieshop, Elisa Puzzolo, Dan Pope, Nicholas Leach, Christopher J. Smith, Annelise Gill-Wiehl, Katherine Landesman, Rob Bailis
Summary: Nearly three billion people in LMICs rely on polluting fuels, causing millions of avoidable deaths each year. Transitioning to LPG and/or electricity can significantly reduce emissions and improve climate impacts. Full transitions to LPG or grid electricity in LMICs can also substantially lower health risks from household air pollution.
ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH LETTERS
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Rong Tang, Jing Zhao, Yifan Liu, Xin Huang, Yanxu Zhang, Derong Zhou, Aijun Ding, Chris P. Nielsen, Haikun Wang
Summary: This study analyzes the economic costs and health benefits of an early carbon peak in China and finds that an early peak could lead to significant health benefits, especially under the 1.5 degrees C target.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2022)
Review
Business
H. Ron Chan, Yichen Christy Zhou
Summary: This study estimates the carbon co-benefits of the New Source Review regulations on US power plants by analyzing how regulations on SO2 and NOx emissions affect CO2 emissions. The research shows that a 1% increase in the probability of being sued reduces CO2 emissions by 0.3%, which is comparable to a carbon tax of $10 per ton. Analysis suggests that most of these carbon co-benefits come from the shutdown of coal-fired-only power plants and certain power-generating units.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL ECONOMICS AND MANAGEMENT
(2021)
Article
Environmental Studies
Meng Xu, Zhixiong Weng, Yang Xie, Bin Chen
Summary: Vehicle exhaust is a significant contributor to atmospheric pollution in China. This study comprehensively evaluates the emission of major air pollutants and greenhouse gases from the transportation sector under different vehicle emission control policies in Hubei during 2015-2050, along with health outcomes. It highlights the need for innovation in mechanisms and technologies to mitigate pollution and generate health benefits.
TRANSPORTATION RESEARCH PART D-TRANSPORT AND ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Zexuan Zhang, Yingying Yan, Shaofei Kong, Qimin Deng, Si Qin, Liquan Yao, Tianliang Zhao, Shihua Qi
Summary: Atmospheric ammonia (NH3) is a crucial precursor of secondary inorganic aerosols. This study constructed NH3 emission inventories in Central China and used modeling simulations to quantify the benefits of NH3 emission reduction. The results showed that controlling NH3 emissions could effectively reduce PM2.5 pollution, particularly in areas with high NH3 emissions. This research provides scientific support for formulating NH3 emission reduction policies.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Da Zhang, Qingyi Wang, Shaojie Song, Simiao Chen, Mingwei Li, Lu Shen, Siqi Zheng, Bofeng Cai, Shenhao Wang, Haotian Zheng
Summary: Estimating health benefits of reducing fossil fuel use from improved air quality is important for carbon emissions abatement. This study develops a machine learning framework to directly estimate fine particle concentration from high-resolution fossil energy use data. Applications in China reveal heterogeneous health benefits of reducing fossil fuel use in different sectors and regions, with the highest co-benefits observed in rural and residential coal reduction.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Xi Lu, Dan Tong, Kebin He
Summary: China, as the largest developing economy and carbon dioxide emitter, has a significant role in shaping the global climate change mitigation pathway through its carbon neutrality goal. The transition to a carbon-neutral society in China is integrated into the construction of ecological civilization and has profound implications for the country's socioeconomic development. This article not only highlights the major challenges in achieving carbon neutrality in China, but also identifies four potential new opportunities: accelerating technological innovations, narrowing regional disparities through reshaping resource values, transforming industrial structures, and reaping co-benefits of pollution and carbon mitigation. Furthermore, the importance of balancing economic growth and carbon mitigation, as well as the collaborative efforts among government, enterprises, and residents, is emphasized through the provision of five policy suggestions.
FRONTIERS OF ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & ENGINEERING
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Xin Huang, Ke Ding, Jingyi Liu, Zilin Wang, Rong Tang, Lian Xue, Haikun Wang, Qiang Zhang, Zhe-Min Tan, Congbin Fu, Steven J. Davis, Meinrat O. Andreae, Aijun Ding
Summary: Extreme wildfires pose threats to human lives, air quality, and ecosystems. The impact of meteorology on wildfire behaviors and the correlation between wildfires and climate are well-studied. However, the influence of fire-weather feedback on short-term wildfire variability remains unclear, hindering fire disaster mitigation. In this study, we demonstrate the dominant role of synoptic-scale feedback in driving extreme fires in Mediterranean and monsoon climate regions. We observed that the radiative effects of smoke aerosols can modify near-surface wind, air dryness, and rainfall, thereby exacerbating air pollution by enhancing fire emissions and weakening dispersion. The complex interactions among wildfires, smoke, and weather create a positive feedback loop that significantly increases air pollution exposure.
Editorial Material
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Wenbin Kou, Yang Gao, Shaoqing Zhang, Wenju Cai, Guannan Geng, Steven J. Davis, Hong Wang, Xiuwen Guo, Wenxuan Cheng, Xinran Zeng, Mingchen Ma, Houwen Wang, Qiaoqiao Wang, Xiaohong Yao, Huiwang Gao, Lixin Wu
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Xinyu Dou, Jinpyo Hong, Philippe Ciais, Frederic Chevallier, Feifan Yan, Ying Yu, Yifan Hu, Da Huo, Yun Sun, Yilong Wang, Steven. J. J. Davis, Monica Crippa, Greet Janssens-Maenhout, Diego Guizzardi, Efisio Solazzo, Xiaojuan Lin, Xuanren Song, Biqing Zhu, Duo Cui, Piyu Ke, Hengqi Wang, Wenwen Zhou, Xia Huang, Zhu Deng, Zhu Liu
Summary: This study presents a near-real-time global gridded daily CO2 emissions dataset (GRACED) for 2021. GRACED provides detailed information on CO2 emissions at a high spatial and temporal resolution from various sectors such as industry, power, transportation, and aviation. The dataset is based on reliable national emissions estimates, spatial activity data, and satellite observations, allowing policymakers to monitor and adjust energy and climate policies effectively.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Seaver Wang, Zeke Hausfather, Steven Davis, Juzel Lloyd, Erik B. Olson, Lauren Liebermann, Guido D. Nunez-Mujica, Jameson McBride
Summary: Achieving global climate goals will require significant increases in low-carbon electricity generation, which raises concerns about material demand and environmental impacts. This study estimates the demand for materials and CO2 emissions from power generation infrastructure from 2020 to 2050 across different climate-energy scenarios and explores how climate and technology choices affect material demand and carbon emissions. While material demands increase, they do not exceed geological reserves. However, the production of certain materials may need to grow considerably. The cumulative CO2 emissions related to materials for electricity infrastructure may be substantial but only account for a small portion of global carbon budgets.
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Candelaria Bergero, Greer Gosnell, Dolf Gielen, Seungwoo Kang, Morgan Bazilian, Steven J. Davis
Summary: International climate goals require achieving net-zero global CO2 emissions by mid-century and net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by the end of the century. The aviation industry faces challenges in reducing emissions due to its reliance on energy-dense liquid fuels and non-CO2 radiative forcing. This study assesses different pathways to achieve net-zero emissions from aviation, highlighting the importance of reducing demand, improving aircraft energy efficiency, and transitioning to sustainable biofuels or synthetic fuels.
NATURE SUSTAINABILITY
(2023)
Article
Business
Xiaoguang Chen, Luoye Chen, Wei Xie, Nathaniel D. Mueller, Steven J. Davis
Summary: Using a dataset of airport traffic, air pollution, and weather from 2015 to 2017, this study examines the impact of PM2.5 pollution levels on flight departure delays in China. The researchers use changes in atmospheric thermal inversions and wind direction as instrumental variables for PM2.5 levels. The results show that a one-standard-deviation increase in daily PM2.5 concentrations leads to approximately 4.5-6.4 additional minutes of departure delays per flight. The study estimates that reductions in PM2.5 pollution levels due to the Air Pollution Prevention and Control Action Plan helped avoid 13-18% of the national average flight delay increases and saved US $54 to $69 million in passenger time in 2017 alone.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL ECONOMICS AND MANAGEMENT
(2023)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Steven J. Davis, Kathleen Alexander, Juan Moreno-Cruz, Chaopeng Hong, Matthew Shaner, Ken Caldeira, Ian Mckay
Summary: Efforts to make food systems more sustainable have focused on reducing the negative environmental impact of agriculture. However, the potential of chemosynthesis to produce low-carbon fats has been largely overlooked. This study demonstrates that it is possible to synthesize dietary fats with significantly lower carbon emissions compared to palm oil production. Scaling up this process could have significant environmental benefits, although it may disrupt agricultural economies and rely on consumer acceptance.
NATURE SUSTAINABILITY
(2023)
Article
Food Science & Technology
Margaret Hegwood, Matthew G. G. Burgess, Erin M. M. Costigliolo, Pete Smith, Bojana Bajzelj, Harry Saunders, Steven J. J. Davis
Summary: Reducing food loss and waste can improve food security and reduce environmental impacts, but efficiency improvements may lead to rebound effects. Our model shows that consumption rebound could offset more than half of the avoided food loss and waste, resulting in reduced environmental and food security benefits. Considering rebound effects is crucial when addressing food loss and waste.
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Qiang Zhang, Zhicong Yin, Xi Lu, Jicheng Gong, Yu Lei, Bofeng Cai, Cilan Cai, Qimin Chai, Huopo Chen, Hancheng Dai, Zhanfeng Dong, Guannan Geng, Dabo Guan, Jianlin Hu, Cunrui Huang, Jianing Kang, Tiantian Li, Wei Li, Yongsheng Lin, Jun Liu, Xin Liu, Zhu Liu, Jinghui Ma, Guofeng Shen, Dan Tong, Xuhui Wang, Xuying Wang, Zhili Wang, Yang Xie, Honglei Xu, Tao Xue, Bing Zhang, Da Zhang, Shaohui Zhang, Shaojun Zhang, Xian Zhang, Bo Zheng, Yixuan Zheng, Tong Zhu, Jinnan Wang, Kebin He
Summary: This study tracks and analyzes the progress of synergetic governance of air pollution and climate change in China by developing and monitoring 18 indicators. It provides policy recommendations for designing a synergetic roadmap of Carbon Neutrality and Clean Air for China.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND ECOTECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Correction
Plant Sciences
Julianne DeAngelo, Benjamin T. Saenz, Isabella B. Arzeno-Soltero, Christina A. Frieder, Matthew C. C. Long, Joseph Hamman, Kristen A. Davis, Steven J. Davis
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Chuanlong Zhou, Biqing Zhu, Steven J. Davis, Zhu Liu, Antoine Halff, Simon Ben Arous, Hugo de Almeida Rodrigues, Philippe Ciais
Summary: Russia is the largest natural gas supplier to the EU, and the cutoff of gas supplies from Russia following the invasion of Ukraine has led the EU to seek ways to reduce its dependence on Russia. This study provides a dataset of daily gas consumption and supply sources in the EU and UK, and analyzes how a cessation of Russian exports could be compensated for through various measures. The results show that with collaboration between EU countries and the UK, it is theoretically possible to make up for a sudden shortfall of Russian gas.
EARTH SYSTEM SCIENCE DATA
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
Julianne DeAngelo, Benjamin T. Saenz, Isabella B. Arzeno-Soltero, Christina A. Frieder, Matthew C. Long, Joseph Hamman, Kristen A. Davis, Steven J. Davis
Summary: Net-zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions targets are driving interest in biomass-based negative emissions and bioenergy from marine sources. This study assesses the costs and climate benefits of global seaweed production using growth and technoeconomic models. The results indicate that seaweed-based climate benefits are feasible, but further research is needed to reduce economic and biophysical uncertainties.
Article
Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences
Man Yue, Xinyi Dong, Minghuai Wang, Louisa K. Emmons, Yuan Liang, Dan Tong, Yawen Liu, Yaman Liu
Summary: Air pollution modeling in East Asia using a variable-resolution global model shows that a finer grid resolution leads to better simulation of haze events and surface ozone, with the ability to capture detailed chemical processes. Analysis also reveals the impact of black carbon aerosols on the planetary boundary layer height and PM2.5 concentration, with deficiencies in the simulation using a coarser grid resolution.
JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH-ATMOSPHERES
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Ruochong Xu, Dan Tong, Steven J. Davis, Xinying Qin, Jing Cheng, Qinren Shi, Yang Liu, Cuihong Chen, Liu Yan, Xizhe Yan, Huaxuan Wang, Dongsheng Zheng, Kebin He, Qiang Zhang
Summary: The critical role of the iron and steel industry in decarbonizing global energy systems requires refined strategies for climate mitigation. Using a newly developed database, this study explores the differences in age-to-capacity ratio and emissions intensity of individual steelmaking plants worldwide. By targeting specific proportions of plants, regional cost-effective decarbonization strategies are customized. The findings indicate that emissions intensity is a more effective indicator for targeted decarbonization in developing regions, while age-to-capacity ratio is more relevant in developed countries. Transformation towards secondary steelmaking is generally more cost-effective than efficiency improvement, with some regional priorities. This study emphasizes the importance of region-specific indicators and strategies in mitigating steel-related CO2 emissions.
NATURE CLIMATE CHANGE
(2023)
