Abstract Ensuring access to affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy (SDG 7) remains a global challenge, with 660 million people projected to lack electricity by 2030. However, increasing electrification, particularly in developing regions, risks amplifying material extraction, impacting sustainable resource management (SDG 12.2). Using 2015 as the base year, this study quantifies the potential direct and indirect material requirements of achieving universal electrification by 2030. Our findings show a 17.2% increase in the electricity sector’s material footprint, with the transition to low-carbon sources adding another 6.9%. The majority of new electricity demand is expected to occur in Africa and Asia-Pacific, with Africa also leading in material extraction. Despite these increases, the electricity sector’s overall contribution to global material use remains relatively modest. This study highlights SDG trade-offs and emphasizes the need for locally produced electricity to not only improve energy access but also generate broader economic benefits along the supply chain.

Resource-intensive crop production could negatively affect changing climate and food demand. This study evaluates the sustainability of agricultural practices by examining energy use, carbon footprint, and water footprint in maize, cotton, and wheat cultivations in Larissa, Thessaly, Greece. The main objective is to assess the agri-environmental indices (energy efficiency and carbon and water footprints) of maize, cotton, and wheat cultivations to compare them, identify the most environmental friendly cultivation and highlight the linkage between the agri-environmental indicators and the ecosystem services provided. An agricultural life cycle-based approach was conducted to quantify energy inputs and outputs, greenhouse gas emissions (GHG), and water use. A hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) was used to reveal patterns in environmental efficiency. Results indicate that maize cultivation is efficient, combining high productivity with moderate energy inputs. Despite its lower yield than maize and cotton, wheat cultivation presented high energy efficiency and lower blue water, contributing to reduce environmental impact. Cotton cultivation emerged as the most energy demanding cultivation, with high irrigation, fuel, and pesticide use. HCA highlighted the divergence between cotton and the more efficient maize and wheat cultivations regarding the agri-environmental indices applied. Wheat was the most environmentally beneficial crop concerning carbon footprint and energy inputs, that maintains ecosystem services provision. Cotton - a resource intensive crop - imposes the greatest pressure on ecosystem services. These findings emphasize the importance of selecting sustainable crops and adapting farming practices to maintain ecosystem services. Maize cultivation presented high energy use efficiency, wheat cultivation low inputs and cotton cultivation high energy and water demands. Maize and wheat cultivations could maintain the ecosystem services under study. Cotton cultivation challenges ecosystem services requiring adaptation of farming practices.

Abstract The increasing effects of climate change on urban areas are driving interest in green and blue infrastructure (GBI) as climate mitigation measures. Vegetation as part of GBI plays a key role in urban heat island reduction strategies through multiple ecological and physical processes. However, carbon sequestration capabilities of vegetation as part of GBI are poorly studied. The understanding of the carbon balance of GBI is crucial to holistically assess their potential in sustainably enhancing urban climatic conditions and mitigating climate change effects. In Vienna, the artificial Danube Island is the most important GBI and recreational area in the city. This study aims to provide a holistic carbon balance of its use phase and examines the climate potential of the Island’s vegetation. To achieve this, field and remote sensing data were integrated to calculate the biomass and carbon stock. The total biomass was found to be approximately 40,840 t. Assuming the carbon content is half of the vegetation biomass dry weight, the Danube Island stores 20,420 t of carbon, equivalent to about 74,940 t of CO2​. On the other side of the carbon balance, the study analysed the annual environmental burden of maintenance activities. Using the LCA method and considering the Global Warming Potential (GWP) impact category, the environmental burden was calculated with the Ecoinvent and Swiss non-road databases. Results indicate that maintaining the green infrastructure on Danube Island generates 353 t of CO2-equivalent emissions annually. On the other hand, the Danube Island has the potential to absorb 2,272 t of CO2 per year through its trees and shrubs. On balance, this places the Danube Island squarely on the side of being a carbon sink. This study innovatively combines biomass quantification with LCA to provide a comprehensive carbon balance of urban green infrastructure. The findings underscore the importance of considering both carbon sequestration and maintenance-related emissions in urban climate adaptation strategies.

This research investigates the effects of capital stock structure, energy intensity, energy transition, ecological footprint, and trade openness on the carbon intensity of European countries from 1990 to 2021. A panel autoregressive distributed lag estimator, following an unrestricted error correction model, and the moments’ quantile regression method were utilized to capture both the short- and long-run impacts of covariates on carbon intensity and to assess the behavior of the estimated parameters by quantile. The results indicated (i) a positive parameter for capital structure, revealing that a relative shortage of public capital makes private capital environmentally inefficient; (ii) positive parameters for energy intensity and ecological footprint, denoting their contribution to increases in carbon intensity; (iii) negative parameters for the ratio between fossil and renewable energy consumption and the trade variable, representing a more efficient path toward reducing carbon intensity per unit produced/exported. The study supports that policymakers should (a) stimulate public investment to increase the efficiency of private investment, (b) accelerate the deployment of renewable energy, (c) explore the contribution of trade openness, (d) disincentivize activities with high energy intensity, and (e) circumscribe the impacts of ecological footprints to help reduce the carbon intensity of countries. Limited public capital raises carbon intensity. Higher energy intensity in Europe raises carbon emissions. More renewables and trade reduce carbon intensity. Policymakers should enhance public investment and manage energy use.

Abstract Organic and inorganic contaminants are entrained into environmental systems through natural and anthropogenic processes, such as mining activities, manufacturing, and waste disposal. In terrestrial and aquatic environments, the contaminant(s) remediation can be achieved by immobilization, thereby inhibiting their dispersal and bioavailability. Mobilization, through leaching and plant uptake, is another process of pollutant removal. Phytoremediation has attracted attention as an eco-friendly alternative for the remediation of contaminated environments. However, the safe management of post-phytoremediation contaminated biomass poses many practical challenges. Understanding the fate of the pollutants in the plants allows the estimation of the possible transfer of the contaminants to the food chain ascertain by-products or residues during biofuel production. Metal-enriched fractions could be used as a valuable source of novel catalysts or reusable materials. The safe conversion of biomass into energy may require sequestering contaminants at any step of the process, preferably upstream of the energy conversion or as a pre-treatment of plant biomass. Through gasification or pyrolysis of post-remediation biomass, bioenergy products (including syngas, oil, hydrogen gas, biochar, and hydrochar) can be used for heating and electricity generation. A comparative evaluation among pyrolysis, gasification, combustion, and liquefaction/fermentation processes for biofuel production from post-phytoremediation biomass suggests that pyrolysis is the strategy with the lowest transfer of toxic metals to the final products. This review presents critical discussions of the processes involved in phytoremediation of contaminated environments, the redistribution of contaminants within plant biomass, the sustainable management of post-phytoremediation biomass, and the unintended environmental consequences of phytoremediation.

Anaerobic digestion (AD) is a widely applied technology for renewable energy generation, environmental impact mitigation, and nutrient recycling. Despite its potential, critical gaps exist in modeling AD processes, particularly in understanding and predicting the fates of carbon (C), nitrogen (N), and phosphorus (P)—essential elements for advancing circular nutrient management. This review addresses two key questions: What are the limitations of current AD models in simulating nutrient fates, and how can future models improve these predictions? Our findings indicate that most AD models emphasize methane production, while models addressing nutrient transformations remain limited due to the complex biochemical interactions in AD systems. Mechanistic models, such as the Anaerobic Digestion Model No. 1 (ADM1), provide a foundational framework but are constrained by their complexity and the need for precise calibration, which limits scalability in larger applications. Emerging advances in artificial intelligence, particularly machine learning, offer promising solutions by enhancing model accuracy and predictive capabilities. AI-driven models enable real-time optimization and adaptive decision-making, which can expand AD applications at industrial scales. Future research should focus on integrating nutrient fate predictions with AI-driven methods to address these challenges, enhancing the role of AD in sustainable waste treatment systems.