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New Data: CO2 Emissions From New Cars and Vans Further Decrease as Electric Vehicle Sales Grow in Europe

Photo-illustration: Unsplash (Maxim Hopman)
Photo-illustration: Unsplash (CHUTTERSNAP)

Average CO2 emissions from all new cars registered in Europe in 2023 continued to decrease and were 1.4 per cent lower than in 2022, according to new provisional data published by the European Environment Agency. Similarly, average CO2 emissions from new vans continued to fall, and were 1.6 per cent lower than in 2022. The reductions in emissions from new cars and vans are related to the growing share of fully electric vehicles.

The data published by the European Environment Agency (EEA) are based on information provided by European countries, including details on all newly registered cars and vans.

These provisional data show that, in 2023, 10.7 million new cars were registered in Europe, which translates to an increase of 13.2 per cent compared to 2022. Almost a quarter of these new car registrations were electric – either fully or plug-in hybrid. Among the reporting countries, the fleet share of electric cars was highest In Norway, Sweden and Iceland, reaching 90.5 per cent, 60.7 per cent and 60.4 per cent, respectively.

In 2023, 1.2 million new vans were registered in Europe, which is 20.2 per cent above the 2022 levels. The share of electric vans reached 8 per cent in 2023. More than half of the fully electric vans were registered in three countries: France, Germany and Sweden.

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Key figures — new passenger cars

  • Total registrations: 10.7 million (+13.2 per cent compared to 2022)
  • Average CO2 emissions: 106.6 g CO2/km (-1.4 per cent)
  • Share of electric cars, including plug-in hybrids: 23.6 per cent (up from 23 per cent in 2022)
  • Share of fully electric cars: 15.5 per cent (up from 13.5 per cent in 2022)
  • Average mass: 1,545 kg (+1.3 per cent)

Key figures — new vans

  • Total registrations: 1.2 million (+20.2 per cent compared to 2022)
  • Average CO2 emissions: 180.8 g CO2/km (-1.6 per cent)
  • Share of fully electric vans: 8 per cent (up from 6 per cent in 2022)
  • Average mass: 1,896 kg (+1 per cent)

The transport sector represents about a quarter of Europe’s greenhouse gas emissions, with about three quarters of transport emissions stemming from road transport. The EU’s goal is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from transport by 90 per cent by 2050 compared to 1990 levels. For all new cars and vans, the target is to achieve zero emissions from 2035 onwards.

About the vehicle data

The EEA collects and makes available information new vehicles registered in Europe in accordance with Regulation (EU) 2019/631. These data are based on the Worldwide Harmonized Light Vehicle Test Procedure (WLTP) and include new vehicle registrations in EU Member States, Iceland, and Norway. The data released today are based on data provided by countries and remain provisional until vehicle manufacturers have reviewed them later this year in order to correct factual errors. The EEA will subsequently publish the final datasets and the European Commission will confirm whether individual manufacturers or pools have met their annual specific CO2 emission target.

While today’s provisional datasets reflect the CO2 emissions calculated through laboratory testing, the EEA also publishes data about real-world CO2 emissions and fuel consumption of cars and vans. These data, recorded with on-board fuel consumption monitoring (OBFCM) devices, are used to document and monitor the gap between emissions and fuel consumption in laboratory testing and on the road. More information and analysis on these data are provided by the European Commission.

Source: EEA

How can Nuclear Techniques Improve Food Safety?

Photo-illustration: Unsplash (Dan Meyers)
Photo-illustration: Unsplash (lukas-lehotsky)

The issue of food security is becoming increasingly important due to climate change, degradation of arable land, pollution and population growth. There are many ways to ensure food is safe, and one stands out.

At the recent International Symposium on Food Safety and Control, organized by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), nuclear technologies were presented as an asset to help fight hunger, reduce malnutrition and improve sustainability.

On the occasion, Qu Dongyu, Director-General of FAO, pointed out that it is essential to control food safety from the beginning – from soil and water to agricultural practices – while highlighting the role of nuclear technologies as crucial in setting scientifically based standards for food.

When asked what nuclear techniques are, the answer is that they are methods based on the principles of atomic physics and technology, and they can be applied for various purposes – from medicine or industry to agriculture.

Nuclear technology has contributed to detecting, controlling and preventing diseases that cross borders, as well as zoonotic diseases, that is, diseases transmitted from animals to humans.

Radiosterilization can be cited as one of the examples of nuclear energy use. Radiosterilization uses ionizing radiation and is a form of energy produced by nuclear reactions. Radiosterilization removes bacteria from food, simultaneously extending its shelf life. Furthermore, the productivity of crops is improved, which reduces the use of harmful pesticides.

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One of the types of high-energy ionizing radiation, which is a result of the nuclear process, is gamma radiation. Small fruit flies are used in this context as an example. Fruit flies cause significant problems for farmers worldwide, attacking fruit plantations and thus causing billions of euros in damage. The so-called sterile insect technique is used in the fight with these insects. This technique involves the sterilization of male fruit flies by gamma radiation. In this way, they can no longer reproduce, and after sterilization, they are free to return to nature.

Gamma radiation has other benefits, too. Scientists are constantly searching for new varieties of plants that can be used for cultivation and human nutrition. To create new species or improve existing ones, scientists can change the genetic material of plants, which is done by causing mutations. Natural mutations rarely occur because they arise spontaneously when an error occurs in the so-called DNA copying process during plant reproduction. However, this process can be made more frequent and faster by using gamma radiation. More precisely, this type of radiation causes mutations in the DNA of plants and thus, new varieties are created. It should be noted that this can be done taking into account adaptation to climate changes, but also to different conditions in the natural environment where the plants are grown. The resulting plant varieties are more resistant to diseases, droughts and other challenges.

A third example of the benefits provided by nuclear techniques is the possibility of measuring and controlling soil moisture and the nutrients found in it, which are crucial for plant growth. Namely, the radioactive nuclides that remained in the soil after nuclear events facilitate the measurement of soil erosion or, for example, the evaluation of the sedimentation rate. This way, information about soil health and its changes over time is obtained.

Katarina Vuinac

Investment in Clean Energy This Year is Set to be Twice the Amount Going to Fossil Fuels

Photo-illustration: Unsplash (Mariana Proença)
Photo-illustration: Unsplash (Jason Blackeye)

Despite pressures on financing, global investment in clean energy is set to reach almost double the amount going to fossil fuels in 2024, helped by improving supply chains and lower costs for clean technologies, according to a new IEA report.

Total energy investment worldwide is expected to exceed 3 trillion dollars in 2024 for the first time, with some 2 trillion dollars set to go toward clean technologies – including renewables, electric vehicles, nuclear power, grids, storage, low-emissions fuels, efficiency improvements and heat pumps – according to the latest edition of the IEA’s annual World Energy Investment report. The remainder, slightly over 1 trillion dollars, is going to coal, gas and oil. In 2023, combined investment in renewable power and grids overtook the amount spent on fossil fuels for the first time.

The new report warns, however, that there are still major imbalances and shortfalls in energy investment flows in many parts of the world. It highlights the low level of clean energy spending in emerging and developing economies (outside China), which is set to exceed 300 billion dollars for the first time – led by India and Brazil. Yet, this accounts for only about 15 per cent of global clean energy investment, far below what is required to meet growing energy demand in many of these countries, where the high cost of capital is holding back the development of new projects.

“Clean energy investment is setting new records even in challenging economic conditions, highlighting the momentum behind the new global energy economy. For every dollar going to fossil fuels today, almost two dollars are invested in clean energy,” said IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol. “The rise in clean energy spending is underpinned by strong economics, by continued cost reductions and by considerations of energy security. But there is a strong element of industrial policy, too, as major economies compete for advantage in new clean energy supply chains. More must be done to ensure that investment reaches the places where it is needed most, in particular the developing economies where access to affordable, sustainable and secure energy is severely lacking today.”

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When the Paris Agreement was reached in 2015, the combined investment in renewables and nuclear for electricity generation was twice the amount going to fossil fuel-fired power. In 2024, this is set to rise to ten times as much, the report highlights, with solar PV leading the transformation of the power sector. More money is now going into solar PV than all other electricity generation technologies combined. In 2024, investment in solar PV is set to grow to 500 billion dollars as falling module prices spur new investments.

China is set to account for the largest share of clean energy investment in 2024, reaching an estimated 675 billion dollars. This results from strong domestic demand across three industries in particular – solar, lithium batteries and electric vehicles. Europe and the United States follow, with clean energy investment of 370 billion dollars and 315 billion dollars respectively. These three major economies alone make up more than two-thirds of global clean energy investment, underlining the disparities in international capital flows into energy.

Photo-illustration: Pixabay

Global upstream oil and gas investment is expected to increase by 7 per cent in 2024 to reach 570 billion dollars, following a similar rise in 2023. The growth in spending in 2023 and 2024 is predominantly by national oil companies in the Middle East and Asia. The report finds that oil and gas investment in 2024 is broadly aligned with the demand levels implied in 2030 by today’s policy settings, but far higher than projected in scenarios that hit national or global climate goals. Clean energy investment by oil and gas companies reached 30 billion dollars in 2023, accounting for only 4 per cent of the industry’s overall capital spending, according to the report. Meanwhile, coal investment continues to rise, with more than 50 gigawatts of unabated coal-fired power approved in 2023, the highest since 2015.

In addition to economic challenges, grids and electricity storage have been a significant constraint on clean energy transitions. But spending on grids is rising and is set to reach 400 billion dollars in 2024, having been stuck at around 300 billion dollars annually between 2015 and 2021. The increase is largely due to new policy initiatives and funding in Europe, the United States, China and some countries in Latin America. Meanwhile, investments in battery storage are taking off and set to reach 54 billion dollars in 2024 as costs fall further. Yet again, this spending is highly concentrated. For every dollar invested in battery storage in advanced economies and China, only one cent was invested in other emerging and developing economies.

Source: IEA

Precise Strategies and Plans for Mitigating the Consequences of Climate Change

Photo: From the archives of the Ministry of Environment, Water and Forests Romania
Photo: From the archives of the Ministry of Environment, Water and Forests Romania

Biodiversity is particularly important for Romania because around 23 per cent of the country’s surface is occupied by protected natural areas, which are part of the Natura 2000 network of protected areas in the European Union. Romania has over 30,000 hectares under UNESCO protection, more than 70,000 hectares of rainforest and 20.81 per cent of sea waters. At the same time, the longest stretches of the Carpathians and the Danube are also located on the Romanian national territory.

H.E. Silvia Davidoiu, the Romanian ambassador to Serbia, says that at the national level, Romania envisages clear policies and strategies that recognize the connection between mitigating the consequences of climate change, stopping biodiversity loss, reducing environmental pollution and improving environmental management.

“Romania is fully committed to implementing the Paris Agreement and the 2030 Agenda objectives, in this respect adopting the Long-Term Strategy for Reducing the Greenhouse Gas Emissions- aiming to achieve climate neutrality by 2050.  At the same time, we have increased our fight against plastic pollution, adopting the National Strategy and Action Plan for the transition to a circular economy to accelerate our transition to this model and increase waste management efficiency.  In November last year, a nationwide Deposit-Return System was launched, the second largest system of this kind in Europe after Germany. We also have priorities in the forestry sector and, due to many problems encountered in the past, we are paying particular importance to the sustainable management of forests”, says Ambassador Davidoiu and adds: ”In this respect, an integrated Timber Tracking Information System (SUMAL) has been implemented; dedicated to the traceability of timber transport. This system is unique at the European level. Currently, a new version is under development, which will include the most recent technologies like satellite images, intelligent video cameras and LIDAR”.

Q: What funding programmes does the EU support for implementing the environmental protection policy, and what amounts are involved?

A: We have the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP), a national programme for accessing reimbursable and non-reimbursable external funds from the European Recovery and Resilience Mechanism. At the national level, the Ministry of Environment, Waters and Forests coordinates reforms and/or investments for components such as water management, forests and biodiversity protection, waste management and investment, digitalization of the environment and a part of the component digital transformation. In this respect, the line ministry has launched or will launch, in the near future, a series of calls for projects with an estimated total budget of 2,654,300,000 Euros (reimbursable and non-reimbursable funds).

There are other EU programmes managed at the level of the aforementioned institution:   projects implemented through the Large Infrastructure Operational Programme (POIM 2014-2020), to be phased through the Sustainable Development Operational Programme (2021-2027), with financing from the European Fund for Sustainable Development; Horizon Europe Programme – Call for Actions for the implementation of the Mission Restore our ocean and waters by 2030 and Programme for Environment and Climate Action (LIFE).

At the same time, the MEWF implements the Environment Programme in Romania as a Programme Operator in partnership with the Norwegian Environment Agency. The Environment, Adaptation to Climate Change and Ecosystems Programme is also being implemented and financed by the Financial Mechanism of the European Economic Area (EEA) 2014-2021.   I would also like to mention two other important projects: the Restore4Life project – Restoration of wetland complexes as life-supporting systems in the Danube Basin, financed by the Horizon Europe Programme, while our Ministry of Environment, Waters and Forests is a member of the consortium that implements the Net4LIFE project.

IN FOCUS:

Q: What is the structure of energy sources in Romania? What is the share of RES, how much is invested in this area, and how will you increase the share of RES in the coming period?

A: Romania’s energy sources are diversified, including traditional sources such as coal (18 per cent of the production capacity), oil and natural gas (15 per cent), and nuclear (8 per cent), as well as renewable energy sources (RES) like hydroelectricity (35 per cent), wind energy (16 per cent), solar energy (7 per cent), and biomass (1 per cent).

In Romania, renewable energy sources represent a significant part of the energy, with hydroelectric, wind and solar energy being the most developed and further new capacities being planned. For instance, in 2023, Romania increased its national energy production with 624 MW (496 MW solar, 72 MW wind and 56 MWg others), in addition to 1.000 MW of electricity from prosumers forwarded to the national power grid. To increase the share of energy produced from renewable sources, Romania is implementing a series of measures such as expanding existing renewable energy capacities by constructing new wind farms, solar parks, and hydroelectric plants; stimulating private investments in renewable energy projects through financial support programmes, favourable tariffs, and tax incentives; improving infrastructure for connecting renewable energy sources to the grid to facilitate their efficient integration into the national energy system and promoting research and development of innovative technologies in the field of renewable energy to reduce costs and improve the efficiency of these sources.

Q: What environmental protection programmes are you implementing and what are the plans for the development of hydropower plants on the Danube?

Photo: From the archives of the Ministry of Environment, Water and Forests Romania

A: As far as the environmental protection on the Danube goes, particularly in connection with the Iron Gates/ Djerdap hydropower plants, I would like to mention the WE PASS project. This project aims to find solutions to ensure fish migration upstream and downstream of the Iron Gates I and II dams. On the other hand, in Romania, certain projects are under development for sturgeon conservation and protection, reducing water pollution from urban agglomerations and reducing the diffuse pollution from agricultural sources.

The Đerdap HPP project is an extraordinary example of transborder cooperation between our two countries for the efficient and sustainable management of the hydropower and navigation capacities on the Danube, as well as the protection of the environment in a particularly attractive area of the river. Our cooperation on environmental protection of the area is developing under the Espoo Convention (1991) and the Bucharest Agreement (2028).

Q: What is the air quality like in Romania?

A: Romania has a National Air Quality Monitoring Network consisting of more than 180 monitoring stations throughout the country. It is administered by the Ministry of Environment, Waters, and Forests and is responsible for obtaining information on ambient air quality and informing the public about it.

Real-time monitoring data on the air quality in urban areas are published on the platform https:// www.calitateaer.ro/. Like many other European states, an important issue faced by our country in the field of air quality is the high level of particulate matter, especially in the atmosphere of some urban areas, the main cause being traffic, construction sites and residential heating. Exceeding the limit values for the particulate matter was recorded in large urban agglomerations such as Bucharest, Timișoara, Cluj Napoca, Constanța counties, etc.

Local authorities are drawing up air quality plans to redress this situation in zones and agglomerations where the exceedance of limit values pollutant concentrations in legislation in the air quality field.  As a national measure to combat atmospheric pollution, the National Air Pollution Control Programme (NAPCP) was developed, and through it, measures were established to reduce anthropogenic emissions of atmospheric pollutants.

Interviewed by: Mirjana Vujadinović Tomevski

Read the story in the new issue of the Energy portal Magazine NATURE CONSERVATION.

Hottest May on Record Spurs Call for Climate Action

Photo-illustration: Pixabay
Foto-ilustracija: Pixabay

May 2024 was the warmest May on record, marking the 12th consecutive month in which the global average temperature reached a record value for the corresponding month, according to data from the Copernicus Climate Change Service (*C3S). The C3S data were cited by the UN Secretary General in a call for urgent action, as two new reports detailing aspects of climate change are published.

The global average temperature for May 2024 was 0.65°C above the 1991–2020 average and 1.52°C above the 1850–1900 pre-industrial average, marking the 11th consecutive month (since July 2023) for which the global average temperature reached or exceeded 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels.

Reflecting the succession of record-breaking monthly temperatures, the global average temperature for the last 12 months (June 2023 – May 2024) is the highest on record, at 0.75°C above the 1991–2020 average and 1.63°C above the 1850–1900 pre-industrial average, according to the C3S data.

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“It is shocking but not surprising that we have reached this 12-month streak. While this sequence of record-breaking months will eventually be interrupted, the overall signature of climate change remains and there is no sign in sight of a change in such a trend,” said C3S Director Carlo Buontempo.

The C3S data are in line with the latest Global Annual to Decadal Climate Update from the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), which issues a stark warning that we are getting ever closer to the thresholds set in the Paris Agreement on climate change. According to the report, the global mean near-surface temperature for each year between 2024 and 2028 is predicted to be between 1.1°C and 1.9°C higher than the 1850-1900 baseline.

The report, which was released to coincide with a call from United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres for more ambitious climate action, states that there is an 80 per cent likelihood of at least one year between 2024 and 2028 temporarily exceeding 1.5°C, and a 47 per cent likelihood that the global temperature averaged over the entire 2024-2028 five-year period will exceed 1.5°C above the pre-industrial era.

“For the past year, every turn of the calendar has turned up the heat. Our planet is trying to tell us something. But we don’t seem to be listening. We’re shattering global temperature records and reaping the whirlwind. It’s climate crunch time. Now is the time to mobilise, act and deliver,” Mr Guterres said.

Source: Copernicus Climate Change Service

A Natural Solution For Slower Decay of Fruits and Fagetables

Foto-ilustracija: Pixabay
Photo-illustration: Pixabay

How often does it happen that fruits and vegetables in shops and homes start decaying after a short time? As soon as they change color, fruits like bananas end up as food waste.

According to data collated by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, fruits and vegetables make up the largest share of wasted food – over 30 per cent – while cereals and legumes have the smallest share. Rotting plays a significant role in the accumulation of food waste globally, as freshness is an important factor for foods such as strawberries, grapes, lettuce, tomatoes and spinach.

A group of researchers from the Institute for Multidisciplinary Research of the University of Belgrade developed a formula that can solve this problem. Protected by an international patent and tested in accredited laboratories in Serbia, B-fresh is a formula based on natural products that replaces toxic chemicals and prevents the rapid rotting of fresh fruits and vegetables, thus extending the shelf life up to one hundred per cent. We spoke with Goran Branković, PhD, Director of B-fresh Technologies, the company behind this formula, about the formula’s composition, use and advantages.

IN FOCUS:

“B-fresh is a biopolymer-based emulsion, i.e. based on natural materials such as chitosan and gelatin. It also contains active components such as essential oils and salts of some metals, such as zinc. These materials have antimicrobial and antioxidant properties, which is why they protect food from spoilage. The active components of essential oils are encapsulated in a biopolymer matrix and are slowly released, creating a protective atmosphere“, explains Dr Branković.

After it is applied in a thin and invisible layer on the inside of the package, be it plastic, paper or cardboard, the emulsion forms a thin protective layer that has antimicrobial and antioxidant properties, which, in the next 10-15 days, prevent the development of bacteria, fungi and mould on fruits and vegetables. In this way, each package becomes active, and there is no need to change the packaging.

It is interesting to note that the product is active even when the package is not completely closed or is styled in such a way that there are openings. Although one type of B-fresh emulsion is currently available, it can be adjusted to a specific type of fruit. Different microorganisms attack and cause the rotting of different fruits and vegetables, but it is possible to find the most effective emulsion that will fight against the relevant microorganisms.

Prepared by Milica Vučković

Read the story in the new issue of the Energy portal Magazine SUSTAINABLE ARCHITECTURE AND FINANCING OF GREEN CONSTRUCTIO.

The world’s Corals are Bleaching – Here’s Why

Photo-illustration: Unsplash (Milan Degraeve)
Photo-illustration: Pixabay

Two prominent research organizations confirmed a few weeks ago what scientists had long thought: the world’s warm water coral reefs are bleaching en masse for the fourth time in 25 years.

Corals are collections of hundreds of thousands of tiny animals. Often a riot of colours, they turn a boney white when they are under stress, which can be a precursor to their death.

Scientists believe surging ocean temperatures, driven in ​​​​part by climate change, are responsible for the latest bleaching event, which has spanned from Panama to Australia – ​​and is getting worse.

Experts say corals are among the most vulnerable ecosystems on the planet to climate change. These undersea cities, which support ​​​​25 per cent of marine life, could virtually disappear by the end of this century.

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“The loss of corals would be a true tragedy from a biodiversity and economic perspective,” says Leticia Carvalho, the Head of the Marine and Freshwater Branch of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). “It would be devastating for one of the richest ecosystems on our blue planet and hundreds of millions of people around the world who depend on coastal fisheries.”

Corals can be found throughout the ocean, from the balmy waters of the Red Sea to the frigid depths of the North Atlantic. But perhaps the best known live in the warm, shallow waters of the tropics, where they form stunning, multi-coloured reefs.

At the heart of each individual coral is a polyp, a clear, tube-shaped animal with a ring of tentacles that it uses to catch prey. Some corals surround themselves with a limestone skeleton forged from calcium absorbed from sea water. Corals get their colour from thousands of plant-like organisms known as zooxanthellae, which live inside the corals and provide them with food. It is a symbiotic relationship that is fundamental to the health of reef ecosystems around the world.

Despite their tough exterior, warm water corals are sensitive creatures. When water temperatures rise, they become stressed and expel their zooxanthellae, leaving them prone to disease and starvation.

That is why researchers are so worried about a heat wave sweeping across ​​​​the ocean. Since early 2023, water temperatures have risen by as much as 5°C in some places. In February 2024, the average global sea surface temperature had passed 21°C, a record high. Just a few weeks later, perhaps the world’s most-famous collection of corals, the Great Barrier Reef, was baking under unprecedented heat.

Source: UNEP

STOP SHOP in Zaječar to Have a New Solar Power Plant

Photo-illustration: Freepik (freepik)
Photo-illustration: Pixabay (andreas160578)

The CPI Property Group announced that the implementation of the new solar power plant project in Zaječar is underway. Many years of experience and numerous successful projects implemented by MT-KOMEX’s team of professionals have ensured that this company is recognized as a reliable business partner entrusted with the construction of this new solar power plant. With this project, the MT-KOMEX Company will once again solidify its position as a pioneer in the field of solar power plant construction, which it has acquired thanks to hundreds of thousands of successfully installed solar panels throughout Serbia.

The solar power plant project will have a total installed power of 1,039.68 kWp and an active connection power of 860 kW. The solar power plant will be located on the roof of the STOP SHOP building and will span 4,955.60m2.

The electricity that will be produced by this solar power plant will be used to power consumers in this facility with a partial transfer of electricity to the power grid in the prosumer capacity.

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The solar power plant will have 1,824 photovoltaic panels. The Luxor Solar Company was chosen as the manufacturer of solar panels. The model ECO LINE N-TYPE TOPCON GLASS-GLASS BIF LX-570M/182-144+, power 570 Wp, will be installed. This power plant includes 42 inverters manufactured by Fronius, with total power of 860 kW. The solar panels will be placed on an aluminium substructure of the D Dome type, manufactured by K2 Systems GmbH, which is intended for flat roofs.

Following the installation of the solar power plant, the annual energy saving is expected to be about 1,220,950 kWh, while CO2 emissions will be reduced by about 976 tonnes.

Energy portal

Europe’s Air Quality Keeps Improving but Pollution Levels Are Still Insafe in Many Areas

Foto ilustracija: Pexels
Photo-illustration: Freepik (frimufilms)

The EEA briefing ‘Europe’s air quality status 2024’ presents data on levels of key air pollutants in Europe in 2022 and 2023 and compares these concentrations to the EU air quality standards and World Health Organization (WHO) health-based guideline levels. The 2022 data are final and validated by reporting countries while the 2023 analysis is based on provisional data.

Europe’s air quality is improving but EU standards are still not met across Europe, the EEA analysis shows. In 2022, only 2 per cent of European monitoring stations registered fine particulate concentrations above the EU annual limit value. However, almost all Europeans (96 per cent) who live in cities are exposed to concentrations of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) that are above the WHO guideline level).

Fine particulate matter is the air pollutant that causes the greatest negative health impacts across Europe. These particles come mainly from solid fuels used for domestic heating, industrial activities and road transport.

The EEA briefing also shows that there are significant differences between countries and regions, with areas in central and eastern Europe showing higher levels of pollution. In 2022, only Iceland had fine particulate concentrations that were lower than the WHO guideline level. Concentrations higher than the EU limit value were measured in three EU Member States: Croatia, Italy, and Poland.

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The European Green Deal’s zero pollution action plan sets a 2030 target of reducing premature deaths caused by fine particulate matter by at least 55 per cent, compared with 2005 levels, and a long-term goal of no significant health impacts by 2050. Earlier this year, the EU institutions reached an agreement on a proposal to update the ambient air quality directives with the aim to align the EU air quality standards closer to the WHO’s guideline levels and help deliver on the objectives of the zero pollution action plan.

The EEA briefing is the first analysis in the EEA’s ‘Air quality in Europe 2024’ package. Later this year, the EEA will publish briefings on air pollutant emissions, and on impacts of air pollution on ecosystems and human health. This includes estimates on deaths and ill health that can be attributed to poor air quality.

Source: EEA

Why is Compost Important, and How to Make Compost?

Photo-illustration: Freepik (freepik)
Photo-illustration: Freepik (freepik)

Disseminating environmental awareness has made popular numerous activities and habits that we as a society once might have been ashamed of or thought should not occupy a place in our lives. Although concepts such as recycling have not appeared only recently but have been present for many years, they have entered the wider society relatively recently. During my childhood, it was largely thought that collecting packaging waste was done exclusively by people whose job was to collect it. When I say job, I mean a job where you have a contract and a salary. At that time, in my generation, as well as among adults, it was expected that we disposed of waste in a nearby bin/container, and even if garbage was left in nature, there was always someone who would deal with it. With the emergence of a broader awareness of the need to preserve nature, we developed the understanding that we should not leave waste collection solely to those paid to do it but that it should also be our job. Perhaps young people were ashamed to publicly pick up a bottle, bag or cigarette butt when they were not disposed of properly, but today this practice is becoming increasingly commendable.

I remember when I was a child, adults would take empty glass bottles to stores to return and get new ones, probably unaware that this move was necessary for nature because they had to return old bottles to get new ones. This also facilitated the work of the producers and reduced production costs. Both of these practices were good for the environment.

The same principle can be applied to the concept of composting. Perhaps even more than the concept of recycling, composting seems to be one of those newly minted terms. It was thought that composting was done only by older people who live in the countryside, have poultry and grow fruits and vegetables, or that it is again the job who get paid to do it, i.e. agricultural workers. Some people did it without realizing that, in this way, they were positively contributing to the well-being of nature. My grandmother is one of them. She asked us not to throw away the shells whenever we ate eggs. She would process them and then use them as poultry feed. She was convinced that by doing so, she was saving money on feed and improving the quality of the eggs and meat, but she was unaware that she was doing much more.

How can Composting Help Preserve the Environment?

In its simplest explanation, composting is the biological process of breaking down organic matter. An increasing number of people, especially in more developed countries, have included composting in their everyday life at home. If we adopt this way of life, we will contribute to the well-being of our environment in many ways. The composting material mainly comes from our kitchens, which, if not composted, becomes waste. It is a well-known fact that waste in landfills is a multifaceted problem. One of the problems is that burning landfill waste releases emissions that pollute the air. It may seem to us that food waste cannot be so harmful because it originates from nature, and it is only natural for it to end up in nature. However, when it finds itself in a landfill, under mentioned conditions, often buried with other rubbish and devoid of an oxygen supply, it begins to produce a greenhouse gas that is much more harmful than carbon dioxide, which is methane. However, if we manage this kind of waste in a proper way, such as composting, it would not only reduce landfill waste and air pollution but also generate other benefits.

Compost is rich in nutrients which can improve soil quality. It also helps retain moisture, enhancing plant growth. With these properties and for this purpose, people who grow vegetables, fruits and cereals reduce the need for artificial and chemical fertilizers, which are very harmful. Finally, we should mention that composting supports biodiversity because it boosts the diversity of microorganisms and insects in the soil, which is good for the ecosystem.

What can be Composted, and How can We Make Compost?

Photo-illustration: Freepik (freepik)

The first thing that should be noted is that the remains of meat, dairy products, and plants treated with pesticides and fatty foods should not be added to the composter. Furthermore, the term composter means a place where material for composting is deposited. It can be a certain part of the yard that we will fence off, a 30-50 liter container or a special technology in the form of a bucket into which organic matter is inserted and turned into compost. These bins are small, so they are also suitable for the kitchen.

Although different recipes determine the foods and the ratio of how much should be represented in the compost, there are a few basic rules. In terms of food we can compost, we need the so-called brown material (as it contains carbon) which are dry leaves, straw, cardboard and small pieces of wood – wood shavings. Green material (which contains nitrogen) includes the remains of fruits and vegetables, banana peels, egg shells, freshly cut grass, coffee grounds, tea bag filters and more.

Before starting this process, you should know that composting takes up to several months. There are ways to speed it up, such as chopping food as finely as possible. At the very beginning, when finding a suitable container, bear in mind that moisture and oxygen circulation are essential for composting, which is why it is necessary to drill holes in the container. A drainage layer should be placed at the bottom of the container, made of broken dry twigs and a row of cardboard torn into larger pieces and placed over it; after that comes the brown material. Before the green layer, it would be good to put the so-called humus layer, and the best option would be to use forest soil. The penultimate layer is green, followed by another brown one. This completes the first part of the process. Then, leave the compost to rest for ten days. After that period, we start stirring the compost every few days to maintain moisture and oxygen. That’s it! The process is repeated by adding new layers of brown and green materials while stirring and retaining moisture.

However, for your composting process to be successful, there are numerous tips on monitoring whether it is going in the right direction, how to maintain moisture properly, what composting material ratio you should use in a composting container and which container is the most suitable.

Composting was even given its day that is marked worldwide – Learn about Composting Day – on May 29. My task for today is complete. In the spirit of Learn about Composting Day, I wanted to highlight the importance of composting and inspire people to take some of their time to do further research on this topic and maybe decide to compost themselves. Apart from being interesting, especially for children, it will also contribute to preserving nature.

Katarina Vuinac

2023 Environmental Protection Investment: 67 billion euros

Photo-illustration: Unsplash (Luca Bravo)
Photo-ullustration: Pixabay

Eurostat estimates that in 2023, EU countries invested about 67 billion euros into assets essential to provide environmental protection services. These services included wastewater treatment plants, vehicles to transport waste, acquisitions of land to create a natural reserve, or cleaner equipment for production.

About 40 billion euros (60 per cent of total environmental protection investments) was spent by corporations, both the specialist providers of environmental protection services (e.g. private companies dealing with waste collection and processing and with sewerage) and corporations other than specialist producers, which purchase technologies and equipment reducing the environmental pressures arising from their production process (e.g. equipment reducing their air emissions). The general government and non-profit sector accounted for the remaining 40 per cent investments.

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The share of environmental protection investments in total investments was about 1.8 per cent in 2023. More specifically, 1.7 per cent of all investments of corporations were environmental protection investments, and 4.5 per cent of all general government investments.

The largest amount of investments was related to wastewater and waste management services. In 2023, they accounted for 41.6 per cent and 26.6 per cent of the total investments for environmental protection, respectively. Air protection accounted for 10.4 per cent of investments for environmental protection. General environmental administration, R&D and protection against radiation accounted for 8.4 per cent. Biodiversity and landscape protection accounted for 6.4 per cent; soil and groundwater protection for 5.6 per cent and noise reduction for the remaining 1.1 per cent.

Source: Eurostat

Innovative Technology is the Key to Creating a Sustainable Future

Photo: Siemens AG
Photo: Microsoft

The Siemens company published a global report on sustainable development for the fiscal year 2023, which pointed out that the development of technology is one of the key answers to the challenges facing the planet.

In a year of record heat waves, wildfires and floods, at a time of rising energy prices, inflation, supply chain issues, labor shortages and rising geopolitical tensions, the demand to accelerate digital and sustainable transformation has never been greater, according to the latest Siemens report, which includes the company’s operations from October 2022 to the end of September last year.

This technology leader, which employs 320,000 people around the planet and operates in almost every country in the world, was one of the first global companies to commit to becoming carbon neutral by 2030 back in 2015. Meanwhile, Siemens has reduced the CO2 footprint from its own operations by 50 per cent compared to 2019 and aims for a 90 per cent reduction by 2030.

IN FOCUS:

“Innovative technology plays a key role in creating a sustainable future. What is the concrete impact of responsible business on sustainability, and thus on the lives of all of us, is shown by the fact that Siemens products sold in fiscal year 2023 alone will prevent about 190 million metric tons of CO2 equivalent emissions during their lifetime. This represents more than, say, the emissions of the Netherlands. It is clear that the future depends on us, institutions, organizations, companies, and each individual, as well as on how we treat nature, society, and our businesses. That’s why what we do today is important for our common tomorrow”, Jovana Vukotić, Head of corporate communications at Siemens Serbia, said on this occasion and added that more than 90 per cent of Siemens’ portfolio consists of products that enable a positive impact on sustainability.

According to her, the importance of responsible business is reflected in the fact that it does not determine our actions concerning the environment but the whole society and employees. During 2023, Siemens invested 416 million euros in a culture of active learning, ensuring sustainable employability in a rapidly changing labor market. Within the global company, women in the highest management positions now make up 31 per cent, which means that the goal of 30 per cent of women in management by 2025 has been achieved two years ahead of schedule.

Siemens Serbia

Read the story in the new issue of the Energy portal Magazine SUSTAINABLE ARCHITECTURE AND FINANCING OF GREEN CONSTRUCTIO.

ABB Launches Next-Generation Robotics Control Platform OmniCore

Photo: ABB
Photo: ABB

ABB Robotics launched OmniCore™, an intelligent automation platform that is faster, more precise and more sustainable, to empower, enhance and futureproof businesses.

The OmniCore platform, the result of more than 170 million dollars of investment in next generation robotics, is a step change to a modular and futureproof control architecture that will enable the full integration of AI, sensor, cloud and edge computing systems to create the most advanced and autonomous robotic applications.

“For our customers, automation is a strategic requirement as they seek greater flexibility, simplicity and efficiency in response to the global megatrends of labor shortages, uncertainty and the need to operate more sustainably,” said Sami Atiya, President of ABB’s Robotics & Discrete Automation Business Area. “Through our development of advanced mechatronics, AI and vision systems, our robots are more accessible, more capable, more flexible and more mobile than ever. But increasingly they must also work seamlessly together, with us and each other, to take on more tasks in more places. This is why we are launching OmniCore, a new milestone in our 50-year history in robotics; a unique, single control architecture – one platform, and one language that integrates our complete range of leading hardware and software.”

OmniCore’s class-leading motion performance delivers robot path accuracy at a level of less than 0.6mm, with multiple robots running at high speeds of up to 1,600mm per second. This opens new automation opportunities in precision areas such as arc welding, mobile phone display assembly, gluing and laser cutting. Overall, OmniCore enables robots to operate up to 25 percent faster and to consume up to 20 percent less energy compared to the previous ABB controller.

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OmniCore is built on a scalable, modular control architecture that offers a wide array of functions to create almost any application imaginable, making it suitable for businesses embracing automation in existing and new segments, such as biotechnology and construction, amongst many others. With over 1,000 hardware and software features, customers can design, operate, maintain, and optimize operations easily. This is enabled by software features including ABB’s Absolute Accuracy, and PickMaster® Twin, as well as hardware options spanning from external axis and vision systems to fieldbuses.

Photo: ABB

“The OmniCore difference is its ability to manage motion, sensors and application equipment in a single holistic unified system,” said Marc Segura, Division President ABB Robotics. “OmniCore opens the door to the entire ABB Robotics portfolio of hardware and software, in any combination under a single control platform, offering endless possibilities and more avenues for value creation. For example, OmniCore enables automotive manufacturers to increase production speed, offering tremendous competitive advantage, increasing press tending production from 12 to 15 strokes per minute to produce 900 parts per hour. As we celebrate our 50th anniversary in Robotics, we believe that OmniCore offers the potential for many more industry breakthroughs, empowering our customers across all sectors to meet the challenges that lie ahead.”

OmniCore is the latest development in ABB Robotics’ 50 years of innovation, starting with the world’s first microprocessor-controlled robot in 1974, the launch of RobotStudio® software in 1998 and the acquisition of Sevensense in 2024, to bring industry-leading AI-based navigation technology to its mobile robots.

Source: ABB

Morocco’s Big Green Hydrogen Potential – Can the Country Become a Major Player in the Transition to Sustainable Fuel?

Photo-illustration: Unsplash (Martin Förster)
Photo-illustration: Unsplash (Daniel Camejo Rodríguez)

Morocco’s potential for the production of renewable energy from wind and sun positions the country very high on the list of the most important stakeholders in the global transition towards green fuels. Thanks to its potential, this country has set the goal of producing 0.67 million tonnes of green hydrogen annually by 2030.

Green hydrogen is obtained by electrolysis of water, using electricity obtained from renewable sources and is then used as a key component in the production of other types of green fuels, like e-methanol or ammonia.

Although Morocco has set itself an ambitious goal, the current projects produced only 0.05 million tonnes on an annual basis. Research conducted by the European Federation for Transport & Environment has shown that thanks to its potential and the EU’s green fuel policies, Morocco has the opportunity to become an important hub for supplying fuel to ships. If it were to achieve the set goal, it could satisfy part of the European Union’s demand for this fuel, exporting 0.22 million tonnes to the European Union.

Such predictions are supported by research data, which shows that of over 2,300 ship voyages between Europe and East Asia in 2019, two-thirds used the Strait of Gibraltar, which is located between Morocco and Spain. On the other hand, it is expected that by 2050, green fuels will account for 80 per cent of the energy consumption of ships sailing to and from the European Union.

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The European Union’s green fuel policy could encourage Morocco to meet its production target of 0.67 million tonnes.

This great interest resulted in the German-Moroccan Hydrogen Agreement, signed in 2020, which stipulates the joint development of green hydrogen production that would be used in Morocco and Germany. Investments have already been promised, which will help Germany to purchase green hydrogen from Morocco in the future.

One of the obstacles for this country in achieving its goal is the scarcity of water resources, which are needed for the production of green hydrogen. The largest part, from 80 to 95 per cent, of available water is used for agricultural purposes and there is also the problem of population growth, climate change and pollution. Hence, Morocco is planning to build several new seawater desalination plants, which will now be powered by renewable energy sources, instead of the current plants that run on fossil fuels.

Furthermore, it is necessary to balance out the still high production costs, the lack of developed infrastructure and other challenges in order for Morocco to succeed in achieving its set goal.

It should be noted that on a global level, shipping consumes about 300 million tonnes of fossil fuels in a year, which contributes three per cent to the total anthropogenic emissions.

Katarina Vuinac

Breathing in Polluted Air in Pregnancy Common Cause of Increasingly Present Mental Illnesses in Children

Foto-ilustracija: Pixabay
Photo-illustration: Pixabay

Numerous scientific studies indicate a connection between polluted air and the occurrence of pulmonary and cardiovascular diseases, as well as some types of cancer.

However, the potential health problems from breathing in bad air go back even further, according to the latest study by researchers from the University of Bristol.

Their research, published in the JAMA Network Open journal, reveals a link between exposure to air pollution during pregnancy and the baby developing a mental illness when it reaches adolescence.

The researchers wanted to examine the long-term impact of exposure to air and noise pollution during pregnancy, early childhood and adolescence related to three common mental health problems – psychotic experiences (including hallucinations and paranoid thoughts), depression and anxiety.

The team used data from over 9,000 participants from the Bristol Childbirth Cohort Study in the 1990s, which recruited around 14,000 pregnant women between 1991 and 1992 and has followed their lives, as well as the lives of their children and partners ever since.

By linking the participants’ early childhood data with their mental health reports at ages 13, 18 and 24, the researchers were able to map air quality and noise pollution levels in south-west England at different points in time.

The research found that relatively small increases in the concentration of fine particles in the air can cause more frequent occurrences of psychotic experiences and depressive symptoms in the teenage years and early adolescence. Namely, an increase of 0.72 micrograms of fine particles (PM2.5) per cubic meter of air during pregnancy and childhood is associated with an 11 per cent higher chance of psychotic experiences and a 10 per cent higher chance of depression.

This is just one piece of evidence suggesting that toxic gases and particulate matter in the air can contribute to mental health problems.

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Pollution damages brain tissue

Particles and gases from the air quickly reach brain tissue via the blood, where they can jeopardize the blood-brain barrier and lead to neuroinflammation and oxidative stress.

Other studies also indicate that air pollution can cause inflammation in the brain, which further leads to the accumulation of a harmful protein linked to the onset of dementia.

Furthermore, scientific research suggests that air pollution most often affects the regions of the brain that control emotions, and this explains the higher level of anxiety and depression in people who live in polluted areas.

Milena Maglovski

El Niño is Forecast to Swing to La Niña Later This Year

Foto-ilustracija: Pixabay (dimitrisvetsikas1969)
Photo-illustration: Unsplash (Torsten Dederichs)

The 2023/24 El Niño event, which helped fuel a spike in global temperatures and extreme weather around the world, is now showing signs of ending. There is likely to be a swing back to La Niña conditions later this year, according to a new Update from the World Meteorological Organization (WMO).

Latest forecasts from WMO Global Producing Centres of Long-Range Forecasts give equal chances (50 per cent) of either neutral conditions or a transition to La Niña during June-August 2024. The chance of La Niña conditions increases to 60 per cent during July-September and 70 per cent during August-November. The chance of El Niño redeveloping is negligible during this time.

La Niña refers to the large-scale cooling of the ocean surface temperatures in the central and eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean, coupled with changes in the tropical atmospheric circulation, namely winds, pressure and rainfall. The effects of each La Niña event vary depending on the intensity, duration, time of year when it develops, and the interaction with other modes of climate variability.

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In many locations, especially in the tropics, La Niña produces the opposite climate impacts to El Niño. However, naturally occurring climate events such as the El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) now take place in the context of human-induced climate change, which is increasing global temperatures, exacerbating extreme weather and climate, and impacting seasonal rainfall and temperature patterns.

“Every month since June 2023 has set a new temperature record – and 2023 was by far the warmest year on record. The end of El Niño does not mean a pause, in long-term climate change as our planet will continue to warm due to heat-trapping greenhouse gases. Exceptionally high sea surface temperatures will continue to play an important role during next months,” says WMO Deputy Secretary-General Ko Barrett.

The past nine years have been the warmest on record even with the cooling influence of a multi-year La Niña from 2020 to early 2023. El Niño peaked in December 2023 as one of the five strongest on record.

“Our weather will continue to be more extreme because of the extra heat and moisture in our atmosphere. This is why the Early Warnings for All initiative remains WMO’s top priority. Seasonal forecasts for El Niño and La Niña and the anticipated impacts on the climate patterns globally are an important tool to inform early warnings and early action,” said Ko Barrett, who is leading a WMO delegation at the UN Climate Change session in Bonn.

“La Niña conditions generally follow strong El Niño events, and this is in line with recent model predictions, although high uncertainty remains regarding its strength or duration” Seasonal forecast models at this time of year are known to have relatively low skills, commonly known as the Northern Hemisphere “spring predictability barrier.”

Source: WMO

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