Role of Trade in India’s Rising Atmospheric Mercury Emissions

India is among the largest emitters of atmospheric mercury (Hg) in the world. India’s production activities have associated Hg emissions which can be attributed to final demands (e.g., purchases by households, governments, and private investments) of nations driving upstream production from the demand perspective, or primary inputs (e.g., labor and capital supply) of nations enabling downstream production from the supply perspective. This study identifies key nations and sectors that directly and indirectly drove India’s Hg emissions from both the demand and supply perspectives during 2004–2014. While domestic final demand was the dominant driver from the demand perspective (driving about 80–85% of the total), USA, China, and UAE are important foreign drivers. Similarly, from the supply perspective, domestic primary inputs were the dominant drivers. However, the share of foreign inputs enabling Hg emissions increased from 16 to 23% during the decade. Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, Australia, and China are the top foreign supply-side drivers. The Construction sector is an important demand-side driver, whereas fossil fuel sectors are important supply-side drivers. These findings can guide global and national policies for demand- and supply-side management of Hg emissions in India and assist in the successful implementation of the Minamata Convention on Mercury

Role of Trade in India’s Rising Atmospheric Mercury Emissions

India is among the largest emitters of atmospheric mercury (Hg) in the world. India’s production activities have associated Hg emissions which can be attributed to final demands (e.g., purchases by households, governments, and private investments) of nations driving upstream production from the demand perspective, or primary inputs (e.g., labor and capital supply) of nations enabling downstream production from the supply perspective. This study identifies key nations and sectors that directly and indirectly drove India’s Hg emissions from both the demand and supply perspectives during 2004–2014. While domestic final demand was the dominant driver from the demand perspective (driving about 80–85% of the total), USA, China, and UAE are important foreign drivers. Similarly, from the supply perspective, domestic primary inputs were the dominant drivers. However, the share of foreign inputs enabling Hg emissions increased from 16 to 23% during the decade. Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, Australia, and China are the top foreign supply-side drivers. The Construction sector is an important demand-side driver, whereas fossil fuel sectors are important supply-side drivers. These findings can guide global and national policies for demand- and supply-side management of Hg emissions in India and assist in the successful implementation of the Minamata Convention on Mercury

Role of Trade in India’s Rising Atmospheric Mercury Emissions

India is among the largest emitters of atmospheric mercury (Hg) in the world. India’s production activities have associated Hg emissions which can be attributed to final demands (e.g., purchases by households, governments, and private investments) of nations driving upstream production from the demand perspective, or primary inputs (e.g., labor and capital supply) of nations enabling downstream production from the supply perspective. This study identifies key nations and sectors that directly and indirectly drove India’s Hg emissions from both the demand and supply perspectives during 2004–2014. While domestic final demand was the dominant driver from the demand perspective (driving about 80–85% of the total), USA, China, and UAE are important foreign drivers. Similarly, from the supply perspective, domestic primary inputs were the dominant drivers. However, the share of foreign inputs enabling Hg emissions increased from 16 to 23% during the decade. Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, Australia, and China are the top foreign supply-side drivers. The Construction sector is an important demand-side driver, whereas fossil fuel sectors are important supply-side drivers. These findings can guide global and national policies for demand- and supply-side management of Hg emissions in India and assist in the successful implementation of the Minamata Convention on Mercury

Impact of a Coal-Fired Power Plant Shutdown Campaign on Heavy Metal Emissions in China

Recently, China has committed to decommissioning the heavy metal (HM) intensive coal-fired power plants (CFPPs), small units especially, yet a quantitative assessment for the impact on HM emissions remains poorly understood. This study, for the first time, compiles a plant-specific inventory for six HMs (Hg, As, Se, Pb, Cd, and Cr) avoided by CFPPs decommissioned in China during the 12th Five Year Plan period. The reduced HM amounts to 271.58 t (9.19 t Hg, 45.84 t As, 60.76 t Se, 85.30 t Pb, 1.74 t Cd, and 68.75 t Cr), accounting for 12.71% of the total emissions from all China’s CFPPs in 2010. Small units which have low boiler efficiency and lack air pollutant control devices are more than tenfold HM-intensive as the large units. The detailed HM emission factors for each CFPP decommissioned in each provincial region are also identified. HM content in the coal consumed is a key parameter to determine their corresponding emission factors, while the capacity of decommissioned coal plants plays a decisive role in the reduced emissions. The high-resolution inventory not only verifies China’s progress in alleviating HM pollution, but also provides basis for further investigation into HM relevant environmental and human health impact

Promoting Sustainable Development Goals by Optimizing City-Level Solar Photovoltaic Deployment in China

Solar photovoltaic (PV) installations, which enable carbon neutrality, are expected to surge in the coming decades. This growth will support sustainable development goals (SDGs) via reductions in power-generation-related environmental emissions and water consumption while generating new jobs. However, where and to what extent PVs should be utilized to support SDGs must be thoroughly addressed. Here, we use multiple PV deployment scenarios to compare the benefits of PVs and related SDGs progress in 366 prefectural-level cities in China. We developed an assessment framework that integrates a PV allocation model, an electricity system optimization model, and a benefit assessment approach. We identify vast differences in PV distribution and electricity transmission and elucidate trade-offs and synergies among the SDGs under various PV implementation scenarios. The water conservation-oriented scenario yields substantial carbon reduction, air pollutant mitigation, and water saving cobenefits, leading to the greatest SDGs improvements. Prioritizing employment creation enhances job-relevant SDGs but inhibits environmental resource benefits. SDGs in less developed cities present greater progress across all scenarios. This study highlights the need to consider spatial heterogeneity and the potential trade-offs between different SDGs and regions when designing energy transition strategies

Additional file 1 of KAS-seq profiling captures transcription dynamics during oocyte maturation

Additional file 1: Figure S1. KAS-seq data validation. A-D. Fingerprint plot of KAS-seq libraries and the corresponding inputs in NSN (A), SN (B), GVBD (C) and MII (D) oocytes, respectively

Relocating Industrial Plants Delivers Win–Win Emission Reduction Benefits to Origin and Destination Regions

Relocating pollution-intensive factories is one of the most effective measures to meet mandatory environmental regulations in developed cities while simultaneously imposing environmental pressure on the receiving cities. Existing studies often assume that relocated plants produce the same or higher emissions when relocated. However, the current pollution mitigation policies enforce even higher emission standards in the destination after plant relocation. We employ a bottom-up pollution accounting approach to assess the impact of intraregional or interregional relocation of iron and steel plants in China’s Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei (BTH) area on various air pollutants; specifically, seven policy scenarios are modeled, based on stringency, implementation scope, and production technologies. We find that relocation combined with emission standards enforcement and shifts from BOF (basic oxygen furnace) to EAF (electric arc furnace) production technology may significantly reduce emissions within and outside BTH areas by as much as 28.8% compared to business as usual. The observed reduction is mainly due to the requirement of meeting ultralow emission standards directly or indirectly after relocation. Both origin and destination cities benefit from the relocation, with limited emission spillovers (+9.1%) for destinations outside BTH and even a net reduction (9.4%) in Tangshan. We conclude that combining factory relocation with stricter emission standards and production technological innovation could circumvent the Pollution Haven Hypothesis and deliver win–win air pollution reduction benefits for both origins and destinations