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- How far can circular economy practices contribute to a carbon-neutral Europe? The case of flat glass production in the construction sector [Resumo]Publication . Barbosa, Juliana; Simoes, Sofia; Aloini, Davide; Zerbino, Pierluigi; Mabroum, Safaa; Montalbano, Giammarco; Lima, Ana TeresaABSTRACT: The construction sector heavily relies on non-renewable resources for energy and materials. Addressing this, Circular Economy (CE) is frequently suggested as a means to foster sustainable growth while reducing global emissions. Yet, the actual impact of CE in the long term is still uncertain due to limited empirical evidence and various factors that may hinder its widespread adoption. Indeed, the transition to CE might necessitate a substantial transformation in production capabilities, supply chain modifications, the phasing out of existing capital, and investment in new technologies and facilities.
- European policies on Circular Economy and Climate Mitigation: synergies or antagonisms?Publication . Trindade, Paula; Barbosa, Juliana; Amorim, Filipa; Simoes, Sofia; Lima, Ana TeresaABSTRACT: The main objective of this paper is to review policy goals, measures and instruments across the following policy areas: climate, energy; environment (including CE) and industry. This review's objective is twofold: (1) to assess and characterise synergies and antagonisms among policy domains regarding CE and climate mitigation, and (2) to identify innovative and effective policy approaches for integrating CE into climate action. The analysis will focus on the EU+ policy level, with some incursions at Member State level (+UK) for the cases where best practices in integrating CE policies are identified. The policies assessment will feed into the climate mitigation scenarios for circular construction.
- Materials, resources, and CO2 impacts of building new renewable power plants to reach EU's goals of carbon neutralityPublication . Simoes, Sofia; Lima, Ana TeresaABSTRACT: The European Union's low carbon power plants installed capacity needs to increase by 90% by 2030. Using a spreadsheet model, we calculate the total amounts of construction materials (henceforth materials) and natural resources (henceforth resources) used for the new renewable and nuclear power plants. Considering concrete, glass, and steel as materials and sand and water as resources, future CO2e impacts are estimated using 2010-2020 as a reference. To test if circular economy measures reduce the effects of materials and resource consumption, we derive three near-future scenarios for the decade 2020-2030: business as usual (BAU), EU manufacture (EUM), and circular (CIRC). Independent of the scenario, CO2e emissions double from increasing low-carbon power plants. Circular economy substantially lowers resource consumption but not carbon emissions. With 90% recycling (CIRC), we spare 90% sand and 5% water compared to a BAU scenario. Resource-efficient power plant design and major technological advancement in recycling processes are needed to fulfill a CIRC scenario.
- Footprint analysis of circular economy practices in the steel industry [Resumo]Publication . Sameer, Husam; Knoblauch, Lukas; Dürr, Hans H.; Flörke, Martina; Ambaye, Teklit G.; Lima, Ana Teresa; Mao, Ruichang; Lu, Zheng; Kunther, Wolfgang; Slabik, Simon; Hafner, Annette; Aloini, Davide; Zerbino, Pierluigi; Mabroum, Safaa; Ram, V.; Barbosa, Juliana; Simoes, Sofia; Genovese, AndreaABSTRACT: Steel is one of the dominant materials in the building industry, however, substantial environmental impacts occur in its supply chain. We evaluate the environmental performance of different steel production scenarios at the macro level, taking into account circular economy practices. Using the dynamic life cycle assessment methodology, different scenarios are assessed for the time horizon 2015 to 2070. The environmental footprints are quantified in terms of primary energy, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, material, land and water footprints. Forecasts regarding the availability of end-of-life steel and future demand in European and global contexts are considered.
- Demand-side strategies key for mitigating material impacts of energy transitionsPublication . Creutzig, Felix; Simoes, Sofia; Leipold, Sina; Berrill, Peter; Azevedo, Isabel; Edelenbosch, Oreane; Fishman, Tomer; Haberl, Helmut; Hertwich, Edgar; Krey, Volker; Lima, Ana Teresa; Makov, Tamar; Mastrucci, Alessio; Milojevic-Dupont, Nikola; Nachtigall, Florian; Pauliuk, Stefan; Silva, Mafalda; Verdolini, Elena; Van Vuuren, Detlef; Wagner, Felix; Wiedenhofer, Dominik; Wilson, CharlieABSTRACT: As fossil fuels are phased out in favour of renewable energy, electric cars and other low-carbon technologies, the future clean energy system is likely to require less overall mining than the current fossil-fuelled system. However, material extraction and waste flows, new infrastructure development, land-use change, and the provision of new types of goods and services associated with decarbonization will produce social and environmental pressures at localized to regional scales. Demand-side solutions can achieve the important outcome of reducing both the scale of the climate challenge and material resource requirements. Interdisciplinary systems modelling and analysis are needed to identify opportunities and trade-offs for demand-led mitigation strategies that explicitly consider planetary boundaries associated with Earth's material resources. The material-intensive transition to low-carbon energy will impose environmental and social burdens on local and regional communities. Demand-side strategies can help to achieve higher well-being at lower levels of energy or material use, and an interdisciplinary approach in future research is essential.
- Mapping circular economy practices for steel, cement, glass, brick, insulation, and wood: a review for climate mitigation modelingPublication . Lima, Ana Teresa; Kirkelund, Gunvor Marie; Lu, Zheng; Mao, Ruichang; Kunther, Wolfgang; Rode, Carsten; Slabik, Simon; Hafner, Annette; Sameer, Husam; Dürr, Hans H.; Flörke, Martina; Lowe, Benjamin H.; Aloini, Davide; Zerbino, Pierluigi; Simoes, SofiaABSTRACT: Circular economy (CE) practices pave the way for the construction sector to become less material- and carbon-intensive. However, for CE quantification by climate mitigation models, one must first identify the CE practices along a product (or material) value chain. In this review, CE practices are mapped for the value chain of 6 construction materials to understand how these practices influence and can be considered in climate mitigation modelling. The main sub-categories of steel, cement, glass, clay-brick, insulation materials, and wood were used to identify which Rs are currently addressed at the lab and industrial scales: refuse, reduce, rethink, repair, reuse, remanufacture, refurbish, repurpose, recycle, and recover. The CE practices were reviewed using scientific repositories and grey literature, validated by European-wide stakeholders, and mapped across the life-cycle stages of the six materials – extraction, manufacturing, use, and end-of-life (EoL). The mapping was limited to the manufacturing and EoL stages because materials could be identified at these stages (the extraction phase pertains to resources, and the use phase to a product, for example, buildings). All reviewed CE practices identified at the industrial scale were quantified at the European level. For example, EoL reinforcement steel is 1–11 % reused and 70–95 % recycled; manufacturing CEM I is up to 60 % reduced; remanufacturing flat glass is 26 % remanufactured while less than 5 % EoL flat glass is recycled. A major barrier to closed-loop recycling is the need for sorting and separation technologies. Open-loop recycling synergies are found at the industrial scale between, for example, flat glass and glass wool value chains. Climate mitigation models are proposed to be augmented to include these practices requiring an explicit link between building use and the other construction materials' value chain stages.
- CO2NSTRUCT: Modelling the role of circular economy construction value chains for a carbon-neutral Europe: JRC-EU-TIMES Model usage [Comunicação oral]Publication . Simoes, Sofia; Barbosa, Juliana; Lima, Ana Teresa; Jerónimo, B.
- The CO2NSTRUCT European project: Modelling the role of Circular Economy in construction value chains for a carbon-neutral EuropePublication . Oikonomou, Theoni I.; Karytsas, Spyridon; Karytsas, Constantine; Simoes, Sofia; Calvo, Oscar Seco; Egido, M.N. Sánchez; Castro, S. Soutullo; Zerbino, Pierluigi; Aloini, Davide; Genovese, Andrea; Bimpizas-Pinis, Meletios; Slabik, Simon; Lima, Ana TeresaABSTRACT: Linear climate mitigation models look into aggregated economic sectors and model greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions disregarding downstream value chains, making particular sectors accountable for downstream (or upstream) GHG emissions. Hence, the present climate mitigation models inconsistently account for indirect GHG emissions; underrepresent upstream and downstream value chains; do not address Circular Economy (CE) practices; do not cover resource consumption, thus not considering materials' circularity. To provide curated policy support for decision-making for carbon neutrality and other Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), models need to shift from linear to circular. To achieve this, a link between energy-climate mitigation modelling and cradle-to-cradle assessment CE analytical tools must be established. This is the core issue covered in the CO2NSTRUCT Horizon project (2022-2026). CO2NSTRUCT proposes a framework to supplement the well-established JRC-EU-TIMES model, using a highly comprehensive technological representation with CE measures. The framework will apply CE measures to the value chain of six carbon-intensive construction materials (i.e., cement, steel, brick, glass, wood, and insulation materials) and will provide new components to the JRC-EU-TIMES model, including citizen behaviour; societal impacts; rebound effects; supply and value chains. The results will be used for policy approaches integrating CE into climate change mitigation actions.
- Main CE practices in the Construction industry for the six carbon-intensive materials [Resumo]Publication . Lima, Ana Teresa; Kirkelund, Gunvor Marie; Lu, Zheng; Mao, Ruichang; Kunther, Wolfgang; Rode, Carsten; Ambaye, Teklit G.; Slabik, Simon; Hafner, Annette; Sameer, Husam; Dürr, Hans H.; Flörke, Martina; Lowe, Benjamin H.; Aloini, Davide; Zerbino, Pierluigi; Simoes, Sofia
- Climate mitigation models need to become circular : let's start with the construction sectorPublication . Lima, Ana Teresa; Simoes, Sofia; Aloini, Davide; Zerbino, Pierluigi; Oikonomou, Theoni I.; Karytsas, Spyridon; Karytsas, Constantine; Calvo, Oscar Seco; Porcar, Beatriz; Herrera, I.; Slabik, Simon; Dürr, Hans H.; Genovese, Andrea; Bimpizas-Pinis, MeletiosABSTRACT: Circular Economy (CE) is presented today as the way forward to achieving a sustainable and carbon-neutral society. Yet, circularity assessment tools such as Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), Material Flow Analysis (MFA), and Supply and value-chain analysis are currently disconnected from the models used to advise bodies that steer sustainability-driven policies like the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). Climate mitigation models (henceforth climate models) are used in policy discussions and international negotiations to track GHG emissions and identify pathways towards a low-carbon economy. One example is the JRC-EU-TIMES model developed by the International Energy Agency or the PRIMES model, which is the backbone of the energy and climate policy of the European Union (EU). These climate models are inherently suitable for representing only linear patterns of economic activity, where GHG emissions are modelled per economic sector (primary energy resource extraction, final energy generation, energy, and materials used in industry, buildings, etc.).