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The steel industry is a major source of CO2 emissions, and thus, the mitigation of carbon emissions is the most pressing challenge in this sector. In this paper, international environmental governance in the steel industry is reviewed, and the current state of development of low‐carbon technologies is discussed. Additionally, low‐carbon pathways for the steel industry at the current time are proposed, emphasizing prevention and treatment strategies. Furthermore, the prospects of low‐carbon technologies are explored from the perspective of transitioning the energy structure to a “carbon–electricity–hydrogen” relationship. Overall, steel enterprises should adopt hydrogen‐rich metallurgical technologies that are compatible with current needs and process flows in the short term, based on the carbon substitution with hydrogen (prevention) and the CCU (CO2 capture and utilization) concepts (treatment). Additionally, the capture and utilization of CO2 for steelmaking, which can assist in achieving short‐term emission reduction targets but is not a long‐term solution, is discussed. In conclusion, in the long term, the carbon metallurgical process should be gradually supplanted by a hydrogen–electric synergistic approach, thus transforming the energy structure of existing steelmaking processes and attaining near‐zero carbon emission steelmaking technology. The challenges and prospects of low‐carbon technologies in the steel industry, which is a major emitter of CO2, are discussed. International environmental governance in the steel industry and the current state of low‐carbon technologies are reviewed. Low‐carbon pathways based on prevention and treatment are proposed, and the future of low‐carbon technologies based on a “carbon–electricity–hydrogen” framework is considered.

Interfacial solar evaporation has emerged as an innovative water purification strategy due to its environmental friendliness, high efficiency, adaptability to various water sources. This study introduces a universal strategy for foam‐based solar evaporators, leveraging unique advantages of hydrogel materials to effectively reduce evaporation enthalpy. At the same time, it addresses challenges such as the need for pore formation in hydrogels, water‐induced swelling, and the detachment of photothermal materials, achieving “four benefits in one approach.” The fabrication process takes only 40 min and features an extremely low carbon footprint (0.00462 kg CO2 eq kg−1). After modification, the evaporation performance of different foam‐based evaporators improved by 15%62%, with the melamine foam‐based evaporator showing the most notable enhancement (62%). Using melamine foam as the supporting material, a PVA‐melamine foam composite hydrogel evaporator (FCH) is successfully fabricated via the hydrogel‐based improvement technique. FCH evaporator achieved an exceptional evaporation rate of 7.93 ± 0.37 kg m−2 h−1 under 1 sun irradiation and maintained excellent stability during 30‐day continuous seawater test. Owing to the superior stability of the hydrogel thin layer, FCH evaporator retained high evaporation performance even under extreme conditions. This study provides new insights and practical solutions for advancing sustainable water purification technologies. This study introduces a universal strategy for foam‐based solar evaporators, leveraging the unique advantages of hydrogel materials to effectively reduce evaporation enthalpy. At the same time, it addresses challenges such as the need for pore formation in hydrogels, water‐induced swelling, and the detachment of photothermal materials, achieving “four benefits in one approach.”

This paper aims to identify the determinants of the decarbonisation processes in Poland within the scope of energy transformation. The purpose of the study is to identify how the public perceives decarbonisation determinants in order to develop a sustainable energy strategy for Poland. The transition of the energy market to low-carbon technology is a policy challenge. Governments must implement policies that are environmentally friendly, cost-effective, but, most of all, socially acceptable. Social acceptance risk plays a significant role in Poland, influencing the decarbonisation process. In Poland’s case, the coal share is decreasing, but it is still the most important fuel for electricity production. This process of decarbonisation is a fundamental influence on the transformation of the energy sector in Poland. The social perception of solutions that can be applied was examined. The Polish natural environment is poisoned. Poles suffer from diseases related to the burning of coal for energy production. Societal awareness, how people perceive the government’s actions, and what they expect in this regard is crucial.

Studies on the determinants of low-carbon innovations in developed countries already exist. We test here the institutional environment in Poland (science–government–enterprise) as supporters of the technological change in industry towards a low-carbon economy. We will examine as well whether conclusions for well-developed countries are relevant for those catching up. The aim of the article is to assess the systemic nature and durability of the impact of internal and external conditions on the implementation of low-carbon technologies in Polish industry. In order to achieve the goal, two surveys were carried out for the periods 2007–2012 and 2013–2018, on sample sizes of 11,493 enterprises. To verify the hypotheses, a statistical multi–factor logit modelling was used to determine the chances of low-carbon innovations under the influence of various parallel circumstances. The results of this research point to other, often abrupt (unstable) phenomena occurring in the catching-up economy, which are the consequence of a long-term technological gap. The case of Poland shows the lack of cooperation between science, enterprises and the government in stimulating the development of low-carbon technologies, although enterprises do try to implement such technologies on their own in the absence of any external cooperation. Without Research and Development (R&D) support and government subsidies, the attempt to implement low-carbon technology fails. Thus, the institutional framework should distinguish between catching-up and developed countries due to the gaps in technological knowledge, cooperation and institutional barriers.

The transformation of the traditional high-carbon economy to a low-carbon economy and the change in the economic development mode urgently require the transformation and development of traditional finance to green finance. This study examines the impact of green finance on the transition to a low-carbon economy in 30 Chinese provinces from 2001 to 2019 and further explores the role of low-carbon technological innovation in this facilitation process. We use the Global Malmquist- Luenberger index to measure low-carbon total factor productivity using gross regional product as the desired output, CO2 emissions as the undesired output, and capital stock, employment, and total energy consumption as input indicators to represent the low-carbon economic transition. We select seven indicators in four dimensions of green credit, green securities, green insurance, and green investment to construct a comprehensive green finance evaluation system, and then apply the entropy value method to calculate green finance indicators. The number of patents granted for low-carbon innovation is used to measure low-carbon technology innovation. Foreign direct investment, industrialization level, economic development level, and urbanization level are selected as control variables. Through panel data model, mediating effect model and 2SLS, we find that green finance can significantly contribute to the transformation of low-carbon economy, but this contribution decreases with the intervention of low-carbon technology innovation. The implications of our empirical results can help China to improve the development of green finance and thus promote the transformation and upgrading of a low-carbon economy.

Industries account for about 30% of total final energy consumption worldwide and about 20% of global CO2 emissions. While transitions towards renewable energy have occurred in many parts of the world in the energy sectors, the industrial sectors have been lagging behind. Decarbonising the energy-intensive industrial sectors is however important for mitigating emissions leading to climate change. This paper analyses various technological trajectories and key policies for decarbonising energy-intensive industries: steel, mining and minerals, cement, pulp and paper and refinery. Electrification, fuel switching to low carbon fuels together with technological breakthroughs such as fossil-free steel production and CCS are required to bring emissions from energy-intensive industry down to net-zero. A long-term credible carbon price, support for technological development in various parts of the innovation chain, policies for creating markets for low-carbon materials and the right condition for electrification and increased use of biofuels will be essential for a successful transition towards carbon neutrality. The study focuses on Sweden as a reference case, as it is one of the most advanced countries in the decarbonisation of industries. The paper concludes that it may be technically feasible to deep decarbonise energy-intensive industries by 2045, given financial and political support.

In 2023, China’s crude steel production amount reached 1.019 billion tons, and the energy consumption of China’s steel industry amount reached 561 million tons of coal. China’s steel industry, with its dominant reliance on coal for energy and the primary use of blast furnaces and converters in production processes, as well as its massive output, has become the main field for achieving China’s “carbon peaking” and “carbon neutrality” goals. Firstly, this article summarizes the current production status of the steel industry and the situation of carbon emissions in the steel industry. Secondly, it discusses the dual-carbon policies based on the national and steel industry levels and outlines the future directions for China’s steel industry. Subsequently, it analyzes the current state of research and application of mature and emerging low-carbon technology in China’s steel industry and details the low-carbon plans of China’s steel companies using the low-carbon technology roadmaps of two representative steel companies as examples. Finally, the article gives policy suggestions for the further carbon reduction of China’s steel industry. The purpose of this paper is to show the efforts and contributions of China’s steel industry to the early realization of its “carbon peaking” and “carbon neutrality” goals.

We discuss the latest developments in alternative battery systems based on sodium, magnesium, zinc and aluminum. In each case, we categorize the individual metals by the overarching cathode material type, focusing on the energy storage mechanism. Specifically, sodium-ion batteries are the closest in technology and chemistry to today’s lithium-ion batteries. This lowers the technology transition barrier in the short term, but their low specific capacity creates a long-term problem. The lower reactivity of magnesium makes pure Mg metal anodes much safer than alkali ones. However, these are still reactive enough to be deactivated over time. Alloying magnesium with different metals can solve this problem. Combining this with different cathodes gives good specific capacities, but with a lower voltage (<1.3 V, compared with 3.8 V for Li-ion batteries). Zinc has the lowest theoretical specific capacity, but zinc metal anodes are so stable that they can be used without alterations. This results in comparable capacities to the other materials and can be immediately used in systems where weight is not a problem. Theoretically, aluminum is the most promising alternative, with its high specific capacity thanks to its three-electron redox reaction. However, the trade-off between stability and specific capacity is a problem. After analyzing each option separately, we compare them all via a political, economic, socio-cultural and technological (PEST) analysis. The review concludes with recommendations for future applications in the mobile and stationary power sectors.

Farmers are the key adopters of low-carbon agricultural technologies, and their adoption behavior is crucial for achieving the “dual carbon” goals. However, how digital literacy influences farmers’ technology adoption remains underexplored. Based on survey data from 742 farmers in Shandong Province, this study employs an ordered Logit model to examine the impact of digital literacy on the adoption of low-carbon agricultural technologies, as well as the mediating effects of capital endowment and adoption willingness, along with their heterogeneity. The results indicate that digital literacy significantly promotes farmers’ adoption of low-carbon agricultural technologies, but its effects vary across different technology types. Information acquisition literacy and security literacy have a greater impact on data-driven technologies (water-saving irrigation and soil testing-based fertilization), while content creation literacy and problem-solving literacy play a more significant role in knowledge-based technologies (integrated pest management). Mechanism analysis reveals that capital endowment and adoption willingness function as independent mediators, with a significant chain mediation effect between them. Furthermore, different dimensions of capital endowment exert heterogeneous influences on technology adoption: human and material capital primarily influence conservation tillage and water-saving irrigation, social capital facilitates integrated pest management, and economic capital plays a crucial role in water-saving irrigation adoption. Based on these findings, this study recommends enhancing farmers’ digital literacy, optimizing capital endowment structures, strengthening market mechanisms, and establishing demonstration bases to accelerate the widespread adoption of low-carbon agricultural technologies and contribute to the realization of the “dual carbon” goals.

A waste biorefinery is a means to valorize waste as a renewable feedstock to recover biobased materials and energy through sustainable biotechnology. This approach holistically integrates remediation and resource recovery. Here we discuss the various technologies employable to construct a waste biorefinery platform and its place in a biobased economy.