Energy, Sustainability and Society最新文献

{"title":"Towards an integrated positive energy district landscape: technical and financial analysis for a case study in Hoogkerk, Northern Netherlands","authors":"Ifigenia Psarra,&nbsp;Adrian Figueroa,&nbsp;Esperance Mfurakazi,&nbsp;Livia Tonu,&nbsp;Alex van Spyk,&nbsp;Christian Zuidema","doi":"10.1186/s13705-025-00534-y","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s13705-025-00534-y","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><p>This research study applied the 'Integrated Energy Landscape Approach and the Ecosystem Services Framework' to formulate a pre-proposal for a Positive Energy District in the Hoogkerk Zuid neighborhood in Groningen, the Netherlands.</p><h3>Results</h3><p>The proposed energy saving and energy generation interventions are sufficient to cover the energy usage of the district, while an energy surplus is generated. The pre-proposal has been developed within a participatory process, organized by the authors in close collaboration with key local stakeholders. The identification of local ecosystem services served as a crucial starting point for this study, while it also served for the basis for analysing the subsequent trade-offs and synergies derived from the proposed energy transition interventions. Then, a sustainable business case model was developed based on this Positive Energy District pre-proposal. The main outcome of the model lies in the value creation through cost savings from not using traditional energy sources and selling electricity to the grid. In addition, the economic value of the preserved ecosystem services and of the synergies generated by the pre-proposal are also included in the model.</p><h3>Conclusions</h3><p>Beyond the local case, the results lay the groundwork for more systematic studies on merging the methodologies of Positive Energy District development, the Ecosystem Framework and the Integrated Energy Landscape approach. Finally, by adding the benefits of ecosystem services and synergies as a significant contributor in the financial analysis and decision-making process, this study opens the door to a new approach to the evaluation of sustainable projects.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":539,"journal":{"name":"Energy, Sustainability and Society","volume":"15 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.1,"publicationDate":"2025-07-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://energsustainsoc.biomedcentral.com/counter/pdf/10.1186/s13705-025-00534-y","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145164276","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Assessing the circularity of transportation fuel production systems","authors":"Axel Lindfors,&nbsp;Roozbeh Feiz,&nbsp;Sofia Poulikidou,&nbsp;Tomas Lönnqvist,&nbsp;Anton Fagerström,&nbsp;Mark Sanctuary","doi":"10.1186/s13705-025-00535-x","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s13705-025-00535-x","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><p>The circular economy represents a vision of ever-increasing importance for policy making. In this paper, the circularity of transportation fuel production systems is explored, as energy carriers are seldom the focus of existing methods. A theoretical framework for understanding the circularity of energy carriers was devised based on the renewability and secondary fractions of inputs and the recycling of outputs, which cover both biological and technical cycles. Based on this framework, and with input from actors working in the field of transport fuels, a six-step method was developed to assess the circularity of energy carriers. The method uses a life cycle perspective for assessing energy carriers across their life cycle.</p><h3>Results</h3><p>This method was applied to four production systems in the Swedish context: hydrogenated vegetable oil (HVO) from tall oil, ethanol from forest residues, biomethane from household food waste, and battery–electric mobility. The results showed that all studied biofuels have a high degree of circularity due to the use of secondary materials as a feedstock. The biomethane system scored the highest percentage, with a circularity score of 81%, while the HVO and ethanol systems only reached a score of 75% and 45%, respectively. The battery–electric system, on the other hand, performed worse at only 17% circularity due to the low degree of circularity in the battery production. One “greening” scenario was tested for each production system to explore the impact of possible future improvements.</p><h3>Conclusions</h3><p>The results showed that second-generation biofuels align well with the circular economy concept as they upcycle low-value resources into high-value products. At the same time, electric mobility requires a higher degree of material recirculation to further align it with the circular economy. Furthermore, all production systems indicated improvement potentials and should, therefore, be aimed at increasing their recirculation rates and use of renewable resources. In conclusion, this article gives valuable input into the broader decision process to determine which fuels should be promoted during the transition away from fossil fuels, as circularity is one aspect to be considered.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":539,"journal":{"name":"Energy, Sustainability and Society","volume":"15 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.1,"publicationDate":"2025-07-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://energsustainsoc.biomedcentral.com/counter/pdf/10.1186/s13705-025-00535-x","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145162278","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Shifting perspectives: exploring land tenure transformation through six community-based solar energy projects in the global south (Ethiopia, Uganda, Kenya, Namibia, Indonesia, and Peru)","authors":"Bouchra El Houda Lamhamedi,&nbsp;Walter Timo de Vries","doi":"10.1186/s13705-025-00532-0","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s13705-025-00532-0","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><p>Sustainable development is not possible without sustainable energy, and while renewable energy minigrid and microgrid systems are regarded as a promising solution for achieving energy transition and supporting rural development in the global south, the complex relationship between the adoption of renewable energy systems and land tenure systems within rural communities remains a critical aspect that has often been overlooked in this context. This study addresses this gap by examining how small-scale community-based renewable energy systems influence land tenure transformations and whether shifts in land tenure patterns drive changes in renewable energy adoption and management strategies. </p><h3>Results</h3><p>This research adopts a qualitative comparative case study methodology, examining six community-based solar energy projects in Ethiopia, Uganda, Kenya, Namibia, Indonesia, and Peru. Using an adapted socio-ecological systems framework based on Ostrom’s principles, the study analyzes six outcome parameters: governance, land tenure, socio-spatial relations, economic dependencies, perception, and behavior. The findings reveal complex interactions between land tenure and renewable energy adoption, demonstrating that the introduction of renewable energy systems has the potential to reshape land tenure paradigms. Specifically, changes in socio-spatial relations and economic dependencies were identified as key factors that influence community responses to renewable energy projects. These shifts also affect local governance structures, perceptions, and community behavior towards both land and energy systems.</p><h3>Conclusions</h3><p>The results highlight the need for a comprehensive understanding of the interactions between land tenure and renewable energy initiatives to foster effective rural development. Recognizing these dynamics can inform policy and practice, ensuring that renewable energy interventions are aligned with local land tenure realities and contribute to sustainable socio-economic transformations.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":539,"journal":{"name":"Energy, Sustainability and Society","volume":"15 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.1,"publicationDate":"2025-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://energsustainsoc.biomedcentral.com/counter/pdf/10.1186/s13705-025-00532-0","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145160838","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Understanding the characteristics of the green, circular and bioeconomy models within the context of sustainable development","authors":"Michelle A. Urrea Vivas,&nbsp;Luis Seguí Amórtegui,&nbsp;Hilda Guerrero-García-Rojas","doi":"10.1186/s13705-025-00528-w","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s13705-025-00528-w","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><p>This paper aims to analyze, synthesize and evaluate the main differences, similarities, advantages, and disadvantages of the narratives of green economy (GE), circular economy (CE) and bioeconomy (BE) models within a sustainability framework. The article seeks to provide a critical comparison of the notion of three models, related in their concepts, approaches and tools, as well as establish and analyze the strategies that lead to a change in the dominant paradigms in sustainability applications.</p><h3>Main text</h3><p>The emerging green, circular and bioeconomy approaches focus on proposing strategies that lead to sustainability. This study shows that despite their notable conceptual differences, a model that adapts to rapid changes in the needs and limitations of natural resources is common across all approaches. However, in terms of analysis and application, they are not always clear because of the complexity of differentiating approaches, conceptual incorporation frameworks and analytical tools. The results show that, in the environmental dimension, the circular economy and bioeconomy focus on resource management, whereas the green economy starts by analyzing ecological processes to reduce environmental risk and ecological scarcity. In the economic dimension, the circular economy aims to decouple economic growth from environmental pressure, whereas the bioeconomy emphasizes the processing and enhancement of biological raw materials to foster new value chains.</p><h3>Conclusions</h3><p>The findings of this paper clarify the limits, synergies, and differences in sustainability between the concepts of the green economy (GE), the circular economy (CE) and the bioeconomy (BE), and address gaps in the literature. These concepts continue to be limited by their economic growth; limits in the interrelation between the biosphere and individuals; and specific assessments of the environmental, social, and economic aspects of sustainable management.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":539,"journal":{"name":"Energy, Sustainability and Society","volume":"15 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.1,"publicationDate":"2025-06-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://energsustainsoc.biomedcentral.com/counter/pdf/10.1186/s13705-025-00528-w","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145167639","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Navigating the winds of change: presentation of wind power development by regional newspapers in Northern Sweden and Finland","authors":"Therese Bjärstig,&nbsp;Hanna Lempinen","doi":"10.1186/s13705-025-00526-y","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s13705-025-00526-y","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><p>Dramatic reductions in anthropogenic CO₂ emissions are needed to mitigate the impacts of rapidly accelerating climate change. In Sweden and Finland efforts to realize the political ambitions to meet international climate objectives, and promote the growth of ‘green’ industries, have focused on rapid expansion of wind farms, but in both countries wind power developments have been controversial. These controversies are especially prominent in the northern regions of the countries which have become hotspots of wind power development. In this article, we focus on these regional wind power debates with the aim to extend scholarly understanding of the spatial justice dimensions of how ‘just’ and ‘green’ transitions unfold. We do this by examining representations of the ways in which the effects of regional wind power development, their management and the ‘right’ places for wind power are debated in 372 articles in Swedish and Finnish regional news media published during 2020–2023.</p><h3>Results</h3><p>In regional media representations, wind power is discussed in terms of a wide range of experienced and potential impacts. Negative impacts including harm to the environment, biodiversity and human health are discussed. Yet, the positive effects are emphasized, including contributions to national policy goals and the regional socioeconomic benefits of the emergence of a green, low-carbon economy in both the Swedish and Finnish articles. However, envisioned means for managing wind power development in a fair manner differ: compensations and the right to municipal veto are strongly highlighted in the Swedish articles, while Finnish articles focus on the integrity of democratic processes and planning. As the green transition continues to unfold, northern regions are increasingly being represented as the ‘right’ places for wind power, both from outside and within those regions.</p><h3>Conclusions</h3><p>Our findings highlight the perceived importance of local and regional socioeconomic benefits and local self-determination for positive perceptions of large-scale wind power developments in our focal administrative and legal contexts. Local and regional histories and encounters with earlier resource development continue to shape reactions to and interpretations of resource development projects in contemporary Euro-Arctic North.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":539,"journal":{"name":"Energy, Sustainability and Society","volume":"15 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.6,"publicationDate":"2025-05-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://energsustainsoc.biomedcentral.com/counter/pdf/10.1186/s13705-025-00526-y","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144140147","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Drivers and constraints in an emerging rural biogas system: actors’ perceptions from Northern Savonia","authors":"Kalle Aro,&nbsp;Matti Kojo,&nbsp;Pasi Rikkonen,&nbsp;Saija Rasi","doi":"10.1186/s13705-025-00524-0","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s13705-025-00524-0","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><p>The biogas niche is usually approached from a top-down perspective, and its actors are considered a unanimous advocacy group in the national policy discourse. This setting downplays the diversity of actors and their opinions at a subnational level.  In this study, ten biogas actors from the farm-level, industry, regional administration, and potential end-users in the Finnish region of Northern Savonia were interviewed. The actors’ perceptions of the national and regional biogas sectors were explored.</p><h3>Results</h3><p>The national biogas policy framework appears discontinuous, and statements regarding biogas targets are perceived as ambiguous, thus lacking creditability at a local level. The economic feasibility of rural biogas production places a strong boundary condition for the local biogas system. When moving from the national to a local level, individual actor’s perception of the optimal value chain becomes highlighted. Extending the actor network beyond the regional context was deemed vital for the long-term stability of the locally emergent biogas ecosystem. As municipalities can influence both production and consumption domains, they were called to play a more active role in constructing local biogas systems.</p><h3>Conclusions</h3><p>The results of this study provided three insights: (1) social, political, and environmental drivers influence the biogas sector in addition to techno-economic drivers; (2) drivers and constraints are perceived differently by actors in agricultural biogas production than by actors in distribution and end-use; and (3) the local biogas niche contains partly divergent perceptions of how the biogas system should be organised. Connecting actors early through joint planning and formulating case-by-case business models may help mediate any conflicts of interest.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":539,"journal":{"name":"Energy, Sustainability and Society","volume":"15 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.6,"publicationDate":"2025-05-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://energsustainsoc.biomedcentral.com/counter/pdf/10.1186/s13705-025-00524-0","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143944192","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Examining spatial variations in the relationship between domestic energy consumption and its driving factors using multiscale geographically weighted regression: a case study in Nottingham, England","authors":"Yuan Feng,&nbsp;Ying Miao,&nbsp;Ed Turner","doi":"10.1186/s13705-025-00523-1","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s13705-025-00523-1","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><p>Domestic energy consumption contributes to over a quarter of the UK’s carbon emissions, understanding how it is driven can be helpful for delivering a fair energy transition to net zero. Energy usage is noted as a spatial phenomenon, however, the spatial variability of how it is driven is rarely considered in existing UK studies. To contribute to this research gap, this study examines the spatial variations in the relationship between domestic energy consumption and its driving factors using the local spatial statistical modelling technique <i>multiscale geographically weighted regression</i> (MGWR). With explanatory variables on dwelling and household characteristics, this study analyses data at Lower Layer Super Output Area (LSOA) level on the study area, Nottingham, a somewhat socio-economically deprived city that also has the UK’s largest district heating (DH) system supplying low-carbon residential heating.</p><h3>Results</h3><p>The study reveals domestic energy consumption is driven by factors at different spatial scales with spatially varied or even spatially heterogeneous patterns. Specifically, higher domestic energy consumption is affected differently across local areas by larger percentages of dwellings with 4 or more bedrooms, unemployment, terraced dwellings, whilst by smaller percentages of social-rented housing tenures and central heating type of district heating. The impacts of dwelling energy efficiency, median household income, percentage of households with 3 or more people, fuel poverty, and central heating with renewable energy, vary across different local areas. Therefore, while there are identifiable relationships between these factors and domestic energy consumption, they differ by locality, and aggregated level analysis may fail to accurately to capture these patterns.</p><h3>Conclusions</h3><p>Nuanced local patterns of how domestic energy consumption is driven suggest placed-based approaches and more local deliberation to devise policies may be more suitable than “one-size-fit-all” policy plans to achieve the envisioned outcomes of rapid and fair domestic energy decarbonisation and just energy transition to net zero.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":539,"journal":{"name":"Energy, Sustainability and Society","volume":"15 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.6,"publicationDate":"2025-05-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://energsustainsoc.biomedcentral.com/counter/pdf/10.1186/s13705-025-00523-1","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143938363","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Reshaping roles and value logics among distributed system operators for future electricity systems","authors":"Martin Warneryd,&nbsp;Kersti Karltorp","doi":"10.1186/s13705-025-00522-2","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s13705-025-00522-2","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><p>This paper seeks to explore the roles of distribution system operators (DSOs) in future energy systems. Measures to combat climate change have led to a transition in the energy sector, where old system fundamentals are becoming obsolete, which results in changing rules for incumbent actors, such as DSOs. These actors must uphold heavily regulated operations within their distribution networks, while landscape trends are changing with a growing number of prosumers and distributed energy resources. To understand these future roles and increase the preparedness for future scenarios and facilitate thinking beyond current lock-ins, action-oriented workshops were held with two Swedish DSOs, departing from pre-developed future imaginaries, structured through transition theory. Researchers were actively involved in the workshops, to guide the participants in the discussions and to provide additional knowledge from transition processes. This was structured through transition theory, mainly in terms of linking transition management fundamentals to the topics in the workshops and basing the workshop discussions on an imagined future socio-technical system-wide approach using four focus areas.</p><h3>Results</h3><p>Results included descriptions of roles within future energy systems and their connection to specified value logics from different target groups which would, from the DSO perspective, create value in a future energy system. Roles included sustainable developer, facilitator for increased collaboration, balancing actor, and communicator. In addition, competence requirements were outlined concerning the described roles. The future logic was also described in a conceptual value model for an active DSO in a prosumer-oriented energy system, creating value in all different value logics. Moreover, it provided the steps necessary to develop a pathway aimed at the transformation of DSOs.</p><h3>Conclusions</h3><p>The study provided a constructive approach for DSOs to prepare for a future, more prosumer-oriented and flexible energy system, avoiding being locked in current system thinking and focusing on necessary roles and competencies suitable for a DSO. In addition, the utilization of the value logics approach helped place the prosumers in a differentiated manner, which can have implications for strategies among DSOs to create the necessary relations and collaborations for an efficient and value-creating future energy system.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":539,"journal":{"name":"Energy, Sustainability and Society","volume":"15 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.6,"publicationDate":"2025-05-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://energsustainsoc.biomedcentral.com/counter/pdf/10.1186/s13705-025-00522-2","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143919206","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Harnessing energy abundance: sustainable expansion of solar parks in Lower Saxony through harmonized spatial planning","authors":"Ole Badelt,&nbsp;Julia Wiehe,&nbsp;Christina von Haaren","doi":"10.1186/s13705-025-00519-x","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s13705-025-00519-x","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><p>The shift from fossil fuels to renewable energy sources brings substantial changes in land use. Germany, with limited land availability, needs a spatial framework to allocate renewable energy while safeguarding biodiversity and ecosystem services. This process should include public participation at the local level. Respective models have been developed for decision support on wind turbine allocation but methods are still lacking for solar parks. This paper aims to identify the safe operating space for solar energy supply that is inclusive and compatible with humans and nature. We propose criteria for Germany with different classes of legal legitimization to define the local decision space. The method is applied in the exemplary case of the federal state of Lower Saxony and the two municipalities—Springe and Wedemark.</p><h3>Results</h3><p>The results show that this decision space is sufficiently large to involve both the local public and decision-makers in determining the energy mix and siting of renewable plants. In Lower Saxony, 13% of the state's area (611.932 ha) has low spatial resistance to solar parks. With a reference plant's power density of 1.01 MW/ha, this land could generate up to 667 TWh/a, far exceeding the share needed for Lower Saxony’s contribution to Germany’s projected energy demand in 2050. This provides flexibility for regional and local stakeholders to shape their energy landscape within the bounds of downscaled national climate targets and human- and nature-compatible development. In addition, co-benefits with other extensive land-use objects, such as groundwater protection, can be provided on these sites.</p><h3>Conclusions</h3><p>Our findings offer valuable guidance for regional planning boards and encourage public participation in the decision-making process by providing transparent information about the spatial options and limits of solar development. The model can improve planning, since different planning levels could access and utilize the scalable data. Equal criteria at all levels increase the intersubjectivity and comprehensibility of approval decisions and thus also the legal certainty of land designations for solar parks.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":539,"journal":{"name":"Energy, Sustainability and Society","volume":"15 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.6,"publicationDate":"2025-04-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://energsustainsoc.biomedcentral.com/counter/pdf/10.1186/s13705-025-00519-x","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143861257","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Not in my backyard? Prospects, problems and perceptions of lithium extraction in Austria","authors":"Matthias Kowasch,&nbsp;Simon P. J. Batterbury,&nbsp;Christoph Baumann,&nbsp;Frank Melcher,&nbsp;Gertrude Saxinger,&nbsp;Emma Wilson","doi":"10.1186/s13705-025-00521-3","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s13705-025-00521-3","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><p>The European Green Deal has rekindled interest in the mining of critical raw materials within Europe’s borders. The Weinebene lithium deposit, near Wolfsberg (Austria), deemed uneconomic as late as the 2000s, has attracted interest from developers because of the widespread demand for the metal for battery technology and in the electro-mobility sector. Based on a multi-scalar analysis, the main objective of this study is to investigate local citizens’ and politicians’ perceptions of potential environmental and socio-economic impacts of the Wolfsberg project. We deploy an interdisciplinary political geology approach that assesses its geological feasibility, social acceptability and the associated power relations, in the light of European debates around so-called ‘green extractivism’.</p><h3>Results</h3><p>The exploitation of the lithium deposit seems to be promising from a geological point of view: the Weinebene hard rock, vein-type spodumene deposit was assessed at 12.9 Mt grading 1% Li2O, and the planned mine could provide 10,500 tpa LiOH/year for a period of 20 years, which would be around 4.5% of global production in 2021. However, the main results of the study show that conflicts are emerging around local environmental impacts, for example, the increase of traffic. Such environmental impacts resulting in greater CO₂ emissions contradict decarbonisation objectives and ecological transitions. Local youth and politicians have highlighted the possibility of local mineral production, job creation and economic development. Nevertheless, politicians have criticized the company’s communication policy.</p><h3>Conclusions</h3><p>The geological analysis suggests adequate lithium resources. Otherwise, the Wolfsberg project is undermined by the lack of an open public dialogue on its future. Local residents and politicians are barely involved in the planning and permitting stages. The company European Lithium is confident of starting extraction soon, but in reality this is still uncertain. More widely, our results point towards the need for a strong degrowth strategy to generally reduce mineral consumption in Europe while also stopping destructive mining projects in the Global South. Local public perceptions have to be taken more into account when it comes to the future of lithium extraction in Europe’s ‘backyard’. Mechanisms need to be developed to fully integrate local residents into decision making processes.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":539,"journal":{"name":"Energy, Sustainability and Society","volume":"15 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.6,"publicationDate":"2025-04-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://energsustainsoc.biomedcentral.com/counter/pdf/10.1186/s13705-025-00521-3","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143835618","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}