Sustainable Low-Carbon Transitions: Advancements in the Sectors of Land, Water and Energy

Dear Colleagues,

The establishment of low-carbon economies represents a fundamental pillar supporting sustainable development and a core priority of the European Union and the global community. The new conditions imposed by climate change call for the adoption of decisive solutions and informative policy decisions that will further support adaptation and mitigation purposes. The efficient use of land, water, and energy sources lie at the core of such a perspective as they are closely related to spatial transformations and land use changes, water deficits, flood and drought risks, GHG emissions, renewable energy production and reduction of fossil fuels environmental footprint.

According to the EU’s ‘Green Deal,’ Europe faces the challenge of becoming the first climate-neutral continent by 2050 through the extensive exploitation of green technologies, the development of innovative sustainable solutions, and the establishment of new businesses targeting at the rational and effective use of available resources. Such an attempt presupposes the integrated management of non-renewable and scarce resources, the adoption of smart environmental solutions and the elimination of environmental impacts on natural and human ecosystems.

In this context, this Special Issue focuses on the exploration and analysis of inter-disciplinary methods, tools and policies supporting transitions to a low-carbon economy. Emphasis is placed on the role that land, water, and energy sectors may play in such an effort. Issues that will be investigated concern:

• Land use management under climate change conditions
• Energy mix: Towards a zero impact society
• Low-carbon economies and territorial transformations
• Sustainable management of the land-water-energy (LWE) nexus
• Smart management of water resources in the urban and rural space
• ‘Green Deal’ and clean energy solutions

Contributors are invited to submit their articles on these topics.

References:

• Altieri, M. A.; Nicholls, C.I. The Adaptation and Mitigation Potential of Traditional Agriculture in a Changing Climate. Climatic Change 2017, 140(1), 33-45. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10584-013-0909-y
• Baker, I.; Peterson, A.; Brown, G.; McAlpine, C. Local Government Response to the Impacts of Climate Change: An Evaluation of Local Climate Adaptation Plans. Landscape Urban Plan. 2012, 107(2), 127-136. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landurbplan.2012.05.009
• Burman, E.; Mumovic, D.; Kimpian, J. Towards Measurement and Verification of Energy Performance under the Framework of the European Directive for Energy Performance of Buildings. Energy 2014, 77, 153-163. doi.org/10.1016/j.energy.2014.05.102
• European Commission, 2019. What is the European Green Deal? Available at: https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/fs_19_6714
• Iglesias, A.; Garrote, L. Adaptation Strategies for Agricultural Water Management under Climate Change in Europe. Agr. Water Manage. 2015, 155, 113-124. doi.org/10.1016/j.agwat.2015.03.014
• Laspidou, C. S.; Mellios, N.; Kofinas, D. Towards Ranking the Water-Energy-Food-Land Use-Climate Nexus Interlinkages for Building a Nexus Conceptual Model with a Heuristic Algorithm. Water 2019, 11(2), 306. doi.org/10.3390/w11020306
• Misra, A. K. Climate Change and Challenges of Water and Food Security. International Journal of Sustainable Built Environment 2014, 3(1), 153-165. doi.org/10.1016/j.ijsbe.2014.04.006
• Papadopoulou, C.-A.; Papadopoulou, M. P.; Laspidou, C. Unfolding Policy Goals and Means of the Nexus Water-Energy-Land-Food-Climate in Greece. E-Proceedings of the 5^th International Conference on Sustainable Solid Waste Management 2017, Athens, Greece.
• Papadopoulou, C.-A.; Papadopoulou, M. P.; Laspidou, C.; Munaretto, S.; Brouwer, F. Towards a Low-Carbon Economy: A Nexus-Oriented Policy Coherence Analysis in Greece. Sustainability 2020, 12, 373. doi.org/10.3390/su12010373
• Sikka, A. K.; Islam, A.; Rao, K. V. Climate-Smart Land and Water Management for Sustainable Agriculture. Irrig. Drain. 2018, 67(1), 72-81. https://doi.org/10.1002/ird.2162
• Silalertruksa, T.; Gheewala, S. H. Land-Water-Energy Nexus of Sugarcane Production in Thailand. J. Clean Prod. 2018, 182, 521-528. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2018.02.085
• Van Vliet, M.; Wiberg, D.; Leduc, S; Riahi, K. Power-Generation System Vulnerability and Adaptation to Changes in Climate and Water Resources. Nat. Clim. Change 2016, 6, 375–380. doi:10.1038/nclimate2903
• Weller, S. The Regional Dimensions of the ‘Transition to a Low-Carbon Economy’: The Case of Australia’s Latrobe Valley. Reg. Stud. 2012, 46(9), 1261-1272. https://doi.org/10.1080/00343404.2011.585149

Prof. Maria P. Papadopoulou
Dr. Chrysaida-Aliki Papadopoulou
Prof. Chrysi Laspidou
Guest Editors

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