Listen
11 Ergebnisse
Suchergebnisse
Veröffentlichung Comparative analysis of metals use in the United States economy(2019) Nuss, Philip; Ohno, Hajime; Chen, Wei-QiangBuilding a circular economy requires knowledge of physical material flows and stocks. One approach for obtaining data on the intersectoral exchanges of materials in an economy is with physical input-output tables (PIOTs). Using PIOTs of eleven alloying metals (aluminum, vanadium, chromium, manganese, iron, cobalt, nickel, copper, niobium, molybdenum, tungsten) for the entire United States economy in 2007, we apply network-based metrics and visualizations to identify key sectors and compare different PIOTs with each other. Some 40-45% of all intersectoral trade contains the major metals aluminum, copper, and iron, while this number ranges between only 11-15% for minor metals (e.g., cobalt, vanadium, niobium, molybdenum, tungsten). The majority of sectors rely on products containing the major metals, reflecting widespread use of those products in our modern economy. Network size provides an indication of supply chain steps required to move from metal production to finished product manufacturing. Supply chains for the minor metals require an average of 5-8 steps, while those of major metals involve 3 steps on average. Cobalt is used extensively to illustrate these results because its status as a "technology-critical material" demonstrates how these analytical approaches can reveal sector usage and dependency for a metal of potential supply concern. We conclude by presenting automobile supply chain networks and discuss the position of the automobile production sector in the US economy. The analytical and visualization approaches presented result in an improved understanding of metal flows and can help to better communicate underlying data, e.g., in a policy context. © 2019 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.Veröffentlichung Losses and environmental aspects of a byproduct metal: tellurium(2019) Nuss, PhilipGlobal demand for tellurium has greatly increased owing to its use in solar photovoltaics. Elevated levels of tellurium in the environment are now observed. Quantifying the losses from human usage into the environment requires a life-cycle wide examination of the anthropogenic tellurium cycle (in analogy to natural element cycles). Reviewing the current literature shows that tellurium losses to the environment might occur predominantly as mine tailings, in gas and dust and slag during processing, manufacturing losses, and in-use dissipation (situation in around 2010). Large amounts of cadmium telluride will become available by 2040 as photovoltaic modules currently in-use reach their end-of-life. This requires proper end-of-life management approaches to avoid dissipation to the environment. Because tellurium occurs together with other toxic metals, e.g. in the anode slime collected during copper production, examining the life-cycle wide environmental implication of tellurium production requires consideration of the various substances present in the feedstock as well as the energy and material requirements during production. Understanding the flows and stock dynamics of tellurium in the anthroposphere can inform environmental chemistry about current and future tellurium releases to the environment, and help to manage the element more wisely. Quelle: http://www.publish.csiro.auVeröffentlichung A review of methods and data to determine raw material criticality(2020) Schrijvers, Dieuwertje; Hool, Alessandra; Blengini, Gian Andrea; Kosmol, Jan; Nuss, PhilipThe assessment of the criticality of raw materials allows the identification of the likelihood of a supply disruption of a material and the vulnerability of a system (e.g. a national economy, technology, or company) to this disruption. Inconclusive outcomes of various studies suggest that criticality assessments would benefit from the identification of best practices. To prepare the field for such guidance, this paper aims to clarify the mechanisms that affect methodological choices which influence the results of a study. This is achieved via literature review and round table discussions among international experts. The paper demonstrates that criticality studies are divergent in the system under study, the anticipated risk, the purpose of the study, and material selection. These differences in goal and scope naturally result in different choices regarding indicator selection, the required level of aggregation as well as the subsequent choice of aggregation method, and the need for a threshold value. However, this link is often weak, which suggests a lack of understanding of cause-and-effect mechanisms of indicators and outcomes. Data availability is a key factor that limits the evaluation of criticality. Furthermore, data quality, including both data uncertainty and data representativeness, is rarely addressed in the interpretation and communication of results. Clear guidance in the formulation of goals and scopes of criticality studies, the selection of adequate indicators and aggregation methods, and the interpretation of the outcomes, are important initial steps in improving the quality of criticality assessments. © 2019 Published by Elsevier B.V.Veröffentlichung Greater circularity leads to lower criticality, and other links between criticality and the circular economy(2020) Espinoza, LuisTercero; Schrijvers, Dieuwertje; Chen, Wei-Qiang; Nuss, PhilipVeröffentlichung Responsible materials management for a resource-efficient and low-carbon society(2020) Mancini, Lucia; Nuss, PhilipOur societies rely on the quality and availability of natural resources. Driven by population growth, economic development, and innovation, future demand for natural resources is expected to further increase in coming decades. Raw materials will be an important part of societyâ€Ìs future material mix as countries increasingly transition towards resource-efficient and greenhouse-gas neutral economies. Raw materials are also fundamental to meet ecological and socio-economic targets within the UN Sustainable Development Agenda. For instance, they have a fundamental role in renewable energy technologies, new building materials and infrastructure, communication systems, and low-carbon transportation. However, some materials are largely supplied from countries with poor governance. The future availability of these materials and associated impacts are of increasing concern going forward. Recent raw material criticality studies have explored economic, geo-political, and technological factors that affect materialsâ€Ì supply. However, environmental and social pressures also play a role in their security of supply. For instance, conflicts can prevent access to mineral deposits; accidents and environmental damage compromise public acceptance and can hinder future extraction operations. This article will introduce this Special Issue with a focus on material requirements and responsible sourcing of materials for a low-carbon society, and provides an overview of the subsequent research papers.Veröffentlichung Resource use in a post-fossil green Germany(2020) Dittrich, Monika; Schoer, Karl; Günther, Jens; Lehmann, Harry; Nuss, PhilipHuman life requires materials. Currently, the amount of used materials increases with the level of wealth. However, to mitigate climate change, the fossil-based economies have to change towards a post-fossil, circular, sustainable economy. This chapter analyses different strategies to decline resource consumption in the scenarios GreenEe, GreenLate, GreenMe, GreenLife and GreenSupreme. It presents the resulting primary and secondary resource consumption (RMC) and the demand of selected metals during the transformation process and in 2050. The chapter demonstrates that recycling, substitution and increasing efficiency are valuable measures to minimise material consumption. The consequence of the low ambitious level in GreenLate is a low decrease in material and metal consumption and a low degree of circularity of the economy. In contrast, ambitious technological changes as shown in GreenMe and particularly combined with lifestyle changes in GreenSupreme make it possible to achieve a strong decline of primary material demand. The resulting value of 5.7 tons per person (RMC) in GreenSupreme are clearly below the global average of 11.98 tons (in 2015) and in line with material consumption targets as discussed, for example, by Stefan Bringezu. A degree of 30% circularity in the physical economy and more is feasible with existing technologies. Quelle: www.taylorfrancis.comVeröffentlichung Pathways to a resource-efficient and greenhouse-gas-neutral Germany(2020) Günther, Jens; Nuss, Philip; Lehmann, Harry; Purr, KatjaGlobal greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions continue to rise despite the implementation of climate protection measures. Global materials extraction is accelerating and contributes significantly to GHG-emissions and other environmental pressures. Raw materials such as metals, biomass, and non-metallic minerals are central in meeting the climate targets by 2050. This study investigates possible transformation pathways towards a GHG-neutral and resource-efficient Germany by 2050 using six scenarios. In all scenarios, a transformation towards 100% renewable energy (electricity, fuels, and feedstocks) takes place until 2050. By 2050, GHG-reductions of 95% to 97% is achieved compared to 1990. Raw materials consumption can be reduced by 56% to 70% compared to 2010. However, the demand for a range of metals central to the transformation will also increase. The results show that ambitious efforts and cross-sectoral cooperation at both national and international level are required to mitigate climate change and lower raw materials demands. Quelle: www.taylorfrancis.comVeröffentlichung Mehr mit weniger - ein Weg zur ressourcenschonenden Treibhausgasneutralität?(2020) Günther, Jens; Nuss, Philip; Purr, KatjaVeröffentlichung Review of the anthropogenic flows and stocks of antimony(2021) Nuss, PhilipVeröffentlichung Monitoring framework for the use of natural resources in Germany(2021) Nuss, Philip; Frerk, Michel; Günther, Jens; Golde, Michael; Kosmol, Jan; Müller, FelixIndicators are required to monitor the progress of resource and circular economy policies. The German Sustainable Development Strategy and Resource Efficiency Program already include a number of indicators for mapping Germany's resource use and socio-economic metabolism. However, currently used indicators only include a subset of natural resources and often lack an impact evaluation (e.g., considering resource scarcity or environmental relevance). Resource and environmental footprints indirectly caused through the trade of goods have so far only partly been considered by German resource policy and in official statistics. As a result, burden shifting between different resource categories, world regions, or environmental effects can remain undetected. To fill this gap, we discuss the overall scope of natural resource monitoring in Germany and review existing resource indicators evaluating them against a set of predefined criteria. We then propose a possible monitoring framework for Germany consisting of a materials-layer (the focus of resource and circular economy policies to date) for the evaluation of material flows and stocks, and corresponding water, land, and emissions-layers which should be monitored simultaneously to track contributions to the overarching objectives of resource and circular economy policies. Possible indicators and data sources are discussed and an outlook for future research provided. © 2021 The Authors