The objective of this research is to provide a comprehensive analysis of Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emi... more The objective of this research is to provide a comprehensive analysis of Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions from the agriculture sector in Greece, focusing on the assessment of historical trends and future projections. The study will put under scrutiny the principal contributors to these emissions, including enteric fermentation, manure management, rice cultivation, and agricultural soils. Additionally, it will identify the key drivers behind these emissions, such as livestock population and fertilizer use. Using methods of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the paper will project future emission levels. Finally, it will propose evidence-based mitigation strategies and policy recommendations to help Greece transition towards a more sustainable and climate-resilient agriculture sector.
The objective of this study is to investigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the carbon f... more The objective of this study is to investigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the carbon footprint (CF) of two research projects. These projects were initiated prior to the onset of the pandemic and subsequently concluded afterward, serving as the Base Case (BC) for analysis. Furthermore, the study seeks to explore the potential applicability of measures implemented during the period of lockdown for future mitigation of CF. The applied methodology, which adheres to the guidelines provided by the GHG Protocol and the Department for Environment Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA) emission factors, is utilized to examine the CF of the projects under two different scenarios. The first scenario assumes that the projects were implemented without the pandemic, while the second scenario considers that the projects were conducted entirely during the pandemic. Among the two projects under review, one emphasizes innovation and entails a collaboration between academia and business. This project...
Euro-Mediterranean Journal for Environmental Integration
The scientific evidence clearly demonstrates that human activity plays a significant role in the ... more The scientific evidence clearly demonstrates that human activity plays a significant role in the changes to the world's climate, and it is crucial to take adaptive actions to mitigate the impacts of these changes. Effective climate adaptation requires raising awareness among a variety of key stakeholders, such as executives and staff in the public and private sectors, while assessing the incentives and actions they undertake and allowing them to act at various levels of engagement, ranging from global to local. The aim of this study was to investigate the levels of awareness, perceived values, recommendations and expectations regarding climate change among key actors in Greece, focusing on the consequences of climate change in the country and the concurrent adaptation actions taken by stakeholders. A web-based survey was designed and conducted, and responses were systematically collected, categorized and analyzed. The key stakeholders believed that planning and implementing adap...
Urban regeneration projects must address the growing challenges posed by climate change to ensure... more Urban regeneration projects must address the growing challenges posed by climate change to ensure the creation of sustainable, resilient,and livable urban environments. This work proposes a comprehensive and collaborative framework to incorporate updated climate information into the urban regeneration process, focusing on the transformation of school yards in Greece. The study employs an interdisciplinary approach involving urban planners, climate change scientists, policymakers,and local communities. The framework outlined in this study emphasizes the importance of integrating climate projections into urban planning processes, considering factors such as rising temperatures, shifting precipitation patterns, and the increasing frequency of extreme weather events. The use of climate projections on higher resolution, is necessary to assess the regional climate change signal and their impact over local areas and will contribute to adaptation plans mainly on vulnerable sectors to climat...
This study aims to provide a comprehensive analysis of the effects of climate change on Greek agr... more This study aims to provide a comprehensive analysis of the effects of climate change on Greek agriculture, by evaluating and refining the current policy measures and interventions to address them through the lens and funding opportunities of the new Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) 2023–2027. To this end, we conducted a diagnostic analysis of the current strategic framework in Greece and provided policy recommendations around five key areas: education, consulting services, agri-food cooperation, coupling of innovation, and digitalization, as well as risk management on climate change. Overall, we found that the national strategic framework is consistent with the objectives and priorities of European policies regarding the environment and the climate, but targeted actions are needed to enable the management of the Greek agricultural sector while addressing the risks of climate change, environmental degradation, and the excessive use of natural resources. The findings highlight the imp...
The main aim of this study is the identification of the most appropriate measures and policies to... more The main aim of this study is the identification of the most appropriate measures and policies to combat particulate air pollution in the city of Thessaloniki, Greece through a methodology including the calculation of emissions by sector and the application of an air quality modeling system. The identification of the current air quality situation showed that the exceedances of the mean PM10 daily levels occur during the cold winter months with residential heating being the major contributor representing a 73% share of total PM10 emissions. Moreover, the effect of the biomass consumption for heating purposes on PM10 concentrations has been verified and quantified by implementing a regression model identifying that a PM10 emissions reduction by 45% would result in the elimination of the exceedances of the mean PM10 daily values. Based on the above, a set of cost-effective measures and policies were defined and their impact on PM10 emissions was estimated. Finally, the air quality mode...
The use of solvents and other volatile organic chemicals is a significant source of Non-Methane V... more The use of solvents and other volatile organic chemicals is a significant source of Non-Methane Volatile Organic Compounds (NMVOCs) emissions. Due to the wide spectrum of applications of solvents and numerous locations where these occur, the estimation of NMVOCs emissions can be challenging. The aim of this paper is to present the methodological framework used in Greece for the estimation of NMVOCs emissions. It covers processes and products that use solvents and other volatile organic chemicals in several industries, as well as in households. The framework is based both on existing methods found in the literature and on new emission factors developed in order to reflect the mitigation potential of EU Directives and national legislation aiming at the reduction of NMVOCs emissions. The developed framework was used to forecast future NMVOCs emissions and assess the implemented mitigation actions. Results were verified by comparison with solvent emission estimates from the European Sol...
IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science
The use of solvents and other volatile organic chemicals is a significant source of Non-Methane V... more The use of solvents and other volatile organic chemicals is a significant source of Non-Methane Volatile Organic Compounds (NMVOCs) emissions. Due to the wide spectrum of applications of solvents and numerous locations where these occur, the estimation of NMVOCs emissions can be challenging. The aim of this paper is to present the methodological framework used in Greece for the estimation of NMVOCs emissions. It covers processes and products that use solvents and other volatile organic chemicals in several industries, as well as in households. The framework is based both on existing methods found in the literature and on new emission factors developed in order to reflect the mitigation potential of EU Directives and national legislation aiming at the reduction of NMVOCs emissions. The developed framework was verified by comparing it with solvent emission estimates from the European Solvent Industry Group.
Global NEST International Conference on Environmental Science & Technology
Stakeholder mapping and analysis is essential in Climate Change Adaptation (CCA) projects to asse... more Stakeholder mapping and analysis is essential in Climate Change Adaptation (CCA) projects to assess and identify the needs of stakeholders (SHs). For the mapping of actors involved in adaptation planning and implementation in Greece, a multi-criteria analysis is followed. The SHs involved in CCA in Greece were divided into national and regional level stakeholders. The stakeholder analysis was based on the mapping of SHs identified through the organizational charts of relevant institutions and by other projects with a direct or indirect link to CCA. The relative importance of each stakeholder for the purposes of this analysis was assessed by evaluating their Power, Proximity and Urgency with respect to CCA and assigning specific weighting factors for each criterion, to calculate a single Priority Index. Based on the Priority Index value, SHs were classified as low, medium and high priority for CCA both at the national and regional level. At the national level, ministerial directorate...
Climate change is a growing threat for human health and well-being, one that will seriously impac... more Climate change is a growing threat for human health and well-being, one that will seriously impact and potentially disrupt all economic sectors and supply chains, such as trade, tourism, agriculture, forestry, and fisheries. The environmental impact of the delivery of medical and hospital care, which generates its own greenhouse gas emissions, needs to be examined and analyzed in detail in order to design and implement effective mitigation actions and measures. Hospital internal energy use processes include the energy consumed for hospital operation, such as lighting, heating, cooking, waste treatment, and other functions associated with the logistical and operational support of hospitals. The present research work, which follows the assessment undertaken in a previous study of the transport activities of the 401 Military General Hospital of Athens (401 MGHA), focuses on the carbon footprint of the stationary emission sources of the 401 MGHA; it serves as a second step in the development of an action plan for the mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions in the hospital-based health care of the Hellenic (Greek) Army. A portfolio of energy saving and emission reduction actions is proposed and mapped according to their abatement cost and greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction potential. The highest decrease of GHG emissions is expected to be materialized by the decarbonization of the Greek power sector due to the lignite phase-out and increased share of low carbon fuels and renewable energy sources. Significant emission reduction potential could also be achieved by the replacement of face-to-face hospital visits by telemedicine, primarily by reducing transport-associated emissions. Furthermore, a number of key performance indicators (KPI) are proposed as simple and easily monitored metrics of the hospital’s performance towards its sustainable low carbon objectives. Specific KPIs per mitigation action are presented, as well as a general KPI that covers all mitigation actions and sources of emissions in the form of “tCO2eq per patient” or “tCO2eq per hospitalization day.”
As more economies are transitioning away from fossil fuels for their electricity production and t... more As more economies are transitioning away from fossil fuels for their electricity production and towards greener alternatives, many socioeconomic implications of this shift remain actively debated. The present paper attempts to assess the economic impact of investments in renewable energy sources (RESs) for Greece and whether the broader effects of this transition can offset the negative impact that will occur due to the targeted phase-out of lignite plants by 2028, which constitute the predominant power source for Greece. Our methodological approach builds on input–output analysis and the creation of composite RES industries for the estimation of the net effects of a series of monetary shocks that correspond to Greece’s phase-out investment plan, utilizing the most recent national input–output tables and satellite structural business statistics. We focus on the structural effects of these shocks on a series of socioeconomic indicators, including GDP, employment, wages, government in...
Strategic Planning for Energy and the Environment, 2021
The quantification of the effect of climate change mitigation actions is avery useful exercise th... more The quantification of the effect of climate change mitigation actions is avery useful exercise that can be used to meet a variety of objectives, such asinforming policy design, enhancing policy implementation, assessing policyeffectiveness, justifying budget allocation, and attracting climate finance. Itis also a reporting requirement according to the reporting framework of theUnited Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) andthe Monitoring Mechanism Regulation of the European Union (EU) aboutclimate change relevant information. However, the reporting of emissionssavings associated to mitigation actions by EU Member States is not com-plete, according to recent technical reports of the European EnvironmentalAgency. The purpose of this paper is to present a methodological frameworkthat can be used to quantify the effect (i.e. emission reductions) of themitigation actions. It is based on comprehensive and transparent models andformulas that could be easily tracked and r...
Transportation Research Part D: Transport and Environment, 2021
Abstract Navigation emissions are an important component of the national emission inventories as ... more Abstract Navigation emissions are an important component of the national emission inventories as they represent a significant part of total NOx, SOx and particulate matter emissions as well as of GHG emissions (mainly CO2). Although emissions from ships at berth are an important source of atmospheric pollutants in dense urban agglomerations, worsening thus air quality conditions of port cities, there is still a significant lack of data and uncertainty in port emissions calculations. Moreover, according to the OECD, most shipping emissions in ports are expected to considerably increase up to 2050. In the last decade, Piraeus port activities have known a significant increase, especially regarding commercial ships. In this context, detailed emission calculations from Piraeus port activities were conducted, external costs were estimated and air pollutant dispersion was simulated through the use of appropriate atmospheric models. Total annual port emissions were compared to previous works. Since 2008, passenger port emissions have witnessed an increase mostly in NOx due to the increased number of ship calls, whereas SOx emissions have been decreasing significantly as a result of the significant decrease of S content in fuel used. The anticipated external costs due to health and other damages ship emissions impose, reach to 23.7Μ€. Finally, air pollutants’ concentration levels due to the operation of the port for the scenario with maximum emissions and meteorological conditions favouring pollutant accumulation were estimated.
The aim of the current work is the presentation of the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions trends from... more The aim of the current work is the presentation of the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions trends from the waste sector in Greece for the period 1990–2012. The presentation for Greece will be carried out in conjunction with the analysis of the related trends for the European Union of 15 members (EU-15) and EU-28 given the fact that Greece constitutes one of the 28 members of European Union, as well as one of 15 members constituting the European Union before its enlargement in 2004.
The objective of this research is to provide a comprehensive analysis of Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emi... more The objective of this research is to provide a comprehensive analysis of Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions from the agriculture sector in Greece, focusing on the assessment of historical trends and future projections. The study will put under scrutiny the principal contributors to these emissions, including enteric fermentation, manure management, rice cultivation, and agricultural soils. Additionally, it will identify the key drivers behind these emissions, such as livestock population and fertilizer use. Using methods of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the paper will project future emission levels. Finally, it will propose evidence-based mitigation strategies and policy recommendations to help Greece transition towards a more sustainable and climate-resilient agriculture sector.
The objective of this study is to investigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the carbon f... more The objective of this study is to investigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the carbon footprint (CF) of two research projects. These projects were initiated prior to the onset of the pandemic and subsequently concluded afterward, serving as the Base Case (BC) for analysis. Furthermore, the study seeks to explore the potential applicability of measures implemented during the period of lockdown for future mitigation of CF. The applied methodology, which adheres to the guidelines provided by the GHG Protocol and the Department for Environment Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA) emission factors, is utilized to examine the CF of the projects under two different scenarios. The first scenario assumes that the projects were implemented without the pandemic, while the second scenario considers that the projects were conducted entirely during the pandemic. Among the two projects under review, one emphasizes innovation and entails a collaboration between academia and business. This project...
Euro-Mediterranean Journal for Environmental Integration
The scientific evidence clearly demonstrates that human activity plays a significant role in the ... more The scientific evidence clearly demonstrates that human activity plays a significant role in the changes to the world's climate, and it is crucial to take adaptive actions to mitigate the impacts of these changes. Effective climate adaptation requires raising awareness among a variety of key stakeholders, such as executives and staff in the public and private sectors, while assessing the incentives and actions they undertake and allowing them to act at various levels of engagement, ranging from global to local. The aim of this study was to investigate the levels of awareness, perceived values, recommendations and expectations regarding climate change among key actors in Greece, focusing on the consequences of climate change in the country and the concurrent adaptation actions taken by stakeholders. A web-based survey was designed and conducted, and responses were systematically collected, categorized and analyzed. The key stakeholders believed that planning and implementing adap...
Urban regeneration projects must address the growing challenges posed by climate change to ensure... more Urban regeneration projects must address the growing challenges posed by climate change to ensure the creation of sustainable, resilient,and livable urban environments. This work proposes a comprehensive and collaborative framework to incorporate updated climate information into the urban regeneration process, focusing on the transformation of school yards in Greece. The study employs an interdisciplinary approach involving urban planners, climate change scientists, policymakers,and local communities. The framework outlined in this study emphasizes the importance of integrating climate projections into urban planning processes, considering factors such as rising temperatures, shifting precipitation patterns, and the increasing frequency of extreme weather events. The use of climate projections on higher resolution, is necessary to assess the regional climate change signal and their impact over local areas and will contribute to adaptation plans mainly on vulnerable sectors to climat...
This study aims to provide a comprehensive analysis of the effects of climate change on Greek agr... more This study aims to provide a comprehensive analysis of the effects of climate change on Greek agriculture, by evaluating and refining the current policy measures and interventions to address them through the lens and funding opportunities of the new Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) 2023–2027. To this end, we conducted a diagnostic analysis of the current strategic framework in Greece and provided policy recommendations around five key areas: education, consulting services, agri-food cooperation, coupling of innovation, and digitalization, as well as risk management on climate change. Overall, we found that the national strategic framework is consistent with the objectives and priorities of European policies regarding the environment and the climate, but targeted actions are needed to enable the management of the Greek agricultural sector while addressing the risks of climate change, environmental degradation, and the excessive use of natural resources. The findings highlight the imp...
The main aim of this study is the identification of the most appropriate measures and policies to... more The main aim of this study is the identification of the most appropriate measures and policies to combat particulate air pollution in the city of Thessaloniki, Greece through a methodology including the calculation of emissions by sector and the application of an air quality modeling system. The identification of the current air quality situation showed that the exceedances of the mean PM10 daily levels occur during the cold winter months with residential heating being the major contributor representing a 73% share of total PM10 emissions. Moreover, the effect of the biomass consumption for heating purposes on PM10 concentrations has been verified and quantified by implementing a regression model identifying that a PM10 emissions reduction by 45% would result in the elimination of the exceedances of the mean PM10 daily values. Based on the above, a set of cost-effective measures and policies were defined and their impact on PM10 emissions was estimated. Finally, the air quality mode...
The use of solvents and other volatile organic chemicals is a significant source of Non-Methane V... more The use of solvents and other volatile organic chemicals is a significant source of Non-Methane Volatile Organic Compounds (NMVOCs) emissions. Due to the wide spectrum of applications of solvents and numerous locations where these occur, the estimation of NMVOCs emissions can be challenging. The aim of this paper is to present the methodological framework used in Greece for the estimation of NMVOCs emissions. It covers processes and products that use solvents and other volatile organic chemicals in several industries, as well as in households. The framework is based both on existing methods found in the literature and on new emission factors developed in order to reflect the mitigation potential of EU Directives and national legislation aiming at the reduction of NMVOCs emissions. The developed framework was used to forecast future NMVOCs emissions and assess the implemented mitigation actions. Results were verified by comparison with solvent emission estimates from the European Sol...
IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science
The use of solvents and other volatile organic chemicals is a significant source of Non-Methane V... more The use of solvents and other volatile organic chemicals is a significant source of Non-Methane Volatile Organic Compounds (NMVOCs) emissions. Due to the wide spectrum of applications of solvents and numerous locations where these occur, the estimation of NMVOCs emissions can be challenging. The aim of this paper is to present the methodological framework used in Greece for the estimation of NMVOCs emissions. It covers processes and products that use solvents and other volatile organic chemicals in several industries, as well as in households. The framework is based both on existing methods found in the literature and on new emission factors developed in order to reflect the mitigation potential of EU Directives and national legislation aiming at the reduction of NMVOCs emissions. The developed framework was verified by comparing it with solvent emission estimates from the European Solvent Industry Group.
Global NEST International Conference on Environmental Science & Technology
Stakeholder mapping and analysis is essential in Climate Change Adaptation (CCA) projects to asse... more Stakeholder mapping and analysis is essential in Climate Change Adaptation (CCA) projects to assess and identify the needs of stakeholders (SHs). For the mapping of actors involved in adaptation planning and implementation in Greece, a multi-criteria analysis is followed. The SHs involved in CCA in Greece were divided into national and regional level stakeholders. The stakeholder analysis was based on the mapping of SHs identified through the organizational charts of relevant institutions and by other projects with a direct or indirect link to CCA. The relative importance of each stakeholder for the purposes of this analysis was assessed by evaluating their Power, Proximity and Urgency with respect to CCA and assigning specific weighting factors for each criterion, to calculate a single Priority Index. Based on the Priority Index value, SHs were classified as low, medium and high priority for CCA both at the national and regional level. At the national level, ministerial directorate...
Climate change is a growing threat for human health and well-being, one that will seriously impac... more Climate change is a growing threat for human health and well-being, one that will seriously impact and potentially disrupt all economic sectors and supply chains, such as trade, tourism, agriculture, forestry, and fisheries. The environmental impact of the delivery of medical and hospital care, which generates its own greenhouse gas emissions, needs to be examined and analyzed in detail in order to design and implement effective mitigation actions and measures. Hospital internal energy use processes include the energy consumed for hospital operation, such as lighting, heating, cooking, waste treatment, and other functions associated with the logistical and operational support of hospitals. The present research work, which follows the assessment undertaken in a previous study of the transport activities of the 401 Military General Hospital of Athens (401 MGHA), focuses on the carbon footprint of the stationary emission sources of the 401 MGHA; it serves as a second step in the development of an action plan for the mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions in the hospital-based health care of the Hellenic (Greek) Army. A portfolio of energy saving and emission reduction actions is proposed and mapped according to their abatement cost and greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction potential. The highest decrease of GHG emissions is expected to be materialized by the decarbonization of the Greek power sector due to the lignite phase-out and increased share of low carbon fuels and renewable energy sources. Significant emission reduction potential could also be achieved by the replacement of face-to-face hospital visits by telemedicine, primarily by reducing transport-associated emissions. Furthermore, a number of key performance indicators (KPI) are proposed as simple and easily monitored metrics of the hospital’s performance towards its sustainable low carbon objectives. Specific KPIs per mitigation action are presented, as well as a general KPI that covers all mitigation actions and sources of emissions in the form of “tCO2eq per patient” or “tCO2eq per hospitalization day.”
As more economies are transitioning away from fossil fuels for their electricity production and t... more As more economies are transitioning away from fossil fuels for their electricity production and towards greener alternatives, many socioeconomic implications of this shift remain actively debated. The present paper attempts to assess the economic impact of investments in renewable energy sources (RESs) for Greece and whether the broader effects of this transition can offset the negative impact that will occur due to the targeted phase-out of lignite plants by 2028, which constitute the predominant power source for Greece. Our methodological approach builds on input–output analysis and the creation of composite RES industries for the estimation of the net effects of a series of monetary shocks that correspond to Greece’s phase-out investment plan, utilizing the most recent national input–output tables and satellite structural business statistics. We focus on the structural effects of these shocks on a series of socioeconomic indicators, including GDP, employment, wages, government in...
Strategic Planning for Energy and the Environment, 2021
The quantification of the effect of climate change mitigation actions is avery useful exercise th... more The quantification of the effect of climate change mitigation actions is avery useful exercise that can be used to meet a variety of objectives, such asinforming policy design, enhancing policy implementation, assessing policyeffectiveness, justifying budget allocation, and attracting climate finance. Itis also a reporting requirement according to the reporting framework of theUnited Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) andthe Monitoring Mechanism Regulation of the European Union (EU) aboutclimate change relevant information. However, the reporting of emissionssavings associated to mitigation actions by EU Member States is not com-plete, according to recent technical reports of the European EnvironmentalAgency. The purpose of this paper is to present a methodological frameworkthat can be used to quantify the effect (i.e. emission reductions) of themitigation actions. It is based on comprehensive and transparent models andformulas that could be easily tracked and r...
Transportation Research Part D: Transport and Environment, 2021
Abstract Navigation emissions are an important component of the national emission inventories as ... more Abstract Navigation emissions are an important component of the national emission inventories as they represent a significant part of total NOx, SOx and particulate matter emissions as well as of GHG emissions (mainly CO2). Although emissions from ships at berth are an important source of atmospheric pollutants in dense urban agglomerations, worsening thus air quality conditions of port cities, there is still a significant lack of data and uncertainty in port emissions calculations. Moreover, according to the OECD, most shipping emissions in ports are expected to considerably increase up to 2050. In the last decade, Piraeus port activities have known a significant increase, especially regarding commercial ships. In this context, detailed emission calculations from Piraeus port activities were conducted, external costs were estimated and air pollutant dispersion was simulated through the use of appropriate atmospheric models. Total annual port emissions were compared to previous works. Since 2008, passenger port emissions have witnessed an increase mostly in NOx due to the increased number of ship calls, whereas SOx emissions have been decreasing significantly as a result of the significant decrease of S content in fuel used. The anticipated external costs due to health and other damages ship emissions impose, reach to 23.7Μ€. Finally, air pollutants’ concentration levels due to the operation of the port for the scenario with maximum emissions and meteorological conditions favouring pollutant accumulation were estimated.
The aim of the current work is the presentation of the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions trends from... more The aim of the current work is the presentation of the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions trends from the waste sector in Greece for the period 1990–2012. The presentation for Greece will be carried out in conjunction with the analysis of the related trends for the European Union of 15 members (EU-15) and EU-28 given the fact that Greece constitutes one of the 28 members of European Union, as well as one of 15 members constituting the European Union before its enlargement in 2004.
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Papers by Ioannis Sebos