Enhanced weathering (EW) of rocks and minerals can be used as a carbon dioxide removal (CDR) technique. EW relies on accelerated geochemical reactions between carbonic acid in rainwater and slightly alkaline minerals to permanently sequester carbon atoms as bicarbonate ions in runoff water. The material needs to be crushed into a fine powder to increase its reactive surface area and then spread on land at a rate calibrated to local weather and soil conditions. However, large-scale EW using virgin material will increase outputs and carbon footprints across various economic sectors to support the CDR system. Input-output analysis is used to model such indirect effects when basalt EW is used in all oil palm plantations in Malaysia to cut greenhouse gas emissions. Results at a fixed electricity carbon intensity show that about half of the direct CDR will be offset by incremental carbon footprints from the mining, electricity generation, and transportation sectors due to the requirements of EW operations; total greenhouse gas emissions are reduced by up to 11.0% to 213.7 Mt CO₂ equivalent (CO₂e)/y. Cutting the carbon intensity of electricity supply in half reduces emissions further to 126.9 Mt CO₂e/y. The scenario analyses demonstrate the synergy between renewable energy deployment and EW implementation, supporting the development of carbon management policies in Malaysia.

Solar photovoltaic (PV) systems face significant challenges, including low energy conversion efficiency, performance degradation due to overheating, and operational risks from environmental factors such as rainfall and dust. To address these issues, this study presents an innovative solar energy solution aimed at enhancing panel efficiency and operational reliability through mechanical and environmental integration. The system incorporates a Mylar-based reflector to boost solar irradiance, an automated rain protection cover activated by sensors, a dual-axis solar tracking system for continuous sun alignment, and a temperature-controlled cooling system that activates above 35 °C. Implemented on a 20W Mono PERC (Passivated Emitter Rear Cell) panel, the system was tested under real-world conditions. Results showed a cumulative efficiency improvement compared to a conventional fixed panel. The reflector and tracking system contributed most to output gains, while the rain cover and cooling system improved durability and thermal performance. Overall, the integrated system achieved 50%-55% higher energy production than the conventional fixed panel. These findings highlight a cost-effective approach to advance low-carbon energy transitions and promote renewable adoption in semi-arid urban areas.

Amid China’s “dual-carbon” goals and mounting environmental pressures, cross-sector synergy is essential for sustainable urban development. We develop an integrated assessment framework to evaluate synergistic governance across four subsystems - carbon mitigation, air-pollution abatement, solid-waste management, and water conservation - for 289 prefecture-level cities during 2011-2020. An obstacle degree model diagnoses which subsystems constrain overall synergy, while a machine-learning random forest model interpreted with Shapley Additive Explanations (SHAP) values quantifies the relative importance and nonlinear effects of twelve socioeconomic drivers. Results indicate broad improvements in synergistic level across most cities, with marked gains in air-pollution control and water conservation driving overall progress. In contrast, only moderate advances in carbon mitigation and high volatility in solid-waste management emerge as the principal barriers to further improvement. Spatial heterogeneity is pronounced: major urban agglomerations generally outperform other areas, with Pearl River Delta, Yangtze River Delta, and Chengdu-Chongqing (Chengyu) exhibiting strong cross-system improvement, whereas Central-Southern Liaoning and the Guanzhong Plain face persistent structural constraints. Machine-learning diagnostics further highlight energy intensity, energy structure, and the dominance of mining and electricity-supply sectors as top predictors of city-level synergistic performance, showing clear threshold effects. Based on these findings, we offer targeted and region-specific policy pathways to accelerate coordinated environmental governance across China’s leading urban agglomerations.