A review of the effects of COVID-19 on food waste.

The COVID-19 pandemic exposed significant vulnerabilities in systems of production and consumption. In particular, the economic and social implications of the pandemic highlighted the urgent need for more sustainable and less impactful practices of food production and consumption. Through a systematic literature review, this paper seeks to assess how the pandemic affected the phenomenon of food waste, with the aim of assessing whether the pandemic stimulated changes amongst food system actors, especially consumers. The findings indicate that consumers generally reported behavioural changes during the pandemic and claimed to have adopted sustainable practices that could contribute to reducing food waste. The results also reflect the rapid diffusion of practices such as food delivery during the pandemic, which requires further investigation in terms of its effects on the environment. Simultaneously, supply-demand shocks and disruptions were reported in the areas of production, processing, and retailing, suggesting the occurence of ripple effects. A call is made for greater resilience in the food system, through the adoption of sustainable and less impactful practices, supported by policy.

The impact of a subsidized tax deduction on residential solar photovoltaic-battery energy storage systems

In May 2020, as a response to COVID-19, the Italian government introduced a subsidized tax deduction of 110% over five years for the realization of battery energy storage systems integrated into photovoltaic (PV) plants in residential settings. To assess the effectiveness of this measure, we applied an economic model using net present value, and we estimated the conditions under which economic feasibility would be reached, using break-even point analysis. The results showed that the 110% tax deduction significantly reduced the impact of the battery investment cost on profitability. The share of self-consumed energy emerged as the most significant determinant of economic feasibility.

Is COVID-19 anticipating the future? Evidence from investors’ sustainable orientation

In this paper, we discuss the attractiveness of green and sustainable assets, from an investor perspective. Inspired by the current state of the art, with researchers positively (re)considering the added value of stocks associated with the fulfilment of sustainable development goals, we analyze whether such stocks demonstrated: (1) a different and (2) an outperforming dynamic during various stages of the COVID-19 pandemic. In particular, we examine sustainable-indexed assets and companies with a fully bio-based production system, against a counterfactual group of non-indexed activities operating in the same sectors. Asset connectivity is investigated by means of a correlation network, and portfolio optimization is applied to measure profitability. The results show: (1) fewer connections between bio-based assets and the “rest of the world,” suggesting that, given their potential long-term resilience, investors might consider them capable of mitigating COVID-19 systemic risk, and therefore a valid investment to hold;and (2) the effectiveness and profitability of bio-based assets in portfolios. Considering the latter finding, we document a switching effect after the hard lockdown phase, during which rational investors (seeking an optimal mean–variance) may have inferred the efficacy of capital re-allocation from simply sustainable assets to bio-based companies. Here, we discuss the potential role of the pandemic as an accelerator of the sustainable green transition, considering the welfare implications in terms of socio-economic wellbeing and reduction of negative environmental externalities deriving from the conversion of the traditional production and management system. The profitability of the returns investments might increase the attractiveness of sustainable management organizations, causing the diffusion of these virtuous systems to increase further.

Reconciling human health with the environment while struggling against the COVID-19 pandemic through improved face mask eco-design.

Surgical masks have become critical for protecting human health against the COVID-19 pandemic, even though their environmental burden is a matter of ongoing debate. This study aimed at shedding light on the environmental impacts of single-use (i.e., MD-Type I) versus reusable (i.e., MD-Type IIR) face masks via a comparative life cycle assessment with a cradle-to-grave system boundary. We adopted a two-level analysis using the ReCiPe (H) method, considering both midpoint and endpoint categories. The results showed that reusable face masks created fewer impacts for most midpoint categories. At the endpoint level, reusable face masks were superior to single-use masks, producing scores of 16.16 and 84.20 MPt, respectively. The main environmental impacts of single-use masks were linked to raw material consumption, energy requirements and waste disposal, while the use phase and raw material consumption made the most significant contribution for reusable type. However, our results showed that lower environmental impacts of reusable face masks strongly depend on the use phase since reusable face masks lost their superior performance when the hand wash scenario was tested. Improvement of mask eco-design emerged as another key factor such as using more sustainable raw materials and designing better waste disposal scenarios could significantly lower the environmental impacts.

Dataset for Assessing the Economic Performance of a Residential PV Plant: The Analysis of a New Policy Proposal

This data article aims at providing a data description about the manuscript entitled “The post COVID-19 green recovery in practice: assessing the profitability of a policy proposal on residential photovoltaic plants”. The definition of a business plan is a complex decision because the choice of the input data significantly influences the economic assessment of a project. An Excel file is used to construct an economic model based on the Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) methodology using Net Present Value (NPV) as an indicator. The choice of input data is defined by literature analysis, and policy proposals are identified by the Revival Decree adopted by Italian Government to contrast human and economic shock effected by COVID-19. The aggregation of these data enabled us to obtain both baseline and alternative scenarios to define if the realization of a residential photovoltaic (PV) plant is economically feasible. Similar data can be obtained for other countries according to the policy actions adopted, and this work can be easily replicated in different geographical contexts and considering varying categories of stakeholders (e.g., consumers, which are called upon to implement a green transition).

COVID-19, the Food System and the Circular Economy: Challenges and Opportunities

This paper analyzes the causes and effects of the COVID-19 crisis, with a specific focus on the food system. Food consumption and production has not only been impacted by the crisis, but it may have also contributed to causing the pandemic. After providing a brief introductory framework, the paper presents the results of a pilot study on the link between COVID-19 and the food system, as indicated by the social media activity of selected European Union (EU) Twitter accounts, measured using an original "theme popularity"metric. Thereafter, a systematic review of the literature is proposed to identify the causes of the rise in popularity of a sustainable food system theme, the potential consequences of the COVID-19 crisis for the food system (targeting the production, consumption and waste disposal phases) and possible solutions, focusing on the circular economy. Challenges and opportunities for policymakers in the short and long term are discussed. A holistic approach is advocated, as the global food system is intimately connected with society and requires deep cooperation among nation states and economic actors.

The post COVID-19 green recovery in practice: Assessing the profitability of a policy proposal on residential photovoltaic plants.

The development of photovoltaic (PV) energy has been very significant in the last years, thanks to cost reductions brought about by policy actions favouring the transition from a fossil to a green society. As this transition is likely to stretch over the long term, policy support must be programmed accordingly. In light of the human and economic shock effected by COVID-19, the Italian government has offered a tax deduction of 110% over 5 years for the realization of new PV residential plants. We propose to integrate this tool with the application of a bonus for energy produced and self-consumed, in order to support the development of decentralized systems. In this paper, we provide an economic assessment of a 3 kW plant in the context of several policy scenarios. The results underline the great opportunity for consumers to tackle climate change whilst obtaining relevant economic profits. The study can be replicated on a global scale.