ABSTRACT
Long-term shifts in weather of a particular region refers to climate change. Now the climate change is no longer a regional phenomenon. It has assumed global proportions and all countries are affected. These shifts may be natural, such as through variations in the solar cycle. But mainly since the 1800s, human activities, growing population and industrialization have been the main driver of climate change, primarily due to burning fossil fuels like coal, oil and gas on one hand and destroying green cover/vegetation/forests on the other. US Environmental Protection Agency defines carbon sequestration as the process through which carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere is absorbed by trees, plants and crops through photosynthesis, and stored as carbon in tree trunks, branches, foliage and roots (biomass) and also in soils. The term “sinks” is also used to refer to forests, croplands, and grazing lands, and their ability to sequester carbon. Agriculture and forestry activities can also release CO2 to the atmosphere. Therefore, a carbon sink occurs when carbon sequestration is higher than carbon released during the same period. Technologies for climate change mitigation and adaptation is the need of the hour. Covid-19 pandemic disrupted citrus production and trade but citrus fruit and juice consumption has increased.
ABSTRACT
External Thermal Insulation Composite System (ETICS) is a commonly used solution in EU countries to increase building energy efficiency. The article describes ETICS in terms of environmental impact from two perspectives, i.e., industry and academia. In EU countries, ETICS manufacturers to place construction products to the market must subject it to the assessment and verification of constancy of performance (AVCP). The basis of this process is the European Technical Assessment (ETA). Based on the number of issued and valid ETAs for ETICS and the number of Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs), the dimension of sustainability issues was discussed. Analysis of one of the environmental indicators (Global Warming Potential—GWP) for ETICS with EPS, XPS, and MW showed only a general trend. However, there are significant differences between the values of the GWP and other environmental indicators that one can use for future AVCP of construction products. In the light of the research described in the paper, it seems reasonable to conclude that AVCP for ETICS in terms of sustainability will be challenging to implement in practice-based only on environmental indicators according to EN 15804. The article also reviews scientific publications on the sustainability of ETICS.