Climate mitigation in the Mediterranean Europe: An assessment of regional and city-level plans.

In Europe, regions in the Mediterranean area share common characteristics in terms of high sensitivity to climate change impacts. Does this translate into specificities regarding climate action that could arise from these Mediterranean characteristics? This paper sheds light on regional and local climate mitigation actions of the Mediterranean Europe, focusing on the plans to reduce greenhouse gases emissions in a representative sample of 51 regions and 73 cities across 9 Mediterranean countries (Croatia, Cyprus, France, Greece, Italy, Malta, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain). The study investigates: (i) the availability of local and regional mitigation plans, (ii) their goals in term of greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets on the short and medium-long term, and (iii) the impact of transnational climate networks on such local and regional climate mitigation planning. Results of this study indicate an uneven and fragmented planning, that shows a Mediterranean West-East divide, and a link with population size. However, overall, both regional and city action seem insufficiently ambitious with regards to meeting the Paris Agreement, at least at city level. While national frameworks are currently weak in influencing regional and local actions, transnational networks seem to be engaging factors for commitment (at city level) and ambitiousness (at regional level). The uneven and fragmented progress revealed by this study, does not align with the characteristics shared by investigated regions and cities in terms of environmental, socio-political, climatic and economic conditions. The results support the call of a common green deal at the Mediterranean level to further address specific Mediterranean challenges and related needs. This will allow to capitalise on available resources, generate local-specific knowledge, build capacities, and support Mediterranean regions and cities in preparing the next generation of more ambitious mitigation plans.

Determination of Oxygen by Means of a Biogas and Gas - Interference Study Using an Optical Tris (4,7-Diphenyl-1,10-Phenanthroline) Ruthenium(II) Dichloride Complex Sensor.

Biogas is a mixture of gases produced by anaerobic fermentation where biomass or animal waste is decomposed and methane and carbon dioxide are mainly released. Biogas also has a very high moisture content (up to 80%), temperatures of around 60 °C, high pressure, and can contain other gases (N2, H2S, NH3 and H2). We searched for an appropriate measuring system for the determining of oxygen in biogas, since the production process of biogas must be run under anaerobic conditions; as the presence of oxygen decreases the quality of the biogas. Ruthenium (II) complexes are by far the most widely-used oxygen dyes within optical oxygen sensors. In general, they have efficient luminescences, relatively long-life metal-ligand charge-transfer excited states, fast response times, strong visible absorptions, large Stokes shifts, and high-photochemical stability. The purpose of this work was to characterise and optimize an optical oxygen sensor using tris (4,7-diphenyl-1,10-phenanthroline) ruthenium(II) dichloride complex for measuring oxygen. Different sensor properties were additionally studied, focusing on the interference of external light, temperature, and various gases. A special gas-mixing chamber was developed for gas interference study, and on-line experiments are presented for oxygen determination within the pilot biogas reactor.