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Antarctica is a region of the world where climate change is visible in the rapid melting of glaciers. This is particularly evident in marginal zones, where the pace of glacial retreat has systematically accelerated. The effective mapping of these changes is possible with the use of remote sensing methods. This study assesses changes in glacier margin positions between 1979

Increasing production of biofuels has led to concerns about indirect land-use change (ILUC). So far, significant efforts have been made to assess potential ILUC effects. But limited attention has been paid to strategies for reducing the extent of ILUC and controlling the type of LUC. This case study assesses five key ILUC mitigation measures to quantify the low-ILUC-risk production potential of miscanthus-based bioethanol in Lublin province (Poland) in 2020. In 2020, a total area of 196 to 818 thousand hectare of agricultural land could be made available for biomass production by realizing above-baseline yield developments (95-413 thousand ha), increased food chain efficiencies (9-30 thousand ha) and biofuel feedstock production on underutilized lands (92-375 thousand ha). However, a maximum 203-269 thousand hectare is considered legally available (not protected) and biophysically suitable for miscanthus production. The resulting low-ILUC-risk bioethanol production potential ranges from 12 to 35 PJ per year. The potential from this region alone is higher than the national Polish target for second-generation bioethanol consumption of 9 PJ in 2020. Although the sustainable implementation potential may be lower, the province of Lublin could play a key role in achieving this target. This study shows that the mitigation or prevention of ILUC from bioenergy is only possible when an integrated perspective is adopted on the agricultural and bioenergy sectors. Governance and policies on planning and implementing ILUC mitigation are considered vital for realizing a significant bioenergy potential with low ILUC risk. One important aspect in this regard is monitoring the risk of ILUC and the implementation of ILUC mitigation measures. Key parameters for monitoring are land use, land cover and crop yields.

Bioenergy production from animal waste can be a key driver to achieving bio-economy goals. Developing a bio-economy sector could help to create opportunities for a circular system where not only people and the planet will be benefited, but it will also provide economic profitability to farmers, especially in the post-Covid period. To this end, manure production, its nutrient content, and bioenergy potential were estimated, along with their spatial distribution in the Lubelskie province, Poland. Farm-level data were processed and aggregated at the municipality level. Material balance equations were used to calculate the theoretical potential of livestock manure and bioenergy for different use scenarios: (1) Baseline (BC): direct manure application to land, which was compared against (2) Anaerobic Digestion (AD): anaerobic digestion to biogas with digestate returned to the fields (3) AD + Separation (AD + Sep): mechanical separation followed by anaerobic digestion, and (4) Surplus + AD: surplus manure (after application to the fields) is sent to anaerobic digestion. Manure, biogas, electricity, and thermal energy production of the AD scenario were estimated to be 7.5 Mt y−1, 378 Mm3 y−1, 907 GWe y−1, and 997.8 GWth y−1, respectively. The scenario, including mechanical separation followed by anaerobic digestion (AD + Sep), contributed to avoiding emissions to the largest extent (1 Mt CO2 eq), whereas AD outperformed the others in avoiding costs of fertilization. According to the estimated potential and the environmental cost-effectiveness of AD, new plants can be established that will recycle manure through bioenergy production, and, subsequently, the digestate can be applied as organic fertilizer, closing the nutrients cycle.