Volume 1 Issue 1 (2025)

In the face of growing environmental concerns and the urgent need to transition towards a sustainable society, bio-based and renewable carbon materials have emerged as a promising alternative to traditional fossil fuel-derived materials. This review article comprehensively explores the various aspects of bio-based and renewable carbon materials, including their sources, synthesis methods, properties, and applications. Biomass, such as agricultural waste, forestry residues, and municipal solid waste, serves as a rich and renewable source for these carbon materials. Different synthesis techniques, such as pyrolysis, hydrothermal carbonization, and chemical activation, are employed to tailor the structure and properties of the resulting carbon materials. These materials exhibit unique characteristics, such as high porosity, large surface area, and excellent electrochemical performance, making them suitable for a wide range of applications, including energy storage and conversion, environmental remediation, and catalysis. However, challenges related to cost, scalability, and performance optimization still need to be addressed. This article aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the current state of bio-based and renewable carbon materials, highlighting their potential to contribute to a more sustainable future and inspiring further research and development in this field.

The global imperative to mitigate climate change has propelled carbon finance, carbon markets, and sustainable investment to the forefront of sustainable development agendas. This paper provides a comprehensive analysis of the interplay between these three pillars, examining their roles in facilitating the transition to a low-carbon economy. Carbon markets, through cap-and-trade systems and carbon pricing mechanisms, create economic incentives for emissions reduction. Carbon finance instruments, such as green bonds and carbon funds, mobilize capital towards climate-friendly projects. Sustainable investment, driven by environmental, social, and governance (ESG) criteria, redirects financial flows away from high-carbon assets and into sustainable alternatives. The paper explores the evolution of these systems, their current structures, and the challenges they face, including price volatility, regulatory fragmentation, and information asymmetry. It also highlights successful case studies from regions like the European Union, China, and North America, offering insights into best practices and policy implications. By aligning financial mechanisms with climate goals, carbon finance, carbon markets, and sustainable investment have the potential to accelerate decarbonization, foster innovation, and promote global climate justice. This review aims to inform policymakers, investors, and researchers about the synergies and gaps in these systems, contributing to the development of more robust and integrated approaches for a sustainable future.

Circular design—an approach centered on creating products, systems, and infrastructure with closed material loops, durability, and recyclability—has emerged as a cornerstone of sustainable industrial transformation. This paper examines the application of circular design principles across three critical sectors: energy, manufacturing, and construction. It explores how rethinking design processes in these industries can minimize resource extraction, reduce waste, and lower carbon emissions while enhancing efficiency and resilience. The analysis identifies sector-specific circular design strategies, such as modular energy systems, cradle-to-cradle manufacturing frameworks, and circular building components, and evaluates their technical feasibility, economic viability, and environmental impact. Through comparative case studies—including renewable energy microgrids in Denmark, circular automotive production in Germany, and net-zero construction in Singapore—the study highlights best practices and transferable lessons. Key challenges to widespread adoption are identified, including design lock-in due to linear business models, insufficient cross-sector collaboration, and gaps in policy support. The paper concludes by proposing a multi-dimensional framework to accelerate circular design implementation, emphasizing the need for integrated policy incentives, technological innovation, and capacity building. By aligning circular design with carbon circularity goals, these sectors can contribute significantly to global climate targets and sustainable development.

The transition to a circular economy (CE) has emerged as a critical global strategy to address resource scarcity, environmental degradation, and climate change. However, the effectiveness of CE initiatives hinges on robust policy frameworks, adaptive governance structures, and meaningful engagement with diverse social groups. This paper examines the intricate interplay between circular economy policy, multi-level governance, and social dimensions, exploring how these elements collectively shape the trajectory of CE transitions. Drawing on comparative case studies from the European Union, India, and China, the analysis unpacks policy instruments—ranging from regulatory standards to economic incentives—and their alignment with governance arrangements at local, national, and international levels. It further investigates social dimensions, including public acceptance, stakeholder participation, and distributional equity, highlighting how social factors can either facilitate or hinder CE implementation. The study identifies key tensions, such as policy fragmentation across scales, conflicting stakeholder interests, and unequal access to CE benefits, and proposes strategies to foster synergies between policy design, inclusive governance, and social empowerment. By emphasizing the need for context-sensitive, participatory approaches, this review contributes to a deeper understanding of the socio-political dynamics underlying circular economy transitions, offering actionable recommendations for policymakers, practitioners, and researchers seeking to advance equitable and effective CE systems.

The urgent need to address climate change while advancing global development agendas has highlighted the critical importance of integrating circular carbon strategies (CCS) with climate policy and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This paper presents a comprehensive framework for understanding how circular carbon practices—such as carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS), bio-based carbon circulation, and industrial symbiosis—can align with climate policy instruments and accelerate progress toward multiple SDGs. By analyzing the synergies and trade-offs between these three domains, the study identifies key integration pathways, including policy coherence, technological innovation, and multi-stakeholder collaboration. Drawing on case studies from diverse contexts—including renewable energy transitions in Kenya, industrial carbon loops in Germany, and sustainable agriculture in Brazil—the paper demonstrates how integrated approaches can enhance climate mitigation and adaptation while advancing goals related to poverty alleviation, clean energy access, and responsible consumption. The analysis also highlights barriers to integration, such as fragmented governance, insufficient financing, and uneven capacity across regions. Ultimately, this review calls for a holistic policy agenda that leverages circular carbon strategies as a bridge between climate action and sustainable development, offering actionable recommendations for policymakers, practitioners, and researchers to foster synergistic progress.