The crop residue burning in India particularly North-western India is responsible for air pollution episodes and public health concerns; greenhouse gases emissions and radiation imbalance; and declining soil organic matter and soil productivity. The objectives of this paper are to estimate the crop residue burning and emissions from crop residue burning, to recommend interventions in crop residue management and to propose a crop residue management-bioeconomy model incorporating strategies to sustainably manage the crop residues through interventions that enable waste valorization, food and nutritional security, farmers’ livelihood and sustainable agricultural production system. A national inventory on crop residue burning including the pollutant species was prepared using the IPCC methodology. The crop types included for the estimation are cereals, pulses, oilseeds, sugarcane, cotton, jute and Mesta. The total amount of crop residues generated and burned for the year 2017–18 was estimated at 516 million tonnes and 116 million tonnes respectively. It is estimated that 116.3 Tg of crop residues burning released about 176.1 Tg of CO₂, 10 Tg of CO, 313.9 Gg of CH₄, 8.14 Gg of N₂O, 151.14 Gg of NH₃, 813.8 Gg of NMVOC, 453.4 Gg of PM_2.5, and 935.9 Gg of PM₁₀. The emission estimates can be a proxy to prepare the national level inventory of air pollutant species from crop residue burning. The crop residue management (CRM) demands a transition from the traditional zone of CRM to bioeconomy zone of CRM, wherein the interventions aim at the sustainability of agroecosystem. The proposed bioeconomy model has a four-pronged strategy that includes smart agriculture practices, waste bioeconomy involving aspirational principles of bioeconomy, capacity building of stakeholders’ and proactive government policy. Sustainable agricultural bioeconomy provides ample opportunities to reduce crop residue burning, increase farmers’ livelihood and decarbonize the agricultural production. India’s efforts and policies can provide lessons for other agricultural regions having similar environmental constraints.

Biodiesel is an alternative, carbon-neutral fuel compared to fossil-based diesel, which can reduce greenhouse gas (GHGs) emissions. Biodiesel is a product of microorganisms, crop plants, and animal-based oil and has the potential to prosper as a sustainable and renewable energy source and tackle growing energy problems. Biodiesel has a similar composition and combustion properties to fossil diesel and thus can be directly used in internal combustion engines as an energy source at the commercial level. Since biodiesel produced using edible/non-edible crops raises concerns about food vs. fuel, high production cost, monocropping crisis, and unintended environmental effects, such as land utilization patterns, it is essential to explore new approaches, feedstock and technologies to advance the production of biodiesel and maintain its sustainability. Adopting bioengineering methods to produce biodiesel from various sources such as crop plants, yeast, algae, and plant-based waste is one of the recent technologies, which could act as a promising alternative for creating genuinely sustainable, technically feasible, and cost-competitive biodiesel. Advancements in genetic engineering have enhanced lipid production in cellulosic crops and it can be used for biodiesel generation. Bioengineering intervention to produce lipids/fat/oil (TGA) and further their chemical or enzymatic transesterification to accelerate biodiesel production has a great future. Additionally, the valorization of waste and adoption of the biorefinery concept for biodiesel production would make it eco-friendly, cost-effective, energy positive, sustainable and fit for commercialization. A life cycle assessment will not only provide a better understanding of the various approaches for biodiesel production and waste valorization in the biorefinery model to identify the best technique for the production of sustainable biodiesel, but also show a path to draw a new policy for the adoption and commercialization of biodiesel.

The present long-term study has been conducted with dual objectives: firstly, to monitor the spatio-temporal variation of ambient air quality parameters and secondly, to evaluate the impact of air pollutants on the Delhi population. Five years (January 2019 to December 2023) of data of six key pollutants (PM₁₀, PM_2.5, NO₂, O₃, Benzene, and Toluene) were collected by continuous ambient air quality monitoring stations, obtained from the Central Pollution Control Board portal. The impact of air pollutants on human health was assessed using different indices and the AirQ+ model developed by the World Health Organization (WHO). Additionally, the ozone formation potential (OFP) of benzene and toluene was evaluated. The findings of the study revealed that the concentrations of PM₁₀ and PM_2.5 exceeded both national and global guidelines across all the sites throughout the study period. Notably, industrial sites were classified as the severe category according to the National Air Quality Index. At industrial sites, the OFP of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) was observed to be higher in comparison to commercial sites. The AirQ+ model analysis in the health risk assessment indicated a strong association between PM₁₀ exposure and mortality from respiratory (91.36%) and chronic bronchitis (90.85%) diseases. Additionally, long-term PM_2.5 exposure was linked to an increased risk of stroke (65%) and circulatory (63.83%) mortality.

Rapid industrialization and urbanization have caused widespread discharge of organic pollutants, including dyes, pesticides, and pharma compounds into the environment, leading to environmental crisis and human health risks. ​This paper explores the potential of lignin-derived carbon materials (LDCMs) as sustainable solutions to degrade organic pollutants, due to their abundance, renewability, and versatile physicochemical properties. Lignin, an abundant terrestrial and renewable biomass, due to its unique physicochemical and structural properties, such as high surface area, tunable porosity, and functional groups, make it a suitable candidate for advanced adsorbents and environmental remediation. LDCMs synthesis methods, including pyrolysis, hydrothermal carbonization (HTC), chemical and physical activation techniques are discussed, stressing their ability to optimize the electrochemical and structural properties of LDCMs. ​The mechanisms of pollutant degradation, such as biological (microbial and plant-based), chemical (oxidation, reduction, hydrolysis, photochemical), physical (adsorption, photocatalysis), and advanced hybrid systems, are reviewed. The paper emphasizes the performance of LDCMs in removing persistent pollutants like dyes, phenolic compounds, pharmaceuticals, and heavy metals, showcasing their versatility and reusability. Despite challenges in synthesis scalability, pollutant selectivity, and material stability, advancements in functionalization, hybridization, and industrial integration are making LDCMs increasingly viable for large-scale applications. ​Future perspectives focus on developing multifunctional LDCMs, integrating them into hybrid treatment systems, and scaling up their production for wastewater treatment industries. ​ The study also emphasises the significance of supportive policies and industry-driven approaches to accelerate the adoption of lignin-based solutions. ​ LDCMs represent a promising pathway toward sustainable environmental remediation, contributing to a circular economy and a greener future.