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In the last several decades, Iran's ecosystem has suffered due to the careless usage of natural resources. Cities have grown in an uneven and non-normative way, and poor project management has been a major issue, particularly in large cities. An even greater number of environmental factors and engineering regulations are not relevant to projects. Because of this, in order to ascertain a project's environmental impact, an environmental impact assessment (EIA), is required. Using the rapid impact assessment matrix (RIAM) is one method of applying it to EIA. Reducing subjectivity brings objectivity and transparency. During the COVID-19 pandemic, a thorough EIA was carried out for the Tehran project utilizing the RIAM and other possibilities. This research is the first to combine the methodology that was discussed during the incident. Through the use of the RIAM technique, the environmental impact of COVID-19 was to be quantified in this inquiry. The research examined lockdown procedures and the COVID-19 pandemic to create an EIA indicator. In a real-world case study conducted in Tehran, Iran, the impact of the initiative was evaluated using the RIAM methodology during the COVID-19 epidemic. The results demonstrated that COVID-19 had both beneficial and harmful effects. Decision-makers were effectively informed about the COVID-19 pandemic's environmental consequences on people and the environment, as well as how to minimize negative effects, according to the EIA technique that used RIAM. This is the first research to integrate the EIA during a crisis, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, with the RIAM approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change and the consequent increase in society's environmental awareness have triggered new forms of pressure on companies and the way they face environmental sustainability. Hence, either by legal imposition or by other types of pressures, companies must incorporate the environmental impact of their activities into their responsibilities, without compromising their financial viability. Environmental certification is a common procedure for firms to improve their environmental performance, as well as increase their reputation and image. Notwithstanding, determinants for environmental certification are still poorly understood. Therefore, the present study aims to assess, from a sample of 1,917 Portuguese companies of various sectors and dimensions, the influence of some factors on the probability of a firm adopting the ISO 14001 certification. Results showed that the different variables used as measures of profitability of the firm have a positive impact on its probability of adopting ISO 14001. Other factors with the same effect include the participation of the firm in the stock market and the firm's size. This can be justified by a greater need for large firms to improve their reputation or to have access to some markets where this kind of certification is an obligation. However, it is also possible to observe a certain variation in results depending on the measures of profitability used. Another conclusion is that the fact that a firm is an exporter does not influence its probability to be certified in any of the specifications, something contrary to what has been found in the literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]