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Abstract: Recent years have seen increasing demand for wider application of strategic environmental assessment (SEA), especially SEA of major policies, as a powerful instrument to safeguard the environment during the rapid industrialization and urbanization in China. Debates on SEA are concentrated on its feasibility and effective implementation in practice. This study applies Emergy analysis within the framework of social–economic–natural complex eco-system theory to overcome the limitations of methods used for assessing regional sustainability so far. This established model is tested in the case of Chinese paper industry to assess the sustainability of 5 policy scenarios. The results show that Emergy-based Indices (EbI) are more effective to measure the sustainability of industry complex ecosystem, thus EbI approach is very useful in SEAs on policy scenarios of a given complex ecosystem. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The SAFER (Simple Algorithm for Evapotranspiration Retrieving) algorithm and the radiation use efficiency (RUE) model were coupled to test large-scale remote sensing environmental indicators in Brazilian biomes. MODIS MOD13Q1 reflectance product and gridded weather data for the year 2016 were used to demonstrate the suitability of the algorithm to monitor the dynamics of environmental remote sensing indicators along a year in the Brazilian biomes, Amazon, Caatinga, Cerrado, Pantanal, Atlantic Forest, and Pampa. Significant spatial and temporal variations in precipitation (P), actual evapotranspiration (ET), and biomass production (BIO) yielded differences on water balance (WB = P-ET) and water productivity (WP = ET/BIO). The highest WB and WP differences were detected in the wettest biomes, Amazon, Atlantic Forest, and Pampa, when compared with the driest biome, Caatinga. Rainfall distribution along the year affected the magnitude of the evaporative fraction (ET f ), i.e., the ET to reference evapotranspiration (ET 0 ) ratio. However, there was a gap between ET f and WB, which may be related to the time needed for recovering good soil moisture conditions after rainfalls. For some biomes, BIO related most to the levels of absorbed photosynthetically active radiation (Amazon and Atlantic Forest), while for others, BIO followed most the soil moisture levels, depicted by ET f (Caatinga, Cerrado, Pantanal, and Pampa). The large-scale modeling showed suitability for monitoring the water and vegetation conditions, making way to detect anomalies for specific periods along the year by using historical images and weather data, with strong potential to support public policies for management and conservation of natural resources and with possibilities for replication of the methods in other countries., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.)

LCA studies on waste management have been promoted as they can help policy makers choose the best environmental options. However, the increasing globalization of raw materials and waste makes the optimization of waste management strategies and policies quite challenging. Therefore, new approaches are needed in order to identify the consequences of markets on the waste management systems. This paper concentrates on the quantification of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of recycling processes. The aim is to generate a comprehensive assessment of GHG emissions as a consequence of increasing the amount of material collected for recycling. Consequential life cycle assessment (CLCA) is an effective methodological framework for addressing GHG quantifications within market, but to properly perform and assess all of the market links between raw materials and waste, it is necessary to determine the cause-effect chains made up of physical flows. Thus, we propose integrating the methodologies of material flow analysis (MFA) and CLCA. We applied these methodologies to the paper and cardboard recycling system in Spain. The GHG results varied between −36 kg CO 2 eq. and −317 kg CO 2 eq. per ton of waste paper collected, depending on the quantity of waste paper exported and the source of marginal pulp considered. The cumulative energy demand (CED) was also calculated as complementary indicator. Similar trends as for GHG emissions were obtained. The future GHG quantifications should be based on the flows described by MFA analysis and should be quantified using CLCA because methodologies that accurately account for GHG are necessary for decision-making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ethiopia is experiencing deterioration in river quality resulting in adverse effects on human health and hydrobionts. This study aimed to analyse the effects of specific environmental stressors on the distribution and abundance of macroinvertebrates in the Upper Awash River. The study was conducted from January 2018 to March 2018. Macroinvertebrates were collected from five sites using standard handheld nets. Physicochemical parameters including electrical conductivity, dissolved oxygen, total phosphorous, nitrate-nitrogen, pH, dissolved oxygen and water temperature that can affect the distribution and abundance of macroinvertebrates were assessed. A total of 14,465 individuals belonging to 33 families of insects and 5 families of the noninsect group were identified. Among all recorded taxa, Diptera was the most abundant and diversified order. Macroinvertebrates among the five sites showed variation in species evenness, richness, and Shannon Diversity Index. Values obtained from biotic indices and environmental parameters indicated the presence of organic pollution at different levels. The impacted downstream site paper mill waste (Walgata) had the relatively highest H-FBI index followed by Osole (more agricultural activities) indicating that Walgata and Osole were poorer in benthic faunal diversity than other sites. In addition, as habitat and water quality degradation increased, the number and percentage of Plecoptera, Ephemeroptera, and Trichoptera (EPT) decreased. The selected metrics will be also useful for the monitoring and assessment of the riverine systems and to access the impact of different stressors. As perturbation increased, species diversity, ETHbios index, Average Score Per Taxon, and family richness decreased, while the percentage of Chironomidae, Diptera, Dominant Taxa, and Hilsenhoff Family-Level Biotic Index increased indicating that tolerant species become abundant in degraded river bodies. Environmental protection agencies of governmental and nongovernmental organizations should make awareness for the local people so that they reduce activities that affect the river. Paper factory should also monitor its effluent from directly discharging into the Upper Awash River. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: We studied ecotoxicological responses of aquatic insects to evaluate the recovery of a watercourse with a history of over 100 years as a recipient of pulp and paper mill effluents. The recovery of the water quality began in 1985 due to the improved technology, but ecotoxicological effects on biota have still been evident two decades later, as indicated by morphological abnormalities in tracheal gills of caddis larvae. We hypothesized that these abnormalities are related to organic contaminants, such as resin acids, alkylated PAHs and chlorinated organic compounds, released historically from the mills, and more recently via resuspension from the sediment. Samples were collected between 1999 and 2008, and the species composition and morphological abnormalities in the gill tufts were analysed. We tested a Hydropsychidae index (HA) based on species sensitivity scoring as an indicator of improved overall water quality, especially oxygen concentrations. Gill abnormalities were used as morphological biomarkers indicating potential ecotoxicity. The increased HA values revealed improved oxygen levels and associated recovery of benthic macroinvertebrate community structure. However, the incidence of gill abnormalities remained elevated until the year 2008 indicating slow recovery, as 20-year impacts on population health and ecotoxicity was detected in the watercourse polluted by pulp and paper industry. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Evaluation of urban environmental sustainability is an important prerequisite for scientific decision-making of urban sustainability. This paper proposed an evaluation method of urban environmental sustainability based on the integration of multi-improvement demands. Considering the interaction between the economic and social systems on the environmental system, this paper constructed an urban environmental sustainability evaluation indicator system from three dimensions: environmental foundation, environmental pollution, and environmental protection. Combined with the actual improvement demands of each city, a corresponding weighting method was constructed, and the weights of each city's individualized improvement demands were obtained through the analysis of indicator data. Further, in order to consider the fairness and guidance of the evaluation, the corresponding random simulation algorithm was matched for the individualized weights, and the evaluation value and the superiority probability in a stable state after multiple simulations were sought. Based on this, this paper conducted an empirical evaluation of urban environmental sustainability of the 14 cities in Liaoning Province, China. Through the demand-driven evaluation model, cities can obtain improvement suggestions that meet their demands while understanding their environmental sustainability level. It is convenient for top-down policy guidance and bottom-up practical exploration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of a resilient and circular bio-based economy is of paramount importance, notably in the EU, where current climate policies and evolving regulations strongly demand more sustainable practices, impacting monitoring and reporting, as well as the deployment of novel valorization routes for byproducts and waste streams. In this context, with the aim of assessing the current state of the European bio-based economy, a comprehensive analysis based on socio-environmental, socioeconomic, and technical indicators was carried out on major sectors, namely textiles, woodworking, pulp and paper, bio-based chemicals and materials, liquid biofuels, and bio-based electricity. Each sector was evaluated with respect to its main biological raw materials, and a methodology is proposed to link their geographical origin (inside or outside the EU), import shares, and internal production with socio-environmental impacts, based on official databases and indexes. Socioeconomic data (turnover and employment) and technical data (average bio-based content within the main products of the sector) were also considered for the analyses, allowing a multi-angle comparison between sectors and the identification of barriers and opportunities for future developments. Finally, a quantitative and qualitative overview of non-hazardous biogenic waste streams generated in the EU is presented, and opportunities for their valorization and reintegration into the EU bio-based economy are discussed. As a result of this analysis, beyond enabling the assessment of each sector within the bio-based economy, along with the assignment of values for comparison, the implementation of this evaluation facilitated the identification of improvement pathways, which were consolidated into a set of proposals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Canadian Environmental Assessment Act (CEAA) defines the federal environmental assessment (EA) process for evaluating the likelihood that development projects (e.g., roads, buildings, factories) will have impacts on the environment. Environmental effects monitoring (EEM) programs for mining and pulp and paper mills under the Federal Fisheries Act, define the process that is to be used to evaluate existing effects caused by liquid effluents discharged by operating facilities. The EA process occurs before a project is approved, and involves predicting whether the project is going to cause significant environmental impacts. The EEM process occurs after a project is operational, and involves determining whether an existing project has had or is continuing to have significant impacts on the environment. Ideally, the processes are complimentary, with the EA process identifying environmental attributes considered important, and the EEM process demonstrating whether predicted or unpredicted impacts occurred. The two processes are usually done in isolation so potential synergies are lost. The point of this manuscript is to justify bridging the two processes. We use the aquatic environment as the example, and briefly describe the EEM process, aquatic environment indicators, experimental designs, and typical environmental thresholds, to illustrate how the EEM and EA processes link. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The propagation of information risk in complex public opinion environments not only leads to severe direct reputational losses for companies but also results in significant economic damages. Therefore, during the nascent stage of information risk, identifying potential propagation pathways, determining key dissemination channels, and taking timely measures become crucial. To address this issue, this paper proposes a multi-criteria decision-making method for evaluating information risk propagation in complex public opinion environments. In this method, this paper utilizes probabilistic hesitant fuzzy sets to express the evaluation information, and provide several distance and similarity measurement methods for probabilistic hesitant fuzzy elements. To ensure the rationality of the evaluation indicator weights, this study first applies these distance measurement methods to improve the Grey Relational Analysis—Decision Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory (GRA-DEMATEL) method for determining the objective weights of evaluation indicators. Next, this paper uses the Delphi method to establish the subjective weights of each evaluation indicator. Finally, by employing a weight synthesis operator, this paper combines the subjective and objective weights to obtain the final indicator weights. Additionally, this paper utilizes the similarity measurement methods for probabilistic hesitant fuzzy elements to improve the combined compromise solution (CoCoSo) method in evaluating and ranking potential information risk propagation pathways. Furthermore, this paper incorporates the "Probability Splitting Algorithm" to handle probabilistic hesitant fuzzy elements, enabling their application in these methodologies. Finally, based on a case study of information risk propagation in the catering industry, we conducted a sensitivity analysis and effectiveness verification of the proposed approach. The results demonstrate the effectiveness of the method and its ability to address real-world issues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The sustainable implementation of resources and the transition to low-carbon construction is on the world's daily agenda. This paper describes the development of criteria for the efficient management of material resources in low-carbon construction. Net income, gross profit, balance sheets, and equity are proposed as indicators that serve as criteria for assessing the efficient use of resources. Nonlinear regression models were the methodological basis for the establishment of cause-and-effect relationships of the volume of construction of transport structures. It was established that since construction companies do not purchase materials for storage, the cost of materials for use in low-carbon technological construction work is directly proportional to the cost of construction. The volume of production in the construction industry is determined by construction costs. More efficient use of low-carbon materials reduces cost and construction waste. In this paper, we have established the relationship between the indicator of efficiency for the functioning of the construction enterprises in Ukraine and the use of low-carbon materials for the construction of transport structures. The practical value of the obtained results for low-carbon construction management lies in proving the relationship between the performance indicators of the construction enterprise (net profit, gross profit, output volume, balance sheets, and equity capital) and the use of low-carbon material resources. Our results form the basis for future research into the use of a cost-based model for low-carbon economy transition in municipalities and regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a pillar of United Nations, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia pursues to greener its economy and achieve the Sustainable Development Goals of the 2030 Agenda. The green economy represents a catalyzer for sustainable development in its three dimensions -economic, social and environmental- aiming to improve human well-being and social equity and reduce environmental risks. However, the relevant previous studies lacked the role of green economy on sustainable development for the Saudi Arabia. For this purpose, this paper aims to explore how green is the kingdom and analyze its performance toward sustainable development from 2015 to 2020. To do so, we adopt the EEPSE Green Economy Index that combines educational, economic, political, societal and environmental indicators associated with the pillars of the Quintuple Helix Innovation Model. In this study, this index is composed of 42 indicators related to the green economy and the sustainable development. The empirical results suggest that the Saudi Arabia witnessed a significant progress of EEPSE GEI score. In addition, the findings support that the performance of the kingdom regarding the green economy is affected after the COVID-19 crisis. Thus, the paper provides original visions for policy makers to encourage the transition to green economy which constitutes the main locomotive to attain the economic, social and environment sustainability for the kingdom. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a study of the multidimensional approaches in integrate monitoring for Strategic Environment Assessment (SEA). It mentions the use of strategies and its implementation as required tools for decision support and monitoring to control the pressure on land. It suggests that monitoring should give an automatic alert when certain threshold of environmental pressure overpass by the dimension and velocity of change in land use.

This paper discusses the processes which should be taken to establish debris indices that assess the orbital environmental impact of spacecraft or missions in orbit. The first process is establishing a methodology and criteria for evaluating an impact on the orbital environment. This study proposed an assessment method to evaluate the cumulative environmental changes during an evaluation period. It evaluated the impact of an uncontrolled LC mission abandoned in orbit. This study used Near-Earth Orbital Debris Environment Evolutionary Model (NEODEEM), an orbital environmental evolutionary model that Kyushu University and JAXA developed. The second process is the debris index formulation. This study considered four steps to establish the debris index. To reveal the establishing process of a debris index, this study used debris indexes as candidates which consider expected number of fragments generated from an object. The calculated debris index values were compared to the impact on the environment assessed by the evolutionary model to see if there was any correlation. Further, this study conducted numerical simulations of un-controlled large-constellation satellites abandoned in low earth orbit in different scenarios, and of active debris removals of large intact objects by NEODEEM. This paper discusses the applicability of proposed environmental assessment methods and the debris index. • Two processes to establish a debris index are proposed. • A methodology and criteria for evaluating environmental impacts is discussed. • Four steps to formulate a debris index is discussed. • Correlations between debris indexes and environmental impacts are compared. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rapid detection of plant phenotypic traits is crucial for plant breeding and cultivation. Traditional measurement methods are carried out by richexperienced agronomists, which are time-consuming and labor-intensive. However, with the increasing demand for rapid and high-throughput testing in tea plants traits, digital breeding and smart cultivation of tea plants rely heavily on precise plant phenotypic trait measurement techniques, among which hyperspectral imaging (HSI) technology stands out for its ability to provide real-time and rich-information. In this paper, we provide a comprehensive overview of the principles of hyperspectral imaging technology, the processing methods of cubic data, and relevant algorithms in tea plant phenomics, reviewing the progress of applying hyperspectral imaging technology to obtain information on tea plant phenotypes, growth conditions, and quality indicators under environmental stress. Lastly, we discuss the challenges faced by HSI technology in the detection of tea plant phenotypic traits from different perspectives, propose possible solutions, and envision the potential development prospects of HSI technology in the digital breeding and smart cultivation of tea plants. This review aims to provide theoretical and technical support for the application of HSI technology in detecting tea plant phenotypic information, further promoting the trend of developing high quality and high yield tea leaves. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The view of political achievements suggests that officials will prefer to implement measures that benefit their own development in order to seek promotions. In the past, GDP weighed heavily in officials' appraisals, leading them to develop the economy without regard to sustainability. Now that the central government has incorporated environmental indicators into the officials' appraisal system, will this lead officials to implement sustainable development strategies to the fullest extent? Are there spillover effects and regional heterogeneity in this role? This paper discusses these questions with the help of entropy method and a spatial Durbin model using data of 30 provincial-level regions in China from 2006 to 2016. The conclusions show that, firstly, the officials' competitive pressure is beneficial to enhance the sustainable development capacity of the province, but this effect is only effective in western China. Secondly, there is no spillover effect of officials' competitive pressure on sustainable development capacity; thirdly, foreign direct investment, the proportion of state-owned enterprises and environmental regulations have their own unique effects on sustainable development capacity, and there are spillover effects. Based on these findings, this paper proposes corresponding policy recommendations in terms of officials' appraisal system, talent training, foreign investment introduction, and state-owned enterprise reform. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thirty years ago, Wall published "Exergy Ecology Democracy - Concepts of a vital society or a proposal for an exergy tax". This paper discusses this milestone contribution by Wall. It has traced a path toward economic, environmental and societal sustainability and proposed exergy as a robust indicator for measuring progress. This paper is divided into two parts. The first focuses on better understanding Wall's role in today's scenario. This second part presents different methods that allow using exergy to assess the sustainability of economic, industrial and societal processes. First, it presents an example showing the inadequacy of domestic material consumption (DMC) in evaluating the sustainability of import-export operations. Second, how exergy can apply to increase the significance of DMC has been discussed. A new indicator that allows coupling with DMC has been defined to improve the information delivered by DMC and make it a more effective sustainability indicator. Third, some ecological indicators are discussed. The use of exergy to integrate DMC and assess lifecycle and polluting emissions into the environment has been discussed. Finally, an effective exergy tax proposal is presented as an instrument for stimulating an effective transitionward sustainability of consumption and people's habits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urban poverty is a complex phenomenon and people experiencing poverty suffer from various deprivations. Multidimensional poverty measurement has been one of the best indicators of this deprivation. In general, slum dwellers are considered homogenous groups, but it is not valid in multidimensional deprivation. This paper aims to find out the correlates of multidimensional poverty in slums. Spatiality and correlates of poverty in Varanasi City have been tapped using statistical modelling. The paper is based on primary data collected from 384 households through an interview schedule from 12 slums across three geographical zones of the city. The MPI index for slums, based on global MPI, was used to compute MPI for each geographical zone. Further ANOVA and hierarchical regression analysis were performed to find spatiality and correlates of multidimensional deprivation. The paper reveals that socio-religious categories, occupation and geographical location are significant determinants or at least correlates of multidimensional poverty in slums. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The increasing exchange of goods by sea is contributing significantly to pollution in port areas. Although several methods have been developed to assess the environmental performance of ports, most of them have shortcomings including a qualitative-only approach and self-assessment of environmental performance. Therefore, there is a pressing need to develop a different approach based on quantitative measurements obtained through measurements at ports. In this paper we present the Port Environmental Index (PEI), a quantitative composite index of port environmental performance driven by IoT. The index allows for environmental measurements to be collected in real time or close to real time through sensors providing an assessment of a port's environmental performance in real time. In addition, since the methodology for creating the index is standardised, the index makes it possible to compare different ports and rank them in terms of their environmental performance. As a proof of concept (PoC) this paper also describes the application of the index to the port of Thessaloniki (Greece). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The research concerning the future of sound in towns and cities is focused on two main issues: studies are conducted separately on the comfort, i.e., assessment of visual scenery and sound levels in a cityscape and separately, on the health protection issues. The policy of the acoustic environment control with regard to the health of its inhabitants is traditionally connected with measurements of noise levels presented with the help of the coefficients Lden and Lnight noise indicators, while the models based on tranquillity rating (TR) with the help of the coefficients LAmax, LAmin, LAeq, LA10. None of these coefficients refers to the soundscape. In this paper, we present a justification of the necessity to enter into discussion on the need to combine these research areas. The authorities managing towns and cities of the future should be provided with tools enabling them to assess modernisation projects from the point of view of both health and comfort of inhabitants. We present our ideas treating them as an invitation to a scientific discourse, in the form of analysis of actual projects concerning modification of existing cityscapes. The modifications are aimed at returning some unfavourably developed spaces to the inhabitants. When analysing the changes proposed in the projects, we take into account two models of the revitalised area quality assessment. The first model is used to assess the effect of noise on health. The second model, based on the indicator known as the TR, serves simultaneous assessment of an area from both visual and acoustical aspects. The models used contemporarily by scientists show multiple flaws, therefore, for the TR indicator we propose a modification taking the sound structure into account. The modification embodies the idea of masking unpleasant sounds with friendly ones. The changes to the model are presented, in this paper, in the context of two projects which were worked out in the framework of 12th edition of the intercollegiate workshop cycle The New Cityscapes. In the course of each workshop of the cycle, we combined art, science, and technology in order to seek solutions creating a better future. In view of the importance of this issue and the need to introduce a certain level of universalism, the authors offer an invitation to join a discussion on the future of sound in urban agglomerations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The vertical distribution of radiolarians was investigated using a vertical multiple plankton sampler (100-0, 250-100, 500-250 and 1000-500 m water depths, 62 µmmesh size) at the Northwind Abyssal Plain and southwestern Canada Basin in September 2013. To investigate seasonal variations in the flux of radiolarians in relation to sea-ice and water masses, time series sediment trap system was moored at Station NAP (75°00' N, 162°00' W, bottom depth 1975 m) in the western Arctic Ocean during October 2010-September 2012. We showed characteristics of fourteen abundant radiolarian taxa related to the vertical hydrographic structure in the western Arctic Ocean. We found the Ceratocyrtis histricosus, a warm Atlantic water species, in net samples, indicating that it has extended its habitat into the Pacific Winter Water. The radiolarian flux was comparable to that in the North Pacific Oceans. Amphimelissa setosa was dominant during the open water and the beginning and the end of ice cover seasons with well-grown ice algae, ice fauna and with alternation of stable water masses and deep vertical mixing. During the sea-ice cover season, however, oligotrophic and cold-water tolerant Actinommidae was dominant and the productivity of radiolaria was lower and its species diversity was greater, which might be associated with the seasonal increase of solar radiation that induce the growth of algae on the ice and the other phytoplankton species under the sea-ice. These indicated that the dynamics of sea-ice was a major factor affecting the productivity, distribution, and composition of radiolarian fauna. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The sustainable urban design of residential neighborhoods plays an important role in the efforts to achieve the sustainable development goals and alleviate the effects of climate change. This paper aims to develop a model for the sustainable urban design of residential neighborhoods, taking into account the local condition in Palestinian territories. This model is built on various international neighborhood sustainability assessment (NSA) tools, based on the review of existing assessment tools, to study the sustainability status of Palestinian neighborhoods, and to develop a sustainable indicator model for local sustainable neighborhood assessment. Computer tools like Urbano and GIS tools as well as qualitative assessment methods are used. Results from the case study showed that the satisfaction of the preferred location indicator was not sufficient to maintain its sustainability. The assessment of measured indicators found that weaknesses were almost double the count of the satisfactory indicator. Moreover, some indicators from the (NSA) tools were partially or completely met, and some gaps appeared because of the lack of strengths in the selected indicators of the international tools when used for local social, ecological and governmental aspects, and there are issues in the inclusion of economic and environmental elements in current urban configurations. The proposed local model offers valuable insights for local governments, municipalities, and construction developers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the first integrated techno-economic and life cycle assessment of microemulsion systems being applied for rhodium-catalyzed hydroformylation of long-chain alkenes at industrial scale. The case study describes a projected 150 kt/a production of tridecanal (US gulf coast, 2019). The industrial success of the hydroformylation of short-chain alkenes lies in the continuous recycling of the rhodium-containing water phase. Microemulsion systems can be applied to transfer this concept to long-chain alkenes by overcoming the miscibility gap between the aqueous catalyst phase and the unipolar alkene phase and, moreover, by generating a temperature-induced multi-phase system enabling the immobilization of the catalyst and its continuous recycling, as demonstrated in miniplant operations with dodecene and rhodium/SulfoXantPhos. Customizable simulation models have been developed for scale-up and assessment of the miniplant data. Surprisingly, a profitability-driven sensitivity study indicates a base case optimum at low residence time with low alkene conversion leading to large throughput streams and high raw material purge rates. The comparison to the industrial cobalt-based benchmark system shows an economic advantage regarding net present value (Rh: 68 M$; Co: 62 M$), while about half of the environmental indicators are in favor or equivalent. In a best-case scenario considering zero leaching of expensive rhodium the net present value increases by almost 40% accompanied by a shift to overall lower environmental impacts than the benchmark. In conclusion, the investigated miniplant data suggest microemulsion systems to be competitive when applied in continuous processes at a large scale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research conducts an analysis of the sustainability of urban agriculture in Shanghai over the period 2010 to 2020, employing the Triple Bottom Line (TBL) concept as a framework to evaluate sustainability across economic, environmental, and social dimensions through the formulation and application of a comprehensive indicator system. Utilizing the Delphi method alongside the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) for determining indicators and their respective weights, this study adopts a methodologically rigorous approach to analysis. The findings reveal an overall enhancement in agricultural sustainability, albeit accompanied by a decline in economic sustainability. Notably, environmental sustainability emerged as a paramount concern, underscoring the essentiality of incorporating environmental indicators within urban agricultural initiatives. The paper addresses significant challenges such as elevated land prices, demographic shifts, and the imperative for more stringent environmental regulations. It advocates for a multidimensional strategy integrating advanced agricultural technologies and cross-sectoral partnerships to bolster sustainability. Furthermore, the study accentuates the necessity of achieving equilibrium among economic feasibility, environmental stewardship, and social equity to pursue sustainable urban agriculture in Shanghai. Additionally, it highlights the critical role of strategic agricultural policy formulation in fostering sectoral resilience and ensuring enduring sustainability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the greatest challenges of our time is monitoring the rapid environmental changes taking place worldwide at both local and global scales. This requires easy-to-use and ready-to-implement tools and services to monitor and quantify aspects of bio- and geodiversity change and the impact of land use intensification using freely available and global remotely sensed data, and to derive remotely sensed indicators. Currently, there are no services for quantifying both raster- and vector-based indicators in a "compact tool". Therefore, the main innovation of ESIS/Imalys is having a remote sensing (RS) tool that allows for RS data processing, data management, and continuous and discrete quantification and derivation of RS indicators in one tool. With the ESIS/Imalys project (Ecosystem Integrity Remote Sensing—Modelling and Service Tool), we try to present environmental indicators on a clearly defined and reproducible basis. The Imalys software library generates the RS indicators and remote sensing products defined for ESIS. This paper provides an overview of the functionality of the Imalys software library. An overview of the technical background of the implementation of the Imalys library, data formats and the user interfaces is given. Examples of RS-based indicators derived using the Imalys tool at pixel level and at zone level (vector level) are presented. Furthermore, the advantages and disadvantages of the Imalys tool are discussed in detail in order to better assess the value of Imalys for users and developers. The applicability of the indicators will be demonstrated through three ecological applications, namely: (1) monitoring landscape diversity, (2) monitoring landscape structure and landscape fragmentation, and (3) monitoring land use intensity and its impact on ecosystem functions. Despite the integration of large amounts of data, Imalys can run on any PC, as the processing and derivation of indicators has been greatly optimised. The Imalys source code is freely available and is hosted and maintained under an open source license. Complete documentation of all methods, functions and derived indicators can be found in the freely available Imalys manual. The user-friendliness of Imalys, despite the integration of a large amount of RS data, makes it another important tool for ecological research, modelling and application for the monitoring and derivation of ecosystem indicators from local to global scale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This investigation focuses on a global forcing mechanism for decadal regime shifts and their subsequent impacts. The proposed global forcing mechanism is the global atmospheric planetary waves that can lead to changes in the global surface air-sea conditions and subsequently fishery changes. In this study, the five decadal regime shifts (1956-1957, 1964-1965, 1977-1978, 1988-1989, and 1998-1999) in the recent 59 years (1950-2008) have been identified based on student t tests and their association with global marine ecosystem change has been discussed. Changes in the three major oceanic (Pacific, Atlantic and Indian) ecosystems will be explored with the goal of demonstrating the linkage between stratospheric planetary waves and the ocean surface forcing that leads to fisheries impacts. Due to the multidisciplinary audience, the global forcing mechanism is described from a top-down approach to help the multidisciplinary audience follow the analysis. Following previous work, this analysis addresses how changes in the atmospheric planetary waves may influence the vertical wind structure, surface wind stress, and their connection with the global ocean ecosystems based on a coupling of the atmospheric regime shifts with the decadal regime shifts determined from marine life changes. The multiple decadal regime shifts related to changes in marine life are discussed using the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization's (FAO) global fish capture data (catch/stock). Analyses are performed to demonstrate the interactions between the atmosphere, ocean, and fisheries are a plausible approach to explaining decadal climate change in the global marine ecosystems and its impacts. The results show a consistent mechanism, ocean wind stress, responsible for marine shifts in the three major ocean basins. Changes in the planetary wave pattern affect the ocean wind stress patterns. A change in the ocean surface wind pattern from long wave (relatively smooth and less complex) to shorter wave (more convoluted and more complex) ocean surface wind stress creates changes in the ocean marine fisheries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we take the Yangtze River Economic Belt as the study area and analyze three types of environmental regulation tools, namely, command-and-control (CAC), market-incentivized (MI) and public-type (PT). We apply the threshold effect to test the impact of each of these tools on regional economic growth and analyze the relationships between the tools and environmental regulation. The entropy method is used to calculate the comprehensive environmental pollution index of each province and city in the Yangtze River Economic Belt. Using Stata 14.0 measurement software and based on provincial data with respect to the Yangtze River Economic Belt from 2014 to 2021, a panel threshold model is used to test the impact of the three types of environmental regulation tools on regional economic growth and analyze the relationship between environmental regulation and regional economic growth. It is found that the relationship between environmental regulation and economic growth is non-linear. There is no significant relationship between CAC environmental regulation and regional economic growth; there is a single threshold effect between market-incentive environmental regulation and public participation environmental regulation on the economic growth of the Yangtze River economic belt. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Environmental performance indicators are key to monitoring the sustainability of production processes. In the salmon industry, there is a growing concern about the excess of nutrients that have accumulated at the bottom of marine ecosystems and the negative externalities of those nutrients on the environment. In this paper, we measure environmental performance in the salmon industry in Chile by applying a set of data envelopment analysis (DEA) models. In these models, we incorporate pollutants as undesired outputs of the production process. Our data start in the years of the ISA virus outbreak and continue into the subsequent years of recovery in which stricter sanitary norms were implemented. All the models suggest a negative trend in both average technical and environmental efficiencies during the ISA virus outbreak and a subsequent increase in efficiency scores in the following years. A gap can be observed between environmental and technical efficiency measures, a gap that widened during the first years of the regulatory change and decreased at the end of the period. We argue that these findings offer preliminary evidence that environmental performance improved because of the new regulations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper empirically evaluates the impact of environment stringency policy, business regulations, policy and economic uncertainty, and real GDP per capita on foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows by employing the autoregressive distributed lag approach and using data from 2000 to 2015. Specifically, we focus on two groups of countries with different economic development, the Group of Seven (G7) and the BRICS countries, and the composite indices of business and environmental regulations and policy-induced uncertainty, along with real gross domestic capital (GDP) per capita, were selected to reflect the multidimensionality of the settings in the selected countries. Our results indicate that only the effect of real GDP per capita turned out to be homogenous and statistically significant across different income groups and time horizons. Findings also show that more friendly business regulations significantly encourage FDI inflows in the long run, but there is a bottom line. When regulations are already at a low level, as is the case with G7 countries, further liberalization would adversely affect FDI inflows. Furthermore, more stringent environmental regulations have a marginally adverse effect on FDI inflows only in the long run. At the same time, they weakly support the pollution haven hypothesis. The impact of policy-induced uncertainty on investment is adverse but largely nonsignificant in the short run. It appears that cross-border investments follow a pattern of the safe-haven effect to avoid uncertainty in the long run. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to establish the optimal price of low-carbon products and set the optimal target carbon emissions in the production cycle so as to maximize profits, this paper proposes the optimal pricing model of environmental quality index futures from the perspective of green finance. This paper mainly studies the optimal pricing and carbon emission strategy of low-carbon products of a single enterprise under the carbon trading system based on the quota system. When enterprises join the carbon trading system, how to optimally determine their target carbon emissions in the production cycle and the optimal price of their low-carbon products in order to maximize their own profits, based on the carbon emission quotas freely allocated by the government in the face of exogenous carbon trading prices and different consumer preferences for low-carbon products in the market, is discussed in detail. The experimental results show that the low marginal cost of emission reduction will urge enterprises to implement low-emission strategies as much as possible, and the marginal cost of a specific size will enable enterprises to implement low-carbon policies with low emissions, and the optimal emissions will decline with the increase of carbon prices. However, from the perspective of 50–300 carbon trading prices, the profits generated are less than those of the minimum emission strategy, and the difference between the two is generally one order of magnitude. Therefore, if the internal conditions permit and the external carbon trading price is reasonable, enterprises should reduce carbon emissions as much as possible. The properties obtained from the model analysis and the numerical conclusions given in the example part reflect the relationship between the enterprise product pricing, the marginal cost of emission reduction, and the target emission decision-making and draw some valuable information for the enterprise and the government decision-making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The necessity for transitioning to renewable energy sources and the intermittent nature of the natural variables lead to the integration of storage units into these projects. In this research paper, wind turbines and solar modules are combined with pumped hydro storage, batteries, and green hydrogen. Energy management strategies are described for five different scenarios of hybrid renewable energy systems, based on single or hybrid storage technologies. The motivation is driven by grid stability issues and the limited access to fresh water in the Greek islands. A RES-based desalination unit is introduced into the hybrid system for access to low-cost fresh water. The comparison of single and hybrid storage methods, the exploitation of seawater for the simultaneous fulfillment of water for domestic and agricultural purposes, and the evaluation of different energy, economic, and environmental indices are the innovative aspects of this research work. The results show that pumped hydro storage systems can cover the energy and water demand at the minimum possible price, 0.215 EUR/kWh and 1.257 EUR/m3, while hybrid storage technologies provide better results in the loss of load probability, payback period and CO2 emissions. For the pumped hydro–hydrogen hybrid storage system, these values are 21.40%, 10.87 years, and 2297 tn/year, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High-density urban development is promoted by both global and local policies in response to socio-economic and environmental challenges since it increases mobility of different land uses, decreases the need for traveling, encourages the use of more energy-efficient buildings and modes of transportation, and permits the sharing of scarce urban amenities. It is therefore argued that increased density and mixed-use development are expected to deliver positive outcomes in terms of contributing to three pillars (social, economic, and environmental domains) of sustainability in the subject themes. Territorial quality of life (TQL)—initially proposed by the ESPON Programme—is a composite indicator of the socio-economic and environmental well-being and life satisfaction of individuals living in an area. Understanding the role of urban density in TQL can provide an important input for urban planning debates addressing whether compact development can be promoted by referring to potential efficiencies in high-density, mixed land use and sustainable transport provisions. Alternatively, low-density suburban development is preferable due to its benefits of high per capita land use consumption (larger houses) for individual households given lower land prices. There is little empirical evidence on how TQL is shaped by high-density versus low-density urban forms. This paper investigates this topic through providing an approach to spatially map and examine the relationship between TQL, residential expansion, and densification processes in the so-called NUTS2 (nomenclature of terrestrial units for statistics) regions of European Union (EU) member countries. The relative importance of each TQL indicator was determined through the entropy weight method, where these indicators were aggregated through using the subject weights to obtain the overall TQL indicator. The spatial dynamics of TQL were examined and its relationship with residential expansion and densification processes was analysed to uncover whether the former or the latter process is positively associated with the TQL indicator within our study area. From our regression models, the residential expansion index is negatively related to the TQL indicator, implying that high levels of residential expansion can result in a reduction in overall quality of life in the regions if they are not supported by associated infrastructure and facility investments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research paper analyzes consumer expectations and priorities concerning environmental indicators within the food industry. The study's overall objective was to understand the importance of various environmental indicators on consumer purchasing decisions. A survey was conducted in Poland, utilizing a representative sample to measure participants' opinions. Respondents were asked to assess the importance of various environmental indicators in influencing their purchasing choices. The findings underscore a high demand among Polish consumers for environmental responsibility from companies operating in the food sector. Key indicators include the effectiveness of environmental management systems, pro-environmental investments, the promotion of environmental awareness, waste management, water conservation, and attention to supply chain and wastewater issues. This study provides a comprehensive understanding of consumer preferences, offering guidance for industry stakeholders and policymakers seeking to enhance sustainability practices and align their efforts with consumer expectations in the dynamic landscape of the food sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nowadays, roadway infrastructures are designed in order to satisfy technical and economical requirements, as well as to guarantee advanced environmental performance. Focusing on that, this paper deals with an innovative procedure for the characterization of pavement materials, both asphalt and cement-bound mixtures. The methodology takes its cue from a previous study in which the so-called Environmental Asphalt Rating (EAR) was firstly introduced as a reference parameter for asphalt pavements to evaluate technical offers and for the assignment of scores, in terms of environmental impacts, during the tender phase. In this work, the EAR methodology is revised with a focus on the main variations and improvements related to the new version of the ISO standard. By applying the same approach to rigid or concrete pavements, a preliminary version of the Environmental Concrete Rating (ECR) is presented. For ECR, a correction is provided regarding functionality through a fatigue-related parameter and the surface characteristics related to the IRI value. Despite its strong applicability to the pavement sector, the strength of the proposed method is its ability to be fine-tuned to different fields by varying the associated performance coefficients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plankton organisms are fundamental components of the earth's ecosystem. Zooplankton feeds on phytoplankton and is predated by fish and other aquatic animals, being at the core of the aquatic food chain. On the other hand, Phytoplankton has a crucial role in climate regulation, has produced almost 50% of the total oxygen in the atmosphere and it's responsible for fixing around a quarter of the total earth's carbon dioxide. Importantly, plankton can be regarded as a good indicator of environmental perturbations, as it can react to even slight environmental changes with corresponding modifications in morphology and behavior. At a population level, the biodiversity and the concentration of individuals of specific species may shift dramatically due to environmental changes. Thus, in this paper, we propose an anomaly detection-based framework to recognize heavy morphological changes in phytoplankton at a population level, starting from images acquired in situ. Given that an initial annotated dataset is available, we propose to build a parallel architecture training one anomaly detection algorithm for each available class on top of deep features extracted by a pre-trained Vision Transformer, further reduced in dimensionality with PCA. We later define global anomalies, corresponding to samples rejected by all the trained detectors, proposing to empirically identify a threshold based on global anomaly count over time as an indicator that can be used by field experts and institutions to investigate potential environmental perturbations. We use two publicly available datasets (WHOI22 and WHOI40) of grayscale microscopic images of phytoplankton collected with the Imaging FlowCytobot acquisition system to test the proposed approach, obtaining high performances in detecting both in-class and out-of-class samples. Finally, we build a dataset of 15 classes acquired by the WHOI across four years, showing that the proposed approach's ability to identify anomalies is preserved when tested on images of the same classes acquired across a timespan of years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The need of undertaking effective actions against the climate change is pushing industrial companies to find new business models and technological solutions to reduce the resource utilization and the waste production. In this context, several companies are moving towards servitization, that has been proved as a promising strategy to enable sustainable business models in a wide spectrum, namely encompassing environmental, economic and social aspects. Nevertheless, companies lacks of tools for evaluating different servitization models with a clear view of economic and environmental benefits. This paper presents a model to estimate the profitability of servitization opportunities by combining economic Net Present Value index and environmental impacts estimation. The model is targeted on the steel sector, for which a preliminary application has been developed and is discussed in the paper. The results show that adopting different servitization business models, several benefits could be exploited both from providers and customers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Power Electronics (PE) is pivotal in fostering renewable energy. However, focusing on usage efficiency shifts environmental impacts across its life cycle, leading to excessive resource extraction and waste accumulation. Integrating environmental impact indicators in PE development is crucial for informed design decisions. Nevertheless, the current literature lacks the provision of adequate understanding of the PE product development process for successful ecodesign in PE industry. To effectively tackle the industrial integration aspect of ecodesign that enable functional and system innovation, this study employs empirical research, combining literature analysis with in-depth interviews with PE designers. Requirements for an ecodesign support to integrate ecodesign practices into the Product Development Process (PDP) of PCB-based Power Electronic Components (PECs) is proposed in this paper based on the interview results. These specifications are delineating the necessary working and decision- making steps. Subsequently, a parameterized Functional Block-based Life Cycle Analysis (FB-LCA) model is proposed under the requirement. A five-step methodology is proposed to operationalise the implementation of the FB-LCA model, aiming to supporting the definition of functional structure, configuration of technical solutions and choice of hardware components by considering environmental impacts generated all along life cycle, from manufacturing, transport, use, circularity scenario, end-of-life .The case study of a PCB-based boost converter design is conducted in collaboration with a PE engineer to test the practical implementation of FB-LCA model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main purpose of the paper is to highlight the impact of foliar fertilization during the various growth stages of winter wheat and its role in achieving high-quality and superior production. Foliar fertilizers play a crucial role in calibrating and forming active growth intervals correlated with productivity factors. The research was conducted over a two-year period using the Andrada winter wheat variety. It involved the application of four different foliar fertilizers: basic mineral fertilization, FoliMAX Orange (two treatments and three treatments), FoliMAX CerealsMIX (two treatments and three treatments), and Microfert U (three treatments). Depending on the treatment, two or three applications of foliar with foliar fertilizers were carried out at various stages of winter wheat development, including pre-flowering and grain formation. The research method used to record physiological parameters was non-destructive (the leaves were not detached from the plant) and was based on the use of the CIRAS-3 foliar gas analyzer, which simultaneously determines several physiological and environmental indicators. As an indicator read by the device, photosynthesis was chosen for leaf temperature and leaf transpiration, correlated with production and quality indices. By applying the foliar fertilizer treatments to the wheat culture, we managed to increase production and improve the quality. After using different foliar fertilizers, the assimilation and physiological parameters had higher values of over 30 μmolm−2·s−1. Foliar fertilization applied to the winter wheat variety resulted in an average production increase between 450 and 765 kg·ha−1 and quality indices with a protein percentage between 11.5 and 12.6%, gluten content between 21.5 to 24.0% and the Zeleny index between 29.0 and 39.0%, and the mass of one thousand grains was between 48.0 and 50.5 g. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Efficiency analyses have been widely used in the literature to rank countries regarding their health system performances. However, little place has been given to the environmental aspect: two countries with the same characteristics could experience completely different healthcare system outcomes just because they do not face the same environmental quality situation, which is a major determinant of the health of inhabitants. Methods: Using a stochastic frontier model, this paper analyses the effect of environmental quality on health system outcomes in OECD countries, measured by life expectancy at birth. Results: We show that the healthcare system performance ranking of OECD countries changes significantly, depending on whether the environmental index is taken into account. Conclusions: These findings, once again, underline the critical importance of the environment when addressing population health issues. In general, our results can be aligned with the messages of the One Health approach literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Our previous studies showed that the change in the plankton response to light could be an indicator of environmental pollution. This study experimentally reveals that the response of Daphnia magna Straus and Daphnia pulex plankton ensembles to photostimulation depends on the intensity of the attracting light. This makes it difficult to identify the occurrence and change of pollutant concentration. The large variability in the magnitude of the behavioral response is caused by the nonlinear response of plankton ensembles to the intensity of the attractor stimulus. As the intensity of the photostimulation increases, the variability of the phototropic response passes through increase, decrease, and relative stabilization phases. The paper proposes a modification of the photostimulation method—paired photostimulation involving successive exposure to two photostimuli of increasing intensity. The first stimulus stabilizes the behavioral response, while the increase in response to the second stimulus makes it possible to more accurately assess the responsiveness of the plankton ensemble. The paper studies the sensitivity of the method of paired stimulation of the behavioral response of different types of freshwater plankton ensembles: Daphnia magna Straus, Daphnia pulex to the effects of pollutants (potassium bichromate, microplastic). The study demonstrates good reliability and increased sensitivity of this method of detecting changes in environmental toxicity compared to single photostimulation or traditional bioindication through the survival rate of test organisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the ocean, mesoscale or submesoscale structures and coastal processes are associated with fine scales. The simulation of such features thus requires the hydrodynamic equations to be solved at high-resolution (from a few hundred meters down to a few tens of meters). Therefore, local mesh refinement is a primary issue for regional and coastal modeling. The AGRIF (adaptive grid refinement in Fortran) library is committed to tackling such a challenge for structured grids. It has been implemented in MARS3D (Model for Application at Regional Scale), a semi-implicit, free-surface numerical model developed by Ifremer (the French Research Institute for Exploitation of the Sea) for coastal environmental research and studies. As its time scheme uses an alternating-direction implicit (ADI) algorithm, the two-way nesting implementation differs from the one in explicit models. The present paper describes the specifics of the AGRIF introduction and how the nesting preserves some essential properties (mass, momentum and tracer conservations) along with the induced constraints (bathymetric coherence between grids and increase in computation cost). The use and the performance of this new tool are detailed over two configurations that illustrate the wide range of scales and resolutions typically targeted by coastal applications. The first one is based on multiple high-resolution (500 m) grids that pave the coastal ocean over thousands of kilometers, allowing a continuum between the regional and coastal scales. The second application is more local and has a finer resolution (50 m). It targets a recurrent question for semi-enclosed bays, i.e., the renewal time indicator. Throughout these configurations, the paper intends to compare the two-way nesting method with the traditional one-way approach. It highlights how the MARS3D-AGRIF tool proves to be an efficient way to both improve the physical hydrodynamics and unravel ecological challenges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to investigate the impact of environmental regulations on trade patterns, in terms of trade in environmental goods listed in Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) and Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). Environmental goods are defined here as those that enable sustainable growth and reduce pollution from human activity. For this reason, issues on environmental goods can be put at the forefront to analyze the linkage between environmental regulations and trade flows in the perspective of international institutions. Within the framework of a gravity model, panel data on 112 exporter countries and 53 importer countries is used at a bilateral level over the period of 1989–2013 to gain an understanding of this trade-environmental regulation nexus. This paper proxies the environmental policies by employing the z-score, which includes three comprehensive environmental indicators. The findings indicate that the strict environmental policies impede the trade, and this effect is greater in terms of the environmental goods listed in APEC compared to the ones listed in OECD. Finally, although these stringent environmental regulations reduce the trade flows, they can help to foster the demand for environmentally-friendly products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The agenda for sustainable development actualizes sustainability analysis of countries' social, ecological, and economic conditions, as well as the necessity of designing practical recommendations to realize the sustainable development goals (SDGs). Sustainability analysis is a part of decision making and policy development in a broad environmental, economic, and social context. That is why this analysis goes beyond simple technical assessment. In order to make sustainability a target variable in development strategies, it is necessary to use special methods combining mathematical tools and managerial content. The paper systematizes modern mathematical methods for assessing economic sustainability and proposes a methodology for the integrated assessment of the social, economic, and environmental sustainability of countries, which were tested on data from 24 EU countries over 12 periods. The case study results derived from spatial and temporal samples are consistent with the currently observed processes in the EU. The content basis is the UN concept of sustainable development, the instrumental basis is multivariate comparisons, the Mahalanobis distances method, the correlation and regression analysis, analysis of variance, time series analysis, and trends analysis. Composite indices of social, economic, and environmental sustainability of the EU countries, each of them including five indicators, were developed in this study; the levels of social, economic, and environmental sustainability of EU countries were determined, as well as individual instability indicators. Mahalanobis distances and relative and absolute sustainability indicators were calculated and determined. Cluster analysis of the EU countries by levels of social, economic, and environmental instability and Mahalanobis distances, the diagnosis of the current situation and dominant trends were carried out for testing the hypothesis that there are positive relations between the instability of development and Mahalanobis distances. Hypotheses about the relationship between instability and the level of country development, reflected in the values of socio-economic and environmental indicators, and whether countries with good values of social, environmental, and economic indicators are the most sustainable, were investigated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rural residential sector is known to employ outdated and old inefficient appliances which lead to significant energy depletion and this has a bleak outcome on sustainability. Energy, exergy and sustainability analyses can be employed to point out the link between energy used and sustainability. This paper aims to highlight the effect of exergy loss on the sustainability of Cameroon residential sector. Hence, an exergy-based sustainability assessment of this sector is performed based on statistical data from 2000 to 2018. Measures to enhance the sustainability of this sector in terms of sustainability indicators are also addressed. The energy and exergy efficiencies of this sector are found to vary respectively from 26.32 to 28.55%; and from 5.95 to 6.58%. It was found from sustainability analysis that, depletion number and sustainability index were almost constant at 0.93 and 1.06, respectively. The waste exergy ratio for biofuel and wood energy are higher than that of kerosene, electricity and liquefied petroleum gas. The environmental destruction index of this sector was found to be high and records a maximum value of 31.60 and the environmental benign index was found to be low and its highest obtained value was 0.035. For biofuel and wood energy, the highest relative irreversibility was found to be 0.59 and 0.48, respectively while the highest lack of productivity was found to be 9.33 and 6.98, respectively. Replacing obsolete and outdated inefficient devices by modern efficient devices can enhance the sustainability of this sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Sustainability is a vital perspective for banks to keep their survival in the long run. While nonperforming loans (NPLs) also impact sustainability, this study aims to examine the moderating impact of NPLs on the adoption of sustainable development goals and the financial performance of the banks. The central hypothesis assumes that even after adopting sustainable development goals, banks cannot get high profits if their NPLs are high. Economic, social, and environmental indicators represent SDG measurement using an ESE index. We are performing panel data analysis through regression and the GMM technique. This study also conducts independent research on economic, social, and environmental indicators. We found that NPL significantly moderates the relationship between the SDGs and the financial performance. This paper has the following vital contribution. Bank that adopts sustainable development goals may have low profits if it has a high nonperforming loan ratio so banks must focus on the customer to whom they offer loans. The novelty of this study is adopting the ESE index for measuring the adoption of SDGs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Modular construction has become exceedingly relevant against the current scenario of increasing housing demand and can respond to this need in Canada due to its advantages of rapid construction. However, a holistic environmental sustainability framework for this construction method is still lacking. This paper proposes a hierarchical-based framework to benchmark the environmental performance of modular buildings versus conventional buildings. The framework identifies criteria and indicators affecting environmental sustainability, makes composite indicators, and establishes performance benchmarks. Based on expert survey, six criteria (construction waste management, energy performance and efficiency strategies, site disruption and appropriate strategies, renewable and environmentally preferable products, regional materials, and renewable energy use) are first identified. The related indicators and sub-indicators are combined to develop indices using Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution. Robust benchmark scales were established through application of Monte Carlo analysis on data collected through experts. Finally, the developed indices were compared against the benchmark scales at different assessment levels. The proposed framework was examined for two single-family modular buildings in British Columbia, Canada. The overall environmental performance benchmarking informs the policy makers on the usefulness of modular buildings, while the criteria-level indices direct the construction industry practitioners to improve the low performing indicators. The proposed framework will enhance the sustainability of modular and offsite construction in Canada. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the global economic and environmental importance of the leather industry, the specialized literature still presents an important gap in analyzing the environmental performance of the leather manufacturing process from the waste generated. This paper aims to propose an unprecedented index (Index of Leather Manufacturing - ILM) to evaluate the environmental performance of leather manufacturing processes. The development of the index combines Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and a Multicriteria Decision Method (MCDM) and is oriented to consider the impact of waste on environmental health. Its estimate is based on: the calculation of the environmental potential impact of the waste; the waste quantity produced by the company over a given period; the relative geographic coverage that each waste can achieve; the assessment of the appropriateness of the disposal of waste generated by the firm. The proposed index was tested on a large Brazilian leather manufacturer. The results showed that the waste management in the company is not perfect but is well rated, and residues with the greatest environmental impact are: wetblue shavings, wetblue sawdust, and gaseous emissions from beam house operation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to scientifically set up the diagnosis index system for the implementation state of large-scale construction projects, this paper proposed a new method which takes into account the indicators in all level states. Different from the index system constructed by other methods, the indexes/indicators established in this paper are more systematically correlated, with a better hierarchical progression in all levels of the index system. The particular diagnosis index parameters of the management objects are firstly analysed through the mathematic model based on the Rough Set. Then, the representation of the periodical management problems is taken as the study object, and the detailed establishing process to form the index system is presented based on the evidenced theory and the Rough Set extraction. Finally, a case study is presented to validate the proposed method. It is shown that the index system set up by the proposed method can not only represent the systematic hierarchical relationships among all corresponding indexes but also diagnose the macroscopic, the mesostates, and the microstates effectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reviews the environmental Kuznets curve (EKC) literature, which postulates an inverted‐U association between pollutants and economic output, suggesting that economic growth initially leads to greater environmental deterioration at low levels of income, but that factors may eventually cause an improvement in environmental quality with further economic development. A systematic review was conducted using the bibliographic map method to identify the main research streams and to identify possible gaps and areas for future research. Six research streams were identified: testing the basic EKC equation, critique of EKC, determinants of EKC, review of EKC, a nexus of income–energy consumption and new environmental indicators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]