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Rationale: Rapid on‐site detection of persistent organic pollutants (POP) is highly desirable for environmental protection. Methods: Herein, a rapid on‐site analytical workflow was developed for the investigation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and perfluorinated compounds using multiwalled carbon nanotube–modified paper spray ionization (PSI) coupled with a miniature ion trap mass spectrometer. Critical parameters regarding PSI and miniature mass spectrometry analysis were optimized. Results: The analytical performance of the developed method was evaluated under optimized conditions, obtaining a short analysis duration of less than 1 min, sufficient linearity with correlation coefficients greater than 0.99, acceptable recovery rates of 93.1%–105.8% with relative standard deviations of between 3.5% and 10.3%, and reasonable sensitivity with limits of detection and quantitation of 2–200 and 5–500 μg/L, respectively. Conclusions: Considering these aspects, it was concluded that the present approach demonstrated a promising solution for rapid on‐site detection of emerging POPs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As acetonitrile is a widely used solvent for the chemical industry, the recovery of acetonitrile from acetonitrile wastewater is significant for both industrial cost reduction and environmental protection. In this article, a simple, low‐energy, and low‐cost strategy is proposed for the effective separation of acetonitrile from high‐concentration acetonitrile wastewater. The approach is based on a sequential combination of two steps: salt‐induced phase separation and hydrophobic filtration. The acetonitrile wastewater was first induced to split into two phases by salt, that is, the acetonitrile‐rich phase and the water‐rich phase, then the above two phases were poured into the hydrophobic filter paper funnel for the separation. It was shown that NaCl is a suitable salting‐out reagent, and that hydrophobic filter papers—obtained from modification by butyltrichlorosilane and octyltrichlorosilane were the optimal choice for hydrophobic filtration. The salt‐induced phase separation process is able to increase the volume fraction of acetonitrile in the acetonitrile‐rich phase up to 92%. The acetonitrile‐rich phase can pass through the hydrophobic filter paper, whereas the water‐rich phase was intercepted. The hydrophobic filter paper retained strong hydrophobicity and high acetonitrile‐separating capacity after 3 months storage, or upon immersion in acetonitrile‐water mixtures for 12 h, or applied for 25 consecutive separations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accurate and up‐to‐date biodiversity forecasts enable robust planning for environmental management and conservation of landscapes under a wide range of uses. Future predictions of the species composition of ecological communities complement more frequently reported species richness estimates to better characterize the different dimensions of biodiversity. The models that make community composition forecasts are calibrated with data on species' geographic patterns for the present, which may not be good proxies for future patterns. The future establishment of novel communities represents data on species interactions unaccounted for by these models. However, detecting them in a systematic way presents challenges due to the lack of monitoring data for landscapes with high environmental turnover, where such communities are likely to establish. Here, we propose lightweight monitoring over both ecological and anthropogenic disturbance gradients using passive sensors (i.e., those that operate continuously without much human input) to detect novel communities with the aim of updating models that make community composition forecasts. Monitoring over these two gradients should maximize detection of novel communities and improve understanding of relationships between community composition and environmental change. Further, barriers regarding cost and effort are reduced by using relatively few sensors requiring minimal upkeep. Ongoing updates to community composition forecasts based on novel community data and better understanding of the associated uncertainty should improve future decision‐making for both resource management and conservation efforts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report a paper-based chemosensor array device (PCSAD) for the quantitative detection of oxyanions including the herbicide glyphosate (GlyP) in aqueous media. The mechanism of the oxyanion detection relies on a coordination-binding-based sensor array. In this study, the competitive coordination binding among Zn2+, four catechol dyes, and seven oxyanions caused noticeable colour changes. The colour changes were employed for qualitative and quantitative analyses using an in-house automated image-processing algorithm with pattern recognition for digital images. A linear discrimination analysis discerned similarly structured oxyanions with 100% accuracy. The regression analysis allowed the accurate quantification of GlyP in the herbicide products with a limit of detection of 16 mg/L, which is lower than the health advisory value for children (20 mg/L) stipulated by the environmental protection agency (EPA). PCSAD is a powerful sensor device for the on-site quantification of aqueous anions for environmental assessment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The formaldehyde‐free resin impregnated paper is expected to be applied to interior decoration materials and furniture. This is not only conducive to the development of indoor environment toward green and environmental protection, but also beneficial to people's health. In this work, the formaldehyde‐free resin (waterborne polyurethane and waterborne acrylic acid) mixed with cellulose nanocrystal (CNC) were separately coated on a raw decorative paper by a dipping method to obtain formaldehyde‐free impregnated paper with outstanding surface bound strength and abrasion resistance. The surface bound strength and abrasion resistance were tested by means of universal ability test machine and abrasion tester. The results showed that waterborne polyurethane and waterborne acrylic acid enhanced by CNC had excellent dispersion, and the bonding properties of formaldehyde‐free impregnated paper were improved by 41.3 and 33.3%, respectively. Meanwhile, the abrasion resistance of formaldehyde‐free impregnated paper was improved by the crystal effect of CNC. © 2020 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2020, 137, 48931. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, eco-efficiency – ‘sustainable development at the company level’ or ‘value added per environmental impact’ – is operationalized at the production unit level. An eco-efficiency index is developed and tested with 31 Finnish and 37 Swedish pulp, paper and board mills in 1993–1996. In essence, gross value added without a change in inventories is divided by environmental impact aggregated with seven valuation methods. The definition of eco-efficiency as sustainable development at the company level appears to be problematic. [Eco]2-efficiency does not include the third, ethical dimension sustainable development, but only ecology and economy. Value added is a limited indicator of economic performance and very sensitive to changes in market prices, while environmental impact changes with valuation assumptions. The Swedish mills were generally more eco-efficient, while the Finnish mills were more eco-efficient in integrated woodfree paper, solid bleached sulphate board and liquid packaging board. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research on environmental reporting within individual sectors and industries is limited. Generic studies have typically focused on the reporting practices of the world's largest corporates. Some industries and sectors are under-represented within these studies, limiting the potential for industry- or sector-specific analysis. Forest and paper is one industry frequently under-represented. This study examines environmental reporting amongst the top 100 forest and paper companies. The scale of environmental report publication is investigated, and the breadth and depth of reporting on the key industry issues of forest management and fibre procurement examined. The results show reporting is more prevalent amongst larger corporates but marked regional variations are evident. Most noticeably, Scandinavian companies are reporting more extensively, both in terms of the number of levels at which they report and the depth of information included on forest management and fibre procurement. Reasons for the marked regional variations in reporting are considered and markets for forest products and preferences within those markets for specific certification schemes identified as potential influencing factors. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since more than a decade ago, the research on highly filled papers, as well as paper‐derived inorganic materials, has greatly intensified. As presented in this review, highly filled papers as preforms allow for the design of porous or dense, multilayered, and geometrically complex structures. These paper‐derived ceramic‐ or metal‐based materials are generated by the heat‐treatment of highly filled papers. Paper‐derived materials are potential materials of choice for applications in transportation, energy‐generation, environmental conservation, support structures, medical uses, and electronic components. Due to the adjustability of the filler content and the good machinability of highly filled papers, paper‐derived sheets or multilayers may include intricate structures and tailored gradients in phase structure or porosity. Paper‐derived multilayers also may contain cast ceramic tapes or other functionalized layers, as presented in some examples. Computer‐aided manufacturing processes for paper‐derived materials can be supplemented by prediction models for the sintering shrinkage in order to identify optimal post‐processing steps, stacking orders and orientations for highly filled paper layers within multilayer green bodies. The accuracy of established component‐level sintering models can be significantly increased by microstructure models of the highly filled paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study evaluates the impact of pollution performance by pulp and paper firms on their economic and market performance. Pollution performance measurement is based on a pollution index developed from pollution emission reports filed with the regional offices of the Environmental Protection Agency by pulp and paper firms for their individual plants. Economic performance is measured by Net Income, ROE, ROA, Cashflow/Equity and Cashflow/Assets; market performance is measured by the PE ratio and systematic risk. The association between the pollution index and economic and market performance variables is tested by the Pearson Correlation coefficients. The results of this study indicate that, in the short run, pollution performance is negatively associated with economic performance and that the markets do not reward good pollution performance. Strict pollution standards may be desirable for forcing management to undertake pollution abatement activities to achieve a cleaner environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this article is to analyse in what way a conflict in the early 20th century (1904–1911) over a Swedish pulp mill's emissions into air and water impacted on the technology choices and strategies of the mill. The article also analyses what characterized the company's other responses to the complaints, in the form of counter-arguments, as well as engagement of experts. The access to information about the deliberations at the mill's board meetings is very rare in historical studies of company behaviour in relation to the environment, and provides us with a unique opportunity to comprehend in what way business strategies were developed during the course of the conflict. Technology choices are often characterized by the search for knowledge that enables a company to employ existing but not yet developed technical potentials, rather than choices between known technical solutions. We emphasize that this is particularly evident in a case where a company is forced to alter its technology in order to solve previously unknown environmental problems. In spite of a persistent search, the mill did not find any ready-made technological solutions to the environmental problems faced and was therefore forced to engage scientific expertise and even initiate basic scientific research. In 1911, the Swedish Supreme Administrative Court ordered the mill to undertake a number of pollution abatement investments. Interestingly – and partly in line with the so-called Porter hypothesis – the long-run economics of these investments turned out to be more favourable than anticipated prior to the verdict. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, the FWHM and quantum efficiency of organic light‐emitting materials are analyzed, and the feasibility analysis of organic light‐emitting materials adopted in LCD module for the widest color gamut are researched and developed. By matching the color filter design, Adobe RGB coverage 99.5% and DCI‐P3 coverage 99.5% is achieved. And by adjusting the red material emitting wavelength, bt2020 coverage 91% is achieved. In terms of environmental protection and non‐toxic, organic light‐emitting materials without heavy metal components are significantly more environmental friendly than CdSe QD. In terms of energy efficiency, the LCM with organic light‐emitting film has better performance than that with InP QD film. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article reports on the production of cement out of paper pulp waste as discovered by Portuguese researchers. Fernando Castro, lead researcher of the University of Minho in Minho, Portugal, had mentioned that the use of the paper pulp waste can decrease the quantity of toxic waste in the environment. He further explained the process of creating the clinker, the raw material for making cement.

We studied the possibility of converting waste toilet paper (WTP) into electricity. WTP is a waste stream with continuous availability and negative cost, but it is difficult to handle, as it contains fecal matter. The process we explored had two stages: WTP gasification followed by direct conversion into electricity in a high-temperature solid-oxide fuel cell (SOFC). The process was studied on a 10 ktpa scale by using real-life parameter values obtained from industrial sources. We presented the basic system design, as well as its electricity yield and overall efficiency on the basis of detailed mass- and energy-balance calculations. By explorative technoeconomic analysis and sensitivity analysis, we found an electric efficiency of 57 %, which is similar to that of a natural gas combined cycle plant. The levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) was 20.3 ¢ kWh−1, which is comparable at present to that of residential photovoltaic installations. The system's capital costs are relatively high, mainly as a result of SOFC investment costs, but we expect these costs to decrease as the market of cells develops. The operating costs are relatively low, partly thanks to the high thermodynamic efficiency (≈70 %). Currently, the fuel costs are negative (because we use waste as a raw material), yet this could change if the value of WTP would increase as a result of this process. Learning effects could make the system more competitive in the future with an LCOE of approximately 11 ¢ kWh−1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this 2-year study was to investigate Malawian teacher educators' perspectives and dispositions toward teaching about ecological sustainability issues in Malawi, a developing country in sub-Sahara Africa. This study was embedded in a larger theoretical framework of investigating earth systems science through the understanding of nature–knowledge–culture systems from local, place-based perspectives. Specifically, we were interested in learning more about eco-justice issues that are related to environmental degradation in Malawi and the potential role of inquiry-oriented pedagogies in addressing these issues. In a science methods course, the African educators' views on deforestation and teaching about ecological sustainability were explored within the context of the local environment and culture. Teachers participated in inquiry pedagogies designed to promote the sharing of perspectives related to the connections between culture and ecological degradation. Strategies encouraging dialogue and reflection included role-playing, class discussions, curriculum development activities, teaching experiences with children, and field trips to a nature preserve. Data were analyzed from postcolonial and critical pedagogy of place theoretical perspectives to better understand the hybridization of viewpoints influenced by both Western and indigenous science and the political hegemonies that impact sustainable living in Malawi. Findings suggested that the colonial legacy of Malawi continues to impact the ecological sustainability issue of deforestation. Inquiry-oriented pedagogies and connections to indigenous science were embraced by the Malawian educators as a means to involve children in investigation, decision making, and ownership of critical environmental issues. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Sci Ed90:660–680, 2006 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In February 2001, the European Commission published its White Paper on a Strategy for a Future Chemicals Policy. The publication launched a heated debate on principles, aims, instruments, implementation and management of future chemicals control in the European Communities. The White Paper came in the wake of massive criticism of current chemicals legislation. Various parties involved repeatedly expressed their concern about a tremendous lack of effectiveness. Furthermore, comparisons with other industrialized countries outside the EU indicated that the current regulatory framework actually discourages innovation in the European chemicals industry. This paper examines current European chemicals policy and main elements of the White Paper strategy with a special focus on the impact of chemicals regulation on innovation towards sustainability. The claim that chemicals regulation tends to block innovation is rejected for lack of conclusive proofs. In contrast, the paper reinforces the view that the White Paper strategy is an important step forward towards sustainability in the chemicals sector. However, with the aim to make it pay for companies to pursue environmentally orientated innovation strategies, supporting measures and instruments need to be developed further. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. and ERP Environment [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

After years of good service, EU legislation on chemicals is currently subject to a major review. This process, initiated by the Council of Ministers at Chester in April 1998, will soon lead to new legislative proposals. In the meantime, a review of the Commission's White Paper on “Strategy for a Future Chemicals Policy,” published in February 2001, clearly shows that the regulatory landscape in this area will be significantly reshaped and that a new burden will be imposed on industry to demonstrate that the production and use of chemicals indeed conform to high standards of protection of human health and the environment. In the view of industry, on both sides of the Atlantic, while the objectives of the proposed reform can be supported, the measures proposed in the White Paper to implement these objectives are not properly balanced and will lead to substantial societal and economic drawbacks, unless significant adjustments are made. The purpose of this article is to present the pitfalls and difficulties of the reform as they are perceived by the EU Committee of the American Chamber of Commerce in Brussels, an organization that regroups about 150 European companies of American parentage, belonging to a broad range of European business sectors, including producers and users of chemicals. In view of the transatlantic and cross-business character of its membership, the EU Committee offers a different perspective on the debate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Driven by the demand for carbon emission reduction and environmental protection, battery swapping stations (BSS) with battery energy storage stations (BESS) and distributed generation (DG) have become one of the key technologies to achieve the goal of emission peaking and carbon neutrality. Therefore, this paper proposes a strategy to optimize the operation of BSS with photovoltaics (PV) and BESS supplied by transformer spare capacity. Firstly, it introduces the operation mechanism of BSS and uses the spare capacity of building special transformers and the roof PV to supply power to BSS to avoid the investment of transformers. Secondly, this paper establishes the load model of BSS and proposes the charging rules of battery swapping. Thirdly, a segmented pricing mechanism for the rental price of special transformers is formulated to guide BSS operators to preferentially rent spare capacity during low load rate periods. Aiming at the maximum daily profit of BSS, an optimization model is established to optimize the number of batteries to be charged and the charging status of BESS in each period; on this basis, the demand response model is further proposed. Simulation results show that the proposed strategy can improve the daily profit of BSS through shifting load. And the configuration of BESS can improve the battery swapping capacity and peak‐shaving ability. Moreover, the exponential segmented pricing mechanism can greatly reduce the number of high load periods and reduce the burden on the power supply. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In many countries, complex environmental problems such as biodiversity decline are regulated at the national level by a disparate range of laws and nonstatutory policy instruments variously described by terms including plans, strategies, guidelines, statements of intent, and/or incentives. Such instruments are often grouped together by conservation policymakers and scientists under the umbrella term “policy.” However, from a legal perspective, there are critical differences between these so‐called policy instruments. In this paper, we focus on what we consider to be the critical difference: whether a policy instrument is binding, and therefore whether an administrative decision (e.g., about a development proposal) can be legally challenged due to noncompliance with that policy instrument. Drawing from international examples, the aim of this paper is to give conservation policymakers and scientists the guidance needed to critically differentiate between laws and nonstatutory policy, assess current or proposed policies, and determine whether a nonstatutory instrument gives rise to binding obligations, thus allowing for decisions to be challenged before a court. In doing so, we encourage conservation scientists, policymakers, activists, and practitioners to reflect critically on what is possible and not possible when nonstatutory “policy” instruments are designed and implemented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines transport and mobility in rural and remote communities, focusing on trade‐offs between development and environmental protection in the Anthropocene. In Sarawak, a state of Malaysia, unpaved logging roads provide basic mobility for remote communities while contributing to the unsustainable and inequitable extraction of natural resources. I argue that the conditions under which transport infrastructure is provided prevent the possibility for sustainable development and pitch local people against a landscape that is the source of livelihoods and identities. The paper is interested in the life and agency of infrastructure and the environment, new materialism and critical approaches to development within human geography. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This section offers news briefs related to environmental protection and sustainable energy resources in the U.S. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has finalized the rulings to the Clean Air Act which focused on smokestack emissions that travel long distances through the air. Ford Motor Co. has partnered with Recycled Polymeric Materials (RPM) to recycle used tires into sustainable gaskets and seals. The paper industry has shown strong recovery rates from 2000 to 2009.

There is a growing recognition of the need for frameworks for environmental management which transcend disciplinary boundaries while building upon established approaches to applied research which have recognized legitimacy and utility. This paper investigates ways of thinking about practical transdisciplinarity in cases of integrated environmental and landscape management. A brief review is first presented of systemic conceptions which can inform our transdisciplinary practice, including ‘civic science’ and a recognition of contestable concepts. This is followed by a discussion of current approaches to inquiry and management of lived-in environments and landscapes, particularly that of integrated catchment management (ICM). Three case studies at different scales are then described to highlight the importance of core ‘contestable concepts’ around which transdisciplinary dialogues can occur. The first case study is that of the question of ‘risk’ in relation to the Hawkesbury Water Reuse Scheme, on the Hawkesbury campus of the University of Western Sydney. The second case study is that of ‘investment’ in stormwater and wastewater management in the Hawkesbury–Nepean River Catchment, in Western Sydney. The third case study is of the question of ‘meta-methodology’ when developing cases of ICM in China which build on both international experiences and the local context. The final section engages with transdisciplinarity as a contestable concept itself. The breadth of fields of inquiry engaging with this notion are briefly identified, along with some key examples of emerging concepts and language which may be broadly applicable to cases of environmental and landscape management. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents some preliminary results of a research project started in May 2002 on the German transportation planning system, commissioned by the Federal Environmental Agency. The main aim of this project is to find ways to integrate formal strategic environmental assessment (SEA) and to identify technical and methodological opportunities for implementing the SEA Directive. It reveals that whilst environmental aspects are already taken into account to a reasonable extent, certain amendments are needed in order to fully meet the requirements of the SEA Directive. Furthermore, the paper calls for a new type of ‘Federal Transport Development Plan’. This should focus on an assessment of strategic alternatives as the basis for the integration of individual projects. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, a novel fluorescent probe (graphene quantum dots functionalized d‐penicillamine [GQDs‐DPA]) was developed for the selective identification of Cu2+, V5+, and Fe3+ among 26 types of metal ions, which considerably quench the fluorescence intensity of GQD. So, GQDs‐DPA was applied as a simple fluorescent probe for facile metal ions recognition in standard solution. The proposed DPA‐GQD supported amino acids respond to Cu2+, V5+, and Fe3+, with high sensitivity. The intensity of the fluorescence histogram of this probe significantly diminished in exposure to metal ions such as Cu(II), V(V), and Fe(III). Moreover, a microfluidic paper‐based device (μPAD) was fabricated through a facile and cost‐effective protocol. Cu2+, V5+, and Fe3+ can be selectively recognized by GQDs‐DPA using μPAD by naked eye. Also, GQDs‐DPA exhibits a linear response for the detection of ions in concentrations ranging from 0.01 to 1 ppm, with a low limit of quantification of 0.01 ppm in standards samples. The boosted color uniformity, low instrumental needs of the stamp, and disposability of μPADs enable the application of the proposed device for commercial applications in environmental science and technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agricultural production systems currently face multiple challenges: Climate change, natural resource depletion, and supply chain disruption, together with global population growth. As sustainable agriculture must simultaneously deliver myriad services (e.g. provide food security, maintain natural resources, retain and improve framers' profitability, and sustain biodiversity), a systemic and multidisciplinary approach is thus needed. In this context, new technologies based on sensors, automatic machines, robots, and digital applications show much potential. The special section of the Agronomy Journal, entitled, "Agricultural and Biological Sciences: Plant, Soil, Animal and Environment Nutrient Management," brings together a coherent set of research studies. All papers published in this special section address current, relevant topics for agriculture, biology and environmental sciences with a multidisciplinary approach aimed at generating new scientific information on digital technologies, bioinformatics, plant science, soil resources, agricultural waste, and environmentally conscious approaches. A total of 58 papers were submitted, each of which was evaluated by expert reviewers using a double‐blind reviewing process and 25 full text papers were accepted for publication in the special section. The present paper highlights the findings of the published papers, with the aim of bringing cutting‐edge innovation to applied research in agriculture and biology. The published papers here provide new knowledge and viable solutions for better performance in agricultural and biological sciences. New technologies will change the concept of farming and agribusiness making it more profitable, efficient, safer, attractive, simple, smart, and finally sustainable. Rural development and food security policies must support and finance the easiest possible access to new technologies for agricultural producers. Core Ideas: New technologies in agriculture are pivotal for innovative cropping systems that improve climate resilience.Modern farms get significant benefits from new technologies.The special section, "Agricultural and Biological Sciences: Plant, Soil, Animal and Environment nutrient Management," provides both new knowledge from the cutting‐edge research and practical solutions to serious problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to improve knowledge about the main factors influencing firm environmental commitment, by examining empirically the relationship between public support for R&D for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and their investment in environmental protection. The empirical analysis was developed using a sample of 1594 Spanish firms, and a binary logistic regression to evaluate the existence of dependency relationships between the analyzed variables. The results show that those companies receiving direct funding from local public entities and those collaborating with research centers and universities, invest more in environmental actions to protect the natural ecosystem. The paper contributes to the academic literature by analyzing the main factors that influence the SMEs environmental commitment. Moreover, showing practitioners and policy makers the effectiveness of different types of financial support depending on the origin of the funds and the form of action taken; showing managers the advantages of collaborating with public administrations, as well as with other research organizations, to obtain better ECSR results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on the perspective of environmental protection incentives, this paper discusses the influence of air pollution control on industrial land leasing behavior theoretically and empirically. Air pollution control significantly inhibits the behavior of industrial land leasing, and the results are still robust after taking into account the robustness checks. Environmental protection incentives are key mechanisms for air pollution control that affects industrial land leasing. Heterogeneity tests show that the effect of air pollution control on land resource allocation varies with different regional pollution control pressure, environmental regulation intensity, and industrial pollution degree. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soil is a nonrenewable resource, and groundwater is a critical source of drinking water. Effective soil and water protection, assessment and, if affected, recovery from contamination are priorities around the world; eco‐friendly interventions in line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals are favored objectives. These issues were discussed during the sixth RemTech Europe conference (https://www.remtechexpo.com/it/remtech-europe/remtech-europe), which focused on sustainable technologies for land and water remediation; environmental protection; and the rehabilitation, regeneration, and sustainable development of contaminated sites, encouraging diverse stakeholders to share cutting‐edge technologies, case studies, and innovation. Effective, practical, and sustainable management of remediation is only possible if the projects are completed, which is supported when the participants start the remediation planning with this end in mind. Several strategies to support and achieve the finalization of sustainable remediation processes were discussed at the conference. Addressing these gaps were among the goals of the papers included in this special series, which were selected from the RemTech EU conference presentations. The papers include risk management plan case studies, bioremediation tools, and preventive measures for minimizing disaster impacts. Moreover, the use of common and shared international best practices for effective and sustainable contaminated site management, with policy alignment among the remediation stakeholders in different countries, was also reported. Finally, many regulatory gaps, for example, the lack of practical end‐of‐waste criteria for contaminated soils, were also discussed. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2023;19:910–912. © 2023 The Authors. Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of Society of Environmental Toxicology & Chemistry (SETAC). Key Points: The RemTech Europe conference focused on sustainable technologies for land and water remediation; environmental protection; and the rehabilitation, regeneration, and sustainable development of contaminated sites; the articles in this special series reflect these strategies.Risk management plan case studies, bioremediation tools, preventive measures for minimizing disaster impacts, and practical end‐of‐waste criteria for contaminated soils were some of the issues discussed.Common and shared international best practices for effective and sustainable contaminated site management, with policy alignment among stakeholders in different countries, were highlighted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Environmental losses are increasingly evoking "ecological grief" among environmental and conservation professionals. Ecological grief is a natural but difficult psychological experience, and a risk to well‐being. Despite this, there are currently few resources available to support environmental professionals and their organizations to reduce the risks to well‐being and cope effectively with ecological grief. As a result, environmental professionals who experience this risk in the workplace are unlikely to be equipped with the knowledge, skills, or context to support themselves, colleagues, or peers, in experiences of ecological grief. In this paper, we provide information, guidance, and examples of workplace support for ecological grief. Drawing on insights from the field of grief and bereavement, we identify peer support and organizational responses as key supportive factors for those experiencing ecological grief. We also present a new concept, "ecological grief literacy," to guide effective peer and organizational support. While peers have the potential to provide interpersonal support and connection for ecological grieving, it is essential that the organizations that employ environmental professionals enact policies and practices that provide structures, resources, and contexts to enable environmental professionals to effectively support ourselves and each other. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The quantity of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere rises yearly because human activities emit more of it than the earth's natural processes can absorb. The overall carbon dioxide emissions continue to rise due to development demands. In a panel setting, this paper investigates the link dynamics between gross national spending, energy consumption, information and communications technology, and CO2 emissions in advanced nations from 2000 to 2020. We employ quantitative sequential approaches, such as DOLS, unit root test, and cointegration techniques, to ensure the coherence and feasibility of the study. Both versions of the estimators show statistically significant effects of gross national expenditure, energy consumption, and Information & Communications Technology on CO2 emissions. The findings of this paper show that there is a long‐run relationship between independent and dependent variables. The study also shows that rising exports of ICT services, energy consumption, and population need environmental protection and highlight the necessity for environmental regulations that can minimize emissions throughout the country's expansion. Even in advanced nations, climate vulnerability is not automatically reduced by development status but is instead reduced by the right sort of growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The biodiversity and climate crises require diverse solutions, yet peer reviewed literature is dominated by men from the Global North. The Nature Conservancy (TNC), as one of the world's largest conservation non‐profit organizations, provides a case study to better understand how women publish relative to men in conservation science. By examining all papers from Web of Science with at least one TNC author (1968–2019), we found that women at TNC are underrepresented: only 36% of authors were women, just 31% of all first authorships were women, and 24% of last authorships were women. Women in the Global South were the least represented group, making up less than 2% of all TNC authorships. By comparison seven individual men in the Global North comprised 9% of all TNC authorships. Encouragingly, the total number of women publishing at TNC has improved over the decades; however, the proportion of women to men remains below gender parity, and the proportion of women from Global South remains consistently below 3%. These results align with overall trends in conservation and science, and we provide recommendations for the global conservation science community on how to address this enduring and significant issue in publishing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Within the literature focusing on CSR's role in development, three ‘schools of practice’ appear to be emerging: the neo-liberal school (focused on self-regulation by industry according to the risks and rewards of CSR activity), the state-led school (focused on national and international regulation and co-operation) and the ‘third way’ school (focused on the role of for profit and not-for-profit organizations. Yet, each of these schools of practice may be critiqued using theories applicable to the broader field of development. Namely, the neo-liberal school fails to address the resource misallocations caused by CSR. The state-led school fails to address the underlying politics behind government encouraged CSR. The ‘third way’ school fails to address the self-interest involved in CSR. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Low‐carbon sustainable development is considered an essential strategy for achieving economic growth and environmental protection, requiring a fundamental transformation of the industrial structure, including developing clean technologies, promoting energy efficiency, and adopting sustainable production and consumption patterns. Simultaneously, the evolving digital economy is acknowledged as an essential driver in optimizing the industrial structure. Therefore, can digital economy development reshape the industrial structure and lead to low‐carbon sustainable development? The main purpose of this paper is to examine the mediating role of industrial structure upgrading in the relationship between the digital economy and low‐carbon development. Its ultimate purpose is to explore more possible paths to achieve low‐carbon development. This paper builds a regression model based on the data of cities. We found that digital economic development can directly promote low‐carbon sustainable development, a conclusion that still holds after endogeneity discussion and robustness testing. Additionally, digital economy development can promote industrial structure upgrading and thus promote low‐carbon sustainable development, meaning that industrial structure upgrading is an effective mechanism for digital economy development to promote low‐carbon sustainable development. This paper provides empirical evidence for the positive environmental externalities of digital economic development and establishes a basic research framework of "digital economic development → industrial structure upgrading → low‐carbon sustainable development." [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper seeks to investigate the effect of economic complexity on environmental degradation in 20 selected African countries over the period 1991–2014. The Feasible Generalized Least Square (FGLS), and Driscoll‐Kraay estimators (DK) are used to capture the objectives of the study. The results suggest that economic complexity and economic growth enhance environmental degradation. Also, natural resources rents and globalization improve environmental quality. Furthermore, the findings reject the U‐shaped relationship between economic complexity and environmental degradation. In addition, the Dumitrescu‐Hurlin panel causality test shows a bidirectional causal relation between economic complexity and environmental degradation. Taking into account the ecological deficit or ecological reserve status of country, it is shown that while the natural resource rents reduce environmental degradation in ecological reserve countries, they increase environmental degradation in ecological deficit countries. The results are robust when an alternative measure of economic complexity is used. Based on these findings, the paper suggests that the governments of African countries should take into account economic complexity when designing their environmental protection policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Yellow River Delta (YRD) is an important agricultural and industrial region in China, yet its water resources have been increasingly affected by shortages and pollution due to human activities and the impact of climate change. This has resulted in severe damage to the water ecosystem in the YRD, thereby necessitating the adoption of effective legal measures to safeguard these resources. This paper provides a comprehensive review of recent research findings on water resources and water ecology in the YRD. Specifically, it summarizes the changes and characteristics of the geographical distribution, quantity and quality of water resources in the region and analyzes the effects of climate change, economic development and population growth on water resources. In light of the vulnerability and risks to the water resources and ecosystems in this area, this paper evaluates the impact of human activities on regional water security and proposes strategies for the sustainable utilization of water resources and the protection of public health. The insights and measures presented in this paper provide valuable guidance and references for water resource management and environmental protection in the YRD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nudging the amelioration of enterprise environmental performance is the micro‐foundation for effectively enhancing resource utilization and realizing sustainable development. Based on the upper echelons theory, the characteristics and previous experiences of managers determine their strategic choices and then affect the behavior of enterprises at the whole social layer. Nevertheless, the literature concerning the effect of CEO green experience on enterprise environmental performance is void. To bridge this gap, this paper uses the data of China's A‐share listed enterprises from 2010 to 2021 to empirically investigate the direct impact, influence mechanisms, and heterogeneities of CEO green experience on enterprise environmental performance. The study finds that CEO green experience can significantly promote the improvement of enterprise environmental performance. Based on the main effect, to exploring potential mechanisms behind the conclusion, we figure that environmental ethics commitment, environmental protection investment, and green technology innovation are the core mechanism approaches during the process of CEO green experience affects environmental performance. Heterogeneity analysis of CEO characteristics demonstrates that the green experience of female CEOs, older CEOs, and high educated CEOs both have a pronounced effect on ameliorating enterprise environmental performance. Furthermore, the positive effect of CEO green experience on environmental performance is more prominent in non‐state‐owned enterprises, heavily polluting industries, and regions with high environmental protection pressure. Besides providing an effective supplement for the research on managers and environmental performance, this paper also generates micro‐empirical support for government departments to formulate and optimize environmental policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Construction and demolition waste disposal charging is a critical component in construction waste (CW) management. Over the past few decades of implementation around the world, the effectiveness of waste disposal charging in decreasing negative environmental impact is gradually being questioned. This paper identifies two intertwined issues that have not attracted sufficient attention in actual practice. One is the consideration of contractors' behavior, which is economically driven. Another is the influence of waste transportation, which is also a major stream of environmental pollution. These two aspects significantly affect the effectiveness of the waste disposal charging scheme. Contractors may not transport their generated CW to appropriate disposal facilities. They make decisions based on the disposal and transportation cost. To address this problem, this paper proposes a general construction and demolition waste disposal charging design methodology in which contractors' behavior and the influence of waste transportation are taken into account. A mixed‐integer programming model is developed for the optimal design of the charging fees, which analytically formulates both of the abovementioned aspects. Furthermore, we developed a model that partially modifies the current charging scheme to better fulfill the environmental protection objective. Extensive numerical experiments demonstrate that the proposed methodology can effectively change contractors' waste disposal decisions and significantly decrease the negative environmental impact of construction and demolition waste. This study contributes to a new perspective to better design the construction and demolition waste disposal charging scheme and has a wide range of applicability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines the most comprehensive databases that measure US corporate environmental performance that have become available during the 1990s. These include the US Environmental Protection Agency's Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) and databases maintained by Kinder, Lydenberg, Domini, and Co., the Council on Economic Priorities and the Investor Responsibility Research Center. We describe these databases and identify the significant studies on environmental performance in the field of management that use these databases. We indicate three trends that should improve the quality and quantity of publicly available environmental performance data. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT This collection of papers provides state-of-the-art science on a complex topic that has been challenging for scientists and regulators for a long time. The papers emanated from the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (SETAC) Pellston Workshop® Environmental Hazard and Risk Assessment Approaches for Endocrine-Active Substances (EHRA). Forty-eight international experts met in early February 2016 to discuss whether the environmental risks posed by endocrine-disrupting substances (EDS) can be reliably assessed. The primary conclusion of the workshop was that if data on environmental exposure, effects on sensitive species and life-stages, delayed effects, and effects at low concentrations are robust, initiating environmental risk assessment of EDS is scientifically sound and reliable. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2017;13:264-266. © 2016 The Authors. Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of Society of Environmental Toxicology & Chemistry (SETAC) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sustainability has emerged as one of most pressing issues in the 21st century since it was recognized that everyone has a stake in Our Common Future. This paper provides an overview of original findings by leading scholars focusing on this field in this collection of special issue covering environmental economics for enhancing sustainability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper seeks to develop climate‐riskification as a new analytical tool that can better address the nuances of climate security and climate risk discourses. The paper complements the riskification framework but moves beyond it in two crucial respects: the new tool substantiates the analytical relevance of this framework; and the paper respond to two common criticisms of the framework. First, climate change may not be articulated based on a security risk perspective at the expense of a security threat given that the logics of risk and threat do intersect. Second, the riskification of climate change may be counterproductive. The paper argues that the climate‐riskification tool can help researchers working on climate security to better understand the topic and the role of interstate institutions in the climate security debate. It briefly examines formal debates on climate and security in the United Nations Security Council (UNSC). The data generated from this context revealed that climate‐riskification has occurred in the UNSC, indicating the reality of climate‐related security risks – a motivation for proponents of climate security to continue riskifying moves whenever this topic is debated again. Future researchers might want to empirically examine the climate‐riskification tool using relevant interstate institutions as case studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Contemporary archaeology brings a unique perspective from which to critically think about Antarctic Treaty System conservation policies and practices concerning material things. The paper begins by highlighting how they have relied on several underlying assumptions, which we summarise as the 'wilderness' and 'heritage' principles. It then discusses how these policies and practices have often led to non‐sustainable or non‐inclusive outcomes. In particular, the application of the wilderness and heritage principles to environmental conservation has, on the one hand, reinforced the dominant images and narratives of Antarctica, selectively neglecting and erasing diverse human and non‐human stories, and on the other hand, led to human–thing entanglements that are currently difficult to overcome. The paper's conclusions encourage readers to envision more inclusive and sustainable conservation models by challenging the assumptions underlying current policies and practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

What do ongoing discussions about Antarctic spatial protection tools tell us about the 'health' or overall condition of the Antarctic Treaty system 60 years after its entry into force? The Antarctic Treaty (1959, in force 1961) resulted from the alignment of common international interests (e.g., maintenance of peace, freedom of scientific investigation) with the national interests of original signatory states (e.g., 'freezing' of diverging positions on territorial claims). Later instruments adopted by Antarctic Treaty states replicated this scheme and allowed agreement on, among other issues, environmental protection, and marine ecosystem conservation. This paper draws on an examination of the series of spatial protection tools in force established by the main Antarctic Treaty system bodies, and observations conducted in annual decision‐making meetings. Issues of conflict emerge as the size, complexity, and conservation ambitions of spatial protection tools increase, resulting in a weakening of the proposals and lack of consensus. This paper argues that establishing spatial protection tools reflects an intent by Antarctic Treaty states to engage with the Antarctic Treaty system for the longer term; however, the establishment trajectory of spatial protection tools is sensitive to resource interests and broader Antarctic geopolitics. Ongoing difficulties of Antarctic Treaty fora to reach consensus on the spatial protection tools they agreed to establish – and on other important issues – bring into question the current effectiveness of the Antarctic Treaty system. The path to recovery requires Antarctic Treaty states to negotiate in good faith with a view to finding consensus, while upholding the environmental objectives of Antarctic Treaty system instruments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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The transition toward the circular economy of European small and medium‐sized enterprises (SMEs) is one of the focuses of the Agenda in Europe. The paper aims to evaluate if this drive should transform the SMEs and keep European production sustainable and competitive. The paper offers a comparative analysis of the circular economy SMEs shift within the 13 sectors of EU Member States, that have involved innovative SMEs and have begun to use or have long adopted smart technologies for the needs of control, effectiveness, efficiency, and environmental protection and energy aspect. The study highlights and evaluates the transition in 13 sectors with the highest SMEs performance with a major specialization in Smart Technologies. Five key points are identified and evaluated to analyze, the transition degree of every sector toward the circular economy. The research shows a heterogeneous transition with both sectors and countries during which the existence of best practices, are discovered, but cannot be transmitted to other sectors. A series of deterrents to the transition from a linear to a circular economy is composed within the SMEs sectors, specifically technical, commercial, and regulatory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Under the conduction of decentralized environmental governance, environmental punishment has become a pivotal complementary tool for local government environment management and an intuitive reflection of governance efficiency. However, the literature concerning the effect of local government environmental punishment towards the green technology innovation of enterprises is void. To bridge this gap, this paper adopts the fixed‐effect model to investigate the impact of government environmental punishment on green technology innovation based on the data of China's A‐share listed enterprises from 2010 to 2020. The study finds that the punishment can significantly promote enterprises' green technology innovation. The distinction between the type of innovation reveals that environmental punishment promotes substantive green technology innovation of enterprises, while the effect on strategic green technology innovation is not significant. As far as the influence path is concerned, external pressure and internal incentive are both important mechanisms for environmental punishment to facilitate the green technology innovation of enterprises. Heterogeneity analysis demonstrates that the positive effect of punishment on green technology innovation is more prominent in non‐state‐owned enterprises, heavily polluting industries and regions with strong public awareness of environmental protection. Further discussion reveals that the facilitative effect of punishment on green technology innovation also significantly improves the environmental performance of enterprises. This paper not only confirms the positive role of government intervention in environmental protection, but also provides practical reference for how to improve enterprises' competitiveness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the context of sustainable development, the greatest challenge facing society today is to improve welfare of the disadvantaged while preserving the environment. This paper constructed a theoretical framework of "policy‐welfare‐environment," explored the effects in terms of individual welfare enhancement and village environment improvement, and conduct empirical tests on a sample of 1208 rural households in China. The results show that: (1) The assistance policy can significantly improve the overall welfare of the disadvantaged groups, and meanwhile, it can improve different dimensions of welfare, with the degree from high to low was a social opportunity, spiritual feeling, and economic situation. (2) The assistance policy can increase the probability of adopting environmental protection behavior, which in turn can significantly improve the village environment. (3) Welfare improvements in social opportunities mediate between the assistance policy and village environment improvements, while improvements in spiritual feelings and economic status do not. In addition, there is age heterogeneity in the welfare enhancement effect of the policy in the economic status dimension and the spiritual feeling dimension. The conclusions provide valuable policy enlightenment for assistance policy formulation and environmental governance, and can protect the ecological environment while improving public welfare, which is in line with the trend of sustainable development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper traces the temporal tactics of continually renewed coloniality—where some impasses are made to appear insurmountable while others demand swift solutions—in relation to housing and mining at Borroloola in Australia's Northern Territory. Distinct policy and regulatory regimes encourage analyses that set housing and mining apart. Yet together they signal the settler state's simultaneous remedial and extractive orientations to remote Aboriginal communities. Mining leeches into housing, and housing is a promise extracted from late liberal recognition, for community members forced to wait for promised amenities while fighting for long‐term environmental protections. The analysis demonstrates the central significance of temporal control to settler colonialism: by selectively deferring action; by producing the appearance of actions that are not actually taken; and by intervening to expedite processes that serve the interests of extractive capital. We argue that the confection of intermittent urgency to intervene is a key feature of the deferrals enacted by Australian settler governance, as it rations remedial solutions and displaces harms into mortgaged futures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rolling oil sludge (ROS) is a type of solid waste produced during steel rolling; this waste contains not only a high iron content but also many harmful organic components and is a very attractive secondary resource. This paper introduces the sources and hazards of ROS, summarizes the recycling methods integrated with steel production, classifies traditional treatment technologies, and analyzes their advantages and disadvantages. Combined treatment is the main direction of ROS treatment methods in the future. The ROS recycling techniques applied in different industries are summarized. Finally, existing problems and future work are described to promote the remediation and resource utilization of ROS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]