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Despite a potential mismatch between characteristics of cleantech innovations and the venture capital model, there has been a surge of cleantech venture capital firms (VCs). This paper investigates how cleantech VC investment approaches are aligned with hybrid institutional logics. We mapped 36 European VCs regarding their portfolio firms' industries, technology focus, and level of innovation. From this sample, we interviewed nine VC investors to gain a comprehensive understanding of the phenomenon. The findings show a heterogenous landscape of cleantech VC investment approaches. Cleantech VCs finance mostly incremental innovations in highly emissive sectors. For several of the VCs, the findings highlight a disconnect between the externally communicated cleantech mission and lack of approaches for environmental impact management. We develop propositions for future research. This study adds novel empirical perspectives and contributes to the development of hybrid logics in institutional logics theory with a nuanced examination of the European VC cleantech market. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Nonferrous Metals (Extractive Metallurgy) is the property of Beijing Research Institute of Mining & Metallurgy Technology Group and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Purpose: The study aims to investigate the risk transmission from COVID-19 to global agriculture, energy, natural resources/mining and environmentally/socially responsible investments. Additionally, it explores the connectedness of global energy indices with global agriculture, natural resources/mining and environmentally/socially responsible investments. The study develops a new COVID-19-based Global Fear Index (GFI) to achieve the objectives, thus contributing to the prevailing literature. Design/methodology/approach: The data of Global indices are selected from January 2020 to December 2021. The study uses multivariate BEKK-GARCH and TVP-VAR models to explore COVID-19 risk transmission and connectedness between global indices. Findings: Significant shock and volatility transmissions from COVID-19 to all global indices are observed. Results show that global agriculture, natural resource/mining markets and environmentally and socially responsible investments are safe havens during COVID-19. Furthermore, these global investment choices are barely connected with global energy indices. Practical implications: Portfolio managers and investors should invest in global indices to gauge the risk-adjusted return during the pandemic and upcoming health-related risks. Investors in energy sectors are advised to diversify the risk by adding safe-haven assets to their portfolios. Social implications: The findings shed light on the importance of environmentally and socially responsible investments as a separate asset class where ecologically friendly and socially sentimental investors could invest in diversifying the risk of their portfolios. Originality/value: The paper offers valuable insights to policymakers and investors regarding asset pricing, risk management and financial market stability during pandemic-type emergencies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Leather production is a historic industry that still has an economic influence throughout the world. Leather making is done following a sequence of complex chemical and mechanical steps, using energy, quantity of water and chemicals, and generating waste. For several decades, many organizations have been working toward a cleaner tannery industry resulting in better practices, saving energy and water, and increasing wastewater treatment efficiency. Solid waste management remains a big issue. Another question posed today is the use of chromium in tanning. It is why a lot of research is now dedicated to metal‐free tanning solutions. Chromium alternatives exist but none can actually rival all the advantages of chromium and a balance must be found with environmental issues. To measure the environmental performance of leather, several tools are available. The LWG (Leather Working Group) audit is one of them. On the side of consumers, some reliable leather ecolabelings exist. Finally, life cycle assessment (LCA) is the most exhaustive tool for characterizing leather's environmental performance. Numerous LCA studies done in the past two decades underline the difficulty in obtaining general results, considering the large variety of processes used depending on tanneries, localization, and raw materials. In addition, the data available for LCA are still poor in regard to the specific data needed for leather chemicals. The best methods associated with new technologies, audit, and labeling lead leather production into a cleaner and environment‐friendly industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A small induction furnace (SIF), which has the important components of copper coils, a ceramic jig, and a graphite crucible, employed for a glass souvenir production process, has been developed as a form of clean technology for multiphysics, consisting of electromagnetics analysis (EA) and thermal analysis (TA). First, two experiments were established to measure parameters for multiphysics results validation and boundary condition settings. Then, the parameters were applied to multiphysics, in which the EA revealed magnetic flux density (B) and ohmic losses, and the TA reported a temperature consistent with the experimental results, confirming the multiphysics credibility. Next, a ferrite flux concentrator was added to the SIF during development. Multiphysics revealed that PC40 ferrite, as a flux concentrator with a suitable design, could increase B by about 159% compared to the conventional SIF at the power of 1000 W. As expected, the B increases alongside the increase in power applied to the coils, and is more densely concentrated in the flux concentrator than in other regions, enhancing the production process efficacy. Lastly, the developed SIF was employed in the actual process and received good feedback from users. The novel research findings are the developed SIF and methodology, exclusively designed for this research and practically employed for a glass souvenir production process.

This study examines the long-term relationship between Islamic Stock prices, faith-based investments, green technology, clean energy, and green finance. The variables used in the study are the Clean Energy Index for clean energy, Green Bond Index for green finance, the Renewable Energy and Clean Technology Index for green technology and the Islamic Market Index for Islamic Stocks’ closing prices, as explained by S&P. The utilized research model is the NARDL model, and the findings reveal a cointegration relationship between faith-based and green finance instruments. Green finance instruments are unsuitable for the research period to be used as a safe-haven or effective diversification instrument for faith-based portfolios. Comprehending faith-based investments’ relationship with other green finance assets is critical in supporting sustainable development with financial market instruments, which provide environmental and societal benefits. As a result, apprehending the relationship between faith-based investments and green finance instruments can contribute to increasing social and environmental responsibility awareness in financial markets. The study’s outcomes hold significance in understanding how investors in financial markets react to positive and negative shocks, estimating these effects, efficiently managing portfolios comprising green financial assets and faith-based investments, and formulating an appropriate investment strategy.

A small induction furnace (SIF), which has the important components of copper coils, a ceramic jig, and a graphite crucible, employed for a glass souvenir production process, has been developed as a form of clean technology for multiphysics, consisting of electromagnetics analysis (EA) and thermal analysis (TA). First, two experiments were established to measure parameters for multiphysics results validation and boundary condition settings. Then, the parameters were applied to multiphysics, in which the EA revealed magnetic flux density (B) and ohmic losses, and the TA reported a temperature consistent with the experimental results, confirming the multiphysics credibility. Next, a ferrite flux concentrator was added to the SIF during development. Multiphysics revealed that PC40 ferrite, as a flux concentrator with a suitable design, could increase B by about 159% compared to the conventional SIF at the power of 1000 W. As expected, the B increases alongside the increase in power applied to the coils, and is more densely concentrated in the flux concentrator than in other regions, enhancing the production process efficacy. Lastly, the developed SIF was employed in the actual process and received good feedback from users. The novel research findings are the developed SIF and methodology, exclusively designed for this research and practically employed for a glass souvenir production process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Re-designing existing nano-silver technologies to optimize efficacy and sustainability has a tangible impact on preventing infections and limiting the spread of pathogenic microorganisms. Advancements in manufacturing processes could lead to more cost-effective and scalable production methods, making nano-silver-based antimicrobial products more accessible in various applications, such as medical devices, textiles, and water purification systems. In this paper, we present a new, versatile, and eco-friendly one-pot process for preparing silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) at room temperature by using a quaternary ammonium salt of hydroxyethyl cellulose (HEC), a green ingredient, acting as a capping and reducing agent. The resulting nano-hybrid phase, AgHEC, consists of AgNPs embedded into a hydrogel matrix with a tunable viscosity depending on the conversion grade, from ions to nanoparticles, and on the pH. To investigate the synthesis kinetics, we monitored the reaction progress within the first 24 h by analyzing the obtained NPs in terms of particle size (dynamic light scattering (DLS), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM)), Z-potential (ELS), surface plasmon resonance (UV-VIS), crystallographic phase (XRD), viscosity, and reaction yield (inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES)). To explore the design space associated with AgHEC synthesis, we prepared a set of sample variants by changing two independent key parameters that affect nucleation and growth steps, thereby impacting the physicochemical properties and the investigated antimicrobial activity. One of the identified design alternatives pointed out an improved antimicrobial activity in the suspension, which was confirmed after application as a coating on nonwoven cellulose fabrics. This enhancement was attributed to a lower particle size distribution and a positive synergistic effect with the HEC matrix. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the long-term relationship between Islamic Stock prices, faith-based investments, green technology, clean energy, and green finance. The variables used in the study are the Clean Energy Index for clean energy, Green Bond Index for green finance, the Renewable Energy and Clean Technology Index for green technology and the Islamic Market Index for Islamic Stocks’ closing prices, as explained by S&P. The utilized research model is the NARDL model, and the findings reveal a cointegration relationship between faith-based and green finance instruments. Green finance instruments are unsuitable for the research period to be used as a safe-haven or effective diversification instrument for faith-based portfolios. Comprehending faith-based investments’ relationship with other green finance assets is critical in supporting sustainable development with financial market instruments, which provide environmental and societal benefits. As a result, apprehending the relationship between faith-based investments and green finance instruments can contribute to increasing social and environmental responsibility awareness in financial markets. The study’s outcomes hold significance in understanding how investors in financial markets react to positive and negative shocks, estimating these effects, efficiently managing portfolios comprising green financial assets and faith-based investments, and formulating an appropriate investment strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study configures various carbon regulation mechanisms to control carbon emissions following clean technology strategies in engine oil production. Considering clean technology strategies for designing a sustainable supply chain (SSC) in the engine oil industry, two carbon reduction policies, namely, carbon capacity and carbon emissions tax, are discussed to study the effects of environmental factors. A mixed-integer linear programming model that examines demand, technology, budget, carbon policies, and capacity constraints under several uncertainties is proposed for engine oil production from petrochemical resources, refinery plant production, and distribution system capacities. This study controls and mitigates risk and timing decisions for output decisions from a hybrid robust-heuristic-based method, wherein a modified scenario-based GA is used to eliminate the effect of uncertainties. The results indicate high-quality convergence of solutions for different strategic scenarios. We successfully apply the introduced model to address a real-world supply chain (SC) of the engine oil industry. The proposed model improves the state-of-the-art models for the engine oil SC. Finally, the study finding shows that managers can improve technologies with the lowest possible cost, maximum product profitability, and minimum possible losses in the production process and product quality through the carbon tax policy to reduce the environmental effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the factors that influence pro-environmental behaviour intention (PEBI) in manufacturing small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The data were collected from 517 executives and chief technology officers of Korean SMEs and analysed using a comprehensive research model. The model includes variables such as awareness of consequences (ACs), ascription of responsibility (AR), personal norms (PNs), extrinsic motivation (EM), subjective norms (SNs) and realistic values (RVs). The results show significant relationships between these factors and PEBI. In particular, ACs and AR have positive effects on PNs, with AR having a stronger effect. PNs are the most important predictor of PEBI. EM has a positive impact on behaviour intention, while SNs do not have a significant impact. Interestingly, RVs have a negative impact. These findings have practical implications for encouraging pro-environmental behaviour in manufacturing SMEs. Policymakers and business planners should focus on increasing awareness of environmental consequences and individual responsibility to reinforce PNs. Moreover, offering extrinsic rewards and benefits can motivate pro-environmental behaviour in these firms. Understanding these factors can help design targeted strategies for promoting sustainability practices within manufacturing SMEs. By addressing these aspects, businesses can contribute to environmental innovation and sustainable development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

On-site foodservice management companies serve many people and have been dealing with severe food waste problems. Thus, many companies adopted clean technology to reduce food waste. This study aims to provide a meaningful understanding of the role of clean technology in food waste reduction goal setting and achievement in these companies. Through 16 expert interviews, this study found that clean technology adoption can make organizational food waste reduction goals more specific by its ability to measure and quantify: specified goals lower psychological distance (temporal, hypothetical, social). When objectives are understood at a concrete (vs. abstract) level, management can better develop detailed action plans and motivate employees to be part of them. However, employees may fear that clean technology can be used as a penalizing mechanism. Therefore, inner-organizational collaboration is critical to achieving sustainability goals and offsetting the double-sided nature of clean technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The assessment of constructed wetlands (CWs) has gained interest in the last 20 years for wastewater treatment in Latin American regions. However, the effects of culture systems with different ornamental species in CWs for phytoremediation are little known. In this study, some chemical parameters such as total suspended solids (TSS), chemical oxygen demand (COD), phosphate (PO4-P), and ammonium (NH4-N) were analyzed in order to prove the removal of pollutants by phytoremediation in CWs. The environmental impact index based on eutrophication reduction (EI-E) was also calculated to estimate the cause-effect relationship using CWs in different culture conditions. C. hybrids and Dieffenbachia seguine were used in monoculture and polyculture (both species mixed) mesocosm CWs. One hundred eighty days of the study showed that CWs with plants in monoculture/polyculture conditions removed significant amounts of organic matter (TSS and COD) (p > 0.05; 40–55% TSS and 80–90% COD). Nitrogen and phosphorous compounds were significantly lower in the monoculture of D. seguine (p < 0.05) than in monocultures of C. hybrids, and polyculture systems. EI-E indicator was inversely proportional to the phosphorous removed, showing a smaller environmental impact with the polyculture systems (0.006 kg PO₄3− eq removed) than monocultures, identifying the influence of polyculture systems on the potential environmental impacts compared with the phytoremediation function in monocultures (0.011–0.014 kg PO₄3− eq removed). Future research is required to determine other types of categories of environmental impact index and compare them with other wastewater treatment systems and plants. Phytoremediation with the ornamental plants studied in CWs is a good option for wastewater treatment using a plant-based cleanup technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Re-designing existing nano-silver technologies to optimize efficacy and sustainability has a tangible impact on preventing infections and limiting the spread of pathogenic microorganisms. Advancements in manufacturing processes could lead to more cost-effective and scalable production methods, making nano-silver-based antimicrobial products more accessible in various applications, such as medical devices, textiles, and water purification systems. In this paper, we present a new, versatile, and eco-friendly one-pot process for preparing silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) at room temperature by using a quaternary ammonium salt of hydroxyethyl cellulose (HEC), a green ingredient, acting as a capping and reducing agent. The resulting nano-hybrid phase, AgHEC, consists of AgNPs embedded into a hydrogel matrix with a tunable viscosity depending on the conversion grade, from ions to nanoparticles, and on the pH. To investigate the synthesis kinetics, we monitored the reaction progress within the first 24 h by analyzing the obtained NPs in terms of particle size (dynamic light scattering (DLS), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM)), Z-potential (ELS), surface plasmon resonance (UV-VIS), crystallographic phase (XRD), viscosity, and reaction yield (inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES)). To explore the design space associated with AgHEC synthesis, we prepared a set of sample variants by changing two independent key parameters that affect nucleation and growth steps, thereby impacting the physicochemical properties and the investigated antimicrobial activity. One of the identified design alternatives pointed out an improved antimicrobial activity in the suspension, which was confirmed after application as a coating on nonwoven cellulose fabrics. This enhancement was attributed to a lower particle size distribution and a positive synergistic effect with the HEC matrix.

Renewable energies present an opportunity to enhance energy security, reduce dependence on imports, and lower greenhouse gas emissions. Natural gas, viewed as a transitional fuel from coal to renewables, lacks reliable environmental sustainability and does not contribute to EU energy independence. Recently, biomethane has been gaining attention as an alternative to natural gas. Obtained from purified or "upgraded" biogas, it offers environmental and economic advantages. Several developed technologies, including absorption, adsorption, membrane separation, and cryogenic separation, are commercially available. However, those are energy- and resource-intensive. In this context, this review aims to examine the recent advancements in biogas upgrading, particularly in physical, chemical, and biological pathways. It focuses on CO2 removal and/or conversion to methane, offering an updated overview for future studies. The technologies are classified based on the separation method (by phase addition, by solid agent, by phase creation, and by biological process), and an analysis of each category is conducted. The discussion covers the economic and environmental characteristics, process complexity, and future research prospects in sustainable technologies. This review highlights the potential of biogas upgrading technologies in contributing to sustainable development, increasing energy security, and achieving greenhouse gas reduction goals that are aligned with EU targets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The pivotal role of science, technology, and innovation (STI) in the global economic framework has brought the Asia-Pacific region into sharp focus, given its unique blend of burgeoning and mature economies. Historically, International Investment Agreements (IIAs) were designed to protect investors, but the rapid ascendancy of STI necessitates a recalibration of these accords. This article embarks on a detailed comparative analysis of IIAs in the Asia-Pacific, exploring the nuances of STI provisions therein. While some IIAs incorporate STI considerations, a holistic integration remains noticeably lacking. The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development provides frameworks to quantify technological capabilities, emphasizing the transition to a 'knowledge economy'. Meanwhile, Intellectual Property Rights emerge with dual roles: fostering innovation while potentially hindering technological proliferation. The discussion delves into the necessity for IIAs, especially Bilateral Investment Treaties, and Free Trade Agreements, to fully embrace STI for maximizing global investment potential. The article's structure sequentially examines the 'New Economy', typologies of STI in IIAs, and the need for their incorporation, concluding with insights on the challenges and prospects of such integration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Society: Chinese Journal of Sociology / Shehui is the property of Society: Chinese Journal of Sociology and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The revolutionary journey of clean technology over the last ten years is described in this study, which also identifies the key innovations that have changed the face of sustainability and helped us move toward a cleaner, greener future. The study delves deeply into several clean technology concepts, such as green building solutions, waste management, renewable energy, and transportation. It focuses at how cutting-edge technology have transformed the energy industry and increased the efficiency and accessibility of renewable energy sources like solar and wind power. It also examines the remarkable advancements in waste management, highlighting state-of-the-art recycling and waste-to-energy technology that are lowering landfill waste and mitigating environmental damage. The study also highlights ground-breaking developments in transportation, such sustainable fuels, and electric cars, which are changing the automotive sector and lowering carbon emissions. It also highlights the considerable advancements in green building techniques, showcasing intelligent systems, sustainable design principles, and energy-efficient materials that are transforming the building industry. This study analyses these incredible advancements in clean technology to show what further possibility there is to build a sustainable future. It aims to inspire people, entities, and decision-makers to adopt these technologies and strive toward a future in which pollution yields to advancement, creating the way for a more inhabitable, healthy, and sustainable earth.

Considering the necessity of access to fresh water for sustainable growth and development, the use of various technologies for desalination of salt water is one of the solutions to increase access to fresh water. Various problems of conventional water desalination methods have led to the emergence of new methods such as capacitive deionization technology. CDI technology is an emerging electrochemical adsorption technology to remove water-soluble ions. In recent years, the development of this technology has attracted the attention of many researchers from the functional and economic point of view. Recent research results show that to overcome the challenges of CDI technology, focusing on two areas of effective porous electrodes and applied architectures can be more effective than other solutions. Therefore, this article provides a brief overview of CDI technology and investigates its emergence, progress, and challenges. Furthermore, various types of structures with capacitive electrodes have been introduced along with their unique features, drawbacks, and advantages. Also, this article describes in detail the quantitative and qualitative performance comparison of different geometries of CDI technology, such as flow-by CDI, flow-through CDI, MCDI, FCDI and i-CDI. The results show that, currently, CDI technology using nanostructured carbon electrodes is economical for the deionization of low and medium salinity waters (3 g/L). Despite numerous challenges, capacitive deionization technology has the potential to provide a sustainable source of fresh water in the future. This technology offers a clean and environmentally friendly solution, with low energy consumption and economical operation.

In this study, sodium alginate (SA) was oxidized with potassium periodate to produce an alginate-based tanning agent. Using OSA as a biodegradable tanning agent and a nano-hydroxyapatite (nano-HAp) low concentration suspension to give flame retardancy to leather, eco-design concepts were applied to establish a chrome-, aldehyde-, and phenol-free tanning process. Micro-DSC, 1H unilateral nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), attenuated total reflection mode Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR-ATR), and scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDS) were used to investigate the complex matrix collagen-OSA-nano-HAp. Micro-differential scanning calorimetry (micro-DSC) was used to assess OSA's ability to interact with collagen and stabilize the collagen-OSA matrix, while 1H unilateral (NMR) was used to investigate the aqueous environment and its limitations around collagen molecules caused by their association with OSA and nano-HAp. Industrial standard tests were used to assess the mechanical properties and fire resistance of the new leather prototype. The findings reported here indicate that both OSA and nano-HAp are suitable alternatives for cleaner tanning technologies and more sustainable leather. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The 2022 United States Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) is a significant and welcome climate law. It also includes trade‐distortive subsidies, including local‐content requirements prohibited under World Trade Organisation rules – the first time the US has done this and a blow to the international trading system that could trigger protectionism in other countries. The expected IRA green subsidies are of similar size to those available in the European Union, except in renewable energy production, where EU subsidies remain larger. However, there are important qualitative differences. In this article, we conduct a quantitative and qualitative comparison of the IRA with its preexisting European counterparts. We identify three main differences: European subsidies are less discriminatory, more focused on innovation rather than deployment and more fragmented than the IRA. Some IRA subsidies discriminate against foreign producers while EU subsidies do not. IRA clean‐tech subsidies are simpler, longer‐term and less fragmented, and they focus mainly on mass deployment of green technologies rather than innovation. We then examine the proposed EU reaction to IRA, the Net Zero Industry Act and discuss how it should be improved by the EU co‐legislators (the European Parliament and the EU Council) so as to become a useful building block towards a more comprehensive EU green industrial policy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Les Cahiers du CREAD is the property of Centre de Rrecherche en Economie Appliquee pour Developpement and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The assessment of constructed wetlands (CWs) has gained interest in the last 20 years for wastewater treatment in Latin American regions. However, the effects of culture systems with different ornamental species in CWs for phytoremediation are little known. In this study, some chemical parameters such as total suspended solids (TSS), chemical oxygen demand (COD), phosphate (PO4-P), and ammonium (NH4-N) were analyzed in order to prove the removal of pollutants by phytoremediation in CWs. The environmental impact index based on eutrophication reduction (EI-E) was also calculated to estimate the cause-effect relationship using CWs in different culture conditions. C. hybrids and Dieffenbachia seguine were used in monoculture and polyculture (both species mixed) mesocosm CWs. One hundred eighty days of the study showed that CWs with plants in monoculture/polyculture conditions removed significant amounts of organic matter (TSS and COD) (p > 0.05; 40–55% TSS and 80–90% COD). Nitrogen and phosphorous compounds were significantly lower in the monoculture of D. seguine (p < 0.05) than in monocultures of C. hybrids, and polyculture systems. EI-E indicator was inversely proportional to the phosphorous removed, showing a smaller environmental impact with the polyculture systems (0.006 kg PO₄3− eq removed) than monocultures, identifying the influence of polyculture systems on the potential environmental impacts compared with the phytoremediation function in monocultures (0.011–0.014 kg PO₄3− eq removed). Future research is required to determine other types of categories of environmental impact index and compare them with other wastewater treatment systems and plants. Phytoremediation with the ornamental plants studied in CWs is a good option for wastewater treatment using a plant-based cleanup technology.

Cotton production involves intensive pesticide application that poses serious health hazards to pesticides applicators. Better cotton production is introduced by better cotton initiative with the aim to make cotton production better for the people who produce it, preserve the environment it grows and provide better future for the cotton sector. However, data on the impact of better cotton initiative on health hazards of pesticide application do not exist. Therefore, the present study was designed to examine the pesticide exposure and health cost of pesticide applicators in better cotton and conventional cotton production in Punjab, Pakistan. The study was conducted in three districts including Toba Tek Singh, Bahawalnagar and Layyah. A sample of 450 pesticide applicators comprising of 225 from better cotton and 225 from conventional cotton was selected randomly from the list provided by Lok Sanjh Foundation. Multiple regression analysis was used to estimate factors affecting the health cost of pesticide applicators. In better cotton, pesticide applicators were found to be exposed less to pesticides and faced less health cost than conventional cotton applicators. Adoption of better cotton, education, experience, adoption of precautionary measures and links with extension services were associated with reduced health cost, while duration of work was associated with high health cost of pesticide applicators. Findings of the study will be helpful in devising strategies to lower the health effects of pesticides and promote better cotton as a cleaner technology of cotton production in Pakistan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The recovery of bioactive compounds from agro‐industrial residues with green solvents in ultrasound‐assisted extraction (UAE) processes represents an interesting alternative from environmental and economical perspectives. Here we investigated optimal conditions to improve the extraction of anthocyanins from blackberry pomace. The experimental data were fitted to the second‐order polynomial model to obtain the regression coefficients, and three‐dimensional (3‐D) response surface plots were considered to represent the relationships between each variable on the response of total monomeric anthocyanin (TMA) content. The ultrasound‐assisted process at an ultrasound amplitude of 40% for 10 min and a concentration of 25 mg/L resulted in the maximum TMA concentration of 1.39 ± 0.02 mgCy3GlE/g. At these extraction conditions, the extract presented total polyphenol and flavonoid contents of 44.12 ± 0.17 mgGAE/g and 63.25 ± 0.53 mgQE/g, respectively. A total of 31 individual compounds, including anthocyanins, flavonols, and phenolic acids, were identified in the extract. Concentrations of cyanidin‐3‐glucoside and caffeic, gallic, and ellagic acids were 2.38 ± 0.09, 0.47 ± 0.01, 0.55 ± 0.01, and 0.48 ± 0.01 mg/g, respectively. Compared to the conventional extraction, the UAE represented an increase of 20.87% in total anthocyanins. Thus, the UAE at suitable conditions is suggested to recover bioactive compounds from blackberry pomace. Practical Applications: The use of blackberry pomace to extract bioactive compounds is promising because it uses a by‐product from the fruit processing industry. This study presents an innovative proposal of optimal process conditions to recover anthocyanins from blackberry pomace under ultrasound irradiation. The use of green solvents, as water, in ultrasound‐assisted extraction (UAE) processes, represents an interesting alternative from environmental and economical perspectives, UAE process is a favorable, fast, efficient, and environmentally friendly method. The obtained blackberry pomace powder is an interesting ingredient to food and pharmaceutical industries, mainly due to the elevated concentration of added‐value compounds. Besides the high amount of anthocyanins content, which could be used as a dye and as antioxidant compounds in several types of food. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although the tire industry is important for the economy of the country, focusing only on productivity will not lead to sustainable production and competitiveness in today's global market. This research aimed to enhance economic and environmental performance throughout Thailand's tire supply chain using green productivity (GP) and value chain analysis. The current performance of the tire supply chain was presented using GP level with value chain analysis for identifying the causes of extravagant resources, energy, or waste. The clean technology (CT) concept was used to develop options to improve GP and obtaining a sustainable tire supply chain. The results showed that the highest GP value of primary and intermediate rubber products was fresh latex and smoke sheet rubber. Cup lump and STR20 block rubber, in contrast, offered the lowest GP. Overuse of chemical fertilizer in the cup lump production, water consumption in the STR20 production and steam consumption in the tire manufacturing process were key issues selected for developing CT options from value chain analysis. The chosen options are to fertilize following the Rubber Research Institute recommendations, recycle used or treated water in the rubber industry and lower mold open time among tire manufacturers to reduce steam and coal consumption. These techniques were predicted to raise the GP value from 0.1495 to 0.1626 in cup lump production, 0.0320–0.0326 in the STR20 plant and 0.0098–0.0114 in a tire factory. It indicated a more sustainable business operation that could reduce environmental impacts and increase competitiveness simultaneously.

Renewable energies present an opportunity to enhance energy security, reduce dependence on imports, and lower greenhouse gas emissions. Natural gas, viewed as a transitional fuel from coal to renewables, lacks reliable environmental sustainability and does not contribute to EU energy independence. Recently, biomethane has been gaining attention as an alternative to natural gas. Obtained from purified or “upgraded” biogas, it offers environmental and economic advantages. Several developed technologies, including absorption, adsorption, membrane separation, and cryogenic separation, are commercially available. However, those are energy- and resource-intensive. In this context, this review aims to examine the recent advancements in biogas upgrading, particularly in physical, chemical, and biological pathways. It focuses on CO2 removal and/or conversion to methane, offering an updated overview for future studies. The technologies are classified based on the separation method (by phase addition, by solid agent, by phase creation, and by biological process), and an analysis of each category is conducted. The discussion covers the economic and environmental characteristics, process complexity, and future research prospects in sustainable technologies. This review highlights the potential of biogas upgrading technologies in contributing to sustainable development, increasing energy security, and achieving greenhouse gas reduction goals that are aligned with EU targets.

The long-standing model of high energy consumption growth of China has put the country at a market disadvantage in terms of clean technological innovation and clean goods production. With the support of national policies, China's environmental industry has achieved rapid development. However, the key to establishing a long-term effective mechanism is how to encourage enterprises to develop and use green and clean technologies. Thus, we construct a theoretical model related to environmental policies and then derive the impact of heterogeneous environmental policies on different research and development (R&D) approaches. The environmental and economic effects of heterogeneous environmental policies are then explored by incorporating environmental quality and economic growth into the model. Next, we evaluate the policy effect based on the panel data of prefecture-level cities in China from 2009 to 2016. In a further discussion, we measure the decoupling indices of carbon emissions and economic growth for each of the 281 prefecture-level cities in China using the Tapio model. Through theoretical derivation and empirical analysis, this paper provides a more comprehensive study of the green bias effect of environmental policies. The results show that environmental policies can significantly promote green technological innovation regardless of the R&D approach adopted by firms. The difference is that when firms conduct their own R&D, the sector's R&D efficiency parameters determine the direction of technological innovation steering. When technological innovation is introduced externally, the substitution relationship between sectoral products determines whether environmental policy is effective. Finally, the combination of environmental regulation and government subsidies is more effective in green-biasing technological innovation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Liquid fuel has been the main source of energy in internal combustion engines (ICE) for decades. However, lithium-ion batteries (LIB) have replaced ICE for environmentally friendly vehicles and reducing fossil fuel dependence. This paper focuses on the comparative analysis of battery thermal management system (BTMS) to maintain a working temperature in the range 15–35 °C and prevent thermal runaway and high temperature gradient, consequently increasing LIB lifecycle and performance. The proposed approach is to use biodiesel as the engine feed and coolant. A 3S2P LIB module is simulated using Ansys-Fluent CFD software tool. Four selective dielectric biodiesels are used as coolants, namely palm, karanja, jatropha, and mahua oils. In comparison to the conventional coolants in BTMS, mainly air and 3M Novec, biodiesel fuels have been proven as coolants to maintain LIB temperature within the optimum working range. For instance, the use of palm biodiesel can lightweight the BTMS by 43%, compared with 3M Novec, and likewise maintain BTMS performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the rising concern for environmental issues, there is an ever-increasing demand for sustainable actions to minimize the damage to ecosystems. Seeking to meet such a demand, energy companies worldwide embrace green marketing solutions. This article aims to provide a comprehensive and systematic overview of green marketing and its impact on customers' purchasing behavior to develop a research agenda that helps to identify promising areas for future research. We conducted a systematic literature review to fill in the lack of conceptual clarity on the relationship between green marketing solutions and customers' purchasing behavior. After compiling a candidate pool of 2604 papers and applying a set of inclusion and exclusion criteria, the final sample comprised 166 articles published between 1995 and 2022. The results demonstrate that scholars frequently chose the energy sector to research green marketing's impact on purchasing behavior. The review indicates that the theory of planned behavior with its progenitor theory of reasoned action seems to be highly featured. The literature emphasizes green marketing at the tactical level as impacting customer behavior measures at the purchase and post-purchase stages. Our study helps marketers to identify the best practices in the area to influence customers' behavior effectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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The phenomenon of deforestation is occurring globally, in different types of forests, and for various reasons. In Africa, an estimated 90 per cent of the entire continent's population uses wood as a source energy for heating and cooking. However, the unsustainable harvesting of trees for heating energy not only contribute to forest and environmental degradation, but it is also a significant contributor to ill health, air pollution and climate change. Reducing the resulting adverse of ecological and health consequences will have to involve a mix of adopting renewable fuels and natural resource sustainable strategies. To date, implementing this mix has shown significant challenges, especially in developing countries. We performed this systematic literature review (SLR) to help us better understand how research is approaching this mix in Africa. We screened 792 articles resulting in a final selection of 34 studies concerned with environmental sciences. The review drew on qualitative, quantitative, and regional studies and applying a standardized method for screening, data extraction and synthesis. The findings reveal that current research focuses dominantly in four key areas: (1) renewable technology transfer, (2) climate change-adaptability, (3) climate policy, and (4) technology adoption. However, we identified a literature gap on the thin literature concerned with the impact of clean technologies to improving the environment and people's wellbeing. We propose planning a tool that would facilitate this process and suggest further research to incorporate monitoring its effectiveness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is concerned with improving the acceptability of LED light sources, since their long life and high efficiency have contributed to their widespread adoption in many applications. Concerns remain, however, in relation to their colour properties. The purpose of this paper is therefore to promote discussion of the naturalness concept among the users, specifiers, and manufacturers of lighting sources and systems, in the hope that this may provide a valid pathway to the classification of light-source colour properties. An overview is presented of experimental investigations aimed at establishing visually meaningful metrics for the colour quality of various light sources, predominantly LEDs. All the cases presented here included colour naturalness as at least one of the dimensions studied, and one has to conclude that naturalness is a property of great interest to lighting engineers and scientists. Because the majority of naturalness studies have invoked the use of pre-existing colour quality metrics, the paper also includes an overview of some of the major such metrics and their features. The paper also identifies two important concerns relating to Naturalness: the need to agree on an acceptable definition of colour naturalness in lighting; and how to standardize or compare the results of disparate investigations. Finally, the paper proposes the concept of a colour fidelity continuum, in the ultimate hope of uniting the various approaches to lighting colour quality. Doi: 10.28991/HEF-2022-03-02-04 Full Text: PDF

This work demonstrates a novel nanoscale surface modification procedure to enhance the selectivity of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) in recovering oil from water. Herein, we developed a novel, cost-effective, and facile method to produce highly hydrophobic and superoleophilic lauric acid (LA)-grafted multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs-LA) as an absorbent for effective oil spill remediation. The MWCNTs were first oxidized with sodium hydroxide to anchor hydroxyl groups on their surface (MWCNTs-OH) followed by LA grafting via an esterification reaction. Spectroscopic analyses confirmed the grafting of LA onto the MWCNTs' surface, and this treatment made the water contact angle (WCA) of MWCNTs-LA reach 145.26 ± 1.57°, thus showing excellent hydrophobicity and superoleophilicity. The as-prepared absorbent demonstrates good absorption selectivity and absorption capacity of 20.5–33.5 times weight gain for numerous organic solvents and oils. After 5 cycles of absorption-desorption tests, such highly hydrophobic MWCNTs-LA absorbent maintained high oil absorption performance, therefore displaying good reusability and desirable regeneration for practical uses. The MWCNTs-LA absorbent with superb hydrophobicity, superoleophilicity, proper selectivity, and acceptable reusability appears to be promising for the efficient separation and retrieval of spilled oils and organic solvents from water. [Display omitted] • Hydrophobic lauric acid-grafted multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs-LA) was synthesized • It demonstrates good absorption selectivity and absorption capacity of 20.5–33.5 times weight • After 5 cycles of absorption-desorption tests, its absorbent maintained high oil absorption performance [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Can dirty incumbents leverage their existing knowhow to transition to clean technologies? To address this question, we systematically measure direct and indirect knowledge spillovers between clean and dirty technologies using the patent citation network. We assume citations reflect pathways of learning and knowledge proximity. We first examine the proportion of citations in clean patents that directly refer to dirty technologies. Secondly, we investigate how clean and dirty technologies are indirectly linked in the citation network and which sectors most frequently bridge these two fields. We find that less than one-tenth of clean patents contain a direct citation to prior dirty patents, but nearly two-thirds are indirectly linked. Significant sectoral heterogeneity exists. Patents related to control technologies, data processing and optimization, and the management of heat and waste, frequently serve as bridges between clean and dirty technologies in the citation network. Our results have implications for: firm-level diversification strategies, green industrial policy, and the modelling of directed technical change, where lower knowledge spillovers between clean and dirty technologies correspond to higher path dependencies. • We present novel evidence on the extent to which clean technologies learn from prior dirty technologies. • We construct a new measure of indirect knowledge spillovers between clean and dirty sectors. • We systematically identify "bridge technologies" that connect clean and dirty sectors. • We highlight key implications for the transition from dirty to clean innovation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]