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What is it exactly about the quest to "green" the performing arts that so fundamentally challenges the sector's modi operandi? A sense of urgency around climate change and ecological degradation is informing profound changes in the way the arts field sees itself and slowly inducing a discussion on the sustainability of its working practices. However, despite the undeniable planetary emergency, the lumping together of environmental issues and cultural policy and management frameworks remains complex and controversial, especially if considered from the perspective of the European semi-peripheries. By exploring the preliminary results of a nation-wide inquiry among 140 performing arts regularly funded organisations based in Portugal, this paper discusses the implications of the overarching challenge of environmental sustainability for cultural policymaking and arts management, seeking to contribute to a more nuanced and context-sensitive understanding of the "green transition." [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

European governments have implemented various policies to mitigate the impact of rising energy prices on households and businesses. However, these policies have often failed to promote energy savings or target the most vulnerable energy users, and they have incentivized fossil fuels against green alternatives. Yet the urgency of climate change compels governments to not delay or counteract climate policy any further. The article highlights the need for better "green targeting" of fiscal measures to accelerate the energy transition. As energy prices in Europe are expected to remain volatile in the near term, governments should focus on designing fiscal measures that prioritize a fair and green transition. The article proposes a "Green triple T" criterion for such measures. Namely, we recommend tailored, targeted and transition-proof support. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article sheds light on the class determinants of ecological attitudes and, at the same time, tries to emphasize the general importance of class differentiation for the implementation of sustainable development policies. This is particularly important in Eastern European countries where, for financial reasons, a green transition raises concerns among social groups that may feel threatened by additional socioeconomic costs. Using empirical data collected in Poland, we point out that the challenges, implementation, and social costs of a green transition can be used by populist and nationalist right-wing politicians. At the same time, right-wing populists depict ecological activists as a threat to the interests of "ordinary people" and identify them with the liberal metropolitan elites, detached from the worries of people with lower incomes and residents of traditionalist provinces. In the current conditions, the fear of increases in energy and fuel prices may be another source of support for an anti-ecological right-wing agenda against the "global pressure" of the liberal establishment. This narrative may be particularly attractive in peripheral and semi-peripheral countries in Europe and around the world as it refers not only to ideological arguments but also to the economic interests of "ordinary people." [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Theoretical and empirical studies praise the role of collaborative governance in spurring green transition, but we still know little about how competing constellations of governance factors can support local collaboration between public and private actors. This article uses Qualitative Comparative Analysis of 22 local cases of the collaborative governance of green transitions. The analysis identifies two different pathways to collaborative enhancement of the circular economy that may enable public leaders in different socio-political contexts to use collaborative governance in networks and partnerships as a lever for enhancing environmental sustainability and mitigating the climate crisis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper contributes to the literature that critically engages with the so-called 'twin green and digital transition' by assessing the twin transition as a policy discourse. Our research question is: why and how is the twin transition legitimised and implemented in the European Union (EU) despite recognised pitfalls and uncertainties? The analysis is based on interpretative text analysis of high-level EU policy documents about the twin green and digital transition and of Member States' resilience and recovery plans. The paper assesses the political and socio-economic context as a central factor that explains how the coupling of the green and the digital comes to be seen as desirable. Our results show that innovation associated with the digital imaginary is used to discursively reframe tensions between economic and sustainability policy aims as synergies. Legitimacy is derived not only from the promise of win-win ideas but also from the claimed ability of governing institutions to steer the twin transitions in the desired direction and avoid the recognised risks. With regard to implementation, the twin transition logic guided the allocation of funds by framing the need to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic as an opportunity to accelerate the green and digital transitions. Hence, the digital imaginary merges environmental governance with the governance of innovation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The increasing worldwide need for energy, driven by urbanization and industrialization, necessitates the implementation of efficient and sustainable energy solutions. This research presents a novel hybrid energy system that combines wind turbines, Compressed Air Energy Storage (CAES), and Solid Oxide Fuel Cells (SOFC) to substantially decrease dependence on fossil fuels and mitigate greenhouse gas emissions. The planned system for Beijing, China, leverages the area's wind characteristics to attain a net power production of 474 MWh. The system achieves an exergetic round efficiency of 38.2%, ensuring excellent performance and minimal emissions. The levelized cost of electricity is projected at 108 USD/MWh, with an aggregate cost of 51.4 USD/h. Seasonal variations are significant, with March exhibiting the peak power production of 202.6 MWh and the greatest cost of 174.2 USD/MWh, whilst August has the lowest figures, with power at 105.6 MWh and expenses at 111.6 USD/MWh. The seasonal patterns demonstrate the system's capacity to adjust to wind fluctuations while preserving economic viability. The integration of CAES with SOFC guarantees dependable power production during times of low wind, making the suggested system an efficient and sustainable option for long-term energy requirements. • A new hybrid energy system is introduced to improve fuel cells' performance. • The system is driven by a wind farm for higher renewable integration into the grid. • A comprehensive performance assessment is conducted, and the system is optimized. • The system for Beijing is sustainable, affordable, and environmentally friendly. • An exergetic efficiency and power cost of 38% and 108 USD/MWh are achieved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We explore the nexus between the green and demographic transitions in the European Union (EU) through the analysis of the challenges and opportunities that agroecology offers for the settlement and socioeconomic participation of Italian city‐dwellers‐turned agroecological farmers and non‐EU agroecological farmworkers in ageing and marginalised rural areas in Italy. Many such areas in Italy have recently experienced an influx of newcomers, including non‐EU labour migrants, refugees and asylum seekers and Italian city‐dwellers looking for a different lifestyle. Municipalities and NGOs have developed initiatives, like agroecology, for newcomers to participate in local societies while simultaneously contributing to sustainable rural (re)development in the context of the EU Green Deal. We discuss the potential of agroecology for the ‘emplacement’ of diverse groups of newcomers in these unlikely places through the analysis of the interpersonal, cultural, economic and institutional relations between newcomers and long‐time residents, and across different groups of newcomers, in two Italian villages. Our findings suggest that everyday interactions among long‐time residents and newcomers contribute to the emplacement of the latter. The analysed agroecological initiatives show potential for the emplacement of newcomers through their strong ethical stance and aspirations for environmental sustainability and improved life quality. However, short‐term contracts for the non‐EU farmworkers combined with tight economic returns for the Italian agroecological farmers may lead to distributional and procedural injustices, including the hyper‐exploitation of migrant farmworkers in the name of environmental sustainability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Concerns about climate change are a hot topic in the current debate about a sustainable future, and despite more than 30 years of international conferences, including the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP), the annual usage amount of fossil fuel-based energy sources has remained largely unchanged, and the green transition to a carbon-free energy system is progressing at a much slower pace than anticipated. This paper presents an original approach that consists in addressing the green transition's dilemmas by analyzing the complex interplay of strongly interwoven forces hindering the rapid adoption of so-called green energy sources scrutinized from a three-fold perspective: socio-psychological; political–strategic and territorial; and technological. Moreover, these forces are ranked according to the magnitude of their impact on the anticipated transition to green, and it is estimated by logistic fit extrapolation that the total share of the contribution of low-carbon sources might reach a maximum of about 25% among all energy sources in 2050. A final original picture is presented, summarizing how all the involved forces are acting upon the expected transition as well as their consequences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Europe's successful embrace of its geopolitical potential in a multipolar world will require both greater cohesion and an enhanced ability to act globally. Europe's three major powers – France, Germany and the United Kingdom – have managed to either stave off or recover from right-wing populism, and have dealt competently with the Russia–Ukraine war. But they are currently too riven by internal politics or historical prejudices to take the lead in Europe. Relief from domestic political dysfunction may therefore rest with the European Union itself. Under Ursula von der Leyen's authoritative leadership, the European Commission has become the most decisive and capable political actor in Europe. This was demonstrated by its imaginative response to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and through its comprehensive Russian sanctions regime in 2022. However, only another crisis – such as a second Donald Trump presidential term – is likely to generate the momentum for the commission to re-emerge as the engine for further European integration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article considers the role of central bank interventions in credit and financial markets in support of decarbonization. Drawing on the critical macrofinance literature, we argue that central banks are constrained in greening financial flows by their continued adherence to monetary dominance – prioritizing short-term price stability – and the structural demands of global market-based finance. This has led to a narrow focus on 'market-fixing' and 'de-risking' policy interventions, implicitly outsourcing the green transition to private finance whilst asserting that central banks cannot be seen as 'climate policymakers'. Moving beyond the constraints of this macrofinancial regime remains challenging, as we illustrate with the European Central Bank's (ECB) tilting of its corporate asset purchase program. We explore the lessons from the Post-World War II credit guidance regimes employed in many countries and consider how these could be updated to meet the challenges posed by market-based finance. Such a shift would require an evolution in the role of the central bank as a public agency, challenging current norms around independence and market neutrality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present some ideas on the tools and financing of a truly supranational industrial policy in the European Union (EU). We begin by reviewing the evolving rationales for and attitudes towards industrial policy, and highlight the growing acceptance of a pro-active role of the State in the economy as a response to external challenges of global scale and transformative impact. At this historical juncture, a polycrisis and a permacrisis are reshaping globalisation, fuelling rivalries and interventions aimed at increasing autonomy and sovereignty over strategic assets as well as to facilitate the green transition. The EU can institutionalise a permanent European industrial policy through the establishment of instruments characterised by a pure European public good nature. We suggest a framework fund on the model of NextGenerationEU package, featuring the 'Europeanisation' of the Important Projects of Common European Interest and better designed centrally managed programmes. We underline the importance of linking the design of industrial policy with the discussion of the EU's own resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change is a problem for all of us and must be tackled as a priority, not just as the responsibility of national economic policies. It has not only environmental but also economic and social consequences. Climate change can change people's daily lives, strongly affecting their health and mood. It will reshape the way the economy works, affect the way we use our resources, and impact on the state of our environmental assets. Emissions are one of the most important causes of global warming and are largely responsible for adverse changes in the ecosystem. Many businesses will need to fundamentally transform their operations to become climate neutral. Entire sectors will have to innovate and abandon current (polluting) solutions in order to allow businesses to do business in new and greener ways. This requires money, skills, knowledge, innovation and of course, leadership commitment. This paper sets out to examine the business case for greening. The study focuses on the behavior of enterprises and draws conclusions on environmental awareness by comparing two countries. The paper presents the results of quantitative primary research on a Hungarian and a Slovak sample, using a pre-tested standardized questionnaire survey. We analyzed responses from 427 enterprises in the Hungarian sample and 181 in the Slovak sample. The results show which enterprises in each country can be relied on most to implement sustainable, green policies and what the main challenges are in terms of promoting more sustainable behavior among enterprises in the two countries under study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Digitization has become a core engine for China's energy companies to achieve green transition in a competitive marketplace. Using the panel data of China's A-share listed energy companies, this study explores the impact of digitalization on energy companies' green transition. The finding demonstrates that digitalization can significantly drive energy companies' green transition. This finding remains valid following a series of robustness tests. Moreover, digitalization can indirectly enhance energy companies' green transition by enhancing technological innovation and optimizing operational capacity. Further research demonstrates that the promoting effect of digitalization on green transition in the state-owned companies, growing and mature energy companies and companies in the east are more fully released. This research could assist policymakers and professionals in energy companies with decision-making references to promote green transition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Objective] Accelerating the green and low-carbon industrial transition of China is a strategic requirement for implementing the new development concept. Studying the impact of new energy demonstration cities construction on the green transition of industrial enterprises is of great significance for the realization of the dual-carbon goals and the promotion of high-quality economic development. [Methods] Taking the new energy demonstration city policy as a quasi-natural experiment, and based on the data of A-share listed industrial enterprises from 2008 to 2021, this study used the difference-in-differences method to investigate the impact of the construction of new energy demonstration cities on the green transition of industrial enterprises and mechanisms. [Results] (1) The construction of new energy demonstration cities was helpful for promoting the green transition of industrial enterprises, and the effect was more prominent in state-owned, highly competitive industries and enterprises in resource-based cities. (2) Mechanism analysis showed that on the one hand, the construction of new energy demonstration cities will change the incentive structure of local governments, increase the financial support for the green behavior of industrial enterprises, and on the other hand, it will also force industrial enterprises to increase the level of green investment by setting binding development targets, which jointly promote the green transition of industrial enterprises. (3) Further analysis showed that the green transition carried out by industrial enterprises under the construction of new energy demonstration cities can improve their own environmental performance without reducing their economic performance, and can achieve Pareto improvement of emission reduction and development. [Conclusion] The construction of new energy demonstration cities will help to promote the green transition and development of industrial enterprises. Therefore, government departments should further expand the pilot scope of the new energy demonstration cities, improve the assessment and supervision mechanism of the demonstration cities, and increase policy support for the green behavior of industrial enterprises, so as to promote the green and low-carbon transition of industries.

The fashion industry’s current manufacturing approach raises various environmental and social concerns, including but not limited to carbon emissions, resource depletion, waste generation, substantial energy consumption, and labour exploitation. Green and digital fashion can minimise these issues. However, fashion’s green and digital shifts need more coverage.

This paper explores the link between environmental transitions and labour market policies. The essay investigates problems and solutions to mix worker-focused and social transformation-oriented approaches and observes the evolution and consolidation of the European framework. On this basis, the paper focuses on models and concrete programs in Italy and beyond.

Copyright of Journal of Research in Developmental Social Work is the property of Beni Suef University 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.)

This study analyzes the possibilities of phasing out fossil and nuclear energy sources for Slovenia by 2050. Alternative carbon-free sources include renewable energy sources (RES) i.e. electricity, synthetic fuels and hydrogen from water electrolysis. The model is based on the use of currently mature low-carbon technologies and is adapted to Slovenia's natural conditions. Photovoltaic panels (PV) and hydropower plants are used for the majority of renewable electricity generation. To bridge the winter period with minimal PV production, storage with a pumped storage power plant is planned. One of the assumptions of the national climate strategy has been incorporated into the model, which envisages zero growth in final energy consumption by 2050. The result of the paper is an assessment of what some of the basic characteristics of the Slovenian energy system would look like after the phase-out of fossil and nuclear energy sources. The estimated storage capacity required is 5.1 MWh/capita. Abandoning fossil fuels with the currently mature RES technologies is not realistically feasible for technical and economic reasons. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Following substantial investments in battery production and fossil-free steel, a few select places in northern Sweden are currently undergoing rapid economic and cultural changes. The aim of this article is to explore the role language education plays for three different groups of (im)mobile subjects – refugees, labor migrants, and cosmopolitan elites – in the ongoing social transformations. By using the time-consuming and ideologically charged social practice of teaching and learning languages as a lens, it is argued that although framed as a sustainability project, the pace of the transformation is set by the accelerating logic of capitalism, posing a challenge to the democratic planning of inclusive local communities, as well as to societal subsystems characterized by much slower temporal regimes. Hence, although Sweden is committed to a "just transition" as part of the Paris Agreement, some are obviously benefiting much more than others from this transition. This paper further highlights the potentially high costs for the local communities that "win" the bids for the new green industries. Apart from considerable economic costs in the present, another result might also be increased social stratification and weakening social cohesion in the long term. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The vertical reform of environmental protection agencies is an important means to break through the dilemma of the traditional environmental governance model. It represents an innovative exploration of institutional reform in the field of ecological and environmental protection, holding long-term significance for improving the environmental protection system and promoting economic green transition. Based on panel data from 280 cities from 2005 to 2021, this study employed the vertical reform of sub-provincial environmental protection agencies (referred to as ' environmental protection vertical reform') as a quasi-natural experiment and investigated the impact of this policy, characterized by environmental centralization, on economic green transition. The findings were as follows: (1) The ' environmental protection vertical reform' policy could significantly promote urban economic green transition, and the policy effects were persistent. This conclusion remained robust after a series of robustness tests, including parallel trend tests, placebo tests, counter-factual tests, exclusion of other environmental policy impacts, and PSM-DID estimation. (2) Mechanism analysis revealed that from the perspectives of market response and local government behavior, the ' environmental protection vertical reform' policy could drive economic green transition by optimizing the efficiency of factor resource allocation and expanding environmental governance expenditure. (3) Heterogeneity analysis showed that the economic green transition effects of the policy varied depending on city level, geographical location, degree of fiscal decentralization, and the presence of pollution control targets. The promotion effect was more pronounced in non-provincial capital cities, eastern and central regions, high fiscal decentralization cities, and cities without clearly defined binding pollution control targets. (4) Spatial spillover results showed that this policy had a negative spatial spillover effect on the economic green transition in surrounding areas. This study recommends the continuous deepening of environmental management system reform, mobilizing the enthusiasm of local governments for environmental governance, and stimulating the potential for economic green transition. It also suggests strengthening the aggregation capacity of urban factors such as technology, funds, and human capital, establishing a fiscal system that matches environmental management powers with expenditure responsibilities, and formulating differentiated environmental governance strategies tailored to local conditions. This study has reference value for optimizing the design of environmental management systems and improving the efficiency of government environmental governance in the context of constructing a harmonious coexistence between humanity and nature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Technologies are increasingly influencing the direction and shape of the development of individual economic sectors. In the case of the financial sector, for example, it is pointed out explicitly that these are financial technologies (FinTech). Such technologies can positively influence in this sector not only its sustainable development, but also its green transformation. The article set two research aims. The primary aim of the analyses undertaken was to identify the main research areas addressed in scientific papers simultaneously referring to FinTech and green finance. In turn, an additional aim of the study was to demonstrate research gaps that represent an interesting direction for future research and are simultaneously related to the issue of the labor market, FinTech and green finance. The indicated aims were achieved based on the author's inferences based on a review of scientific papers included in the Scopus database. A systematic literature review method was used. Based on the constructed bibliometric query, 52 scientific papers from 2019-2023, in which FinTech and green finance issues were simultaneously addressed, were identified for exploration. The analyses conducted based on the author's keywords made it possible to identify and visualize in VOSviewer software 27 main research areas addressed in the analyzed scientific papers. In addition to FinTech issues, the issue of green FinTech is addressed. The need for research in the context of the impact of FinTech and green FinTech in green finance on green transformation in the labor market area is recognized. It was pointed out that research should be undertaken around the issues of green jobs, golden-green jobs, green self-employment, and green social enterprises. In addition, the considerations highlight the issue of green competence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Situated within the growing literature on green alternatives to research and innovation-led green transition approaches, this paper sketches the contours of an emerging transition policy evaluation matrix aiming at going beyond contemporary (new) materialist concerns. To do so, I introduce a vitalist focus on life and establishing all connectedness as a long-term normative goal of just and deep global development policy. For this purpose, I draw from key insights from the recent interim evaluation of the European Framework program 'Horizon Europe', as well as non-Western and indigenous and feminist approaches to environmental justice to argue for overcoming an exclusive materialist and individualist preoccupation with green transition as it has been characteristic hitherto. Building on the requirement of a theory of change for encompassing well-being that includes a shifted yet assessable notion of being, I describe the non-linear sequence of green transition phases transcending materialist approaches to shifted energy supply and large-scale decarbonization to include an imaginary of a connected biocentric humanity with a just vitalist concern for life and well-being. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Green Transition aims to protect the health of our planet through changes at the economic, political, and social levels while also having a significant impact on the world of work through the creation of sustainable occupations, referred to as 'Green Jobs'. The aim of our research was to identify the new emerging occupational risks associated with Green Jobs and to propose a protocol to promote the adoption of more appropriate prevention and protection measures. Starting with a few keywords chosen by the authors, we conducted a narrative review of the scientific articles published in the literature. The results obtained show that the new occupational risks emerging in the activities involved in the green transition are mainly related to the introduction of new materials or new technologies and to modes of production processes. These risks may pose a danger to those exposed to them on a daily basis, causing damage to health. Our protocol proposal calls for a more careful and adequate risk assessment for Green Jobs, providing specific training on these issues for new professionals in the sector and introducing specific prevention and protection measures for the different occupational risks analysed in the workplace. By adopting these recommendations in the workplace and conducting in-depth research on these issues, it will be possible to contribute to the improvement of prevention and protection for these new emerging occupational risks, achieving a positive economic impact and better safety conditions for workers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Green investments help to create less harmful alternatives and adequate funds that contribute to economic growth, sustainable development, and social well-being. The paper aims to evaluate decision making on the choice of green investments based on multi-criteria decision making (MCDM). The applied methods are empirical and analytical based on the study of the literature, multi-criteria modeling, the determination of weights, and the ranking of criteria in deciding the green investment mapping of indicators, and mapping the indicators. The research used groups of indicators that reflect the main characteristics of green growth from the OECD database. The idea is to decide on the best green investment based on green growth criteria, which consist of grouped indicators according to the areas of the green economy rather than according to their values. The results of the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP method) showed that half of the investments in the green economy come from public sources (0.51) and the other half are private (0.25) and institutional investors (0.24), while the Best/Worst Method (BWM) revealed that the best criterion for the decision to invest in the green economy is the environmental and resource productivity of the economy, and the worst is the base of natural assets. This paper aims to enable decision-makers to use these results as weights for the overall assessment of green investments in ESG and to simplify the decision-making approach in future analyses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The technological push for hydrogen-based steel production has become a flagship project of the Swedish state for advancing its global environmental leadership and becoming the world's first fossil free welfare state. The new production process has the potential to drastically cut emissions in a heavy polluting industry. The plans also entail a drastic upscale in steel production, energy and iron ore consumption and risk increasing existing pressures on Indigenous Sami land, local communities, and biodiversity. This article sets out to investigate the frontier-making function of green steel imaginaries to contribute to debates on sacrificed spaces of extraction for green commodity demand. The article speaks to a call for a critical turn in sustainability transitions literature by introducing the concept of hype to scrutinise the material consequences of growth-based green transition imaginaries. This article builds on a narrative analysis of government, industry, and company actors' visions of a green steel future. The analysis illustrates how sociotechnical imaginaries are constructed to enable particular industrial futures over other green transition pathways. We show that the sociotechnical imaginary of green steel, fuelled through hype, serves to advance the new commodity and growth of the industry while effectively cancelling out democratic nuance and non-extractive alternatives. The findings illustrate the importance of pluralising green imaginaries to ensure inclusive transition pathways and to nuance and discursively dismantle the hype of green transitions that fail to break with the growth paradigm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article provides an in-depth analysis of the evolution and current state of industrial policies in the European Union (EU) from the 1980s to the present day. We specifically focus on the resurgence of interest in such policies from 2020. We argue that industrial policies in the EU during the second half of the 2020s and into the 2030s will differ significantly from previous decades, while acknowledging challenges in fully understanding their scope and implementation. In particular, it is argued that the lack of a meaningful EU fiscal capacity constitutes the biggest challenge for the design and implementation of effective industrial strategies, which risks exacerbating regional and national disparities in the dual transition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The hegemonic understanding of the green transition will require a massive surge in mineral extraction. We contend that this entails wider, radical shifts in 21st century financialised capitalism. While there has been increasing critical interest in the role of finance capital in development, the links between finance, extraction, and the green transition have been largely overlooked. We fill this gap by arguing that the green transition, understood as a transformation of global capitalism, is marked by new rounds of appropriation, exploitation, and extraction, (re)producing dependencies for resource‐rich Global South countries. These emergent geographies of the green transition are best evaluated through what we call the "finance‐extraction‐transitions nexus". The nexus highlights the interplay between finance capital, mineral extraction, and the material, socio‐economic, and environmental implications of the green transition. This provides new ways to theoretically, conceptually, and methodologically engage with resource extraction and the green transition in the age of financialised capitalism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article theorises the processes of colonisation, wealth accumulation, and inequalities creation that the current paradigm of a resource‐hungry green transition enacts on the most vulnerable populations. We suggest that the extractivist logics and related technical fixes are leading to a "climate necropolitics". In this, the socio‐economic system is increasingly defined by classes' carbon exposure and consumption. Through the "green growth" of late capitalism, we theorise the advent of four carbon‐defined classes. Bounded by the access to climate tech capital and consumption of low‐carbon products, these include the ultra‐carbonised, decarbonised, still‐carbonised, and uncarbonised classes—with the first two acting as dominant classes and necropolitical agents sustained by the remaining lower classes. Inspired by Marxist scholars, we suggest that the current status quo is untenable and will result in class warfare during which coalitions between classes could reorient the "make live and let die" of the current green transition paradigm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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The conscious need of transition to an environmentally friendly way of society life on a global scale in recent years outlines a new direction in the development and activity of humanity. A number of documents at the global and European levels are a clear sign of countries' determination t change significantly their attitude to the natural resources use in order to limit climate change and global warming of the planet, to ensure an environmentally friendly way of life and activity and the long-term preservation and well-being of human civilization. Small and medium-sized businesses in Bulgaria are a huge potential resource that can be a powerful engine for realizing the ecological transformation of the country's economy. Current progress, financial ability and access to financial resources as well as the outlooks of small and medium companies in Bulgaria in the green transition are analyzed in this study. SMEs are classified in 3 clusters in terms of their progress in the transition process using TwoStep Cluster analysis with a set of indicators identified by authors. It has been established that despite the existing difficulties and the great inertia in the process of transition to an ecological economy of small and medium-sized companies in particular, more or less sustainable steps leading to the reduction of carbon emissions are observed, in the production of cleaner energy as well as elements of circularity in production processes and consumption. The transition appears to be taking place more quickly in medium-sized companies operating in manufacturing, logistics and transport, while small, mostly family-owned, companies with businesses in retail or service are progressing more slowly in this process. All the companies need of more serious and adequate support in the way of ecologization both by state regulations that to be applied clearly and transparently and by adequate financing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Space & Society / Tér és Társadalom is the property of Centre for Economic & Regional Studies, Hungarian Academy of Sciences 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 impacts of climate change are unevenly distributed across territories. Less is known about the potential effects of climate policies aimed at mitigating the negative consequences of climate change while transitioning economies towards low-carbon standards. This paper presents an analytical framework for identifying and assessing the regional impacts of the green transition. We develop a Regional Green Transition Vulnerability Index, a composite measure of the regional vulnerability of European regions to the socio-economic reconfigurations prompted by the green transition. The index brings to light strong regional variations in vulnerability, with less developed, peri-urban and rural regions in Southern and Eastern Europe more exposed to the foreseeable changes brought about by the green transition. We also draw attention to the potential rise of pockets of growing 'green' discontent, especially if the green transition contributes, as is likely to be the case, to leaving already left-behind regions further behind. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Strategic Issues of Northern Hungary ECONOMY-REGION-SOCIETY / Észak-magyarországi Stratégiai Füzetek GAZDASAG-REGIO-TARSADALOM is the property of University of Miskolc, Faculty of Economics 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.)

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Abstract As countries worldwide race toward a green transition, the demand for electric vehicles is surging, and with it comes a growing need for batteries. However, the push for increased domestic mining to secure these materials raises significant concerns about environmental sustainability. Even with stringent regulations, the environmental impact of mining can be profound, posing risks such as biodiversity loss, water pollution, and broader ecological damage. Furthermore, geopolitical tensions could arise as countries whose economic interests are threatened by these initiatives may react adversely. Local communities might also resist mining projects due to concerns over environmental degradation, health risks, and disruptions to their livelihoods. Given the critical importance of metals in the ecological transition, this challenge must be approached with the same urgency and global coordination as a pandemic response. Just as the world mobilized unprecedented resources to tackle COVID‐19, a similarly robust approach is necessary to ensure the availability of critical metals for a sustainable future. This paper suggests potential pathways for academic, technological, and societal advancements within the framework of a circular economy for lithium, aiming to secure a sustainable supply of this essential resource.

Developing sustainable construction materials is important to help reduce the anthropogenic impacts of the construction industry. Currently, the production of concrete accounts for 8 % of global carbon emissions. Therefore, alternatives to concrete must be developed, to reduce its use in the future. New construction materials will help to facilitate a green transition as envisioned in global climate initiatives. Materials such as lignin are ideal, as they can be implemented with little additional cost to manufacture construction materials. We introduce a novel material, lignin-based biopolymer-bound soil composite (BSC), which is similar to other BSCs using other types of biopolymers. In addition, a design methodology is presented, which allows the manufacture of lignin-based BSCs with tailored characteristics. Two kinds of lignin — hydrolysis lignin and alkali lignin — were investigated, with five mix designs developed for each type of lignin. The lignin-based BSCs were found to have compressive strength ranging from 1.6–8.1 MPa, which allows them to be implemented in non-structural construction applications. Ultimate compressive strength, density, and other parameters were measured, leading to the development of design relationships for lignin-based BSC. The design relationships presented in this study will help introduce lignin-based BSC as a sustainable form of construction.

This article sheds light on the class determinants of ecological attitudes and, at the same time, tries to emphasize the general importance of class differentiation for the implementation of sustainable development policies. This is particularly important in Eastern European countries where, for financial reasons, a green transition raises concerns among social groups that may feel threatened by additional socioeconomic costs. Using empirical data collected in Poland, we point out that the challenges, implementation, and social costs of a green transition can be used by populist and nationalist right-wing politicians. At the same time, right-wing populists depict ecological activists as a threat to the interests of “ordinary people” and identify them with the liberal metropolitan elites, detached from the worries of people with lower incomes and residents of traditionalist provinces. In the current conditions, the fear of increases in energy and fuel prices may be another source of support for an anti-ecological right-wing agenda against the “global pressure” of the liberal establishment. This narrative may be particularly attractive in peripheral and semi-peripheral countries in Europe and around the world as it refers not only to ideological arguments but also to the economic interests of “ordinary people.”

AbstractGlobal labor market shifts have spurred the need for innovations and adaptations in workplace norms. This evolution demands a workforce with technical and soft skills to meet sustainability and industry advancements. The paper aims to elucidate the complex challenges related to the ambition to develop a socially sustainable, competitive, and green industry subjected to an accelerating pace of change. It outlines the findings of a Delphi study conducted in Sweden, which integrated workshops, interviews, and surveys with experts from various sectors to identify 14 key challenges. These challenges were synthesized into five themes: innovative competence supply management practices, resilient organizations and production systems, analytics for improvement and learning, socially sustainable work, and green transformation practices. The study provides a set of propositions within these themes, offering a strategic roadmap for future research to foster the growth of industries that are socially responsible, competitive, and committed to environmental sustainability. A practical implication of the study is the recognition of the larger competence ecosystem of which industrial companies are a part. This community must work together to create the knowledge needed to manage the shift to a green, sustainable, and digital working life.

What is it exactly about the quest to “green” the performing arts that so fundamentally challenges the sector’s modi operandi? A sense of urgency around climate change and ecological degradation is informing profound changes in the way the arts field sees itself and slowly inducing a discussion on the sustainability of its working practices. However, despite the undeniable planetary emergency, the lumping together of environmental issues and cultural policy and management frameworks remains complex and controversial, especially if considered from the perspective of the European semi-peripheries. By exploring the preliminary results of a nation-wide inquiry among 140 performing arts regularly funded organisations based in Portugal, this paper discusses the implications of the overarching challenge of environmental sustainability for cultural policymaking and arts management, seeking to contribute to a more nuanced and context-sensitive understanding of the “green transition.”