ALBERT

Description: The soil shrinkage behavior of mineral substrates needs to be considered for engineering long-term durable mineral liners of landfill capping systems. For this purpose, a novel three-dimensional laser scanning device was coupled with (a) a mathematical-empirical model and (b) in-situ tensiometer measurements as a combined approach to simultaneously determine the shrinkage behavior of a boulder marl, installed as top and bottom liner material at the Rastorf landfill (Northern Germany). The shrinkage behavior, intensity, and geometry were determined during a drying experiment with undisturbed soil cores (100 cm3) from two soil pits; the actual in-situ shrinkage was also determined in 0.2, 0.5, 0.8, and 1.0 m depth by pressure transducer tensiometer measurements during a four-year period. The volume shrinkage index was used to describe the pore size dependent shrinkage tendency and it was classified as low (4.9%) for the bottom liner. The in-situ matric potentials in the bottom liner ranged between −100 and −150 hPa, even during drier periods, thus, the previously highest observed drying range (pre-shrinkage stress) with values below −500 hPa and −1000 hPa was not exceeded. Therefore, the hydraulic stability of the bottom liner was given.

Description: This paper aims at exploring how conservative and liberal newspapers in South Korea framed PyeongChang 2018 directly. Our research questions addressed four points: first, different attitudes of conservative and liberal newspapers in the PyeongChang news reporting; second, their success and failure in influencing public opinion; third, South Koreans’ perceptions on PyeongChang 2018; and fourth, South Korean public reliance on the newspapers. To investigate the framing differences, we employed a big data analytic method (automated semantic network analysis) with NodeXL (analytic software). Conclusively, we were able to find out four main findings. First, the conservative media showed pessimistic attitudes to the Olympics, and the liberal media did conversely. Second, despite the conservative media’s resourcefulness, they could not succeed in influencing public opinion. Third, the conservative media perceived the Olympics as an undesirable event, but the liberal media did the Olympics as a significant event for further peace promotion. Fourth, the conservative media’s framings did not considerably influence upon the public opinion. As a conclusion, the public are no longer passive recipients of the messages from the media. Instead, they tend to selectively accept the information from the media based on ‘collective intelligence’. This trend provides a significant implication for enhancing the sustainability of the media environment in South Korea.

Description: Drought flow as the minimum flow rate required for restoration of the Mokgamcheon stream was calculated by the Storm Water Management Model (SWMM) V.5.0. The adequacy of drought flow to guarantee the minimum ecological environment was assessed using suitable low-flows not exceeding the maximum pollution concentration of the ecosystem calculated by Design FLOWs (DFLOW) V.4.1. Fish flows, which provide proper ecological habitat for fish, were calculated using Physical HABitat SIMulation (PHABSIM) V.1.5.2 to provide proper ecological habitat for target fishes such as Carassius auratus and Zacco platypus. The monthly expected instream flows were determined as the largest value between drought flow and fish flow. In most cases, instream flows were determined by drought flows exceeding fish flows that satisfy the condition of species habitat, but in the case of Carassius auratus, drought flows were less than fish flows in April, September, and October. Thus, structural measures for the supply of additional discharge were required. Instead, when natural environment-friendly instream structures, such as stepping stones were used, affordable ecological restoration that met the preferred conditions for discharge and depth of Carassius auratus was possible. The stepping stones were assessed using River2D V.0.95a to measure their effectiveness compared to other structural measures that would be costly and time-consuming to secure shortage of fish flow. Finally, the stability of the habitat was assessed through flood analysis; in case of a flood discharge of 5.2 m3/s obtained from time-series analysis, it was evaluated that the stability of habitats could be reasonable.

Description: Owing to use of mortar, which demonstrates low heat storage and discharge performance, conventional radiant floor-heating systems, based on the wet construction method and hot-water circulation, consume large amounts of energy. This study proposes a new type of radiant floor-heating system that is capable of reducing energy consumption via use of the latent heat of a phase change material (PCM), whereby the phase change, which occurs within, is induced by the thermal energy supplied by hot water. Simulation analyses revealed that hot-water supply temperatures, required to maintain the floor-surface and indoor-air temperatures at the set point using PCM latent heat, were in the range 40–41 °C. At supply water temperatures measuring less than 39 °C or exceeding 42 °C, the latent-heat effect of the phase change of the PCM tended to fail, and the corresponding floor-surface temperature assumed a value different from that corresponding to the set point. By contrast, supply temperatures in the range 40–41 °C resulted in return temperatures measuring approximately 27.4–27.5 °C, which in turn corresponded to an indoor air temperature of 21.6–22.6 °C that was stably maintained within ±0.6 °C of the 22 °C set-point temperature.

Description: Farm Management Information Systems (FMISs) are being expanded to improve operation efficiency, reduce inputs, and ensure compliance with standards and regulations. However, this goal is difficult to attain in the vegetable sector, where data acquisition is time-consuming and data at different stages is fragmented by the potential diversity of crops and multiple batches cultivated at any given farm. This applies, in particular, to farms in China, which have small areas and low degrees of mechanization. This study presents an integrated approach to track and trace production efficiently through our Digital Farm Management System (DFMS), which adopts the cloud framework and utilizes Quick Response (QR) codes and Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology. Specifically, a data acquisition system is proposed that runs on a smartphone for the efficient gathering of planting information in the field. Moreover, DFMS generates statistics and analyses of planting areas, costs, and yields. DFMS meets the FMIS requirements and provides the accurate tracking and tracing of the production for each batch in an efficient manner. The system has been applied in a large-scale vegetable production enterprise, consisting of 12 farms distributed throughout China. This application shows that DFMS is a highly efficient solution for precise vegetable farm management.

Description: The Kyoto Protocol came into effect in 1997 to curb greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and to address the problem of climate change. The Protocol includes a market-based mechanism designed to offset GHG emissions, called the emissions trading scheme (ETS), allowing companies to “trade” their shortage or surplus allowance. This study examines the determinants of the EU allowance (EUA) price in Phase 3 of the EU ETS (2013–2017). First, the causality between the EUA price and other variables is determined using a Granger causality test. Second, the correlation between the EUA price and each variable is measured using a VECM estimation and an impulse response function. Finally, the relative effect of each variable on the EUA price is determined using a forecast error variance decomposition. The results show that the EUA price has a causal effect on the prices of electricity and natural gas. Second, all variables, except the minimum temperature, show a positive relationship with the EUA price. Furthermore, when unexpected shocks occur, the EUA price shows the highest response to its past price, followed by the electricity price. Third, the past EUA price has the most influence on the EUA price, followed by the coal price.

Description: The Hawaiian Islands today are faced with a complex mix of sustainability challenges regarding food systems. After European arrival, there was a change of dietary customs and decline in traditional Hawaiian agriculture along with the cultural mechanisms which sustained them. Recently, there has been a resurgence for local food and culture alongside an enthusiasm for breadfruit (Artocarpus altilis)—a Polynesian staple crop. To investigate the role of breadfruit and biocultural restoration in Hawai‘i, we conducted surveys and interviews with local breadfruit producers. Overall, we found that breadfruit has the potential to provide holistic, practical and appropriate solutions to key issues in Hawai‘i, including food security, environmental degradation and public health, while simultaneously lending to the revival of cultural norms and social relationships. As breadfruit cultivation expands rapidly in Hawai‘i, the opportunities for increased social and environmental benefits can be realized if appropriately encouraged.

Description: The development of green building products is of great significance to the sustainability of construction projects. Both the financial ability and adoption behavior of customers have a great influence on the decisions made by manufacturers regarding the development of green building products. To clarify how customer behavior related to green building products can be transitioned to manufacturers, this paper presents a multiagent model that considers the interactions between customers and manufacturers, describing the decision process of manufacturers through the swarm intelligence algorithm and taking complex characteristics of agents into account. Results show that the customer’s financial ability has a positive impact on the green decisions of manufactures. In addition, the average greenness of products produced by manufacturers is found to be lower than that required by customers. Furthermore, building products within a certain range of greenness has strategic advantages in market competition, leading to higher sales and a monopoly position.

Description: When developing new indicators for policy advice, two different approaches exist and may be combined with each other. First, a data-driven, bottom-up approach determines indicators primarily by the availability of suitable data. Second, indicators can be developed by a top-down approach, on the basis of political fields of action and related normative goals. While the bottom-up approach might not meet the needs of an up-to-date policy advice, the top-down approach might lack the necessary data. To discuss these problems and possible solutions, we refer to the ongoing development of an indicator system on impacts of climate change on biodiversity in Germany, where a combination of both approaches has been successfully applied. We describe suitable indicators of this system and discuss the reasons for the remaining gaps. Both approaches, mentioned above, have advantages, constraints, and shortcomings. The scientific accuracy of the indicators, the availability of data and the purpose of policy advice have to be well-balanced while developing such indicator systems.

Description: Fluvial environments have always played a crucial role in human history. The necessity of fertile land and fresh water for agriculture has led populations to settle in floodplains more frequently than in other environments. Floodplains are complex human–water systems in which the mutual interaction between anthropogenic activities and environment affected the landscape development. In this paper, we analyzed the evolution of the Central Po Plain (Italy) during the Medieval period through a multi-proxy record of geomorphological, archaeological and historical data. The collapse of the Western Roman Empire (5th century AD) coincided with a progressive waterlogging of large floodplain areas. The results obtained by this research shed new light on the consequences that Post-Roman land and water management activities had on landscape evolution. In particular, the exploitation of fluvial sediments through flood management practices had the effect of reclaiming the swamps, but also altered the natural geomorphological development of the area. Even so, the Medieval human activities were more in equilibrium with the natural system than with the later Renaissance large-scale land reclamation works that profoundly modified the landscape turning the wetland environment into the arable land visible today. The analysis of fluvial palaeoenvironments and their relation with past human activities can provide valuable indications for planning more sustainable urbanized alluvial landscapes in future.

Description: As the era of the fourth Industrial revolution begins, there is high demand for new information technology (IT) innovation to address the challenges of a dramatically changing industrial landscape. The construction industry, which is one the most important traditional industries in Korea, has adopted new IT innovation in their products to meet customer demand, regulation from government, energy efficiency, security, and so on. The aim of our study is to empirically clarify the impact of technology innovation on the business performance for Korean domestic construction conglomerates. The study performs an empirical analysis with time series analysis on business performance from the perspective of client satisfaction with the services the target companies provide and the production process improvement, as well as from a financial perspective. As analysis data, statistical data from the Ministry of Science, ICT, and Future Planning; Brand Stock; Bank of Korea; and each company are utilized, and the target companies for our study are limited to 19 construction companies with an apartment brand. Multiple regression analysis is used as a fundamental analysis methodology of our study. For Time Series Analysis, the Box Jenkins Model, namely, ARIMA is utilized. According to our results, it is found that any improvement of IT convergence innovation competence such as business efficiency IT index, collaboration IT index, and strategy management IT index has a positive impact on the production process, financial performance, and customer satisfaction with the services the companies provide.

Description: Cities are essential vectors for economic and sustainable development worldwide, as a consequence of globalization and the recent economic, financial, social, and environmental crises. In this connection, urban creativity, intelligence, and sustainability are inseparable dimensions of those cities, since when they are in harmony with the networks from which they originate, they can be predictors of their improved performance. Therefore, this study aims to propose a conceptual and multidimensional model for cities that shows their implicit dimensions and general indicators so that their performance can be measured in a holistic way. This study also forms some implications for theory and practice. Finally, the conclusion shows the study’s contribution and limitations together with suggestions for future research.

Description: Dam projects are inevitably accompanied by massive displacement and resettlement, which imposes intricate social impacts on the host community. This study aims to investigate the social impacts of dam-induced displacement and resettlement in China through a comparative case study where both the control and experimental groups were investigated. Data were collected through a mix of questionnaire-survey, archival files, and face-to-face interviews. The results show that dam-induced displacement and resettlement was conducive to improving residence conditions and facilitating the acceptance of rural cooperative medical insurance. But it had negative impacts on employment, income level and income resource, and overall well-being. Implications for theory and for practice are provided in the end.

Description: This article aims to contribute to the ongoing debate on post-capitalist economy by exploring the contours of a sustainability-oriented model of economic governance. To this end, the article analyzes the issues of sustainable development in the three main strands of international economic law (trade, investment, and finance) at national and transnational levels. The analysis reveals a policy interdependence between international economic law and sustainable development. The latter hence represents a specific regulatory construct that aims at compensating the losses of exhaustible resources with investments in technology and knowledge. This, however, merely justifies and legitimizes the over-exploitation of certain parts of the globe, including not only their natural resources, but also human and other capitals. To overcome these unsustainable models, the article proposes a paradigm shift away from the standard of sustainable development in international economic law, towards one of sustainability. The idea is to replace sustainable development with sustainable economy. Law can act as a trigger of such a shift through ensuring trust and cooperation between public institutions, private companies, civil society, local communities, and individual citizens.

Description: In this study, we pursue two objectives. First, we analyse the influence of product, process, and non-technological innovation on environmental performance. Second, we explore the existence of complementarities or substitutabilities between the different combinations of these three types of innovations to learn which combinations improve or worsen environmental performance. The analyses were performed using data from the 2013 Technological Innovation Panel (PITEC) for Spanish manufacturing companies. We use the two-stage least-squares method as an instrumental variable estimator, which allows us to control the endogeneity and obtain consistent estimators. Our findings indicate that product innovation and process innovation have a negative influence on environmental performance. Likewise, we have also found that the simultaneous implementation of product innovation and process innovation is unconditionally substitutive and that the joint implementation of process innovation and non-technological innovation is conditionally substitutive. This result reinforces the position of those researchers who have pointed out that the association between a greater technology orientation and a better firm environmental performance is probably too simplistic. Finally, it should be emphasized that only non-technological innovation contributes to achieving better environmental performance and that the joint implementation of product innovation and non-technology innovation is conditionally complementary.

Description: Our global food system is characterized by an increasing concentration and imbalance of power, with trade-offs between hunger, inequality, unsustainable production and consumption, and profit. A systematic analysis of power imbalances in food systems is required if we are to meet the 2030 Agenda vision of promoting sustainable production and consumption patterns and ending hunger and poverty. Such an analysis, with a view to a transformation to more sustainable and just food systems, requires tools to be developed and tested in real-life case studies of food systems. To better understand the structures and mechanisms around power in food systems, this study applies a political ecology lens. We adapted the “power cube” analysis framework that was proposed by the Institute of Development Studies for the analysis of spaces, forms, and levels of power. We apply the analysis of these three dimensions of power to two food systems in the tropical lowlands of Bolivia: one agroindustrial and one indigenous. After identifying food system actors, the food system spaces in which they interact, and what forms of power they use at what levels, we discuss some implications for an emerging scientific culture of power analyses in critical sustainability assessments. Mechanisms of hidden power undermine visible legislative power in both case studies, but in our example of an indigenous food system of the Guaraní people, visible power stays with a local community through their legally recognized and communally owned and governed territory, with important implications for the realization of the right to food.

Description: In Mongolia, the Ecological Footprint (EF) has increased from 6.8 million global hectares (gha) in 1961 to 14.6 million gha in 2012; whilst the Biological capacity (BC) has decreased from 50.6 million gha in 1961 to 39.0 million gha in 2012. Throughout the study period, the grazing land footprint and carbon uptake land footprint have been the two major contributors to the EF variation. If the current trend continues, the EF will surpass the BC by around 2083. To ensure sustainable development in Mongolia, policy directions are advised. For the grazing land footprint, regulating the livestock numbers and herding practice changes are suggested. For the carbon uptake footprint, an increase in the combustion efficiency of the coal fired power plants and the extensive utilization of the renewable energy are suggested. Simple estimations of future carbon dioxide (CO2) emission changes based on various scenarios have been carried out. The amount of CO2 emissions in the mitigation scenarios decreased by up to 31.4% compared with the baseline scenario in 2030 in Mongolia. This case study is the first attempt to propose sustainable development strategies based on the estimation of Mongolia’s ecological consumption pattern.

Description: Tourism has rapidly developed into one of the world’s largest industries, and represents a new growth point for stimulating a region’s economic and social development. Therefore, a clear understanding of the interactive relationship between the tourism industry, the economy and the environment, as well as the potential mechanisms involved, can play an important role in improving the coordination between these three elements and forming a sustainable development policy. By utilizing quantitative analysis methods and models, this study uses Qingyang City, Gansu Province, as a case study, and tests the relationship between the development of the tourism industry, the economy and the environment. This study makes a number of important conclusions: (1) a mutually promoting relationship does not exist between the development of the tourism industry and economic growth; instead, a unidirectional relationship is found between the two elements. Similarly, a mutually promoting relationship does not exist between the development of the tourism industry and environmental quality; rather, a unidirectional relationship is found between the two elements. (2) The “curse effect” on economic growth imposed by the development of the tourism industry is found to exist. The development of the tourism industry not only exerts a direct negative influence on economic growth, but also adversely affects it in an indirect way through its influence over some transmission factors. Additionally, the curse effect on the environment imposed by the development of the tourism industry is also found to exist. The development of the tourism industry not only imposes a direct negative influence on the environment, but also adversely affects it in an indirect way through its influence over some transmission factors. (3) During the process of regional development, the relationship between the tourism industry, the economy and the environment needs to be correctly addressed. Through effective policies, it should be possible to realize the coordination of and sustainable development between the tourism industry, the economy and the environment.

Description: Nitrogen oxides are emitted in large quantities by vehicles, and solutions to the problem are sought after. Efforts towards abatement include Selective Catalytic Reduction, catalytic converters, and redesigning engines to make them more efficient. This article focuses on the photocatalytic oxidation, which involves the use of titanium dioxide and ultraviolet radiation to oxidise nitrogen oxides to nitrates. To test this, the interior of a serpentine reactor was coated with titanium dioxide and irradiated with various intensities of ultraviolet light, and the photocatalytic abatement was monitored for the exhaust fumes from a standalone 4-stroke test diesel engine. The conversion rates were calculated using the entering concentration and the concentration after a certain time increment. The rates varied between 13.7% and 37.3% and depended strongly on the relative humidity, as a higher relative humidity directly correlated with a better conversion. The irradiance was also varied, and a decline in the conversion rate occurred when the irradiance was increased.

Description: In this article, we explore the opportunities and challenges of landscape approaches through the lens of responsible research and innovation (RRI). We use the case of transport biofuels to reflect on the capacity of landscape approaches to support the governance of emerging technologies. The case study, developed in the region of Sardinia, Italy, consists of a landscape design process for the implementation of biofuel technologies that rely on the use of non-food dedicated crops and agricultural residues. By using non-food feedstocks, the biofuel project aims to avoid competition with food production and achieve sustainability goals. Through the discussion of key dimensions of RRI in relation to this case, the article puts forward a set of critical aspects of landscape design processes that require further attention from theorists and practitioners in the field of landscape-based planning. These include the power imbalance that exists between the diverse actors involved in project activities, a need for improving the flexibility of the configuration of socio-technical systems, revising assumptions on ‘valid’ knowledge, and improving the deliberative component of planning processes.

Description: This paper presents the resistivity and piezoresistivity behavior of cement-based mortars manufactured with graphene nanoplatelet filler (GNP), virgin carbon fibers (VCF) and recycled carbon fibers (RCF). GNP was added at 4% of the cement weight, whereas two percentages of carbon fibers were chosen, namely 0.05% and 0.2% of the total volume. The combined effect of both filler and fibers was also investigated. Mortars were studied in terms of their mechanical properties (under flexure and compression) and electrical resistivity. Mortars with the lowest electrical resistivity values were also subjected to cyclic uniaxial compression to evaluate the variations in electrical resistivity as a function of strain. The results obtained show that mortars have piezoresistive behavior only if they are subjected to a prior drying process. In addition, dry specimens exhibit a high piezoresistivity only when loaded with 0.2 vol.% of VCF and 0.4 wt.% of GNP plus 0.2 vol.% RCF, with a quite reversible relation between their fractional change in resistivity (FCR) and compressive strain.

Description: The application of predictive analytics in higher education has increasingly gained acceptance and interest over the years. In this study, a predictive model is developed to map students’ non-cognitive skills against their class performance. Our predictive analytics model identified the non-cognitive skills that predicted new students’ class performance based on the dataset collected early in the semester. Based on the predictive analytics results, tailored teaching to improve students’ non-cognitive skills was offered in a required class designed for undergraduate business students. The improvement in the average final semester grade for students in the tailored-taught classes based on our predicted analytics approach was 9%, which was higher than that of the class grade taught without the approach. The study finding also demonstrates a long-term, sustainable positive effect to the students with the predictive analytics approach.

Description: Frequent food quality and safety issues result in various food inspection measures in China, while some are not widely acknowledged by the public and are less efficient. Consumer demand is significant for priority setting in food policy. This study investigates Chinese consumers’ heterogeneous preferences for selected food inspection measures and estimates welfare effects based on willingness-to-pay (WTP) calculation. Rice consumption data from a 2018 nationwide consumer survey designed using the real choice experiment is analyzed by the random parameters logit and the latent class model. The findings reveal that consumers place a high value on government certification, and brand is valuable especially when public management is perceived as weak. However, the insufficient market demand for third-party certification may increase transaction costs due to overlapping functions and consumers’ distrust. Moreover, there should be a need to broaden consumers’ understanding of traceability and grading systems. This study emphasizes the necessity of direct governmental involvement and the existence of unnecessary policy cost.

Description: Since the 1990s, the Two Major Environmental Value model (2-MEV) has been applied to measure adolescent environmental attitudes by covering two higher order factors: (i) Preservation of Nature (PRE) which measures protection preferences and (ii) Utilization of Nature (UTL) which quantifies preferences towards exploitation of nature. In addition to the 2-MEV scale, we monitored the Appreciation of Nature (APR) which, in contrast to the UTL, monitors the enjoyable utilization of nature. Finally, we employed the Morningness–Eveningness Scale for Children (MESC) which monitors the diurnal preferences and associates with personality and behavioral traits. In this study, we analyzed data from 429 Irish students (14.65 years; ±1.89 SD) with the aim of reconfirming the factor structure of the 2-MEV+APR and monitoring the relationship between the MESC and the environmental values (PRE, UTL, APR). Our findings identified a significant association between PRE and APR with MESC. In addition, we observed a gender difference. Our results suggest that morningness preference students are more likely to be protective of and appreciative towards nature. Recommendations for outreach programs as well as conclusions for environmental education initiatives in general are discussed.

Description: Sustainable mobility has received increasing attention in recent years. The transport sector contributes to almost a quarter of Europe’s greenhouse gas emissions. The development of electric vehicles (EVs) may help the shift toward sustainable mobility, reducing oil vulnerability and greenhouse gas emissions in road transport. Poor penetration of EVs might be explained, moreover, by consumer resistance to EVs. The aim of our paper is to determine consumers’ attitude and preferences for EVs, investigating which conditions influence consumer decision-making to purchase an EV. Using a fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis of 421 highly-educated individuals, involving students and faculty members, we identify several configurations of conditions of the variables which lead to the outcomes, supporting their equifinality and asymmetric nature. Our findings indicate attitudes related to EVs differ across age and groups. Our paper offers public decision makers new useful insights for understanding the importance of specific determinants, and for designing effective strategies for EVs’ development worldwide.

Description: In an attempt to ensure sustainable water resource development, this paper constructs a comprehensive scientific index evaluation system focused on the macro socio-economic-ecological environment. Inspired by the theory of dissipative structure, the sustainable development system of water resources is regarded as a complex and huge dissipative system. In order to effectively measure the coordinated development status and orderly evolution trend of the system, this paper uses the information entropy method to construct the measurement model of the water resources system and analyze its internal entropy flow changes. The empirical analysis of the water resources in China from 2007 to 2016 found that coordinated water resource subsystem development could achieve sustainable development, and that over the examined period, the sustainable water resource development system in China became more orderly and coordinated; therefore, the sustainable development aim is gradually being achieved.

Description: This article discusses the main issues associated with waste from mining activity, which is the largest group of combined waste in Poland. A series of domestic and foreign solutions (practical and laboratory solutions) were indicated here, aimed at the management of waste in accordance with the tendency of circular economy (CE). In connection with the legislative changes, there is a need to resign from storage of the waste that is recyclable. The authors indicate mining waste as a potential for further studies, searching for solutions in regard to the use of waste as a raw material for sustainable, secondary use/reuse. Based on EUROSTAT data, the types of waste from mining and quarrying were grouped and the juxtaposition of all waste generated in Poland was implemented in the context of selected European economies. It was indicated which types of waste can be identified for reuse and management in accordance with CE. Rational management of mineral raw materials and therefore, maintaining of the level of extraction of domestic natural resources will contribute to maintaining not only energy independence, but also the leading position of Polish mining in the international aspect in the scope of extraction of metallic and rock raw materials. Mining waste can be and is reused in accordance with the concept of CE, which was showed through the example of domestic industry enterprises and their business models.

Description: Decreasing trends in birth rates in developed countries during the past decades, which threaten the sustainability of their populations, raise concerns in the areas of employment and social security, among others. A decrease in willingness to bear children has been examined in the international literature from several (biological, socio-cultural, economic, and spatial, etc.) aspects. Among these, the question of the effectiveness of fiscal incentives has been raised, with arguments that these are positive, but not significant, to birth rates; our study also concludes this. In Hungary, from 2010 onwards, the government has introduced very high tax allowances for families and, from 2015, has provided direct subsidies for housing purposes, all within a framework of a new family policy regime. This paper presents an evaluation of family policy interventions (e.g., housing support, tax allowances, other child-raising benefits), with the conclusion that fiscal incentives cannot be effective by themselves; a sustainable level of birth rates can only be maintained, but not necessarily increased, with an optimal design of family policy incentives. By studying the Hungarian example of pro-birth policies there is shown to be a policy gap in housing subsidies.

Description: In recent years, China has been vigorously carrying out the planning and implementation of Sponge City. Since the implementation of Sponge City projects involves substantial materials and energy consumption, it is significant to account corresponding carbon emissions and sinks. The existed studies about carbon emission of stormwater management measures, however, are not able to take the whole life cycle and different facilities into consideration. Therefore, this study develops a comprehensive accounting model based on Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) guidelines and life cycle assessment (LCA) method to predict carbon emissions and carbon sinks of Sponge City projects more comprehensively and accurately. The model is applied to an actual residential community in Shanghai as a case study. Results show that the total indirect carbon emission is estimated to be 774,277 kg CO2 eq during a 30-year lifespan, among which carbon emissions from operation and maintenance phases are 2570 kg CO2 eq/year and 7309 kg CO2 eq/year, respectively, both directly proportional to the service life of the facilities. Three kinds of achievable carbon sinks are carbon sequestration in green space (5450 kg CO2 eq/year), carbon sink from rainwater utilization (15,379 kg CO2 eq/year) and carbon sink from runoff pollutant removal (19,552 kg CO2 eq/year). Carbon neutrality is expected to be reached after approximately 19 years. The established carbon emission accounting model can contribute to better planning and construction of Sponge City in China and enhance further energy conservation and carbon emission reduction.

Description: European countries are split over the appreciation of wild berries, fruits, mushrooms, and herbs. While some countries provide public statistics on wild plants, others seem to neglect wild plant gathering and commercialization. In this study, we aimed to understand if wild plant commercialization is neglected or irrelevant in Austria, a country that does not provide statistics. We focus on organic producers, because organic certification of wild plant gathering might have potential for countering frequent concerns about commercial gathering, including destructive gathering and overharvesting. Using a mixed-methods approach with a concurrent triangulation design, databases of six organic certification bodies were analysed concurrently with semi-structured expert interviews of their representatives. We found that organic certification for gathering was issued to 1.5% of organic producers in the year 2016 in Austria and is relevant for three distinct gatherer types: regular, diversified, and single-plant gatherers. Organic gathering is most frequently part of agricultural or horticultural farms and rarely an isolated commercial activity. It is related to mixed farming, deepening on-farm diversification, and contributes to maintaining traditions, as well as the local socio-ecological memory of wild plant products. Organic wild plants are directly marketed to consumers as traditional and innovative products, but also supplied to mass markets. We conclude that from a socio-cultural perspective and a focus on regional economies, organic gathering is neglected in Austria, whereas from an income perspective, wild plant gathering seems to be indeed relevant for few organic producers, although exhibiting potential.

Description: In the second decade of the 21st century, social media changed the nature of communication and cooperation between participants of the culture services market. They became, among other things, an important marketing instrument in the area of contact with the customers of the cultural offer. However, despite their growing importance in various areas of activity of organisations in the cultural sector, the issue of building the cultural institution’s brand equity by social media users is relatively seldom raised. Research on the impact of online consumer activity on brand equity is at an early stage of development. Therefore, this article is an attempt to fill the research gap in this area. The article presents the results of a survey that was conducted in 2018 on a group of 1021 consumers of cultural services, who at the same time regularly used social media. The statistical analysis carried out and the research results obtained prove that the 3C sustainable system (3C means: consumer Consumption, Contribution, Creation) developed by the authors, concerning the activity of consumers of cultural services in social media, stimulates the consumer-based brand equity (CBBE). Statistically significant relations have been observed in particular for CBBE components that are related to the awareness of a cultural institution’s brand and for the relationship related to the perception of its quality.

Description: Thermal and catalytic pyrolysis of virgin low-density polyethylene (LDPE), high-density polyethylene (HDPE), polypropylene (PP) and mixtures of LDPE/PP were carried out in a 200 mL laboratory scale batch reactor at 460 °C in a nitrogen atmosphere. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) was carried out to study the thermal and catalytic degradation of the polymers at a heating rate of 10 °C/min. The amount of PP was varied in the LDPE/PP mixture to explore its effect on the reaction. In thermal degradation (TGA) of LDPE/PP blends, a lower decomposition temperature was observed for LDPE/PP mixtures compared to pure LDPE, indicating interaction between the two polymer types. In the presence of a catalyst (CAT-2), the degradation temperatures for the pure polymers were reduced. The TGA results were validated in a batch reactor using PP and LDPE, respectively. The result from thermal pyrolysis showed that the oil product contained significant amounts of hydrocarbons in the ranges of C7–C12 (gasoline range) and C13–C20 (diesel range). The catalyst enhanced cracking at lower temperatures and narrowed the hydrocarbon distribution in the oil towards the lower molecular weight range (C7–C12). The result suggests that the oil produced from catalytic pyrolysis of waste plastics has a potential as an alternative fuel.

Description: Growing a second generation energetic plant Miscanthus x giganteus (Mxg) in former military sites appears to be a promising way to use such areas with synergic phytoremediation of contaminants (organic pollutants, potential toxic metals). Effect of Mxg growth on soil microbial communities during a two-year pot experiment with real post-military soil (Sliač, Slovakia) and the effect of potential toxic metal concentration was studied by analyses of microbial activities and phospholipid fatty acids (PLFA). Year-on-year positive changes in microbial community structure and state were detected (higher ratios of G+/G− bacteria and fungal/bacterial PLFA, and a decrease of stress indicators trans/cis and cy/pre PLFA). Portion of gram-positive bacteria correlated negatively with potential toxic metal concentrations; however, the concentration of potential toxic metals was not identified as the main stress factor—the access to bioavailable nutrients was more important. Overall, Mxg growth generally exhibited a positive effect on soil microorganisms.

Description: Large price fluctuations have become a significant character and impede resource allocation in the electricity market. Negative prices and peak load spike prices coexist and represent over-supply and over-demand, respectively. It is important to interpret the impact of these extreme prices on sustainable power management from the perspective of economics. In this paper, we build a principal component analysis (PCA) to assess the impact of the two opposite phenomena on the smart grid electricity system. We perform a big-data study using intra-day data from the Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Maryland (PJM) electricity system with over 11,000 transmission lines. As the contribution, this paper (1) measures the price fluctuations from the perspective of economics, (2) captures and observes the full-length behavior of negative and spike pricing in a modern smart grid system with multi-transmission lines and high-frequency price updates, and (3) employs methods with distinctive advantages to bring more in-depth findings to interpret the smart grid system. We find that spike prices hold the principal explanatory power for electricity market fluctuation in all the transmission lines. The results are consistent with previous studies about resolutions such as electrical energy storage, transmission capacity upgrade, and demand response.

Description: This study examines the relationship between sustainability managed against downside risk and the cost of equity in the Korean stock market during the 2000–2016 period. We employ downside co-skewness and downside beta as a measure of downside risk, to analyze the cross-sectional relationship between them and average portfolio stock returns. We have also carried out Fama–MacBeth regressions to find the required return for bearing downside risk. The results show that downside co-skewness can be used more effectively than downside beta to explain a cross-section of stock returns or cost of equity. The required premium for bearing downside risk, as measured by downside co-skewness, is approximately 19% per annum in the Korean stock market. This finding suggests that sustainable companies can raise their capital in the form of equity at 19% lower costs, and also implies that increasing sustainability can reduce the cost of capital.

Description: The equipment maintenance services have become a new profit center and an important way to gain sustainable competitive advantage for manufacturing enterprises. The business model is an important tool for manufacturing enterprises to derive economic benefits from sustainable competitive advantage in the context of digitalization technologies, such as IoT, big data, and cloud computing. At present, the concept of equipment maintenance business model innovation is still vague, and it is rare to report on the innovation behaviors and types of equipment maintenance business models adopted by manufacturing enterprises. Based on literature analysis of equipment maintenance services and business model innovation, following business model gestalt theory, the concept of equipment maintenance business model innovation is analyzed at the business-level, the types are divided into novel and efficient following value sources—“innovation and efficiency”. The initial scale is developed through literature investigation, semi-structured interviews and expert reviews, and tested by exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis by using the data of two independent large-sample questionnaires. The results indicate that the behavior and types of equipment maintenance business model innovation can be described by two types and 19 items.

Description: Reducing traffic emissions is key in transport planning and infrastructure management in order to achieve a sustainable transport system. This paper contributes to this topic in two ways. The first step describes a comprehensive methodology for identifying hot spots road segments and corridors with problems of GHG emissions to enable low-carbon actions. The Highway Energy Assessment (HERA) methodology is applied to the national road network of Spain in order to estimate interurban traffic emissions and calculate the emissions index to assess strategies. The results are shown graphically on a GIS, allowing to identify seven corridors with emissions problems comprising 25% of the network and being responsible for 51% of the total GHG emissions in 2012. Inefficient corridors were those with high rates of heavy vehicles, high speeds and steep gradients. The second step consists of the application of a set of strategies to reduce their emissions and their comparison to the reference scenario. The Mediterranean corridor—the most inefficient corridor—was selected to apply a set of abatement strategies. The most effective strategy was speed enforcement for light vehicles. A speed reduction of 10 km/h could produce a 3.5% savings in emissions compared to the reference scenarios, and decrease emissions intensity from 254 gCO2eq/veh-km to 246 gCO2eq/veh-km.

Description: The rapid emergence of Industry 4.0 implies that our engineering graduates need to acquire new competences to adapt to the digital transformation. This paper evaluates the benefits of integrating 3D printing and Industry 4.0 into engineering undergraduate programs. Surveys were conducted to gather the feedbacks and views from academics and students. 75% and 86% of the participating students and lecturers, respectively, have heard about Industry 4.0. 63% of the students were exposed to modules with such elements. Tangible 3D-printed models enable visualization of fundamental theories and concepts. Enhanced 3D drawing skills and rapid 3D-printed prototypes can greatly help students study common processing equipment, manufacturing, maintenance, logistics, and operations. Some limitations were identified such as budgeting, lack of knowledge, and difficulty in changing from traditional pedagogy. This paper thus proposes a blended learning model for integrating Industry 4.0 into engineering teaching, which consists of traditional, online learning, and flipped classroom approaches. Implementation of the model can be started off with cross-multidisciplinary collaborations or expert-led training for the instructors, followed by traditional face-to-face teaching and online learning. Flipped classroom is one of the essential components of the model which encourages learning-by-making approaches such as ‘bring your own device’ and ‘do it yourself’. Integrating Industry 4.0 into engineering teaching can create a student-based learning environment, where students are gradually trained to become proactive and lifelong learners who are more conscious of the environment and economy.

Description: The amount of money that could potentially be saved by households by reducing unnecessary consumption and directed to sustainable investments without compromising the social needs in Finnish households was studied. The study was conducted by using statistical data and by creating short- and long-term scenarios to assess potential savings resulting from changes in household behaviour. According to the results, a Finnish household could save and subsequently allocate an average of €3400–€15,000 annually to invest in sustainability. The greatest potential for preventing unnecessary consumption is related to (1) food and drinks, and (2) transportation. In the long-term scenario, reducing expenditures in the category of housing also provides opportunities for high savings. A significant share of the saving created by sustainable patterns of consumption can be directed for example to investments in renewable energy.

Description: The Environmental Protection Law, which includes 70 articles and major changes in six aspects compared to the old law, is called in Chinese society the new Environment Protection Law. When the law was implemented in 2014, it was an important event in China that could be seen as a natural experiment. Based on a difference-in-differences model, this paper considers all of the listed heavily polluting enterprises between 2011 and 2016 as the experimental group and all of the other firms in the same industries listed on the Chinese stock market as the control group and examines the impact of the new Environmental Protection Law on the corporate financing of heavily polluting enterprises and its mechanisms. The results show that the strict environmental law caused Chinese listed enterprises to face higher environmental regulation costs, public pressure and environmental litigation. The financing capacity of heavily polluting enterprises has dropped significantly, especially in areas with higher regulatory intensity. Furthermore, since the new Environmental Protection Law was established, overinvestment by China’s heavily polluting enterprises has been significantly inhibited, and the decline in financing capacity exerts a mediating effect. The ultimate economic consequences of the new Environmental Protection Law are to decrease the corporate value of heavily polluting industries.

Description: This study attempted to investigate the influence of managerial humanistic attention on corporate social responsibility. Drawing upon humanistic value, upper echelons theory and behavior decision theory, we developed and tested hypotheses using secondary from manufacturing firms listed at Shanghai Stock Exchange from year 2010 to year 2014. This study showed that managerial humanistic attention can positively affect corporate social responsibility and corporate social responsibility was found to be influenced by firm characteristics. Specifically, the relationship between managerial humanistic attention and corporate social responsibility was stronger: when a firm was older; was bigger; and had more slack resources.

Description: Responsible Innovation in Health (RIH) represents an emerging Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) approach that could support not only the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) “Good health and well-being” but also other SDGs. Since few studies have conceptualized the relationships between RIH and the SDGs, our goal was to inductively develop a framework to identify knowledge gaps and areas for further reflections. Our exploratory study involved: (1) performing a web-based horizon scanning to identify health innovations with responsibility features; and (2) illustrating through empirical examples how RIH addresses the SDGs. A total of 105 innovations were identified: up to 43% were developed by non-profit organizations, universities or volunteers; 46.7% originated from the United States; and 64.5% targeted countries in Africa, Central and South America and South Asia. These innovations addressed health problems such as newborn care (15.5%), reduced mobility and limb amputation (14.5%), infectious diseases (10.9%), pregnancy and delivery care (9.1%) and proper access to care and drugs (7.3%). Several of these innovations were aligned with SDG10-Reduced inequalities (87%), SDG17-Partnerships for the goals (54%), SDG1-No poverty (15%) and SDG4-Quality education (11%). A smaller number of them addressed sustainable economic development goals such as SDG11-Sustainable cities and communities (9%) and SDG9-Industry and innovation (6%), and environmental sustainability goals such as SDG7-Affordable and clean energy (7%) and SDG6-Clean water and sanitation (5%). Three examples show how RIH combines entrepreneurship and innovation in novel ways to address the determinants of health, thereby contributing to SDG5 (Gender), SDG10 (Inequalities), SDG4 (Education) and SDG8 (Decent work), and indirectly supporting SDG7 (Clean energy) and SDG13 (Climate action). Further research should examine how alternative business models, social enterprises and social finance may support the STI approach behind RIH.

Description: Nitrogen (N) budgets have been computed in many countries at various scales to improve understanding of N-balance characteristics and to assess the environmental pollution risks of applying chemical fertilizer N. However, dynamic characteristics, driving forces, and potential soil fertility consequences related to cropland N balance have seldom been discussed, especially in regions with highly fertile soils and low N-use intensities. This study investigated the temporal and spatial characteristics of N balance, and the impact of agricultural development on the agro-ecosystems of the Sanjiang Plain, one of the largest producers of commodity food grains in China. County-level agricultural statistics at five-year intervals were used to calculate agricultural N balances, N surplus intensity, and N-use efficiency between 2005 and 2015. Agricultural development has brought about continual increases in cultivated land area, consumption of chemical fertilizers, and nitrogen use efficiency (NUE). Nitrogen surplus intensity decreased from 65.0 kg/ha in 2005 to 43.5 kg/ha in 2010, and to 22.2 kg/ha in 2015. However, NUE was 〉90% in 13 counties in 2015, and in 11 counties in 2010. In contrast, only 5 counties had NUE above 90% in 2005, which indicates that N from the soil was used by crops and soil fertility was gradually decreasing. The percentage change of crop area, namely, the increase in maize area percentage, contributed significantly to the increases in NUE. A judicious management of fertilizers that meets the nutrient needs of the crops and ensures agricultural sustainability on the Sanjiang Plain is therefore essential. The findings of this study emphasize the importance of assessing the impact of crop structure adjustment on soil fertility and nitrogen balance during agricultural development.

Description: Blue and green spaces contribute to the quality of cities in various ways—ranging from providing air corridors and visual amenities to positively affecting public psychological health and wellbeing. Urban blue and green spaces had geopolitical and agricultural functions in the past. These functions are still evident in many cities. They also provide ecological qualities for the surrounding (sub)urban neighborhoods. While in recent decades, many studies have explored the features and characteristics of urban blue and green spaces that are associated with positive health benefits, the healthy lifestyle promoting role of artificial water canals has received little attention. This case report investigates the canals in Isfahan from Iran that branch off from the Zayandeh Rood River and provide blue and green corridors to the city. The aim of this case report study is to explore the health aspects of urban water canals in physical, mental, and social dimensions based on the residents’ experiences. The study develops a framework for assessing the quality of therapeutic effect of canals in Isfahan, Iran. The paper employs qualitative content analysis as the methodological approach. In total, 200 people from the residential neighborhoods of the Niasarm Canal participated in semi-structured interviews in early 2018. The results of this research reveal that the canal—with ‘upgrade of active life’, ‘sense of rehabilitation, relaxation and concentration along with the canal’, ‘promotion of social life’, and ‘place identity’ characteristics—plays an important therapeutic role on the physical, psychological, and social health conditions of local residents.

Description: Online collaboration to deal with (global) environmental and public health problems continues to grow as the quality of technology for communication improves. In these collaborations, trust is seen as important for sustainable collaborations and organizations. However, face-to-face communication, which is often lacking in these contexts, is seen as a pre-requisite for trust development. Therefore, this paper aims to explore empirically which factors influence the emergence of trust in the early stages of online collaboration. Using the relevant literature, we conducted a series of interviews around projects in the field of public health and the environment on the interface between science and practice. The results show that trust does develop between participants. This trust is strongly influenced by perceived ability and integrity, fostered by reputation, third-party perceptions, and project structure. In these contexts, these types of trust facilitate collaboration but are also influenced by a wider set of aspects such as power, expectations, and uncertainty. However, from the results we also conclude that online collaboration does not create benevolence and a shared identity, thereby limiting further trust development and leading to less strong relations. Strong relations, however, are deemed important to reach creative and innovative solutions and long-term sustainable collaboration and organizations.

Description: In this study, we investigate how far away and for how long past flooding affected single-family housing values in Gyeonggi, South Korea. In order to empirically explore the geographic and temporal extent of the effects, we adopt two analytical methods: random-intercept multilevel modeling and Mahalanobis-metric matching modeling. The analytical results suggest that the geographic extent of the discount effect of a flooding disaster is within 300 m from an inundated area. Market values of housing located 0–100, 100–200, and 200–300 m from inundated areas were lower by 11.0%, 7.4%, and 6.3%, respectively, than counterparts in the control group. The effect lasted only for 12 months after the disaster and then disappeared. During the first month, 1–3 months, and 3–6 months after a flood, housing units in the disaster-influenced area (within 300 m of the inundated area) were worth, on average, 57.6%, 49.2%, and 45.9% less than control units, respectively. Also, within the following 6 months, the discount effects were reduced to 33.2%. On the other hand, the results showed no statistically significant effects on market values more than 12 months after the disaster. By providing insights into how people perceive and respond to natural hazards, this research provides practical lessons for establishing sustainable disaster management and urban resilience strategies.

Description: Cellular automata (CA) is a bottom-up self-organizing modeling tool for simulating contagion-like phenomena such as complex land-use change and urban growth. It is not known how CA modeling responds to changes in spatial observation scale when a larger-scale study area is partitioned into subregions, each with its own CA model. We examined the impact of changing observation scale on a model of urban growth at UA-Shanghai (a region within a one-hour high-speed rail distance from Shanghai) using particle swarm optimization-based CA (PSO-CA) modeling. Our models were calibrated with data from 1995 to 2005 and validated with data from 2005 to 2015 on spatial scales: (1) Regional-scale: UA-Shanghai was considered as a single study area; (2) meso-scale: UA-Shanghai was partitioned into three terrain-based subregions; and (3) city-scale: UA-Shanghai was partitioned into six cities based on administrative boundaries. All three scales yielded simulations averaging about 87% accuracy with an average Figure-of-Merit (FOM) of about 32%. Overall accuracy was reduced from calibration and validation. The regional-scale model yielded less accurate simulations as compared with the meso- and city-scales for both calibration and validation. Simulation success in different subregions is independent at the city-scale, when compared with regional- and meso-scale. Our observations indicate that observation scale is important in CA modeling and that smaller scales probably lead to more accurate simulations. We suggest smaller partitions, smaller observation scales and the construction of one CA model for each subregion to better reflect spatial variability and to produce more reliable simulations. This approach should be especially useful for large-scale areas such as huge urban agglomerations and entire nations.

Description: The use of diverse genetic resources to breed improved crop varieties has been a key driver of agricultural productivity improvements in the past century. At the same time, the adoption of modern varieties has contributed to substantial loss of traditional varieties. In this analysis, we estimate the social value provided by several proposed crop diversity conservation programs to be carried out by the Czech genebank system. We use a double-bounded dichotomous choice model to estimate the willingness-to-pay (WTP) for conserving additional crop varieties in the genebank for ten years using data collected through an online contingent valuation survey administered to a sample representative of the general Czech population (1037 respondents) and a smaller sub-sample representative of the agricultural region of South Moravia (500 respondents). Mean WTP was found to be about $9 for both the Czech and S. Moravian sub-samples, corresponding to country-wide benefits of ~$68 million. These benefits increase by 6–7% for every ten varieties conserved, implying total welfare benefits of ~$84 million for a program conserving the maximum number of 35 additional crop varieties offered in the experiment. The study illustrates an empirical approach of potential value for policymakers responsible for determining funding levels for genetic resource conservation.

Description: The rapid growth of e-commerce in Taiwan has increased the use of postal packaging; this contributes to the destruction of our environment, because it cannot be re-used, and may contain toxic substances. To address this understudied issue, we examined the effects of attaching green messages about environmental attitudes in the form of infographics on postal packaging. To improve our understanding of consumer preferences with respect to green messages, first, a questionnaire survey of online shoppers was conducted. Based on a statistical analysis of the results, it was found that green messages require excellent infographics in order to deliver environmental knowledge. Graphical information was considered superior to text-only information in the presentation of green messages and the visualization of green information by online shoppers. This result indicates that infographics have emerged as a better visual approach to deliver green messages. We hope that these findings will serve as a reference in the design of environmentally-friendly postal packaging.

Description: Amid increased emphasis on sustainable development, understanding the sustainability initiative and practice of companies has attracted the attention of both academia and industry. Corporate sustainability combines triple values including environmental protection, social wellbeing, and economic benefit for companies. Drawing on institutional theory and employing an inductive case research method, we examine companies developing their green innovation and sustainability projects in a challenging context of China. Four representative case studies and in-depth interviews were conducted to examine how these firms overcome barriers in the less developed institutional environment. To better explain corporate sustainability with green innovations, a conceptual framework has been proposed to illustrate how firms operate in a network of relationship and cooperate with their external stakeholders. Firms’ strategies to dynamically achieve the aim of corporate sustainability were identified based on a co-evolutional mechanism in the interface between institutions and organizations.

Description: Increasing global food demand and economic growth result in increasing competition over scarce freshwater resources, worsened by climate change and pollution. The agricultural sector has the largest share in the water footprint of humanity. While most studies focus on estimating water footprints (WFs) of crops through modeling, there are only few experimental field studies. The current work aims to understand the effect of supposedly better agricultural practices, particularly precision agriculture (variable rate application of fertilizers and pesticides) and conservation agriculture (minimum, strip, or no-tillage), on water deterioration and water pollution. We analyzed the results from an experimental field study in the northeast of Italy, in which four different crops are grown across three years of crops rotation. We compared minimum, strip, and no-tillage systems undergoing variable to uniform rate application. Grey WFs are assessed based on a field dataset using yield maps data, soil texture, and crop operations field. Leaching and associated grey WFs are assessed based on application rates and various environmental factors. Yields are measured in the field and recorded in a precision map. The results illustrate how precision agriculture combined with soil conservation tillage systems can reduce the grey water footprint by the 10%. We assessed the grey Water Footprint for all the field operation processes during the three-year crop rotation.

Description: This study aims to deepen the understanding of the role of the urban mobility sector in the current and future greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of a middle-sized city of Brazil, which is also a developing economy. With the cross-reference between road and rail mobility data, governmental mobility planning, the Global Protocol for Community-Scale Greenhouse Gas Emission Inventories (GPC) of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) emission quantification methodology, and the creation of scenarios for up to 10 subsequent years, it is possible to verify that individual motorized transport accounts for 60% of the total emissions from the urban transportation sector, with the largest amount of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2eq) emissions per passenger among all of the forms of mobility. However, in the case of this study, government mobility planning, by not encouraging more energy-efficient transport and non-motorized modes, ends up aggravating GHG emissions in the scenarios considered for 2020 and 2025. In turn, the mitigation scenarios proposed herein integrate public transport and non-motorized transport solutions that would reduce the total of equivalent carbon dioxide (tCO2eq) by at least 45,000 tCO2eq per year by 2025. This cross-referencing of the environmental impact of government mobility policies can be replicated in other cities in developing countries that do not yet present municipal inventories or emission monitoring.

Description: The purpose of this study is to examine whether for-profit firms make opportunistic use of their corporate foundations to pursue self-serving earnings objectives in China. Using data on corporate foundations and a sample of firms listed on the A-share market from 2010 to 2016, we first use the propensity score matching method to explore the effect of corporate foundations on earnings management of their founder firms. We find that the overall discretionary accruals of firms with corporate foundations are significantly higher than for those without corporate foundations. Given the ownership property with Chinese characteristics, we further find that the significant difference is driven by privately-owned firms. Then we develop a model of discretionary donation expenditures to measure the magnitude of earnings management associated with corporate foundations. We observe that firms with small profits and consecutive earnings increase record income-increasing discretionary donation expenditures. While firms that record income-decreasing discretionary donation expenditures create earnings reserves that they can use in subsequent periods to report consecutive earnings increases. The results demonstrate that the visibly ethical behavior of establishing corporate foundations does not necessarily represent the consistent embodiment of corporate social responsibility (CSR), but can be regarded as corporate hypocrisy with self-interest embedded in benevolence.

Description: Before European contact, Native Hawaiian agriculture was highly adapted to place and expressed a myriad of forms. Although the iconic lo‘i systems (flooded irrigated terraces) are often portrayed as traditional Hawaiian agriculture, other forms of agriculture were, in sum, arguably more important. While pockets of traditional agricultural practices have persevered over the 240 years since European arrival, the revival of indigenous methods and crops has substantially increased since the 1970s. While engagement in lo‘i restoration and maintenance has been a core vehicle for communication and education regarding Hawaiian culture, it does not represent the full spectrum of Hawaiian agriculture and, on the younger islands of Hawai‘i and Maui in particular, does not accurately represent participants’ ancestral engagement with ‘āina malo‘o (dry land, as opposed to flooded lands). These “dryland” forms of agriculture produced more food than lo‘i, especially on the younger islands, were used to produce a broader range of resource crops such as for fiber, timber, and medicine, were more widespread across the islands, and formed the economic base for the powerful Hawai‘i Island chiefs who eventually conquered the archipelago. The recent engagement in the restoration of these forms of agriculture on Hawai‘i Island, compared to the more longstanding efforts to revive lo‘i-based cultivation, is challenging due to highly eroded knowledge systems. However, their restoration highlights the high level of place-based adaptation, demonstrates the scale and political landscape of pre-European Hawai‘i, and provides essential elements in supporting the restoration of Hawaiian culture.

Description: Innovation is a key driver for organizations to survive and thrive in increasingly hyper-competitive markets. This study investigates the effects of boundary-spanning search on innovation capability. Specifically, it examines the mediating and moderating effects of network ties and absorptive capacity on boundary-spanning search and innovation in Chinese companies. We constructed a theoretical model of an organization’s boundary-spanning search and innovation capability and distributed a survey questionnaire to a sample of specific industries with upstream and downstream relations in Sichuan Province in China for their responses. Results from the study reveal that boundary-spanning search has a positive and significant impact on innovation capability as well as a positive moderating effect on absorptive capacity and innovation capability. This paper shows that enterprises need to continuously focus on exploring networking opportunities in direct and indirect ways to get access to effective flow and diffusion of resources, which in turn can enhance innovation capability.

Description: The use of summer pastures in the European Alps provides much evidence against Hardin’s prediction of the tragedy of the commons. For centuries, farmers have kept summer pastures in communal tenure and avoided its overuse with self-designed regulations. During the past decades, however, summer pastures have become less intensely used, which has reduced its agronomic value and the by-production of public goods. However, very little is known about how the various governance incentives affect farmers’ use of summer pasture to result in below-sustainable activity. In this study, we develop an empirically informed game theoretical model of farmers’ land use decisions, which we validate with survey data from a case study in Switzerland. Our results reveal that farmers weigh the benefit of resource use against the costs of maintaining it and that all major sectoral developments, such as increasing livestock endowment, increasing opportunity costs, and decreasing land use intensity on private plots, result in the reduced use of summer pastures. Based on these insights, we suggest adapting the incentive structure at the local and federal governance levels to increase incentives for stocking at the margin. Our study shows how game theory combines with field validation to identify the contextual behavioral drivers in common pool resource dilemmas for informed and improved policy making.

Description: The high uncertainty of megaproject results in increasing complexity in the decision-making and ultimately leads to different degrees of cost overrun and project delays. One of the critical reasons for cost overrun and delay is the optimism bias of decision makers. Although the previous literature has analyzed the cost overrun distribution of bridges, roads and other infrastructure projects, there is still a lack of research on how to make more reasonable decisions according to the cost overrun risk and cost-benefit theory by considering the expectation of cost overrun. Therefore, this paper firstly measures optimism bias by conducting the field research and interviews regarding over 30 long bridges in China. On the basis of the optimism bias measure, a decision-making risk model of bridge projects with the expectation of cost overrun has been built. Then the paper takes Hangzhou Bay Bridge as an example to discuss the influence of cost overrun predication, implicit benefits and the project’s operation time on NPV results. Moreover, the probability of project unbuildability risk under different degrees of cost optimism bias has also been discussed. Finally, suggestions for risk forecast are provided for decision-makers to make more objective and comprehensive judgments.

Description: The authors were not aware of errors made in the proofreading phase, and, hence, wish to make the following corrections to this paper [...]

Description: The purpose of this study is to explore the driving forces of innovation in micro and small enterprises (MSEs) in the tourism industry and to understand how these drivers help allocate and utilize resources, thereby increasing innovations’ success and sustainable development. This study focused on Taiwan’s bed and breakfast (B&B) industry. In-depth interviews were conducted with the owners of 20 B&Bs that displayed innovation activities and were selected following a strict evaluation procedure. A content analysis was then performed to obtain the seven driving forces of innovation: B&B owners’ lifestyles, customers, market information, external knowledge, business expansion needs, policy, and familiar partners. The results show that the B&B owners’ lifestyles and customers are key drivers of innovation. On the other hand, employees, family and friends are less frequently mentioned. Our results can serve as a reference for innovation in both the B&B industry and MSEs.

Description: Constructing the Qinghai–Tibet Railway (QTR) was a landmark project and was beneficial to the sustainable development of the Third Pole. To understand the sustainable development of remote regions by the provision of railway, we studied the QTR’s impact on accessibilities and economic linkages for four cities in the Third Pole, Xining, Golmud, Nagqu, and Lhasa, and between these four cities and 29 capital cities in mid-eastern China. First, employing average shortest travel time (ASTT) and weighted average travel time (WATT) as indicators, we calculated the railway-based accessibilities for June 2006 and January 2013. Then, using a gravity model, railway-based economic linkages were determined. The results demonstrate that: (i) ASTT for Xining–Golmud decreased by 4.14 h from June 2006 to January 2013. Both ASTT and WATT indicated that the accessibilities of the four cities and between these four cities and 29 capital cities in mid-eastern China improved significantly, and the spatial disparity in accessibility for the four cities decreased, which increased the balance and sustainability of the transportation system; (ii) the average contribution rate of the QTR to improving economic linkages for six routes among the four cities was 25.29%, with the Xining–Nagqu and Nagqu–Lhasa linkages improving most significantly; (iii) the QTR strengthened economic linkages between the four cities and mid-eastern cities. Because of the QTR, the economic linkages between the four cities and 29 capital cities increased 27.58% on average. The spatial disparity in interurban economic linkages also decreased. Transporting products from Tibet should be promoted to strengthen the sustainability of economic growth.

Description: This paper provides the first study of vernacular daylighting provision in Moroccan heritage public bathhouses in order to rehabilitate it for experiential authenticity, energy saving and improved users’ well-being. The analysis of a representative sample of 13 still working hammams reveals recurrent patterns of oculi numbers and configurations. These consist of one to three rows of eight circular roof openings (oculi) of 18 to 20 cm diameter, arranged along the roof vault of each bathing space. The ratio of total roof openings’ area to internal floor area rarely exceeds 2%. Synchronised measurements of horizontal illuminance on the roof and inside the bathing spaces in a case study hammam were conducted in July and August 2016, after rehabilitating all roof oculi. Recorded levels indicated that maximum horizontal illuminance never exceeds 60 lx. The calculation and plotting of daylight factor based on real data reveal levels under 2% and a sudden decline in the hot room early afternoon due to steam accumulation. The paper provides the first benchmark of vernacular daylight rehabilitation in Moroccan heritage hammams and the illuminance it affords. It introduces an innovative combination of historical, architectural and building science methodologies that can be extended to other heritage building types.

Description: Pursuant to the concept of inclusive growth, the authors analyze the transition economies of Central and Eastern European countries, which have become EU members (Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, and Slovenia). CEE countries characterized by comparable historic and economic backgrounds now seem to reach diversified stages of development. The objective of the study is to identify the level of inclusive growth among CEE countries by taking into account indicators assigned to its seven pillars. The article’s thesis is that CEE countries represent social and economic heterogeneity as well as varied levels of sustainable development. Research methods included the application of the principal components analysis and the multivariate analysis. For a literature review, the bibliometric analysis was conducted with the visualization prepared by the VOSviewer software. The main findings suggest that Estonia, Slovenia, and the Czech Republic seem to exhibit the highest level of inclusive growth while Bulgaria and Romania represent the lowest level of indicators measured.

Description: Despite the global expansion of water markets, their resilience has received little scholarly attention, even though they are vulnerable to external and internal disturbances. Since the 1990s, the water market has been actively promoted by China as an important institutional coordination mechanism for efficient water use. This article examines what contextual factors, in configurations, contribute to the resilience of water markets in China. We distinguish between resilient and factitious water markets as two outcome variables and distil four conditions from market environmentalism to explain the variance in their outcomes: ownership of water entitlements, market intermediaries, water pricing, and spot/forward trade categories. Using crisp-set qualitative comparative analysis (csQCA), we analyzed seven resilient and three factitious water markets in China. Our findings show that a water market’s framework is multidimensional and complex and that no necessary conditions contribute to resilience. Two sufficient solutions display the configurational complexity of water markets’ resilience. Path 1 includes strong intermediary, uncompetitive price, and forward water trade. Path 2 includes privatization of water entitlements, spot contracts, and competitive pricing. Weak intermediary together with forward water trade determines factitious water markets. The QCA results reveal that there exist multiple paths that a resilient water market can follow and develop. Therefore, policymakers must be cautious about pushing for water market indiscriminately, especially by over-privatization and unlimited investment in water banks.

Description: The transaction cost (TC) escalation is the pervasive problem in the construction industry, which is continuously a threat to maintaining the life cycle cost of projects. Researchers have described the reality of risk for economic transactions. This study has taken the risk as a phenomenon to explore its influence on ex-post TC in construction projects. A questionnaire survey was undertaken from industry professionals to assess the risk of ex-post TC escalation in public-sector construction projects. In total, 475 surveys were conducted in Pakistan and used in the analysis. The data were analyzed using structural equation modeling (SEM) and the measurement and structural model was validated to determine the influence of risk on ex-post TC. The final SEM results show that internal and external risk, including sub hypothesized risks, positively influence TC. The weight of relative importance shows technical risk (23.82%) and environmental risk (22.88%) as significant sub-contributors from internal and external sources, respectively. This study recommends substantial investment in human capacity development to reduce the deficiencies in the ex-ante phase of the projects that help to reduce the risk of ex-post TC escalation. It also suggests the adoption of strict policies on contingency claims, and recommends nontraditional ways of monitoring to overcome the risk of ex-post TC. This study’s results provide valuable information for industry professionals and practitioners to maintain life cycle costs as a contribution to sustainable construction.

Description: The objective of this study is to examine the impact of international research and development (R&D) spillovers on innovation efficiency of specific R&D outcomes, employing the country-level panel data for 44 countries in the 1996–2013 period. Fully considering the heterogeneity of different R&D outputs, scientific papers, PCT (Patent Cooperation Treaty) patents, US patents, and domestic patents are observed separately, which enriches the angles of measuring international R&D spillovers. By applying a stochastic frontier analysis to knowledge production function, we find that foreign R&D capital stock positively contributes to the innovation efficiency of scientific papers, but suppresses the productivity of domestic patents, whereas it does not really matter for PCT or US patents. These results are robust to control for a set of institutional factors and also in sensitivity analyses. Hence, dependence on international R&D spillovers seems neither to be the right way for emerging economies to catch up, nor to be a sustainable model for developing countries to fill the technical gap. Local R&D capital stock, instead, keeps an essential contributor to all four R&D outputs, so raising internal R&D expenditure is actually the key to improving innovation level and sustainable development ability.

Description: This paper compares the sustainability aspects of three family houses according to the Slovak building environmental assessment system (BEAS). Various categories of family houses were evaluated, including site selection, project planning, building construction, indoor environment, energy performance, and water and waste management. Based on the results, Family Houses 3 and 2 are certified as BEAS SILVER, with scores of 2.46 and 2.01, respectively. Family House 1 is certified as BEAS BRONZE, with an overall score of 1.44. The results show, not only the importance of the site in terms of availability, connectivity to the network and the potential to use renewable energy sources, but also the importance of the design and construction of the building, including the application of environmentally friendly building materials, ensuring the quality of the indoor environment and the energy efficiency of the building. The aims of this study were to highlight the current trend in the design and construction of low-rise residential family houses in Slovakia and to identify gaps in the design and construction of key sustainability aspects through the existing building environmental assessment system. In the future, many low-rise residential family houses will be assessed to modify and validate BEAS.

Description: The new generation of migrant workers may play a crucial role in boosting China’s rural economy. With the rise of knowledge economy and the advent of the information age, it is difficult for human capital and economic capital alone to gain advantages in entrepreneurship. Thus, the study of social capital and psychological capital becomes more prominent. Within this context, this paper explores the relationships among entrepreneurs’ psychological capital, social capital, and entrepreneurial outcomes for the new generation of migrant workers in the Shaanxi province. This study uses a quantitative research approach. Primary data were collected from 525 rural households in the Shaanxi province. A structural equation model is used to verify the association between social capital, psychological capital, and entrepreneurial performance. The psychological capital of the new generation of migrant workers is found to exert a more significant impact on their entrepreneurial opportunity recognition and entrepreneurial environment perception than social capital. Both entrepreneurial opportunity recognition and entrepreneurial environment perception of the new generation of migrant workers are conducive to the improvement of entrepreneurial performance. Nevertheless, the intermediary role of entrepreneurial opportunity recognition is more prominent than entrepreneurial environment perception.

Description: The Internet era of the modern day means that information technology no longer depends on computer theory. Instead, new education methods are used for innovative application. Therefore, the task-driven classroom teaching method is integrated into information technology teaching of junior middle school by designing specific cases. From the theoretical knowledge teaching and the comprehensive operational practice teaching, we explore the effect of using the task-driven classroom learning method on students’ learning attitudes and learning effectiveness in an information technology course. The experimental results show that using the task-driven classroom teaching method has significant positive correlation on student learning performance, learning interest, and creative thinking. This idea can stimulate interest in learning and improve the comprehensive quality of students; thus, it can promote the reform of information technology education and curriculums. For a more detailed discussion, the results will be discussed in this paper.

Description: Bogotá, a paradigmatic case of urban (re)development driven by transport interventions, began transforming its public transport system anew in mid-2010. It was not until 2012 when a gradual implementation of the new integrated public transport system of Bogotá (SITP in Spanish) began. By 2015, about 74% of the new bus routes were implemented. The considerable changes in supply and operational models for public transport during this period redefined travel conditions, having a direct impact on accessibility. Our research analyzes observable changes in accessibility to jobs and houses at both the home and work ends of trips as a result of differences in travel time for respondents to a household travel survey in Bogotá between 2011 and 2015. The paper presents a cross-sectional analysis of accessibility changes, pinpointing low accessibility levels facilitated by the current public transport system to the most deprived groups of Bogotá. Results are presented as access curves by socioeconomic levels and zones that estimate the time required to access workplaces via public transport. Results show that the location of low-income settlements implies a disadvantage as a consequence of spatial segregation that increases distances to job-opportunities. Five years after the implementation of the SITP, public transport in Bogotá still fails to improve accessibility, reinforcing gaps between rich and poor groups instead of closing them.

Description: Metropolitan areas became the breeding ground for economic, political, and cultural concentration as well as for creativity and innovation. Therefore, sustainability within the urban dimension plays a crucial role in the overall success to attain the SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals) and their targets under the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in 2015. Nevertheless, for cities, regions, or countries to monitor and measure their progress, there is a need for harmonized and reliable indicators. Consequently, the current study addresses sustainability on a local level by measuring the extent to which a Romanian metropolitan area achieves the SDGs agreed to in 2015 by the 193-member states of the United Nations. The paper analyses 16 out of the 17 SD (Sustainable Development) goals as the goal titled “Life below water” was not applicable. Relying on mainly quantitative data, we used the method of normalization and aggregation based on the arithmetic mean, which helped us to calculate the scores attained by each of the component localities of the metropolitan area within the SDGs and their overall SDG index. Next to this, the study combines the quantitative data analysis with a GIS (Geographic Information System) computer mapping technique. The results show that the municipality achieved the best results in the metropolitan area and a vertical development process from west to the east prevails. Measuring progress through a well-defined set of indicators and an optimization technique proved to be crucial in defining attainments’ levels within the metropolitan area.

Description: The livestock sector can be a major contributor to the mitigation of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Within the sector, beef production produces the largest proportion of the livestock sector’s direct emissions. The objective of this study was to assess the on-farm GHG emissions in semi-arid rangelands in Argentina and to identify the relationship between emissions and current farm management practices. A survey recorded detailed information on farm management and characteristics. Assessments of GHG emissions were based on the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Tier 2 protocols. The relationship between farm management and GHG emissions were identified using general linear models. Cluster analysis was used to identify groups of farms that differed from others in emissions and farm characteristics. Emissions per product sold were low on farms that had improved livestock care management, rotational grazing, received technical advice, and had high animal and land productivities. Emissions per hectare of farmland were low on farms that had low stocking rates, a low number of grazing paddocks, little or no land dedicated to improved pastures and forage crops, and low land productivity. Our results suggest that the implementation of realistic, relatively easy-to-adopt farming management practices has considerable potential for mitigating the GHG emissions in the semi-arid rangelands of central Argentina.

Description: Agroecology is increasingly promoted by scientists, non-governmental organisations (NGO’s), international organisations and peasant movements as an approach to foster the transition to sustainable and equitable food systems. The challenges to agroecological transitions are not the same for all farmers, as they can face different social and bio-physical conditions. We developed a farm typology combining participatory and quantitative methodologies to assess and categorise farm diversity and its implications for developing strategies to promote agroecological transitions. The participatory typology was developed during workshops to acquire insights on local farmers’ perceptions and knowledge, and to generate hypotheses on family farm diversity. The participatory-based hypotheses were tested in the quantitative farm characterisation, which provided information on household characteristics, production strategies, land use, participation in public policies and extension services. Farms were located in Zona da Mata, Minas Gerais, Brazil, which harbour a wide diversity of farmers and where different actors have been engaged in agroecological transitions for the past 30 years. Our main findings were: (i) In the face of agroecological transitions, farmers differ in their management strategies, practices and principles; (ii) farmers identified as agroecological typically had stronger engagements in a network composed of farmers’ organisations, universities and NGO’s; (iii) agroecological farms showed great potential to provide a wide range of ecosystem services as they featured a higher crop diversity and a higher number of crops for self-consumption; (iv) to promote agroecology, it is crucial to recognise peasant knowledge, to change the dominant discourse on agriculture through social movement dynamics, and to generate support from public policies and funds; and (v) participatory and quantitative methodologies can be combined for more precise and relevant assessments of agroecological transitions.

Description: Wind direction and speed are both crucial factors for wind farm layout; however, the relationship between the two factors has not been well addressed. To optimize wind farm layout, this study aims to statistically explore wind speed characteristics under different wind directions and wind direction characteristics. For this purpose, the angular–linear model for approximating wind direction and speed characteristics were adopted and constructed with specified marginal distributions. Specifically, Weibull–Weibull distribution, lognormal–lognormal distribution and Weibull–lognormal distribution were applied to represent the marginal distribution of wind speed. Moreover, the finite mixture of von Mises function (FVMF) model was used to investigate the marginal distribution of wind direction. The parameters of those models were estimated by the expectation–maximum method. The optimal model was obtained by comparing the coefficient of determination value (R2) and Akaike’s information criteria (AIC). In the numerical study, wind data measured at a featured wind farm in north China was adopted. Results showed that the proposed joint distribution function could accurately represent the actual wind data at different heights, with the coefficient of determination value (R2) of 0.99.

Description: If we aim to increase the sustainability of farming, we must be able to measure the sustainability of individual farms and relate this sustainability to the characteristics of the farm and its management. We hypothesized that (i) sustainability can be expressed using social profit, and (ii) socio-economic characteristics and management practices of farms explain differences in sustainability. The objective of our work was to provide empirical evidence for these hypotheses. Data was collected data over two years from 361 coffee farms in Vietnam to calculate social profit. We found that the average social profit of farms was 2300 USD. The main source of social profit inefficiency is the sub-optimal allocation of resources and levels of production. Statistical association between the set of socio-economic characteristics and management practices and social profit inefficiency shows that social profit inefficiency is increased (sustainability is decreased) by larger distances from the coffee farm to the closest town/city center and to the closest coffee factory/traders and by a high frequency of spraying. On the other hand, sustainability is increased when coffee producers belong to the ethnic group JoRai, when using more hired labor and frequency, and when there are a larger number of fertilizing and pruning activities. We conclude that social profit inefficiency can be used to summarize sustainability.

Description: The concentration of nitrogen dioxide in the air along a major route in a large city is affected by very many factors, which are also interdependent. As an alternative to complicated deterministic models based on these complex processes, in this study a probabilistic model for predicting NO2 concentrations is proposed, using a simple accounting cluster-based method for determining probability distributions for tabulated values of ambient factors. Using the example of hourly values of NO2 concentration and data on wind speed and traffic flow for the main intersection in Wrocław (Poland), a model is constructed to predict the frequency of occurrence of concentrations in the form of a probability distribution, for given values of the input variables. The model was successfully verified on data for the first six months of 2018. A mean continuous rank probability score (CRPS) of 9.15 μg/m3 was obtained. In spite of the greater impact of traffic volume on urban NO2 concentrations, as measured by Pearson’s correlation coefficient, for instance, the model indicates that wind speed is also a very important factor—wind being the principal mechanism causing the evacuation of pollutants. This underlines the importance of sustainable city planning with regard to ensuring suitable conditions for the passage of air.

Description: Most cities in China benefit from having a commercial and public bicycle-sharing system. However, the bicycle-sharing markets still face unbalanced development problems, i.e., initial rapid expansion in most areas, and a recent disappearance in some local areas. Thus, the economic features and rules of this market need further exploration to introduce better management measures. Based on agent-based modeling, the current paper stimulated the interactions between supply and demand with two models to illuminate the supply characteristics of the bicycle-sharing market. The main findings included the following: (1) the bicycle-sharing market is governed by a set of objective laws which naturally require an oversupply, meaning that the attainment of a high level of user satisfaction depends on high supply; (2) based on each customer’s tolerance level, there is a supply density threshold that determines the existence and disappearance of the market; and (3) the width and elasticity of the supply density threshold are influenced by the tolerance of the customers, which, in turn, reflects their values and attitudes. The current research is a preliminary exploration of the interactive characteristics of supply and demand in the bicycle-sharing market. We believe that the current paper provides insights and implications to illuminate the law of existence in the bicycle-sharing market. It also includes a discussion on the sustainable development of the bicycle-sharing market in China.

Description: Recent studies highlighted the need for multi-perspective research on the internationalization and performance of emerging market multinational enterprises (EM-MNEs) and revealed why many EM-MNEs perform negatively when they respond to the host-country environment. Using a sample of listed Chinese manufacturing firms from 2003 to 2014, this study examines the relationship between entry mode choice, which is driven by different environmental response patterns, and firms’ innovation performance. We further analyze the moderating role of market selection on the relationship between host-country institutional factors and firms’ innovation performance. The results show that the international breadth of firms and the economic stability and investment protection of the host country significantly promote firms’ innovation performance. While the entry mode is unilaterally driven by the host-country response, early international experience and the international depth of firms have significant negative effects on firms’ innovation performance. The level of economic development in the invested area plays a moderating role in the relationship between the host-country institutional factors and firms’ innovation performance. Our findings enrich the literature on the relationship between internationalization and EM-MNE performance, and provide inspiring and straightforward empirical evidence.

Description: Seat and aisle interferences are assumed to be linked with a prolonged boarding time along with several other aspects related to airplane boarding such as: luggage handling, luggage distribution inside the cabin, number of passengers, passengers’ physique characteristics, group behavior, seat selection, aircraft occupancy, aircraft design, etc. Based on these assumptions, a series of proposed boarding methods, underlying their efficiency starting from the absence or limited presence of these types of interferences, are proposed. The present paper aims to analyze whether the different types of seat or aisle interferences do matter for the overall boarding time by considering 24 boarding methods proposed in the literature. A series of specific elements related to interferences, such as: the average waiting time, the average number of interferences based on their types, and the average number of interference-affected passengers, have been considered. Also, the presence of multiple interferences in different parts of the aircraft has been analyzed in order to offer a complete picture of the considered situation. An agent-based model in NetLogo 6.0.4, fed with values form field trials within the literature is created and used for simulations, which enables the agents to act like real passengers involved in an airplane boarding process.

Description: In seismically active regions, soil liquefaction is a serious geotechnical engineering problem that mainly occurs in saturated granular soils with a shallow groundwater table. Significant seismic hazards are present in Kamra, Pakistan. With the rapid increase in construction in recent years, the evaluation of liquefaction is now considered to be more important for land use planning and development. The intent of this study is to highlight soil liquefaction susceptibility that will eventually support the national authorities in developing guidelines for sustainable development and the mitigation of liquefaction. The typical subsoil profile of Kamra consists of silty gravel (GM) overlain by silty sand (SM), poorly graded sand (SP), and fill layers. Kamra is close to the active Ranja–Khairabad fault with a peak ground acceleration of 0.24g. The river Sehat and the Ghazi Brotha canal pass through the study area. In this study, the soil liquefaction potential in Kamra was assessed at 10 different sites (50 boreholes) by using a stress-based procedure for calculating the factor of safety against soil liquefaction. The results revealed that the middle layers, i.e., poorly graded sand and silty sand in the subsoil profile, are extremely susceptible to liquefaction during earthquakes with magnitudes between 7.5 and 8.0 in Kamra. The correlation between the factor of safety and the equivalent clean-sand-corrected standard penetration test (SPT) blow counts according to the earthquake magnitudes was developed and can also be utilized for areas adjoining Kamra that have the same subsoil profile.

Description: Donation size is known to be one of the factors that determines the success of cause-related marketing (CRM), which is the most practical form of corporate social responsibility (CSR). Although various studies have investigated the influence of donation size on CRM, they have not shown clear results. In addition, no research has examined the mechanism of how consumers process donation-size information. In this study, we examined the effect of donation size on consumer responses, focusing on the differences in perceived benefits and perceived monetary sacrifice according to the construal level. Furthermore, we investigated the role of emoticons as a way to increase the intention to participate in CRM by lowering the consumers’ perceptions of monetary sacrifice. Study 1 showed that for consumers with a higher construal level who perceive donation size as benefits, donation size had positive effects on consumer responses, whereas for those with a lower construal level who perceive donation size as monetary sacrifice, it had negative effects on their responses. Study 2 showed that emoticons attenuated the interaction effect of donation size and construal level. Finally, the implications of this study are discussed.

Description: Using the pruning residues of woody crops can be beneficial in many ways (e.g., excellent energy balance, a net reduction in pollutant emission and a positive contribution to global warming control). This article describes the background work and development of a new support tool that will allow the user to know the amount and quality of pruning residue required to meet the energy requirements to heat both residential and agro-industrial buildings (e.g., greenhouses). Knowing the average amount of pruned biomass (t d.m. ha−1), the average lower heating value of wood (4.00 kWh kg−1) and the average efficiency of a woody biomass boiler (90%) enabled the overall available net energy yearly amount (kWh year−1) to be determined. This was compared to the overall energy requirements (kWh year−1) of agro-industrial buildings, which are a result of their main features (e.g., maximum heatable surface, building energy classification and the climatic zone). Depending on user needs, the tool suggests the amount of required biomass and, if not entirely available, what amount of fossil fuels are required to fulfill the energy requirement. The algorithm output was compared with the results of two case studies carried out on seven farm buildings and nine greenhouses. Knowing the amount and energy potential of the available biomass allows for planning and evaluation of the planned benefits.

Description: The aim of this study is to simulate the self-organized evolution mechanism of inner innovation of large-scale construction enterprises (LSCE) under different contexts. Based on NK stochastic combinatorial optimization model with two parameters (N, K), this study proposes three modules—ambidexterity, punctuated equilibrium, and automation—to simulate the change behaviors of the inner innovation system. Furthermore, this study analyses the influence of factor correlation on inner innovation performance under discusses nine different combination situations. The research results show that (a) regardless of how the relationship strength changes, fitness increases with an increasing K value; and (b) the comparison of optimization modes show that the punctuated equilibrium mode can guarantee the long- and short-term inner innovation performance LSCE. This study therefore reveals the mutual effects of the factors in the inner innovation system in LSCE and provides an effective model for internal systems analyses in the construction industry and in other sectors.

Description: Agriculture plays a crucial role in meeting the Sustainable Development Goals, with organic farming being one important potential contributor to environmental, economic, and social sustainability. Despite a national goal of 20% organic agriculture, currently only 6.2% of Germany’s farmland is organic, and conversion rates are slowing down. However, one bright spot is organic viticulture in Germany, which has four times higher conversion rates, but literature on organic viticulture in Germany is scarce and it is unknown what factors contribute to its relative success. We used the largest wine regions in Germany, Pfalz and Rheinhessen, as a case study to investigate winegrowers’ motives and barriers to convert to organic farming in practice. We compared our interview results with literature from throughout the European Union, analyzing the findings using the five capitals framework to assess livelihood strategies. The results indicate that the motives for organic farming most often identified in the literature and interviews are a pro-organic ideology of the farmer (human capital) and supportive social networks (social capital). Barriers to convert to organic farming were skeptical attitudes toward social networks (social capital) and doubting the environmental benefits of organic winegrowing, especially the use of copper (natural capital). Additional barriers were a farmer’s ideology against organic farming (human capital), identified from the interviews, while the literature discussed financial risks, especially during the conversion periods (financial capital). In the particular case of organic wines in Pfalz and Rheinhessen, it was important to be able to tell a story around wines that stresses wine quality. We conclude that potential avenues to increase organic farming in Germany include addressing the use and environmental impacts of copper, addressing ideological barriers against organic farming, supporting the possibility to tell the story behind a wine, and increased financial support.

Description: As one of main challenge for carriers, empty container repositioning is subject to various uncertain factors in practice, which causes more operation costs. At the same time, the movements of empty containers can result in air pollution because of the CO2 emission, which has a negative impact on sustainable development. To incorporate environmental and stochastic characteristics of container shipping, in this paper, an empty container repositioning problem, taking into account CO2 emission, stochastic demand, and supply, is introduced in a sea–rail intermodal transportation system. This problem is formulated as a chance-constrained nonlinear integer programming model minimising the expected value of total weighted cost. A sample average approximation method is applied to convert this model into its deterministic equivalents, which is then solved by the proposed two-phase tabu search algorithm. A numerical example is studied to conclude that the stochastic demand and supply lead to more repositioning and CO2 emission-related cost. Total cost, inventory cost, and leasing cost increase with the variabilities of uncertain parameters. We also found that the total cost and other component costs are strongly dependent on the weights of repositioning cost and CO2 emission-related cost. Additionally, the sensitivity analysis is conducted on unit leasing cost.

Description: The Paris Agreement, ratified in 2015, pledged to reduce greenhouse gas emissions within a Global Carbon Budget that limits the global temperature increase to less than 2 °C. With the Roadmap 2050 mitigation measures, the European Union has a target to reduce emissions by 80% of their 1990 value by 2050 but without giving an estimation or a maximum ceiling for the total amount of cumulative greenhouse gases emissions over that period. Thus, the impact of the EU regulations on global warming remains unestimated. The aim and the novelty of this study are to develop a set of potential European emissions trajectories, within the Global Carbon Budget and at the same time satisfying the Roadmap 2050 goals. The result of the study highlights the urgency to reinforce mitigation measures for Europe as soon as possible because any delay in policy implementation risks the Roadmap 2050 mitigation package being insufficient to achieve the objectives of the Paris treaty.

Description: China is experiencing severe environmental degradation, particularly air pollution. To explore whether air pollutants are spatially correlated (i.e., trans-boundary effects) and to analyse the main contributing factors, this research investigates the annual concentration of the Air Quality Index (AQI) and 13 polluting sectors in 30 provinces and autonomous regions across China. Factor analysis, the linear regression model and the spatial auto-regression (SAR) model are employed to analyse the latest data in 2014. Several important findings are derived. Firstly, the global Moran’s I test reveals that the AQI of China shows a distinct positive spatial correlation. The local Moran’s I test shows that significant high–high AQI agglomeration regions are found around the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei area and the regions of low–low AQI agglomeration all locate in south China, including Yunnan, Guangxi and Fujian. Secondly, the effectiveness of the SAR model is much better than that of the linear regression model, with a significantly improved R-squared value from 0.287 to 0.705. A given region’s AQI will rise by 0.793% if the AQI of its ambient region increases by 1%. Thirdly, car ownership, steel output, coke output, coal consumption, built-up area, diesel consumption and electric power output contribute most to air pollution according to AQI, whereas fuel oil consumption, caustic soda output and crude oil consumption are inconsiderably accountable in raising AQI. Fourthly, the air quality in Beijing and Tianjin is under great exogenous influence from nearby regions, such as Hebei’s air pollution, and cross-boundary and joint efforts must be committed by the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei region in order to control air pollution.

Description: Contemporary architecture and construction industry are trying to cope with increasing requirements concerning energy efficiency and environmental impacts. One of the available options is the active utilization of energy gains from the environment, specifically solar energy gains. These gains can be utilized by, for example, solar walls and facades. The solar façade concept has been under development for more than a century. However, it has not achieved widespread use for various reasons. Rather recently the concept was enhanced by the application of transparent insulation materials that have the potential to increase the efficiency of such façades. The presented study evaluates the environmental efficiency of 10 solar façade assemblies in the mild climate of the Czech Republic, Central Europe. The evaluated façade assemblies combine the principles of a solar wall with transparent insulation based on honeycomb and polycarbonate panels. The study applies Life-Cycle Assessment methodology to the calculation of environmental impacts related to the life cycle of the evaluated assemblies. The results indicate that even though there are several limiting factors, façade assemblies with transparent insulation have lower environmental impacts compared to a reference assembly with standard thermal insulation. The highest achieved difference is approx. 84% (in favor of the assembly with transparent insulation) during a modelled 50-year façade assembly service life.

Description: As the most cost-effective mechanism, an emissions trading scheme (ETS) plays an important role in mitigating global warming, whilst any such scheme requires the initial allocation of quotas. Current allocation methods, however, pay little attention to the interests of abatement entities, which will hinder the long-term sustainable goals. To mobilize the enthusiasm of different abatement entities, this study proposes a multiplayer asymmetric Nash bargaining model, ensuring that all entities can obtain more quotas after negotiation. To demonstrate the advantages of the proposed method, this study selects Guangdong where the principal allocation method is the grandfathering approach as an illustrative case and develops three preference cases including balanced weighting, economic-oriented weighting, and emission-oriented weighting. The empirical results show that the proposed method not only reflects the “polluter pays principle”, but also helps to save emission reduction costs. In further analysis, this study considers both free allocation ratio and ETS coverage, providing inspirations for policy makers to develop new ETS regulations. In general, the proposed method not only assists policy makers of Guangdong in improving the current ETS deficiencies but also can be generalized into other regions.

Description: This paper analyzes the investment in environmental management practices (EMPs) adopted by hotels within a community destination. The aim is twofold: (a) to understand whether hotels have changed their EMPs in the last ten years and, if so, how; (b) to analyze the link between hotels’ environmental commitment and propensity of collaboration among local stakeholders. The research, carried out in 2015, involved all the hotels (N = 1.514) of Trentino, a community destination in the Italian Alps, through a CAWI survey (redemption rate 88.9%). The data analysis followed two steps: (1) frequency analysis to identify the EMPs adopted by hotels and to compare the data with the survey conducted in 2005; (2) multiple correspondence analysis and hierarchical ascendant cluster analysis to identify hotel profiles with different levels of environmental commitment. The results revealed new and original aspects of the propensities of hotels to invest in EMPs and identified three different environmental hotel profiles: not eco-friendly, proactive, and reactive. Proactive and reactive hotels have a greater propensity to invest in EMPs and to collaborate with the Destination Management Organisation and with other hotels. The research contributes to the scientific debate on EMP adoption and the extent to which stakeholder power and pressure influence the environmental sustainability strategies of hotels.

Description: Companies, striving towards an effective and systematic integration of a strategic sustainability perspective in product innovation, need to treat the implementation of necessary processes and tools, as well as their continuous improvement, as a project in itself. An efficient way to measure the current sustainability implementation level in the organization, as well as guidance for progression, is required. To meet this need, a novel self-assessment was developed, which provides companies with a tool to assess and visualize their current capabilities in relation to key elements for successful sustainability integration in the product innovation process. It includes a scale of different sustainability implementation levels to support building a roadmap for systematic implementation, and to measure progress over time. This research is based on results from previous descriptive work within the area of sustainable product development and learning from applying strategic and tactical assessment tools for eco-design and sustainability maturity. Besides the contribution to practice, this study also contributes to knowledge by specifying detailed aspects for each key element that must be considered to guide sustainability integration. Also, insights from applying different existing tools in real cases are provided. The newly-developed self-assessment method was applied and validated at two case companies. Independent and continuous use of it by the companies beyond this particular study indicate the practical value of the method.

Description: Coastal floods have become a serious problem on a global scale, increasing in frequency or magnitude due to natural conditions, and exacerbated by socioeconomic factors. This investigation analyzes the role of tides and average sea levels on the development and intensity of flooding in the lower section of the Andalién River, located toward the southern extreme of the coast of central Chile and northeast of Concepción, the country’s second most populous city. Numerical simulation (1D) was used in five modeled scenarios to determine potential flooding areas, demonstrating the influence of tides in flooding processes as far away as 7.3 km from the river mouth, which is reinforced by the fact that 57% of flooding events occur during syzygies. Further, a climate change-induced sea level rise of 60 cm from current levels by the end of the 21st century would produce a 4% increase in flood-prone areas, with 17% of flooding affecting the current built-up area and 83% of floodplains and salt marshes. Efforts must be made to protect or conserve these latter areas in order to increase natural resilience, given the high costs of implementing structural measures to protect future residential areas.

Description: Medical waste has strict classification standards. However, in reality, the process of collection and disposal of most medical waste does not strictly follow the corresponding standards, thus resulting in great potential risks to people’s health. Our research analyzed existing problems with medical waste classification management, optimized the medical waste recycling business model, and then used the simulation software AnyLogic to design mixed and classification simulation models based on current literature regarding the standards of medical waste classification and composition in China. Furthermore, we simulated and calculated the generation of nonrecyclable medical waste, recyclable medical waste, and domestic waste in the three models based on 30,000 tons of medical waste generated in Beijing in 2015. We compared and analyzed the output, generation rate, disposal cost, recycling revenue, and cost–benefit based on the disposal cost standards of the Beijing Municipal Commission of Development and Reform and the China Renewable Resources Price Index in Beijing. The importance of strengthening the classification and recycling of medical waste was further validated by modeling and simulation. The study provides an important reference to hospitals, disposal plants, and government regulatory departments in their decision-making.

Description: The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) has initiated a new sustainability mechanism, the ecosystem-services certification. In this system, management entities who wish to be certified for the maintenance of ecosystem services (carbon, biodiversity, watershed, soil and recreational services) must verify that their activities have no net negative impacts on selected ecosystem service(s). Developing a robust and cost-effective measurement method is a key challenge for establishing a credible certification system. Using a single method to evaluate a bundle of ecosystem services will be more efficient in terms of transaction costs than using multiple methods. We tested the efficiency of a single method, “biodiversity observation for land and ecosystem health (BOLEH)”, to simultaneously evaluate biodiversity and carbon density on a landscape scale in FSC-certified tropical production forests in Sabah, Malaysia. In this method, forest intactness based on the tree-generic compositional similarity with that of a pristine forest was used as an index of biodiversity. We repeated BOLEH in 2009 and 2014 in these forests. Our analysis could detect significant spatiotemporal changes in both carbon and forest intactness during these five years, which reflected past logging intensities and current management regimes in these forests. Enhancement of these ecosystem services occurred in the forest where sustainable management with reduced-impact logging had long been implemented. In this paper, we describe the procedure of the BOLEH method, and results of the pilot test in these forests.

Description: Worldwide, urban areas are expanding both in size and number, which results in a decline in habitats suitable for urban flora and fauna. The construction of urban green features, such as green roofs, may provide suitable habitat patches for many species in urban areas. On green roofs, two approaches have been used to select plants—i.e., matching similar habitat to green roofs (habitat template approach) or identifying plants with suitable traits (plant trait approach). While both approaches may result in suitable habitats for arthropods, how arthropods respond to different combinations of plants is an open question. The aim of this study was to investigate how the structural complexity of different plant forms can affect the abundance and richness of arthropods on green roofs. The experimental design crossed the presence and absence of annuals with three Sedum sediforme (Jacq.) Pau (common name: stonecrops) treatments—i.e., uniformly disrupted Sedum, clumped disrupted Sedum, and no Sedum. We hypothesized that an increased structural diversity due to the coexistence of different life forms of plants on roofs is positively related to the abundance and richness of arthropods. We found that arthropod abundance and richness were positively associated with the percent of vegetation cover and negatively associated with substrate temperature. Neither arthropod abundance nor richness was influenced by the relative moisture of substrate. We also found that arthropod abundance and richness varied by green roof setups (treatments) and by seasonality. Arthropod abundance on green roofs was the highest in treatments with annuals only, while species richness was slightly similar between treatments containing annuals but varied between sampling periods. This study suggests that adding annuals to traditional Sedum roofs has positive effects on arthropods. This finding can support the development of biodiverse cities because most extensive green roofs are inaccessible to the public and can provide undisturbed habitat for several plant and arthropod species.

Description: China has experienced unprecedented economic growth and structural change in the past decades. This paper reviews the development of China’s maritime economy for the period of 2002 to 2017. According to official data from China’s government, the total production value of China’s maritime economy increased from RMB 1068 billion in 2002 to RMB 7761 billion in 2017, thus contributing to about 10 percent of China’s total gross domestic product. This paper applies four-parameter logistic models to identify the associated trends and predicts the near-future values for the total, primary, secondary, and tertiary sectors of China’s maritime economy. It is projected that China’s total maritime economy will reach RMB 8894 billion in 2019. Besides, the growth of China’s maritime economy has been and will be dominated by the growth in the tertiary sector, particularly of China’s coastal tourism and transport industries. Specifically, China’s coastal tourism increased from RMB 147.8 billion in 2002 to RMB 1463.6 billion in 2017. In terms of spatial development, the east and north-east coasts of China experience more rapid maritime economic growth than the south-east coast. The implications for the sustainability of China’s maritime economy are presented.

Description: This study investigated whether and to what extent does the High-Speed Railway (HSR) affect city-level housing prices. With the data of HSR operation and housing prices from 285 cities from 2009 to 2017, the paper aimed to estimate the quantitative relationship between HSR and city-level housing prices and exploited city and regional dummy variables to assess the disparities between regions, followed by the economic effects between typical city pairs. Our findings were as follows: (1) The introduction of HSR leads to a 13.9% increase in city-level housing prices, and the figures for national central cities and regional central cities were 31.7% and 19.6%, respectively; (2) regional imbalance was mitigated with the development of the HSR, and some central cities in underdeveloped regions were stimulated with regard to housing price growth; (3) siphon effects and diffusion effects were observed in megacity–small city pairs, while synergistic effects often lay in megacity–megacity pairs, and such effects all tended to be more significant with increases in the number of HSR lines and a drop in the travel time.

Description: The common agreement in human resource management (HRM) literature suggests that organizations willing to attract and retain human resources for running business in the future must change the prevailing situation where human resources are rather consumed than developed. In doing this, sustainable HRM has been introduced recently as a response to changes on societal level, labor market, and employment relations. Sustainable HRM is seen as an extension of strategic HRM and presents a new approach to people management with the focus on long-term human resource development, regeneration, and renewal. However, the attributes of sustainable HRM, as compared to mainstream HRM, are not clear. The paper aims at closing this gap by proposing and revealing the characteristics of sustainable HRM, namely: Long-term orientation, care of employees, care of environment, profitability, employee participation and social dialogue, employee development, external partnership, flexibility, compliance beyond labour regulations, employee cooperation, fairness, and equality. This is a theoretical paper.

Description: Institutions in higher education (HE) continuously strive to develop and deliver impactful educational programs. At the same time, they should continue to fulfill their mission to educate students in basic applied subjects and in parallel respond to the need to equip students with new skills. For this reason, higher education institutions (HEI) perform periodical curricular reviews adhering to internal and external quality assurance systems. The subsequent curricular reforms are of a transformative nature, preparing graduates to tackle the challenges of globalization, unemployment and vanishing professions. For these reforms to lead to sustainable curricula, the integration of quality into educational programs is instrumental. A suggested way of achieving a transformative stance is to provide the context for the application and diffusion of quality metrics in teaching and learning. This research intends to provide a discussion of key performance indicators (KPIs) related to quality. This paper presents the second round of qualitative interviews with higher education administrators and professors as a promising vehicle for advancing towards the formulation of KPIs based on their understanding of the different independent dimensions of the quality construct. These KPIs will provide valuable insights into improving teaching, learning and assessment and will eventually lead to sustainable curricula. Research findings outline the significance of the time invested to design and update a course, indicate that technology-enhanced learning solutions are perceived as key quality drivers, and point out the need to align courses with industry requirements and real-world problems. Additionally, findings indicate that the quality and impact of teaching and learning is promoted by the multi/inter-disciplinary character of a course, the engagement of students in interactive discussions and student research as part of summative assessment. The main contribution of this research is an analytic discussion of perceptions of higher education administrators and professors about quality, leading to a significant enrichment of the relevant literature. A set of innovative generic KPIs which can be used in multidimensional quality assessment in higher education is eventually proposed.

Description: To a large extent, research regarding internship programs emphasizes their crucial role in the future career of students. Business professionals and educators acknowledge the positive influence in the engagement of companies towards future potential employees. However, the quality of these internship programs in Romania is sometimes questionable and further research is needed in the field. Our paper aims at identifying and analyzing the main factors which influence the quality of an internship program from Romanian business and administration students’ perspective. The findings and analysis of the current paper are based on a survey conducted on 458 undergraduate and master students of the Bucharest University of Economic Studies. By acknowledging these qualitative factors, third parties such as policy makers in educational sector, universities, and companies receive important information to better organize internships in order to meet students’ expectations and discover real high potential candidates.

Description: Based on the upper echelon theory and theory of feminist care ethics, this paper uses the data of 359 Chinese listed companies between 2008–2016 to investigate the influence of female executives on corporate environmental investment. The results of the pooled OLS (Ordinary Least Square) regression reveals that both having a female as CEO or Chair as well as increased representation of female directors on the board committees significantly increases corporate environmental investment. Moreover, this phenomenon is not only evident in polluting enterprises but also exists in non-polluting enterprises. Further, we examine whether female executives’ environmental investment is driven by the motive of availing government subsidies or to comply with the environmental regulations. The empirical testing reveals that the environmental investment by female executives is not associated with the acquisition of government subsidies. Moreover, female executives’ environmental investment remains significant in China’s eastern regions despite having less stringent government regulations. The study also found that contrary to the result in the male sample, environmental investment by the female executives significantly reduces pollutant emissions. The present study adds a new perspective to the CSR literature and suggests that an increase in environmental investment by the women executives lies primarily in their innate commitment towards social responsibility. Against the backdrop of a greater emphasis on environmental protection in China, it is concluded that increased representation of female executives in enterprises can contribute to a significant improvement in environmental quality.