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Production systems are being restructured to close production cycles via implementing circular economy (CE) practices. The planted tree industry in Brazil has shown potential for applying CE practices due to its efficient use of resources and inclination towards environmental innovation. However, some gaps and difficulties have been observed in several industrial segments so that the logic of the circular production system is put into practice more effectively and intensely. In this context, the aim was to investigate the use and impacts of CE practices in the Brazilian planted tree industry by sector of operation and scale of enterprises based on the ReSOLVE framework. Data were collected from 34 companies that answered a questionnaire, corresponding to 47.2% of Brazilian planted tree industry companies. Data analysis involved univariate and multivariate statistical techniques, considering the grouping of companies by sector of activity (forest producer, pulp and paper, and timber processing) and scale (small, medium, and large). The results revealed that "pulp and paper" and medium- and large-scale companies had the most significant application of CE practices and reported more significant impacts. [Display omitted] • Explores a segmented analysis of the circular economy by scale and sub-sector groups. • Scores of circular practices and their impacts are presented according to the groups. • The association between circular practices and impacts by group are analyzed. • Propositions to enable the adoption of circular practices are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The ability of Trichoderma harzianum WL1 crude laccase and the fungal system for the biobleaching of wastepaper pulp and treatment of paper industry effluent was investigated. Three different modes of treatment, enzyme, enzyme-alkali and enzyme-EDED were employed for the bleaching of wastepaper pulp. The process parameters such as treatment period, pulp consistency, temperature and enzyme charge had a great influence on the quality of paper pulp. The paper industry effluent was subjected to eight different treatments via. aerobic, anaerobic, fungal and combination of these treatments. Fungal followed by anaerobic treatment was found to be effective in paper industry effluent treatment. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

To address the urgent need for sustainability, this paper provides a critical discussion and serves as a pivotal resource for stakeholders in the mining and construction sectors. It advocates repurposing mining waste into concrete aggregate, promoting eco-friendly practices. The paper conducts a thorough review of recent developments, technological innovations, and methodologies to showcase mining waste's potential as a sustainable construction material. Highlighting more than a decade of research, our analysis reveals significant environmental, economic, and practical benefits, such as reduced ecological footprints through waste minimization and resource conservation, alongside cost-effective material alternatives. This investigation offers an in-depth look at these advantages and sparks essential discussions about incorporating advanced recycling technologies into conventional construction workflows. Promoting circular economy principles, the study underscores the dual gains: lessening environmental impact and progressing towards resource efficiency. Aiming to alter industry perceptions and practices, the work encourages a shift towards environmental stewardship and innovation. Ultimately, this paper aims not only to disseminate knowledge but also to motivate action. It provides readers with the necessary insights to lead a transition towards more sustainable industry norms, thus establishing a new benchmark for addressing sustainability challenges with creativity and collective effort. • This paper enhances construction sustainability by repurposing mining waste effectively. • This paper advocates for integrating recycling and circular economy principles in construction. • This paper promotes an industry-wide sustainability shift by leveraging mining waste's potential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the current global landscape, food loss and waste (FLW) persist as a significant challenge, accounting for one-third of global food production and directly impacting 700 million individuals. Beyond its social ramifications, FLW incurs substantial economic costs and raises environmental and ethical concerns. To address this issue, our paper presents a comprehensive systematic overview within operations management, offering a framework that delineates diverse supply chain types, defines FLW, examines its multifaceted impacts, and outlines reduction strategies. Emphasizing a holistic perspective, we utilize various case study approaches to shed light on the global implications of FLW, aiming to contribute to ongoing research endeavors. In exploring the depth of FLW, we build upon two foundational premises: the actions taken by rational actors towards FLW reduction hinge on the balance between benefits and costs, guiding policy formulation. Effective policies necessitate a thorough understanding of synergies, potential unintended consequences and trade-offs. The absence of comprehensive information on FLW leads to both excessive and insufficient rates of FLW. Justifying public intervention lies in its potential to enhance food security, efficiency, and environmental sustainability, albeit quantifying these effects poses challenges. Our overview paper identifies key challenges in FLW policies, encompassing measurement, quantification, interdependencies within the and trade-offs, and value chain in food policy objectives. Despite these challenges, the paper guides the enhancement of loss measurement for targeted interventions, emphasizing investments in policies that foster a conducive business environment and government-led initiatives in awareness and incentive modification. The study also sheds light on crucial gaps in knowledge, including data deficiencies and variability in estimates, calling for standardized data collection methodologies and targeted research initiatives. By addressing these gaps and emphasizing collaborative efforts, this research contributes to a nuanced understanding of FLW, advocating for improved strategies to tackle this multifaceted issue. • Comprehensive Ops Framework: Presents systematic framework for FLW reduction in supply chains. • Multifaceted FLW Impacts: Explores economic, environmental, and social impacts. • Urgent Data Gaps: Emphasizes need for current data on FLW, especially in BRICS nations. • Culture-Specific Solutions: Highlights importance of tailored innovations for waste reduction. • Climate Nexus and Renewable Energy Integration: Explores FLW, climate change, and renewable energy synergy for sustainable, low-carbon paths. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the context of sustainable development, environmental considerations embedded in the life cycle of a product cannot be separated from the environmental management accounting of product and waste costs, or from the quantification, monitoring and evaluation of external environmental damage. In this paper, a three-dimensional model for environmental management accounting is built that takes into consideration the dimensions of material flow, value flow and organization; this model is based on material flow cost accounting and the traditional life cycle theory. On this basis, this paper explains the basic principles of the resource value flow analysis method, and it dissects the internal mechanism of the three-dimensional model from the perspective of the enterprise, the industrial park and the nation. Then, using aluminum production as a case study, this paper briefly expounds on the implementation of resource value flow analysis from the perspective of the organization. This three-dimensional model expands the organizational boundaries of material flow cost accounting, providing guidance for tracking and quantifying the environmental impact of material flow over the entire life cycle of the enterprise, and evaluating the efficiency of the objective of material flow. Image 1 • A three-dimensional model of environmental management accounting is proposed. • Resource value flow analysis is used in a multi-level organization. • The three-dimensional model extends the application boundaries of material flow cost accounting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mining-related disasters can result in catastrophic, long-lasting impacts on the environment. They can also lead to loss of life, destruction of communities and financial loss. These events are continuing to occur, indicating that new methods of analysis and prevention are required. This paper describes the application of a novel approach, which is underpinned by the theoretical concepts derived from the study of High Reliability Organisations (HRO). These organisations are recognised for their ability to establish and maintain a "collective mindset", a term that describes a situation where the actions of everyone in an organisation are structured by a collective desire to work towards shared goals. Research has also established common patterns that emerged from HROs, which are described as five hallmark characteristics (preoccupation with failure, reluctance to simplify, sensitivity to operations, commitment to resilience, deference to expertise). In this paper, we analyse two mining-related environmental disaster case studies by reviewing the public inquiry reports that were published. We use the inquiry findings to evaluate the extent to which the companies involved had established a collective mindset with respect to avoiding environmental disasters. We also analyse how the actions they had undertaken to avoid an environmental disaster relate to the five hallmark HRO characteristics. Although we recognise that technological factors are vital, the analysis shows focusing on organisational and human factors is also essential when developing strategies to mitigate the risks of environmental disasters. The results suggest that application of HRO theoretical concepts by mining companies can offer new strategies to increase organisational resilience and improve reliability in environmental performance when working towards elimination of mining-related environmental disasters. • Organisational factors need greater focus to improve the reliability of environmental performance. • Novel application of High Reliability Organisation (HRO) theoretical concepts. • Case study analysis of 2 mining-related environmental disasters. • Results suggest mining companies can sustain HRO characteristics. • Opportunities to reduce environmental disasters if a shared goal for highly reliable environmental performance is fostered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Gold mining has for several decades contributed to the socio-economic development of many countries in Sub-Saharan Africa, but it has also caused considerable environmental damage and human health concerns in mining communities. However, despite the extensive proliferation of policies and programs aimed at addressing the adverse environmental impact of mining, limited attention has so far been paid to identifying what might constitute environmental policy best practices across Sub-Saharan Africa's gold mining sector. To address this gap, this paper undertakes a systematic literature review of environmental policy measures and considers its broader implications for sustainable development in the context of gold mining in Sub-Saharan Africa. Of the 1,217 papers retrieved from the databases, 22 met the inclusion criteria and are included in evidence synthesis. Based on an in-depth analysis, we find that there are tensions and consensus in the environmental policy literature. However, extant works remain fragmented, uneven, and not systematically integrated. This perhaps might explain the difficulty in trying to develop and institutionalize best practices within the gold mining industry in Sub-Saharan Africa. As a result, we propose an integrated conceptual model that lays a foundation for possible environmental policy best practices within the mining industry in developing countries. The paper concludes by identifying specific theoretical and practical implications of the study and suggests possible avenues for future research. Highlights • Gold mining has contributed to the socio-economic development of many countries. • However, it has also caused considerable environmental damage. • This study explored evidence of environmental policy best practices. • We found that there are tensions and contradictions in the literature. • We propose an integrated conceptual model of environmental policy best practices. • We conclude by considering the theoretical and practical implications of the study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract This study aimed to identify and analyze the environmental management practices in the industry carried out in Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa (BRICS) in the period from 2011 to 2015, with the aid of scientific literature published in the Scopus database. Due to the expansion of the bloc's development, these countries presented a high potential to impact the environment. Therefore, this study is relevant because it identifies trends about the Environment Management Practices that have been followed in industries of BRICS, increasing the theoretical allowance for discussions concerning Environment Management Practices in these countries. Consequently, a survey on environmental management practices was conducted using the keyword "industrial environmental management practices" and the name of each country. Besides that, a "second quest" was added with the term "case study" to refine the results. We found out that China, India, South Africa and Brazil have been studying solutions for the CO 2 emissions by employing different environmental management practices. In addition, in the studies on China, India and Brazil, environmental management practices recurrently approached topics concerning the supply and water quality, the regulatory standards of environmental management and the practice of Green Supply Chain Management. However, we did not find papers concerning the environmental management practices in Russia through the employed methodology. We concluded that China, India and Brazil tend to present papers on the issue of environmental management (in English and in the database, from which they were gathered) because these countries show a more sustainable development, thus publishing a higher number of researches in this field, whereas Russia and South Africa do not follow this trend due to a weaker environmental engagement. With regard to that, it is suggested that further studies investigate the environmental management practices in other developing and developed countries, which would allow to draw a comparison with other groups. Graphical abstract Source: Authors (2017). Image Highlights • The BRICS environmental management practices were investigated. • The case study articles found in the Scopus database were considered. • The environmental management practices concerning the CO 2 emission were the main focus of attention of the BRICS. • Practices concerning water quality were recurrent in China, India and Brazil. • Each country presents environmental management practices specific to their realities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main aim of this paper is to facilitate small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) to adopt environmental management (EM) and corporate social responsibility (CSR) practices. The study reveals SMEs' motivation, pressure, targets and methods for EM and CSR practices. Additionally, the paper investigates how these variables relate to employee number, turnover and geographical locations. The outcomes of the research will add value to SMEs decision-making processes in both strategic and policy levels (e.g. supplier selection) and policymakers' initiatives to make SMEs environment and socially friendly. Although there are studies on EM and CSR practices of SMEs, they mainly focus on impact of EM and CSR practices on business performance, and SMEs' motivation for adopting EM and CSR practices in specific country. Studies that reveal SMEs' motivation, pressure, targets and methods for EM and CSR practices and their relationship with their characteristics (e.g. size, turn over, and geographical location) are scant. This research bridges this gap. Our data originates from 223 carefully selected representative SMEs in the West Midlands, UK (105) and Kolkata, India (118) covering manufacturing and process industries. The relevant data was collected using questionnaires and analysed using Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) and Multivariate Analysis of Variance (MANOVA) methods. The results reveal that perceptions of SMEs’ motivation, pressure, targets and methods of EM and CSR practices vary considerably with respect to size, turn over and geographical location. The findings are significant to policymakers, client organizations and individual SME for improving EM and CSR practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Eco-Management and Audit Scheme (EMAS) is a voluntary Regulation that defines the European Environmental Management System (EMS). Today the EMAS is undergoing a revision process, in order to fit the scheme to organizations and stakeholders’ requirements and increase its diffusion. Italy accounts for roughly 1,000 of the 4,000 certified European organizations and, especially during the last five years, a growing number of organizations have not renewed the certification. Thus, the aim of the survey is to investigate why many Italian organizations have dropped out of EMAS, and to identify which enabling measures would be more effective in order to encourage organizations to move back to the certification. The target of the questionnaire were the 339 Italian organizations that did not renew their EMAS registration between 2010 and 2015, and respondents were 99. In the first part of the paper, we present the general findings, while in the second one, certified Public Administrations and private-owned organizations are compared in order to delineate significant differences between the two groups. Concerning motivations for not renewing EMAS, implementation costs were the key reasons for both groups. Conversely, considering the possible enabling measures, while private-owned organizations demand long term tax benefits, Public Administrations prefer a greater consideration of EMAS in public funding. This paper systematically addresses this phenomenon through a survey, contributing to reduce the existing gap in literature and providing a useful input to decision-makers who are overseeing the EMAS revision process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The emergence of stricter environmental regulations and the growing environmental consciousness of customers have forced industries to start thinking about environmental operations management with the help of reverse logistics application. In this process, influential factors such as drivers and barriers have to be examined, and stakeholders' different perspectives on RL implementation and development should also be considered. This paper presents a multi-perspective framework for reverse logistics implementation using the lens of stakeholder theory. The multiple stakeholders' perspective framework was developed based upon a structured literature review process. Fifty-four papers concerning these topical areas were thoroughly assessed and classified according to their structural dimensions and analytical categories. Two extensive lists of 37 drivers and 36 barriers, categorized and analyzed against the dimensions and categories, served as a basis for the development of the referred framework. Thereby, the overall contribution of this work proposes an understanding of the factors required for employing reverse logistics from multiple perspectives, including those of the company, society, government, and customer. Additionally, each perspective is discussed separately with the aid of previous works developed in the field. Most of the encountered barriers are placed in the firm's perspective; however, these barriers may be an effect from outside impediments. On the drivers' side, the factors must be acknowledged so managers can prepare for changes by exploring these positive influential factors. A consideration of the influential factors from multiple perspectives is critical for creating a comprehensive industry strategy to successfully implement product return. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Management theories are an important backbone of scholarly work. Various areas of management such as purchasing, logistics and strategy have critically evaluated theories to move these fields of management forward. However, no such work exists in the area of voluntary standards. Voluntary standards, such as standards for quality, environmental management and social responsibility have been covered extensively in research studies and substantial knowledge exists in terms of their diffusion, adoption, impact and governance. The studies adopt different theoretical perspectives. A number of literature reviews on voluntary standards exist; however, none of the papers so far has critically scrutinized the theoretical underpinnings of these studies. This paper, therefore, fills an important gap in the literature by providing a critical review of theories that contribute to understanding the issues pertinent to voluntary standards. Inductive and deductive search methods are applied considering the ten most prominent voluntary standards (ISO 9001, ISO 14001, OHSAS, 18001, ISO 26000, EMAS, AA1000, SA8000, FSC, MSC, and FairTrade). Nine theories (clustered as Corporate Nature Theories, External (Stakeholder) Perspective Theories and Process and Attitude Perspective Theories) that have been previously employed are scrutinized. The paper analyses the evolution of theoretical underpinnings of 62 papers published in high ranked journals between 2001 and 2016. The analysis demonstrates a dominant use of Corporate Nature Theories and External (Stakeholder) Perspective Theories and shows the evolution of the field. The paper concludes by linking the theories to key research areas in voluntary standards and aids researchers by identifying theories that are promising in terms of their applicability to explore future research paths in this field of study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chinese urbanization has generated great impacts on the world since the reform and opening up. However, urban problems, e.g., environmental pollution, resources shortage, and traffic jam, have been more and more serious for urban management and development. Smart city has been put forward as an effective approach to achieve better urban management recently. Smart city aims to realize the integration of municipal service, business, transportation, water, energy source and other urban sub-systems through close combination of human wisdom and information communication techniques (ICTs). As a result, the link and synergy of information could be ultimately established with ICTs, e.g., internet, internet of things, cloud computing. Yet, few studies have been conducted to systematically link smart city with big data in China. This paper aims to put forward a development framework of smart city with Chinese characteristics against the background of big data. Key actions, including rational planning of city infrastructures, the establishment and improvement of long-acting mechanism, the effective performance of city managerial function, are proposed to realize the development idea. Meanwhile, this paper also investigates the risks embedded in development of smart city with Chinese characteristics, e.g., information safety, weak emergency responding capacity and poor independent research and development capacity of core technology. This study can facilitate Chinese local governments to systematically plan smart city before clinging the hot concept in a rush. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Circular actions cannot be considered sustainable if their financial benefits are not demonstrated. While the environmental benefits of the circular economy have been widely studied, sustainable development from a financial point of view has been much less studied. In this paper we assess the financial benefits of circular innovations applied in the fashion industry that have been previously assessed as sustainable using the Life Cycle Assessment. The focus is on two innovative processes such as salt recovery and tannin baths reuse that reuse water, chemicals and raw materials in an Italian small company operating in the tanning industry. A cost benefit analysis was carried to evaluate the net contribution of these actions to the operating margin. Then we model a forward-looking cash flow projection in order to determine the fundamental value of circular investments. Through these practices, the company achieved an increase in operating profitability above 30% and the 10-year value of the salt recovery is 159,061.40 euros, while the reused tanning water equals just over one million euros. The results show unexpected and strong financial benefits that can leverage similar initiatives that would advance resource equity and finally promote a real and convenient industrial dedication to environmental guardianship. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

- The integration of multi-energy sources in microgrids offers a promising approach to address the challenges of energy efficiency and bolster environmental stewardship. This paper presents a novel optimization scheduling model for multi-energy microgrids (MEMG) with carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology in various renewable energy scenarios. The model effectively coordinates integrated demand response (IDR) and the flexible operation of waste heat utilization, enhancing energy utilization efficiency while ensuring user satisfaction. Furthermore, introducing flexible operation combined with ladder-type carbon trading minimizes operating costs and carbon emissions. The improved particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm is employed to solve the eco-economic economic scheduling model. Simulation analysis shows that integrating CCS into MEMG can reduce carbon emissions by 74.4%, while lowering the overall cost by 37.9%. These findings not only improve MEMG's low-carbon and economic efficiency but also pave the way for environmentally responsible energy management practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The commercial sector is one of the key sectors in China’s economic transformation and carbon emissions control. This paper applies VAR and STIRPAT models to investigate the major influencing factors of CO 2 emissions in China’s commercial sector over the period 1980–2014. According to the empirical results, per capita GDP, urbanization and energy structure have positive effects on CO 2 emissions while energy intensity has negative effect on CO 2 emissions in the long term. Besides, per capita GDP ranks as the most important driving factors of CO 2 in China’s commercial sector, followed by urbanization, energy structure and energy intensity in that order. This paper argues that reducing energy intensity and improving energy structure are the means to realize CO 2 emission reductions in the commercial sector in the short and long term, respectively. Besides, this paper forecasts that CO 2 emissions in China’s commercial sector will be 1942 Mt by 2030, which is huge and about half of the CO 2 emissions of the European Union in 2014. The findings have important implications for policy-makers to enact CO 2 emission reduction policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The formal control from customers through contracts and monitoring requires companies to implement green supply chain management (GSCM) practices. The informal control of customer relational governance (CRG) in terms of trust and cooperation also plays a role but it is not clear how CRG affects companies in gaining environmental and economic performance through GSCM practices. To explore the role of CRG, this paper develops a conceptual model with four hypotheses to propose moderation and mediation effects of CRG on the relationships between two GSCM practices (green innovation and green purchasing) and environmental/economic performance. Based on 333 questionnaires collected from a typical export-oriented city in China, two CRG factors are identified, they are, relationship & trust, and cooperation & reciprocity. Statistic results through hierarchical regression analysis demonstrate that both moderation and mediation effects exist. CRG partially mediates the effect of GSCM practices on environmental performance. However, relationship & trust can be detrimental for green innovation to bring environmental performance. If companies aim to improve economic performance through green purchasing, they should establish relationship & trust with customers. Meanwhile, cooperation & reciprocity with customers is needed for companies to gain economic performance through green innovation. This paper contributes to extend the previous studies of formal control from customers to examine the role of CRG for GSCM association of performance improvement. Statistic results identify effective governance mechanisms from the perspective of customer relations to achieve environmental and economic performance through GSCM practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Eco-innovation has become a core engine for long-term stable economic development, as well as a fundamental way to ease the tension between economic growth and environmental resources management. Through the construction of a measurement index system, this paper evaluates the level of regional eco-innovation in 30 Chinese provinces from 2000 to 2014. This paper also employs panel data analysis to study the factors that influence Chinese regional eco-innovation. The results show that, during the observation period, the levels of eco-innovation increased significantly overall. However, the regional comparison of the eco-innovation index revealed an obvious, gradually decreasing distribution pattern from east to west. Factors such as technology push, market pull, and environmental regulation pull have positive but differentiated influences on the eco-innovation throughout China and among the eastern, central and western regions. Based on these heterogeneous influences and the targets of ecological civilization construction, promoting the regional synergy of technology push, market pull, and environmental regulation pull is necessary to improve the level of eco-innovation in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Water initiatives for business and in business have ballooned in the 2010's because of concerns over increased uncertainty surrounding water supplies as well as competing demands. The challenge is how to improve accounting given the lack of available granular data on which companies can base their business decisions about water scarcity, water surpluses and water management opportunities. Corporate Water Management Accounting is a recently proposed extension to Environmental Management Accounting designed to support corporate management decisions and improve both economic and environmental water-related business outcomes. The paper identifies relevant water accounting information for decision making is lacking in current literature and water initiatives, which focus on external water reporting. In the light of the finding strengths and weaknesses of water initiatives are assessed and a new framework developed for Water Management Accounting. Based on both the literature and gaps in current water initiatives, the paper concludes with a set of specific research issues in corporate water accounting settings along with ways in which water accounting researchers can contribute to the future management of water by businesses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Green Human Resources Management (GHRM) refers to using Human Resources Management (HRM) practices to reinforce environmental sustainable practices and increase employee's commitment on the issues of environmental sustainability. It embraces considering concerns and values of Environmental Management (EM) in applying Human Resources (HR) initiatives generating greater efficiencies and better Environmental Performance (EP) necessary for reducing employees' carbon footprints. This paper presents an empirical assessment and measurement of impact of GHRM practices in manufacturing organizations on EP in Palestinian context. The research approach, using both qualitative and quantitative aspects, extracted six main GHRM practices used in manufacturing organizations from literature review and field data through conducting 17 semi-structured interviews with HR managers. The identified practices were green recruitment and selection, green training and development, green performance management and appraisal, green reward and compensation, green employee empowerment and participation, and green management of organizational culture. A survey instrument was then designed based on GHRM practices identified through qualitative methods, and used for data collection from 110 organizations operating in three manufacturing sectors (i.e. food, chemical, and pharmaceutical sectors) that have implemented GHRM practices at varying levels. Using a five-point Likert-type scale, these extracted practices were evaluated to find out GHRM practices with positive impact on EP. The statistical analysis revealed that the overall mean of the implementation of GHRM practices is 2.72 on a scale of 5, which is considered as a moderate level. Furthermore, the analysis confirmed that there is a statistically positive and significant relationship at a significant level (α ≤ 0.05) between the six GHRM practices and EP. A model was also developed by connecting critical practices of GHRM that can be incorporated in workplace for maximized EP. The value of this paper is the identification, prioritization, and validation of GHRM practices, which influence EP in manufacturing organizations. The presented model offers useful insights on how manufacturing organizations should strategically link their HR functions to support their EP necessary for competitive advantage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introducing environmental and sustainability management does not come easy for small and medium-sized enterprises. In particular, they must gain knowledge and expertise to properly implement and manage environmental and sustainability programs, which they often lack the time and resources. Hence, this paper investigates the ability of sustainability-oriented small and medium-sized enterprises to acquire and develop explicit knowledge required for an environmental management system and related tools. By means of qualitative interviews and content analyses, this paper provides greater understanding on the relationship between practices for knowledge development and support factors, including internal capabilities and external cooperation. The results of these qualitative analyses show that certain internal capabilities, including top management support, shared vision, and the room for learning, provide the necessary infrastructure for developing knowledge on environmental and sustainability-related issues in small and medium-sized enterprises. Structured and shared knowledge practices was mostly observed in advanced enterprises, which provide insights for less experienced enterprises to learn and build from. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Quality Management is considered to be suitable as support for the integration of sustainability considerations in areas such as product development. The purpose of this paper is to review research in which Quality Management methods, tools or practices have been used in conjunction with sustainable development initiatives. We have identified four themes that synthesize the research on Quality Management and its support to approaches for sustainable development: (I) supporting sustainability through integration of management systems, (II) Quality Management as support to the implementation of Environmental Management Systems and to the management of sustainability, (III) supporting integration of sustainability considerations in daily work, and (IV) supporting stakeholder management and customer focus. By far the most research has been conducted within the first two themes. This paper also contributes with proposals for future research, such as the need to move beyond existing standards and management systems to enable more radical improvements, and the need for empirical evidence of the effect of integrated management systems on environmental performance. We also highlight the point that Quality Management practices and tools must be developed and adapted in order to support sustainability considerations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Public environmental awareness (PEA) is critical to the implementation of environmental policies by governments and product strategies by companies, however, there is less literature discussing its drivers. Environmental information disclosure (EID), as a bottom-up environmental policy, promotes public environmental management. This paper takes the Pollution Information Transparency Index (PITI) as a proxy for the degree of EID and discusses its impact on PEA. Using the PITI of 113 cities and the Baidu index-based PEA for 30 provinces from 2010 to 2019, we find a significant increase in PEA with the widening of EID, and the impacts of EID get larger as the quantile increases. Moreover, the effects of EID on PEA are amplified in areas with heavy pollution, high levels of green innovation, and stringent environmental governance capacities, but are diminished in areas with rampant corruption. The findings of this paper provide recommendations for optimizing EID implementation. • With the expansion of EID, PEA has increased significantly. • The impacts of EID on PEA are amplified in areas with high pollution, green innovation, and strict governance capacities. • The impacts of EID on PEA are diminished in areas with rampant corruption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The internalisation of Environmental Management Systems (EMS) is raising interest among scholars. Authors have identified it as the reason of controversial results in literature about the relation between EMS and environmental performance. Often, certified companies without an internalised system are labelled to have symbolic behaviour in environmental management. However, the literature lacks of studies aimed to identify other justifications that could influence the performance of certified companies, also in absence of an internalised EMS. This study wants to analyse the role of the environmental manager satisfaction in the internalisation of EMS and in achieving environmental performance. The paper uses data from a survey of 438 EMAS registered organisations. The results show that the managers' satisfaction positively influence the environmental reputation and competitiveness also without considering the mediating role of internalisation. The paper opens new research avenues on the understanding of the real importance of EMS internalisation and on the need to further investigate the relation between EMS and performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sediment contamination has emerged as a pivotal concern within aquatic ecosystems, posing complex challenges to both ecological integrity and human health. This review comprehensively examines the current state of sediment pollution, with a focus on the physicochemical interactions and bioavailability of pollutants embedded in sediment matrices. Significant attention is given to the advancements in methodologies for pollutant detection and the development of cutting-edge remediation technologies. The review reveals a notable trend: conventional remediation methods are being progressively enhanced by sustainable approaches, such as phytoremediation and bioremediation, in alignment with circular economy principles. Additionally, this review synthesizes research on the extraction of valuable materials from sediments, including precious metals and organic substances for energy generation, highlighting the transformative potential of converting waste into valuable resources. The paper also addresses the multifarious challenges in sediment management, ranging from technical complexities to economic and regulatory hurdles, and discusses the collaborative roles of various stakeholders in developing effective policy frameworks. By weaving together multidisciplinary perspectives, this work significantly contributes to the discourse on sediment management, advocating for a paradigm shift towards resource recovery and sustainability. It emphasizes the critical need for a comprehensive approach to sediment contamination, one that equitably balances remediation efforts with resource conservation, thus providing strategic direction for future environmental stewardship within the realm of ecological science. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Poorly managed plastic waste ends largely in the environment. For example, visible plastic waste causes pollution in the ocean, and Thailand is ranked sixth in the world for plastic waste generation in the ocean. This study was conducted to monitor and assess plastic waste management following the launch of the 'Thailand Roadmap on Plastic Waste Management (2018–2030)'. The CIPPI model and an impact assessment were used for this purpose. Seventy-three individuals from Thailand's central and local governments were selected to study the plastic bag roadmap. Further, 2378 Thai people and foreign tourists were surveyed about their plastic bag-using behaviours, and thirteen stakeholders were selected for interviews. This study found that the input and output factors were moderate, equalling (x ‾ = 2. 67 , SD = 1.24) and (x ‾ = 3. 07 , SD = 1.20), respectively. Similarly, the process factors were low (x ‾ = 2. 17 , SD 1.29). With respect to outcomes and effects, plastic bag use exhibited a decreasing trend, from 39,983 to 49,816 million bags (−67.03%–83.52%) with a total economic value of 5340–10,408 million baht/year. Carbon dioxide (CO 2) emissions also decreased, at 63,173–78,809-million-kilogram CO 2 eq/year. In conclusion, plastic waste management requires cooperation on the part of all sectors. However, it is important for the government to take responsibility for monitoring, assessing, and improving plans to promote consumption and production sustainability following Goal 12: Responsible Consumption and Production. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Effective environmental management within companies, integrated with other management areas like quality and occupational health and safety, is nowadays assumed to be a strategic way to implement and improve lean and cleaner production. Also, sustainable development (SD) and business sustainability can be achieved through a better coordinated management of processes versus associated resources. This paper presents an in depth discussion regarding the promotion of integrated management systems, their benefits and major contribution towards the sustainable development of cleaner production related features. It addresses issues regarding the contributions resulting from the integration of standardized Management System (MS) from both internal and external perspectives. Complementing the overall review of aspects to the development of integrated management systems a survey was conducted in order to better understand the relevance of the identified success factors. The main findings in this paper are as follows: a contextualization model of sustainable development and integrated management systems considering the Triple Bottom Line: economic, social and environmental; and, a method and associated model to support the development of integrated management systems as well as general guidelines to support integration. It can be concluded that a proactive approach and commitment to cleaner production, supported by an integrated management system, brings relevant savings for organizations as well as providing value to the relevant interested parties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the use of the eco-efficiency measurement. It also analyses whether environmental planning, business strategies, operational practices, environmental management system certification and environmental management accounting influence eco-efficiency. The five organisational factors express formal elements of the organisational structure. The research design consists of a mixed method approach with a set of information composed of a survey of 65 companies plus 14 interviews. The results show a poor use of eco-efficiency measurement and the positive influence of just environmental planning and environmental management accounting. What stands out is the urgency to encourage companies to have more articulated measurement and evaluation tools for analyse the interplay between environmental and economic performance (i.e. eco-efficiency). The paper extends empirical studies on environment-related management accounting tools. This study also underlines the importance of analysing the organisational dimension which is fundamental for promoting the integration of environmental issues into management control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Existing research argues that impressive environmental and economic benefits can be and have been achieved with Material Flow Cost Accounting (MFCA). This paper examines the body of literature on MFCA and identifies a limited application of MFCA in comparison to its potential application. Examining the scope of MFCA shows that the methodological proposals and applications are largely focused on production related decisions. So far, the growing (but still limited) body of research on MFCA has not been linked with the conceptual developments in environmental management accounting (EMA). By conducting a literature review based on the EMA framework, additional decision situations and decision makers are identified and the potential benefits of expanding MFCA are discussed. This paper provides a research agenda both for developing MFCA tools and subsequently for spreading them to new areas, where they can contribute to the sustainable development of organizations, the economy and society. Practitioners could benefit from this paper by considering additional areas of applications for MFCA in the specific settings of their company. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Environmental Management Systems (EMSs) implemented according to the ISO14001 standard have been examined by many authors, especially focussing on its impact at the firm level. However only a few papers have investigated the impact of ISO14001 from a country perspective. This paper aims to contribute to bridging this gap. The aim is to study the relation between ISO14001 growth and the trend in selected macro-economic and development indexes. By applying the Growth Mixture Model to a panel of 73 countries for the period 1999–2012, we assess the following hypotheses: (a) the increase in numbers of ISO14001 certifications corresponds to an increase in economic indexes; (b) the increase in ISO14001 corresponds to an increase in development indexes; (c) the trends of ISO14001 adoption and macro-economic indexes confirm the relationship described by the Environmental Kuznets Curve. The results confirm a positive relation among the trends of some variables such as ISO14001 and Gross Domestic Product (GDP), ISO14001 and industry value added while no significant results were found when observing the relation between ISO14001 and the selected development indexes. In addition, using the industry added value as the variable to measure economic development, our results support the theory of the Environmental Kuznets Curve. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ecodesign is a proactive environmental management and improvement approach employed in the product development process, which aims to minimize the environmental impacts caused during a product's life cycle and thus improve its environmental performance. The establishment of measurable environmental performance indicators for the product development process is often cited as a successful factor for effective ecodesign implementation, since it enables setting targets and monitoring achievements towards the accomplishment of environmental ambitions. However, companies still face difficulties in the selection and application of environmental performance indicators – a more structured approach is still lacking. This paper presents the efforts made to identify and systematize existing leading product-related environmental performance indicators, based on a systematic literature review, and to develop a guide to support the selection of these indicators by manufacturing companies. From the review, 261 environmental performance indicators were identified and systematized in a digital database. The database supports the application of the environmental performance indicators guide, which proposes a five-step approach to support the selection of indicators. Based on improvement opportunities identified from a case study for theory-testing in Denmark, an improved version of the guide was developed and subsequently applied in a case study in Brazil. The results from both evaluations indicate that the guide supported the studied companies in the selection of environmental performance indicators in the context of ecodesign implementation. This paper presents the results of the literature review, the systematization of environmental performance indicators and the support guide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the last decades several international initiatives have emphasised that education is an imperative for societies to become more sustainable. This special volume stream is comprised of 33 papers that illustrate some of the efforts being taken by higher education institutions to contribute to sustainability. The majority of the papers were presented at the European Roundtable on Sustainable Consumption and Production – Environmental Management for Sustainable Universities conference in Istanbul, Turkey in 2013. The papers address topics such as implementation of sustainable development, stakeholder engagement and participation, campus operations, sustainability reporting and assessment, organisational change management, and curriculum development. the papers in this special volume stream provide significant steps for the higher education for sustainable development discipline by exploring new and rethink theories, approaches, concepts, methods, and frameworks, as well as providing case studies and guidelines for practitioners. As the collection of papers shows, there have been many efforts in the implementation of sustainable development in higher education institutions; however, there are still many challenges to integrate sustainable development into their systems, and many opportunities for research in the topic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Numerous empirical and conceptual studies describe waste minimisation as a key environmental performance indicator for industry. ISO 14001certification in this regard is widely considered the tool of choice for driving waste minimisation efforts. To this day, however, the evidence remains mixed as it pertains to the effectiveness of ISO 14001 in helping firms reduce waste, especially in developing countries. This paper explores the waste minimisation efforts among Indian small and medium enterprises. Specifically, improvements in waste minimisation are analysed from small and medium enterprises operating in the cities of Delhi and Noida. Our proposed model is tested for a model-fit, and the hypotheses are tested through regression coefficient (β) scores to determine the influence of ISO 14001 on the degree of waste minimisation among certified and non-certified companies. The data reveal that ISO 14001 certification alone helped account for a 25% increase in waste minimisation in certified companies after controlling for other critical factors (correlated to the variable ‘waste minimisation’) that may influence this relationship. The analytical tools described in this paper lend themselves to be applied to similar research problems in future studies. The study provides baseline data for further research into ISO 14001 effectiveness in the Indian SME context – a field with still only limited research insights – and offers policy prompts for targeted environmental management improvements in Indian firms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Imposition of strict environmental protection acts and the imperative need of best possible allocation of resources have given birth to the concept of “low carbon logistics.” Environmental laws force the manufacturers to extend their existing supply chains to form a closed loop supply chain (CLSC) through the setup of an efficient recovery system. In this paper, we attempt to deal with the environmental issues presented in the design of CLSC networks. The CLSC network proposed in the paper consists of four echelons in the forward chain and five echelons in the backward chain. To consider the environmental issues in the proposed CLSC network, we formulate a bi-objective integer nonlinear programming problem, and in order to solve it we propose an Interactive Multi- Objective Programming Approach Algorithm. This model determines the optimal flow of parts and products in the CLSC network and the optimum number of trucks hired by facilities in the forward chain of the network. A numerical experimentation of the proposed model to validate the applicability of the model is done with the help of data from a real life case study. The case presented in the paper is based on a geyser manufacturer, and its application on the model provides us with the underlying tradeoffs between the two objectives. The model also results in a very interesting fact that with the implication of the extended supply chain, a firm can create a green image of their product which eventually results in an increase in their demand while significantly reducing their usage of transportation in both directions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The increasing nature of biomedical waste and its improper disposal has become a significant concern, resulting in a negative impact on the environment. These are associated with the direct consumption of input materials along with generated co-products and wastewater. This paper aims to address the environmental burden of existing biomedical waste management in the northern part of India. It also aims to suggest some constructive steps which result in a less impactful environment through the Life cycle Assessment (LCA) methodology. LCA is a widely used sustainable assessment tool to evaluate the environmental performance of various waste management systems. The present study's functional unit is all the waste collected at a common treatment and disposal facility. A gate-to-gate approach has been performed based on the foreground data gathered from field surveys, semi-structured interviews, and background data of Eco invent database v1.03. The data has been further evaluated using LCA software SimaPro 9.1.0.4 utilizing the CML-IA impact assessment method. The impact categories include Abiotic Depletion (AD), Abiotic Depletion (fossil fuels) (ADF), Global Warming (GWP), Ozone Layer Depletion (OLD), Human Toxicity (HT), Freshwater Aquatic Ecotoxicity (FAE), Marine Aquatic Ecotoxicity (MAE), Terrestrial Ecotoxicity (TE), Photochemical Oxidation (PO), Acidification (AF), and Eutrophication (EP). The results indicate that the integrated system, including incineration with energy recovery, autoclave-shredder, chemical disinfection, and Effluent Treatment Plant (ETP), reduces the environmental burden compared to the present state. The reliability of the model is tested using sensitivity and uncertainty analysis. The analysis identifies the influential key processes, parameters, and impact categories. This paper suggests that LCA is a beneficial tool for the decision-makers and managers to take strategic decisions for reducing environmental burden and developing a life cycle inventory database for the developed economies. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Risk management in supply chains has emerged as one of the most attractive research topics in the supply chain management field. However, much more is still needed towards hedging against environmental risks. The recent environmental scandals and accidents bring to light the negligence of the environmental issues by supply chains. The present study analyses both external and internal factors of environmental risk and their impact on supply chain management, as well as the mitigation strategies through the literature study. Thus, by conducting a systematic literature review and after analysing 767 abstracts and 70 full papers, we identify fourteen environmental risks, three main consequences and nineteen strategies to manage these risks. As a result, we develop an Environmental Supply Chain Risk Management taxonomy, which covers the existing body of knowledge on the topic. Moreover, a framework is also proposed to synthesise and relate the environmental risks, consequences and strategies covered by the academic research. Finally, we provide a research agenda to support future works on environmental supply chain risk management, building foundations towards the formalisation and improvement of the field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The emerging environmental awareness of the public, as well as the implementation of governmental regulations, force organisations to employ corporate environmental practices such as green supply chain management (GSCM) and green innovation. Accordingly, both practices are crucial to achieve professional improvement in the environmental performance of these organisations. However, research on the relationship of GSCM, green innovation, and environmental performance is relatively rare. Therefore, this study is aimed to provide empirical evidence showing that GSCM and green innovation practices significantly improve environmental performance in order to encourage organisations to implement these practices. In addition, this study investigates the relationship between GSCM and green innovation practices and the influence of these practices on the environmental performance in 123 manufacturing organisations with ISO 14001 certification. The results of PLS-SEM revealed that there is a significant and positive relationship between GSCM and green innovation, and the environmental performance. Moreover, green innovation had a positive effect on the environmental performance. Furthermore, green innovation had a mediating relationship between GSCM and environmental performance. Therefore, the present paper confirmed the significant influence of GSCM on boosting the green innovation of organisations and on the manufacturing establishments, which eventually improve the environment. In brief, the outcomes of this study provide enhanced understanding about the significant role of green innovation in the manufacturers for improving their GSCM and organisational environmental performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Solid waste management (SWM) is an integral part of an environmental management system. SWM approaches have been modified into a more practical and effective option to establish sustainability based on the "reduce", "reuse", and "recycle" (3R) principles. This review provides an overview of a wide range of existing SWM strategies with the following key objectives: (i) to comprehensively describe current technologies, strategic innovations, and monitoring tools, (ii) to provide an overview of prevailing waste management scenarios across different countries, (iii) to identify the roles of life cycle assessment (LCA) and other modeling tools in SWM, and (iv) to showcase feasible approaches for sustainable recycling and utilization of solid wastes. The current review finds that geographical positions and economic status of nations are important to dictate waste characteristics. A number of economic and LCA models have been described to facilitate future workers vis-à-vis organizations for the selection of appropriate waste management algorithms and for the evaluation of their eventual performance. In addition, this paper showcases various innovative solutions that have been reported for the achievement of smart and sustainable waste management plans in many countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite ecotourism certification's efficacy as a potential environmental management tool for promoting sustainable development, the applicability of Western ecotourism certification patterns in China and the environmental effects of China's ecotourism certification remain unclear. Based on China's Prototype-zone of National Ecotourism Attractions (PNEA) certification, this paper aims to provide empirical evidence on the causal relationship between ecotourism and low-carbon sustainable development in relation to public environmental concerns. The multiperiod Difference-in-Differences (DID) model is set up to examine the supervision of PNEA certification on regional carbon emissions based on the panel data from 285 Chinese prefecture-level cities in 2011–2017. Results demonstrate that PNEA approval can reduce regional carbon emissions by 1.1% per capita, and this effect would increase over time. Heterogeneity analysis shows that the carbon emission reduction impact is significantly higher on midwestern cities, resource-dependent cities, and cities with net population inflow. Furthermore, the determinants of public environmental concerns, such as PNEA's functions of tourism economic development and environmental education, are crucial for low-carbon sustainable development. The findings quite clearly account for the contributions of ecotourism certification in promoting sustainable development and the benefits of effective policy instruments. • The PNEA certification implemented by China's central government is different from the Western ecotourism certifications. • The approval of China's unique ecotourism certification can reduce regional carbon emissions by 1.1% per capita. • The economic development function and environmental education function are key to promoting public environmental concerns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rebound effects exist when improvements achieved through environmental efficiency initiatives are diminished or even overcompensated, as a result of having encouraged other forms of wastefulness or inefficiency. Extant literature focuses attention on industry and national level rebounds, commonly concluding that related effects are significant. However, despite corporate level claims to comprehensive environmental management practices, less is understood about how rebounds at this level can be measured and managed. A key rebound concern is that the financial savings corporations achieve from environmental efficiency initiatives, might be spent in ways which create further (and possibly greater) environmental damage. This paper argues that adequate accounting approaches are needed to inform management about potential rebounds, and to enable pursuit of cleaner production and sustainable development. A conceptual approach is offered to enable accounting for environmental rebounds, at both the corporate and consumer level. The rebound accounting approach proposed here, offers management opportunities for continuous improvement, through mapping environmental achievements against subsequent rebounds, and documenting and measuring on-going responses to those rebounds. • Rebounds occur where environmental initiatives lead to subsequent wastefulness. • Rebounds at the corporate level may be significant. • Effective management accounting solutions are both essential and feasible. • Accounting can provide insight into rebounds at both corporate and consumer level. • An accounting approach is proposed, to map rebounds and consider possible responses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Utilizing the Comprehensive Environmental Administrative Enforcement Reform (CEAER) in China as a quasi-natural experiment, this paper has adopted 179 prefecture-level cities from July 2018 to December 2020 as research sample to assess whether the limited decentralization of environmental enforcement power can improve air quality through a time-varying difference-in-difference (DID) approach. Results show that CEAER can achieve better air quality improving effects, which can not only contribute to the decrease of daily mean values of Air Quality Index (AQI), but also contribute to the decrease of daily mean values of PM 2.5 , PM 10 , SO 2 , and CO. And this promotion is mainly achieved through the micro mechanism of raising environmental penalties strength. Further examination of the heterogeneity in terms of economic factors, city rank, pollution abatement pressure, and political constraints reveals that CEAER's policy effects are mostly insignificant in cities with higher levels of economic development and administrative rank, and positively significant in poor historical air quality cities and key environmental protection cities. These results underscore the positive effects of the limited decentralization of environmental enforcement power and provide ideas for other regions to draw on for environmental management system reform. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the development of the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment, more people are becoming aware of the importance of ecosystem protection. As a crucial part of the human well-being, ecological well-being has always had essential scientific research value. In this paper, authors take the Yellow River Delta high-efficiency eco-economic zone as a case study, based on the theory of land ecosystem services to study the ecological well-being. With the help of expert coefficient value assessment for different types of land use, authors have researched the spatiotemporal differentiation and influence mechanism of regional ecological well-being, using the Coupling Coordination Degree (CCD) model and Geographic Weighted Regression (GWR) model. The results found small differences in change of resource well-being (RW) and large differences in change of environmental well-being (EW) from 1990 to 2020, and the RWs and EWs of the central cities including Dongying Core, Hekou Core, Kenli, Hanting Core and Changyi are higher than those of their surrounding counties. The coupling coordination relationship of RW and EW in the central cities including Dongying Core, Hekou Core and Changyi is larger than in their surrounding counties. Population urbanization (PU) and industrial urbanization (IU) are important factors of change in land use and ecosystem services which influence the human well-being, PU affects RW more significantly, and IU affects EW more significantly. In order to further promote the sustainable ecological well-being of the Yellow River Delta region, authors recommend the conservation of land resources, technological innovation of environmental management and the formulation of environmental law. It provides significant enlightenment and decision support for strengthening the environmental protection of the Yellow River Delta high-efficiency eco-economic zone. In this paper, authors take the Yellow River Delta high-efficiency eco-economic zone as a case study, based on the theory of land ecosystem services to study the ecological well-being. With the help of expert coefficient value assessment for different types of land use, authors have researched the spatiotemporal differentiation and influence mechanism of regional ecological well-being, using the Coupling Coordination Degree (CCD)Model model (CCDM) and Geographic Weighted Regression (GWR) model. The results found small differences in change of resource well-being (RW) and large differences in change of environmental well-being (EW) from 1990 to 2020, and the RWs and EWs of the central cities including Dongying Core, Hekou Core, Kenli, Hanting Core and Changyi are higher than those of their surrounding counties. The coupling coordination relationship of RW and EW in the central cities including Dongying Core, Hekou Core and Changyi is larger than in their surrounding counties. Population urbanization (PU) and industrial urbanization (IU) are important factors of change in land use and ecosystem services which influence the human well-being, PU affects RW more significantly, and IU affects EW more significantly. In order to further promote the sustainable ecological well-being of the Yellow River Delta region, authors recommend the conservation of land resources, technological innovation of environmental management and the formulation of environmental law. The study has important value for realizing regional sustainable development and improving human well-being, and also provides a new research idea for exploring the relationship between man and land by using the intersection of sociology, geography, and ecology. [Display omitted] • It provides a new perspective for studying ecological well-being based on ecosystem services. • It analyzed the spatial characteristics of ecological well-being in the Yellow River Delta of China. • 3. It explored the mechanism of urbanization on ecological well-being with GWR model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Strategic niche management has been outlined as a policy approach to assist development and diffusion of cleaner new technologies. Based on a case study describing the efforts of a leading actor in the heavy vehicle industry to develop and commercially introduce hybrid-electric vehicles, this paper discusses strategic niche management from the perspective of the manufacturing firm. In particular, the paper analyses experiences from extensive field tests executed in London, tests which involved a number of different manufacturers, hybrid systems and vehicles. The scale of this technological niche added confidence and credibility to the technology and helped opening up an important niche market, which was supported by an extensive subsidy scheme. The analysis shows how the field tests and the subsidies jointly functioned as bridging policies that facilitated an important step in the market formation process. The analysis further points at a critical tension between niches and the volume-oriented business of a major vehicle manufacturer, showing how investments in new technology need to be warranted in market trends and projections of future sales and production volumes to become accepted within a vehicle manufacturer's organization. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The implementation of an Environmental Management System (EMS) ISO 14001 is an instrument for achieving a corporate's sustainable development and therefore is an important tool for environmental management. Due to rapid economic development, the coating industry is increasing rapidly, resulting in several environmental problems. Many coating firms have adopted EMS; however, quantitative and qualitative evaluations of the environmental performance of EMS have rarely been examined in the literature. This paper proposed an environmental performance evaluation system that enables quantitatively assess the effects of EMS in the coating industry. A four-level framework was structured with 74 indicators and sub-indicators according to the context and characteristics of the coating industry. Divided into two aspects, the legislative system and environmental management performance system, these indicators and sub-indicators covered almost every element of ISO 14001. And the evaluation criteria were closely referred to Chinese coating industry standards and cleaner production regulations. Using analytical hierarchy process and fuzzy membership degree analysis, the weight of each indicator was determined, and evaluation results were achieved. Moreover, using a coating firm in Shanghai as a case study, this paper investigated the impacts of EMS implementation in two successive years after the firm was granted an ISO14001 certificate in 2007. The results indicated that the environmental performance of EMS in the coating firm was satisfactory in 2008, and there was an obvious improvement in 2009, which strongly demonstrated that the evaluation model was scientific and practical. Finally, further improvements are proposed from four aspects, including thoroughly identifying environmental factors, encouraging the development of advanced pollution control technologies, sustaining the improvement process of EMS after the initial adoption, and supporting the involvement of software applications. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: In a very uncertain and competitive economy, companies have to cope with external constraints such as environmental and social issues, to gain competitive advantage. Over the last thirty years, numerous initiatives have appeared to deal with socio-environmental issues. However, contexts are complex and dynamics. Many authors therefore point out the need to establish a systemic perspective in order to improve the integration of sustainable issues into all company activities: from strategic decision-making to the end of the project. In addition, companies need to reinforce the relationship between general corporate development and eco-design activities. Based on literature review, this paper assumes that the integration of sustainability can be improved by developing a coherent and system approach between strategic, tactical and operational levels. The authors have chosen to demonstrate this assumption by targeting the environmental aspect of sustainability as a first step of their overall research. In this view, this paper proposes a navigation system composed of three modules: strategic, tactical and operational. This navigation system provides some pragmatic roadmaps for integrating environment into the company. Each module is linked to the others by the use of appropriate metrics. Bottom-up and top-down or middle-to-sides strategies are fully supported. To test this proposal, the navigation system is experimented retrospectively into an industrial process from the textile industry. The comparison between the initial situation and the experimental results allows authors to highlights potential environmental improvements. Some recommendations are made to challenges companies to use this navigation system, which argues in favor of environmental improvements. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Urban transformation in Egypt is happening in a rapid, unorganized and informal manner. This is causing major environmental degradation problems. There are several significant environmental problems that face many newly transformed urban communities, such as municipal solid waste management, pollution of fresh water bodies, air pollution, noise and degradation of visual landscapes. This paper studies the case of urban transformation in Egypt with a focus on identifying and assessing the existing environmental conditions in Egyptian small cities, which have a population of less than 100,000 inhabitants. The paper analyses possible causes of the identified problems and the challenges that are associated with the urban transformation phenomenon in Egypt. The paper also looks at the linkages between urban planning and environmental management. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: A new primary, root metaphor the ‘Biophilic University’, is introduced here, underpinning a potential de-familiarizing human-nature narrative and heuristic to contest and break free of what is conceptualised as the dominant performative, instrumental sustainability agendas and discourses within universities. This metaphor, drawn from evolutionary psychology literature introduces the narrative of the Biophilia Hypothesis which claims that humans possess a biologically based attraction to certain aspects of the natural environment and that their well-being depends, to a great extent, on the relationships with the surrounding natural world. Within this paper, it is argued that the Biophilia Hypothesis thereby represents the conceptual underpinning of the ‘Biophilic University’ metaphor: ‘ A university which restores an emotional affinity with the natural environment. ’ The paper identifies possible implications of a potential enactment of the Biophilic University metaphor including the importance of organizational aesthetics around bio-cultural connection, the transdisciplinary input from non-instrumental disciplines such as the arts and the central role of the natural environment as a heterochrony in informing generative physical, virtual and social space of universities. In order to contextualise such a perspective, two university inspired initiatives were tentatively critically reflected upon: ‘The University in a Garden’ in Malaysia and the ‘Oberlin Project’ in the U.S.A. The paper concludes by reflecting upon the strengths of both initiatives: the transdisciplinary implementation and engagement of say the Oberlin Project with the philosophical, heterotopic, reflexive space of the ‘University in a Garden’. It finally reflects upon the fundamental implications for more mainstream universities. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The main objective of this study is to verify the influence of Environmental Management (EM) on Operational Performance (OP) in Brazilian automotive companies, analyzing whether Lean Manufacturing (LM) and Human Resources (HR) interfere in the greening of these companies. Therefore, a conceptual framework listing these concepts was proposed, and three research hypotheses were presented. A questionnaire was elaborated based on this theoretical background and sent to respondents occupying the highest positions in the production/operations areas of Brazilian automotive companies. The data, collected from 75 companies, were analyzed using structural equation modeling. The main results are as follows: (a) the model tested revealed an adequate goodness of fit, showing that overall, the relations proposed between EM and OP and between HR, LM and EM tend to be statistically valid; (b) EM tends to influence OP in a positive and statistically weak manner; (c) LM has a greater influence on EM when compared to the influence HR has over EM; (d) HR has a positive relationship over EM, but the statistical significance of this relationship is less than that of the other evaluated relationships. The originality of this paper lies in its gathering the concepts of EM, LM, HR and OP in a single study, as they generally tend not to be treated jointly. This paper also provided valid empirical evidence for a little-studied context: the Brazilian automotive sector. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This special volume of the Journal of Cleaner Production was developed primarily based on materials presented at the 2nd International Workshop Advances in Cleaner Production held in São Paulo, Brazil, in 2009. The content reflects the growing awareness of the urgent and unavoidable need for making changes to help transform unsustainable to sustainable societies. The eleven papers provide different viewpoints to help society make progress on the journey towards sustainability. Key elements of this urgent journey are addressed in this collection of papers; some challenge society to address the problems in a systematic manner and some underscore the essentiality of proper planning by using green teams, or a Sustainable Environmental Management System. Other authors explored the role of proactive regulation and economic instruments to promote environmental performance improvements. Innovation through learning and promotion of multidisciplinary thinking as well as transference of information and knowledge between academy and industry are key aspects explored. Their inputs enabled this editorial team to propose alternatives uses for ‘wastes’, for substituting one raw material for another, which is environmentally and economically advantageous, for changing industrial process to decrease Greenhouse Gas emissions, or for optimizing diverse processes. The role of the Clean Development Mechanism as a promoter of implementation of innovative cleaner technologies in host countries is discussed. A systemic assessment tool, emergy synthesis, was employed to evaluate a reverse logistic enterprise from an environmental perspective. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper provides an overview of carbon accounting as a rapidly developing area of sustainability management and this special issue. The global nature of greenhouse gas emissions as well as increasing climate change impacts is a context that demands new, more holistic approaches to preventing and reducing the negative impacts of climate change. This requires improved ways to anticipate and to fulfil new information requirements and to provide guidance on how to use the evolving accounting approaches for transparency, accountability and decision-making in governments, companies, academia and in non-profit organizations. Different types of carbon accounts – scientific, political, economic and corporate, are evolving. They are related but are not properly interlinked in policy or strategic. On the corporate level, carbon accounting can support carbon management with two basic approaches, carbon accounts for un-sustainability and carbon accounting for sustainability improvements. Both approaches play an increasing role for corporate functions such as production, distribution, procurement, supply chain management, innovation, communication, and marketing. Carbon management accounting can support all organizational levels in decision-making, regardless of whether a department is particularly challenged to comply with regulations, to better organize energy and material flows for substantial reduction effects, or is motivated to increase eco-efficiency, product innovation or legitimacy. This paper distinguishes different company-internal areas of application and methods of carbon accounting. To support corporate decision-makers environmental management accounting framework provides a structured overview of methods distinguishing physical and monetary approaches to carbon accounting. With the expanding scope of carbon accounting practices to include supply chains and product life-cycles, researchers are challenged to develop new methods, such as input–output assisted hybrid accounting. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]