Search

This study explores choice of technology for sustainable operations in a port supply chain that consists of one port and one shipping company under a cap-and-trade scheme. To control emissions, the port supply chain can implement either shore power (SP) or low sulfur fuel oil (LSFO). The performances of the port supply chain when either SP or LSFO is adopted are compared in this paper. More specifically, according to relative bargaining power between the port and the shipping company, three different game models are constructed to analyze the effects of channel power on equilibrium results when either SP or LSFO is implemented. Results show that both profits and carbon emissions of supply chain using SP are lower than those using LSFO when carbon price is low, but are higher when carbon price is high. However, from the perspective of the social welfare, when both the carbon price and environmental concern are low, or both the carbon price and environmental concern are high, LSFO should be adopted. Otherwise, SP may be more attractive. Compared with the two Stackelberg games, the Nash game leads to higher profits and less emissions. The Nash game also leads to higher social welfare when environmental concern is small, but lower social welfare when environmental concern is large. These findings can provide insights for governments in formulating emission reduction strategies in port supply chain under different scenarios. • Two specific carbon-reduction technologies are considered in a port supply chain. • The power structure of a port supply chain affects total emissions. • Carbon price and environmental concern significantly affect technology choice. • Nash game leads to higher profits and less emissions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The reduction of carbon emission has become an inevitable trend and a world-wide consensus. Under the low-carbon environment, it is an important task for supply chain members to reduce carbon emissions through low-carbon progressing. This paper focuses on the emission reduction behaviors for the chain members in both the retail-channel and dual-channel cases using the Stackelberg game model. The paper analyzes a detailed model which incorporates both cap-and-trade regulation and consumers' low-carbon preference. The results suggest that when the degree of consumers' low-carbon sensitivity satisfies certain conditions, the introduction of the online channel is profitable for the manufacturer. In addition, the cap-and-trade mechanism is acceptable for supply chain members when consumers have strong low-carbon preference. Furthermore, two emission reduction strategies are compared, including single manufacturer's emission reduction in production strategy and joint emission reduction strategy, of which entails manufacturer's and retailer's emission reduction. It can be concluded that the joint emission reduction strategy is more profitable for both the manufacturer and the retailer. When considering consumers' low-carbon preference, the retailer always has motivation to implement low-carbon promotion though without the manufacturer's incentives. The low-carbon promotion can help achieve emission reduction goals, promote economic development and social progress. The results can provide useful insights for policy-makers to implement effective regulations and for decision-makers to implement sustainability initiatives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Water quality assessment is a crucial step in water resource management and pollution prevention, and is essential for achieving sustainable development. Current methods for evaluating water quality often fall short of meeting the needs of water resource management due to the lacks of accuracy and applicability. In this paper, an enhanced water quality evaluation system was established by Principal Component Analysis / Factor Analysis (PCA/FA), Analytic Hierarchy Process / Entropy Weight Method / Game Theory (AHP/EWM/GT) and Variable Fuzzy Set Theory (VFST). The accuracy of this method was verified by evaluating the water quality of a landfill in a karst area and comparing with the conventional evaluation models. The results indicated that the highest influence on groundwater quality in the study area came from human factor, dissolved solid factor, biological factor, and nutritional factor. The quality of surface water and groundwater in the study area was primarily Grade Ⅱ, accounting for 62.5% and 75%, respectively. The predominant groundwater type was HCO 3 -Ca·Mg, which was strongly affected by karstification. The NH 3 -N and TP in the surface water had the highest variability, and the variation coefficients of K+, Na+, Ca2+, Cl−, NH 3 -N, NO 3 −, TDS, and TH in the groundwater were greater than 1. The surface water quality gradually improved between 2018 and 2019. Overall, the groundwater quality in the southern and central regions was inferior to that in the northern and surrounding areas. There could be a hydraulic link between the surface water and landfill in the research location, while karstification and leachate primarily impacted the groundwater. The water quality evaluation method established in this study can make a significant contribution to water resource management, which has important practical significance for environmental protection and indirect social value to the public. [Display omitted] • PCA/FA is used to reduce the dimension and determine the evaluation index. • The comprehensive weight is obtained by GT coupling AHP and EWM. • An improved VFST water quality evaluation model is established and verified. • The hydrochemical features and water-quality temporospatial variation are analyzed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]