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Abstract: Recent years have seen increasing demand for wider application of strategic environmental assessment (SEA), especially SEA of major policies, as a powerful instrument to safeguard the environment during the rapid industrialization and urbanization in China. Debates on SEA are concentrated on its feasibility and effective implementation in practice. This study applies Emergy analysis within the framework of social–economic–natural complex eco-system theory to overcome the limitations of methods used for assessing regional sustainability so far. This established model is tested in the case of Chinese paper industry to assess the sustainability of 5 policy scenarios. The results show that Emergy-based Indices (EbI) are more effective to measure the sustainability of industry complex ecosystem, thus EbI approach is very useful in SEAs on policy scenarios of a given complex ecosystem. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The article focuses on environmental paper calculators which are increasingly being used by marketers of all types who are looking to boost the sustainability image of their company. It is reported that online environmental paper calculators compares the environmental impact papers in terms of wood use, energy, greenhouse gases, waste water, solid waste, and other components to a baseline of paper with no recycled content.

We compare seven major European and North American sustainability analyst organizations on how they rank-order the same set of companies with regards to environmental performance. We also compare the analyst organizations' environmental rating schemes with regards to which evaluation criteria they include. Two industries are investigated: automobile and paper/forestry. Although there is fairly broad consensus on which automobile companies have the worst environmental performance, there is considerable disagreement about best-performers. The pattern is less clear for paper/forestry companies. With some notable exceptions, and for both industries, all rating schemes contain evaluation criteria targeting those aspects of company performance associated, according to life-cycle assessments, with the largest potential environmental impact. There are, however, significant divergences as to how many, and which, criteria of medium to low relevance are applied. Sustainability analyst organizations should make explicit to investors and evaluated companies on which theoretical and empirical grounds environmental evaluation criteria are selected. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: An industrial symbiosis (IS) is a group of industrial plants and other actors which exchange energy, water, by-products and waste. This article studies the evolution of an IS centred around a Finnish pulp and paper mill and analyses how the operations of the case system developed in a more sustainable direction during the years 1890–2005. We build upon basic sustainability principles known as The Natural Step (TNS) System Conditions by identifying and selecting quantifiable indicators for each of the conditions in the case of our target symbiosis. The study reveals that the environmental impacts of the case IS became more far-reaching during the 110-year period studied. Emissions, however, decreased substantially after the 1970s due to tightening environmental legislation and other policy measures and the progress in environmental technology, not due to symbiosis-type of arrangements. There has been no strong driver for more symbiosis-like cooperation among the companies in this study. It appeared that the main motives for increased collaboration were economic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Studia Ecologiae et Bioethicae is the property of Uniwerystet Kardynala Stefana Wyznskiege w Warzawie and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

South Africa's Just Energy Transition (JET) from coal to renewable energy in response to climate change mitigation policies comes packaged with social costs that these mitigation policies tend to overlook, considering their focus on carbon emission reduction. The paper argues that Social Impact Assessments (SIAs), a component of Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs) focused on social impact mitigation, can be a long-term approach to closing the social cost gap. Against this backdrop, the paper's arguments were informed by a literature analysis on SIAs and the Just Energy Transition, semi-structured interviews, and surveys with 230 participants, including experts, from Kriel and Carolina in Mpumalanga, South Africa. The findings point to skills development barriers such as poor school attendance, a lack of alignment between existing curriculum design and labour markets, and students' low aptitude for STEM subjects. It also identifies community sustainability issues linked to poor public participation, gender inequalities in land reform and economic participation, and culturally disruptive displacements that will intensify as the energy shift unfolds. The paper submits that SIAs, if incorporated into mainstream energy transition planning, might be a long-term approach to mitigating societal costs and can support socially responsible policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper presents a systematic exploration of the linkages between environment impact assessment (EIA) and sustainable development goals (SDGs) in the Indian context through a critical analysis of the socio‐ecological impacts of development projects and the policy climate for environmental clearances. A conceptual framework portraying the interlinkages of the systemic disruptions in the socio‐ecological realms, policy challenges, and SDGs is developed, which argues for integrating the SDGs into the EIA framework in India. The paper argues that the legal fluidity and dilution in the design and enactment of EIA retrogrades the crucial socio‐political transformation required for achieving sustainability. The systematic literature review of empirical, conceptual, and grey literature, undertaken on Indian EIA, highlights its instrumental role as a political tool for achieving developmental sustainability. The paper concludes by highlighting the urgent need to mainstream ecological decision‐making into all governance processes for achieving the SDGs in a transforming society like India. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This paper aims to report the current status of life cycle assessment (LCA) in Saudi Arabia. It summarizes the LCA studies conducted in academia and industry. It also examines LCA collaboration networks and training opportunities. It then points out current gaps in implementing LCA in Saudi Arabia. Finally, it delineates the steps required to promote LCA both as a research methodology and as a sustainability assessment tool in Saudi Arabia. Methods: Using Scopus database and the Internet, a state-of-the-art review was conducted for this paper. "LCA", "Life Cycle Assessment" and "Saudi Arabia" were the key words used for searching scientific studies, industrial reports, training courses and conferences related to application of LCA within Saudi Arabia. The search resulted in 32 scientific documents and one industrial report. Further scrutiny reduced the final sample considered for this paper to eleven scientific documents and one industrial report that used a complete LCA study to report environmental impacts. Results and discussion: Studies considered for this paper were related to fossil fuels, buildings, electricity generation, desalination, and food consumption. However, overall number of publications and industry reports related to LCA in Saudi Arabia is very little as compared to other advanced economies. This sheer lack of studies conducted in Saudi Arabia can be attributed to lack of educational programs, consultancies, and research projects related to LCA. This points to the vast potential for developing LCA both as a research tool and sustainability assessment tool in Saudi Arabia. There is a need to develop a local network of LCA researchers, a local LCI database, and training courses. Conclusions: This study revealed that use of LCA as a sustainability assessment tool is still in its early stages within Saudi Arabia. There are only a handful of LCA studies that are reported in scientific literature related to Saudi Arabia. Additionally, most of these studies relies on non-local databases rendering the results of these studies less reliable. There is an urgent need to promote LCA within Saudi Arabia and academia can play a leading role by offering short courses, training for industry, and participating in joint projects to conduct LCA studies. Furthermore, local LCA databases and consultancies should also be promoted. It is conjectured that in the future, the use of LCA will grow in Saudi Arabia as the county is targeting to become a net zero carbon economy by 2060. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, the rapid growth of air traffic has intensified pressure on the air transport system, leading to congestion problems in airports and airspace. The projected increase in demand exacerbates these issues, necessitating immediate attention. Additionally, there is a growing concern regarding the environmental impact of the aviation sector. To tackle these challenges, the adoption of advanced methods and technologies shows promise in expanding current airspace capacity and improving its management. This paper presents an overview of sustainable aviation, drawing on publications from academia and industry. The emphasis is on optimizing both flight and ground operations. Specifically, the review delves into recent advancements in airline operations, airport operations, flight operations, and disruption management, analyzing their respective research objectives, problem formulations, methodologies, and computational experiments. Furthermore, the review identifies emerging trends, prevailing obstacles, and potential directions for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Life cycle assessment (LCA) is a widely recognized tool for environmental assessment, which has experienced a strong development both in methodology and applications. This paper aimed to perform a bibliometric analysis of LCA research during 2000-2022, considering publication types, publication trends, subject categories, journals, institutions, countries, and author keywords. Social Network Analysis was applied to recognize mapping trends, status, and hot spots in LCA research and to discover co-authorship relations and international collaborations among countries worldwide. The results of this study showed that the number of LCA publications has remarkably increased by more than tenfold over the study period. The United States, with 5885 publications (17.3%), was the most productive country in terms of the number of publications. The keywords "sustainability," "environmental impact," "carbon footprint," "circular economy," "recycling," and "climate change" were the most occurred keywords in the literature. The keyword "sustainability," growing from 221 in 2000-2011 to 2013 in 2011-2022, was the most trending keyword. The keywords "water footprint," "biogas," and "GHG emissions" exhibited the highest increase in frequency, with growth rates of 18.5, 11.2, and 7.1 times, respectively. The outcomes of this study showed the cumulative progression of the literature, thereby establishing a framework for future works in LCA research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the environmental impact of computing worsens, transitioning to more sustainable computing practices, also known as green computing, has become crucial. This literature review examines the concept of green computing, focusing on the environmental impacts of software languages and how millions of developers worldwide interact with popular yet energy-intensive languages such as Python and Perl daily without realizing their negative environmental consequences. The review elucidates how such impacts are measured and the potential advantages and drawbacks of adopting more green programming languages as new tools instead of energy-intensive ones. The paper further argues that green computing, while challenging to implement now, is critical for creating a more sustainable future for our society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Around the world, medicinal and aromatic plants (MAPs) play a fundamental role in the economic, social, cultural, and ecological ambits of local communities. Today, the most important uses of MAPs are their applications in the pharmaceutical, perfume, cosmetics, toothpaste, soap, beverage, and food industries. At the same time, the expression MAPs is often used with a plurality of meanings that are not always clear and well-defined. Thus, the paper aims to answer two research questions: (1) to understand how the expression MAPs has been meant over time by scholars, and (2) to realize the weight that socio-economic research regarding MAPs has assumed in this context. To these ends, a literature review was conducted using the scientific database Scopus. The results highlight that researchers started talking explicitly about MAPs in the 1950s, and the geographical focus of the literature on this theme is in India, followed by China. Researchers have published studies concerning the agronomic aspects, cultivation, characterization, and germination techniques of MAPs, but the most cited articles concern the health and beneficial properties of their essential oils. At the same time, nobody has ever wondered what MAPs are, and since 1977, the World Health Organization definition has been taken for granted, and any species with medicinal or aromatic functions is considered to be a MAP. Regarding the socio-economic weight of the research conducted on MAPs, they represent only 1% of the total academic publications, but from them, it has emerged that, especially in rural areas, MAPs depict important sources of income for several local communities. At the same time, there is a need to increase the estimation of the ecosystem services that MAPs offer, the analyses of consumer preferences in the search for new business opportunities, and the environmental impact assessment of the entire supply chain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The proliferation of the Internet of Things (IoT) has enriched modern life, but their increasing ubiquity raises concerns about environmental impact. To address this, comprehensive Life Cycle Assessments (LCAs) of IoT products, which have historically been manual, costly, and time-consuming, are vital. Noting the recurring nature of core components in IoT devices, such as CPUs and sensors, we propose to use graphs and machine learning to simplify and scale LCA estimations for IoT products. This paper introduces a novel approach to representing IoT devices as graphs with specific component characteristics and interconnections. Applied to a preliminary dataset of smart home IoT devices, the methodology unveils insights into structural similarities using a composite kernel approach. This initial phase lays the groundwork for the machine learning component. The integration of machine learning planned as part of ongoing research, provides a pathway for efficient and timely ecological assessments, ensuring that the rapid growth of IoT aligns with sustainable practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Green supply chain management (GSCM) practices are essential in ensuring the sustainability of the supply chain while minimizing the negative environmental impact. This paper investigates the implementation of GSCM practices in Uzbekistan. The research objective is to assess the current status of GSCM practices in Uzbekistan and identify the challenges and opportunities for implementing GSCM practices in the country. The research methodology involves a mixed-methods approach, including a survey of supply chain managers in Uzbekistan and a review of academic and industry literature. The results indicate that the implementation of GSCM practices in Uzbekistan is still in its early stages, with several challenges faced by supply chain managers, including a lack of awareness, limited resources, and a lack of regulatory support. However, opportunities for improving GSCM practices in Uzbekistan were identified, including stakeholder engagement, training and education, and government support. Drawing on the rich literature, an attempt is made to present the needs for GSCM practices and organizational environmental sustainability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mining and quarrying provide the basic raw materials for sustaining human well-being and are critical for achieving economic developments. At the same time, environmental degradation and its associated social impacts and inequalities have become a grave reality of mining sector that affects all nations, individually and/or collectively. Assessment of the environmental impacts arising from mining and quarrying is critical to limit the environmental problems within the barest minimum levels. Although many impact assessment studies are available on mining/quarrying of different major and minor minerals, not many studies exist on quarrying for laterite blocks which is being widespread in many of the fast developing tropical and sub-tropical regions of the world like India. Therefore, this paper evaluates the impact of laterite quarrying for construction blocks, in one of the twin river basins in SW India, the Netravati–Gurpur river basin, where the activity is widespread. The Rapid Impact Assessment Matrix (RIAM) method was used to evaluate the impacts of laterite quarrying as it allows a comprehensive analysis of the results based on the individual environmental score obtained for each component. RIAM is a valuable assessment tool, owing to its capability in quick, collective and reliable evaluation of the impacts that can aid decision making and minimization of environmental impacts, especially at early planning stages. Data pertaining to resource extraction, identification of impacting actions, mapping of mining hotspots, etc., were collected from primary and secondary sources through systematic field work and sample collection, questionnaire surveys within the local community and other stakeholders such as mine operators, labourers, officials of Government departments, etc. A total of 21 laterite quarries are located in the basin with a total production of 5.7 million laterite bricks/year (0.115 × 106 ty−1). The impact assessment study revealed that the activity not only disturbs the natural environment especially, hydrology, air quality and noise levels, ecology, land use and soil stability but has profound influence on the socio-economic factors of human health and immunity, displacement, etc., of the quarrying-hit areas. The activity also recorded both long-term and short-term positive impacts as a source of employment and income generation. Additionally, the activity favours groundwater replenishment and agriculture productivity of the area where appropriate mine closure measures were taken up. However, the positive impacts of the activity are far outweighed by the fact that most impacts of laterite quarrying are of class − C (moderate negative impact) and − D (significant negative impact) owing to the long-term socio-environmental and bio-ecological implications of the activity. Thus, it is imperative that there is significant improvement in policy and regulatory framework and its implementation for mining and quarrying of building materials which is vital for meeting future development requirements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The search for alternatives that can replace conventional materials extracted from nature is crucial for environmental sustainability. This is especially the case for construction and geotechnical engineering, as this sector is a major consumer of the planet's natural resources. This paper explores the use of ore sand (OS) tailings with fine aggregate characteristics, which are generated during exploration of iron ore and usually stored in stacks, in terms of their potential for replacing conventional aggregates (gravel, natural sand, and limestone sand) used in interlocking paving blocks for light-traffic pavement. A comparative life cycle assessment (LCA, cradle-to-gate) approach was applied for aggregates in interlocking blocks produced using OS compared to blocks produced with conventional aggregates. The OS was able to replace 24wt% of conventional aggregates (100% limestone sand and 13.3% natural sand), while maintaining compressive-strength performance similar to that of the conventional block (35 MPa). For all eleven environmental-impact categories evaluated in the LCA, the block with OS has improved environmental performance compared to the conventional block. Through the creation and use of a scoring indicator (SI), it was possible to determine that the transport distance of the OS is a limiting factor for the environmental efficiency of the alternative block. Nonetheless, the incorporation of OS mitigates the impacts of block production on eutrophication, acidification, fresh water, human toxicity, and abiotic depletion. The use of tailings reduces the demand for natural resources, decreasing the environmental impact of production and promoting sustainable construction practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stakeholders and communities' involvement is vital for shaping novel intergenerational resource governance frameworks. This is crucial for modelling upcoming energy transitions towards cleaner and more sustainable production systems. New models envisage energy mixes in which renewable resources are prominent and offer sustainable development advantages. Examining electricity production figures is, hence, necessary to understand trends and formulate policies and actions. This paper aims at drafting the state-of-the-art of electricity production in the Nordic-Baltic Sea area, moving an exploratory regional appraisal. Aggregated and disaggregated data on electricity production sources are explored and compared for all the eleven selected countries—at domestic, sub-regional, and regional levels. The region shows great national diversity, which implies diversified energy policies. Thus, the role of local initiatives—such as power grid implementation—in local communities empowerment is revealed. From this outcome, possible strategies are prescribed locally to assist the regional sustainable energy appraisal and furnish indications for the European energy and ecological transition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In manufacturing, Industry 4.0 operating models enable greener technologies. Thanks to digital technologies, environmental sustainability and organizational competitiveness are mutually reinforcing. The challenge for manufacturing organizations is to understand and quantify the magnitude of this synergistic action, and the holistic perspective of life cycle assessment tools may be a solution to the problem. Organizational Life Cycle Assessment (O-LCA) unlike Product Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is still an under-researched methodology with few applications in manufacturing contexts. This paper aims to fill this gap by implementing and validating O-LCA in the case of an Italian ceramic tile manufacturer. Following the O-LCA guidelines and exploiting Industry 4.0 technologies to perform the inventory analysis, the environmental assessment was conducted in three different plants, comparing the sum of the partial impact results with the overall results scaled to the whole organization. The experimental results demonstrated the validity of the organizational approach as an appropriate methodological option to obtain relevant information on environmental performance that, being based on empirical evidence, better support decision-making processes. Furthermore, the study provides empirical evidence of how Industry 4.0 is an enabler not only for the adoption of greener technologies, but especially for facilitating the organizational environmental impact assessment that is the necessary condition in order to set up and maintain greener manufacturing contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Waste Management Systems. are designed to efficiently handle and process waste materials generated by human activities. These systems are crucial for minimizing environmental impacts, promoting sustainability, and protecting throughout its lifecycle, from its generation to its final disposal or recycling. Here is an overview of the key components and processes involved in waste management: Waste Generation: Waste can be generated from various sources, including residential areas, commercial establishments, industries, and construction sites. It encompasses solid waste (such as household waste and packaging materials), liquid waste (such as wastewater and sewage), and hazardous waste (such as chemicals and medical waste). Waste Collection: its source. This involves the placement of collection bins or containers at strategic locations, regular pick-up schedules, and specialized collection vehicles for different types of waste. Waste Segregation: After collection, waste is often sorted and segregated based on its type and characteristics. This helps in the efficient management of different waste streams, enabling appropriate treatment or disposal methods. Segregation can be done at the source (e.g., separating recyclables from non-recyclables) or at dedicated facilities. Future vehicular organizations are supposed to send more limited distances the car employer. Client-server methods revel in decrease execution regardless of standard abnormal network. Another one the worldview of shared content dispersion over the Web is arising with swarm conventions. The objective of Web amassing conventions is to lessen the heap on satisfied servers. Waste Treatment: Waste treatment involves various processes aimed at reducing the volume and toxicity of waste, as well as recovering valuable resources. Common treatment methods include composting, incineration, landfilling, and biological or chemical treatment of wastewater. Advanced technologies, such as anaerobic digestion and plasma gasification, are also used for waste conversion. Recycling and Resource Recovery: Recycling plays a crucial role in waste management systems. Materials like paper, plastics, glass, metals, and electronic waste can be recycled and sent to landfills or incinerators. Resource recovery also involves the extraction of energy from waste, such as through waste-to-energy (WTE) facilities. GWP Uppsala WMS, GWP Uppsala CS, GWP Alvdalen WMS, GWP Alvdalen CS, AP Uppsala WMS. IncAll, Inc90%, BioBus, RecPl. From the result it is seen that GWP Uppsala CSis got the first rank where as is the GWP Alvdalen CSis having the lowest rank. GWP Uppsala CSis ranked first and industrial building is ranked lowest. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research focuses on the importance of impact assessment in the construction sector, aligning with the United Nations' 2030 agenda for sustainable urban development. It emphasizes the need to incorporate economic, environmental, and social considerations into these assessments. A bibliometric analysis reveals an escalating interest in this field, particularly since 2015, illustrating the significant contribution of academic research to disseminating knowledge in this area. The paper highlights the crucial role of integrating these three sustainability dimensions in evaluating building impacts. Life cycle analysis, sustainable material use, and environmental impact assessments emerge as thematic clusters. Geographically, China stands out as the leading contributor to the topic, followed by the USA, Italy, and the UK, suggesting profound cross-country collaborations. The analysis indicates an inverse relationship between renovation costs and sustainability, emphasizing the need to balance demands and costs during the construction and renovation. Within this context, the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) stands out as the favored measurement model, accounting for various inputs and outputs, including environmental, social, and economic impacts. European policies champion building sustainability, advocating for circular economy approaches and CO2 emission reductions. Independent committees or agencies are perceived as a catalyst for sustainability in building processes. However, the study acknowledges limitations, including exclusive reliance on the Scopus database and potential subjectivity in thematic analysis. Future research could benefit from additional databases like Web of Science, advanced thematic analysis software, and comprehensive case studies. Further engaging consumers in the building sustainability perspective may also present a promising research avenue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current climate change context raises the demand for reducing energy and environmental impacts while keeping an economic balance and building users' comfort. Thermal insulation solutions are potential allies in ensuring the adequacy of existing buildings for challenging sustainability requirements. In this scenario, silica-aerogel-fibre-based thermal renders are innovative solutions for which integrated approaches still lack information, and they should be compared with benchmark multilayer solutions, such as those based on expanded polystyrene (EPS), extruded polystyrene (XPS), mineral wool (MW), and insulated corkboard (ICB), to evidence their prospective economic, environmental, and energy benefits. This paper quantifies the optimum insulation thicknesses, life cycle savings, payback periods, and environmental impacts of innovative thermal renders compared to conventional thermal insulation materials when applied as a retrofit in existing facade walls. The results show that cost-optimised thermal renders with sisal fibres led to the best overall performance. Higher heating needs led to higher optimum render thicknesses and life cycle savings. With a 0.02 m thickness, aerogel-fibre-based thermal renders outperformed other materials in terms of heating-degree days (HDD) from 1000 °C·day onwards; they can save approximately EUR 60∙m−2, 1000 MJ∙m−2, and 100 kg CO2 eq∙m−2 while presenting a U-value 13% lower throughout their 30-year lifetime when compared with the second-best multilayer solution with XPS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With technological improvement such as ore exploration, robotics, and hydrodynamic lifting, deep-sea mining has attracted more attention from governments, companies, and scientific research institutions. Although its research and development has made great progress, there are still many obstacles in its industrial development, such as environmental pollution and sustainability development issues. This article analyses the research status of the sustainable development of deep-sea mining from an overall perspective. Through a literature review, this paper also discusses the application of the full life cycle assessment method to analyze environmental impact during the entire process of deep-sea mining ore application. Overall, this paper summarizes the research gaps that exist in the sustainable development of deep-sea mining, including the lack of sufficient quantitative research, environmental baseline data research, cumulative environmental impact assessment, resource recycling technology, and acceptable environmental impact range analysis. The significance of this article is to point out the most urgent problems to be solved in the research direction of the sustainable development of deep-sea mining in current academic circles. It has far-reaching potential to promote the industrialization process of the entire deep-sea mining industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Globally, industrialisation and urbanisation have led to the generation of hazardous waste (HW). Sustainable hazardous waste management (HWM) is the need of the hour for a safe, clean, and eco-friendly environment and public health. The prominent waste management strategies should be aligned with circular economic models considering the economy, environment, and efficiency. This review critically discusses HW generation and sustainable management with the strategies of prevention, reduction, recycling, waste-to-energy, advanced treatment technology, and proper disposal. In this regard, the major HW policies, legislations, and international conventions related to HWM are summarised. The global generation and composition of hazardous industrial, household, and e-waste are analysed, along with their environmental and health impacts. The paper critically discusses recently adapted management strategies, waste-to-energy conversion techniques, treatment technologies, and their suitability, advantages, and limitations. A roadmap for future research focused on the components of the circular economy model is proposed, and the waste management challenges are discussed. This review stems to give a holistic and broader picture of global waste generation (from many sources), its effects on public health and the environment, and the need for a sustainable HWM approach towards the circular economy. The in-depth analysis presented in this work will help build cost-effective and eco-sustainable HWM projects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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

Mobile bottom contact gear such as trawls is widely considered to have the highest environmental impact of commonly used fishing gears, with concern about impact on benthic communities, bycatch, and carbon footprint frequently highlighted as much higher than other forms of fishing. As a result, the use of such gears has been banned or severely restricted in some countries, and there are many proposals to implement such restrictions elsewhere. In this paper, we review the sustainability of bottom trawling with respect to target-species sustainability, impact on benthic communities, bycatch and discards, carbon footprint from fuel use, and impact on carbon sequestration. We compare the impact to other forms of fishing and other food production systems. We show that bottom-trawl and dredge fisheries have been sustained, and where well managed, stocks are increasing. Benthic sedimentary habitats remain in good condition where fishing pressure is well managed and where VME and species of concern can be protected by spatial management. Bycatch is intrinsically high because of the mixed-species nature of benthic communities. The carbon footprint is on average higher than chicken or pork, but much less than beef, and can be much lower than chicken or pork. The impact on carbon sequestration remains highly uncertain. Overall, the concerns about trawling impacts can be significantly mitigated when existing technical gear and management measures (e.g. gear design changes and spatial controls) are adopted by industry and regulatory bodies and the race-to-fish eliminated. When these management measures are implemented, it appears that bottom trawling would have a lower environmental impact than livestock or fed aquaculture, which would likely replace trawl-caught fish if trawling was banned. A total of 83 bottom-trawl fisheries are currently certified by the Marine Stewardship Council, which is the most widely accepted measure of overall sustainability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Critical challenge in developing countries. • Limitations of demand flexibility. • Innovative multi-strategy approach with community engagement. • Quantified benefits and sensitivity analysis. Electricity shortage remains a critical challenge in developing countries striving to achieve the United Nations' universal electricity access goal by 2030. Limited fuel availability and limited funds for renewable energy investments, while demand flexibility is implemented to regulate electricity access, it faces limitations due to voluntary participation, rotating load-shedding schedules, and lack of electrification in certain communities. This research paper proposes a multi-strategy approach as an alternative solution by scheduling essential appliances and optimizing power flow in distribution grids. The article aims at community engagement and utility collaboration to improve electricity access. This paper proposes a multi-strategy framework for regulating social organization and utility operations, and attaining energy conservation, efficiency, and incentives. Optimization tool is developed to extend benefits of optimal scheduling of end user devices under power supply shortage, uncertainty of demand and grid operational codes, using multiple strategies regarding to consumers' fairness of electricity access in a community, and maximum electricity access per customer and region. Such strategies are also compared with the case of customized appliance priority of preference. The results demonstrate that energy efficiency and economic sustainability indices can achieve 94 % and 29.5 % improvement, respectively, compared to conventional methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper conceptualises the ways grassroots innovations (GIs) influence sustainability transitions. While research on GI diffusion tends to use the three-pathway model (replication, scaling up and translation), this paper rethinks GI diffusion through the lenses of an embedding framework. We illustrate this framework by applying it to the empirical case of ecovillages in the Global North and South. The results show that GIs become embedded in wider society through different dynamics: expansion, reframing, circulation of knowledge, shifting material arrangements and replication. The embedding framework brings clarity to diverse dynamics of diffusion and is particularly able to grasp the cultural, cognitive, economic and environmental impacts of GI initiatives. [Display omitted] • GIs influence sustainability transitions through different dynamics of embedding. • GIs' embedding includes symbolic and cognitive dynamics. • We offer an embedding framework to the study of GI diffusion. • We apply this framework to a study with ecovillages in 20 different countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Pulp and paper manufacturing sector constitutes one of the largest industry segments in the world in terms of water and energy usage as well as of significant use and release of chemicals and combustion products. Since its chief feedstock –wood fiber– is renewable, this industry can play an important role in sustainable development, becoming an example of how a resource can be managed to provide a sustained supply to meet society's current and future needs. This calls for a thorough assessment of environmental costs and impacts associated to pulp and paper operations, including both direct and indirect inputs supporting the whole papermaking process as well as the main outputs, co-products and by-products. By means of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) methodology, this paper aims at assessing the environmental sustainability of the pulp and paper production so as to identify those phases across the whole supply chain that entail the highest environmental loads, thus requiring improvements. To determine the environmental impacts as accurately as possible, the manufacturing stages performed in the pulp and paper mill complex of Stora Enso Oyj Veitsiluoto Mills at Kemi, Northern Finland, were taken as a model and assessed by means of the SimaPro 8 LCA software, utilizing ReCiPe Midpoint (H) method for the impact assessment. As expected, most of the resulting impacts are caused by the industrial production phase. The production processes of pulp and paper jointly affect all the investigated impact categories with the highest shares, ranging from 50% of generated impacts on water depletion up to 88% on freshwater eutrophication. Generally, the main contributions to environmental loads come from the electricity and heat requirements and, only at a minor extent, from the use of chemicals such as the sodium hydroxide and sodium chlorate. In particular, pulp production process generates the main loads on global warming (46% of the total impacts), ozone depletion (39%), freshwater eutrophication (55%), human toxicity (46%), metal depletion (42%) and fossil depletion (46%). In the remaining investigated impact categories, namely terrestrial acidification, photochemical oxidant formation and terrestrial ecotoxicity, most of impacts derive from the use of optical brighteners and fillers in the final steps of paper production and from the intensive consumption of water in the recycling step of end-of-life affecting water depletion. Moreover, the implementation of measures for material and energy efficiency in the assessed system, such as the use of renewable energy generated in situ from black liquor and residual biomass to support the requirements of the integrated pulp and paper mills and the waste paper recycling, resulted to be crucial in lowering the environmental burdens. In particular, the partial fulfillment of electricity and heat requirements by means of a circular use of residues within the system leads to a noteworthy reduction of impacts in all the investigated impact categories, up to more than 70% in global warming and fossil depletion potentials, thus contributing to higher process sustainability compared with other averaged European systems for paper production. The obtained research results are a valuable source of management information for the decision makers, at both company and national levels, with the aim to improve the environmental performance of pulp and paper industry. Highlights • A Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of papermaking in Finland was performed. • The main environmental hotspots in each process step were identified and discussed. • Energy and material efficiency solutions leads to a noteworthy reduction of impacts. • Pulp and paper industry is a benchmark model to transition towards a circular economy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Deregulation of domestic markets and the liberalization of international markets have dramatically changed air transportation. One of the important results of this change is the environmental effects of air transportation. This study aims to examine the implications of air transportation on environmental sustainability in the context of airline business strategies in liberalized and globalized air transport industry. Design/methodology/approach: The paper discusses the relationship between liberalization, airline strategies and environmental sustainability of air transportation using the related literature. Then, to show some environmental impacts on the axis of the relationship discussed, emission rates for the aircraft landing and take-off phase were calculated on a global basis based on the aircraft traffic. Findings: The discussion in the paper shows that the liberalization policies and the strategies of airlines supported by these policies, in essence, contradict the environmental sustainability of air transport. Considering the flight share projections of EUROCONTROL for different aircraft types on a global basis and the World Bank's global flight traffic forecast for the years 2016 and 2025, it has been demonstrated that the number of aircraft departures will increase by 30%, whilst the number of aircraft emissions will increase by 41.5%. Practical implications: Airlines are one of the main actors that will play a role in reducing the environmental impacts of air transportation. Therefore, this study is important in giving an idea to both policymakers and airline managers on how airline companies' strategies should be shaped to realize both corporate sustainability and environmentally sustainable air transportation. Originality/value: There are many studies in the literature regarding the environmental effects of air transport. However, there are not many studies linking environmental impacts with airline strategies that directly affect air transport demand. This study is different in that it gives environmental sustainability by associating it with its root causes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the significant residuals in the sewage treatment system, sludge treatment and reuse play a pivotal impact on the environmental sustainability study in China. In this paper, two sewage sludge treatment systems have been investigated, calculated, and analyzed, including the conventional treatment system (Scenario A) and improved reuse system (Scenario B), respectively. The results demonstrate that (1) Compared to Scenario A, Scenario B is a comprehensive system, which integrates a sewage sludge treatment system and a brick production system for sludge recycling. (2) After considering the brick system (scenario B), on the one hand, the sludge treatment capacity has been enhanced and raised sludge utilization; on the other hand, negative influences have also generated due to the non-renewable resources input and several outputs. (3) In Scenario A and Scenario B, the input resources part reflects the main impact (about 59.6% in the entire emergy value). (4) In this new paper, the UEVs are 2.73E + 11sej/kg and 6.29E + 11sej/kg in Scenario A and Scenario B, respectively. (5) The emergy sustainability indexes (ESI) are 0.012292 and 0.00848, which express the weak comprehensive effects in Scenario A and Scenario B. (6) Scenario B has a more extensive range of change than Scenario A because of the more resource input for the sensitivity analysis. Given the all discussions, there are two effective approaches to be used for perfecting environmental sustainability in the Scenario A system and Scenario B system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nowadays, designing a reliable network for blood supply chains by which most blood demands can be supplied is an important problem in the health care systems. In this paper, a multi-objective model is provided to create a sustainable blood supply chain, which contains multiple donors, collection centers, distribution centers, and hospitals at different echelons. Regarding the potential of a blood shortage occurring, the suggested model considers the supply chain's capacity to meet hospitals' blood demands as dependable and a means of achieving the societal purpose. In addition, limiting the overall cost and environmental effect of designing a supply network and blood transportation are considered economical and environmental objectives. To solve the proposed multi-objective model, an improved -constraint approach is first employed to construct a single-objective model. Additionally, an Imperialist Competitive Algorithm (ICA) is developed to solve the single-objective model. Several test cases are analysed to determine the technique's effectiveness. CPLEX is then used to compare the results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose of this paper is to draw a balance of a decade of resources and energy efficiency auditing activities and studies, carried out in Eastern Europe, Central Asia and Africa, aimed to support International Financial Institutions (IFIs) in improving their sustainability performances and in reducing the global environmental impact of their customer Companies. The auditing framework was designed as a step-by step sequence: • Job Assignment from the Bank, based on specific Terms of Reference; • Submission of a questionnaire, tailored to the particular agro-industrial sector (i.e., dairy, tomatoes processing, slaughterhouse, etc.); • Multi-disciplinary team assessment of industrial facilities, by means of an on-site survey and meetings with the managers of the agro-industrial company for the discussion of relevant issues; • Preparation of a draft report to be discussed with IFI and Company; • Preparation of a final report including remarks from IFI and Company. The paper will present the results by developing proper sustainability and safety performance indicators, in terms of energy consumption and reduction of GHG emissions reduction, as well as control of water pollution and waste generation, and their safe disposal. In designing and performing the actual auditing process, a great attention was paid to the considerations for the global environment and safety implications, especially in selecting the technologies, not limiting the efforts to the usual CAPEX and OPEX reductions and to the local impact parameters. Conclusions are drawn regarding the practical possibility of incorporating audit results in terms of environmental sustainability into the overall decision-making process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Manufacturing industries lack the measurement science and the needed information base to measure and effectively compare environmental performances of manufacturing processes, across resources and associated services with respect to sustainability. The current use of ad hoc methods and tools to assess and describe sustainability of manufactured products does not necessarily account for manufacturing processes explicitly, and hence results in inaccurate and ambiguous comparisons. Such comparisons do not proactively contribute to sustainability improvement. Further, we identified that there are no formal methods for acquiring and exchanging information that help establish a consolidated sustainability information base. Our ultimate goal is to develop the needed measurement science and methodology to evaluate sustainability of fundamental manufacturing processes to ensure reliable and consistent comparisons. As a precursor, based on a literature study, this paper identifies the required elements to evaluate sustainability performance for manufacturing with a focus on the environmental impact. Societal and economic impacts, although equally important, are beyond the scope of discussion in this paper. In this paper, we first discuss identified manufacturing process classifications, sustainable manufacturing indicators and computable metrics, relevant information models and software tools, a conceptual model for sustainability characterisation, and finally, conclude with an overview of the future research directions. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Modern lifestyles have popularised the use of food containers, also known as food savers or Tupperware. However, their environmental impacts are currently unknown. To fill this knowledge gap, this paper presents the first comprehensive assessment of the life cycle environmental sustainability of reusable plastic and glass food savers and evaluates different options for improvements, focusing on European conditions. Taking a cradle-to-grave approach, the paper considers twelve environmental impacts, including global warming potential (GWP), acidification, eutrophication, human and ecotoxicities. The results suggest that, for example, the total GWP of using both types of food saver in the European Union (EU) amounts to 653 kt CO 2 eq./year, equivalent to the annual greenhouse gas emissions of Bermuda. The use stage is the main contributor to the impacts (>40%), related to the washing of containers. Glass food savers have 12%–64% higher impacts than the plastic and should have up to 3.5 times greater lifespan to match the environmental footprint of plastic containers. Three improvement scenarios have been considered at the EU level for the year 2020: low-carbon electricity mix; implementation of the EU eco-design regulation for dishwashers; and adoption of more resource-efficient hand dishwashing techniques. The results suggest that the implementation of all three improvement options would reduce the impacts by 12%–47%. The option with the greatest potential for reducing the impacts (12%–27%) is improved hand dishwashing to reduce the amount of water, energy and detergents used. Thus, policy makers and manufacturers should devise strategies to raise awareness and guide consumers in adopting these techniques with the aim of reducing the environmental impacts associated with reusable food savers used by millions of people worldwide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Literature review papers related to the tourism-energy nexus are analyzed. • Four main groups are identified considering the quantitative methodology used. • Topics and discussions on the nexus between tourism and energy are developed. • Future research is discussed. The high dependence of tourism activities on energy consumption, and particularly on non-renewable energy, is a major barrier to building sustainable tourism models. For this reason, the analysis of tourism and energy use is a growing field of study within sustainability debates. Despite this, there is a gap in the literature and, to the best of our knowledge, there is no previous study that critically reviews the vast literature on the energy-tourism nexus. This paper aims to fill this gap in tourism knowledge. The main objective of this article is to conduct a systematic review of scientific studies with a quantitative empirical basis that examine this nexus, trying to answer the following questions: What are the main methodologies used to approach the tourism-energy nexus? which indicators or variables are relevant?; is there a consensus on the results?; and what are the main lines of discussion on the use of energy in tourism? To this end, we particularly focus on the main methodologies, results and perspectives during the period 2001–2021. A total of 1,189 articles were reviewed by abstract and title, 236 were included for the full review and 163 were finally selected. The results show how the nexus and energy dependence of tourism is assessed mainly from four major methodological groups: G1) econometric models, regressions and other statistical methodologies (67% of the sample); G2) surveys, questionnaires and energy audits (15%); G3) Life Cycle Analysis (13%) and G4) other approaches and environmental impact indicators to assess the relationship between energy and tourism (5%). The analysis between the causal relationships between tourism development, economic growth, energy use, environmental degradation and energy efficiency of accommodations are the main issues evaluated, considering a wide range of indicators/variables. Based on the gaps and limitations found in the literature review on tourism and energy, it is discussed how some findings should be interpreted with caution due to their methodological approaches and differences. Finally, some of the main lines of future research in this field are also presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) is commonly cultivated in the greenhouse and open fields. Organic and conventional nutrients are two common inputs for crops. Since there are different methods for producing tomatoes, the four most important scenarios were selected, focusing on two types of nutrient management options (organic and conventional), and two types of cultivation methods (open field and greenhouse). The greenhouse organic (scenario one: GH-O), greenhouse conventional (scenario two: GH-C), open field organic (scenario three: OF-O), and open field conventional (scenario four: OF-C) were the four scenarios examined in this research. This study aims to investigate the environmental effects of greenhouse and open field tomatoes in the organic and conventional system of nutrients. Life cycle assessment (LCA) was used to assess the environmental impact of different scenarios. This paper uses midpoint attributional LCA to analyze environmental damages during tomato production. In this study, the environmental effect of scenarios was evaluated in three categories: human health, ecosystem quality, and resources. The system boundary starts from the cradle and ends at the farm gate with the harvest of tomatoes. One ton of tomatoes (mass unit) is considered the functional unit for this research. The ReCiPe 2016 model was used for the assessment of the environmental impact. The results of this research showed that scenario two (GH-C) had the highest yield among the other scenarios, and scenario one (GH-O) had the lowest environmental damage. According to the results of this study, the use of compost in the organic open-field scenario was not suggested to be a good option for tomato cultivation because of its negative environmental impact on human health, ecosystem quality, and resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to address the significant financial, environmental, and social risks posed by climate change to the mining industry, which is responsible for approximately 8% of global greenhouse gas emissions. With 70% of mining projects for the six largest mining companies located in water-stressed regions, the industry is facing increasing pressure to reduce its impact. Our study investigates the applicability of multi-objective optimization to integrate environmental impact considerations into short-term planning for mining operations. To achieve this, we have reviewed similar studies in various industries and developed an integrated planning framework that incorporates environmental considerations into production planning for surface mines. Our framework has the potential to be utilized in both short- and long-term planning horizons, promoting sustainable mining practices. Through this research, we aim to provide mining engineers with a more comprehensive and effective approach to minimize the environmental impacts of their operations while maintaining efficient production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the next twenty years, the scarcity of food shortage and drinking water will appear in Egypt due to the growth of industries and agriculture. This paper develops a conceptual design of the new technologies in the field of water–energy–food in new cities. Border lines are the internal relationship, external influence, and linkage system evaluation for WEF nexus. The major problems of using fossil energy in desalination are emissions and non-renewability, as well as the preference for dispersed freshwater production instead of concentrated output. The design of a desalination system that is integrated with renewable energies is critical these days. This type of system can also reduce the production of environmental pollutants due to reduced energy consumption and transfer of freshwater. GIS data from the United Nations have confirmed the existence of an underground reservoir in Wadi-Dara that can cultivate 1000 acres using smart farming techniques to reach a circular economy for an integrated solution between the water–energy nexus. The possibility of cultivating a hundred acres in Wadi-Dara on the Red Sea coast exists, through which about one million people could be settled. In this comprehensive review, we conducted a deep study in order to establish a sustainable integrated lifestyle in the Dara Valley region in terms of the availability of potable water, clean energy, and agriculture. Sustainable integrated solutions were conducted for seawater desalination using beach sand filtration wells as a pretreatment for seawater using renewable energy, e.g., wind energy (18% wind turbines), and photovoltaic panels (77% PV panels). Strategic food will be cultivated using smart farming that includes an open ponds cultivation system of microalgal cells to synthesis (5.0% of bio-fuel (. Aqua agriculture and aquaponics will cultivate marine culture and integrate mangrove, a shrimp aquaculture. A municipal waste water treatment is conceived for the irrigation of shrubby forests and landscapes. Mixotrophic cultures were explored to achieve a sustained ecological balance. Food, poultry and animal waste management, as well as a cooker factory, were included in the overall design. The environmental impact assessment (EIA) study shows a low risk due to anticipated net zero emissions, a 75% green city, and optimal waste recycling. This research assists in combining research efforts to address the challenging processes in nexus research and build resilient and sustainable water, energy, and food systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Geotechnical constructions involve consumption of a vast amount of non-renewable natural resources and energy- and carbon dioxide-intensive materials (e.g. cement and steel) that contribute significantly to global warming and climate change. This paper uses drilled shafts as an example to illustrate the importance of environmental impact assessment in the design phase of foundations. Life-cycle assessment (LCA) is used to quantify the environmental impacts of construction of single drilled shafts and groups embedded in sandy soil profiles. Parametric studies are conducted to investigate the effects of soil properties, design parameters and hauling distances of construction materials and equipment on the environmental impacts of single drilled shafts. For pile groups, different configurations, applied load, centre-to-centre spacing and thickness of pile cap are considered in the parametric study. The global warming impact and human toxicity of a typical drilled shaft are found to be 39 and 486% of annual world impact per person, respectively. Based on the study, charts and tables are developed that may be used for quick estimation of the global warming impact of drilled shafts without the use of specialised LCA software programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In mid 20s Carson (1963) raised the question of environmental issues in economics as one that should be discussed by practitioners and researchers. From that point, the environmental issues from the analysis of exhaustible and productive resources to its economic role and consequentially its impact, were examined. Environment affects must be considered as human activity-based processes which repercussions effect economy in general. Thus, the long-term decision-making processes in economy must take into account future generations as well. Furthermore, tourism as an economic activity is growing rapidly and one must take into consideration, that it is based on, primarily, natural environment and man-made resources. Degradation of basic tourism resources can lead to decrease of tourism demand. Therefore, the analysis of environmental impact on tourism, and vice versa, the impact of tourism on environment is crucial. With the development of information technology sector, new and innovative methods for analysis and forecasting have emerged such as artificial intelligence. The main hypothesis of this paper is to research how artificial intelligence can contribute to analysis and investigating environmental aspect of tourism. Therefore, the paper provides a theoretical overview of possible fields of artificial intelligence usage in sustainability, in the context of tourism development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most geopolymer research claims a substantial reduction in carbon dioxide emissions compared with ordinary portland cement concrete. However, geopolymer concretes are not all equally eco-friendly. The environmental benefits of geopolymer concrete cannot be taken for granted. Modeling emissions is necessary to assess the environmental impact of each geopolymer mix. Unfortunately, only studies concerned with carbon dioxide emissions care to provide sophisticated emissions modeling. Such modeling is practically nonexistent for other geopolymer studies; because function-oriented geopolymer research tends to assume the environmental eminence of their designed mixes. This research reviews the last 7 years of geopolymer concrete research to assess the sustainability of the mixes designed by researchers worldwide and to highlight any bad environmental practices in the mix design. The nominal CO2-e equivalent emissions for geopolymer concrete mixes varied from 56 to 661 kg-CO2/m3 for the surveyed mixes. SOx and NOx emissions reached 1,865 g-SOx/m3 and 1,161 g-NOx/m3 , respectively. Finally, this paper recommends a simple method for estimating a nominal carbon dioxide emissions value, which can be easily implemented in future geopolymer research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper provides a brief review on wastewater treatment system and the application of life cycle assessment (LCA) for assessing its environmental performance. An extensive review regarding the geographical relevance of LCA for WWTPs, and the evaluation of sustainable wastewater treatment by LCA in both developed and developing countries are also discussed. The objective of the review is to identify knowledge gap, for the improvement of the LCA application and methodology to WWTPs. A total of 35 published articles related to wastewater treatment (WWT) and LCA from international scientific journals were studied thoroughly and summarised from 2006 to 2022. This review found that there is lack of studies concerning LCA of WWTPs that consider specific local criteria especially in the developing countries. Thus, it is important to: (1) assess the influence of seasonality (i.e., dry and wet seasons) on the environmental impact of WWT, (2) investigate environmental impacts from WWTPs in developing countries focusing on the site-specific inventory data, and (3) evaluate environmental sustainability of different processes for upgrading the wastewater treatment system. The environmental impact and cost assessment aspects are crucial for the sustainable development of WWTP. Therefore, environmental impacts must be thoroughly assessed to provide recommendation for future policy and for the water industry in determining environmental trade-offs toward sustainable development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The construction industry produces several negative environmental impacts. To promote solutions that reduce these negative impacts, it is crucial to increase awareness among all parties involved in the supply chain. Currently, certification protocols, environmental labels and declarations are the most common tools for promoting sustainability in the construction industry. However, these tools are generally non-mandatory and require specific competencies to thoroughly understand and interpret their outputs, especially for non-specialized users in sustainability assessment. This paper presents a tool for visualizing environmental impacts directly through a Building Information Model, by assigning different colours to model objects according to their environmental performances. Understanding environmental performances data is thus more accessible to non-expert users. Unlike several BIM-LCA integration studies that primarily focus on the needs of designers, this contribution considers the perspective of manufacturers. The developed tool focuses on building products and has been carried out with the Autodesk Revit BIM authoring platform and its VPL-based Dynamo plug-in. Through the combination of 3D models and histograms, the tool facilitates manufacturers to visualize with real-time updates which phase of a product life cycle requires sustainable innovation, which sub-components or process determine the major environmental impacts and calculate the environmental cost indicator of a product. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

EU aquaculture produces only a small fraction of the internal demand of aquatic foods, but boosting this activity must be done in compliance with high standards of environmental protection and social benefits, as fostered by the policies on circular economy recently launched by the EU. Nevertheless, the assessment of the environmental sustainability of aquaculture and other food production systems is complex, due to the different tools and approaches available. Moreover, the current EU regulatory framework may be restricting the options to implement some circular solutions. This paper examines the controversies related to the assessment of environmental impacts of aquaculture processes and the different available circular solutions, with a focus on the best options to valorize aquaculture side streams and how current regulatory burdens and gaps should be solved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The electrification transition will intensify the demand for lithium. The endowment in the Lithium Triangle is significant, and the expectations for the global supply are high in terms of resources and sustainability. In this paper, we investigate the impact of environmental, social and governance (ESG) challenges to the future of sustainable lithium extraction. We undertook a qualitative analysis to prioritise the risks associated with these challenges and discussed their interlinkages. We argue that a sustainable perspective for lithium extraction in the region requires continuous and informed dialogue among government, industry and community stakeholders and participatory processes that reduce the asymmetries of power and knowledge. We provide a list of urgent mitigation actions that could assist the move towards sustainability. These include the following. First is expanding our understandings of the water cycle of lithium brines in this region. This should be underpinned by baseline data and ongoing monitoring at the watershed scale, capacity building to strengthen institutions, improved regulations and data infrastructures to promote data transparency and accessibility. Second is integrating biodiversity impacts within existing mining practices and procedures (e.g. Environmental Impact Assessments — EIA). We propose the strategic implementation of the mitigation hierarchy and IFC's Performance Standards to avoid, reduce and offset the risks of lithium extraction on ecosystem services and critically important biodiversity impacts. Third is strengthening social participatory processes that enable the local communities to become actors in decision-making and the ongoing management and monitoring of lithium projects. Fourth is establishing a framework to support a Strategic Environmental and Social Assessment (SESA) process specific to lithium with a regional approach in the Lithium Triangle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]