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Improving the energy efficiency of enterprises is one of the key means to solve the problem of energy shortage. It is of great significance to investigate how environmental information disclosure (EDI) promotes the green total factor energy efficiency (GTFEE) of enterprises. Based on this, this study calculates the GTFEE of enterprises by combining the database of Chinese manufacturing and the pollutant emission of industrial enterprises and investigates the impact of EDI on the GTFEE of manufacturing industries by using a difference-in-difference model. The following is found: (1) EDI can significantly promote the manufacturing enterprises' GTFEE, and the results are still valid after a series of robustness tests; (2) Mechanism analysis shows that EDI can improve the GTFEE of manufacturing enterprises by promoting technological innovation and optimizing energy structure; (3) The heterogeneity analysis shows that EID is more positive on firms' GTFEE in the eastern than western regions. The positive impact is greater for non-state-owned, low-energy consumption, export, and polluting enterprises. The findings of this paper provide a theoretical basis and practical enlightenment for the government to promote the green development transformation of enterprises. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Digitalization and greening are key themes in global development, the manufacturing industry, as a major sector of energy consumption and carbon emissions, is in urgent need of transformation to realize energy conservation and emission reduction, digital transformation provides an opportunity for its green development. However, whether digital transformation can restrain the carbon emission intensity (CEI) of enterprises is still controversial. Based on the data of China's A‐share manufacturing listed companies from 2013 to 2020, this paper uses fixed effect model and intermediary effect model to explore the relationship between digital transformation and enterprise CEI and the influence path. the results show that: (1) Digital transformation has significantly reduced the CEI of manufacturing enterprises. (2) Mechanism analysis indicates that green technological innovation and resource allocation efficiency play a chain mediating role in this relationship. (3) Heterogeneity analysis shows that the carbon emission reduction effect of digital transformation is more significant when enterprises belong to an energy‐intensive manufacturing industry or face strong environmental regulations and industry competition. The analysis of this paper not only deepens enterprises' understanding of digital transformation and green development but also provides a policy basis for China to advocate the coordinated development of the digital economy and green economy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Against the backdrop of global environmental challenges and sustainable development goals, this paper pioneers the application of social network analysis to the study of spatial associations in China's agricultural green development. It not only enhances the understanding of the spatial interconnectivity and network structural characteristics of agricultural green developments, but also captures the complex dependencies and interactions among provinces through a network lens, offering a fresh perspective on regional agricultural cooperation and competition. The study reveals: (1) The spatial network of China's agricultural green development displays strong overall connectivity and enhanced stability, with regional green development trends becoming increasingly interlinked and interdependent. (2) The network exhibits a clear hierarchical and core-periphery structure which, over time, shows signs of diminishing, indicating a narrowing of developmental disparities among regions. (3) Significant shifts in the roles and positions of provinces within the network occur due to the relocation of industrial focal points and adjustments in development strategies, highlighting the complexity of dynamic changes among regions. (4) The spatial association network can be divided into four main clusters: Net spillover block, Bidirectional spillover block, Net beneficial block, and Broker block, with significant gradient characteristics in the relationships between these clusters, suggesting directional and differential flows and exchanges of resources and information among regions. (5) Geographic proximity, economic development level, informatization, and agricultural technological advancement significantly influenced the development and structural evolution of the network. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Digital technology is regarded as providing a promising means of moving production and consumption towards the circular economy. However, it is still unclear which functions of digital technologies are most useful to improving circularity, and how these functions could be used to enhance different circular economy strategies. This paper aims to address this knowledge gap by conducting a systematic literature review. After examining 174 papers, creating 782 original codes and 259 second‐round codes, the study identifies 13 critical functions of digital technologies which are most relevant to circular economy strategies. The paper then proposes a framework which reveals seven mechanisms of how these digital functions can enhance different circular economy strategies. The framework also reveals which combinations of the digital functions and circular economy strategies have already been studied extensively as well as where there may be gaps. This indicates which digital functions are more mature in terms of possible implementation for circular economy as well as what missing links there are in the empirical and theoretical research. The study advances the synergies between digital technologies and the circular economy paradigm through the lens of digital functions. The proposed framework and mechanisms build a theoretical foundation for future research, and we highlight five research areas for further studies. This study also provides a structured way for managers to explore the appropriate digital functions for their CE strategies, so as to identify required digital technologies and new value creation through digital functions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Whether the technological finance cooperation pilot (TFCP) policy in China can promote energy efficiency remains under investigated. Using the dataset covering 284 cities in China from 2003 to 2019, this paper adopts the Super-SBM model with undesirable outputs to measure energy efficiency. Based on this efficiency, the Difference-in-Differences model (DID) and Spatial Durbin model (SDM) are employed to discuss the impact of TFCP policy on energy efficiency. Results demonstrate that TFCP policy has significantly promoted energy efficiency. And the conclusion is still valid after the robustness checks and endogenous treatment has been carried out. The impact of the TFCP policy on energy efficiency is heterogeneous, depending on the geographical, administrative, and resource characteristics of cities. To be specific, the promotion effect tends to be pronounced in east-central cities, high-ranking cities, and high-tech cities. Moreover, TFCP policy could significantly improve energy efficiency through the effects of technological innovation, industrial upgrading, and financial development. A further policy spillover analysis shows that TFCP policy has exerted a remarkable incentive influence on energy efficiency locally, while the neighboring cities are inhibitive. To sum up, this research is of important theoretical value and policy-making reference on green economy transformation for cities with differential features and energy utilization capacity, by shedding light on the impacts of such a technological finance cooperation system on energy efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article analyzes Green Jobs (GJs) in the energy sector. GJs are naturally created in the processes related to the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs); this is especially visible in the 7th and 8th SDGs. There is currently a green transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy sources in the energy sector, and this mainly technological change also influences GJ creation. Despite this, there is a research gap related to green self-employment and GJ definitions. The goal of this paper is to explore the scientific literature collected from the Scopus database using a qualitative approach to present areas and keywords related to GJs in the energy sector. The adopted method is a Structured Literature Review (SLR), with the original query Q1. The retrieved data results of the SLR method were analyzed in the form of bibliometric maps of co-occurring keywords generated by the VOSviewer software, together with tables showing clusters of keyword features. As a result, the pivotal keywords and their clusters were identified. In this study, the most important scientific areas of GJ research in the energy sector were also indicated. This paper presents the current state of knowledge and the evolution of the subject of GJs in the energy sector, which can be useful for both researchers and practitioners. In the last section of this paper, possible new directions of future studies on the subject of GJ creation in the energy sector are identified. The limitations of this research and its practical implications are also addressed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The economic and technological development zone (ETDZ) serves an essential role in driving green development and ecological civilization. Therefore, it is crucial to investigate the impact of ETDZs on eco-efficiency for sustainable development. This paper investigates the impact of the establishment of ETDZs on eco-efficiency by constructing a differences-in-differences (DID) model on the basis of 253 cities in China from 2004 to 2017 as the dataset. This paper also explores the possible intrinsic impact mechanisms through the channels of industrial structure and technological innovation by constructing a mediating effect model, and the heterogeneous effects of ETDZs on eco-efficiency from the perspectives of regional imbalance and city class heterogeneity. Statistical results report that ETDZs significantly positively affect eco-efficiency and such effects are most significant in the first year after the establishment of ETDZs. Industrial structure upgrading and technological innovation are essential role mechanisms for ETDZs to enhance eco-efficiency. Besides, the enhancement effect of ETDZs on eco-efficiency is only observed in the eastern part of the city, with an insignificant inhibitory effect in central and western parts of the cities. However, the establishment of ETDZs in cities with higher city classes is more beneficial to improve eco-efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As an important breakthrough in coordinating economic, social, and ecological benefits, green innovation has received wide attention from governments, firms, and the public. However, existing studies mainly explored the economic factors influencing firms' green innovation while neglecting social factors. This study took common institutional ownership as the research perspective to explore whether firms' green innovation decisions are affected by their peers. Using a sample of Chinese A‐share listed firms from 2003 to 2019, this paper found that firms imitate their peers' green innovation in common institutional ownership networks and exhibit green innovation peer effects. Mechanism testing revealed that "voting with hands" through common institutional ownership helps firms obtain green innovation information (information‐based imitation), while "voting with feet" through common institutional ownership helps firms maintain a competitive awareness of green innovation (rivalry‐based imitation), thereby contributing to green innovation peer effects in common institutional ownership networks. Heterogeneity analysis showed that firms with greater financing constraints and lower levels of risk‐taking are more likely to imitate their peers' green innovation. Moreover, firms only regard peers with similar industry status and identical property rights as imitation targets in common institutional ownership networks, thereby following "the imitation law of closer preference." An analysis of economic consequences revealed that green innovation peer effects in common institutional ownership networks are not strategic behaviors of "quantity over quality," with imitation contributing to improving firm value. This paper enriches existing research on the influencing factors of green innovation and provides a new reference for promoting sustainable development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Enhancing the level of coupling coordination between the digital economy (DIE) and carbon emission efficiency (CEE) is not only an inevitable choice for achieving the goals of energy conservation and emission reduction and promoting green development in China, but also a key path to implementing China's "Double Carbon" strategy. Based on the relevant statistical data of 30 provincial-level regions in China from the period covering 2011 to 2019, this paper empirically analyzed the coupling coordination between the DIE and CEE and its influencing factors. In this study, an improved coupling coordination degree (CCD) model was used to evaluate the degree of the coupling and coordinated development of the DIE and CEE in provincial regions of China. Finally, based on the Technology-Organization-Environment (TOE) framework, a fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) method was employed to identify the realization path of the coupling and coordinated development of the DIE and CEE from the perspective of configuration. The results demonstrated that the coupling coordination between the DIE and CCE in China demonstrated a gradual upward trend, and exhibited regional differences, showing a decreasing trend of east > middle > west. Regarding the influencing factors, no single influencing factor could act as a necessary condition for the high CCD, the coupling and coordinated development of the DIE and CEE is a multifactorial synergy. There were five paths for the high degree of coupling coordination between the DIE and CEE, which were divided into three types: organization-environment-led type, environment-led type, and technology-organization-led type. Furthermore, technological innovation level and industrial structure could substitute for one another in some conditions, and environmental regulation and economic development level were synchronized. These conclusions provide a theoretical basis for countries to formulate policies to promote the coupling and coordinated development of their DIE and CEE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of green finance and the promotion of green transformation and upgrading of high energy-consuming enterprises are of great significance for China to achieve the "double carbon" goal. This paper employs a dual fixed-effects model to examine the profound ramifications and intrinsic mechanisms of green finance development on the transformative innovation of high-energy-consumption enterprises, using a sample of 462 publicly traded high-energy-consuming corporations from the period spanning 2016 to 2020. The results show that the development of green finance promotes the transformation and innovation of energy-intensive enterprises and that market-incentivized environmental regulation plays a partially mediating role; the results of heterogeneity analysis show that green finance promotes the transformation and innovation of high energy-consuming enterprises with significant differences in different low-carbon pilot regions, company ownership, and enterprise size; the mechanism analysis shows that the development of green finance can increase government subsidies and alleviate financing constraints to promote the transformation and innovation of high energy-consuming enterprises; it is also found that the development of green finance can significantly improve the financial performance of enterprises. The research findings of this paper hold significant implications for promoting the sustainable development of green finance and high-energy consumption enterprises in China. They provide valuable insights and references for facilitating the green transformation and innovation of high-energy-consuming enterprises in China as well as other developing countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The establishment of the green belt and road is an inevitable choice to conform to and lead the green and low-carbon cycle development and an inherent requirement for sustainable development. Therefore, we establish an evaluation system of green development oriented to carbon neutrality, and calculate the green development level (GDL) of the provinces along the belt and road in China from 2003 to 2018 by using a three-dimensional evaluation model. In addition, this paper employs the Obstacle Degree Model to identify the main obstacle factors that affect GDL, and provides targeted and differentiated countermeasures and suggestions for improving the regional GDL. Our results suggested that the overall GDL has improved, but not obvious, with a low level. The GDL and coordination degree between different regions exist certain differences, and its spatial pattern is characterized by "high in southeast and northeast, low in southwest and northwest". From a regional perspective, innovation capacity is the key factor that affects the green development of the region in southeast, northeast, northwest and southwest China. Driving economic green transformation and promoting industrial energy conservation and emission reduction through technological innovation are the internal driving forces to achieve regional green sustainable development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Enhancing environmental regulation (ER) is an effective way to improve the green innovation efficiency (GIE) of the Yangtze River Economic Belt (YREB) and the key to achieving the target of carbon peaking and neutrality. Using the data of 103 cities in YREB in 2013–2019, this paper explores the effect of heterogeneous ER on GIE. The results of the study are as follows: first, we categorize environmental regulations into formal and informal environmental regulations and explore their impact on green innovation efficiency separately. The results show that both formal and informal environmental regulations can effectively promote GIE in the YREB urban agglomeration. Second, the Spatial Durbin Model (SDM) model is used to analyze the spatial effect. The results show that there are spatial effects between heterogeneous environmental regulations and GIE, and environmental regulation can significantly strengthen GIE through positive spatial effects. Third, this paper uses the threshold model to explore the non-linear relationship between environmental regulation and green innovation efficiency. The results show that as ER increases, the positive effect on GIE increases, and this interesting finding holds for both formal and informal environmental regulations. Fourth, the mediating effect model is used to examine whether green technological innovation and industrial structure upgrading exert mediation effects on how environmental regulations affect GIE. The research results can provide effective policy recommendations to promote the green development of the cities in YREB. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Finding out how to scale innovations successfully is high on the agendas of researchers, practitioners and policy makers involved in agricultural development. New approaches and methodologies seek to better address related complexities, but none of them include a systematic perspective on the role of capacity in (partnerships for) scaling innovations. We posit that this has left an important topic insufficiently addressed in relation to partnerships for scaling innovations. The need to address this gap became apparent in the context of the CGIAR Roots, Tubers, and Bananas (RTB) Scaling Fund initiative. This paper presents how we explored ways forward in relation to this by combining three methodological approaches: The Five-Capabilities, Scaling Readiness, and the Multi-Level Perspective on socio-technical innovation. This combined approach—dubbed Capacity for Scaling Innovations (C4SI)—was applied in three projects related to scaling innovations for sweet potato, cassava and banana, involving five countries in Africa. It then discusses implications for a partners-in-scaling perspective, the contribution of scaling innovations to sustainable development, the importance of research organisations considering their own capabilities in partnerships for scaling, and the extent to which C4SI was helpful in the three cases—for example, in decision making. The paper concludes that a capacity perspective on the scaling of innovations should be an essential part of a 'science of scaling'. Finally, it provides recommendations for using the approach or parts of it in research and intervention practice for scaling, pointing in particular to the need for context-specific adaptation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to deal with severe problems such as environmental pollution and climate change, the Chinese government has proposed the goal of carbon neutrality in 2030 and carbon peak in 2060. Strategic emerging industries have become key areas of high-quality growth of green economy. In order to solve the practical problems of insufficient funds and financing constraints, this paper empirically measures the financing efficiency of strategic emerging industries. Based on the Super Slack-Based Measure model, this paper selects the data analysis of listed companies in Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei from 2011 to 2020. At the same time, this paper systematically combs the index system that affects financing efficiency based on grounded theory. Based on the binary relation and structural level of adjacent matrix and reachable matrix, the explanatory analysis is carried out. On this basis, a systematic GMM model is established to explore the significance of different factors influencing financing efficiency. The research shows that the strategic emerging industry is still in the initial stage, the financing efficiency is not high and the financing output is insufficient. The factors affecting financing efficiency can be divided into 6 dimensions, 20 indicators in total and 5 multipole hierarchical levels. Credit financing, equity financing, financing constraints, technological innovation and government support are the important factors affecting financing efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Green innovation (GI) has the dual attributes of green development and being innovation driven, and it has become an inevitable choice for solving the prisoner's dilemma of environmental protection and economic development under the action of the concept of sustainable development in the new era. This paper aims to clarify how environmental regulation (ER) can achieve a win‒win situation of GI and environmental protection by using data from prefecture-level cities in China and creating a dynamic panel model, quantile model, spatial econometric model, and panel threshold model to empirically analyze the dynamic effect and spatial effect of ER on GI as well as the nonlinear characteristics of the relationship between them and to examine the moderating effect of foreign direct investment (FDI). The results show that ER significantly promotes the development of the GI level and that FDI can play a positive moderating role. The impact has regional heterogeneity, time period heterogeneity, and resource endowment heterogeneity. After several robustness tests, the empirical conclusions are still credible. Based on the empirical conclusions, this paper makes policy suggestions on ER, foreign investment introduction, and the coordinated development of regional GI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Public sector purchasing processes are gaining increasing prominence as a demand‐side innovation tool for addressing national sustainability challenges. Accordingly, there has been growing research attention to this topic. Prior studies suggest three key rationales that underlie the use of public sector procurement to drive innovation: (i) the buyer–user rationale (for creating new needs); (ii) the market/system failure rationale (for improving suppliers' capacity to innovate); and (iii) the public services rationale (for improving public services). However, operational activities at the upstream supply chain affecting the sustainable innovation capacities of supplier firms appear to be under‐researched in the public procurement for innovation (PPI) scholarship, despite knowledge about innovation capacity being critical to successfully implementing PPI. This paper adopts a systematic literature review approach to synthesise existing fragmented literature on sustainability‐oriented PPI, focusing on supplier perspectives. Findings from a synthesis of 41 relevant articles suggest, among others conditions, that a procurement framework that maintains a good balance of competition and innovation, builds buyer–supplier relationship and urges strong supply networks, maintains a stable political commitment, offers security for niche markets with effective innovation risk management culture would enhance suppliers' sustainability capacity and propensity to innovate. This paper contributes to the PPI literature and the literature on determinants of sustainable innovation systems from supplier firms' sustainability lens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, issues about sustainability have dominated in the business world. It has evolved into a global business issue in which large corporations and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are urged to integrate social and environmental agendas alongside profit-making goals. Sustainability is frequently misunderstood as focusing solely on environmental concerns. However, in reality, it refers to the act of managing the "triple bottom line" (TBL) of profit, people, and planet, which includes the pursuit of economic, social, and environmental goals. Based on a bibliometric analysis of 1421 articles and a distance-based visualisation of similarities (VOS) analysis, the purpose of this paper is first to outline a broad-spectrum perspective of the structure of research in sustainability among SMEs, identifying the most prominent journals, country contributions, top-cited authors, and articles in this field. The second is to conduct a systematic review based on 20 selected articles to review the empirical findings on the firm-level sustainability of SMEs. The analysis has led to thematic commonalities considering resources and capabilities, strategy, stakeholders, human capital, and innovations. The paper fills the gaps in the existing literature on a systematic analysis of SMEs' sustainability and develops insights to address prevailing research gaps. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper offers a unique and powerful bottom-up methodology for social innovation promoting and securing Sustainable development goals (SDG's) in a wide variety of social innovation contexts founded on a bottom-up approach : it identifies four sustainable development enabling factors, (SDEFs) that make social innovation contributions to sustainability in all its forms. We Employ three level (micro, meso, macro) model of social Innovation. In the first four sections of the paper, we show how the SDEF's constitute social innovation success factors at the micro level, underpinning in ancient history, the enduing success of the Silk Road network of trade and, in recent history we reveal their role underpinning entrepreneurial innovation clusters bottom up. Yje concluding section shows how social innovation achievements implementing the SDEFs at the micro level can inform successful expansion into new contexts via adaptation and exaptation at the meso level and top-down facilitation at the macro level.. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study focuses on the objective assessment of sport development in socio-economic environments, considering the challenges faced by the industry. These challenges include disparities in regional investments, limited market participation, slow progress towards sports professionalization, and insufficient technological innovations. To tackle these challenges, we suggest implementing an integrated evaluation model that follows the DPSIR (Drivers, Pressures, States, Impacts, Responses) framework and incorporates comprehensive socioeconomic indicators. Subsequently, we utilized the Entropy power method and TOPSIS (Order Preference Technique for Similarity to an Ideal Solution, TOPSIS) analysis to comprehensively assess the progress of competitive sports development in 31 provinces and cities in China. Additionally, we recommended further developments in competitive sports and proposed precise strategies for promoting its growth. The framework and methodology developed in this paper provide an objective and scientifically based set of decision-making guidelines that can be adopted by government agencies and related industries in order to create successful plans that promote the sustainable growth of competitive sport. This is expected to bolster the nation's global influence, enhance social unity, and fuel economic expansion. The findings of this study offer policymakers valuable insights regarding competitive sports and can advance the development of the sports sector in China, thus making it a crucial driver of regional socio-economic progress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As an essential material basis and power source for economic and social development, Western China's low energy use efficiency has hindered its sustainable economic development. This study aims to evaluate the total factor energy efficiency of the region and identify its influencing factors. A three-stage DEA model was used to measure the efficiency of 11 provinces from 2006 to 2021, and the Tobit model was employed to investigate internal factors. The findings show that (i) external environmental factors and stochastic perturbations have a significant impact on TFEE in the western region, overestimating integrated efficiency and scale efficiency and underestimating pure technical efficiency. (ii) the study of external influencing factors finds that the level of economic development increases input redundancy; the industrial structure increases capital input and labor input redundancy while decreasing energy input redundancy; and the energy consumption structure increases capital input and energy input redundancy while decreasing labor input redundancy. (iii) the study of internal influencing factors finds that the level of scientific and technological innovation, the level of openness to the outside world, and the TFEE have a positive correlation. In contrast, the intensity of environmental regulation has a negative correlation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

National and international organizations have introduced policies aimed at sustainable development. These policies are designed to encourage sustainable forms of business to meet the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the 2030 Agenda. Regional inequalities in sustainable development may be exacerbated by disparate levels of innovation. This paper analyzes the variations between clusters of countries according to the degree to which they have achieved the SDGs and their levels of innovation facilitators. Two types of analyses were employed. First, cluster analysis was used to examine changes in groups of regions with similar innovation characteristics between 2015 and 2020. Data for 122 countries were gathered from the World Bank, the SDG Index, and the Global Innovation Index. Second, multiple linear regression analysis was used to assess the power of the variables in the model to explain the level of sustainable development. The results reveal four clusters (low, medium, high, and very high innovative facilitators and sustainable development), as well as movements between those clusters from 2015 to 2020. The multiple linear regression analysis shows that the variables have explanatory power with respect to the dependent variable of sustainable development. This analysis also reveals different degrees of importance of the variables for each cluster. The findings highlight the need to consider the limitations of economic growth in terms of innovation facilitators to promote sustainable development. If policymakers recognize the limitations of economic growth and the physical ecosystem, degradation of the environment can be avoided, even when there is innovation. Global and individual social welfare can thus be ensured. This study offers valuable insights into how to achieve sustainable development through innovation facilitators by providing in-depth knowledge of the individual characteristics of innovation systems and considering the limitations of economic growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The quest for technological development as a solution for sustainable development is the genesis of the multidimensional conflict between sustainability, competitive innovation and technological progress. Albeit persistent cognisance for appropriate technology solutions for a specific issue, the debate on the choice between short-run solutions and sustainability, local or global development, awareness and consumption, political gains, and citizens' benefits remains inconclusive. This paper argues that the debate stems from misunderstanding the term sustainability and the strategic misrepresentation of technology for political gain. Concurrently, the inability of the market failure rationale to choose appropriate technology to minimise the divergence between the private and social benefit makes the policy formulation problem more intricate. Furthermore, despite increasing awareness regarding the environmental status, failure to alter their consumption pattern to reduce the energy requirement exacerbates the issues. These multidimensional aspects can obscure possibilities for true sustainability and socially deliberate technological futures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the quest for a sustainable future, the bio-economy and biorefineries have emerged as pivotal agents of transformation. This review paper offers an accessible and comprehensive exploration of the multifaceted bio-economy landscape. Environmental concerns, resource scarcity, and the demand for renewable and bio-based products are the key drivers shaping this sustainable paradigm. Agriculture and agro-industry play an indispensable role, acting as the primary suppliers of the essential feedstock for biorefineries. They not only fuel the bio-economy but also foster sustainable farming practices and rural development, forming a mutually beneficial relationship. Biorefineries, the workhorses of the bio-economy, optimize resource usage, minimize waste, and produce a diverse range of bio-based products. Innovative biorefinery techniques are at the forefront, revolutionizing efficiency and expanding the array of feedstock's, thereby creating higher value-added derivatives. These value-added products, spanning biofuels, bio-plastics, and more, drive the market towards a greener and circular economy. The bio-economy's commitment to sustainability is evident through waste reduction and the promotion of circular economy principles. Policy, regulation, and market developments shape the bio-economy by promoting bio-based industries while favouring eco-friendly alternatives, creating a competitive and healthy ecosystem. While the bio-economy shows promise, it faces challenges. Optimizing conversion efficiency, discovering new feedstocks, and solving biorefinery environmental issues need technological breakthroughs and research. In summary, the bio-economy and biorefineries orchestrate a sustainable symphony, driven by environmental consciousness, rooted in agriculture, refined by innovative techniques, and harmonized by the production of bio-based products. The stage is set for a greener, more sustainable future. Bio-economy and biorefineries have become crucial drivers of transformation in the pursuit of a sustainable future. The review paper provides a thorough and easily understandable examination of the diverse bio-economy landscape. Environmental concerns, limited resources, and the need for biodegradable and renewable products are some of the main things that are shaping the sustainable paradigm. Agriculture and the agro-industry play a big role in this because they provide biorefineries with the feedstock they need. The bio-economy is not only fuelled by them, but they also contribute to sustainable farming practices and rural development, creating a mutually beneficial relationship. Biorefineries are the backbone of the bio-economy as they effectively utilize resources, minimize waste, and generate a wide array of bio-based products. At the forefront of innovation, biorefinery techniques are revolutionizing efficiency and expanding the range of feedstock's available. This, in turn, leads to the creation of higher-value derivatives and value-added products, such as biofuels and bioplastics, promoting a greener and more circular economy. The commitment of the bio-economy to sustainability is demonstrated through its efforts to reduce waste and promote the principles of a circular economy. Policy, regulation, and market developments impact the bio-economy by working together to support bio-based industries and encourage the use of eco-friendly alternatives. As a result, a competitive and healthy ecosystem is created. Although the bio-economy holds promise, it also encounters various challenges. Technological breakthroughs and research are necessary for optimizing conversion efficiency, discovering new feedstock's, and solving biorefinery environmental issues. In essence, a commitment to the environment guides how the bio-economy and biorefineries collaborate in a sustainable manner by utilizing innovative methods to refine and produce bio-based products. This harmonious process creates a symphony of sustainability, paving the way for the dream of a greener, more sustainable future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the past decades, resource shortage and environmental degradation due to rapid economic development have become a severe challenge while limiting China's regional sustainable and coordinated development. This paper provides a case study of Jiangsu Province in China employing the coupling coordination model and geo-detector model to seek solutions for realizing the region coordinated development from the interaction of technological innovation (TI ), industrial upgrading (IU ) and eco-environment (EE ). This study reaches the following conclusions. (1) The coupling coordination degree (D ) of TI - IU - EE system (TIIUEES) in Jiangsu Province was general in the stage of mild unbalance. (2) The D value exhibited a positive evolutionary trend in time series. However, the backwardness of EE constrained the regional coordination development, which led to the slow and small growth with fluctuation. (3) Spatially, the D value generally conformed to a gradient distribution from south to north, which was caused by regional internal extremely unbalanced development. (4) Economic benefits had a decisive effect on the coordinated development in TIIUEES, and the interaction of two factors could gain an "enhanced, bilinear" or even "enhanced, nonlinear" result. This study contributes to exploring the driving determinants of D value in TIIUEES based on the description of the temporal and spatial features and providing a credible reference for future research and decision-makers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Industry 4.0 and Industry 5.0 have introduced a lot of innovative technologies in industrial plants, transforming them into complex digital systems. On the other hand, the importance of Energy Management Systems in industrial plants is growing for both sustainability and economic reasons, but the opportunity of Industry 4.0/5.0 technologies in enhancing energy management systems is not fully understood. Thus, this paper analyzes how Industry 4.0/5.0 technologies can be applied to meet the requirements of Energy Management Systems, focusing on each aspect such as design, monitoring, control, and budget planning. It identifies additional opportunities that arise with different levels of technological implementation, suggesting organic implementation steps. The final aim is to provide a comprehensive framework for fostering a strategic and conscious implementation approach of these tools in the Energy Management Systems of industrial plants, giving clear and comprehensive suggestions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper focuses on how will capital markets look like in the future, identifying the new trends in this field. Given the fact that the main challenges of our time are finacing the transition to a green and low-carbon economy and dealing with digital disruption, the future capital markets will be digital due to innovation by technologies such as automated advice, robo-advisory service which involves a low cost of the financial advice service. Also the future of capital markets can be defined by the trading algorithms which quickly process information in high-frequency trading and by the distributed ledgers technology (DLT), which could change the backbone of the stock market, considering that modern technology enables stock markets to be faster and more complex than ever. As we gaze into the future of capital markets, one of the most promising trends is the utilization of AI to promote sustainability in finance. This paper delves into the transformative potential of AI in reshaping capital markets, highlighting emerging trends and its profound impact on promoting sustainability in financial ecosystems. So, the capital markets will undoubtedly evolve in the future as technological advancements, particularly the integration of new and traditional artificial intelligence capabilities, transform the financial ecosystem into a faster, smarter, and more efficient system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The introduction of an environmental protection tax enables a smooth shift from the sewerage charge system to the environmental protection tax scheme. This, in turn, promotes a more sustainable development of enterprise growth, emphasizing eco-friendliness. This is of immense importance in advancing environmentally aware practices and sustainability. Based on data collected from A-share listed companies in Shanghai and Shenzhen from 2014 to 2021, this paper investigates the influence of environmental protection taxes on the advancement of green technology and the underlying mechanisms. Taking the execution of the Environmental Protection Tax Law in 2018 as a quasi-natural experiment, a double-difference model is employed to examine the causal relationship between environmental protection taxes and the adoption of green technology by companies. The findings indicate that the introduction of an environmental tax could markedly enhance the extent of green technological innovation within corporations. The evidence arising from the testing mechanism implies that such a tax can encourage firms to boost their investments in research and development, upgrade their innovative human capital, and mitigate financing limitations. The study found that there is heterogeneity in the promotion effect of the environmental protection tax on the green technological innovation of businesses in different regions and provinces with varying tax burdens and types of equity capital. Further research shows that the environmental protection tax has a greater impact on the promotion of utility model patent applications for green technology innovation. This paper presents empirical evidence to support further enhancement of the environmental protection tax system. It recommends designing the environmental protection tax policy with consideration for enterprises and local conditions and bolstering the system's capacity for guiding and stimulating enterprises' green development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This document is an editorial published in Frontiers in Psychology titled "Sustainable human-environment interactions from scientific, technological, and psychological perspectives." The editorial explores the relationship between sustainable development, human-environment interactions, and the psychological dimensions that shape our responses to these challenges. It highlights the importance of considering cultural, psychological, and behavioral factors in achieving sustainable development. The editorial also discusses the role of technological innovations in promoting sustainability and the psychological factors that influence pro-environmental behavior. The document emphasizes the need for interdisciplinary research to address the complex challenges of creating a more sustainable future. [Extracted from the article]

"green" + "innovation" has become a new concept of development. The integration of the two can bring win-win for the environment and economy. This paper selects the annual data of 14309 A-share companies in Shanghai and Shenzhen Stock Exchange from 2012 to 2020 as the research sample. And it uses the two-way fixed effect model to empirically test the impact of green finance on enterprise innovation performance. The study found that the development of green finance can promote the improvement of enterprise innovation performance. The analysis of influence mechanism shows that the development of green finance can reduce the financing constraints of enterprises, and then improve the innovation performance of enterprises; the development of green finance can increase the R&D investment of enterprises, and then improve the innovation performance of enterprises; green finance development can increase corporate investment in environmental protection, which in turn can improve corporate innovation performance. The results of heterogeneity test analysis show that compared with the western region, private enterprises, small and medium-sized enterprises, and high energy consumption and high pollution enterprises, the development of green finance in the central and eastern regions, state-owned enterprises, large enterprises, and non double high enterprises has more obvious role in promoting enterprise innovation performance. Therefore, the government should issue relevant policies and actively promote green finance policies that can help improve environmental and economic issues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As an emerging technology, industrial intelligence focus on the integration of artificial intelligence and production, which creates a new access to achieve the goal of carbon emissions reduction. Using data on provincial panel data from 2006 to 2019 in China, we empirically analyze the impact and spatial effects of industrial intelligence on industrial carbon intensity from multiple dimensions. Results show an inverse proportionality between industrial intelligence and industrial carbon intensity, and the mechanism is to promote green technology innovation. Our results remain robust after accounting for endogenous issues. Viewed from spatial effect, industrial intelligence can inhibit not only the industrial carbon intensity of the region but also the surrounding areas. More strikingly, the impact of industrial intelligence in the eastern region is more obvious than that in the central and western regions. This paper effectively complements the research on the influencing factors of industrial carbon intensity and provides a reliable empirical basis for industrial intelligence to reduce industrial carbon intensity, as well as a policy reference for the green development of the industrial sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we explore the crucial role of technological innovation in achieving sustainable development. Technology has the potential to promote sustainability by incorporating green practices into production methods. However, it's important to design technology that balances economic, environmental, and social considerations, benefiting all stakeholders while minimizing negative impacts on the planet and society. We provide a systematic overview of the challenges of development over time and according to the scope of societal interest. We identify the direction of progress towards a more holistic and sustainable approach to innovation, aligned with the requirements of Smart Industry 4.0 and 5.0. The paper also delves into the significance of advanced tools like Cleaner Production (CP), Environmental Accounting (EA), Pollution Prevention (PP), Recycling (R), Life Cycle Analysis (LCA), Eco-labelling (EL), and the Environmental Technologies Action Plan (ETAP) in promoting sustainable development in the transition towards Smart Industry. Moreover, we address the timing of innovation strategies through a backward decision-making system and the selection of innovation tools to meet the goals of Industry 4.0 and the Smart and Sustainable Industry Generation 5. We recognize that the economic viability of each technology is essential for sustainability and must be considered over a period of 20+ years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper responds to recent calls to address the indivisible nature of the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) framework and the related knowledge gap on how SDG targets interlink with each other. It examines how SDG targets interact in the context of a specific technology, point of care (PoC) microfluidics, and how this relates to the concept of responsible innovation (RI). The novel SDG interlinkages methodology developed here involves several steps to filter the relevant interlinkages and a focus group of experts for discussing these interlinkages. The main findings indicate that several social synergies occur when deploying PoC microfluidics, but that the environmental trade-offs may jeopardize the total progress toward the SDGs. More specifically, the environmental sacrifices (use of plastics and lack of recyclability) resulted in the product being cheaper and, thus, better accessible. This work suggests that attention should be given (and prioritized) to the use of renewable and recyclable materials without jeopardizing the accessibility of the product. This should minimize the identified trade-offs. These findings inform how analyzing SDG interlinkages relates to the responsibilities and dimensions of RI in several ways. First, analyzing SDG interlinkages helps to execute the governance responsibility by using the RI dimensions (anticipation, reflexivity, inclusion and responsiveness). Second, analyzing SDG interlinkages gives insights into if and how a technology relates to the do-good and avoid-harm responsibility. This is important to assess the responsiveness of the technology to ensure that the technology can become truly sustainable and leaves no one behind. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) could be considered the paramount objective for all nations in the world. In keeping with this, a sound global financial system is now required to fulfill its mandate to encourage the mobilization of private capital for the achievement of sustainable development and consistent economic growth. Blockchain, the Internet of Things, big data, and artificial intelligence are just a few of the recent technological advancements that have been made possible by digital transformation and advancement, specifically in the finance sector. Traditional banks, regulators, and policymakers are all paying close attention to the buzz surrounding Fintech. Since the 2008 global financial crisis, the integration and innovation of emerging technologies and finance have accelerated financial technology development (FinTech). In this paper, we reviewed the literature on the evolution of Fintech in terms of regulations and policies, as well as the role of Fintech in achieving financial inclusion and sustainable development goals. We reviewed the fintech ecosystem and segregated it into three segments, from 2010-2015, 2016-2020, and 2021 to present. We have discussed the existing literature from the mentioned timeline and concluded that despite being surrounded by numerous challenges, the acceptance of Fintech has boomed over the period of time and created some new avenues for the future that support future sustainable international trade while also facilitating the SDGs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sustainability transitions require that sustainable innovations develop and scale-up. Two promising approaches contribute to this purpose. Design thinking (DT) focuses on the creative development of sustainable innovations to achieve desirable, feasible and viable products. Strategic niche management (SNM) addresses how sustainable innovations should be deployed to the market. At first sight, these concepts seem to pursue a complementary mission, yet, academic literature has not explicitly addressed their complementary nature. Therefore, this paper addresses this gap by reviewing, proposing and empirically exploring the merits of SNM and how these can be used in DT through a workshop to increase successful market implementation of sustainable innovations. The study finds that SNM potentially helps the DT design process to (1) change market preconditions for the design, (2) create a protected niche for development, (3) establish a (long term) commercial viability, and (4) create an innovation development plan through definition of a set of testable propositions. The paper concludes that the inclusion of SNM into DT substantially increases the preparedness of an innovation team for a successful market implementation of sustainable innovations and coins the term 'Design to Market Thinking' for the integrated use of SNM in DT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is a relative dearth of empirical studies quantitatively analyzing the implementation effect of green finance reform and innovation pilot zones (GFRIs) on green innovation at the micro-enterprise level. Thus, this paper aims to construct the difference-in-difference-in-difference method to explore the influence of Chinese GFRIs on corporate green innovation of heavy-polluting enterprises based on green patent data. Results show that the pilot policy has significantly decreased green patents of heavy-polluting enterprises by approximately 42.64%, indicating that the policy has a significant innovation inhibition effect and fails to exert the Porter effect. Furthermore, establishing GFRIs has a more effective inhibition effect on the green invention patent than the green utility model patent. Moreover, although enterprises of different scales have different innovation capabilities, the negative impact of GFRIs on green innovation of heavy-polluting enterprises is widespread. Still, the negative impact is more pronounced for big-scale enterprises. The above empirical evidence is essential in formulating green finance development strategies and promoting green economic transformation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To provide evidence at the micro level for cracking the Solow productivity paradox, this paper deeply studies the impact of enterprise digital transformation on green innovation. In terms of theoretical research, three potential mechanisms are excavated for the first time; considering empirical research, a series of strict causal effect identification strategies are carried out. The results show that enterprise digital transformation can significantly promote green innovation, and it passes a series of robustness tests and endogenous tests. According to the theoretical and empirical results, the policy suggestions mainly include five points: helping enterprises to accelerate digital transformation; strengthening the green innovation ability of enterprises; reducing internal and external costs and promoting the professional division of labor; piloting the digital transformation policy; enhancing corporate social responsibility. It provides a reference of experience and a path for other countries to follow in implementing a digital transformation strategy and green sustainable development strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The main aim of this paper is to identify the specificity of socially responsible innovations in retail against the background of sustainable development, and to identify examples of socially responsible innovations implemented by selected retail chains in Poland. In the Author's opinion, they are crucial for the development of a responsible society, but also for a sustainable economy. Design/methodology/approach: The methodology applied in the article refers to the methodological canon of management sciences, including, among others, conceptual-theoretical and empirical research methodology. On their basis a critical analysis of foreign and Polish literature in the field of management science, theory of development and functioning of the retail trade has been carried out. The analyzed cases of retail chains were considered representative due to their strong market position and large contribution to the development of the FMCG market (the so-called "best business practices") – for this purpose, the qualitative research methodology was applied, including a case study. Findings: The analysis conducted in this paper indicates that large retail chains are creating socially responsible innovations, thus having a significant impact on the spread of socially responsible practices. These activities are mainly based on shaping the environmental awareness of employees and customers, increasing the safety and quality of products, reducing carbon dioxide emissions, effective waste management, rational use of natural resources, reducing staff turnover and improving their working conditions. Originality/value: The article presents how the literature on management science describes and explains the essence, specificity, and types of socially responsible innovations against the background of the sustainable development concept. On this solid factual basis, socially responsible innovations implemented by selected retail chains in Poland were identified. This allowed to verify theoretical assumptions related to the development of socially responsible innovations with the actual state of affairs, reflected in the analyzed practices of retail chains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Given that entire industries face sustainable development challenges, it is important to understand the dynamics that lead incumbents to develop competence‐destroying sustainable product innovations. This paper provides a longitudinal analysis of automobile incumbents' open innovation strategies during the era of shift from internal combustion engines to electric vehicles by describing the process through which they leverage open innovation for the provision and development of electric batteries, the most distinct component of electric vehicles. The paper analyses the strategies of 13 carmakers over a period of 26 years and identifies a path‐based open innovation framework for green technology characterised by an inverse U‐shaped breadth and depth of partnerships correlated to different levels of technological uncertainty until carmakers start moving from market to hierarchy by producing in‐house electric batteries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to explore the sustainable development strategy of green finance under the background of big data. Design/methodology/approach: From the perspective of big data, this paper uses quantitative and qualitative analysis methods to judge the correlation among green finance, environmental supervision and financial supervision. Green finance gives the entropy method to calculate the score of green finance and environmental regulation, and establishes the spatial lag model under the double fixed effects of time and space. Findings: Spatial autocorrelation test shows that economic spatial weight matrix has obvious spatial effect on green innovation. Through the model selection test, the space lag model with fixed time and space is selected. The regression coefficients of green finance, environmental regulation and their interaction are 0.1598, 0.0541 and 0.1763, respectively, which significantly promote green innovation. The regression coefficients of openness, higher education level and per capita GDP are 0.0361, 0.0819 and 0.0686, respectively, which can significantly promote green innovation. Originality/value: In view of the current situation of large-scale application of big data technology in green innovation of domestic energy-saving and environmental protection enterprises, this paper establishes a fixed time lag evaluation model of green innovation. M-test statistics show that the original hypothesis with no obvious spatial effect is rejected. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The sustainable development of enterprises is the driving force of national economic growth. The main objectives of this paper are to find what are all the influencing factors of enterprise sustainable development, how to produce the influence, and how to carry out effective strategy combination. This paper investigates 321 enterprises and analyzes their financial data from the aspects of market, internal management, industry, scale, products, and innovation ability. We find that fixed assets, information management level, and the overall quality of employees have the best driving force, reaching 0.132, 0.195, and 0.874, respectively. Enterprises also put more efforts on the improvement of internal management level and the expansion of industrial chain, which were 0.3778 and 0.2138, respectively. As far as the government's strategy of supporting and promoting tax policy is concerned, tax policy has a good independent impact, but when combined with other indicators, the impact effect is not significant. This shows that the promotion efficiency of the policy is low, and the applicability and pertinence need to be optimized. In addition, the promotion effect of innovation investment on sustainable development is poor, which shows that the innovation efficiency of small and microenterprises in Zhejiang Province is not high, and the ability to transform innovation resources into innovation output is insufficient. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The powerful advanced manufacturing industry is the most powerful driving force for economic development and growth, and it is also the main source of environmental pollution. Artificial intelligence and blockchain technology are recognized as a breakthrough technology that can be widely used, changing the way the entire society and economy operate. The main constraints affecting the sustainable development of the manufacturing industry are ecological deterioration and resource shortage, but the development of artificial intelligence and blockchain technology provides new ideas for solving manufacturing problems. Based on this, this paper proposes a research on the sustainable development performance of green manufacturing technology innovation based on artificial intelligence and blockchain technology. This paper deeply grasps the essence and connotation of artificial intelligence and blockchain technology, analyzes its specific application form and research background, searches for the effective effect of manufacturing technology innovation and green manufacturing performance path, and clarifies the mechanism between the two. All measurement items in the questionnaire used in this article use Likert5 scale and use 1–5 options to indicate the degree of conformity with the actual situation of the enterprise. The results show that the average green manufacturing capacity of each measurement item is between 3.18∼3.97, indicating that the company's green manufacturing capacity is relatively high. Among them, the ability of green technology innovation is relatively high, indicating that most companies have noticed that the improvement of the ability of green technology innovation plays a vital role in the future sustainable development of enterprises. Moreover, more and more companies are paying attention to the latest applications of blockchain technology, which can effectively promote the development of enterprises. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Landscape planning has traditionally been concerned with an agenda of protection, amenity and ornament. This focus has been important, but has remained peripheral to mainstream spatial planning. Building on an influential but partial set of practices, the latter twentieth century saw landscape planning mature into a domain with coherent purposes and techniques. In the first part of the twenty-first century, landscape planning has identified more strongly with the core concerns of spatial planning. Through innovations such as the European Landscape Convention, landscape has become increasingly central to matters of sustainability and place-making across both urban and rural realms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When the incentive mechanism of green finance fails to fully promote green technology innovation in industrial enterprises, local government environmental regulations become an important tool in correcting this market failure. However, due to the "follow the cost" hypothesis, the moderating effect of the local government environmental regulation is heterogeneous. In order to explore the impact mechanism of green finance development on the efficiency of green technology innovation in industrial enterprises, spatial effects as well as the heterogeneous moderating effect of local government environmental regulation, this paper systematically evaluates the development level of green finance in 30 provinces in China from 2009 to 2019. It estimates the efficiency of green technology innovation in industrial enterprises using the super-efficiency SBM model, and empirically analyzes the impact mechanism and moderating effect using the spatial Durbin model. The results show that: (1) green finance not only positively impacts the efficiency improvement of green technology innovation in industrial enterprises but also has significant spatial spillover effects; (2) local government environmental regulation has a nonlinear "inverted U-shaped" moderating effect between the green finance development and the efficiency of green technology innovation in industrial enterprises. Based on the research conclusions, this paper proposes policy recommendations from the perspectives of deepening the regional connectivity of green finance and promoting joint regulation by local governments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Innovation champions often play an important role in enabling sustainable development (SD). The rise of innovative ideas and technologies in the field of SD has led to major changes in the nature of adopted innovation. In turn, this calls for investigating the available knowledge on innovation champions' various roles and their influence on SD projects. This paper provides a systematic literature review on innovation champions' roles from a project-based perspective. Considering a search of 118 papers from high-quality journals, 69 peer-reviewed papers were identified as relevant and synthesised earlier knowledge on innovation champions and SD. The literature review revealed that innovation champions could have direct influence on the adoption and implementation of SD projects, which entail countless innovative products, processes, and technologies. Consequently, the findings of the research were used to develop an integrative model that associates the various roles of innovation champions to the successful implementation of SD projects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stable development of agriculture in the context of innovative transformation of productive forces and structural changes is recognized as one of the directions of the National Security Strategy of the Russian Federation. Mechanisms for stimulating technological change and increasing efficiency should be aimed at achieving sustainable production criteria. The purpose of the study is to develop conceptual aspects of managing the sustainable development of agriculture using the example of livestock industries in conditions of structural transformation and technological changes. The article examines theoretical and methodological approaches to the study of problems of sustainable development of agriculture. An analysis was carried out and an assessment was made of the dynamics of crop yields and livestock production. Significant structural shifts and technological changes in the livestock subcomplex of Russia, caused by the processes of diffusion of innovations, have been identified. The authors have developed conceptual approaches to studying the problems of sustainable agricultural development in regional agricultural systems based on effective management. The main objectives of the proposed concepts are: expansion of production volumes of agricultural products, taking into account the needs of the region and export opportunities; technical and technological modernization of agricultural organizations and achieving an innovative balance of resources; compliance with the principles of rational environmental management and achieving environmental safety. The practical value of the results lies in the possibility of forming a strategy for the sustainable development of regional agricultural systems in the conditions of structural transformation and technological changes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Africa is currently faced with complex conflict situations and confronted with difficult choices to rebuild economies based on business-as-usual development models or choose to develop more sustainably. Addressing security-sustainability challenges in Africa therefore calls for innovative ways to avoid that armed conflicts and insecurity set back efforts towards achieving sustainable development in Africa by 2030. The paper introduces the concept of Environmental Intelligence for Sustainability (EIS) as an analytical tool to assess security-sustainability risks in Africa. It shows how the EIS framework helps analyze the implications of armed conflicts on achieving sustainability through a pragmatic instrument for African policy makers, development practitioners, businesses, and regional/international organizations to better integrate conflict risks into their sustainability planning processes. The article highlights the need for a more holistic, systematic, and coordinated Africa-wide Environmental Intelligence for Sustainability as a core element for building peace and stability while achieving sustainability by 2030. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research underpins the role of communication campaign strategies for sustainable resource development in Papua New Guinea. The research employed both qualitative and quantitative paradigms. Field data were collected from a 10% sampling size to represent the whole population whereby 200 respondents were interviewed. Findings show that communication campaign was a technique to inform and influence landowners of Markham Valley. The research into the influence of communication campaign on technology transfer, diffusion process and adoption behaviour reveal that the most effective diffusion processes were observed from neighbour which confirms the extension, adoption and development of new technology through diffusion process within the same community. The research into adoption behaviour reveals that the most people in Markham Valley were found to be early adaptors of agricultural innovation. This research paper recommends that a socially constructed communication campaign is more appropriate and convenient in the case of Markham valley as it express social value of the communication which can influence and manipulate mindset of the rural people in Markham valley about the potential of commercial tree farming. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To ensure sustainable development, there is a limit to the extent of urbanization. Thus, rural development is an essential strategy that many nations must work on to ensure optimal economic, environmental, and social outcomes at a country level. However, rural development in itself is challenging because rural communities typically have limited resources and capabilities to address common livelihood challenges, let alone take on new economic roles. Hence, as part of rural revitalization strategies, innovation plays a critical role. A wide range of technologies can facilitate innovation in rural development, including the internet and new agricultural technologies. In addition, new mindsets and shifts in values, such as the changing trends of work and consumerism, can create opportunities for rural areas to adopt innovation and develop new growth engines. However, it should be noted that the nature of innovation in rural and urban settings are different. In rural regions, growth could be enabled through more specific types of innovations, including frugal innovation, inclusive innovation, and social innovation. To enable these forms of innovations in rural areas, this paper proposes a three-dimensional process model that includes pro-social technological innovation policy, rural innovation governance, and dynamic networks that close the gap between rural and urban innovation systems. Examples from China, such as the development of Tengtou Village and Taobao Villages serve to demonstrate these concepts. Overall, the discussions in the paper suggest that to enable innovation in rural development, it is necessary to foster closer interactions between rural and urban innovation ecosystems for the former to leverage the latter's technologies, networks, and resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the global environmental crisis evolves, China’s traditional industries have serious problems of high energy consumption, high emission and low energy efficiency. Developing green industries has become an important direction of China’s industrial transformation and upgrading. This paper selects scientific innovation industry as a typical representative of green industry and studies its financing environment assessment. In order to solve the financing dilemma faced by the science and technology innovation industry, this paper puts forward the evaluation method of the financing environment of science and technology innovation industry based on Bayesian network from the Angle of industry particularity. In this paper, Netica software is used to construct a Bayesian network model of the financing environment of the science and technology innovation industry, and the financing environment of the science and technology innovation industry in 2016-2020 is inferred according to the annual probability distribution. Then, the sensitivity analysis is carried out, and the hierarchical policy simulation is used to simulate the conditional probability of the initial node and the intermediate node respectively, so as to determine the impact of each node on the financing environment, and finally obtain the optimization path. The research results can be of great value for improving the financing environment of scientific innovation industry and promoting the development of green industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Scientific innovations for sustainable development often make huge promises about overcoming climate change, or promote technological innovations that have potential development implications. However, the social outcomes of such interventions are often considered superficially; thus potentially reinforcing injustices or producing unforeseen, undesirable outcomes. Increasingly, projects claim to have an interdisciplinary dimension, but processes of interdisciplinary dialogue can be difficult to maintain. This means that researchers have to be prepared to engage in potentially extensive, transformative dialogue and be willing to learn from the disciplinary knowledge of the other. This can be methodologically challenging both for natural and social scientists. This paper reports meta-research exploring the methodological processes and learning experiences of academics involved in research on the implementation of second-generation biofuel technology. Through interdisciplinary meetings, workshops, reflections and interviews we built up sustainable relationships and bridged epistemological divides. Our approach to interdisciplinary dialogue offers insights into the methodological challenges of interdisciplinary work. We used the framework of transformative learning theory to identify key aspects of the interdisciplinary process and reflected on the need for sustained and open opportunities for dialogue in order to find genuine ways to communicate across disciplines. We explicitly revealed and considered our taken-for-granted assumptions to identify what we understood by key terms and processes, including 'sustainable', 'development', 'methodology', 'truth', 'marginal land' and 'outputs'. We found these encounters created opportunities to influence the trajectory of each other's research and thinking, with the ideal of social and environmental justice prominent in all our discussions. It was through ongoing learning and dialogue that we found that the multifaceted challenges of sustainable development research can become more open, more critical and more able to reveal appropriate solutions and promote relevant ongoing scientific research. This interplay between disciplines is an innovative way to influence decision-making directly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]