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From powering our homes to driving our economies, energy lies at the heart of humanity's complex challenges in the modern era. This paper reviews the evolution of smart energy systems, examining their technological advancements and societal implications while proposing a future design framework emphasizing four key pillars: holistic resource optimization, adaptive intelligence, environmental harmony, and human-centered design. While they offer numerous benefits, such as enhanced energy efficiency and reduced carbon emissions, smart energy systems also face challenges. These include cybersecurity risks, the complexity of integrating diverse energy sources seamlessly, high upfront costs, and potential compatibility issues arising from evolving technologies. Overcoming these challenges will be crucial for unleashing the full potential of smart energy systems and facilitating their global adoption. Abundant opportunities for further research and development exist in this domain, awaiting exploration and advancement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Considering the importance that circular economy models have in today's society and the concerns that both decision-makers and other interested parties have regarding this concept, in this paper we have proposed to analyze the relationship between the economy circular and tourism, starting from the fact that this is one of the sectors of activity that is characterized both by a high consumption of water, energy and natural resources, as well as by a large food waste, being also a producer of important CO2 emissions, as a result of the link it has with road, air, maritime transport, and not only that. The research methodology assumed the review of the specialized literature, being inventoried scientific papers indexed Web of Science, and starting from 2 keywords: "circular economy" and "tourism". From the 340 identified scientific works, following the application of several filters regarding language, title, keywords, 33 publications resulted. By applying a restriction regarding the relevance of these works, assessed on the basis of a minimum number of 3 citations, it was possible to establish a sample of 15 publications that were analyzed, identifying both the results presented by the author/authors, as well as the conclusions and the way in which that they could influences the application of circular economy principles in tourism. The analysis carried out showed us that the number of specialized papers in this field is relatively small, which is why, in order to obtain the most conclusive results regarding the proposed theme, we believe that, considering the importance of the theme, it will be necessary to continue the research on tourism and the circular economy. In this way, it will be possible to identify the solutions that will accelerate the sustainable development of tourism., which could thus meet both the leisure needs of tourists who, in turn, are increasingly concerned with the issue of sustainability, as well as the need to protect the environment, so that we allow future generations to enjoy what the new Planet offers us. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A substantial level of significance has been placed on renewable energy systems, especially photovoltaic (PV) systems, given the urgent global apprehensions regarding climate change and the need to cut carbon emissions. One of the main concerns in the field of PV is the ability to track power effectively over a range of factors. In the context of solar power extraction, this research paper performs a thorough comparative examination of ten controllers, including both conventional maximum power point tracking (MPPT) controllers and artificial intelligence (AI) controllers. Various factors, such as voltage, current, power, weather dependence, cost, complexity, response time, periodic tuning, stability, partial shading, and accuracy, are all intended to be evaluated by the study. It is aimed to provide insight into how well each controller performs in various circumstances by carefully examining these broad parameters. The main goal is to identify and recommend the best controller based on their performance. It is notified that, conventional techniques like INC, P&O, INC-PSO, P&O-PSO, achieved accuracies of 94.3, 97.6, 98.4, 99.6 respectively while AI based techniques Fuzzy-PSO, ANN, ANFIS, ANN-PSO, PSO, and FLC achieved accuracies of 98.6, 98, 98.6, 98.8, 98.2, 98 respectively. The results of this study add significantly to our knowledge of the applicability and effectiveness of both AI and traditional MPPT controllers, which will help the solar industry make well-informed choices when implementing solar energy systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Predictive modeling is important for assessing and reducing energy consumption and CO2 emissions of light-duty vehicles (LDVs). However, LDV emission datasets have not been fully analyzed, and the rich features of the data pose challenges in prediction. This study aims to conduct a comprehensive analysis of the CO2 emission data for LDVs and investigate key prediction model characteristics for the data. Vehicle features in the data are analyzed for their correlations and impact on emissions and fuel consumption. Linear and non-linear models with feature selection are assessed for accuracy and consistency in prediction. The main behaviors of the predictive models are analyzed with respect to vehicle data. The results show that the linear models can achieve good prediction performance comparable to that of nonlinear models and provide superior interpretability and reliability. The non-linear generalized additive models exhibit enhanced accuracy but display varying performance with model and parameter choices. The results verify the strong impact of fuel consumption and powertrain attributes on emissions and their substantial influence on the prediction models. The paper uncovers crucial relationships between vehicle features and CO2 emissions from LDVs. These findings provide insights for model and parameter selections for effective and reliable prediction of vehicle emissions and fuel consumption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is a well-known issue that the 2050 target of carbon emissions neutrality will be reached only with the co-operation of all the interested sectors, and the construction sector could be one of the main contributors to this change. With the built environment globally responsible for about 40% of annual global energy-related CO2 emissions, the construction sector offers an important opportunity to drive transformative change and presents the most challenging mitigation potential among all industrial sectors, which also brings opportunities for adopting sustainability practices and increasing resilience. This paper presents a systematic literature review of those two pivotal concepts to reach the decarbonization goal: sustainability and resilience. Starting from an extensive literature review (2536 scientific documents) based on the PRISMA statement, the definitions and assessment methodologies of those concepts for the construction sector have been studied. The methodological approach followed for their analysis has been conducted on a first selection of 42 documents, further reduced to 12 by using clear inclusion criteria to identify the integrated assessment procedures. The main goal of this study is to clarify the correlation between sustainability and resilience concepts for constructions and their integrated assessment, in line with the latest regulations and market needs. The results show that, currently, sustainability and resilience are mainly evaluated in a distinct way to obtain building energy performance certificates, as well as to quantify the building market value and its complementary contribution to the 'energy efficiency first' principle and energy-saving targets towards the emergent issue of climate change. Few works focus on the integrated assessment of both concepts considering the construction industries' point of view about materials and/or systems for buildings. The novelty of this study is the critical review of the current sustainability and resilience integrated assessment methods used for the construction value chain, declined for four main target groups. Researchers, policymakers, industries, and professionals could gain dedicated insights and practical suggestions to put in practice the elements of circular economy, ecological innovation, and cleaner production, which are essential in order to drive the decarbonization of the built environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper utilizes social network analysis to examine the structural characteristics and trade dynamics of the renewable energy (hydropower, wind energy, and solar energy) trade network within the RCEP region from 2011 to 2020. The findings reveal: (1) The renewable energy trade network within the RCEP exhibits dynamism, heterogeneity, and an uneven development. The solar energy network is the most balanced and stable, while the wind energy network lags and shows marked fluctuations, with the hydropower network falling between these two. This demonstrates the diversity of energy trade within the region. (2) China, Singapore, and Japan are identified as the key exporting and importing countries, with Vietnam showing substantial growth potential. Individual analyses shed light on the stark disparities in trade status among nations, reflecting the diverse roles and future potential of member countries. (3) The QAP regression analysis reveals a significant influence of environmental pressure, particularly carbon dioxide emissions, on the renewable energy trade network. This study contributes to promoting environmental sustainability and energy security in the RCEP region and provides empirical evidence for global renewable energy trade strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aiming at the problems of poor scheduling flexibility and insufficient carbon emission reduction capacity of the current integrated energy system, this paper proposes an optimization scheduling model of integrated energy demand response that combines source-load synergy with reward and punishment stepped carbon trading mechanism. Firstly, the integrated energy system operation architecture including electricity-heat-cooling energy was constructed to harmonize the energy generation side and consumption side and effectively improve the multi-energy complementary capability of the system. Secondly, the reward and punishment stepped carbon trading mechanism is established by combining the initial carbon quota allocation method and the actual carbon emission calculation theory, so that environmental friendliness and economic sustainability are effectively improved. Finally, to minimize the system operating cost, an integrated demand response optimal dispatch model that considers the characteristics of electric, thermal and cooling loads is constructed to determine the optimal dispatch scheme for the integrated energy system. The results of the calculation example indicate that the proposed integrated demand response model has the function of peak reduction and valley correction, energy conservation and carbon reduction, and provides a feasible solution for the integrated energy system optimal scheduling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents an empirical investigation into the effects of energy transition and digitization on carbon dioxide emissions, serving as a proxy for environmental sustainability, across 28 Chinese provinces from 2000 to 2021. Utilizing both static and dynamic regression analyses, the study reveals a significant driving effect of the energy transition on environmental sustainability, primarily through a reduction in carbon dioxide emissions. Notably, this influence is more pronounced in the eastern region of China, followed by the central and western regions, indicating regional heterogeneity in the impact of the energy transition. Furthermore, digitization is found to have a substantial moderating effect, enhancing energy conservation and emission reductions. As digitization progresses, its capability to diminish the impact of energy transitions on carbon dioxide emissions becomes more apparent, particularly in the eastern region, while this effect is less marked in central and western China. The study also delves into the nonlinear relationship between energy transitions and carbon dioxide emissions, discovering that increased levels of digitization can exacerbate the negative effects of energy transitions on emissions. These findings offer valuable insights into the dynamics of energy transition and digitalization, highlighting their crucial roles in shaping environmental sustainability in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polymers are extensively used in various industries due to their versatility, durability and cost-effectiveness. To ensure functionality and longevity, polymer parts must have sufficient strength to endure external forces without deformation or breakage. Traditional approaches to increasing part strength involve adding more material; however, balancing strength to weight relationships is challenging. This paper explorers the viability of manufacturing lightweight components using a microcellular foaming polymer. Microcellular foaming has emerged as a helpful tool to achieve an optimal strength-to-weight ratio; offering advantages such as lightweight, improved mechanical properties, reduced material usage, better insulation and improved cost-effectiveness. It can also contribute to improved fuel efficiency and reduced carbon emissions, making them environmentally favourable. The combination of additive manufacturing (AM) and microcellular foaming has opened new possibilities for design innovation. This text highlights the challenges and efforts in incorporating foaming techniques into 3D printing processes, specifically fused filament fabrication (FFF). This study reveals that microcellular polymers are a viable option when balancing part strength and weight. The experiments completed during the formulation of this paper demonstrated that lightweight LW-PLA parts were significantly lighter than standard PLA parts and that a design of experiments approach can be used to optimise strength properties and provide insights into optimising manufacturability. Microcellular polymers present an opportunity for lighter and stronger 3D printed parts, offering potential energy and material savings for sustainable manufacturing practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Additive manufacturing is a rapidly growing technology shaping the future of manufacturing. In an increasingly competitive economy, additive manufacturing can help businesses to remain agile, innovative, and sustainable. This paper introduces the multi-site additive manufacturing (AM) machine scheduling problem considering carbon emissions caused by production and transportation. A mixed-integer linear programming model is developed aiming to optimise two separate objectives addressing economic and environmental sustainability in a multiple unrelated AM machine environment. The former is the total cost caused by production, transportation, set-up and tardiness penalty and the latter is the total amount of carbon emissions caused by production and transportation. The model is coded in Python and solved by Gurobi Optimizer. A numerical example is provided to represent the basic characteristics of the problem and show the necessity of the proposed framework. A comprehensive computational study is conducted under 600s and 1800s time limits for two main scenarios and the results have been elaborated. This article introduces the concept of considering both economic and environmental sustainability caused by production and transportation, proposing the first mathematical model and measuring its performance through a comprehensive experimental study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microfibers and microplastics originating from wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) effluents are significant pollutants in freshwater sources and marine environments. This research investigated the biodegradation of cotton microfibers generated from bleached cotton jersey knit fabric and commercially available flushable wipes, polypropylene-based (PP) nonwoven wipes containing a cellulose component, and tissue paper. Biodegradation was tested in wastewater treatment plants (WWTP) solids, seawater, and lakewater according to the ISO 14852 and ASTM D6691 standard methods in an ECHO respirometer. Degradation experiments continued until a plateau in CO2 emissions was reached, and the final biodegradation extent was calculated relative to the theoretical CO2 produced based on elemental analysis. The results showed that the cotton and other cellulosic materials/components biodegrade to a great extent, as expected for all conditions, whereas the PP did not degrade. In general, for the cellulose polypropylene composite wipes, the cellulose biodegraded readily; the presence of the PP did not hinder the cellulose biodegradation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The advancement of eco-friendly technology in the construction sector has been improving rapidly in the last few years. As a result, multiple building materials were developed, enhanced, and proposed as replacements for some traditional materials. One notable example presents geopolymer as a substitute for ordinary Portland concrete (OPC). The manufacturing process of (OPC) generates CO2 emissions and a high energy demand, both of which contribute to ozone depletion and global warming. The implementation of geopolymer concrete (GPC) technology in the construction sector provides a path to more sustainable growth and a cleaner environment. This is due to geopolymer concrete's ability to reduce environmental pollutants and reduce the construction industry's carbon footprint. This is achieved through its unique composition, which typically involves industrial byproducts like fly ash or slag. These materials, rich in silicon and aluminum, react with alkaline solutions to form a binding gel, bypassing the need for the high-energy clinker production required in OPC. The use of such byproducts not only reduces CO2 emissions but also contributes to waste minimization. Additionally, geopolymer offers extra advantages compared to OPC, including improved mechanical strength, enhanced durability, and good stability in acidic and alkaline settings. Such properties make GPC particularly suitable for a range of construction environments, from industrial applications to infrastructure projects exposed to harsh conditions. This paper comprehensively reviews the different characteristics of geopolymers, which include their composition, compressive strength, durability, and curing methods. Furthermore, the environmental impacts related to the manufacturing of geopolymer materials were evaluated through the life-cycle assessment method. The result demonstrated that geopolymer concrete maintains positive environmental impacts due to the fact that it produces fewer carbon dioxide CO2 emissions compared to OPC concrete during its manufacturing; however, geopolymer concrete had some minor negative environmental impacts, including abiotic depletion, human toxicity, freshwater ecotoxicity, terrestrial ecotoxicity, and acidification. These are important considerations for ongoing research aimed at further improving the sustainability of geopolymer concrete. Moreover, it was determined that silicate content, curing temperature, and the proportion of alkaline solution to binder are the major factors significantly influencing the compressive strength of geopolymer concrete. The advancement of geopolymer technology represents not just a stride toward more sustainable construction practices but also paves the way for innovative approaches in the field of building materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The cement industry plays a significant role in global carbon emissions, underscoring the urgent need for measures to transition it toward a net-zero carbon footprint. This paper presents a detailed plan to this end, examining the current state of the cement sector, its carbon output, and the imperative for emission reduction. It delves into various low-CO 2 technologies and emerging innovations such as alkali-activated cements, calcium looping, electrification, and bio-inspired materials. Economic and policy factors, including cost assessments and governmental regulations, are considered alongside challenges and potential solutions. Concluding with future prospects, the paper offers recommendations for policymakers, industry players, and researchers, highlighting the roadmap's critical role in achieving a carbon-neutral cement sector. • Cement industry faces urgent need for net-zero transition due to high carbon emissions. • Roadmap spans phases: foundation, acceleration, net-zero, targeting emissions by 2050. • Innovations like alkali-activated cements offer promise for emission reduction. • Collective action and policy crucial for sustainable transformation of cement sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An appropriate and sustainable waste management plan is required in different scenarios for global development. The main goal of this paper is to evaluate a waste management problem by investigating an integrated multi-objective environment through solid transportation problem. To develop sustainability, three objective functions are optimized by choosing as cost for economical opportunity, time for social satisfaction and carbon emission for environmental view. Cap and trade policy is regarded here to minimize carbon emission and to provide some economical opportunities to the system. To control hesitancy of this scenario, twofold uncertainty (type-2 intuitionistic fuzzy) is incorporated here, and this uncertainty is defuzzified by a ranking operator. A strategy is proposed here to optimize three factors of sustainability by an intellectual model formulation of solid waste management. To check the appropriateness of the proposed model, two numerical problems are evaluated using two advanced methods, namely, neutrosophic linear programming and ϵ -constraint method. The Pareto-optimal solutions are derived by the variation of cap value and fulfilling the criteria of sustainability. The obtained results indicate that cap and trade policy or waste management, or both are highly sophisticated for applying in real-world application. The overall conclusions recommend that a government or NGO should encourage transportation system, or the industry to minimize carbon emission by utilizing several carbon policies. It can assist to establish different new project of waste management in a discrete environment, based on sustainability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, the increase in the use of services in cloud, fog, edge, and IoT ecosystems has been very notable. On the one hand, environmental sustainability is affected by this type of ecosystem since it can produce a large amount of energy consumption which translates into CO2 emissions into the atmosphere. On the other hand, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the use of these ecosystems has increased considerably. Thus, it is necessary to apply policies and techniques to maximize sustainability within these ecosystems. Some of these policies and techniques are those based on artificial intelligence. However, the current processing of these policies and techniques can also consume a lot of resources. From this perspective, this article aims to clarify whether the sustainability of cloud/fog/edge/IoT ecosystems is improved by the application of artificial intelligence. To do this, a systematic literature review is developed in this paper. In addition, a set of classifications of the analyzed works is proposed based on the different aspects related to these ecosystems, their sustainability, and the applicability of artificial intelligence to improve them. • The use of cloud, fog, edge, and IoT has increased drastically in the last few years. • It is necessary to apply policies to maximize the sustainability of AI. • This work clarifies whether the sustainability of these environments is improved by AI. • A SLR is performed to achieve this aim. • The application of AI to these environments is a newborn topic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agglomeration of the industry significantly impacts economic performance and environmental sustainability. In line with its strategic context of striving to achieve carbon reduction targets, China is making efforts to optimize the producer services landscape to reduce carbon emissions. Understanding the spatial correlation between industrial agglomeration and carbon emissions is particularly crucial against this background. Based on POI and remote sensing data of China's Yangtze River Economic Belt (YREB), the paper adopts the mean nearest neighbor analysis, kernel density analysis, and standard deviation ellipse to portray the agglomeration of producer services. Then uses Moran's I to present the spatial distribution characteristics of carbon emissions. Accordingly, the spatial heterogeneity of producer services agglomeration and carbon emissions is showed using the Geographic detector so as to provide strong support for industrial structure optimization and sustainable development. Here are some of the conclusions drawn from the study: (1) Producer services are a significant state of agglomeration in the provincial capitals and some central cities, with similar agglomeration patterns. (2) Carbon emissions exhibits significant spatial aggregation characteristics, with the spatial distribution pattern of "High west–Low east". (3) Wholesale and retail services industry is the primary risk factor that causes spatial differentiation of carbon emission intensity, "leasing and business services industry-wholesale and retail services industry" is the key interaction factor of the spatial differentiation. (4) Carbon emissions shows a downward trend followed by an upward trend as producer services agglomeration increases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aiming at the traditional ecological footprint model, the improved ecological footprint of the carbon footprint effectively makes up for the singularity of the ecological footprint's consideration of carbon emissions, and plays an important role in promoting high-quality development and ecological sustainability. This paper selects 2015, 2018 and 2020 as important time points for the study, corrects the ecological footprint parameter factors based on net primary productivity (NPP), measures the ecological footprint after the improvement of the carbon footprint, studies the spatial and temporal variation in the ecological footprint at the 100-m grid scale with the support of IPCC greenhouse gas inventory analysis, and analyzes the current ecological conservation status of the Yellow River Delta. Additionally, in the context of a low carbon economy, the decoupling index of carbon emissions and GDP is extended to the evaluation and analysis of high-quality development. The study showed that (1) the ecological footprint of the Yellow River Delta has increased year by year, from 0.721 hm2·person− 1 to 0.758 hm2·person− 1, an average annual increase of 2.9%; the ecological carrying capacity has decreased from 0.40 hm2·person− 1 to 0.31 hm2·person− 1, an overall decrease of 28.59%. (2) The overall ecological deficit of the Yellow River Delta grid is lightly overloaded, with most of the ecological surplus occurring in the northern and eastern parts of the study area and a few moderate and heavy overloads in the center of the core area where there is a lot of built-up land and the area is small and easy to gather. (3) Based on the low-carbon economy analysis, 2015, 2017 and 2020 reach absolute decoupling and are in the ideal scenario. However, in the rest of the years, carbon emissions and economic development are still in a large contradiction, and decoupling has fluctuated and varied greatly in the last six years. The effective combination of ecological footprint and low carbon economy analysis provides an important theoretical basis for improving ecological conservation and achieving high-quality development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The production of cement accounts for 5 to 7% of carbon dioxide emissions in the world, and its broad-scale use contributes to climate imbalance. As a solution, biotechnology enables the cultivation of bacteria and fungi for the synthesis of calcium carbonate as one of the main constituents of cement. Through biomineralization, which is the initial driving force for the synthesis of compounds compatible with concrete, and crystallization, these compounds can be delivered to cracks in concrete. Microencapsulation is a method that serves as a clock to determine when crystallization is needed, which is assisted by control factors such as pH and aeration. The present review addresses possibilities of working with bioconcrete, describing the composition of Portland cement, analysis methods, deterioration, as well as environmental and energetic benefits of using such an alternative material. A discussion on carbon credits is also offered. The contents of this paper could strengthen the prospects for the use of self-healing concrete as a way to meet the high demand for concrete, contributing to the building of a sustainable society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While increasing awareness of issues such as raising energy prices, increasing customer concerns about the safety of products and services, and the reduction of carbon emissions influence firms, scarce studies focus on small and mediumsized enterprises (SME). This study seeks to systematically analyse the literature focused on sustainability of SMEs. Bibliometric analysis of 220 articles included in the WoS database (Clarivate Analytics) database and visualization with VOSviewer software let us reveal the cooccurrence of author keywords, bibliographic coupling sources and references, leading journals, and countries. The second step of the research is based on a systemic review of 25 articles with the purpose of reviewing empirical findings in the field of 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 literature gap on systematic analysis of SME and sustainability and develops recommendations on how to address prevailing research gaps. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Assuming the significance of sustainability, it is considered necessary to ensure the conservation of our natural resources, in addition to minimizing waste. To promote significant sustainable effects, factors including production, transportation, energy usage, product control management, etc., act as the chief supports of any modern supply chain model. The buyer performs the firsthand inspection and returns any defective items received from the customer to the vendor in a process that is known as first-level inspection. The vendor uses the policy of recovery product management to obtain greater profit. A concluding inspection is accomplished at the vendor's end in order to distinguish the returned item as belonging to one of four specific categories, namely re-workable, reusable, recyclable, and disposable, a process that is known as second-level inspection. Then, it is observed that some defective items are suitable for a secondary market, while some are reusable, and some can be disassembled to shape new derived products, and leftovers can be scrapped at the disposal cost. This ensures that we can meet our target to promote a cleaner drive with a lower percentage of carbon emissions, reducing the adverse effects of landfills. The activity of both players in this model is presented briefly in the flowchart shown in the abstract. Thus, our aim of product restoration is to promote best practices while maintaining economic value, with the ultimate goal of removing the surrounding waste with minimum financial costs. In this regard, it is assumed that the demand rate is precise in nature. The learning effect and fuzzy environment are also considered in the present model. The proposed model studies the impacts of learning and carbon emissions on an integrated green supply chain model for defective items in fuzzy environment and shortage conditions. We optimized the integrated total fuzzy profit with respect to the order quantity and shortages. We described the vendor's strategy and buyer's strategy through flowcharts for the proposed integrated supply chain model, and here, in the flowchart, R-R-R stands for re-workable, reusable, and recyclable. The demand rate was treated as a triangular fuzzy number. In this paper, a numerical example, sensitivity analysis, limitations, future scope, and conclusion are presented for the validation of the proposed model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Slow tourism is looked upon as a means of achieving green & sustainable tourism and is seen as an alternative to mass tourism. It is becoming popular amongst tourists, destination managers and tourism service providers. Slow tourism is an integrative concept that promotes sustainability in all aspects of a travelling journey. Advertisers and tourism service providers are marketing different features of slow tourism. Local Government bodies and state tourism development corporations are also promoting slow tourism through various social media and promotional campaign. The present research tries to explore the perception and preferences of Indian travellers regarding the concept of slow tourism. Methodology: This an exploratory research intending to study the perception and preferences of Indian travellers towards slow tourism. Semi structured interviews of tourists, destination managers and tourism service providers from India will be used to collect the data. Thematic apperception test will be used to evaluate the respondents' patterns of thoughts, emotional responses & attitudes towards slow tourism. Principal of saturation will be used to determine the sample size. Findings/Outcomes/Results: As an outcome of this paper the researchers propose to develop a model framework through which slow tourism can be embedded in the existing tourism practices of tourists, destination managers and tourism service providers. Implication: Through this research the researchers intend to create awareness about slow tourism and help to reduce the increasing environmental threats of fast tourism. It is also proposed to understand the perceived challenges in adapting slow tourism and to provide probable solutions to overcome this perception of the tourist. [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]

Hydrogen is a promising commodity, a renewable secondary energy source, and feedstock alike, to meet greenhouse gas emissions targets and promote economic decarbonization. A common goal pursued by many countries, the hydrogen economy receives a blending of public and private capital. After European Green Deal, state members created national policies focused on green hydrogen. This paper presents a study of energy transition considering green hydrogen production to identify Portugal's current state and prospects. The analysis uses energy generation data, hydrogen production aspects, CO 2 emissions indicators and based costs. A comprehensive simulation estimates the total production of green hydrogen related to the ratio of renewable generation in two different scenarios. Then a comparison between EGP goals and Portugal's transport and energy generation prospects is made. Portugal has an essential renewable energy matrix that supports green hydrogen production and allows for meeting European green hydrogen 2030–2050 goals. Results suggest that promoting the conversion of buses and trucks into H 2 -based fuel is better for CO 2 reduction. On the other hand, given energy security, thermoelectric plants fueled by H 2 are the best option. The aggressive scenario implies at least 5% more costs than the moderate scenario, considering economic aspects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The construction industry has experienced phenomenal growth because of technological advancements in the past couple of decades. Prefabrication constitutes a sizeable share of this industry and is being adopted all over the world. The method of casting construction elements in a controlled environment and assembling them on-site has revolutionised the industry. Research on various aspects of the technology is ongoing around the world, and an impressive number of articles have been published. However, the prefab technology, materials used, and terminology have varied across locations, which may have hindered the method's wider acceptability. By evaluating technical articles published between 1991 and 2022, this report analyses the present body of knowledge regarding prefab technology, its evolution, sustainability, and stakeholder views. This technology effectively contributes around 40% in time saving, 27% in cost reduction, 30% in reduced carbon emissions, and 84% in on-site wastage reduction. It also increases quality, gives a dependable alternative for meeting mass construction targets, is energy efficient, and provides environmentally conscious options. This paper contributes to the body of knowledge by providing a snapshot of the prefab industry spanning three decades, detailing a wide range of factors affecting the industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic, people all around the globe have seen its effects, including city closures, travel restrictions, and stringent security measures. However, the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic extend beyond people's everyday lives. It impacts the air, water, soil, and carbon emissions as well. This article examines the effect of energy and the COVID-19 pandemic on China's carbon dioxide emissions in light of the aforementioned context, using the daily data from 20 January 2020 and ending on 20 April 2022. Using the nonlinear autoregressive distributed lag model for empirical analysis, the findings indicate that COVID-19 pandemic confirmed cases and renewable energy advance environmental sustainability due to their negative effects on carbon dioxide emissions, whereas fossil fuel energy hinders environmental sustainability due to its positive effect on carbon dioxide emissions. Moreover, these results are also supported by the results of the frequency domain causality test and the Markow switching regression. In light of these results, there are several policy implications, such as vaccination, renewable energy utilization, and non-renewable energy alternative policies, which have been proposed in this paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There has been limited progress in addressing the demand uncertainty inherent over time and the sustainability impact on food logistics. This paper aims to fill this gap, addresses the sustainability of cold food supply chains, and proposes a mixed-integer programming model to solve a multi-period inventory routing problem (IRP) under non-stationary stochastic demand, route-dependent costs, and environmental concerns. The study investigates the replenishment and routing plans to minimise the total expected cost while producing a minimum amount of CO 2 emission. Due to the uncertainty of demand, we apply the static-dynamic strategy and propose a mathematical model under the (R , S) replenishment policy to maintain flexibility in ordering decisions under a pre-determined replenishment schedule. Our numerical experiments suggest that the (R , S) policy reduces inventory costs significantly, since it solves the excess inventory issue caused by the higher buffer stock levels due to the pre-determined order quantities in the (R , Q) policy. However, the resulting CO 2 emission levels and routing costs remain similar in both models. Due to the reduced inventory costs, the (R , S) policy makes a significant improvement on the total cost. Moreover, our numerical experiments show that the difference between the cumulative ending inventory levels for the (R , Q) and (R , S) policies increasingly grows as the time horizon gets longer, and it results in increasingly larger differences in the total cost values for both policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The escalating CO 2 emissions in recent years underlined the need for advanced Carbon Capture and Utilization (CCU) technologies. This context has spurred the exploration of novel materials for promoting CCU efficiency, among which electrospun nanofibers have emerged as a promising candidate. Electrospinning coupled with various post-treatment (such as heat-treating, in-situ growth, selective removal, etc.) offers a versatile approach to fabricate diverse nanofibers, including polymeric, carbonaceous, metallic, and composite fibers, with tunable surface morphologies and chemical properties. This paper provides a comprehensive review of electrospun nanofibers in CCU processes, including adsorption, membrane separation and absorption, electrochemical and photo-electrochemical reduction, thermal catalytic hydrogenation, and more. Each CCU technology is examined in depth to cover the recent research achievements with a specific focus on the contributions of electrospun nanofibers. Lastly, a critical discussion and a list of potential future research directions for this evolving field are provided. • Latest electrospun nanofiber-based CCU technologies are thoroughly reviewed. • Electrospinning enables creating various nanofibers, aiding multiple CCU technologies. • Provide critical discussion and future directions for this evolving research field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A multi-attribute group decision method based on the interval-valued intuitionistic fuzzy set is proposed. • A sustainability evaluation of an agricultural water-land-energy-carbon nexus is provided. • Multidimensional indicators are combined through stability, coordinativity and connectivity. • The water, land, energy and carbon subsystems of the agricultural system are quantified based on dual uncertainty. • The model is shown to solve real-world relationship management problems. The interactions between agricultural subsystems, resource scarcity and ecological degradation increase the need for agricultural sustainability assessments in relation to water, land, energy and carbon emissions. In addition, uncertainties caused by natural factors and human activities complicate sustainability assessments. Therefore, this study proposes a regional agricultural sustainability assessment method based on the water-land-energy-carbon (WLEC) nexus system under high uncertainty. This method couples the interval-valued intuitionistic fuzzy set (IVIFS) and multi-attribute group decision making (MAGDM) methods to quantitatively characterise and assess element management and corresponding relationships within the agricultural WLEC nexus system in a multidimensional manner. The paper is able to (1) clarify the role of the coupled agricultural "water-land-energy-carbon" nexus and (2) address the double ambiguity and uncertainty in the indicators and more objectively reflect the interval fluctuations of natural resources and social activities in both positive and negative scenarios. (3) Sustainability management of agricultural resources is carried out according to different regional conditions. The method was applied to Heilongjiang Province in northeast China, and the coupling of agricultural WLEC nexus system in 13 administrative regions of the study area was quantitatively analysed. The degree of agroecological sustainability from a multidimensional perspective is higher in Daxinganling and lower in the provincial capital, Harbin. The recommended range of groundwater use in the study area is [16%,28%] to ensure ecological sustainability when total agricultural output fluctuates between 285,395.18 and 404,495.33 billion yuan. This methodology helps policy makers understand the overall dynamics of agricultural sustainability in an environment of multiple uncertainties and gives suggestions for better assessing management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The EU has committed to make Europe the first climate-neutral continent by 2050. Reaching this objective requires massive changes in the region. The biggest challenge is that the green transition happens without sacrificing economic progress and guaranteeing justice and inclusiveness. This pledge implies that every country be capable of addressing the trade-offs between targets while remaining committed towards the common decarbonisation goal. Our paper analyses the success with which countries are carrying out the energy transition. We propose an enhanced hyperbolic distance function and a stochastic frontier analysis approach to model the joint attainment of economic development, environmental sustainability, and energy equity. We apply our model to an unbalanced panel dataset of 29 European countries for the period 2005–2018. Our estimates show that the average performance of the economies has improved over time. The results also highlight the pivotal role of a sustainable economic development with clean energies for both slashing CO 2 emissions and fostering energy equity. Moreover, we find convergence in countries' performance, being this convergence slightly higher for the EU-15 countries compared to the rest. Finally, we show that a higher share of renewable energy sources helps countries that are lagging behind to reach their optimal performance level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The chemical industry is one of the fundamental industries of economic development. Coordinating the relationship between economic growth and carbon emissions (EGCE) is crucial in realizing the carbon neutrality target. The Tapio model and decomposition models are used to assess the degree of decoupling within the Chinese chemical industry and identify pivotal factors impeding progress. The energy efficiency decomposition model explores the crux of failure to achieve strong decoupling. This framework further decomposed the energy intensity to uncover how technical efficiency, technological progress, and input substitution changes affect energy intensity and CO 2 emission. The paper found that the EGCE of the chemical industry were stable in a weak decoupling mode from 2009 to 2019. The reliance on technological progress to reduce energy intensity and emissions is insufficient (accounting for only 18.2%), far below the cumulative contribution from economic growth (accounting for 57.76%), which has become the crux of the strong decoupling failure. Technological advancements drive energy substitution for labour, resulting in 244.41 Mt of cumulative carbon emissions. The improper factor input allocation hinders the desired reduction in energy intensity and carbon emissions. A series of policy implications are proposed based on the insights derived from the decomposition analysis to foster sustainable practices in the chemical industry. [Display omitted] • This study focuses on the decoupling in chemical industry. • The decoupling between economic growth and carbon emissions (EGCE) is explored. • The reasons for the failure of strong decoupling from technical perspective are tested. • The decoupling between EGCE of chemical industry was in a weak decoupling mode. • Technological progress accelerated the substitution of energy for labour. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a significant source of carbon emissions, road logistics operators are under increasing pressure from governments and customers to find ways to decarbonize as part of broader global efforts to reach net zero. Decarbonization of road logistics relies on the widespread diffusion of existing and emerging technological transport solutions. These include alternative fuel vehicles, battery technologies, renewable energy and charging solutions. All promise to reduce carbon emissions, but their implementation remains challenging, expensive, and risky. As early adopters of alternative fuel vehicles have reported, transitioning from fossil fuels poses challenges that must be prepared for and understood to minimize the obstacles to genuine emissions reductions in road logistics. A considerable volume of academic research has been published advocating emission reduction solutions and providing detailed analyses of their potential positive environmental impacts. However, to our knowledge, no frameworks integrate these analyses with practical insights into current and anticipated challenges for road logistics operators transitioning from fossil fuels to a decarbonized future. This paper analyses contemporary evidence and insights on current and future issues and presents an integrated framework for road freight logistics decarbonization challenges. The framework primarily focuses on decarbonization through alternative fuels and analyses three categories of challenges from socio-technical, economic, and environmental perspectives. The three categories of challenges relate to alternative fuel vehicles and fleets, alternative fuel distribution infrastructure and renewable energy generation. The underlying principle of the framework is to provide a practical tool that supports a more informed view of both the advantages and challenges of transitioning to alternative fuels. This research contributes to the body of knowledge by providing a framework to help direct future research into tackling these logistics decarbonization challenges. The insights presented in this paper may also inform practitioners by sensitizing them to potential roadblocks in the transition away from fossil fuels. • Framework integrating road freight logistics decarbonization challenges. • Analyse alternative fuels, alternative fuel distribution and renewable energy. • Three perspectives on decarbonization: socio-technical, economic, and environmental. • Highlight logistics services provider strategies to minimize risk and uncertainty. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Companies are increasingly adopting decentralized manufacturing strategies to manage multiple, geographically scattered manufacturing centers that are characterized not only by similar types of equipment, working methods, and productions, but also by variable mixes and volumes. This trend also applies to additive manufacturing, a well-established technology that allows the flexibility and customization of production to be increased, without significantly increasing the per unit cost. Thus, the need arises to monitor the performance of individual centers in a structured way, and to make practical comparisons of such centers. However, achieving this task is not so straightforward, given the inevitable differences in the characteristics of manufacturing centers and their productions. This paper presents a methodology that can be used to analyze and compare the production performance of a plurality of manufacturing centers from two different viewpoints: (i) quality, through a multivariate statistical analysis of product data concerning conformity with geometrical specifications, and (ii) process sustainability, with the aim of achieving a reduction in energy consumption, carbon dioxide emissions, and manufacturing time, through regression models pertaining to the selected metrics. The proposed methodology can be adopted during regular production operations, without requiring any ad hoc experimental tests. The description of the method is supported by an industrial case study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Buildings consume over half of annual energy supply as embodied and operating energy in their construction and operation releasing harmful emissions to the atmosphere. Over 90% of the embodied energy is attributed to construction materials used in building structure, envelope, and interiors that must be reduced to minimize material use. Concrete is one of the major materials that contributes significantly to the energy and carbon footprint of buildings, as it is responsible for 5-9% of global carbon emission. Because most of the concrete use in the building sector occurs in building structures, assessing how building design parameters influence its environmental sustainability is important. One of the design parameters that impact the sustainability of buildings is the aspect ratio, which is defined as the ratio of horizontal to vertical surface area of a building. A building with the same floor area can be designed horizontally or vertically with different aspect ratios, which will influence its structural design and eventually the amount of concrete used in the building. In this paper, we examine how aspect ratio may affect the environmental sustainability of a buildings foundation, structural framing, and slab. We model the structure of a generic building with different aspect ratio to analyze if aspect ratio can help reduce the energy and carbon embodied in reinforced concrete structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although incremental sheet forming (ISF) is featured with greater flexibility, lower cost, and shorter leading time, there is less comprehensive sustainability assessment for ISF. In order to summarize the research progress on the sustainability evaluation of ISF and further explore its potential application scenario specifically, the research with respect to energy consumption and environmental impact of ISF are reviewed in this paper. First, the characteristics and research status of ISF including geometry accuracy improvement, forming force prediction, and heating-aided ISF are introduced. Then, study on the influence of processing parameters, equipment, and consumables on energy consumption (both deformation energy and machine tool energy) and forming efficiency are comprehensively reviewed. Current research indicates that neither deformation energy consumption nor electric energy consumption of ISF is lower than stamping process since ISF has long motion trajectory and forming time. In addition, the current methods (such as Life Cycle Assess method) to assess the environmental impact of ISF are discussed. Additionally, the environmental impact of ISF mainly reflects on sheet material, energy consumption, and lubrication oil. Moreover, the comparison of the ISF process and the other processes with regard to sustainability is analyzed, which indicates that ISF has obvious advantage and broad prospects when the cost of molds is considered and the batch size is generally less than 1000. The study provides valuable guidance on the further improvement of ISF towards more efficiency and green manufacturing process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research introduces Automated Cost-Duration Variance Prediction (CDVP) system to empower project managers to proactively predict project budget, duration, cost variance and duration variance. The research involved the development and comparison of a total of 48 machine learning (ML) algorithms, with 12 algorithms dedicated to each predictive model. To conduct the study, a dataset comprising 1277 historical cases of Field Canals Improvement Projects (FCIPs) was utilized. Factor analysis and stepwise regression analysis were employed for feature selection where five key drivers were identified from the initial 25 parameters. The paper optimized the performance of each algorithm based on Bayesian optimization. The proposed system produces four outputs: project cost, project cost variance, project duration, and duration variance. The developed ML models were able to predict all of the system's outputs with an adjusted determination coefficient R2 score greater than 0.93 and Mean Absolute Percentage Error (MAPE) less than 8.97. Environmentally, this research recommends to assess CO 2 emissions as a performance criterion to select the low environmental impact algorithms. As a result, Light Gradient Boosting Machine (LightGBM) and AdaBoost Regressor were green sustainable algorithms that emitted on average 58 and 69 CO 2e grams per computational hours. To enhance interpretability, the study employed the SHapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP) technique to provide explanations for the key drivers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research addresses the critical necessity for energy-efficient solutions in port operations. The primary objective of this paper is to introduce and assess the viability of an innovative infrastructure termed Underground Reefer Container Storage (URCS) devised to mitigate the significant and increasing energy demand posed by reefer containers in ports. This study employs a discrete-event simulation (DES) model to evaluate the feasibility, environmental implications, and cost-effectiveness of three distinctive URCS infrastructure designs. These designs are compared against conventional storage methods to ascertain their capacity for minimizing energy usage and greenhouse gas emissions. The analysis reveals that the best scenario for a specific case study involves a multi-block layout comprising two underground yards, capable of accommodating 39% of the overall refrigerated container capacity at a port. This layout cuts CO 2 emissions by 61% from the 2.704 GWh/year energy used by refrigerated containers, yielding around 1.4 million USD/year cost savings. Further analyses using weighted searches to prioritize URCS container slotting led to shorter container dwell times at ports, rendering energy savings 23% higher than in similar unplanned settings. Moreover, this study presents URCS as an eco-friendly alternative for port-based reefer container storage, offering practical alignment with sustainability goals and regulations. The innovative design and its successful application provide holistic insights, paving the way for enhanced port energy management and environmental care. In addition, the implementation of URCS has the potential to reshape port procedures, yielding economic and ecological benefits. This initiative contributes to diminishing the carbon footprint of ports, aligning with global endeavors towards greener and more responsible practices. [Display omitted] • Conventional stacking at ports consumes high energy for reefer containers, risking the cold chain. • Underground reefer container storage (URCS) reduces heat exchange by storing reefers in a colder underground deposit. • Multi-level block storage is preferred in URCS, according to a multi-criteria assessment. • Simulation recommends energy savings with proper stacking in multi-level block storage. • URCS enables environmentally responsible port operations, improving standards feasibly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Innovative emission reduction technologies combined with optimized processes can effectively reduce the environmental pressure in the iron and steel industry (ISI). Identifying and comparatively analyzing the carbon emissions (CE) from steel productions is conducive to achieving China's ambitious carbon reduction targets. In this paper, we investigated two innovative routes: the shaft furnace-induction furnace-basic oxygen furnace route (SF-IF-BOF) and shaft furnace-electric smelting furnace-basic oxygen furnace route (SF-ESF-BOF), alongside two traditional routes: the blast furnace-BOF route (BF-BOF) and SF-electric arc furnace route (SF-ESF). The analysis was based on a functional unit of 1000 kg of crude steel (CS). By establishing the mass and energy balance models and decision criteria, 12 typical smelting scenarios for these routes were analyzed and compared in terms of materials consumption and CE. The results showed that increasing the proportion of scrap was beneficial for reducing CE. Under the condition of a 50% scrap ratio, the CE of the SF-IF-BOF, SF-ESF-BOF, BF-BOF, and SF-EAF routes were 768, 823, 946, and 870 kg, respectively. The SF-IF-BOF route displayed the most significant advantage of CE reduction. In addition, by using 100% zero-carbon electricity substitution, the SF-EAF route exhibited the greatest CE reduction effect of 41% (from 870 to 510 kg/t). While deploying 100% biomass fuels to replace coal, the CE of the BF-BOF route reduced by 80%. Finally, after introducing biomass fuels and zero-carbon electricity, the CE of the SF-IF-BOF route was minimized to a significantly low 13 kg/t (from 768), nearing zero CE. This research is expected to provide a novel solution for further CE reduction in the future of ISI, contributing to environmental sustainability and carbon reduction goals. • Suggestions for solutions to reduce CO2 emissions in the steel industry are provided. • Emissions of the SF-IF-BOF and SF-ESF-BOF compared to the BF-BOF and DRI-EAF routes. • DRI is considered to be generated using COG zero reforming process. • Using zero-C electricity and biomass can reduce CO2 emissions for the steel industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes utilizing landfill gas, obtained from landfilling activities, as a viable substitute for fossil fuels. In this study, an innovative heat design process for a landfill gas-fueled power plant is employed, representing a novel contribution to system development. The innovative cascade heat recovery process utilized in this method facilitates an eco-friendly multigeneration practice, resulting in reduced thermodynamic irreversibility and air pollution as well as an increase in the capacity of main products. Hence, the entire system consists of a bio power plant, a transcritical CO 2 cycle, a low-pressure steam generation unit, a refrigeration cycle, a multi-effect desalination, and a liquefied natural gas cold utilization unit. The simulation is conducted by the Aspen HYSYS software, examining various aspects such as energy, exergy, economics, and environment. The results indicate that the energy and exergy efficiencies of the process are 79.96% and 32.93%, respectively. Moreover, the cost per unit exergy and specific CO 2 emissions amount to 87.16 $/GJ and 0.2732 kg/kWh, respectively. Besides, a parametric study is performed based on the gas turbine's outlet pressure, the flue gas temperature leaving the transcritical CO 2 cycle and multi-effect desalination, and the liquefied natural gas flow rate. Obtained results demonstrate that the specific CO 2 emissions and cost per unit exergy face an increase with increasing the gas turbine's outlet pressure. Moreover, the increase in the flue gas temperature leaving the transcritical CO 2 cycle exhibits a reduction in the CO 2 emissions and an escalation in the cost per unit exergy. • Technical study of an eco-friendly process using landfill gas and LNG cold energy. • Implementing a new sustainable production approach for a CCHP-desalination process. • Process simulation using Aspen HYSYS and conducting a comprehensive 4 E study. • Energy and exergy efficiencies of the process are found as 79.96% and 32.93%. • Cost per unit exergy and specific CO 2 emissions equal 87.16 $/GJ and 0.2732 kg/kWh. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the viability of utilizing agricultural biomass-based energy potential, employing mathematical, engineering, and economic modeling techniques. Moreover, the potential of a biogas-based co-digestion (CD) system, integrating its techno-economic performance and environmental sustainability in terms of electricity generation, has also been studied. In this investigation, the categorization of 25 different plant species into two groups: arable field crops (AFCs) and horticultural plants (HPs), was performed. Data was collected during the 2021‐–2022 cropping season in Bangladesh from various sources, including literature reviews, governmental, and non-governmental organizations. The findings revealed that the available agricultural biomass residues, totaling 1,02,585.75 KT, have the capacity to generate 1,33,815 million m3/year of biogas. This energy potential corresponds to 291,125.85 TJ/year or 9231.60 MW of electricity, which can fulfill 88% of the national total energy demand. In terms of levelized cost, the proposed approach is more competitive and shows a greater promise compared to other technologies. Furthermore, it demonstrates environmental friendliness by reducing CO 2 emissions by 156 tons at a cost of $7/ton while earning $1092 annually from the potential carbon-credit market. This approach presents a potential solution to address Bangladesh's energy crisis. The payback period of the system ranged from 2.93 to 3.75 years, with and without the inclusion of a slurry, respectively. The recommended methods hold significant promise for meeting national energy demands. A case study was provided as a proof-of-concept (PoC) to validate the approach. This study is the first of its kind, providing valuable insights into the renewable energy potential in Bangladesh. The results will assist policymakers in formulating sustainable energy policies. • Mathematics, engineering, economics and environmental modeling explored renewable energy. • Techno-economics and environmental sustainability validated the proposed methodology. • Bioenergy-based electricity could supply 88% of the national energy demand of Bangladesh. • A case study was provided as a proof-of-concept (PoC) to validate the approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Blockchain Technology has garnered significant attention due to its immense potential to transform the way transactions are conducted and information is managed. Blockchain is a decentralized digital ledger that is spread across a network of computers, ensuring the secure, transparent, and unchangeable recording of transactions. However, the energy consumption of certain blockchain networks like Bitcoin, Litecoin, Monero, Zcash, and others has generated apprehensions regarding the sustainability of this technology. Bitcoin alone consumes approximately 100 terawatt-hours annually, contributing significantly to global carbon emissions. The substantial energy requirements not only contribute to carbon emissions but also pose a risk to the long-term viability of the blockchain industry. This study reviews articles from eight reputable databases between 2017 to August 2023, employing the systematic review and preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses approach for screening. Therefore, explore the applications of sustainable blockchain networks aimed at reducing environmental impact while ensuring efficiency and security. This survey also assesses the challenges and limitations posed by diverse blockchain applications regarding sustainability and provides valuable foresight into potential future advancements. Through this survey, the aim is to track and verify sustainable practices, facilitating the transition to a low-carbon economy, and promoting environmental stewardship, with a specific focus on highlighting the potential of sustainable blockchain networks in enabling secure and transparent tracking of these practices. Finally, the paper sheds light on pertinent research challenges and provides a roadmap of future directions, stimulating further research in this promising field. • Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta- Analyses (PRISMA Study). • Identification of Sustainable Blockchain Use Cases. • Sustainable Blockchain Challenges and Opportunities. • Blockchain for Transparent Sustainability Tracking. • Future Research Directions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Given the significant energy consumption and carbon emissions associated with buildings, there is increasing interest in improving sustainability of building operations to reduce impact on climate change. A common goal is to operate buildings as "net-zero" energy users in which all energy consumed by the building is balanced against renewable energy purchased from the grid or produced on site. To achieve net-zero status, many buildings will require significant retrofit so as to both reduce energy consumption in the absolute sense and provide the remainder without consuming fossil fuels. Thus, multi-year planning is required to ensure that goals can be met on time. In addition, due to the inherent uncertainty associated with energy consumption and generation, actually achieving net-zero energy use may require discretionary curtailment actions to be taken, and deciding whether such actions are necessary can be challenging. To address these challenges, we propose in this paper a design optimization and operational planning strategy to make the decisions needed to achieve sustainability goals in buildings. The strategy can be applied to schedule design changes over a long horizon to meet annual targets, and it can also be applied in closed loop on a shorter horizon to determine whether curtailment is needed to stay on track. We discuss the formulation of the optimization problem, solution methods, and modeling approaches for key parameters. Application of the strategy is illustrated via examples. Overall, this approach will help automate planning that is often done manually, allowing buildings to take a significant leap forward toward achieving their sustainability goals. • Achieving sustainability goals in buildings requires multi-year planning. • The required design and operational decisions can be made via optimization. • Key problem parameters can be obtained from data-driven modeling. • The strategy allows sustainability goals to be met at minimum cost. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

World has been shifting towards cleaner and safer sources of energy. Reducing the carbon footprint is the need of the hour. Industries all over the globe are researching on reducing the pollution causing emissions and trying to improve in terms of using sustainable sources of energy and saving the environment. This paper would analyse the low carbon energy assessors (LCEA) in the construction industry. A detailed study has been conducted using primary and secondary research to determine the carbon emissions at different stages of construction. The study would help us in identifying the main phases and activities and components, contributing the majority of the carbon footprints. The need of this age is to work on this area and minimise the pollution and harm to the environment. The construction sites chosen are diverse and consist of all types of building in the southern part of India. The highest carbon emission component in building construction is the cement as a large amount of CO2 emission takes place during the manufacturing process of the cement. The minimum carbon emission that takes place due to the components from the building are labour, sand, MS steel and stainless steel. The study would give a high level idea about the impact of low carbon energy assessors (LCEA) in the construction industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we developed an optimization model for determining the optimal parameters for multi-pass CNC turning processes. The six elements of sustainable manufacturing were considered in this study to derive new insights into multi-pass turning modeling. This paper details the relationship between time and power and considers total noise in terms of the personal health element and cost of quality in terms of the manufacturing cost element. The objective functions for our model include the total energy, surface roughness, total noise, total cost, and total carbon emission. The decision variables for our model include the cutting depth, feed rate, cutting speed, and number of roughing passes. The proposed model was solved using the Gamultiobj algorithm (MATLAB). This algorithm was used to identify a set of non-dominated points on the Pareto front. Additionally, a single optimal solution is identified using the TOPSIS method. There are twelve combinations of multi-objective optimization processes carried out. One of twelve combinations, for the five objective functions, the optimal values were determined as follows: total energy value of 495,965.751 joules, surface roughness of 0.285 μm, average noise of 78.788 dBA, total cost of $288.587, and carbon emission of 337,748.265 kgCO2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Population aging and a shortage of medical resources are driving the growth of home health care (HHC). Many HHC studies have focused on developing an optimal routing plan to reduce operation costs; however, few have addressed the attendant long-term sustainability concerns, such as HHC center locations and carbon emissions from transportation. This paper proposes a home health care location-routing problem with a mixed fleet of electric and conventional vehicles that considers battery swapping stations. It aims to simultaneously determine the locations of HHC centers, the scheduling of caregivers with respect to skill requirements, and a routing plan for a mixed fleet under specific time windows, load capacities, synchronized visits, and driving ranges. To address this problem, the paper proposes a novel competitive simulated annealing (CSA) algorithm in which a series of problem-specific effective local search operators expand the solution space of the CSA algorithm, with a competitive mechanism to adaptively adjust these operators to accelerate convergence speed and improve exploration ability. To enhance the exploitation ability, it employs a modified simulated annealing algorithm with a heating strategy and variable neighborhood descent. Comparison experiments are conducted to verify the superior performance of the CSA algorithm in comparison to existing algorithms and the Gurobi solver. Finally, sensitivity analyses are performed on key factors and provide some new managerial insights. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Water distribution networks (WDNs) confront momentous challenges, including the need to meet continuously increased demand, combat unforeseen disruptions, and reduce carbon emissions. Developing efficient plans for resilience enhancement of WDNs thus is essential recognizing the ubiquitous nature of WDNs and increased frequency and destructive severity of hazardous events. This paper presents a resilience-driven multiobjective optimization model to maximize the resilience of WDNs while minimizing the life-cycle cost and carbon emissions. Enhancement actions first are determined and clustered into work packages, and then an optimized schedule is generated considering various operational and managerial factors. A real WDN in the city of London, Ontario, was utilized to demonstrate the proposed model's practicality. The resilience increased by 24% with CAD 1.6 million investment. Additionally, cost saving of about 33% is achievable if the proposed model is employed instead of a currently utilized practice. The developed model is expected to help city managers establish optimal resilience enhancement plans, considering tight available budgets and limited workforce. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A retailer-dominated supply chain with corporate social responsibility is modeled. • Impacts of emission reduction on supply chain's sustainability are analyzed. • Motivations of investing in emission reduction technology are proposed. • Supply chains sustainability is proved to be improved by coordination mechanism. • Performance of the coordination contract is tested analytically and numerically. This paper studies a retailer-dominated supply chain including a single upstream manufacturer that produces two substitutable products and a single downstream retailer that undertakes corporate social responsibility activities. The manufacturer is also regulated by a cap-and-trade policy. We first compare two optimization models for a decentralized system, one that does and one that does not incorporate emission reduction technology, to show that the profit of each system member in the former is higher than that in the latter, while the opposite is true for carbon emissions when the technology level invested by the manufacturer is higher than a threshold. To test the performance of the decentralized model that incorporates emission reduction technology, we model a centralized system and reveal that the system profit in the decentralized model is increased and the corresponding carbon emissions generated during production can be reduced. These findings motivate us to propose a revenue and cost-sharing contract to coordinate the decentralized system. The result shows that the economic and environmental sustainability of the decentralized system can be improved. Finally, several managerial implications are derived by conducting a numerical study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Managing the inventory of spare parts is very difficult because of the stochastic nature of part's demand. Also, only controlling the inventory of the spare part is not enough; instead, the supply chain of the spare part needs to be managed efficiently. Moreover, every organization now aims to have a resilient and sustainable supply chain to overcome the risk of facility disruption and to ensure environmental sustainability. This paper thus aims to establish a model of inventory-location relating to the resilient supply chain network of spare parts. Design/methodology/approach: First, applying queuing theory, a location-inventory model for a spare parts supply chain facing a facility disruption risk and has a restriction for CO2 emission, is developed. The model is later formulated as a non-linear mixed-integer programming problem and is solved using MATLAB. Findings: The model gives optimal decisions about the location of the warehouse facility and the policy of inventory management of each location selected. The sensitivity analysis shows that the very low probability of facility disruption does not influence controlling the average emission level. However, the average emission level certainly decreases with the increment of the disruption probability when the facility disruption probability is significant. Practical implications: Using this model, based on the cost and emission parameters and the likelihood of facility disruption, the spare part's manufacturer can optimize the total average cost of the spare part's supply chain through making a trade-off between productions, warehouse selection, inventory warehousing and demand allocation. Originality/value: Previous research focuses only on developing a framework for designing an efficient spare parts planning and control system. The inventory-location model for spare parts is not addressed in the sense of risk of facilities disturbance and emission. This research first time jointly considered the probabilistic facility disruption risk and carbon emission for modeling the spare part's supply chain network. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Considering the significant waste heat generated by existing natural gas power plants, it is imperative to implement eco-friendly combined process designs to ensure their long-term sustainability. The present paper introduces and investigates a novel integrated process aimed at achieving multiple generational advantages within an environmentally friendly framework, with the ultimate goal of enhancing sustainability. The new structure incorporates a natural gas power plant, high-temperature and low-temperature organic Rankine cycles, a combined cooling and power subsystem, and a water desalination unit to produce power, heating, cooling, and freshwater simultaneously. This system is simulated within the Aspen HYSYS software and examined from energy, exergy, economic, environmental, and sustainability perspectives. Furthermore, parametric studies evaluate the impact of the overall system's various environmental, economic, and operational conditions. It is found that the production capacities of power, hot water, chilled water, and freshwater are 179,265.17 kW, 387.8 kg/s, 563.6 kg/s, and 21.4 kg/s, respectively. Hence, the overall energy and exergy efficiencies improve to 66.06% and 42.95%, respectively. The financial estimation also reveals a cost of energy of 0.1084 $/kWh and a total net present value of 818.67 M$. It is also determined that the cost per unit of destroyed exergy is equal to 7.156 $/GJ. • Design of a natural gas power plant and an eco-friendly multigeneration process. • Using Aspen HYSYS for simulation, sustainability analysis, and parametric study. • Overall energy and exergy efficiencies of the process equal 66.06% and 42.95%. • The cost of energy and total net present value equal 0.1084 $/kWh and of 818.67 M$. • Carbon dioxide emission intensity of the entire process is 0.2922 kg/MWh. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The issue of economic dispatch in the context of environmental sustainability is more challenging with the integration of clean energy into the grid and the increase in the size of power systems. Power engineers have a responsibility to seek a novel algorithm that can hierarchically simplify the problem, enhance the diversity of solutions, balance economic and environmental goals, reduce the environmental footprint, and increase economic efficiency. In this paper, a multimodal hierarchical distributed multi-objective moth intelligence algorithm is proposed, combines the hierarchical distributed method with the moth algorithm, introduces the loose equivalence of multimodality, and adopts the Pareto curve partition processing and the extraction of objective points. The proposed method converts the information exchange of the adjacent regions of each layer and the optimization of each layer to be performed in the bottom layer, achieving the coordinated optimization of the whole system through the parallel optimization of the bottom layer regions. The simulation results show that: (1) the computational efficiency is improved. In the 118-bus system, the proposed algorithm reduces 0.13% cost and 5.76% carbon emission than distributed optimization; the proposed algorithm reduces 0.53% cost and 3.81% carbon emission than centralized optimization; (2) the speed of computation is accelerated. In the 1139-bus system, three-layer distributed optimization and two-layer distributed optimization of the proposed algorithm reduce the time by 62.64% and 37.22% than distributed optimization, respectively; (3) the performance metrics of the proposed method demonstrate superiority. • Multimodal hierarchical multi-objective optimization problems are considered. • A multimodal hierarchical multi-objective economic dispatch framework is built. • A multimodal hierarchical distributed multi-objective moth algorithm is proposed. • The gap of multimodal hierarchical intelligent algorithms for optimization is filled. • The algorithm increases the diversity of decision solutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]