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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]

This paper proposes a multi-objective mathematical model for designing an inter-modal transportation network that includes a seaport and multiple dry-ports in both export-oriented and import-oriented modes under sustainability and resilience criteria. A multi-objective particle swarm optimization algorithm is tailored to solve the large-sized instances. The model and its solution method are validated through several numerical examples in different sizes whose results demonstrate that the development and design of such a seaport-dry port network is a critical component of the government's economic development while its development is a challenging issue requiring proper financing. • Presenting a novel seaport-dry port network design model. • Tailoring a multi-stage stochastic model to account for data uncertainty. • Devising a MOPSO algorithm to solve the large size instances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dematerialization through information technology aids in advancing environmental sustainability. Replacing a bound thesis with an e-thesis for a university dissertation will be a complementary paradigm shift for higher environmental performance. Hence, the study intended to determine and compare the environmental performance parameters of conventional paper-based bound-thesis and e-thesis. Moreover, the study aimed to identify the activities causing higher environmental burdens during the production of bound and e-thesis. Open LCA 1.11 was employed for a conventional bound thesis with its e-version submitted by the undergraduates of the Faculty of Agriculture, University of Ruhuna, Sri Lanka. The study utilized U.S. EPA life-cycle inventory data. The analysis demonstrated that the overall global warming potential of a 40-page hard cover thesis was 4,839,000.00 kg CO 2 -eq to which paper and cover import and paper manufacturing stages contributed more than 99% (4,830,000.0 kg CO 2 -eq). In comparison, a 0.084 MB soft copy of an e-thesis reported a negligible (0.09936 kg CO 2 -eq) global warming potential value. Ozone formation-human health, ozone formation-terrestrial ecosystems, terrestrial acidification, fine particulate matter formation, and marine eutrophication potential were 265,584.31 kg NOx eq, 265,583.21 kg NOx eq, 177,451.5 kg SO 2 eq, 52,948 kg PM2.5 eq, and 29,041.0 kg N-eq for bound thesis production system. Except for the stratospheric ozone depletion impact and water consumption, environmental performance indicators of e-thesis were superior to the conventional-bound thesis. The study recommends the preparation of e-thesis as an environmentally sound approach. Switching to renewables, extended lifespan, and material recycling of devices at the end of use, sustainable forestry practices, process optimization, and cleaner production technologies can further enhance the environmental performance of e-thesis. [Display omitted] • The environmental burdens of the bound thesis and its alternative e-thesis were analyzed using OpenLCA 1.11 from a lifecycle perspective. • The global warming potential of the 40-page hard cover bound-thesis was 4839 ton CO 2 -eq with the marine eutrophication of 29,041 kg N-eq. • Paper manufacturing and the transportation of paper and hardcover by ship accounted for 99% of the total global warming potential of a bound thesis. • E-thesis exhibiting superior environmental performance compared to bound thesis reporting only 99 g CO 2 eq. • The environmental cost of e-thesis reading is higher than e-thesis downloading. • Water consumption and stratospheric ozone depletion impact categories exhibited higher values for e-thesis than the bound thesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) were established in 2015, scientists have attempted to utilize them for sustainability assessments. This paper aims to synthesize the existing approaches in order to make recommendations for future utilization. A systematic literature review was conducted, focusing on innovations as the assessment object and including scientific papers as well as gray literature. Of the initially identified 603 documents, 30 articles contained precise descriptions of approaches utilizing the SDGs for the sustainability assessment of innovations. These approaches were analyzed in three sequential steps: categorization of the operational choices of SDG-based sustainability assessments, discussion of the advantages and disadvantages of these operational choices, and finally deriving recommendations for future utilization. We identified two main approaches: (1) integrating the SDGs into the sustainability assessment methodology or (2) subsequently assigning the assessment results to the SDGs. For the first approach, the SDGs were most frequently used as assessment criteria, but were also used to derive benchmarks or select indicators. In the second approach, assessment results were linked to goals, targets or indicators. The majority but not all articles clearly stated that all 17 SDGs were considered. The most frequently mentioned motivation for SDG utilization was to provide a holistic definition of sustainable development, followed by providing a precise description of sustainable development and international recognition. Only the integration of all 17 SDGs into the sustainability assessment conveys all three of these motivations. Hence, this approach is recommended for maximizing the utilization of SDGs when assessing the sustainability of an innovation. Subsequently assigning the assessment results to the SDGs is suggested as an alternative approach if the scientist's time and resources are limited. Since this approach predefines the SDGs that can be linked through the sustainability assessment methodology utilized, the holistic character of the SDGs is forfeited. More generally, the diversity of approaches found in the literature can be explained by several individual limitations and prerequisites. It is therefore recommended that authors document their research motivation transparently and justify the operational choices they made to fulfil it. This study contributes to the scientific community by (a) providing an overview of possible approaches for utilizing the SDGs in sustainability assessments of innovations and (b) providing recommendations for utilization based on a discussion of the advantages and disadvantages. [Display omitted] • Sustainability assessments of innovations utilizing SDGs were systematically reviewed. • Operational choices in SDG utilization were categorized. • More than 10 (sub-)categories of SDG utilization were identified. • Most frequent reason for utilizing SDGs is their holistic nature. • Holistic nature is transferred only by integrating all 17 SDGs into the assessment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Higher education institutions (HEIs) can play a key role in the transition to the circular economy (CE) given their missions, characteristics and role in shaping the coming generations of citizens and leaders. The aim of this paper is to provide a comprehensive examination of HEIs as microcosms for transitioning to circular models. Through a semi-systematic literature review, it focuses on the systemic transformation of HEIs and uses quantitative and qualitative content analysis to map 72 research papers covering the topic. The paper also introduces a methodological approach to address the complex nature of HEIs as intricate systems. The analysis reveals the presence of six main themes relevant to CE implementation in HEIs: education and research; campus physical facilities; tools and activities for greening the campus; material flows and waste management; collaboration, stakeholder engagement and behaviours; and frameworks for CE implementation. The analysis showed a growing interest in CE implementation in HEIs and evidence of the potential of HEIs to foster the transition towards it. However, an organized approach is currently lacking as is an understanding of how to apply CE practices within HEI systems. Recommendations for future research include comparing academic research findings with grey literature from HEI networks and other credible organizations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Analysis of logistics performance impact on natural environment in EU countries. • Methodology of Green Logistics Performance Index (GLPI) creation to compare countries. • GLPI components: Logistics Performance Index and Environmental Performance Index. • GLPI calculation for EU countries to compare, and see the progress or regress. • Overview on GLPI as a benchmarking tool with its utility suggestions. Logistics performance has a significant impact on the natural environment. The paper analyses it from a broad macro perspective of European Union countries. Also, it proposes the methodology of creation and possibilities of use of the Green Logistics Performance Index (GLPI) to deepen the analyses and compare countries. The paper's primary goal is to introduce and justify the implementation of the GLPI. First, a literature review is provided, covering the concept of green logistics and environmental problems. Next, the Logistics Performance Index (LPI) and Environmental Performance Index (EPI) are described in detail as the components of GLPI, and the methodology of GLPI creation is presented. Finally, the GLPI is calculated for all European Union countries in 2018 (the latest data) and 2010 to compare the differences and see the progress or regress. This part of the paper gives an overview of GLPI as a benchmarking tool, pointing out the positives and negatives, and transferring the best environmental practices from leading counties to others. In the end, the benefits of GLPI are described together with its utility suggestions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to explore the institutional logic of manufacturing companies in the transition to a sustainable and circular economy. The paper follows abductive reasoning and uses a qualitative methodology encompassing primary data collected from 16 interviews with manufacturing companies and supplementary data from web-scan analysis, observation and 15 interviews with public institutions and environmental experts. We identify four specific co-existing logics of the circular economy of manufacturing companies and explain operating conditions of each logic. Compliance and commercial logics reflect instrumental thinking, while value chain and value creation logics are more based on integrative thinking. To illustrate opposites of instrumental thinking and integrative thinking, we propose an analytical framework of circular logics, that consists of three pillars, that is homogeneity vs heterogeneity, techno-centric vs system-centric perspectives, compliance vs ethical responsibility. The originality also relates to the prioritization among different logics. • Four CE logics of manufacturing companies discovered. • Compliance and commercial logics reflect instrumental thinking, value chain and value creation logics are more based on integrative thinking. • We propose an analytical framework of CE logics that consists of three pillars. • Based on attributions of negative and positive factors, managers actually can prioritize integrative CE logics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper introduces a systematic framework for water-energy-food (WEF) nexus with focus on integrating water desalination (via reverse osmosis and thermal desalination), energy generation (from fossil-based power plants and solar panels), and crop production. Specifically, the paper provides generally applicable and new contributions in formulating WEF nexus problems as multi-objective, multi-period optimization problems with data-driven models based on field work. The paper also established a systematic method for integrating and reconciling farming methods, water technologies, energy-resource selection and operation, carbon footprint, and economic factors. A superstructure representation is used to embed the candidate options and configurations. An optimization formulation is developed to determine the optimal system configuration, water and energy uses and sources, and crop mix selection. A multi-period model is developed to account for the seasonal variability. The optimization model is solved under different carbon-footprint cuts to establish a tradeoff curve between the economic and environmental objectives. To generate the necessary experimental data for a meaningful case study, a year-long field study was carried out to generate experimental data for three fields were constructed in Kuwait using open-field, agrivoltaic, and greenhouse farming methods. The field data were extracted and coupled with the optimization formulation to apply the proposed approach to a case study. First, the optimization formulation was solved to maximize the net profit with no limits on the carbon footprint. The solution of this relaxed formulation gives a maximum profit of 2.127 MM USD/y and an annual emission of 2242 tonne CO 2eq. Next, the optimization formulation was solved with the objective of minimizing the total annual emissions. The result was a minimum annual emission of 363 tonne CO 2eq that corresponded to 1.366 MM USD/y of profit. The ɛ-constraint method was employed to establish tradeoffs between the economic and environmental objectives. The solutions also provided valuable information on the percentage contribution of solar energy and water sources. • A systematic framework has been developed for the optimal design and operation of farming systems. • Three farming methods have been tested: open farm, agrivoltaics, and greenhouse systems. • Two sources of water have been included: centralized and on-site desalination systems. • Fossil-driven power plants and solar panels have been considered for energy generation. • The model identifies economic-environmental tradeoffs, water and energy sourcing, and revenue distributions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As climate change and population growth intensify, the agricultural sector's need for sustainable solutions is paramount. This paper presents an overview of smart agriculture, a strategy leveraging technology and data analytics, and its potential to advance sustainability socially, economically, and environmentally. Drawing on recent research, we examine the integration of smart technologies in agriculture, their impact on sustainability, and the architectural design and key factors influencing their adoption. We critically review the literature on the effectiveness of smart agriculture, illuminating how smart farming strategies can curb environmental harm, stimulate economic growth, and promote social inclusivity. We identify existing research gaps and propose directions for future investigation, emphasising the need for rigorous studies on implementation strategies and long-term impacts of smart agriculture on rural landscapes. Our comprehensive overview aims to engage and guide diverse stakeholders, enhancing understanding of sustainable agriculture practices and encouraging more sustainable farming implementations. This paper contributes to global efforts towards harvesting a sustainable future. • Climate change and population growth drive the need for sustainable solutions in agriculture. • Smart tech in agriculture lessens environmental impact and boosts economic and social inclusivity. • Existing literature reveals the effectiveness of smart agriculture in achieving sustainability goals. • Guides stakeholders towards more sustainable farming practices and contributes to global sustainability efforts. [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]

Since the beginning of the COVID-19 outbreak, understanding its impacts on cities has received much attention in science and policy circles. This paper systematically reviews the literature on the interface of the pandemic and urban sustainability. The objective is to portray the impacts brought by the COVID-19 outbreak in urban environments within the sustainability framework and to detect trends and challenges for future research. The paper follows a methodology that integrates both bibliometric and systematic review approaches. The first approach relies on bibliometric analysis to provide an overview of the landscape of main trends on this nexus. The second approach presents a content analysis that deepens the work by outlining the impacts of the pandemic and the challenges that emerged on five different key topics for urban sustainability. The role of resilient urban planning is discussed as an integrative concept to face diverse challenges in the construction of sustainable cities in a post-pandemic scenario. Likewise, the study deliberates on future research topics related to resilient urban planning, social equity, healthy urban environments, sustainable mobility, and circular economy. This review serves as a guide for researchers and urban planners to understand emerging challenges and future research trends in urban sustainability. [Display omitted] • A literature review integrating bibliometric and contents analysis synthesizes the effects of the COVID-19 on the urban sustainability. • The impacts are sorted into thematic areas: resilient urban planning, healthy urban environments, social equity, sustainable mobility, and circular economy. • Challenges for urban sustainability and resilience are proposed as topics for future research work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In today's competitive world, gathering precise context knowledge is a critical barrier for industry practitioners, professionals, and researchers in supply chain management, impeding their capacity to acquire expertise and give effective management awareness. In this regard, this study aimed to identify the data-driven capabilities of supply chain management. Realising the abovementioned issues, the existing literature on supply chain management needs to be further reviewed to explore the data-driven capabilities for sustainable supply chains. The study presented a systematic literature review on a data-driven sustainable supply chain to achieve this goal. One hundred ninety-seven documents from various publications were identified for bibliometric and network analysis from the Scopus database using specific keywords related to the research concept published during 2013–2023 through inclusion and exclusion criteria. The emerging themes were identified using the "R" package and reviewed the papers were reviewed in theme directions. The study showed that implementing data-driven and sustainable technologies could assist strategic decision-making. Also, Data-driven solutions can effectively improve sustainability in supply chain network operations performance. The study demonstrates that big data can contribute to achieving sustainability goals through bibliometric analysis and critique of previous papers published in the specialised field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sustainability-oriented innovation is a developing area in the academic literature, and existing measurement models are either lacking in scope or they have not been validated. Following an extensive review of existing academic literature, this paper addresses this gap by developing a new sustainability-oriented innovation scale. The scale includes elements from the triple bottom line, which incorporates social, environmental, and financial considerations. Environmental considerations are further broken down into carbon footprint, pollution, and materials life cycle. Notably, we also separate capability (could we do it), evaluation (do we measure it), and performance (do we put it into practice in our products and services, and operations). As a holistic model we also include strategy, partnerships, and demand. The validity of the scale was tested first through a pilot study with 23 respondents, and second through a survey study with 202 respondents. Scale evaluation tests confirm the consistency, convergent, and discriminant validity of the new sustainability-oriented innovation scale. Both exploratory and confirmatory analysis results confirm that the theorised scale is a good fit for the data. The contribution of this paper is a comprehensive, validated survey instrument to measure the capability of organisations to deliver sustainable innovation. [Display omitted] • We develop a new scale for measuring sustainability-oriented innovation. • The new scale is suitable for a wide range of organisation types. • The new scale separates capability, evaluation and performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Implementing sustainable or green strategies in warehouse management has become increasingly important. The environmental impact can be assessed by evaluating resource usage and productivity. A proper method for assessing the sustainability of internal processes can provide a valuable tool for companies to understand what is being done correctly and what needs to be improved to comply with new guidelines. For this paper, a case study at Arvato warehousing provider for end consumer products was conducted, and a rating mechanism model for warehouses was developed. Data on energy consumption and productivity were collected from output of 13 warehouse units (modules). From the collected data, a set of KPIs, an index system, an automation categorization system, and a ranking system were created to help with decision making, problem identification, and solving. As result, this paper demonstrates the impact of different material handling systems on energy consumption and found that a higher level of automation does not always translate into operating more efficiently in terms of sustainability. Instead of reporting absolute numbers, this study created an index that displays relative values, making it much easier to identify the most efficient modules. Additionally, this study takes the automation index a step further by creating three categories of automation levels in addition to the percentage that indicates how advanced the technology in a warehouse is, allowing for the creation of groups of warehouses and the comparison of their performance. • Increased automation does not always translate into sustainable operational efficiency. • In general, warehouse units employing less technology perform worse. • Supply chain transparency can increase by grouping and scoring warehouses efficiency. • Electricity and productivity index enable measuring environmental impact. • Energy performance and productivity are related at various levels of automation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Environmental issues have become global challenges, so seeking an economic model to reach environmental sustainability is essential. As an emerging economic model, green finance is considered the most effective tool in promoting low-carbon economic transition. China, the largest economy among developing countries, faces environmental inferiority and increasing energy demand. This paper aims to discuss the effects of green finance on the low-carbon economic transition. This paper makes the policy of green financial reform and innovation pilot zones a quasi-natural experiment. It employs difference-in-differences (DID) model to analyze the impact of green finance on the low-carbon economic transition. This paper found that the low-carbon economic transition achieved good results within experimental zones after establishing a pilot zone for green finance reform and innovation. Furthermore, the parallel trend test results, complicatedly disturbing facts mitigating provincial differences, and placebo tests are still valid. Finally, we found that low-carbon economic transition solely takes effect significantly in eastern and central areas but is not significant in western areas. The paper suggests that green finance has played an apparent role in promoting low-carbon economic transition and provides essential reference and experimental evidence for future economic transition after analyzing the pilot zone for green finance reform and innovation policy. • Green finance is a crucial tool for achieving low-carbon economic transition. • Eastern and middle regions experienced significant effects. • The study provides valuable experimental evidence for future economic transition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For the first time, the critical problem of selecting the most sustainable strategy for urban parcel delivery is addressed and solved in this paper. It aims to help not only postal and logistics companies but also regulatory agencies and city authorities find an environmentally friendly, socially responsible, and economically viable solution. Three alternatives for organizing urban parcel delivery are defined, which are traditional, united consolidation center, and inner-city hubs. According to the three pillars of sustainability, an assessment framework for practitioners is proposed. This paper introduces a linguistic q-rung orthopair fuzzy Choquet integral approach to evaluate sustainable strategies for urban parcel delivery. The linguistic q-rung orthopair fuzzy Choquet integral averaging and linguistic q-rung orthopair fuzzy Choquet integral geometric operators have been constructed for the first time for this purpose. The operator-related qualities are demonstrated. The operators are used to create a multi-criteria group decision-making approach. The case study of the city of Belgrade illustrates the practical applicability of the linguistic q-rung orthopair fuzzy Choquet integral approach. This research findings show that the united consolidation center is the most sustainable strategy for organizing urban parcel delivery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recycling spent lithium-ion batteries is a significant way to achieve life-cycle management and a green circular economy, helping to achieve carbon neutrality. The form of battery pack disassembly has gradually moved away from manual manipulation to a human–robot collaborative process. However, there is no established methodology for assessing spent lithium-ion battery disassembly between the environmental benefits, technical feasibility, and economic viability of human–robot collaborative disassembly (HRCD). To ensure the efficiency and security of HRCD processes, this paper develops a resilience assessment model for HRCD using stability, redundancy, efficiency and adaptation metrics. The resilience assessment theory is used to obtain the internal relations among the resilience indicators of the system. In this work, we evaluate the resilience of HRCD for lithium-ion battery disassembly by integrating fuzzy Bayesian fusion with an analytical network process unfolding cloud. The 2017 Chevrolet Bolt driver demonstrated the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed approach, which allows greater flexibility in complex tasks performed by humans and robots. In case study, the weights values of stability, redundancy, efficiency and adaptability are 0.340533, 0.161384, 0.203835 and 0.294248, respectively. IR2&HO1 and IR3&HO2 have an assessment value of 93 and 95, respectively, with eigenvalues of 1.28 and 1.23, which are level I. RI3&HO1 and RI4&HO3 belong to level IV, with an evaluation value of 38 and 45, respectively, and a characteristic value of 2.27 and 2.55, respectively. The integrated methodology proposed in this paper could be effectively used by disassembly management, to evaluate the HRCD disassembly scheme resilient strategies for better managing production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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

The level of infrastructure is a crucial factor affecting national future economic growth, as well as playing a significant role in shaping both the present and future society and environment. The environment, society and governance (ESG) principles originated from the Principles for Responsible Investment. The ESG is highly effective at evaluating the sustainability of infrastructure and promoting sustainable infrastructure investments. The wide implications of ESG in this research filed also prove that it will not only enhance economic competitiveness and social welfare, as well as address the impacts of climate change, but also improve the risk-return profile of investments. The paper examines the literature on infrastructure investment and its links to environmental sustainability, social impact, and governance. 274 articles from 2007 to 2022 are used to map the intellectual landscape of infrastructure investment research and identify key themes and trends. The results of the cluster analysis illustrate that previous studies mainly focus on "social responsibility", "governance", "investment and financing" and "strategic planning", which can assist scholars in gaining a well-rounded comprehension of contemporary research progress in this area. By conducting a comparative analysis of various standards, we identify the challenges that ESG may encounter. We summarize the recommendations for future research from three aspects: research on project field, research on evaluation system, research on the promotion and application. The results provide assistance for researchers and professionals who are concerned about this field and contribute to research on sustainable infrastructure investments. [Display omitted] • ESG in infrastructure investment as an attractive new research field is important for sustainability. • This paper reviews previous studies on ESG in infrastructure investment from perspectives of ESG. • We summarize the crucial literature, highlight the significant areas of progress, and identify policy challenges. • We provide future recommendations in three areas: project fields, evaluation systems, and application research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the past two decades, researchers have investigated buyer-supplier relationships (BSRs) to foster supply chain decarbonization as a countermeasure to the effects of climate change. However, the academic intellectual foundation is still far from maturing, not only because of its novelty but also because scholars have focused on narrow topics and theoretical lenses. Thus, this paper aims to understand the present intellectual structure of BSRs in low-carbon supply chains (LCSCs) while showing the lack of knowledge and the need to investigate research topics through multiple theoretical lenses. In this study, a literature review was conducted by collecting data without date restriction in July 2023 and analyzing 804 peer-reviewed articles from top-ranked academic journals. Both quantitative and qualitative methods were applied for the paper's content analysis, including a multiple correspondence analysis and a homogeneity analysis of variance by means of alternating least squares (HOMALS) to map the data. The results show a high degree of fragmentation within the present theoretical foundation of BSRs in LCSCs, including a limited application of theoretical lenses and the need for a balanced research agenda. Based on the assessment of the existent literature, 29 research propositions are presented and they are categorized under eight theoretical lenses that constitute the interpretive framework. This study contributes to building theoretical knowledge of supply chain management 1) by analyzing the present intellectual foundation while mapping investigated research topics and theories in a two-dimensional graph and 2) by proposing a balanced research agenda with 29 research propositions to develop the field of BSRs in LCSCs. In addition to the method's originality in the mentioned field, this review highlights emerging research topics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rational assessment of the regional sustainable development level is an important prerequisite for formulating development strategies and achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Currently, little literature provides nuanced understanding for national sustainable development from the perspective of county sustainability. Such studies can provide more accurate regional heterogeneity characteristics and policy decision support. Thus, this paper applies the entropy weight method and Chinese county data from 2000 to 2017 to reassess the sustainability of Chinese counties. The results show that China's county sustainability (Sustainable Development Index, SDI) is slowly improving. County sustainability performance is poorer in ethnic minority agglomerations, poor counties, old revolutionary counties, and central and western regions, better in county-level cities and eastern regions. The decomposition results show that economic sustainability and environmental sustainability are the main supporters of SDI growth, and livelihood sustainability is in urgent need of improvement. The regional inequality of SDI in Chinese counties gradually decreases, and inter-group differences are the main contributors to regional inequality in SDI. This paper provides support for China to develop county-level sustainable development measures and practice the SDGs. The findings could be useful for policymakers. [Display omitted] • Based on the entropy weight method and the Chinese county data, the sustainable development levels of 1533 counties in China from 2000 to 2017 are estimated. • Analyses of spatial-temporal dynamic heterogeneity, Linear decomposition, and Dagum decomposition are conducted to study the features of sustainable development in Chinese counties. •The influence of natural features and national concern preferences on county sustainable development are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to synthesize the extant literature on supply chain (SC) resilience and draw a roadmap for resilient SCs by employing a systematic literature review (SLR). The paper utilizes an SLR methodology to draw upon important themes and sub-themes. This is based on a pool of papers published in peer-reviewed journals. Major themes identified included SC networks and structures, Industry 4.0 and digitalization, innovation and entrepreneurship, capabilities and strategies, SC risk management, circular economy and sustainability. SC networks and structures, as well as the role of information technology and Industry 4.0, are an important theme of research in the literature. The literature at this juncture has mainly highlighted the role of big data analytics, blockchain technology, and artificial intelligence in SC resilience. In addition, the important capabilities highlighted by researchers include SC flexibility, SC capacity, SC robustness, SC relationship management and SC leadership for improving SC resilience. The important themes and sub-themes identified in the study would help identify the strategic fields of action for creating resilient SCs. Particularly, the conceptualization of resilience within the SCs would help to uncover the factors that play an important role in improving the SCs. Further, the study also focuses on the interplay between sustainability and resilience. The present study will help managers to understand the factors that affect resilience in SCs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most of the products on which our welfare state is based are composed of chemicals. The growth of the world's population, its ageing and the continuous improvement of welfare state aspirations augur an increase in the needs for all these everyday products in our lives. A high percentage of these chemicals are synthesised using catalysis. In this perspective paper, we highlight the importance of catalysis, which is at the heart of chemical processes, and therefore one of the tools for creating products that drive sustainability. We have compiled twelve methodological best practices in catalyst design and conception that can serve as inspiration for the creation and improvement of catalysts. We include some application examples to illustrate this. [Display omitted] • Most of the chemicals are synthesised using catalysts. • Chemicals are used to create daily products, therefore they promote welfare state. • Innovative catalysts may drive our society towards sustainability. • 12 best practices in catalyst design have been compiled and explained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the last decade, there has been a steady increase in the amount of magnesium scrap sourced from manufacturing processes due to the rapidly growing market for magnesium alloys in various industries. As a result, the reuse of magnesium becomes extremely beneficial for cost reduction, natural resource preservation, and environmental protection, as it gives scrap magnesium a new lease on life. The reuse of AZ91 magnesium alloy chips for producing functionally graded composites reinforced with yttrium oxide (Y 2 O 3) to enhance microstructure and mechanical properties was investigated in this paper. The manufacturing method for this study involves: (1) collecting and cleaning magnesium chips, (2) pre-mixing them with Y 2 O 3 particles, (3) melting and blending the compositions using a stir casting method, and (4) finally pouring it into a centrifugal casting to produce the functionally graded composite. The microstructure of the AZ91 matrix was examined, and it indicated a well-distributed gradient of Y 2 O 3 particles with little agglomeration. The estimated concentration of particles (which ranged from 40.35% to 32.1% area) closely matched the experimental data (which ranged from 43% ± 1.5% to 28% ± 1.5% area). The study also revealed that particle concentration had a substantial influence on the mechanical properties, with the outer zone outperforming both the middle and inner zones. In the outer zone, the gradient composite had a hardness of 106.89 ± 1.25 HV, a tensile strength of 197.39 ± 2 MPa, and a compressive strength of 335.29 ± 5 MPa. Furthermore, the findings demonstrated the feasibility of employing chip waste to make graded composites, providing a feasible technique for reusing magnesium chips created during machining procedures. This research sheds new light on the use of magnesium chips as a matrix material in the casting of functionally graded composites. [Display omitted] • ·Functionally graded AZ91/ Y 2 O 3 composite using magnesium chips as matrix was produced successfully via centrifugal casting. • Microstructure analysis showed a well-distributed Y 2 O 3 particle gradient, indicating successful reinforcement integration. • The outer zone showed superior mechanical properties, with increased hardness, tensile strength, and compressive strength. • Excellent agreement of particle concentration in AZ91 matrix alloy was achieved for theoretical and experimental results. • The effect of the capture and pushing of particles during the solidification process was discussed in detail. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Convenience foods have wide-reaching impacts on various areas of sustainability. However, research typically focuses on environmental issues, often overlooking other sustainability issues. Design research, specifically Food-to-Go design research, focuses solely on specific environmental behaviours, such as users' packaging use, food waste, and overall circular behaviours regarding food. This study aims to define areas of Food-to-Go-style convenience foods that have a significant correlation with human issues, to develop a future design research agenda that looks at and integrates the variety of sustainability issues associated with Food-to-Go. The study accomplishes this through a literature review and meta-analysis synthesising the various impacts of convenience food across areas, such as environmental sustainability, human health, and sociological studies of food consumption. This paper concludes that although current research includes many of the areas mentioned above, there is also a previously unidentified opportunity for psychological wellbeing investigation. • There is not enough research into the social sustainability impacts of convenience food. • Convenience food research is often siloed into discrete aspects of sustainability. • There is evidence both for and against convenience food being associated with the likelihood of obesity. • The odds of experiencing several health issues are positively associated with different types of convenience food. [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 investigates the impacts of weather shocks on athlete performance, focusing on soccer players in the Chinese Soccer Super League over three consecutive seasons from 2014 to 2016. Utilizing daily meteorological data, we construct the temperature and precipitation bin variables to explore the marginal effects on the physical and cognitive performance of soccer players. The empirical findings document a sizeable impact of high temperatures and heavy precipitation on players' performance indicators, including physical performance and cognitive performance. Specifically, relative to conditions with temperatures below 15 °C, the total running distances, the number of passes, and the number of fouls for soccer players significantly decrease by 7.6%, 6.0%, and 23.1%, respectively, when temperatures exceed 30 °C. The results for precipitation bins show that relative to conditions with precipitation below 0.1 mm, the total running distances, the number of passes, and the number of fouls for soccer players significantly decrease by 1.2%, 8.2%, and 4.7%, respectively, when precipitation exceeds 50 mm. Moreover, the heterogeneity analysis reveals that the negative effects of high temperatures and heavy precipitation are more pronounced and significant for older players, for matches performed away from home, and for matches performed in areas with higher temperatures or more precipitation. Evidence of player adaptations suggests that players from regions with higher temperatures or more precipitation perform better in terms of physical and cognitive abilities when playing in areas with lower temperatures or less precipitation compared to players from regions with lower temperatures or less precipitation when they compete in areas with higher temperatures or more precipitation. Finally, policy suggestions are proposed to mitigate the impact of weather shocks on soccer players and to promote the sustainability of the soccer industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bioelectrochemical systems have emerged as efficient and sustainable wastewater treatments. Constructed wetland microbial fuel cell has gained considerable attention for electrogenic bacteria-driven wastewater treatment and electricity generation. Electrogenic bacteria play a pivotal role in constructed wetland microbial fuel cell by converting organic waste into electrons, thereby providing a critical biocatalyst for wastewater treatment and electricity generation. However, understanding their regulation, enrichment, and interactions remains lacking. This paper presents a comprehensive and systematic review of current research advancements in electroactive bacteria, offering valuable insights for further investigation. Through a bibliometric analysis and systematic review, this article presents a study on the factors influencing the role of electroactive bacteria and provides a comprehensive overview of the system removal performance. Finally, suggestions and future research directions for constructed wetland microbial fuel cell are presented. [Display omitted] • Bibliometric analysis identified key factors and trends in CW-MFC system. • The structure and operational parameters influencing EAB are studied. • EAB is vital in the removal of traditional and emerging pollutants in CW-MFC. • Research of interactions among EAB, electrodes, and pollutant removal is required. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the age of digitalization, data centers are critical facilities that help people and businesses in many sectors. Data centers, like other assets requiring high investment, face several risks during their operation. Also, data centers seek sustainable sources to boost their operations when selecting the most appropriate location. Therefore, the location of a data center is chosen based on sustainability and risk assessment. To the best of our knowledge, no study has been conducted for data center risk evaluation with environmental and sustainability assessment. This paper evaluates the eight main criteria and the forty-five sub-criteria for selecting the most appropriate location for the data center when considering the fifty different economies in different business regions. For this particular purpose, the continuous intuitionistic fuzzy sets (CIFS)-based analytical hierarchy process (AHP) is presented to define the weights of each criterion and sub-criterion. Then, the CIFS-based technique for order of preference by similarity to the ideal solution (TOPSIS) is developed to rank the fifty economies integrated with the weights from the CIFS-based AHP. Moreover, eight different scenarios were conducted, and comparison studies were presented. Finally, Denmark, Switzerland, and The Netherlands are the top three selections based on the criteria. [Display omitted] • Fuzzy multi-criteria methods are developed to evaluate data center locations. • Natural, energy, and infrastructure risks are the top three pillars. • Economies are ranked based on the eight scenarios with sustainability and risks. • Denmark tops the charts with the highest score associated with fifty economies. • Based on each income level, Denmark, Brazil, and Tunisia are suitable locations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Natural dyes and natural dyeing have been on the agenda of the scientific community for a long time due to their many advantages. Nonetheless, low affinity, low fixation rates of natural dyes, and occurrence of closely related metal-containing waste baths can be listed as disadvantages. This paper offers a different approach to eliminate these disadvantages. To that end, wool fabrics were dyed in the presence of four different natural dye sources (green walnut shells/husks, barberry shrub roots, madder roots, and alkanet roots) and three metal-based (aluminum, copper, and iron) mordanting agents. Baths remaining from the first dyeings were used an extra four times for repetitive dyeings. It was revealed that satisfying/acceptable colors and sufficient color yields could be obtained for all-natural dyes even after the 5th dyeing using the same dye bath. However, it was regarded as reasonable to obtain lighter colors and lower color yields with an increasing number of repetitions. The color shifts started to be observed especially after the second dyeings, which could be attributed to the significantly reduced amount of natural dye and the mordanting agent left in the waste dye baths. This divergence was seen at least in barberry shrub root-based dyeings. In addition, it was interesting to note that wet fastnesses of all dyeings with all mordants were generally good and even improved with repeated dyeings, while light fastnesses were initially medium-low and decreased slightly with repeated dyeings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In India, approximately one-third of agricultural produce is wasted every year due to the different issues present in the post-harvest supply chain stages. The supply chain management of perishable products becomes complex and challenging due to the inclusion of its perishability dynamics. Quality is the main factor that governs the buying or discarding of perishable products by consumers. Therefore, the main aim of this research work is to develop an accurate and efficient image processing model for the classification of the product (Tomato) based on its quality for managing the supply chain. There are three novelties in this research work. A four-stage supply chain architecture integrated with the image processing system at mandi, and warehouses is proposed (First). This image processing system is developed in two stages. In stage I, the acquired images of tomato during its life cycle are labelled with the help of machine learning algorithms (Second). This labelled data is used in stage II for the development of a classification model to segregate the product into various grades. For this, an optimized architecture of seven-layer Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) model is developed followed by optimization of its hyperparameters simultaneously using Design of Experiments (DOE) technique (Third). The optimized CNN model achieved maximum accuracy of 88.40% and reported an execution time of 7 min. Further, the results of standard hyperparameter optimization techniques like Grid search, Random search, Bayesian, and Hyperband are compared with the proposed DOE technique on the optimized CNN architecture. The work done in this paper enables the supply chain managers to take accurate and rapid decisions for pricing, procurement, storage, and transportation at various stages of the supply chain leading to Industry 4.0. This will result in reduced post-harvest losses and simultaneously achieve the benefits across social, economic, and environmental dimensions of sustainability leading to better supply chain management. • A supply chain architecture integrated with image processing system is proposed. • Decisions related to pricing, procurement, storage and transportation can be taken. • The quality of product is modelled and labelled using Machine Learning algorithms. • A CNN model is developed for quality-based classification and optimized using DoE. • A comparison of DoE with Grid search, Bayesian and Hyperband is presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As one of the most swiftly industrializing countries in the world, China is struggling with significant challenges facing its environment, in particular in its marine ecosystems. Hence, economic activities increasingly are influencing these ecosystems, requiring their study crucial for sustainable development. Therefore, it is paramount perceiving the potential implications of economic growth and foreign direct investment (FDI) for marine health. The study aims to explore the impact of economic growth and FDI on China's marine ecosystem during 1980–2019, examining the probable intersections of economic advancement, FDI, and marine sustainability, the study used a novel nonlinear Fourier Autoregressive Distributed Lags (FARDL) approach. Notably, the paper confirms the Fishing Grounds Load Capacity Curve (FGLCC) hypothesis, demonstrating a nonlinear affiliation among income levels and maritime conditions. Moreover, the results point out that FDI initially worsens marine conditions until a certain threshold is reached, marking a pivotal change in the influence of FDI from environmental degradation to improvement. In addition, the study underscores the critical need for policies that balance economic development with Chines' marine environmental sustainability, emphasizing the importance of intended regulatory and strategic interventions. These insights are vital for enhancing marine requirements and ensuring well-being and health of future generations, providing significant implications maritime policymakers in addressing marine environmental challenges amid economic development. [Display omitted] • Analyzes China's marine sustainability from 1980 to 2019 using the Fishing Grounds Load Capacity Factor. • Proposes and tests the Fishing Grounds Load Capacity Curve hypothesis. • Evaluates marine Pollution Haven and marine Pollution Halo hypotheses. • Provides evidence for FGLCC and marine Pollution Haven based on Fourier ARDL modelling. • Offers insights into balancing economic growth and marine ecosystem preservation in China through key policy levers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on 196 prefecture-level cities in China from 2006 to 2021, this paper constructs a weight matrix of urban economic geography and uses the spatial differential model to verify the impact of smart city policies on urban green energy efficiency. The results show that the efficiency value of green energy fluctuates in Chinese cities. Different test results show that smart city policies can effectively improve urban green energy efficiency, but mainly from the time effect rather than the individual effect. It means the improvement in urban green energy efficiency comes more from the fast-growing of the Chinese economy and urban construction in this period than from the country's smart city pilot policy. In addition, from the spatial spillover effect result, China needs to design a better urban spatial development plan to improve the capacity of smart city energy services and vigorously develop intelligent technology represented by information and communication science. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The role of ICT solutions in protecting the environment, strengthening global efforts to combat climate change, and promoting sustainability has received significant global attention. Various strategies, such as top-down, bottom-up, or blended approaches involving policies and civic actions, have been employed to raise awareness and foster sustainable behavioral changes. However, the relationship between ICT and engagement approaches for promoting awareness and empowering communities and organizations to adopt sustainable practices remains underexplored. This paper presents a systematic mapping study (SMS) that examines the nexus between ICT solutions and engagement approaches, aiming to support citizens' transition to a more sustainable society. The study analyzed 66 relevant primary studies addressing sustainable activities, engagement approaches, and ICT solutions to promote and strengthen awareness of sustainable behavior and activities. The results indicate a growing interest among researchers in ICT-driven engagement approaches for sustainable choices. The study highlights the need for a blended approach that encompasses techno-social strategies to stimulate awareness of sustainable activities and practices at both individual and societal levels. Furthermore, there is a need for future research on the roles of policies, civic actions, and implementation framing, such as green identity, eco-subsidies, and green taxes, for effective strategies to design sustainability-centric technological solutions to foster citizen sustainability awareness and adoption of sustainable practices. These findings contribute to the expanding body of research on ICT for sustainability and hold implications for policymakers, citizens, and organizations committed to a sustainable future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Enhancing the sustainability of large-scale infrastructure construction is the foundation and trend of urban sustainable development and environmental protection. This paper proposes a perception and evaluation method based on Dynamic Fuzzy Cognitive Mapping (D-FCM) to address the dynamics, uncertainties, and implementation difficulties of sustainability evaluation in large-scale infrastructure construction. Using Hebbian rules to learn the experience and knowledge of experts, a dynamic evolution correlation matrix about evaluation indicators is obtained, and a D-FCM dynamic system model is established to obtain the sustainability evaluation results of large-scale infrastructure construction. The comprehensive sustainable evaluation value (K) of the selected subway project case is 0.934, which belongs to the V level in the sustainable level classification standard and has a good trend in sustainable development. Social public participation (S1), light pollution prevention (H1), wastewater discharge compliance rate (H2), soil pollution prevention (H3), and soil and water conservation and utilization (Z2) are the most significant and sensitive indicators for the sustainable development of large-scale infrastructure construction. Based on the interaction of influencing factors in the D-FCM model, an economically efficient control measures and decision-making plan can be proposed to improve the sustainability of large-scale infrastructure construction projects. [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]

In the 21st Century, marine plastic pollution emerges as a prominent wicked issue, posing threats to planetary boundaries, biological and anthropogenic systems. Such complex and multiscale issues significantly contribute to the degradation of our land and ocean ecosystem. For example, loss of aquatic life due to ghost fishing or microplastic pollution from broken-down plastics in the oceans. These 'wicked societal issues' can no longer be resolved through our existing societal structures and methods. The aquaculture and fisheries sectors are significant contributors to plastic marine debris globally. However, research and practices on this matter have been fragmented, siloed, and often limited to specific value chain sections (material science, waste). If more sustainable circular practices are to be realised in the use and management of plastic in the fisheries and aquaculture sectors, interdisciplinary-cross sector co-operation is required, which addresses such global issues at the local level. Using Norway and early findings from the SHIFTPLASTICs project as a case study, this paper presents how interdisciplinary co-production framed by the Systems Design Approach + has enabled creative spaces whereby: 1) a clear identification of the most problematic areas of plastic pollution across the whole service model value chain, and, 2) targeted measures in enabling the transition to more sustainable circular practices and plastic pollution mitigation in the sectors. Key findings include the logic, development, application, and outcomes of the SDA + methodological approach. This includes enabling interdisciplinary co-development and critiquing the Norwegian service model value chain of plastic pollution in the fisheries and aquaculture sectors. The identification and potential solutions in tackling 16-plastic pollution 'hot spots' of the most problematic plastic-based products for the sectors. We conclude that the Systems Design Approach + framework, as undertaken, has enabled collaborative spaces and interactions suitable to generate knowledge, insights, tool development, and creativity in pursuit of innovation and circular transitions for these wicked societal issue. This approach has potential for scalability. • Fisheries and aquaculture sectors are the most significant contributors to marine plastic pollution. • Contemporary complex issues require collaborative interdisciplinary working to decipher and mitigate these wicked problems. • Sustainable management of wicked resource problems demands a new set of cultural attributes. • Systems Design Approach+ is a robust framework that enables such working practices. • We mapped and identified the 16 most problematic areas across the fishing and aquaculture value chains of Norway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carbon dioxide (CO 2) and hydrogen (H 2) present substantial feedstock potential for advancing sustainability in the chemical industry. In this paper, a new integrated system is proposed consisting of four subsystems, including an ICT-OEC six-step Cu–Cl cycle, a CO 2 capture using monoethanolamine (MEA), an ammonia production unit, and a methanation unit. The simulation of these subsystems was carried out using Aspen Plus software. Based on literature indicating a 3-step Cu–Cl cycle producing 125 TPD of hydrogen, comparative simulations of a similar-capacity six-step Cu–Cl cycle were conducted for the current analysis. All related values correspond to it. Converting CO 2 into methane and nitrogen into ammonia holds great promise in reaching the net-zero target and fostering sustainability. A comprehensive cradle-to-gate Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) investigates the environmental impacts of ammonia and methane production using green hydrogen and CO 2. Significantly, the utilization of renewable energy sources such as nuclear, wind, and hydropower in the CO 2 refinery process generates a net negative Global Warming Potential (GWP). It was noted that the GWP value of the electrical grid could increase significantly, reaching up to 370,000 kg CO 2 eq., particularly when producing 23,277.2 kg/h of ammonia and 2141.71 kg/h of methane at a hydrogen consumption rate of 5211 kg/h (125 metric tons of H 2 per day). The significant environmental impact of the CO 2 refinery process is notably influenced by the choice of electrical grid mix as the energy source. However, in the case of photovoltaics as an energy source, the value of 0.517 kg sb eq, surpasses that of the electrical grid mix. However, nuclear energy emerges as a particularly low-GWP impact, with values of −4190 and −4140 CO 2 kg eq. for the 3-step and 6-step Cu–Cl cycles, respectively. The findings suggest that the CO 2 refinery process generates a carbon credit in both scenarios. Based on the findings of this study, policymakers have a basis for developing effective strategies to address and alleviate environmental impacts. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Achieving urbanization sustainability is considered to be both an important component of the Sustainable Development Goals and a key way to address the conflict between limited resource constraints and urban continued growth. Regarding the urbanization sustainability, the impact of ecological environment and resource consumption has been widely discussed, while the holistic effect of urban land expansion and urban population dynamics is under-researched. This paper evaluated the urbanization sustainability of 15 urban agglomerations in China from 2000 to 2020, and applied the Geodetector model to investigate its impact mechanism. The results show that at the national level, the level of urbanization sustainability exhibited a trend of first increasing and then decreasing, accompanied by significant spatial differentiation. Spatially, the level of urbanization sustainability in urban agglomerations located in the northeast regions had strong variability during the study period. In contrast, urban agglomerations located in the central region had a lower level of urbanization sustainability due to the unrestricted expansion of urban land. In addition, urbanization sustainability varied according to the development stage of urban agglomerations. Specifically, urbanization sustainability showed a downward trend in the initial development stage, early growth stage and later growth stage of urban agglomeration, and upward trend in mature stage. Economic development level, foreign direct investment, industrial structure and urbanization level were the primary determinants of differences in urbanization sustainability at both national and regional levels. These findings may help to formulate the urban sustainable development planning and differentiated land use policies. • A new evaluation framework for urbanization sustainability was proposed. • The sustainability of urbanization varies at different stages of development. • Economic factors are the primary determinants of urbanization sustainability. • The interaction effect of factors affect sustainability of urbanization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Natural fibres are in great demand as a clean and green material as reinforcement in sustainable and environment-friendly biodegradable composites. The study aimed to extract palm grass leaf fibres through water retting, a cleaner and greener approach compared with the use of 5–10% NaOH. The physicochemical characterisation was done by SEM, optical microscopy, FT-IR, XRD, TGA, bundle strength, moisture content and standard biochemical tests for cellulose, hemicellulose, lignin and ash. New natural fibres extracted from Curculigo capitulata by water retting showed a smooth surface of uniaxial fibres under SEM and optical microscope compared to eroded surfaces of chemically extracted fibres. Both the fibres extracted by water retting and with 5% NaOH showed nearly similar crystallinity index (84–85%) and size (2.44nm), whereas the former contained 64% cellulose with bundle strength 154MPa compared to 72% and 219.11MPa with the latter. While using 10% (NaOH) showed cellulose 82.29 ± 0.63%, crystallinity index 87.43%, and bundle strength 256.46 ± 15.81MPa. Approximately similar lignin content (20.30 ± 0.91–21.66 ± 1.18%) and mass degradation (%) were obtained in water-retted and 5%–7.5% NaOH extracted fibres. FT-IR spectra showed the characteristic bands at 3421cm−1 for O–H stretching and 2917cm−1 for alkyl C–H stretching in cellulose; at 1630cm1 for C C stretching in lignin. All the extracted fibres showed industrial potential similar to successful natural fibres for fine rope, yarn, handmade paper, and fabrics aiming for a circular bioeconomy. [Display omitted] • New natural fibres were extracted for the first time from Palm grass leaves (Curculigo capitulata), a bio-waste by biological and chemical methods • A sustainable cleaner and greener biological retting resulted smooth surface of uniaxial fibres • Physicochemical characterization was done with SEM, FT-IR, TGA, contents of lignin, cellulose, hemicellulose and bundle strength • New natural fibres showed similarity with commercial natural fibres used in biodegradable fabrics and as reinforcement in green composites [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite several research evaluating the connection between sustainability and the bottom line of firms, the existing research is inconclusive. In addition, most studies focus on multinational firms based in the United States or Europe, while research in the context of emerging economies is scant. This paper endeavours to investigate the strength of the association between Environment, Social and Governance (ESG) disclosure scores and the financial performance of 272 Indian firms listed on National Stock Exchange for the period 2015 to 2021 by employing panel data regression techniques. The results indicate that organisations having better ESG performance outperform their industry peers financially and are valued more by the market. Moreover, the data indicates that financial markets for lenders consider ESG disclosure when determining creditworthiness. In accordance with this, businesses can examine their operations and become more aligned with eco-friendly methods. Even though ESG disclosure appears to be associated with improved financial success, this is not the case across all industries and during COVID-19 pandemic. This study is relevant due to the growing significance of sustainability and the role of emerging nations in international commerce. It helps managers prioritize resource allocations to ESG-related activities that may affect financial performance differently across industry sectors, thus adding to the literature on the financial effects of ESG disclosures, particularly industry-specific aspects. This research represents a pioneering effort by assessing the impact of ESG disclosure on the profitability, market value, and cost of financing of Indian firms using both aggregation and disaggregation methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper focuses on addressing a critical challenge in 3D printing: managing energy consumption. 3D printing has emerged as a transformative technology in manufacturing, but its energy demands are a key concern for cost-effectiveness and sustainability. To tackle this challenge, an energy management system is proposed to leverage manifold model morphing and semi-supervised machine learning, to reduce production costs for 3D printing. The manifold model is a mathematical representation of the 3D object to be printed, and the refinement process involves optimizing the morphing parameters of the manifold model to achieve desired printing outcomes. To enable flexibility in the grasping space, the semi-supervised machine learning is then incorporated to leverage unlabeled data, enhancing the accuracy and robustness of the energy management system. The proposed system addresses the challenges of limited labeled data and complex morphologies of biological products in layered additive manufacturing. The energy management system is more applicable to soft robotics and biomedical products. The performance of the proposed system is evaluated through extensive experiments that demonstrate its effectiveness and efficacy in predicting and managing energy consumption in 3D printing. Our system offers a practical solution for estimating energy consumption in the design stage, and thus guides the designers to adopt the optimal part geometry and process planning for cleaner production. The results highlight that the proposed system is capable of optimizing energy usage in 3D printing, contributing to the advancement of green and sustainable industrial practices. • A manifold morphing method is proposed to generate multiple family-products. • A kinematics model of the self-grasping manifold is constructed for validation. • A semi-supervised deep network is designed to leverage generated family-products. • The system addresses the challenges of limited sample data in energy management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Proposed a knowledge structure to enhance AM design with sustainability information. • Developed an eco-design for AM ontology incorporating sustainability analysis into AM design. • Proposed an ontology-based application procedure in developing AM-enabled eco-design solution. • Presented a case study on a hydraulic manifold eco-design and fabrication using selective laser melting. Design for Additive Manufacturing (DfAM) offers a unique opportunity to consider the sustainability of industrial components fabricated by additive manufacturing in the early stage of product development. This leads to the emergence of a novel cross-subject field known as Eco-Design for AM (EcoDfAM). Sustainability analysis of industrial components is critical in EcoDfAM but demands substantial domain knowledge not yet modeled within existing DfAM knowledge. This paper addresses the gap by developing an EcoDfAM ontology using the Web Ontology Language (OWL). This ontology aims to enable knowledge reuse for sustainability analysis in AM design by structurally organizing life cycle process information of industrial components and then semantically modeling Sustainable Design Knowledge (SDK). SDK captures implicit knowledge from AM, design, and sustainability domains, highlighting the correlation of design and sustainability in EcoDfAM through introducing a novel concept, the Material-Process-Structure-ecoProperty (MPSeP) relationships, to extend knowledge in the AM domain for considering sustainability. A six-step ontology development process was employed to create the EcoDfAM ontology which comprises three important concepts: eco-parameters, eco-property, and performance. The representation of SDK focused on the Laser Powder Bed Fusion (LPBF) process in the developed ontology. Implementation of the ontology is carried out using the Protégé tool, and reasoning and queries within EcoDfAM are accomplished through the Semantic Web Rule Language (SWRL) and Semantic Query-enhanced Web Rule Language (SQWRL). The proposed EcoDfAM ontology is demonstrated through a case study on a hydraulic manifold to be fabricated by SLM, showcasing its effectiveness in retrieving key inventory data related to carbon emission and cost, eco-parameters used in DfAM, and recommending eco-design recommendations, facilitating the development of an eco-friendly and economical AM solution for the hydraulic manifold. In conclusion, this study contributes a structured knowledge model, serving as a professional, reusable, and upgradable knowledge base for sustainability analysis in AM design, empowering designers to fully leverage AM's potential for sustainable outcomes [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent advances in quality manufacturing research have focused on the industrial landing of Zero-defect Manufacturing (ZDM) which is aiming toward a more precise, robust, and sustainable production paradigm. A systematic deployment platform for ZDM implementation need to take advantage of the various advanced technologies and integrate them. Cyber-physical system (CPS) is a critical framework and low-rank representation (LRR) is the method which has widely used in computer vision, signal processing and other research areas. This paper describes a novel framework based on the interdisciplinary integration of cyber-physical architecture and low-rank representation, which is named the CPS-ZDM-LRR framework. It transforms the quality control problem into the signal monitoring, to complete the process states interpretation and deal with the hidden defect problem in ZDM. Through the continuous monitoring of products and equipment' status during manufacturing process, the real-time raw data from different sources has been preprocessed to the time series features which are slide keyframe matrices, and LRR used to search the low-rank structure of slide keyframe matrices which can help us recognize the current status of manufacturing system deeply and give the preventive measures suggestion for quality assurance. Finally, an simulation experiment will validate our framework and show its performance in zero-defect manufacturing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, sustainable digital economy development goals have received increasing attention because of the serious influence environment with the development of the rapid economy. Meanwhile, Multiple Criteria Decision-Making (MCDM) methods are efficient ways to measure sustainable developments, which can controls environmental pollution and protects sustainability improvement. However, assessment results are unconvincing by using the common MCDM methods because various areas that caused pollution conditions are inconsistent. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to design an interpretable MCDM method with uncertain weights for various areas evaluation. In particular, MCDM can be used to evaluate environmental sustainability development efficiently, and deep neural networks can supply credible weights to MCDM. Interpretability is used to understand key factors in the decision-making process. Referring to the national policy and urgent areas from central areas in China, six areas are conducted to assess the sustainable digital economy problem, which could be interpreted as demonstrating the effectiveness and feasibility of the proposed approach. Besides, the experimental results demonstrate that the sustainable developmental level of Hubei is the best in the latest year. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Important roles of ionic liquids and deep eutectic solvents in green chemistry. • Overview on the efficiency of nanofluids in green chemistry. • Cutting-edge methodologies for sustainable synthesis of organic materials. • Mechanism of action in ionic liquids and deep eutectic solvents. Form past till now, green chemistry has been considered as a promising technique for the organic synthesis of materials toward environmental sustainability and economic development. The prominent duties of green chemistry are the enhancement of production efficacy and decrement of waste generation during the operation. In order to implement this process in industries, important green strategies like avoiding waste production, application of catalytic amount of catalyst, reduction of energy consumption and eventually, employment of renewable /bio-degradable substances must be paid attention. The industrial-based application of ionic liquids, deep eutectic solvents and nanofluids have recently been of great interest as eco-friendly, bio-degradable and green materials, which significantly improve the efficiency of green synthesis of organic materials. This paper aims to comprehensively review the breakthrough and cutting-edge methodologies for sustainable and green synthesis of organic materials. Then after, the advantages, performance and the mechanism of action for each technique are explained and the environmental challenges toward their efficient industrial application are discussed in detail. [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]

• Ethiopia's food system sustainability was estimated at 0.46 on a 0–1 scale in 2020. • Ethiopia's sustainability falls short of the 0.75 satisfactory benchmark. • Social and Environmental dimensions exceed a discrete sustainability level of 0.5. • Economic, and food and nutrition security dimensions receive low scores, below 0.5. In the face of continuous population growth, environmental degradation, climate extremes and enduring abject poverty, ensuring sustainability of the food system is of crucial importance. As such, developing a comprehensive measure of sustainability has been of a great interest for both researchers and policy makers so as to measure progresses and evaluate the outcomes overtime. This paper attempts to assess the food system sustainability (FSSI) in Ethiopia over the past two decades from 2001 to 2020. A composite index was constructed by aggregating 24 selected food system indicators in the four food system dimensions: environmental, economic, social, and food and nutrition security. 'Distance to a Reference' method was employed for data normalization, whereas equal weighting and linear aggregation methods were used for aggregating the indicators in each dimension. The result showed that in a scale from 0 to 1, better score was achieved in the social dimension (0.66), followed by environmental dimension (0.52), and food and nutrition dimension (0.43), with the least recorded in the economic dimension (0.31) in 2020. The overall Food System Sustainability Index for the most recent year (2020) was estimated to be 0.46 which is far below a satisfactory level of food system sustainability (0.75) as per OECD Classification of Sustainability Indices. The result calls for policy interventions aimed at improving the overall food system sustainability in light of the four food system dimensions, in general, and the weak dimensions, in particular. Given the predictable need for more food production in the face of growing populace, interventions that enhance synergies and limit the potential trade-off among the food system outcomes, as well as striking the right balance should be the policy direction for Ethiopia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we investigate how farms' environmental and economic efficiency is shaped by Pillar I CAP subsidies over time and by spatial effects originating from subsidies received by neighbours. To reach this goal, we estimate a spatial stochastic frontier model including intra and inter province spatial effects and differentiate among environmental and economic outcomes to evaluate the direct and indirect effects of subsidies on both aspects. The results of the analysis indicate that on one hand, subsidies are helping farmers to achieve environmental sustainability especially after the 2013 reform, on the other, they are leading to increased economic inefficiency levels. Considering spatial effects originating from subsidies, we find positive and significant spillovers occurring among closest neighbours both from the economic and the environmental perspective. • We analyse the role of Pillar I subsidies on economic and environmental efficiency. • We differentiate among direct effects and spatial spillovers generating by peers. • The need to pursue environmental goals is harming Italian farmers economic efficiency. • Efficiency diffusion is favoured by spatial interactions with closest neighbours. • The negative link among economic and ecological efficiency is strengthening in time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The production of meat from farmed animals is problematic both on ethical and environmental grounds. However, we are on the eve of the mass production of cultured (lab) meat. This alternative to conventional meat should be both more environmentally sustainable and cause less harm to animals, making it more socially acceptable. In this paper, we investigate how people judge investing in meat producers, an issue that has become more salient with the increasing importance of socially responsible investment. We conducted two experimental studies (N = 1301) aimed at answering whether people can separate associations towards meat when judging companies that produce them, resolving whether evaluations of meat producers as investment targets have a motivational or affective component, or not. Our findings show that people exhibit an aversion towards investment in both conventional (d conventional = −0.97) and cultured meat producers (d cultured = −0.26), consistent with the former. Concern for animal welfare exacerbates (d conventional = −1.34) or attenuates (d cultured = 0.31) this aversion unless people feel disgust-towards-animal-flesh, which has a similar adverse effect regardless of meat origin. Our findings suggest that for many, cultured meat producers might remain controversial investment targets. We speculate that similar paradoxical patterns could be observed in other economic decisions, making them socially consequential. • Little is known about how people perceive investments in meat producers. • This issue is becoming more salient prior to the mass production of cultured meat. • We compare conventional and cultured meat producers (against control stocks). • Two experiments show an aversion towards both (d conv. = −0.97, d cult. = −0.26). • These judgments appear to have a motivational (affective) component. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]