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The climate crisis we are confronted with has worsened substantially compared to 15, 20, or 30 years ago, when the first assessments related to climate change were presented to the world's governments. This crisis, with its severe repercussions on the frequency and intensity of extreme weather phenomena, natural ecosystems, and imbalances in every country's economies and people's lives, demands immediate attention. To halt the continuous degradation of the environment, we must identify the effects and serious phenomena that are affecting the planet due to the emissions of gases in the atmosphere, where this decline started, and how fast it has been expanding. Climate models are an appropriate tool to study the influence exerted by the effects of increasing GHG levels and disturbance factors. This paper not only examines current environmental policies but also proposes alternative strategies for the future, instilling hope and empowerment in the face of these urgent priorities for humanity.

Australia's University of Southern Queensland researchers awardec a grant to recycle plastic mulch film. The Australian government has provided a $1.8 million grant to further the conversion of difficult-to-recycle plastic [...]

Plastic pollution has become one of the most discussed environmental problems of the 21st century. Global plastic production has reached unprecedented levels, and improper plastic waste management severely affects ecosystems [...]

The significance of this work is multifaceted, reflecting a wide range of potential impacts that free public transportation could have on society, the environment, and urban fabric. Delving into this topic, the research aims to clarify the potential transformative power of free public transportation, offering a clear understanding that could inform policy, planning, and social perspectives. From a social standpoint, the work is crucial in exploring how free public transportation can improve accessibility and mobility for all segments of society, particularly benefiting those in lower socio-economic strata. It highlights the potential for such a policy to act as an equalizer in urban societies, reducing disparities in mobility access and, more broadly, social and economic opportunities. By facilitating a more inclusive urban mobility realm, free public transportation could play a key role in promoting social cohesion and equality. From an ecological perspective, research on free public transportation is at the centre of contemporary discussions on sustainable urban development and environmental concerns. This work seeks to illuminate the ecological benefits of increased public transportation usage, such as reducing greenhouse gas emissions, air pollution, and traffic congestion. By offering a systematic analysis of these aspects, the research contributes to a deeper understanding of how urban mobility innovations can align with environmental sustainability goals, in line with global efforts to mitigate the impacts of climate change. In an urban context, the significance of the work is anchored in its potential to inform urban planning and policy. It examines the implications of free public transportation on urban infrastructure, land use, and overall urban quality of life. The research explores how such a policy could impact urban form, potentially leading to more compact, efficient cities conducive to living. Furthermore, it addresses the operational and strategic dimensions of implementing free public transportation, providing insight into its feasibility and integration into broader urban mobility strategies. Ultimately, the work aims to offer a comprehensive and empirically grounded analysis that clarifies the potential benefits and challenges of free public transportation. It seeks to contribute valuable knowledge to the academic field, support informed policy-making, and stimulate public discourse on sustainable solutions for urban mobility in Croatia and beyond. As a basis for the work, secondary data were used, that is, a literature review of existing research.

The research aimed to analyze the contribution of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) to the competitiveness of supermarkets in Florencia, Caquetá in southern Colombia. In a sample of six supermarkets, a self-assessment survey of CSR and competitiveness variables was carried out for 2021 to 2022, consisting of six dimensions: values and ethical principles, responsible marketing, economy and finance, social commitment, quality of working life, and environment. The tool makes it possible to measure the commitment of the organization's CSR activities to competitiveness. The environment is the dimension with the lowest score and contribution to competitiveness in the dimensions evaluated in the supermarkets (2.0 on a scale of 0.0 - 3.0). According to the correlation analysis, there is a relationship between CSR and competitive position. Awareness-raising and training actions aimed at stakeholders are proposed.

Housing industry is one of the major threats to global environment and resource depletion. Particularly in China, it is regarded as a major challenge due to massive population growth. The most common barriers involve; economic barriers and environmental barriers. Therefore, to promote sustainable housing development, the management of these barriers is most crucial. This study is an attempt to overcome these barriers with the help of financial institutions in the context of China. The sample of the study are construction sector employees which are selected through simple random sampling method. Partial Least Square (PLS) is employed as statistical tool to analyze the primary data. Results revealed the positive role of financial institutions to overcome the challenges related to the economic barriers and environmental barriers. Financing from banks for the sustainable housing schemes can reduce the economic barriers and help to fulfil the sustainable housing criteria. Similarly, the environment requirements can also be achieved through environmental policy developed by the banks in China. This study recommended the Chinese government to promote sustainable hosing development through the promotion of bank financing and implementation of banks environmental policies. First published online 14 March 2024

Canada has an ambitious plan to reduce the economy's net emissions to zero by 2050. This will require a step change in mitigation action, with deep energy savings and near economy-wide replacement of fossil fuels with clean energy. Achieving this while minimising negative impacts on activity and living standards will be challenging. Canada is already using a range of policy instruments to propel its green transition--including carbon pricing, regulations, investment incentives, and public procurement of green technology. This chapter explores reforms that could make climate policies work better together to lock in both deep emissions reductions and strong economic growth. As with important efforts to prepare communities for the impacts of climate change, Canada's provinces and territories will play a key role in the country's green transition., Canada's climate policy challenge Deep emissions reductions are required for Canada to reach net zero Canada's climate is changing rapidly already. Impacts from rising temperatures and associated extreme weather events [...]

According to the latest IPCC reports, it is unequivocal that human influence has warmed the atmosphere, ocean, and land. Many changes in the climate system have become larger in direct [...]

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to understand whether or not the European Foundation for Quality Management (EFQM) Model and the Shingo Model promote and are embedded into the three pillars of sustainability, as well as to propose a conceptual model for excellence in business towards sustainability. Methodology/Approach: Following the PRISMA methodology, 102 articles were included in the review. A bibliometric co-citation network was created based on those publications to understand the link between the topics, using the VOSViewer software. This paper presents a literature review on the topics of the EFQM and Shingo Model, Corporate sustainability (CS), and the relationship between the excellence models and CS. Findings: Findings from the literature review indicate that effectively the new version of the EFQM Model and the Shingo Model guide organisations towards achieving sustainable economic, social, and environmental results. Research Limitation/Implication: There are still a restricted number of articles on the Shingo Model and on the relationship between the Shingo Model and CS, as well as, on the latest version of the EFQM Model and therefore on the relationship between this model version and CS, which presents a limitation to this paper. Originality/Value of paper: This paper contributes to filling the literature gap regarding the lack of studies evolving the EFQM 2020 model version and the Shingo Model, as well as its relationship with CS.

Much has been said about the world's plastics problem, but let's not forget that plastics have been an enabler of economic growth, making many different commodities more affordable. Offering lower [...]