Environment, Development and Sustainability最新文献

The impact of BRICS countries on global climate mitigation strategies is significant due to their considerable CO2 emissions. The rapid advancement of BRICS nations has adversely affected environmental conditions. This study investigates the relationship between total factor productivity (TFP) and CO2 emissions in BRICS countries from 2000 to 2022, taking financial stability into consideration as a moderating variable. To address cross-sectional dependency, various methodologies were used, such as the cross-sectional augmented distributed lag (CS-ARDL) approach for assessing long- and short-run effects, as well as the Dumitrescu-Hurlin causality test to explore causality relationships. Results reveal a positive relationship between TFP and CO2 emissions, while financial stability exerts a negative influence on CO2 emissions. Additionally, the combined effect of TFP and financial stability demonstrates a capability to alleviate environmental issues and enhance environmental conditions. This implies that financial stability works as a moderator in the nexus between TFP and CO2 emissions, and bolstering financial stability not only diminishes environmental concerns but also aids BRICS countries in reducing the adverse effects of TFP on the environment. Furthermore, the study unveils bidirectional causality relationship between CO2 emissions and all other variables. Recommendations from the study propose that BRICS nations should allocate increased resources toward environmental initiatives and embrace advanced technologies to mitigate CO2 emissions.

Under the background of increasingly serious environmental pollution, how to effectively restrain the pollution emissions of enterprises has become an urgent problem facing China. Based on the perspective of “quasi-natural experiment” of environmental protection vertical management reform and official corruption, taking 238 cities in China from 2011 to 2019 as samples, this paper studies the impact and mechanism of “environmental protection vertical reform” on enterprise pollution reduction by adopting multi-stage double difference method and intermediary effect model, and explores the reasons for the differences in environmental governance effects of “environmental protection vertical reform” based on regional heterogeneity and political binding heterogeneity, and also explore the regulatory role of human capital on the impact of “environmental protection vertical reform” on enterprise’s pollution reduction. It is found that “environmental protection vertical reform” can not only directly restrain the pollutant discharge of enterprises, but also reduce the pollutant discharge of enterprises by restraining corruption; There are regional differences in its impact, and it has a more significant effect on pollution reduction in the eastern region with high economic development level and provincial capitals with strong political binding force; However, human capital negatively regulates the promotion of corruption to enterprise sewage discharge. Therefore, local governments should formulate differentiated environmental rules and regulations, and accelerate the deepening of environmental protection reform. At the same time, enterprises should improve the environmental information disclosure system, enhance environmental awareness and promote the green transformation of enterprises.

Emphasizing the relevance of environmental information disclosure (EID) and the significant role that boards play in firm disclosure practices, no previous research has extensively examined how board attributes affect EID in a Chinese construction firm context. By integrating agency and resource dependence theories, we suggest that board attributes influence EID. This study comprised 212 construction companies traded on China stock markets. We conducted empirical study from data gathered from the China Stock Market Accounting Research (CSMAR) database and selected firm’s yearly report using Dynamic Common Correlated Effect (DCCE) and Pool Mean Group (PMG) techniques from 2013 to 2023. We found a significant connection among independent board, board size, gender diversity, environmental committee and EID. On the other hand, a negative and substantial connection exists among CEO duality, managerial ownership and EID. Additionally, no evidence shows that foreign nationals influence EID. Finally, managerial ownership significantly moderates the connection among board attributes and EID. Our study offers firms and policymakers solutions regarding the critical need to incorporate environmental regulation and governance to guarantee ecological sustainability. Our findings is robust to control any potential endogeneity.

Building a sustainable, efficient, and smart logistics system supports the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals. This study’s aim is to assess the green low-carbon logistics efficiency (GLLE) across the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei urban Agglomeration (BTHUA) from 2008 to 2022. By developing a robust measurement index system and employing a three-stage super-efficiency SBM-DEA model along with the Global Malmquist–Luenberger index, we comprehensively evaluated GLLE, examining regional variations and key influencing factors within the BTHUA. After conducting multicollinearity tests and correlation analyses on the relevant variables, panel Tobit models and semi-parametric estimation methods were utilized to identify and analyze the Driving Factors affecting the GLLE. The study reveals that the BTHUA has high GLLE, with regional efficiency varying due to various factors. Initial efficiency measurements are often too high and need adjustment. Technological advancements positively impact GLLE, but scaling up the logistics industry could reduce efficiency. Efficient resource allocation can counteract environmental inequalities’ economic effects. The study stresses the need to balance foreign investment and innovation with environmental and resource goals, providing new insights for green logistics and industry transformation.

As China transitions its national economy towards high-quality development, green management within enterprises is becoming a key factor in driving green innovation, especially in sustainable technologies. This study investigates how green management influences green innovation, focusing on the use of carbon-rich materials. It also examines the impact of senior executives’ environmental awareness, environmental regulations, and property rights on this relationship. The study uses data from A-listed enterprises in China, specifically in Shanghai and Shenzhen, from 2010 to 2021, employing a fixed effect model to analyze the effect of green management on green innovation. The study finds that green management significantly boosts green innovation within enterprises, particularly in developing carbon-rich materials for environmental remediation, sustainable energy, and carbon capture and storage (CCS) technologies. The environmental awareness of corporate leaders positively influences this relationship, highlighting the importance of leadership in promoting green strategies. However, strict environmental regulations tend to dampen innovation, suggesting the need for balanced policies. Additionally, state-owned enterprises are more likely to engage in green innovation, partly due to easier access to green development funds. The study recommends that enterprises strengthen their green management and investment strategies and that corporate leaders increase their environmental awareness. It also suggests that the government should refine environmental regulations to balance innovation with protection and improve financial support mechanisms to encourage more enterprises to participate in sustainable technology development, particularly in advancing carbon-rich materials for eco-friendly applications.

Ghana is regarded as one of the main nations driving social enterprise development in all of Africa, despite the lack of a policy for the social enterprise sub-sector. Regardless of these trailblazing initiatives, the sub-sector is still young and vulnerable. As a result, the time is right for the government to implement policy reforms to expedite the growth of the sub-sector, which offers an alternative business model for the achievement of the social and environmental goals embodied in the global goals. All nations are urged to take immediate action in response to the United Nations’ (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which offer a global framework for achieving global development while balancing social, economic, and environmental sustainability. The methodology adopted is qualitative in nature, whereby focus group discussions were held, bringing together key stakeholders from the social enterprise sector, industry, academia, and civil society organisations (CSOs) to provide insights into how social enterprises will contribute to SDG achievement. This paper aims to generate new insights into how social enterprises can provide a solution to the UN’s SDGs from the Ghanaian perspective. Our findings reveal a strong link between solving social problems through social businesses and achieving the SDGs, and that social enterprises represent an ideal business model for achieving the SDGs. Their mission-driven approach, innovative solutions, focus on empowerment and inclusion, utilisation of market mechanisms, collaboration and partnership, and understanding and knowledge of local contexts collectively position social enterprises as powerful catalysts for sustainable development.

Egypt tends to construct new cities to provide social housing for its citizens. However, the planning of urban residential districts (URDs) in these cities lacks provisions for natural ventilation (NV), and indoor-outdoor thermal comfort, resulting in increased energy consumption during the summer months. This research aims to create a sustainable design through biomimicry to reduce the universal thermal climate index (UTCI) values in the URD in New Aswan thereby enhancing outdoor thermal comfort and reducing energy consumption inside buildings at the level of URD. In this research, the approach of prairie dogs in building their burrows was followed to rearrange and reorient the buildings. Autodesk CFD, Rhino7, Grasshopper, Ladybug, Honeybee, and Dragonfly software was used in the simulation. The rearrangement of the buildings, specifically the oriented design in the east-west direction, caused a difference in pressure between the buildings, leading to improved NV between the buildings. The improvement of NV resulted in a 4.2 °C reduction in UTCI values during specific hours over the six different days in the six summer months, resulting in significant energy savings of 10407.28946 KWh in the URD. The occurrence of a pressure difference between buildings not only improved NV but also enhanced outdoor and indoor thermal comfort, promoting energy conservation. Therefore, careful consideration of the arrangement and orientation of buildings is essential to establish sustainable URDs. Although the difference between the results is slight, it creates substantial differences in the long term for UTCI values, thus the energy conservation in the URDs.

India’s rapid industrialisation and burgeoning population have positioned the nation as a leading global carbon dioxide emitter primarily responsible for climate change. This study delves into various critical factors driving emissions and proposes actionable strategies for a sustainable green economy. This study examines the impact of the energy mix (comprising fossil fuel usage and green energy consumption), forest cover, population, and agricultural production towards carbon emissions (CO₂) in India from 1990 to 2019. This study makes use of the autoregressive distributed lagged model and co-integration analysis. The study also uses the Toda and Yamamoto causality test to explore causal relationships among variables. While green energy shows potential for CO₂ reduction, further efforts are needed to promote its use. The present study necessitates several urgent and robust policy interventions, including transitioning to clean energy, enforcing afforestation initiatives, managing population growth sustainably, and promoting eco-friendly agricultural practices. These measures are essential for balancing economic growth with environmental sustainability, aligning with India’s commitment to meeting the sustainable development goals.

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This study is the first approach in the literature that evaluates corporate social responsibility’s (CSR) contribution to reducing firms’ energy intensity through an ex-post evaluation. The impact of CSR is obtained through the difference-in-differences (DID) and matching with difference-in-differences (MDID) techniques, using data from the Longitudinal Survey of Firms between 2015 and 2017. The results obtained with the DID technique show that the CSR policy does not significantly impact the intensity of electricity expenditure and the intensity of fuel expenditure. The MDID technique also does not find an effect of CSR on the intensity of electricity expenditure. Still, it shows that CSR reduces the intensity of fuel expenditure in the mining sector’s firms (5.9% ∼ 13.0%) and transport and storage sector’s firms (4.6% ∼ 5.3%). Thus, it can be concluded that CSR only modifies energy intensity in Chilean firms that belong to fuel-intensive sectors.

This study conducts a comprehensive systematic review of agroforestry, a practice that combines crops with perennial woody plants, emphasizing its potential contribution to food security and socioeconomic development, especially in the context of the impacts of climate change in Latin America. The research focuses on understanding why agroforestry systems represent a significant opportunity to strengthen the food security of small-scale producers in the region. The review involved a meticulous search in electronic databases such as Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar, prioritizing books, scientific articles, and reports from international congresses published between 2011 and 2022. Initially, 136 sources related to agroforestry and food security were identified, but after applying inclusion and exclusion criteria, 49 relevant documents were selected. The attention is directed towards critical aspects, such as the impact on biodiversity, the relationship to climate change, and the importance of traditional knowledge. Ecological services, agroecological practices, and land use planning are explored. The study highlights the dynamic nature of agroforestry in the Latin American landscape and the conclusion suggests an opportunity to address pressing challenges through concrete strategies, recognizing the transformative potential of agroecological practices. A call to action is issued, emphasizing the need to translate ideas into tangible actions, with recommendations to implement specific policies harnessing agroforestry. This call is based on the evidence from the systematic review, and it seeks to drive a significant change in addressing critical issues in Latin America, aiming to promote environmental sustainability, food security, and resilience to climate change.