The research problem was formulated as a question: are demand-supply shocks affecting the opening up of a negative or positive output gap? The hypothesis was formulated: demand-supply shocks have a significant impact on the opening up and deepening of the negative output gap, thereby causing real GDP to shrink or potential GDP to grow. The spatial range applies to Poland and the time period - 2008:Q1-2019:Q4. The methodology consists of three stages: the first is the decomposition of the time series using the TRAMO/SEATS on the components: seasonality, trend-cycle, irregular; the second - the decomposition of the trend-cycle component using the Hodrick-Prescott filter into two separate components; the third is the calculation of the output gap; forecast with VECM and IRF approximation. The ouput gap is in the range of - 11% to +10%. After cleaning it, the shock elements are between -2.2% and 2%. Demand-supply shocks open up and widen the negative output gap. Based on forecasts, the output gap will be positive by the end of 2022, close to 0% (optimal scenario), rising to 5% (optimistic scenario) and negative, deepening to -4% (pessimistic scenario). Two of these scenarios point to a growing risk of secular stagnation.

The Sustainable Development Goals, while complex at first sight, express a simple narrative about the relationships between people and nature. This paper illustrates this in the context of a coral reef land or seascape supporting coastal people. Coral reefs, their health described by measures of coral and fish diversity and abundance, provide key services and benefits to people. These services directly support 10s of millions of jobs in multiple economic sectors in coastal and distant states, protect and harbor communities and cities across tropical coastlines, sustain use of living and non-living resources, provide transport infrastructure and valuable natural products, and in future may provide energy solutions. Through these multiple benefits, coral reefs contribute to reducing hunger and poverty, thus improving health, and potentially strengthening gender and social equality. However, access and use result in pressures that may drive decline in coral reef health. Broader land and seascape factors also affect reef health and therefore delivery of benefits, including land-use change and altered freshwater flows, as well as climate change. Managing this complex system requires appropriate awareness and knowledge, governance mechanisms and investments by stakeholders. This ‘SDG narrative’ can be used from local to global levels, motivating actions and policy at and across these scales to sustain ecosystem function and use, for the oceans what is also increasingly called a blue economy.

Water management can improve the quality of valuable ecosystem services but can be costly to implement and the management costs are covered by national taxes collected by water users. Based on 30 valuation studies of water quality improvement from the Environmental Valuation Information System (EVIS) database provided by Korea Environment Institute (KEI), a meta-regression analysis was employed to measure the benefits that major river basins provided to the society. We compare these benefits to the costs, namely River Management Funds (RMFs) which are financial resources to support a variety of projects for managing and improving upstream water quality. Based on benefit-cost comparison, this study evaluates the efficiency of water resource management in South Korea. This study also provides policy options that are helpful to maintain the sustainability of water resource by improving the planning and performance of water management in the long run.

The Directive 2014/95, in force in 2017, is the first European step that requires mandatory non-financial information to undertakings (all “public interest entities” with more than 500 employees). The regulation is concerning sustainability information as environmental, social and employee, human rights and anti-corruption and bribery matters and disclosure of diversity policy for board members. The study, in the strand of the regulation of accounting, part of the broader field of research into accounting regulation, contributes to the debate on the quality of regulation, in this specific case referred to sustainability disclosure. The regulation of sustainability matters is studied in literature broadly in a post-implementation phase and at national level. This research, instead, aims to analyse, through the causal chain of regulatory policy, in the ex-ante stage, the quality of the regulation and, at least, the usefulness of the normative pressure. The Oil & Gas sector is chosen as sample of the study, because it is one of the most advanced sectors in sustainability disclosure. The examination of the law, in terms of content requirements (what) and location of information (where), is the basis to apply the disclosure-scoring system, a partial form of content analysis, to the reports of the sample. The findings reveal a good level of completeness of non-financial information, however, there are some areas that have to be improved to reach the requests of the Directive. Results show also the presence of overlap between financial reports and sustainability ones. In conclusion, the regulation is useful to prompt undertakings to reflect on their reporting and so doing improve their sustainability approach.

Eco-innovation denotes developing green practices using environmentally friendly innovative approaches or technologies. Although, eco-innovation has been broadly applied in different in-dustries, such as low-carbon production and manufacturing, how to implement such innovation in education for sustainable development (ESD) has rarely been studied. Therefore, this research considered a reflective and cooperative learning approach to science, technology, engineering, arts, and math (STEAM) education. A case study examined Wanluan Township of Pingtung County in southern Taiwan. Four departments’ students and teachers at Meiho University were involved in situated learning. Students of hospitality management played farm owners who en-gaged in organic agriculture to produce food and beverages. These agricultural products were farm-to-table, cooked and served for customers in a natural dining setting through the students’ teamwork. Students of tourism, sports & leisure management, and food science & nutrition played tourists in a self-guided travel context, who engaged in acts such as visiting buildings to understand heritage while observing that the houses were still in use a dwelling. This encouraged reflection on the importance of cultural preservation. According to the results from the role-play farm owners and tourists, eco-innovation can represent a sustainable marketing strategy for im-proving the local-community economy and can be implemented in a practical situation in STEAM. The goal of ESD for 2030 — societal transformation — is to foster students’ responsible behavior and attitudes in a personally authentic manner, thereby fostering sustainability learning and understanding.

Electric moped scooter sharing services have recently experienced strong growth rates, particularly in Europe. Due to their compactness, environmental-friendliness and convenience, shared e-mopeds are suitable modes of transport in urban mobility to help reduce the environmental impact. However, its traffic-related, economic and environmental effects are merely represented in academic research. We used passenger car traffic data in Berlin generated by the multi-agent transport simulation framework MATSim to develop a python-based simulation, resembling an e-moped sharing system. Based on the results, a total cost of ownership and a life cycle assessment for fleet sizes of 2,500, 10,000 and 50,000 vehicles were conducted. The results indicate that a substantial part of all passenger car trips in Berlin can be substituted. The larger the fleet, the more and longer trips are replaced. Simultaneously, the efficiency in terms of fleet utilization decreases. The scenario with 10,000 e-mopeds offers the lowest total distance-based costs for sharing operators, whereas a fleet consisting of 2,500 vehicles exhibits the lowest environmental emissions per kilometer driven over the expected lifespan of a shared e-moped. Based on the renewable energy potential for 2050 forecasted by the German Federal Environment Agency, a significant overall decline in environmental impacts can be achieved.

The space exploration landscape has transformed dramatically over the past several decades, with a significant rise in the number of annual launches. Key factors driving this increase include technological advancements, the miniaturization of satellites, and the surge in commercial satellite deployments for communication, Earth observation, and remote sensing. This paper examines the evolution of space activities from the launch of Sputnik 1 in 1957 to recent developments in commercial spaceflight and international collaborations. The paper discusses notable milestones in space exploration history, including early space missions, Apollo Moon landings, and the development of space stations like the International Space Station. It highlights the shift from state-led space programs to a more diverse landscape, characterized by private sector involvement and international partnerships. The "Space 4.0" phase, beginning around 2006, has seen the entry of commercial players like SpaceX, leading to a significant upsurge in orbital launches. Statistical data reveals an upward trend in launch activity, with over 200 launches in 2023 alone, driven by large satellite constellations like SpaceX's Starlink and the steady growth of China's space program. The increasing launch rate poses challenges such as space debris, emphasizing the need for mitigation strategies. Looking ahead, the paper projects a continued increase in launch activity, with over 150 launches expected annually by 2026 and 200-300 launches by 2040. Commercial space ventures, deep space exploration, lunar activities, and space tourism drive this growth. The paper concludes by emphasizing the importance of addressing space debris and promoting the long-term sustainability of space activities, which is crucial as humanity's presence in space continues to expand.

Transition to renewable energy has been recognized as a crucial step to addressing climate change and achieving greenhouse gas reduction targets, but it can also cause energy sprawl if not planned properly. Clean renewable energy communities (CREC) are emerging globally as an approach for decentralized energy systems and an alternative to traditional centralized energy systems. CREC aims to lower the energy carbon footprint, enhance local energy resilience, and improve the quality of life of residents. Through a comprehensive literature review, this study reviews metrics that can assess the impact of energy transition plans and support decision-making to select technologies that create efficient, reliable, and accessible energy systems. It classifies these metrics into a five-dimensional sustainability approach: environmental, technical, social, economic, political and institutional. The paper proposes a conceptual framework to guide decision-makers in recognizing the role of sustainable land development, sustainable energy planning, and resiliency as an integrated approach to energy transition planning. This framework stresses mapping the place-based potential for clean renewable energy at various scales, highlights the importance of resilience in energy planning, and addresses challenges associated with energy source selection, built environment efficiency, and energy trade. While the framework can serve as a starting point for evaluating energy transition plans, further work is needed to address the limitations of existing metrics and identify additional evaluations for energy mixed land use that are critical to managing energy sprawl on ecosystem services and other land uses.

A significant number and range of challenges besetting sustainability can be traced to the actions and interactions of multiple autonomous agents (people mostly) and the entities they create (e.g., institutions, policies, social network) in the corresponding social-environmental systems (SES). To address these challenges, we need to understand decisions made and actions taken by agents, the outcomes of their actions, including the feedbacks on the corresponding agents and environment. The science of Agent-based Complex Systems—ACS science—has a significant potential to handle such challenges. The advantages of ACS science for sustainability are addressed by way of identifying the key elements and challenges in sustainability science, the generic features of ACS, and the key advances and challenges in modeling ACS. Artificial intelligence and data science promise to improve understanding of agents’ behaviors, detect SES structures, and formulate SES mechanisms.

Abstract: Urban population growth and the expansion of the built environment, pollution, overexploitation of water, inequality in water distribution, and the impacts of climate change in future availability of water, are all elements that jeopardize urban water security. Due to the complexity of urban water systems and their relevance for urban life, a holistic and integrative perspective is therefore needed to address such challenges. In this paper, Urban Water Metabolism (UWM) has been used for comprehensively understanding water (in)security in the City of Puebla (Mexico) and its metropolitan area. Water inflows and outflows have been estimated using a Material Flow Analysis (MFA) method with data either obtained from official sources or simulated with the Monte Carlo method. Our findings show that the UWM configuration in the City of Puebla and its metropolitan area is effective for generating profits to service providers and water related business, yet ineffective to guarantee citizens’ Human Right to Water and Sanitation (HRWS), a right recognized in the Constitution of Mexico. We conclude that to advance towards an inclusive and sustainable provision of water, economic interests must be reconsidered and therefore adjusted so they can be in line with such aspirational socioecological goals. UWM accounting can therefore inform new water governance arrangements, those based on both the best available knowledge and a vibrant participation of all relevant stakeholders.

Current and dynamic developments in green technologies have led to several innovation practices in the manufacturing sector only to become the top approaches used for achieving and accelerating sustainable development (SD) in the current business markets. In addition, manufacturing firms is in need of green innovation to be able to monitor and control their operations and enhance their environmental performance. However, regardless of its many benefits, the level of green innovation adoption and implementation is still lower than expected among manufacturing industries. Thus, this study aimed to minimize the gap by developing and validating a study model underpinned by Resource based view and Institutional theories, along with the Technology-Organization-Environment (TOE) framework in combination to convince firms to adopt green innovation. The study gathered data from 179 respondents using a survey distributed to manufacturing firms, after which data was exposed to Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) approach, for analysis. Based on the approach deliverables, all the integrated constructs of the model, namely perceived benefits, top management support, coercive pressure, normative pressure and mimetic pressure all predicted green management accounting practices. Moreover, green management accounting practices were found to directly and significantly affect green environmental performance. The developed integrated model provides a clear implication to decision-makers, indicating the importance of adopting and using green practices and innovative technologies for enhancing environmental performance. Based on the results from the reviewed advanced green technologies studies, there is considerable connection between green management accounting practices and environmental performance in the context of developing economies.

The importance of measuring sustainability in tourism has been significantly advancing in recent years, following the need to manage the impact of tourism on territories and hosting communities. It was further boosted by the pandemic, where sustainability has been defined as one of the central elements to restart global tourism. The ETIS model, developed by the European Commission, is a point of reference based on self-assessment, data collection and analysis by the destinations themselves. The application of ETIS toolkit has faced many challenges, especially at sub-national level, mostly related to the lack of available and updated data to feed the model. The hypothesis explored by the authors is to solve the implementation issues, developing an indicator based on the use of the Sentiment Analysis to frame e-reputation and tourism satisfaction, and further combining it with other open data sources. The Tourism Sustainability Index (TSI) can provide a scalable and geo-referenced evaluation of tourism sustainability, measuring the four pillars and sub-components referenced to ETIS criteria, applicable to any tourism destination. Results show that the TSI can be seen as a consistent and valid tool for destinations to analyze sustainability, monitor its evolution through time periods and sub-areas, and compare it to other benchmark or competitive areas.

The goal of Man and the Biosphere (MAB) Programme is to support sustainable development through effective management, innovative technologies, policy suggestion and governance. Today, the concept of Biosphere Reserves plays an important role in scientific investigations, generating knowledge, and experiences to link socio-economic development and biodiversity conservation for human well-being. This research, through an independent study which takes place in the Hungarian Biosphere Reserves of Pilis and Kiskunság aims at identifying practical sustainable business models which are suitable for supporting livelihood of locals. In this research, the two Biosphere Reserves serve as the learning sites under the light of global principles and state-of-the-art-of knowledge on sustainable development and sustainable business models. To do so, the state-of-the-art-of sustainable business model has been investigated through a comprehensive academic research. The lessons that learned from this investigation are used to support the data gathering method and planning the field trips to identify the sustainable business models currently in use at the Biosphere Reserves. This research particularly had been interested in small-sized sustainable business models practiced by small communities or families in various zones of Biosphere Reserves. First set of interviews and questionnaires designed to identify the business models in practice. The results identify foraging the wild plants in the buffer zone and transition areas as a potential sustainable business model in practice. Further interviews and surveys were conducted with foragers shows the beneficial of their practice on the local ecosystem and in increasing awareness on the deep connection with the ecosystems. The sustainable business model of foraging in addition to providing a sustainable livelihood for the locals maintains a spiritual connection between people and land. The identified sustainable business model can further be educational and practical for other 685 biosphere reserves.

New technologies such as "connected" and "autonomous" vehicles are going to change the future of traffic signal control and management and possibly will introduce new traffic signal systems that will be based on floating car data (FCD). The use of floating car data to regulate, in real-time, traffic signal systems has the potential for an increased sustainability of transportation in terms of energy efficiency, traffic safety and environmental issues. However, research has never explored how not "connected" vehicles would benefit by the implementation of such systems. This paper explores the use of floating car data to regulate in real-time traffic signal systems in terms of cooperative-competitive paradigm between "connected" vehicles and conventional vehicles. In a dedicated laboratory, developed for testing regulation algorithms, results show that "invisible vehicles" for the system (which are not "connected") in most simulated cases also benefit when real time traffic signal settings based on floating car data are introduced. Moreover, the study estimates the energy and air quality impacts of signal regulation by evaluating fuel consumption and pollutant emissions. Specifically, the study demonstrates that significant improvements in air quality are possible with the introduction of FCD regulated traffic signals.

The corona (COVID-19) pandemic offers an opportunity for dealing with persistent problems, through a transformative recovery process. It is a crisis that offers opportunities for dealing with three interrelated crises: the ecological crisis (climate change, loss of biodiversity, resource depletion, pollution and ecosystem destruction), the confidence crisis (people losing trust in government, politics, companies, regular news channels, science, each other and the future), and the inequality crisis (the widening of the gap between rich and poor). Our argument is that sustainability transitions will not succeed without a different economy and another social contract with the associated rights and duties of care (for the environment and the well-being of others, including future generations). A different social contract is not only desirable from the point of view of sustainability and fairness, justice and equality, but is also necessary to restore citizens' trust in politics, government, companies and each other. In the paper we discuss mechanisms towards a Natural Social Contract, systemic leverage points for system transformations and possibilities for co-evolutionary governance by actor coalitions interested in transformative change. The combination of those three elements helps to synchronize different agendas and reduce the chance that they will work against each other.

Over a billion people around the world are disabled, among them, 253 million are visually impaired or blind, and this number is greatly increasing due to ageing, chronic diseases, poor environment, and health. Despite many proposals, the current devices and systems lack maturity and do not completely fulfill user requirements and satisfaction. Increased research activity in this field is required to encourage the development, commercialization, and widespread acceptance of low-cost and affordable assistive technologies for visual impairment and other disabilities. This paper proposes a novel approach using a LiDAR with a servo motor and an ultrasonic sensor to collect data and predict objects using deep learning for environment perception and navigation. We adopted this approach in a pair of smart glasses, called LidSonic V2.0, to enable the identification of obstacles for the visually impaired. The LidSonic system consists of an Arduino Uno edge computing device integrated into the smart glasses and a smartphone app that transmits data via Bluetooth. Arduino gathers data, operates the sensors on smart glasses, detects obstacles using simple data processing, and provides buzzer feedback to visually impaired users. The smartphone application collects data from Arduino, detects and classifies items in the spatial environment, and gives spoken feedback to the user on the detected objects. In comparison to image processing-based glasses, LidSonic uses far less processing time and energy to classify obstacles using simple LiDAR data, according to several integer measurements. We comprehensively describe the proposed system's hardware and software design, construct their prototype implementations, and test them in real-world environments. Using the open platforms, WEKA and TensorFlow, the entire LidSonic system is built with affordable off-the-shelf sensors and a microcontroller board costing less than $80. Essentially, we provide designs of an inexpensive, miniature, green device that can be built into, or mounted on, any pair of glasses or even a wheelchair to help the visually impaired. Our approach affords faster inference and decision-making using relatively low energy with smaller data sizes as well as faster communications for the edge, fog, and cloud computing.

The most extensive urban growths in the next 30 years are expected to occur in developing countries. Lagos, Nigeria - Africa’s second most populous megacity- is a prime example. To achieve more sustainable and resilient cities, there is a need for modeling the urban growth patterns of major cities and analyzing their implications. In this study, the urban growth of Lagos state was modeled using the Multi-Layer Perceptron (MLP) neural network for the transition modeling and the Markov Chain analysis for the change prediction, achieving a model accuracy of 81.8%. An innovative visual validation of the model results using the ArcGIS was combined with kappa correlation statistics. The results show that by 2031, built-up areas will be the most spatially extensive LULC class in the study area with percentage coverage of 34.1% as opposed to 9% in 1986. The coverage of bare areas is also expected to increase by 53% between 2016 and 2031. Conversely, 24.9% and 68.3% loss of forestlands and wetlands respectively, are expected between 2016 and 2031. In view of the 11^th goal of SDGs which focuses on achieving sustainable cities and communities, the objectives of African Union’s Agenda 2063, and based on the urban growth trends observed, the study recommends a prioritization of vertical expansion as opposed to the current horizontal urban growth trends in the study area.

The United Nations' sustainable development goals have underscored the importance of enhancing supply chain sustainability while appropriately distributing orders. This study proposes a novel framework involving Z-number, game theory, indifference threshold-based attribute ratio analysis (ITARA), and combined compromise solution method (CoCoSo) to evaluate the sustainability of suppliers and order allocations. To better reflect the decision makers’ current choices for the sustainability of assessed suppliers and order allocations; enhance the comprehensiveness of decision-making, the importance parameter of the supplier is obtained through game theory objectively for transforming supplier performance into order allocation performance. The Z-numbers are involved in ITARA (so-called ZITARA) and CoCoSo (so-called ZCoCoSo) to overcome the issue of information uncertainty in the process of expert evaluation. ZITARA and ZCoCoSo are applied to assess the objective weight of criteria and the ranking of assessed order allocations, respectively. Afterwards, a case study of China’s company is illustrated the utility of the proposed framework and inform their decision-making process regarding the orders to be assigned to the assessed suppliers.

This case study focuses on exploring the potential of biogas as a direct substitute for conventional fossil fuels in industrial applications. Instead of being limited to its common uses as a vehicle fuel or for power generation, this research aims to investigate how biogas can be integrated into industrial processes as an advanced and sustainable energy solution. By conducting a detailed analysis of the financial implications associated with the utilization of landfill gas and gas derived from biomass, a comprehensive understanding of their practical applications in the industrial sector can be obtained. This research goes beyond a superficial examination and delves into the intricate aspects of incorporating biogas as a viable alternative fuel source. When we say that utilizing biogas is technically feasible, it means that the necessary infrastructure and technologies are available to support its integration into industrial processes. This implies that there are existing methods and systems in place that can efficiently harness and utilize biogas for various industrial applications. These technologies ensure a seamless transition from conventional fossil fuels to renewable energy sources, leading to a more sustainable and environmentally friendly industrial landscape. Moreover, the statement that utilizing biogas is economically feasible emphasizes that the financial viability of employing biogas in industrial processes is advantageous. This research explores the potential cost savings and benefits associated with substituting conventional fuels with biogas. By carefully examining the economic aspects, such as initial investments, operational costs, and potential revenue streams, a comprehensive understanding of the financial impact of adopting biogas solutions in the industrial sector can be gained. By expanding and broadening the understanding of the technical and economic feasibility of biogas integration, this research aims to provide valuable insights into the potential of advanced biogas solutions for industrial applications. Indeed, to make biogas a viable and sustainable option as a raw material, it is necessary to establish farming subsidies and financial support specifically tailored for biogas production, similar to the existing support provided for food production. These subsidies and financial incentives play a crucial role in promoting and encouraging the growth of the biogas industry. By establishing such support systems, farmers and other stakeholders in the agricultural sector can be incentivized to participate in the production of biogas. This can involve the utilization of agricultural waste, organic residues, or dedicated energy crops for biogas generation. The financial assistance can help offset the initial investment costs, provide incentives for production, and ensure the economic viability of biogas projects. Moreover, when considering large-scale landfills or situations where industrial demands for energy are relatively low, landfill gas becomes a viable and practical option. Landfill gas, which is generated by the decomposition of organic waste in landfills, can be harnessed and utilized for various industrial purposes. This not only helps in managing waste but also provides a valuable source of renewable energy. In summary, while farming subsidies and financial support are crucial for promoting biogas production, landfill gas remains a viable option for large landfills or situations with minor industrial demands. The combination of these two approaches offers a comprehensive outlook on utilizing biogas as a renewable energy source for industrial applications.

Our planet faces several serious and urgent challenges to sustainability, not just climate change. Most researchers argue that technological solutions can solve these problems. This review paper first examines the prospects for decoupling environmental damages in general from economic growth, considered at the global level, then looks at whether the recent advances in Information and Communication Technology (ICT) can help. It is argued that although absolute decoupling might have occurred in some countries, even after accounting for energy-intensive imports, it has not occurred at the global level, which is the relevant level for global sustainability problems. This conclusion is strengthened by the very high correlation over the past three decades found between GDP and several parameters relevant for sustainability, particularly for atmospheric CO2 ppm and ecological footprint as a function of Gross Domestic Product (GDP). ICT innovations relevant to energy use include smart grids and smart cities, especially smart urban transport. A review of recently published papers shows no definite findings of energy or carbon reduction, although some innovations show energy/carbon reduction potential, if given strong policy support. However, the needed policies could well give marked reductions even without ICT approaches. Overall, it is concluded that Earth’s sustainability challenges will necessitate deep energy reductions, which in turn require profound sociopolitical changes.

The exact determination of radiative exchanges between solids and surfaces has been a long sought-for question in heat transfer science. Being the canonical equation that rules such phenomena, a fourfold integral, it is extremely difficult to obtain an accurate solution like a formula or abacus. Over the last thirty years, the author has tried to integrate the canonical expression by sundry procedures and they have published two books and a dozen of articles on the matter, recently by virtue of computational geometry and graphic algorithms as a new way to solve the finite-difference problems that arise on complex geometries. In architectural engineering curved radiant emitters are customary since antiquity, especially in domes and vaults and their oculus, However, a consistent procedure to handle them was not readily available. The principles that are described hereby based on Cabeza-Lainez’ first principle for spherical fragments offer a complete panorama on the manner in which surface sources related or contained in spheres can be interpreted and accounted for without resorting to integration. The main advance is that a variety of unexplained problems of radiative heat transfer, applicable to aerospace engineering, meteorological, architectural and medical sciences can be sorted out as exactly as quickly.

Ever-increasing need for improving the livability of a city and improve outcomes for its residents, over the last decade, the adoption of technology to develop urbanised societies around the world has given rise to the need for developing smart cities. The speed at which the world population is growing, the use of Internet of Things in smart cities have really advanced the quality of life. One significant area of concern within the smart city framework is waste management. If the waste within a city is not adequately managed, then it leads to issues in the health of the citizens. Additionally, the waste management has such a high impact on the environmental footprint, hence the need to have a smart way of managing waste is of critical importance. Through our research, we analyse the challenges of waste management within a city to understand the impact of the problem on to the citizens and overall city operations. We then investigate ways in which we can solve these problems using the emerging technologies, such as the Internet of Things, to collect valuable data of large volumes arriving at an astronomical rate, then apply multi-agent deep reinforcement learning algorithms to harness the power of big data to extract meaningful information and actionable insights. We ingest data generated by our Internet of Things into our algorithm for three main purposes including providing the notifications to an external system, for example, a map navigation engine out of the scope for this project but a future extension for route optimisation and waste vehicle tracking; extracting and reporting the actionable insights from the underlying data; and consuming the extracted data for predictive forecasting to draw out the unknown patterns of waste fill levels within various geographical locations and again send out triggers and notification to external systems for example a waste collection authority who can efficiently schedule the waste collection vehicles and optimise the route. To achieve the above mentioned outcomes, we propose a framework that is agnostic of the hardware that it connects to and can effectively interface with a wide variety of hardware keeping a level of abstraction in the architecture.

Knowledge of the agricultural soil microbiota, of the microbial consortia that comprise it, and the promotion of agricultural practices that maintain and encourage them, is a promising way to improve soil quality for sustainable agriculture and to provide food security. Although numerous studies have demonstrated the positive effects of beneficial soil microorganisms on crop yields and quality, the use of microbial consortia in agriculture remains low. Microbial consortia have more properties than an individual microbial inoculum, due to the synergy of the microorganisms that make them up. This review describes the main characteristics, ecosystem functions, crop benefits and biotechnological applications of microbial consortia composed of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, plant growth promoting bacteria and actinobacteria, to promote the restoration of agricultural soils and, consequently, the quality and health of agricultural crops. The aim is to provide knowledge that will contribute to the development of sustainable and sufficiently productive agriculture, which will adapt in a good way to the pace of the growing human population and to climate change.

Despite continued efforts by educators, UN declarations and numerous international agreements, progress is still limited in handling major global challenges such as ecosystem collapse, accelerating climate change, poverty and inequity. The capacity to collaborate globally on addressing these issues remains weak. This systematic review of research on global learning for sustainable development (GLSD) aims to clarify the diverse directions research on GLSD has taken, to present the historical development of the research area, and highlight emerging research issues. The review summarises key findings of the English language literature in the period 1994-2020 identified with the search terms “global learning” and “sustainable development”, sustainability or GLSD, respectively. The review documented a gradually growing knowledge base, mostly authored by scholars located in the global North. Conclusions point to what we might achieve if we could learn from one another in new ways, moving beyond Northern-centric paradigms. It is also time to re-evaluate core assumptions that underlie education for sustainable development more generally, such as a narrow focus on formal learning institutions. The review provides a benchmark for future reviews of research on GLSD, reveals the emerging transformative structure of this transdisciplinary field, and offers reference points for further research

The imperfection of theoretical and methodological approaches to regulate the jump process transition when combining differentiated energy resources is a pressing issue. The goal of this paper is to develop a theory and a method to regulate the integration-balancing processes of combining diversified resources. The concept of combining integration and balancing models has been substantiated by methods of transforming multidimensional space and approximating generalized functions that represent jump-like processes. Theoretical and operational-regulatory models of economic sustainability have been developed, substantiating new concepts, patterns, properties, dependencies and indicators of the dynamics of the processes of combination; the optimality conditions for the number of approximations of generalized functions, interpreting the effects of control functions of combining resources, are determined. New methods for solving problems have been developed: the organization of the energy technology complex of facilities for enhanced resource diversification and the Center for Sustainability, improving the quality of managing dynamic processes in terms of combining and diversifying resources.

An adequate number of waste management facilities is the key element to meet circular economy goals. Using empirical data taken from official sources the research framework bases on an econometric model to compare the elasticity of cost on quantity of different alternatives such as waste-to-energy facilities, mechanical biological facilities and landfills impact on waste management cost. Results suggest that both waste-to-energy facilities (-0.278%) and landfills (-0.38%) concur to lower the cost while the higher the percentage of waste sent to mechanical biological treatment facilities, the higher the cost (0.788%). This figure deserves to be examined in more details as such facilities represent an intermediary step in the chain which efficiency depends on the industrial organization of the chain.

Earthquake is among the most devastating natural disasters causing severe economic, environmental, and social destruction. Earthquake safety assessment and building hazard monitoring can highly contribute to urban sustainable development through identification and insight into optimum materials and structures. While the vulnerability of structures mainly depends on the structural resistance, the safety assessment of buildings can be highly challenging. In this paper, we consider Rapid Visual Screening (RVS) method which is a qualitative procedure for estimating structural scores for buildings suitable for medium- to high-seismic cases. This paper presents an overview of the common RVS methods, i.e., FEMA P-154, IITK-GGSDMA, and EMPI. To examine the accuracy and validation, a practical comparison is performed between their assessment and observed damage of reinforced concrete buildings from a street survey in the Bingöl region, Turkey, after the 11 May 2003 earthquake. The results demonstrate that the application of RVS methods for preliminary damage estimation is a vital tool. Furthermore, the comparative analysis showed that FEMA P-154 creates an assessment that overestimates damage states and is not economically viable while EMPI and IITK-GGSDMA provide for more accurate and practical estimation, respectively.

This paper describes the feasibility and probable benefits associated with greening the Tahliah Channel, a concrete drainage channel that was originally built to relieve urban flooding in Jeddah City, Saudi Arabia. It includes an estimation of irrigation needs for channel greening based on a standardized planting specification. The study also demonstrates alternative strategies for meeting the required irrigation demand, including water harvesting and graywater reuse on a residential scale. The study shows that greening Tahliah Channel is possible relying mainly on graywater reuse from the surrounding buildings. Also, the study shows that rainwater harvesting is not a reliable source for irrigation. Rather, it can cover only part of the irrigation needs (6%) and so can be used as a secondary supporting source. The positive results of this case study will be of interest to those in arid countries who are looking to upgrade and replace traditional, single function drainage infrastructure with more sustainable, green infrastructure systems. More specifically, the objectives of the study are consistent with the goals of the Saudi government’s ongoing initiative that advocates for more resilient and sustainable cities. (Vision 2030 year).

The sustainable development of our world has gain particular attention of a wide range of decisional factors, civil society, business sector, and scientific community, seeing that the prosperity of people and society is possible with the aid of sustained and inclusive economic growth of all countries and regions. Educational environment has a decisive impact on changes in the way that societies are coping with national, regional, and global challenges and opportunities brought by sustainable development. Looking at the implications of HE on the progress of society, the paper addressed the lack of HE institutional capacity to integrate the principles and practices of sustainable development into all aspects of education and learning. The scope of research problem was bounded on the capability of HEI as organization and school to act as entrepreneurial university by combining the scope of its responsibility within the value chain through a practical and effective mechanism needed to align the strategy with sustainable development goals (SDGs). Embarking on the path of SDGs requires HEI to design, launch, implement, and customize specific processes architectures to govern the advance of sustainability approach. The authors applied the process scoping diagram to capture and conceptualize the educational model needed to guide the HEI through the process of change to embrace sustainability into organizational culture and daily operations. It has been used the SIPOC method (Supplier, Input, Process, Output, Customer) with Visio software tool to articulate processes relationships embedded in the educational model of HEI. The benefits relied on the organized view of the work processes needed to be performed to incorporate SDGs into the strategy of any entrepreneurial HEI. Finally, the authors shared their views on the scalability of the model which may be customized and harmonized in accordance with different HE circumstances and priorities. Implementing the proposed educational model requires long-term institutional commitment, transparency, continuous performance improvement, and communicating the strategy for SDGs and its achievements to wider stakeholders.

This study investigates how a range of economic, environmental, and social indicators have influenced the concept of inclusive growth in 19 member countries of the Asian Cooperation Dialogue over the period spanning from 1995 to 2021. To analyze these relationships, the research employs the Driscoll Kraay's Standard Errors regression technique, designed to account for factors such as cross-sectional dependence, hetero-scedasticity, and autocorrelation within the data. Furthermore, various preliminary tests were conducted to assess the data for cross-sectional dependence, slope heterogeneity, heteroscedasticity, and autocorrelation. Additionally, the Westerlund cointegration test was employed to evaluate the potential long-term equilibrium relationships among the variables. The findings reveal that the influence of independent variables on the dependent variable, which in this case is the level of inclusive growth (ING), differs significantly among three distinct income categories: lower-middle-income countries (LMYCs), upper-middle-income countries (UMYCs), and high-income countries (HYCs). Notably, the results underscore the overall statistical significance and robust fit of the regression model for all three income groups. One of the primary contribu-tions of this research is the provision of empirical evidence concerning the role played by fishery and aquaculture production in fostering inclu-sive growth in the Asian context. This research also highlights the trade-offs between economic development and environmental sustainability in terms of trade openness, agriculture, forestry and fishing, ecological footprint, and renewable energy utilization. Enhancing inclusive growth in Asia requires improving fishery and aquaculture management, diversifying economic activities, reducing ecological footprint, and increasing renewable energy utilization. The paper suggests some future work directions for extending the analysis to other regions and indicators, as well as incorporating dynamic panel data models and causality tests. The paper also suggests some policy implications for fostering inclusive growth in Asia through regional cooperation, capacity building, technology transfer and green financing.

In response to the growing need for efficient energy conversion technologies, this pa-per introduces an innovative Tubular Thermoelectric Generator (TTEG), specifically de-signed for high-efficiency conversion of waste heat into electrical energy. Unlike conven-tional flat plate thermoelectric generators (FTEGs), the TTEG incorporates full-ring ther-moelectric elements within a tubular layout, offering a novel approach to thermal energy recovery from fluid-based systems. This design significantly enhances the heat transfer capabilities, thereby improving the efficiency of energy conversion. Comprehensive simulations and analyses form the core of this study, where the per-formance of the TTEG is rigorously compared with traditional FTEGs. These comparisons highlight the advantages of the tubular design in terms of energy conversion efficiency and practical applicability in various scenarios. The findings reveal that the TTEG not only outperforms its flat plate counterparts but also presents a scalable and adaptable so-lution for waste heat recovery in a wide range of industrial and automotive applications. This research contributes to the field of energy science and technology by presenting a detailed experimental setup, complete with reproducible procedures and results. It opens new pathways for the development of more sustainable and efficient energy conversion systems, aligning with the goal of harnessing renewable and sustainable energy sources. The potential applications of this technology in enhancing energy efficiency and reducing environmental impact are vast, making it a significant step forward in the quest for clean and sustainable energy solutions.

Three-dimensional (3D) printing technologies are transforming the design and manufacture of components and products across a variety of disciplines, however their application in the construction industry is still limited. Material deposition processes can achieve infinite geometries and have advanced from rapid prototyping and model-scale markets to their application in fabricating functional products, large objects and the construction of full-scale buildings. Many international projects have recently been realized and the construction industry is beginning to utilise these dynamic technologies. The potential advantages for integrating 3D printing into house construction are significant, these include the capacity for mass customization of designs and parameters for functional and aesthetic purposes, reduction in construction waste from highly precise material placement, and the use of recycled waste products in layer deposition materials. With the ultimate goal of improving construction efficiency and decreasing building costs, applying Strand7 Finite Element Analysis software, a numerical model was designed specifically for 3D printing in a cement mix incorporated with recycled waste product High Density Polyethylene (HDPE) and found that construction of an arched truss-like roof was structurally feasible without the need for steel reinforcements. The lab sizes prototypes were manufactured based on the destined numerical model by using a 3D printing technology. Currently available 3D printing technologies can be adopted for building construction and this paper discusses the applications, advantages, limitations and future directions of 3D printing as an innovative and viable solution for affordable house construction.

Stagnating low renovation rates, vacancies and underused town centers, unprecedentedly high levels of land sealing and excessive consumption of resources through the construction of new buildings and infrastructure as well as the effects of climate change were some of the reasons for carrying out the monumentum ad usum research project.Thermodynamic simulations were used to carry out in-depth analyses of specific building parameters such as energy balances and how they are influenced by the effects of climate change. Life cycle analyses under ecological and economic aspects examined the aspects of sustainability and the individual behaviour of predominantly listed existing buildings under standardized conditions.The project results show that sustainable refurbishment can significantly increase the attractiveness of using historic and listed buildings for non-profit building owners. The results and conclusions of the project are as varied as the recommendations derived from them. In practice, old buildings consume significantly less energy than predicted in the structural calculations. Correction factors are to be developed and thermodynamic simulation calculations are to be used instead of energy performance certificates for more realistic forecasts of energy requirements and emission savings potential. The aspects of sustainability in refurbishment are essential for the protection of our architectural heritage.

Great Himalayan range with regions namely, Jammu & Kashmir, Ladakh and high altitude parts of north eastern states inherently experience high solar exposure, cold, arid climate and significantly challenging geography. With a scarcity of affordable public housing projects in these regions a grid enabled low energy residential prototype is proposed having the capability to operate on nearly zero consumption of heating and cooling energy with the application of indigenous and contemporary energy efficient passive design techniques. Preliminary study, development of design and reading of simulation results were applied for the performance and benefit analysis of the low energy building prototype. Analysis of the climatic zone further classified and narrowed the design criterion by confirming upon beneficial architectural components proven to be energy efficient. These architectural components include, optimization of direct solar gain and orientation of building envelope, modified trombe wall system, traditional sunrooms, solar chimney with openable vents, efficient spatial planning and compliance of relevant parameters such as window-wall-ratio (WWR). The proposed low energy housing for the economically weaker section is estimated to save nearly 50% of active fuel based household heating energy. Site has been planned in such a way that about 100% of required electricity can be generated from on site renewable energy for the proposed infrastructure, it is proven more beneficial if additional electricity is generated to offset the power supply and result in lower or subsidized electricity bills. Design is compliant to different codes relevant to energy conservation and low-income housing with an embodied carbon of about 1.2 kgCO2/m2 per dwelling unit giving ‘A’ grade in cradle to gate impacts. The findings and performance of this prototype can serve as a guideline for energy efficient design in low income group housing situated in severe cold and arid regions of India such as Ladakh (U.T.).

Distribution System Operators (DSOs) are adapting to changing energy demands and the shift toward renewable and decentralized energy. Circularity is increasingly relevant for DSOs as their distribution systems age and need replacing. Taking circular action, however, is generally regarded as challenging as the current circular economy (CE) landscape is highly fragmented and rarely touches the implementation level. A longitudinal case study at Dutch DSO Liander on the circu-larity of distribution transformers was used to understand empirical success factors for taking circular action and to generate prescriptive knowledge on the operationalization of circularity. Six design propositions for circular action were formulated that suggest to 1) initiate small-scale cir-cularity experiments, 2) involve technical and strategic experts, 3) synergize circularity with more urgent, primary goals 4) translate circular initiatives bottom-up and top-down, 5) collaborate with other DSOs, and 6) create multidisciplinary teams. At DSO Liander, selecting the right interventions depending on the changing context contributed to operationalizing circularity for distribution transformers and achieving circularity targets. The generalizable design propositions could assist other DSOs in optimizing their strategy toward circular action.

The current economic development paradigm, which is based on steadily rising resource consumption and pollution emissions, is no longer viable in a world with limited resources and ecological capacity. The "green economy" idea has presented this context with a chance to alter how society handles the interplay between the environmental and economic spheres. The related concept of "green nanotechnology" aims to use nano-innovations within the fields of materials science and engineering to generate products and processes that are economically and ecologically sustainable, enabling society to establish and preserve a green economy. Many different economic sectors are anticipated to be impacted by these applications, including those related to corrosion inhibitor nano fertilizers, nano remediation, biodegradation, heavy metal detection, biofuel, insecticides & pesticides, and catalytic CO2 reduction. These innovations might make it possible to use non-traditional water sources safely and to create construction materials that are enabled by nanotechnology, improving living and ecological conditions. Therefore, our aim is to highlight how nanotechnology is being used in the green economy and to present promises for nano applications in this domain. Additionally, we want to critically examine the practical difficulties these applications raise, especially in consideration of any possible implications for the health and safety of those employed within this innovative sector. In the end, it emphasizes how critical it is to attain a really sustainable advancement in nanotechnology.

We confidently approach current issues in Green Finance (GF) from the perspective of an international organization, where the first author has previous experience as a support assistant. In fact, the economy of the EU (European Union) is deeply involved in the changing needs related to the dramatic consequences of climate change and environmental degradation, which has placed the needs of a more sustainable economy at the top of the international agenda. The environmental, social and governance (ESG) aspects are marginally addressed to arouse a major interest in questions raised by green financial products which require long-term profit expectations, and which above all contain a margin of risk that is difficult to calculate in the landscape of traditional financial instruments. Through a careful approach akin to artificial intelligence research methods, we attempt to “materialize” at least the most visible clues of this fashionable economic shift through what we call SMC (sustainable material culture) objects. The presented SMC objects serve as tangible representations of sustainable practices and can promote awareness and action incorporating into everyday life and business practices a powerful reminder and catalyst for a shift towards more sustainable investment and consumption patterns.

(1) Background: Human-generated greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are the largest contributor to climate change worldwide. Climate change negatively impacts human and planetary health threatening the existence of life on earth. The healthcare industry is responsible for approximately 8.5% of carbon emissions in the United States. Measuring baseline GHG emissions is the first step in emissions reduction. However, very few models of measurement exist for health care organizations. This project aimed to develop and implement a program to measure and track GHG emissions at a Midwestern Academic Medical Center (MAMC) and to educate staff to manage the process. (2) Methods: A Plan, Do, Study, Act (PDSA) cycle and Quality Improvement methodology was used to develop, implement, and assess a standardized GHG emission inventory process to measure Scope 1 and Scope 2 baseline emissions, and provide virtual training and education to the accountable staff. A pre- and post-survey design was used to measure the knowledge and readiness of the staff after the implementation of the GHG inventory training. (3) Results: The GHG inventory process was validated through an external verification process and the measurement of Scope 1 and Scope 2 baseline GHG emissions was completed and verified for accuracy through a data comparison review. The pre-post-training survey showed an increase in the knowledge and readiness of staff in maintaining a GHG inventory. (4) Conclusions: This work shows the feasibility of obtaining baseline GHG emissions data at large medical centers. It represents the initial phase of the overarching goal to develop site-wide and system-wide carbon reduction strategies and a climate action plan within this health system.

Conventional methods of climate change (CC) mitigation have not ‘bent the curve’ of steadily rising annual anthropic CO2 emissions or atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases. This study reviews the present position and likely future of such methods, using recently published literature with a global context. It particularly looks at how fast they could be implemented, given that the limited time available for avoiding catastrophic CC (CCC). The study then examines solar geoengineering, an approach often viewed as complementary to conventional mitigation. The review next introduces equity considerations, and shows how this will shorten even further the time available for effective action for CC mitigation. The main findings are as follows. Conventional mitigation approaches will be implemented too slowly to be of much help in avoiding CCC, partly because some suggested technologies are infeasible, while others are either of limited technical potential, or, like wind and solar energy, cannot be introduced fast enough. Because of these problems, solar geoengineering is increasingly advocated as a quick-acting and effective solution. However, it could have serious side effects, and given that there will be winners and losers at the international as well as the more regional level, political opposition may make it difficult to implement. The conclusion is that global energy consumption itself must be rapidly reduced to avoid catastrophic climate change.

The global transport sector of the world economy contributes about 15% of the Greenhouse Gas (GHGs) emissions in the world today. The University of Saskatchewan has pursued the green energy transition over the years. They have spearheaded diverse sustainability projects and agendas, due to the importance of curbing climate change and advancing sustainability. The transport system in the university campus is one area of focus where the Sustainability Office plans to introduce some innovations, as a way of curbing GHG emissions while also advancing sustainability practice in the university campus. The study carried out an economic benefit analysis on the campus fleet (consisting of 91 ICE vehicles) to determine if it is economically or financially feasible to transition from Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) or PVs (Petrol Vehicles) to Electric Vehicles (EVs). The analysis used RETScreen Expert software for analyzing renewable energy technology projects. The variables of Payback Period (PBP), cash flow projections, savings made from transitioning (fuel cost savings and energy cost savings), Benefit-Cost-ratio, GHG emission reduction potential, etc. were analyzed. The findings revealed that the GHG emission from the campus fleet will be reduced by 100% (this will result in the removal of about 298.1 tCO₂ from the environment). Also, the fleet manager will save approximately $129,049 (88.9%) in fuel costs. Apart from these, the return on investment will be achieved in year 5 (all things being equal), but can be reduced to year 2 if the vehicles are put into constant and active use (eliminating most idle times. Also, the Sustainability Office will be making a GHG reduction revenue of $14,906.

This study investigates the cultural dimension in sustainable lighting design to create inclusive environments. India being one of the most culturally and ethnically diverse nations in the world, with a population of almost 18% of the world population, requires attention to include cultural dimension in the design of sustainable environments. With the changing lifestyle and growth in organized retailing, the Indian retail market needs an upgrade to create inclusive environments for shared retail experiences. Lighting is among most influencing atmospheric attribute to create simulating environment for a holistic shopping experience. Preference of lighting conditions vary across the store profiles and users’ cultural background. Very little research has been carried out to understand the lighting preferences of retail customers in India. This study investigated the effects of correlated colour temperature and illuminance levels on spatial impressions and user preferences in mid-range store profile. This study involved ninety-three participants in evaluating high definition visualisations of the sixteen lighting conditions. The observations from this study emphasizes the necessity of similar studies across various states of India to identify the lighting preferences for other functional spaces and cultural backgrounds within the country. The findings may contribute towards providing recommended guidelines in lighting design and include a cultural dimension in the design of sustainable store environments.

In Geo Polymer bricks (GPB), fly ash content which is a waste from power plants is converted into bricks by chemical treatment. GPB can be dried by using appropriate curing methods. Conven-tionally electric oven curing is one of the prominent methods. Using solar dryer instead of elec-trical oven gives added advantage of saving high grade electrical energy. So in this work solar dryer with PCM (Phase Change materials) Paraffin Wax and without PCM is used for curing ap-plication. GPB are gaining added advantage when compared to conventional bricks like cement and sand bricks in terms of strength. GPB has been taken as specimen for comparing the com-pressive, tensile split strength and flexural strength by electrical energy based curing and solar energy based curing. It is experimentally observed that solar energy based curing with PCM and without PCM exhibits higher compressive strength, higher tensile split strength and flexural strength when compared to electrical energy based curing. Solar curing with PCM shows higher compressive strength, higher tensile split strength and flexural strength when compared to Solar curing without PCM. Open solar curing is a traditional technique but nowadays aggressive cli-matic conditions can lead to severe damage of Geo polymers. The novelty of this work is to suggest to study the effect of PCM like paraffin wax in solar drying on curing time, mechanical properties of GPB.

This study investigates the role of sustainable inventory management within supply chains, exploring strategies, benefits, challenges, and implications for organizations. Through qualitative research involving semi-structured interviews with supply chain professionals from diverse industries, key themes emerged. Sustainable practices such as green logistics, waste minimization, and ethical sourcing were identified as critical strategies to reduce environmental impact and enhance operational efficiency. Technological advancements, including AI, IoT, and blockchain, facilitate real-time monitoring, predictive analytics, and transparency, supporting data-driven decision-making in inventory management. Benefits include cost reduction, improved brand reputation, regulatory compliance, and risk mitigation, positioning organizations favorably in a competitive landscape shaped by environmental regulations and consumer expectations. Challenges such as cost constraints, regulatory complexities, and organizational inertia necessitate strategic investments, collaborative efforts, and leadership commitment to overcome. The study underscores the importance of integrating environmental, social, and economic considerations into supply chain practices to foster sustainability and resilience. Looking forward, the study advocates for a holistic approach to sustainable supply chain management, emphasizing innovation, stakeholder engagement, and capacity building. By aligning organizational values with societal expectations and regulatory frameworks, businesses can navigate complexities, drive positive environmental and social impacts, and achieve sustainable growth. This research contributes insights into current practices and future directions for sustainable inventory management, informing strategies that balance profitability with environmental stewardship and societal responsibility.

Turning ships in port turning basins is an important and responsible operation, mainly involving the ship itself and the port tugs. Such operations involve many maneuvers that consume a lot of energy (fuel) and emit a lot of emissions. Turning basins in harbors and quay approaches are in most cases relatively shallow. The paper examines the turning of ships in port turning basins using harbor tugs, the effect of shallow depth on ship turning, energy (fuel) consumption and the generation of emissions during such maneuvers of harbor tugs. The paper presents the developed theoretical models, and the experimental results on theoretical models, which were verified on real ships and using calibrated simulators. Discussions and conclusions prepared on the basis of the research base. The use of the developed methodology makes it possible to increase shipping safety, optimize maneuvers and reduce energy (fuel) consumption when turning ships in the port and at the same time reduce the amount of fuel consumed by port tugs and reduce the number of emissions of tugs during such operations.

In modern times, sustainability in supply chain management is one of the keys to boosting the performance of the supply chain, and it enables the accomplishment of SSCM. It has been found in recent years that SSCM with assist of industry 4.0 applications, can benefit splendid productivity and efficiency in the supply chain. The numerous industry 4.0 applications that are involved are Artificial intelligence (AI), Machine Learning (ML), Internet of Things (IoT) Big Data Analytics (BDA), etc. Industry 4.0 with SSCM has gained a lot of interest from various authors and scholars across the world. Healthcare is one of the most critical sectors due to its importance in handling public health. More recently, the COVID-19 pandemic and other viruses (SARS and Ebola) have highlighted supply chain vulnerabilities that are further mitigated by their lean and globalized structures. Covid-19 underlined the need for supply chain visibility problems within the healthcare sector. When the need for medical supplies became urgent and global distribution was disrupted, companies faced the consequences of needing the technology, systems, and plans in place to correctly predict the onslaught. One report shows that about 94 percent of Fortune 1000 companies reported supply chain disruptions due to the COVID-19 global outbreak. Existing studies have discussed supply chain issues and the importance of AI in addressing these challenges. AI, like Industry 4.0 in the healthcare supply chain, is proving to be a game-changer. This paper aims to review and present the various aspects of SSCM and industry 4.0 applications to get a comprehensive literature review, which contains the analysis of multiple articles published from 2010-2020. In addition, the various challenges SSCM and industry 4.0 applications face are identified and discussed. Also, the impact of Industry 4.0 and sustainable practices brings together the healthcare supply chain. This study will help in getting a good understanding of the different industry 4.0 technologies that are important for setting up SSCM.

1960s Europe saw a large number of residential neighborhoods built to house those migrating from the countryside. Today, more than 50 years later, these neighborhoods suffer high levels of functional, social, and technical obsolescence. In response to this, University of Seville developed the Aura Strategy as an intervention methodology to find global solutions to issues in outdated neighborhoods. To provide visibility to this aspect of the Aura strategy, the retrofit proposal presented in this article provides a solution to improve the roofing of buildings in a case study neighborhood (Polígono de San Pablo, Seville) and an analysis of the results in terms of energy and financial savings for local residents. The results show that for a population of roughly 18,000 (in 2018), net savings, including energy and retrofitting costs, ranging from nearly 6.5 to over 8.6 million can be made over the 20-year life cycle span. Likewise, the results obtained on the reduction of thermal loads indicate a 72% decrease in energy consumption, equivalent to a saving of close to 4,500 tons of greenhouse gas emissions for the district and the entire life cycle time period, with the consequent benefits on the impact on air quality and and the fight against climate change. climate change.

Climate changes challenges people’s life and sustainability. Environmental problems seem to derive from human behavior. Dentistry has a high environmental footprint that needs to be controlled worldwide. Thus, the change of behavior of dentists is a necessary condition to improve the environmental situation. In this study we use a system dynamics approach to analyze pro-environmental behavior in dentists. Systemic modelling in this case, allow us to make a clear prediction of how the population of non-eco dentists will change in the future if certain factors will be affected and how much time will be needed by the system of a group of dental professionals to become eco- dentists. The ECODENT model was designed with Vensim software. It was based on the influence of WOM (word of mouth) spread of information among colleagues and stakeholders (e.g. patients, auxiliary staff and community) and other factors such as dental income, state support, CaPex and OpEx, education hours, level of urbanization and time to react. By changing each one of them we can observe the changes in the groups of non-eco and eco dentists as well as the flow of the phenomenon. It is tested that by augmenting WOM parameter, state economic support or education hours, while diminishing CaPex and OpEx, changes in pro-environmental behaviors of dentist will be reported in a shorter time. The ECODENT model can be used to further study pro-environmentalism in different dental groups and associations and design relevant eco-friendly educational programs.

This article explores the question of the rate of digital progress in the context of the labor market. Specific features of the current situation are indicated: temporality of socio-technological transformations, which is becoming less and less compatible with the harmonious development of man and society; the pace at which machines acquire intelligence; total devaluation of mental labor; unresolved issue of the role of man in the world of intelligent machines; the criticality of the problem of the labor market, due to its global nature, social significance and the rate of socio-technological changes. It is emphasized that these circumstances in the short term threaten the sustainable development of the global society, whose reactions to the transformation of technological and socio-economic infrastructure are significantly lagging behind. It is concluded that there is an urgent need to strengthen social responsibility, determined by the new ethics of relations between humans and machines with AI, supplemented by the primacy of the dignity of the social role of humans. The authors point out the urgent need to revise ideas about work as the main purpose of a person and about realization in the profession as the main factor that determines the self-esteem of an individual and his social status.

The processed tomato is one of the major food products of Italy and characterized today many Italian Regions, in northern and southern Italy, even though the firms in the industry have had difficulties, in recent years, due to an increase in the cost of raw materials. Furthermore, tomato processing firms are often characterized by significant investment in fixed assets and working capital, with an consequent increase in equity and/or debt financing, with consequent increasing of the risk of bankruptcy, as happens to many firms in the sector in recent years. The aim of the research is than to analyze the risk of bankruptcy of tomato processing companies applying financial ratios. To achieve this goal, the research consider the annual data of a sample of 17 tomato processing firms operating in the Inter Regional Interprofessional Organization “OI Pomodoro da Industria Nord Italia”; firms’ data are divided into still-active (not-distressed) and failed (distressed) firms, with the aim of analyzing the differences between financial data and management practices of the two groups of firms to evaluate the sustainability of the business cycle. The company data suggest that larger firms, with adequate financial structure, have been able to withstand the tomato market crisis in recent years, where distressed firms are on average smaller and suffer from a higher recourse to debt capital with lower profit margins than not-distressed firms. The research could then be applied by entrepreneurs, managers, bankers and public operator to define good practices of management to be achieved and measured with financial ratios even in order reduce the risk of distress for firms operating in tomato sector.

Urban sprawl propelled by rapid population growth leads to the shrinkage of productive agricultural lands and pristine forests in the suburban areas and, in turn, substantially alters ecosystem services. Hence, the quantification of urban sprawl is crucial for effective urban planning, and environmental and ecosystem management. Like many megacities in fast growing developing countries, Chennai, the capital of Tamilnadu and one of the business hubs in India, has experienced extensive urban sprawl triggered by the doubling of total population over the past three decades. We employed the Random Forest (RF) classification on Landsat imageries from 1991, 2003, and 2016, and computed spatial metrics to quantify the extent of urban sprawl within a 10km suburban buffer of Chennai. The rate of urban sprawl was quantified using Renyi’s entropy, and the urban extent was predicted for 2027 using land-use and land-cover change modeling. A 70.35% increase in urban areas was observed for the suburban periphery of Chennai between 1991 and 2016. The Renyi’s entropy value for year 2016 was ≥ 0.9, exhibiting a two-fold rate of urban sprawl. The spatial metrics values indicate that the existing urban areas of Chennai became denser and the suburban agricultural, forests and barren lands were transformed into fragmented urban settlements. The forecasted urban growth for 2027 predicts a conversion of 13670.33ha (16.57 % of the total landscape) of existing forests and agricultural lands into urban areas with an associated increase in the entropy value of 1.7. Our findings are relevant for urban planning and environmental management in Chennai and provide quantitative measures for addressing the social-ecological consequences of urban sprawl and the protection of ecosystem services.

This research experiments with a sustainability assessment based on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of Agenda 2030 through a process of their territorialisation and implementation. This process enables the development of a Spatial Decision Support System (SDSS) that can be integrated with strategic environmental assessments in urban planning. The assessment takes place on the transversality of the sustainability concept by trying to consider together the three dimensions (environmental, social and economic) into a single assessment through the Spatial Sustainability Assessment Model (SSAM) by integrating Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and multi-criteria analyses. Economic development, social equity, and ecological integrity represent three common visions for rethinking peri-urban edges.

Digitalization is globally transforming the world with profound implications. It has enormous potential to foster progress toward sustainability. However, in its current form, digitalization also continues to enable and encourage practices with numerous unsustainable impacts affecting our environment, ingraining inequality, and degrading quality of life. There is an urgent need to identify such multifaceted impacts holistically. Impact assessment of digital interventions (DIs) leading to digitalization is important specifically for Sustainable Development Goals(SDGs). Action is required to understand the pursuit of short-term gains toward achieving long-term value-driven sustainable development. We need to understand the impact of DIs on various actors and in diverse contexts. A holistic understanding of the impact it creates will help us align it with visions of sustainable development and identify potential measures to mitigate negative short and long-term impacts. The recently developed Digitainability Assessment Framework (DAF) unveils the impact of DIs with an in-depth context-aware assessment and offers an evidence-based impact profile of SDGs at the indicator level. We performed the impact assessment of diverse technologies using DAF. This paper summarizes the insights from the Digitainable Spring School 2022 on "Sustainability with Digitalization and Artificial Intelligence," one of whose goals was to operationalize the DAF as a tool in the action learning process with diverse professionals in the field of digitalization and sustainability. The DAF guides a holistic context-aware process formulation for a given DI. An evidence-based evaluation within the DAF protocol benchmarks a specific DI’s impact against the SDG indicators framework. The operationalization of the DAF was carried out by looking at four different DIs: smart home technologies (SHT) for energy efficiency, blockchain for food security, artificial intelligence for land use cover and changes (LUCC), and big data for international law. Each of the four studies addresses different DIs for digitainability assessment using different techniques for a diverse group of indicators, demonstrating the potential of the DAF but also outlining the existing data gaps that limit a comprehensive analysis.

The analysis of the human movement patterns based on the mobile network data makes it possible to examine a very large population cost-effectively, and led to several discoveries about human dynamics. However, the application of this data source is still not common practice. The goal of this study was to analyze the commuting tendencies of the Budapest Metropolitan Area using mobile network data and propose an automatized alternative to the current, questionnaire-based method. Commuting is predominantly analyzed by the census, but that is performed only once in a decade in Hungary. To analyze commuting, the home and the work locations of the subscribers are determined based on their appearances during and outside the working hours. The home locations were compared to census data at a settlement level. Then, the settlement and district level commuting tendencies were identified and compared to the findings of census-based sociological studies. It has been found that commuting analysis based on mobile network data strongly correlates with the census-based findings, even though home and work locations have been estimated by statistical methods. All the examined aspects, including commuting from sectors of the agglomeration to the districts of Budapest and demographic distribution of the commuters, show that mobile network data can be an automatized, fast, cost-effective, and relatively accurate way of commuting analysis, that could provide a powerful tool to the sociologists interested in commuting.

The present work aims to characterize the mechanical behavior of a new composite material for the conservation and development of the vast historical and architectural heritage that is particularly vulnerable to environmental and seismic actions. The new composite consists of natural hydraulic lime (NHL) -based mortar, reinforced by sisal short fibers randomly oriented in the mortar matrix. The NHL-based mortar ensures the chemical-physical compatibility with the original feature of the historical masonry structures (mostly in stone and clay) aiming to pursue both the effectiveness and durability of the intervention. The use of vegetable fibers (i.e. the sisal one) is an exciting challenge for the construction industry since they require a lower degree of industrialization for their processing, and therefore, their costs are also low, as compared to the most common synthetic/metal fibers. Beams of sisal-composite sizing 160x40x40 mm3 with a central notch are tested in three-point bending, aiming to evaluate both their bending strength and fracture energy. Also, tensile tests and compressive tests were performed on the composite samples, while water retention test and slump test were performed on the fresh mix. Finally, the tensile tests on the Sisal strand were carried out to evaluate the tensile strength of both strand and wire. A final comparison with unreinforced mortar specimens shows that the proposed composite ensures great workability and good performances in term of ductility and strength and it can be considered a promising alternative to the classic fiber-reinforcing systems.

Despite the development of technologies, modern methods of disposal of end-of-life tires most often represent either the incineration in cement kilns or the destruction of tires in special landfills, showing a lack of sustainable recycling of this valuable material. The fundamental role of recycling is evident, and the development of high-efficiency processes represents a priority for the European market. Therefore, investigation of end-of-life rubber processing methods is of high importance for manufacturers and recyclers of rubber materials. In this paper, methods of processing of end-of-life tires are reviewed in order to obtain rubber crumb, which can later be used in the production of new industrial rubber goods and composite The processes of separation end-of-life tire into fractions by type of materials using mechanical processing methods along with mechanochemical and mechanical processes of processing the materials of used tires in order to obtain crumb rubber of various fractions and chemical reactivity are considered.

Guiding the visitor to appreciate the sights during an excursion is crucial to building a memorable experience. In the literature, we find many articles exploring the use of sophisticated technologies towards such a goal. The case of tourism proposals for inland areas exhibits a noteworthy aspect, since the presence of human artifacts and the signage may damage the experience, and introduce pollutants as well. This paper analyzes the signage for a natural trail putting into practice a holistic methodology that takes into account all aspects of the problem, starting from the touristic vocation of the area and the social fabric. The analysis indicates slow, community-involved tourism as the preferable target, with extreme requirements of sustainability in the social, economic, and environmental domains for the signage solution. Appropriate governance guidelines are given to implement the proposal. Footprint evaluations address the QR-code technology, which is used to design a real-scale solution finally deployed on the field.

The sustainability of the planet and its inhabitants is in dire danger and is among the highest priorities on global agendas such as the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations (UN). Solar energy -- among other clean, renewable, and sustainable energies -- is seen as essential for environmental, social, and economic sustainability. Predicting solar energy accurately is critical to increasing reliability and stability, and reducing the risks and costs of the energy systems and markets. Researchers have come a long way in developing cutting-edge solar energy forecasting methods. However, these methods are far from optimal in terms of their accuracies, generalizability, benchmarking, and other requirements. Particularly, no single method performs well across all climates and weathers due to the large variations in meteorological data. This paper proposes SENERGY (an acronym for Sustainable Energy), a novel deep learning-based auto-selective approach and tool that, instead of generalising a specific model for all climates, predicts the best performing deep learning model for GHI forecasting in terms of forecasting error. The approach is based on carefully devised deep learning methods and feature sets through an extensive analysis of deep learning forecasting and classification methods using ten meteorological datasets from three continents. We analyse the tool in great detail through a range of metrics and methods for performance analysis, visualization, and comparison of solar forecasting methods. SENERGY outperforms existing methods in all performance metrics including Root Mean Square Error (RMSE), Mean Absolute Error (MAE), Mean Absolute Percentage Error (MAPE), Forecast Skills (FS), Relative Forecasting Error, and the normalised versions of these metrics. The proposed auto-selective approach can be extended to other research problems such as wind energy forecasting and predict forecasting models based on different criteria (in addition to the minimum forecasting error used in this paper) such as the energy required or speed of model execution, different input features, different optimisations of the same models, or other user preferences.

Supplier Relationship Management (SRM) is a critical aspect of supply chain management, particularly in today's dynamic and interconnected business environment. This qualitative research study explores SRM practices within the context of supply chain dynamics, aiming to understand how organizations manage their supplier relationships to achieve strategic objectives. Through semi-structured interviews, document analysis, and participant observation, key themes emerge, including collaboration, trust, risk management, performance measurement, digital technology integration, sustainability, cultural alignment, supplier development, strategic alignment, emotional intelligence, and marketing perspectives. The findings underscore the importance of collaboration and trust in fostering strategic partnerships with suppliers, mitigating risks, and enhancing supply chain resilience. Effective risk management practices, performance measurement systems, and digital technology integration are essential for improving transparency, efficiency, and responsiveness in SRM. Sustainability considerations highlight the need for aligning SRM practices with corporate social responsibility goals and stakeholder expectations. Cultural alignment, supplier development programs, strategic alignment, emotional intelligence, and marketing perspectives further enrich the understanding of how organizations navigate their supplier relationships. This study contributes to the body of knowledge on SRM by providing empirical insights into the practices, challenges, and opportunities associated with managing supplier relationships in dynamic supply chains. The findings offer valuable guidance for practitioners and policymakers seeking to enhance their SRM practices and achieve competitive advantage in today's complex business landscape.

Abstract: The Mediterranean diet, a widely studied and highly beneficial diet, underpins my research. Initially, the Mediterranean diet included Wild Edible Plants (WEPs). According to numerous research reports, this diet 1) promotes health and longevity and 2) prevents various modern diseases, including coronary and Alzheimer’s disease. A vital component of this diet is consuming locally available green plants, which are rich in health-promoting substances. In Åhlberg (2021, 2022b), I presented evidence for 56 health-promoting substances that all green vascular WEPs contain. While reading research reports of these five species, I found eight more health-promoting substances that all green vascular wild edible plants have. This article adds eight new substances to the earlier 56, bringing the total to 64. This is a novel and groundbreaking finding for which I provide research evidence. Each WEP has 1) health-promoting substances that all green vascular plants share and 2) species-specific health-promoting substances. I present the latest research on five invasive wild edible plants (WEPs) species. Each contains at least 64 health-promoting substances and varying species-specific health-promoting substances. I also present the experimental research results showing how many of these substances prevent Alzheimer’s disease. Keywords: wild edible plants (WEPs); wild food plants; Mediterranean diet; functional foods; good health, longevity; Alzheimer’s disease; alimurgic plants; invasive species; sustainability

In Germany, as in many developed countries, over 60% of buildings were constructed before 1978, where most are in critical condition, requiring either demolition with plans for redevelopment or renovation and rehabilitation. Given the urgency of climate action and relevant sustainable development goals set by the United Nations, more attention must be shifted toward the various sustainability aspects when deciding on the strategy for renovation or redevelopment of existing buildings. To this end, this study focused on developing a smart decision support framework for aging buildings based on lifecycle sustainability considerations. The framework integrated digital technological advancements, such as building information modeling (BIM), point clouds processing with field information modeling (FIM)®, and structural optimization, together with life-cycle assessment to evaluate and rate the environmental impact of different solutions. Three sustainability aspects, namely, cost, energy consumption, and carbon emissions, were quantitatively evaluated and compared in two scenarios, namely, renovation, and demolition or deconstruction combined with redevelopment. A real building constructed in 1961 was the subject of the experiments to validate the framework. The result outlined the limitations and advantages of each method in terms of economics and environmental impact. It was further observed that optimizing the building design with the goal to reduce embodied energy and carbon in compliance with modern energy standards, was crucial to improve overall energy performance. This work demonstrated that the developed BIM-based framework to assess the environmental impact of rehabilitation work in aging buildings can provide effective ratings to guide decision-making in real-world projects.

Humanity faces serious social and environmental problems, including climate change and biodiversity loss. Risks are increasing and conditions deteriorating. Increasingly, scientists, global policy experts, and the general public conclude that incremental approaches are insufficient and transformative change is needed across all sectors of society. However, the meaning of transformation is still unsettled in the literature, as is the proper role of science in fostering it. This paper is the first in a three-part series that adds to the discussion by proposing a novel science-driven research-and-development program aimed at societal transformation. More than a proposal, it offers a perspective and conceptual framework from which societal transformation might be approached and understood. While acknowledging the necessity of reform to existing societal systems (e.g., governance, economic, and financial systems), the focus of the series is on transformation understood as systems change or systems migration—the de novo development of and migration to new societal systems. The series provides definitions, aims, reasoning, worldview, and a theory of change, and discusses fitness metrics and design principles for new systems. This first paper proposes a worldview built using ideas from evolutionary biology, complex systems science, cognitive sciences, and information theory that is intended to serve as the foundation for the R&D program.

A smart city is a futuristic approach that evolves with new technologies. It can start as a simple community and evolve into future cities. In most developing countries, where the population growth is faster, and where the organization and the urbanization are slower, there is a serious need for a framework for progressive change towards sustainable cities. This article discusses the level of intelligence of smart city components and proposes indicators as well as a methodology for measuring intelligence based on the objectives to be achieved as well as a certain number of technical requirements and some cognitive processes implemented.

Swift and diligent resilience response is mandatory in sustainable geo-distributed ecosystems. The real-time geo-spatial resilience requires agility in millions of parallel and distributed data processing tasks on data acquired from regional condition monitoring(RCM) systems. These tasks include expiditous resolution of complex sustainability conflict sets, promptly anomalies characterization in chaos sets, and resilience response uniqueness. This work is an archetype of a paragon geo-resilience support system(GRSS) for regional sustainability using a novel melioration in DADO production machine. The proposed expert system capitalized the synergic strengths of RETE, TREAT, LEAPS and GATOR networks was designed and implemented as a synthetic DADO machine(SDM). The generic architecture of DADO machine was improved in this work by enrichment in rule set conditions and solution set for regional scale resilience rule set conditions. The condition left-hand side(LHS) X equal to the solution set 2X for right-hand side (RHS) was the goal achieved by working memory(WM) optimization and conflict resolution strategy(CRS) in alpha and beta networks rules. A round-trip time of 80.2 seconds for first event response set using 1492 segment size and sequence number 360,000 with maximum packets at a single geospatial structure was 21 packets/sec was a noticeable landmark in this work. LEAPS and Concurrent-read algorithm for GATOR cluster networks in the proposed synthetic DADO machine architecture was the overall implementation that enabled urban scale resilient system practically possible on physical SHM deployment.

Although floods, as well as other natural disasters, can be considered relevant causes of intra-generational inequalities, the frequent catastrophes and the resulting damages to territory reflect the generalized indifference about inter-generational justice. Societal concerns, such as land protection, typically involve the administrative system performing proactive policies in the perspective of inter-generational solidarity, but subsidiarity has made more and more independent the local communities. As a consequence, the attention toward the long run effects – typically concerning the territorial system, as a whole, at the geographical scale – has been dispersed, and the proactive policies coming from the central government has became more ineffective. Regarding the case of the flood happened in 2009 in the Fiumedinisi-Capo Peloro hydraulic basin, in the northeastern part of Sicily, Italy, we propose an economic valuation – carried out by performing the method of the imputed preferences – in order to compare the expenses incurred by the public authorities responsible for protecting the territory to the costs of the rehabilitation of the damaged areas. Some considerations about the economic significance of the proactive policies for the arrangement of territory are addressed according to the role played by the social discount rate in the inter-temporal economic calculation.

This paper examines some of the largely neglected areas of opportunity to utilize skeletal space structure systems in support of modular, industrialized, economical, sustainable and digital future of the construction industry. In this context, the feasibility of future use of skeletal space structures is studied for a few classes of engineering structures, namely, residential apartment buildings, and offshore platforms, along with their suitability for reconstruction, renovation, modernization and retrofit of damaged buildings and urban areas of cultural heritage significance. Finally, the particulars of lean project management of space structures are discussed with emphasis on engineering and economic factors, production management, environmental aspects, quality management, and reliability, maintainability and sustainability considerations. This article concludes that skeletal space structures can fulfil many of the essential construction requirements of modern societies, especially those facing environmental challenges, all while allowing for design flexibility and mass customization.

The complexity of urban spatial configuration, which affects human-well being and landscape functioning, needs acquisition and 3d visualisation data to inform decision-making process better. One of the main challenges in sustainability research is to conceive spatial models which are capable of adapting to changes in scale and recalibrating the related indicators depending on the degree of detail and data availability. In this perspective, the inclusion of the third dimension into Urban Ecosystem Services (UES) assessment studies highlights the details of urban structure-function relationships, improves modelling and visualisation of data and impacts, aiding decision-makers to localise, assess and manage urban development strategies. The main goal of the proposed framework concerns mapping, evaluating and planning of the UES within a 3d-virtual environment to improve the visualisation of the spatial relationships among the services allocation and the urban fabric density.

We introduce the Transformation Flower Approach (TFA), a Theory of Change that attends to multiple value creation and institutional change as a dual design challenge. We highlight how the TFA integrates social scientific theories and models relevant for transformative change (in particular focusing on pathways, leverage points, governance, power, and values) and demonstrate its practical value by an application to the ongoing transformation of the Dutch food system. By providing a holistic, transdisciplinary and practically relevant approach that aims to support new social contract formation, the TFA goes beyond other transformative change approaches. Based on the notion of pathways, it offers a toolbox that aids in working towards desired futures, involving both incumbents and challengers in an effort to harness untapped yet proximal potentials in a forward-looking way. By embracing an innovation approach, it not only promises to circumvent resistance to change, but also serves as a step-by-step approach to identify options for multiple value creation and effective cooperation. We demonstrate the analytical and practical value of the TFA by discussing action perspectives at various levels and scales in the context of the Dutch food system transition, including (1) area-oriented approaches, (2) acceleration agendas for specific transformation pathways, and (3) actor-specific transformation flowers. In developing these, we emphasize the importance of interdependencies between leverage points. Our approach helps to identify opportunities to link transformative options (the what), actors (the who) and levers (the how) in dynamic interaction to embark on transformative pathways.

The urgency for a shift towards cleaner and more efficient energy alternatives for power generation is underscored by the escalating demand for energy and the detrimental environmental impacts of conventional fossil fuels. In the case of automotive power, electric vehicles are being adopted in many applications, however, challenges remain such as extended charging periods and limited ranges between charges. Therefore, this research study conducts a techno-economic analysis of renewable energy technologies (including solar modules, wind turbines and piezoelectric materials) to augment the efficiency and sustainability of electric buses. The study examines the scope for these technologies to be adopted on double-decker electric buses in London in the United Kingdom. The solar modules are placed on the rooftop and sides of the bus generating 15.9 kWh/day and the wind turbine in the front bumper of the bus generates 8.3 kWh/day. However, the piezoelectric material generated only 22.6 Wh/day, rendering it an impractical inclusion in further analysis. Therefore, both the solar modules and wind turbines combined generate 24.2 kWh/day, which can increase the driving range by 16.3 km per day and this results in savings of 19.36 minutes for charging at the stations. Investing in such projects would have a positive return as the internal rate of return (IRR) and net present value (NPV) are 2.8% and £11,175 respectively. The annual revenue would be £6,712, and the greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction would be two metric tons annually. Electricity exported to the grid, the electricity export rate, and the initial investment are identified as key factors influencing power outage in a sensitivity analysis. In conclusion, this numerical modelling study paves the way for experimental validation towards implementation of renewable energy technologies on electric bus fleets.

Aquaculture is rapidly becoming one of the pivotal sectors in the farm economy, driven by the increasing demand for high-quality animal protein at an affordable cost, especially with the escalating human population. However, the expansion of high-density fish populations also brings forth a challenge – the rapid transmission and spread of infectious disease agents among them. To combat this, vaccination is emerging as a reliable and standardized method for providing immunity against viral and bacterial outbreaks. The ideal vaccine is expected to be safe, effective, economical, and easily administered. The fish vaccination industry continually publishes new information on fish immunology and vaccinology, contributing to the improvement of vaccine formulation and efficacy. This review aims to offer insights into the current status of bacterial, viral, and parasitic diseases, discuss existing vaccinations, and address potential industry-threatening diseases like infectious edwardsiellosis, motile aeromonas septicemia, TiLV, salmon anemia, vibriosis, and white spot disease. Technological advancements have played a crucial role in enhancing our understanding of fish immunological mechanisms, leading to improved vaccine administration and the development of recombinant live attenuated, subunit, DNA, and RNA vaccines. However, challenges such as oral tolerance, vaccine degradation, and stressful environments persist, impacting vaccine efficacy. Addressing these challenges and gaining a deeper understanding of the fish immune system and host-pathogen interactions will be pivotal for future improvements, contributing to the sustainability of aquaculture and enhancing global food security.

UN Convention on Climate Change 2015 mandates reducing carbon footprint to reduce global warming. Considering environmental concerns, Electric Vehicles (EVs) spearhead the move towards green mobility. Niti Aayog (Indian Government) has envisaged an “EV only” scenario by 2030. Two wheelers dominate the Indian automobile industry with almost 80% market share. With the transportation sector accounting for 70% of world’s fossil fuels use, the need for a sustainable supply chain which addresses environment, economy and societal issues, has, of late, aroused interest in the business academic community and industries. Sustainability in business decision-making promotes efficiency, controls expenditure, enhances customer delight, increases sales and market share, optimises risk management strategy, and promotes profitability. This study intends to develop a conceptual framework after examining research gaps in sustainable supply chain management (SSCM) and allied topics like sustainability, green supply chain management, and vendor partnerships through collaborative efforts. Even the UN vide Goal 9 of sustainable goals pertaining to industry, highlights the importance of this framework.

This article reviews recent innovations in piezoelectric actuators, then indicates the future research targets. In the materials, the piezoelectric performances of relaxor-lead titanate (PZN-PT, PMN-PT) single crystals have been improved significantly by an AC electric poling technique. Also new loss characterization techniques facilitate developing high-power density piezoelectrics. The RMS vibration velocity reaches 0.6 m/s in the k₃₁ mode in lead zirconate titanate (PZT) nowadays, which corresponds to power density 30 W/cm³. Pb-free materials are urged due to the recent political regulation on toxic materials. In device designs, the original multilayer actuators (MLA) with Ag/Pd electrode have been switched to the ones with Cu or pure Ag, in order to suppress the heat generation, then to enhance the device power density. Piezoelectric micro-electro-mechanical-systems (MEMS’s) started to utilize the <1 0 0> oriented epitaxial films of rhombohedral PZT compositions, which exhibits enhanced piezoelectric properties. Also for higher-power applications, aero-sol deposition (AD) methods have been introduced to 10 -thick films. Regarding drive/control techniques in piezo-actuators, three developments are on-going, that is, “negative capacitance” power supplies for driving off-resonance (pseudo-DC) piezo-actuators, capacitive AC power supplies for efficiently driving resonance piezo-actuators, and DC/DC converters for harvesting electric energy from high-impedance piezoelectric devices under noise vibration. The applications of piezoelectric actuators in the 21^st century seem to be oriented toward “politico-engineering” with four keywords, “cooperation, protection, reduction, and continuation”. The sustainability technologies include the following piezoelectric items: (a) Pb-free piezoelectrics, (b) ultrasonic technology for decomposing hazardous materials, (c) reduction of contamination gas, (d) piezoelectric energy harvesting, and (e) device improvement with high energy-efficiency. On the other hand, the following crisis technologies have been developed with piezoelectrics: (a) detection and neutralization technologies of infectious/epidemic diseases such as anthrax, (b) autonomous unmanned underwater, aerial, and land vehicles with piezoelectric actuators, (c) pin-point target weapons, (d) high voltage supplies with piezoelectric transformers, and (e) compact energy sources for remote actuating/sensing systems.

Ground-based high-power lasers enable to, in principle, deorbit any kind of space debris object from the low Earth orbit (LEO) by remotely inducing laser-ablative momentum. However, the assessment of efficiency and operational safety depends on many factors like atmospheric constraints or the risk of debris disintegration during irradiation. We analyze laser momentum for a great variety of target geometries and sizes, and – for the first time in a large-scale simulation – include thermal constraints for laser irradiation configuration. Using a coherently coupled 100 kJ laser system at 1030 nm wavelength, 5 ns pulse duration in an optimized pointing elevation angle range, the pulse frequency should amount to less than 10 Hz to prevent fragment meltdown. For mechanically intact payloads or rocket bodies, repetition rates should be even lower. Small debris fragments sized between 10 and 40 cm can be de-orbited by around 100 to 400 station passes with head-on irradiation while objects exceeding 2 m typically require far more than 1000 irradiations for deorbit. Hence, laser-based debris removal cannot be considered a prime space sustainability measure tackling the top-risk large debris, yet it can provide for remediation of a multitude of small-sized debris using small networks of globally distributed laser sites.

While the importance of corporate governance has been broadly acknowledged in global financial markets and academic research, how to devise a practical evaluation system is relatively unexplored. This paper attempts to refine the Corporate Governance Evaluation System (CGES), constructed by the Taiwan Stock Exchange (TWSE) since 2014. The current CGES has several debatable issues in its complicated design (e.g., it comprises over 80 indicators in different types). To resolve those issues, this study invited ten senior domain experts (including several CEOs of financial holding companies) to retrieve 13 essential criteria from the CGES in four dimensions. And this study integrates several multiple criteria decision-making (MCDM) methods (i.e., Decision-making trial and evaluation laboratory (DEMATEL), modified VIKOR, DEMATEL-based analytical network process (DANP)) and the fuzzy evaluation technique to rank the exemplary companies. The obtained ranking is consistent with the one released from the CGES in 2017. This study conducted additional experiments to ensure the robustness of the findings. The newly devised model not only supports the ranking decisions but also provides a managerial guidance for companies to pursue systematic improvements. These findings enrich the understanding of corporate governance and contribute to gaining business sustainability for financial holding companies.

The increasing social pressure for decarbonization has placed businesses under considerable scrutiny to actively reduce carbon emissions. A critical step towards achieving this objective is to shift conventional production and consumption systems to more sustainable alternatives. Thus, there is the emergent need to understand the patterns and drivers of the transformative business models (BMs) that underpin that shift. This study adopts a mixed-methods approach that integrates different literature streams--including Sustainability Transitions Theory (STT), Strategic Niche Management (SNM), and the Business Models approach--and stakeholders’ interviews to investigate the key elements of business models that lead towards sustainable practices. This research examines the organizational arrangements of European start-ups operating between 2014 and 2020. The transformation towards decarbonized production and consumption is characterized by efficient combination of business strategies that incorporate advanced technologies (ATs), such as artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML) and its algorithms, along with sustainable elements, resulting in transformative business models. By exploring the driving elements behind the transition to low-carbon approaches, this study fills a significant gap in the existing literature on business models. The findings from this research also hold relevance for policymakers to promote decarbonization.

This paper presents a new methodology to derive and analyze strategies for a fully decarbonized urban transport system which combines conceptual vehicle design, a large-scale agent-based transport simulation, operational cost analysis, and life cycle assessment for a complete urban region. The holistic approach evaluates technical feasibility, system cost, energy demand, transportation time and sustainability-related impacts of various decarbonization strategies. In contrast to previous work, the consequences of a transformation to fully decarbonized transport system scenarios are quantified across all traffic segments, considering procurement, operation and disposal. The methodology can be applied to arbitrary regions and transport systems. Here, the metropolitan region of Berlin is chosen as a demonstration case. First results are shown for a complete conversion of all traffic segments from conventional propulsion technology to battery electric vehicles. The transition of private individual traffic is analyzed regarding technical feasibility, energy demand and environmental impact. Commercial goods, municipal traffic and public transport are analyzed with respect to system cost and environmental impacts. We can show a feasible transition path for all cases with substantially lower greenhouse gas emissions. Based on current technologies and today’s cost structures our simulation shows a moderate increase in total systems cost of 13-18%.

The influence and importance of research and development (R&D) for business sustainability have gained increasing interests, especially in the high-tech sector. However, the efforts of R&D might cause complex and mixed impacts on the financial results considering the associated expenses. Thus, this study aims to examine how R&D efforts may influence business to improve its financial performance considering the dual objectives: the gross and the net profitability. This research integrated a rough-set-based soft computing technique and multiple criteria decision-making (MCDM) methods to explore this complex and yet valuable issue. A group of public listed companies from Taiwan, all in the semiconductor sector, was analyzed as a case study. Initially, more than 30 variables were considered, and the adopted soft computing technique retrieved 14 core attributes—for the dual profitability objectives—to form the evaluation model. The importance of R&D for pursuing superior financial prospects is confirmed, and the empirical case demonstrates how to guide an individual company to plan for improvements to achieve its long-term sustainability by this hybrid approach.

first_pagesettingsOrder Article ReprintsOpen AccessArticleThe Carbon Footprint of Spanish University Websitesby Sonia Sanchez-Cuadrado ¹ andJorge Morato ^2,*1Department of Library and Information Science, Complutense University of Madrid, 28010 Madrid, Spain²Department of Computer Science, Carlos III University of Madrid, Leganes, 28911 Madrid, Spain^*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.Sustainability 2024, 16(13), 5670; https://doi.org/10.3390/su16135670 (registering DOI)Submission received: 31 May 2024 / Revised: 22 June 2024 / Accepted: 23 June 2024 / Published: 3 July 2024(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Education in the Digital Society: Applying Communication Technologies and Digital Tools to Education) Downloadkeyboard_arrow_down Browse Figures Versions NotesAbstractThe consumption of digital content is essential for economic and scientific development, leading to a high dependence on information and communication technologies, which significantly impacts the environment. Quantifying this ecological impact is challenging due to its intangible nature and the diversity of factors. This research focuses on assessing the energy consumption and CO₂ production of Spanish university websites to evaluate their levels of digital pollution and environmental impact. The calculation of the carbon footprint considers factors related to energy consumption and the use of green or renewable energies. The findings indicate that only 17% of university websites can be considered environmentally friendly. There are significant differences in CO₂ consumption and emissions depending on whether the websites implement environmentally sound practices. This study highlights the lack of initiatives aimed at reducing energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions associated with web information management. The study shows that Spanish universities have the potential to contribute to the reduction in CO₂ emissions by implementing sustainable development practices on their websites. Furthermore, it fosters awareness about technology usage and its environmental impact, promoting the adoption of green and sustainable approaches.

This comprehensive study delves into the implementation and effectiveness of the flipped classroom model in engineering EMI (English as a Medium of Instruction) courses in Taiwan. Situated within the strategic framework of Taiwan's Bilingual Nation 2023 policy, this research aims to enhance the global competitiveness of Taiwan's semiconducting manufacturing engineering sector. The study’s primary focus is on understanding the perceptions and learning outcomes of EFL (English as a Foreign Language) students in engineering courses. Through a methodical approach using descriptive statistics and chi-square tests, the study analyzes data from 33 junior engineering students specializing in mechanical and mechatronic fields. The findings highlight a significant positive influence of the flipped classroom model on various aspects of student learning, including increased engagement, heightened creativity, and enhanced problem-solving skills. Additionally, the study emphasizes the critical role of timely L1 support in facilitating effective learning in EMI settings. These outcomes not only demonstrate the flipped classroom's viability as a sustainable educational approach but also provide crucial insights for educators and policymakers. By aligning cutting-edge teaching methods with the evolving needs of engineering education, this study contributes to the discourse on educational innovation. It ultimately guides the development of future engineering programs that cater to diverse student needs and fosters the cultivation of skilled engineering professionals.

This qualitative research explores Supplier Relationship Management (SRM) within the context of subscription-based e-commerce models. Through in-depth interviews and thematic analysis, the study investigates key elements such as trust, collaboration, technology integration, sustainability, risk management, cultural alignment, innovation, cost management, globalization, supplier selection, and performance measurement. Findings reveal that trust is foundational in fostering reliable interactions and open communication between e-commerce businesses and suppliers. Collaboration emerges as crucial for innovation and operational efficiency, facilitating co-development and shared risk management. Technology integration, including AI and blockchain, enhances supply chain visibility and decision-making capabilities. Sustainability considerations drive businesses to engage with suppliers adhering to environmental standards, enhancing brand reputation and consumer loyalty. Effective risk management strategies mitigate disruptions and ensure supply chain resilience. Cultural alignment fosters harmonious partnerships and mutual understanding across diverse global markets. Innovation through supplier collaboration drives product development and market responsiveness. Cost management practices optimize operational efficiency and strategic supplier relationships. Globalization necessitates adaptive strategies to manage diverse cultural and regulatory landscapes. Strategic supplier selection and continuous performance measurement drive ongoing improvement and alignment with business objectives. This study contributes empirical insights and practical implications for enhancing SRM in subscription-based e-commerce, informing strategies to navigate challenges and leverage opportunities in a competitive marketplace.