Sustainability

In order to handle their regulatory and legal responsibilities and to retain trustworthy strategic partnerships, enterprises need to be dedicated to guaranteeing the privacy, accessibility, and authenticity of the data at their disposal. Companies can become more resilient in the face of information security threats and cyberattacks by effectively integrating security strategies. The goal of this article is to describe a plan that a corporation has implemented in the information technology industry in order to ensure compliance with International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 27001. This research demonstrates an examination of the reasons that force enterprises to make a investment in ISO 27001 in addition to the incentives that might be acquired from having undergone this process. In addition, the research examines the reasons that push firms to make an investment in ISO 27001. More particularly, the research investigates an international IT consulting services institution that is responsible for the implementation of large-scale business assistance insertion and projects. It demonstrates the risk management framework and the administrative structure of the appropriate situations so that its procedures are adequate and also in line with the guidelines founded by ISO 27001. In conclusion, it discusses the problems and difficulties that were experienced. Full article

CO₂ capture, use, and storage have been identified as significant strategies for reducing greenhouse gas emissions induced by the usage of fossil fuels. The current review focuses on the concepts of post-combustion capture technologies based on absorption mechanisms. Among all other developed technologies, researchers have proposed absorption as the most mature carbon capture technology for industrial-scale application. Absorption-based carbon capture can be classified into chemical and physical absorption, and researchers have developed different solvents and absorbent materials to investigate their performance in CO₂ capture. This paper comprehensively reviewed these established solvents and absorbents with their performance parameters in the CO₂ absorption approach. Besides the improvement in widely applied absorbents such as amine-based absorbents, recently, researchers have been working to develop some advanced nanomaterials such as nanofluids and nano-emulsions. This review focuses on the application of such absorption mechanisms that can contribute to capturing CO₂ in a compact, environment-friendly, and safe way. This paper also provides future research direction for further development in absorption-based CO₂ capture. Full article

Epoxy resin is extensively used in gas insulated switches as a renewable energy coating due to its exceptional insulation, mechanical characteristics, and environmental friendliness. The higher resistivity of the epoxy resin causes numerous surface charges to accumulate on the surface of the epoxy resin as a result of carrier injection due to the high DC electric field, which may cause insulation failure of the power transmission system. In this study, various concentrations of epoxy resins blended with nano-alumina (nano-Al₂O₃) at 0 wt%, 1 wt%, 3 wt%, and 5 wt% were created. Afterwards, the epoxy resin and Al₂O₃ nanocomposites were fluorinated by utilizing a combination of F₂ and N₂ with a ratio of 20% F₂ at 0.05 MPa while maintaining the temperature at 40 °C. In order to improve dispersion, nano- Al₂O₃ was treated with a silane coupling agent called γ-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (KH550). Additionally, infrared spectroscopy based on the Fourier transform was used to investigate the structure of chemical bonds. Furthermore, the changes in the molecular chains were verified by the FTIR spectra. The DC breakdown strength of epoxy resin\Al₂O₃ nano-composites showed that breakdown strength significantly improved after gas-phase fluorination. Moreover, 1 wt% nano- Al₂O₃ showed a higher breakdown strength. The fluorinated layer had a charge-suppressing effect, reducing the charge injected into the polymer matrix of the epoxy-resin matrix and increasing its DC breakdown capability. Thermally stimulated current (TSC) measurements indicate that epoxy resin’s trap energy and trap density are altered by nano- Al₂O₃ incorporation and fluorination treatment (gas-phase). It was also observed that introducing nano- Al₂O₃ at a lower concentration (e.g., 1 wt%) can hinder the growth of space charge in the polymer matrix of the epoxy resin, thus enhancing the deep traps’ energy. Furthermore, a fluorination layer containing a strong polarization of C-F bonding would seize the charge injection from electrodes, thus decreasing the conductivity and suppressing the charge injection. Full article

The COVID-19 pandemic is almost over but has already left its mark and is changing the world fast and drastically in all social, economic, and cultural aspects of humanity, including consumers’ choices and motives for foods. Since cheese is a major dietary food consumed daily worldwide, motives for its purchase and consumption in the new era are an important parameter affecting current and future production and sustainable regional development. The aim of the study was to investigate the impact of COVID-19 on Greek consumers’ motives for quality semi-hard and hard cheese, including the “Ladotyri” hard cheese. Consumers’ motives were tested using variables of quality semi-hard and hard cheese, such as purchase and consumption, preference of choice, preference, and knowledge of the Ladotyri cheese. A self-response questionnaire survey was carried out in November and December 2022 on a sample of 860 participants, the majority being young people aged 18–25 (83.9%), through the Google platform. Basic statistical tools, combined with cross and chi-square tests, were used to analyze the collected data. The results indicate no significant changes in consumers’ motives except a significant decline in consumption, reaching up to 8.4%. Consumers continue to purchase the semi-hard and hard cheese from the supermarket (90%), with preference for the most known kinds, such as kasseri and graviera, consuming it at home (90.9%), daily (31.8%), or two times per week (38.3%), primarily with bread and olives (57.6%), followed by meat (53%). Price remains the most important information for the selection of semi-hard and hard cheese (73.5%), taste (97%) among the organoleptic parameters, texture (70.9%) among the appearance parameters, origin of milk (63.9%) among the sustainable parameters, and value for money (85.8%) among the general characteristics of the cheese. The participants expressed similar motives for the “Ladotyri” Mytilinis hard cheese, appreciating the olive oil combined with the cheese (79.7%) and the possible production as a non-refrigerated cheese (65.2%), even though the majority of them would not buy it today (57.4%). Our findings indicate that the sustainability and growth of the quality semi-hard and hard cheese in the new era should stick to the good practices of production, promotion, and sales developed before the pandemic, exploring, however, new avenues and practices to increase consumption, which is currently declining. Full article

In 2020, during the 75th United Nations General Assembly, China proposed the goal of “achieving a carbon peak by 2030 and achieving carbon neutrality by 2060”. The Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei region is the largest carbon emission metropolitan area in China. Its energy consumption and carbon emission status means the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei region shoulders the important task of low-carbon transformation. Only by achieving a “carbon peak” and “carbon neutrality” can the economy of the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei region be sustainable. Based on this, we analyzed and comprehensively evaluated the complete ability of the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei region to achieve carbon neutrality in 2008–2020, that is, carbon achievement ability, status, and intensity of energy consumption and carbon emissions based on the CRITIC weighting method. The results show that the energy consumption and carbon emission capacity of the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei region have basically formed a step difference. On this basis, the evaluation of carbon contribution capacity also shows that Hebei Province, as a weak link in the coordinated development of the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei region, bears the main responsibility of improving carbon contribution capacity and thus achieving the goal of carbon neutrality. This research study suggests that intra-regional cooperation should be strengthened to achieve coordinated development. At the end of the paper, policy suggestions for regional cooperation are given from four aspects: government, industry, low-carbon technology, and regional carbon sinks. Full article

Topics related to geoheritage research, protection, and conservation, as well as the enhancement and dissemination of geoheritage knowledge, have experienced an important increase in interest regarding the perspectives of both research and management policies. In geoheritage and geodiversity management, geoconservation is a term that encompasses a series of actions dedicated to conservation, research on and the protection of geoheritage, and the enhancement as well as dissemination of knowledge in this area. Geoconservation is a kind of container, with several compartments dedicated to different aspects that identify geoheritage and geodiversity, including scientific, technical, administrative, didactical, and political aspects. These aspects are necessarily different according to (i) objects directly or indirectly involved in geoconservation actions; (ii) the area of application (protected and unprotected natural areas; emerged, submerged, or mixed areas; and urban, urbanized, and/or anthropized areas); (iii) final goals; and (iv) the final end users. This paper presents a schematization of geoconservation concepts and applications as expressed in the literature and as a result of personal experience in addressing issues related to geoheritage management. Full article

Sustainable building should at least be affordable and carbon neutral. Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) is a region struggling with housing affordability. Residential buildings are often constructed using block-based materials. These are increasingly produced using ordinary Portland cement (PC), which has a high carbon footprint. Using alternative Supplementary Cementitious Materials (SCMs) for block production might reduce the footprint and price. The purpose is to assess the level of information for SCM use in blocks in SSA and to use this information for Diagnosing the improvement potential as part of an Opportunity Study. Results from the scoping review show that aggregated information on SCMs and the quantities available is limited. Diagnosing the theoretical improvement potential in using cassava peel ash, rice husk ash, corn cob ash, volcanic ash and calcined clays, indicates that SCMs could represent a yearly value of approximately USD 400 million, which could be transferred from buying cement to local production. The use of SCMs could save 1.7 million tonnes of CO₂ per year and create some 50,000 jobs. About 5% of the PC used for block production could be substituted, indicating that, in addition to using SCMs, other solutions are needed to secure production of sustainable blocks. Full article

More intense floriculture activity in Ecuador could mean huge improvements for the country’s economic growth, while at the same time would be a sustainable exploitation of its natural resources. This study aims to help floriculture entrepreneurs in Ecuador with production planning, investment, and marketing strategies. With this in mind, two main objectives are addressed in the paper. The first one is to obtain an analytical overview of the world’s flower industry and the chief exporting and importing countries, as well as of the types of flowers that are offered and demanded. The second is to determine the competitive position of Ecuador’s flower industry and that of its direct competitors in the global cut flower marketplace. To accomplish the latter, we used Balassa’s and Hinloopen and Van Marrewijk’s measures and carried out statistical tests to validate the results. These indicated that both Ecuador and Colombia enjoy a strong comparative advantage among their direct competitors: the Netherlands, Kenya, and Ethiopia. Although the 2018 Logistics Performance Index and the 2017–2018 Global Competitiveness Index rankings put Ecuador in the 70th and 97th position worldwide, respectively, our findings show that Ecuador has the potential to achieve higher market shares in the flower trade globally. Consequently, strategic production policies should be implemented for Ecuadorian flower companies to adapt to the international flower trade requirements and for improving the production and supply chain technologies so that Ecuador can reach other foreign markets. Full article

Fig cultivation has long been an agricultural tradition in the Mediterranean region, providing economic and social benefits to local communities. Understanding fig tree yield response to the rapid invasions of fig pests and shifts in climatic conditions is essential for developing appropriate sustainable agricultural strategies. In this context, we investigate whether rapid changes in climate and pest invasions have had a combined effect on fig (Ficus carica L.) tree yield. We used data collected over 10 years in Bejaïa province, Algeria, and conducted a regression analysis to investigate the relationship between fig tree yield and two key factors. Results revealed a significant warming trend (0.057 °C yr⁻¹), and a decrease in precipitation (−27.1 mm yr⁻¹), in the region. Multiple pests, including pathogenic fungi (Diaporthe cinerascens, Fusarium spp.) and ravaging bark beetles (Hypocryphalus scabricollis), have spread in the region. Fig tree yield declined by 25% during the study period and was affected by both factors. Our findings provide valuable insights that can aid farmers and practitioners in mitigating risks that arise from the combined effects of climate change and pest invasions, thereby promoting sustainable farming practices. Full article

The present field experiment was conducted in both dry season (DS) and wet season (WS) from 2014–2015 to evaluate the influence of different potassium (K) management options (graded doses of inorganic K fertilizer alone and combined with foliar and straw incorporation) on the rice yield, nutrient uptake, and soil K balance under puddled, transplanted rice in acidic soil. The results showed that rice yields were higher under WS as compared to the DS crop. Among treatments, K₄₀ + K_spray, i.e., the combination of inorganic K fertilizer (40 kg K₂O ha⁻¹) along with a foliar spray of K (1% KNO₃) at the panicle initiation stage, produced the highest grain yield in both seasons; however, it was on par with treatments K₈₀, i.e., the highest dose of inorganic K fertilizer (80 kg K₂O ha⁻¹) alone, and K₃₀ + K_straw i.e., integrated use of inorganic K fertilizer (30 kg K₂O ha⁻¹) and straw (3 t ha⁻¹, 45 kg K₂O ha⁻¹). Application of 80 kg K₂O ha⁻¹ through inorganic fertilizer alone had the maximum K uptake at the harvest stage in both seasons. DS rice had a higher K/N and K/P ratio than the WS. The treatments applied with inorganic K fertilizers, either soil or foliar applications, had negative K balance in both seasons; however, treatments applied with organic sources of K, i.e., rice straw alone or integrated with inorganic K fertilizers, had positive K balances in the soil. Therefore, this study shows that the integrated use of inorganic K fertilizer and 3 t ha⁻¹ rice straw (K₃₀ + K_straw) can be a recommended option for a better K management strategy for crop yields and soil sustainability in acid soils. However, in terms of greenhouse gas (GHG) estimation, incremental doses of soil-applied K fertilizer along with straw aggravate the GHGs emission in the rice–rice cropping system, and among all treatments, K₄₀ + K_spray is the promising treatment which requires intensive investigation for drawing an overall conclusion. Full article

Transportation equity is vital for the fulfillment of citizens’ activities. To make better decisions for transportation planning, it is appropriate to have a method to evaluate each mode and assign an equity score to it. This paper aims to propose a method to assess the level of equity using different transportation modes in each zone of a city. Here, the equity level takes into account on one side the proportion between the frequency of long and short-distance trips, the volume-to-capacity ratio of streets, the air quality, and the parking availability. On the other side, the ratio of costs associated with using passenger cars, the average income of the residents, and transit and cycling infrastructure quality is used in a zone of a city. In this regard, at first, indicators are considered to assess the condition of buses, cycling, and passenger cars. Then, the Fuzzy Inference System (FIS) is used to determine the level of equity for each mode. The method has been applied to regular buses, cycling, and passenger cars in Kerman, Iran, as a case study. The results indicate a significant difference between the equity levels perceived by citizens and the performed calculations. The citizens’ perceptions about the equity of regular buses and cycling seem to be more pessimistic than what the FIS model shows. Based on the model outputs, more restrictions must be established about using passenger cars in most of the zones. Nevertheless, in this regard, citizens have stated that the current situation is fair. We believe this method can be a helpful way to quantitatively assess the equity level of transportation systems in each zone. Full article

A simple and efficient approach to preparing highly efficient and reusable [email protected] nanocatalysts for the oxidation of cyclohexane to produce ketone-alcohol (KA) oil was reported. These nanocatalysts were prepared by the dispersion of NiO NPs into SBA-15 using a coordination-assisted grafting method. In this approach, four commercially available nickel salts were immobilized into amino-functionalized SBA-15. After washing and calcination, four new nanocatalysts were obtained. The high dispersion of NiO NPs into SBA-15 was confirmed by HR-TEM and XRD. Different oxidants such as O₂, H₂O₂, t-butyl hydrogen peroxide (TBHP), and meta-Chloroperoxybenzoic acid (m-CPBA) were evaluated. However, m-CPBA exhibited the highest catalytic activity. Compared to different catalysts reported in the literature, for the first time, 75–99% of cyclohexane was converted to KA oil over [email protected] In addition, the cyclohexane conversion and K/A ratio were affected by the reaction time, catalyst dose, Ni content, and NiO dispersion. Moreover, [email protected] maintained a high catalytic activity during five successive cycles. Full article

Consumer demands and current legislation require intensive greenhouse horticulture to be sustainable. This poses the challenge of how to teach the concept of sustainable horticulture to all professionals involved in farming. The province of Almeria, in the south-east of Spain, is one of the major horticulture greenhouse areas in Europe, and an expert panel of relevant stakeholders was invited to look into the best pedagogical practices and methods to transfer technology and knowledge, with the goal of improving the sustainability of greenhouse horticulture. A combination of an online questionnaire, a Delphi method, and desk research was, therefore, used as the strategy to collect the data and implement the research design during 2021. On-farm/business demonstrations, virtual education, and classroom education were common pedagogical methods used. On-farm/business demonstrations, participatory education, and co-learning were identified as the best pedagogical methods to use in sustainable agriculture/horticulture training. The expert panel also concluded that participatory education and co-learning should be further explored whereas virtual and classroom education should play a less dominant role in the training activities. This knowledge can help training organizations and designers to avoid common mistakes, tailor their training activities, and be mindful of common barriers and (mis)conceptions. Full article

Background: The use of algae as biofertilizers is fast-spreading in order to meet the excessive demands for agricultural products. To achieve this, enough algal biomass needs to be supplied year-round. Hence, algal nutritional components must be optimized through mixotrophic conditions. Materials and methods: Two algal isolates, namely, Phormidium sp. and Synechocystis sp. were tested for their ability to produce mixotrophic growth using different supplementations including molasses, aqueous Lepidium sativum, Trigonella foenum graecum seed extract and liquorice root extract, as well as acetate salt solution. The algae that showed highest growth under optimized mixotrophic conditions was further used in cantaloupe seed growth experiments. GC-MS was also carried out on the biomass of Phormidium on one of the fractions of extract using solvent system to reveal some dominant novel bioactive compounds in algal biomass. Results: The sugarcane molasses significantly enhanced the growth of the two algal strains, followed by Lepidium sativum extract only in case of Phormidium sp. Therefore, it was used in subsequent experiments. All growth parameters for that algae were significantly enhanced by the addition of these nutritional sources with molasses being the best supplement. The Phormidium sp. was rich in its content of chlorophyll, proteins, sugars as well as some novel bioactive compounds as revealed by GC–MS. The germination percentage of seeds treated with Phormidium sp. showed a significant increase over that of control. The different growth-related metabolites of total soluble proteins, total soluble sugars and all photosynthetic pigment contents of the seedlings were all significantly increased using this algal treatment. Discussion: The sugarcane molasses was superior in enhancing the algal growth due to its rich content not only of sugars but also of minerals and nitrogenous compounds. The use of aqueous extracts of seeds of Lepidium sativum enhanced growth significantly more than that of the control set as seeds are rich in proteins, omega-3 fatty acids, phytochemicals and other essential nutrients. In growth experiments carried out on cantaloupe seeds, there was a significant increase in germination percentage as well as all growth parameters due to the rich nutritional content of Phormidium sp. Conclusion: Mixotrophic growth achieved better algal biomass production than autotrophy in the case of Phormidium sp. The use of cheap resources such as sugarcane molasses, which is the waste from the sugar industry, as well as the common herb extract of Lepidium sativum, is a cost-effective approach. The use of this mixotrophically grown blue-green alga as a biofertilizer significantly enhanced plant growth and seed germination, indicating the usefulness of this eco-friendly agricultural strategy for achieving both food security and environmental sustainability. Full article

Climate change impacts are felt globally, and the impacts are increasing in severity and intensity. Developing new interventions to encourage behaviors that address climate change is crucial. This pre-registered field study investigated how the design of a virtual reality (VR) experience about ocean acidification could impact participants’ learning, behavior, and perceptions about climate change through the manipulation of the experience message framing, the sex of voice-over and the pace of the experience, and the amount of participants’ body movement. The study was run in 17 locations such as museums, aquariums, and arcades in the U.S., Canada, the U.K., and Denmark. The amount of body movement was a causal mechanism, eliciting higher feelings of self-efficacy while hindering learning. Moreover, linking the VR narrative about ocean acidification linguistically to climate change impaired learning compared to a message framing that did not make the connection. As participants learned more about the experience, they perceived the risks associated with ocean acidification as higher, and they were more likely to engage in pro-climate behavior. The results shed light on the mechanisms behind how VR can teach about ocean acidification and influence climate change behavior. Full article

The rapid growth of the Malaysian poultry and palm oil industries has led biomass waste generation in abundance specifically chicken manure and empty fruit bunch (EFB). Anaerobic digestion (AD) is a circular economy-based approach which converts chicken manure and EFB into biogas which can be utilized for heating and power generation. Operating temperature is an imperative consideration for AD hence the objective of the study is to evaluate the effect of different temperature profiles namely, psychrophilic (20 °C), mesophilic (35 °C) and thermophilic (50 °C) on AD of chicken manure and EFB. The kinetic parameters are also evaluated using five kinetic models to enable readers to comprehend the kinetic behaviours of the systems. The volume and composition of biogas is measured every five days for a 50-day retention time. The findings observed that mesophilic condition is the most favourable with cumulative methane, CH₄ composition of up to 17.07%, almost two folds that of thermophilic (9.12%) and five folds that of psychrophilic (3.49%). The CH₄ generation rate, R_b based on the modified Gompertz model which is deemed the best fit further supports these findings as the R_b under mesophilic condition is significantly higher (0.330 mL/g_vs day) compared to psychrophilic (0.088 mL/g_vs day) and thermophilic (0.120 mL/g_vs day) conditions. Full article

The training of good motor coordination optimizes the motor skills, and these, over time, lead to the improvement of the motor skills specific to the practiced movement. The purpose of this study was to assess the capacity and speed of learning coordinated movements in the context of working in an online system. At the same time, we set out to evaluate the level of motor coordination achieved through training using the eLearning platform Hudl and the Teaching Games for Understanding approach. Thus, three groups of students were analyzed whose motor histories were different. The analysis of the three tested groups was performed in the first year of study and in the third year of study. The training programs have been adjusted/modified according to the COVID-19 pandemic situation, which has determined their application in the online system as well. The results of this study confirm that by assisting learning through computer programs, in the online system, these workouts can be effective. At the same time, the study shows us that, in addition to the natural evolution from childhood and adolescence, an advanced form of motor coordination appears, which is installed through the action of learning. Full article

Due to their wide coverage, low acquisition cost and large data quantity, the mobile phone signaling data are suitable for fine-grained and large-scale estimation of traffic conditions. However, the relatively high level of data noise makes it difficult for the estimation to achieve sufficient accuracy. According to the characteristics of mobile phone data noise, this paper proposed an improved density peak clustering algorithm (DPCA) to filter data noise. In addition, on the basis of the long short-term memory model (LSTM), a traffic state estimation model based on mobile phone feature data was established with the use of denoising data to realize the estimation of the expressway traffic state with high precision, fine granules, and wide coverage. The Shanghai–Nanjing Expressway was used as a case study area for method and model verification, the results of which showed that the denoising method proposed in this paper can effectively filter data noise, reduce the impact of extreme noise data, significantly improve the estimation accuracy of the traffic state, and reflect the actual traffic situation in a fairly satisfactory manner. Full article

The contradiction between urban open development and the environmental pollution of cities becomes increasingly serious. People begin to pay attention to the green development effect of Free Trade Zones. Based on 278 prefecture-level cities in China from 2009 to 2019, we use the time-varying DID method with the implementation of PFTZ establishment policy as a quasi-natural experiment to explore whether the green development of Chinese cities needs high-level opening up. The main findings of this paper are as follows: (i) Compared with cities without PFTZs, the environmental pollution composite index (EPI) of cities with PFTZs decreases significantly by 5.278% on average; that is, the establishment of PFTZs significantly improves the green development level of those cities. (ii) After the establishment of PFTZs, the green development level of Chinese coastal cities will be enhanced to a greater extent than that of inland cities. In addition, the higher Chinese cities are in the urban hierarchy, the more they can grasp the development opportunities from the establishment of PFTZs. (iii) The establishment of PFTZs effectively reduces the EPI and significantly improves the green development level of cities through three paths: the scale effect, the structure effect and the technology effect. This paper provides micro-empirical evidence for literature related to the environmental benefits and green development of PFTZ construction and provides a reference for most developing countries to learn from China’s experience. Full article