Editor’s Choice Articles

With the imminent need of regional environmental protection and sustainable economic development, the concept of virtual water is widely used to solve the problem of regional water shortage. In this paper, nine provinces, namely Qinghai, Sichuan, Gansu, Ningxia, Inner Mongolia, Shaanxi, Shanxi, Henan, and Shandong in the Yellow River Basin (YRB), are taken as the research objects. Through the analysis of input-output tables of 30 provinces in China in 2012, the characteristics of virtual water trade in this region are estimated by using a multi-regional input-output (MRIO) model. The results show that: (1) The YRB had a net inflow of 17.387 billion m³ of virtual water in 2012. In interprovincial trade, other provinces outside the basin export 21.721 billion m³ of virtual water into the basin. In international trade, the basin exports 4334 million m³ of virtual water to the international market. (2) There are different virtual flow paths in the basin. Shanxi net inputs virtual water by interprovincial trade and international trade, while Gansu and Ningxia net output virtual water by interprovincial trade and international trade. The other six provinces all net output virtual water through international trade, and obtain the net input of virtual water from other provinces outside the basin. (3) From the industrial structure of the provinces in the basin, the provinces with a relatively developed economy, such as Shandong and Shanxi, mostly import virtual water in the agricultural sector, while relatively developing provinces, such as Gansu and Ningxia, mostly import virtual water in the industrial sector. In order to sustain the overall high-quality development of the YRB, we propose the virtual water trade method to quantify the net flow of virtual water in each province and suggest the compensation responsibility of the virtual water net inflow area, and the compensation need of the virtual water net outflow area, in order to achieve efficient water resources utilization. Full article

Sustainable land use depends on both the socio-economic processes that trigger spatial development and the effectiveness of spatial governance tools that aim to regulate these processes. The ESPON Sustainable Urbanization and land-use Practices in European Regions (SUPER) research project aims to analyze the main land-use dynamics in Europe, looking at and comparing the interventions implemented in the various countries in order to promote sustainability. In particular, a sample of 227 interventions was chosen from a total of 39 European countries. This paper analyzes them on the basis of four different variables: (i) the scale at which the interventions are conceived; (ii) the type of territories subject to them; (iii) the type of interventions; (iv) the type of instruments behind these interventions. On this basis, it develops a number of considerations concerning the effectiveness of the interventions implemented in Europe to promote more sustainable use of land. Full article

This study examined the relationship between housing markets and residential migration to identify if there is a housing refugee phenomenon due to an involuntary ripple effect in the Seoul metropolitan area, South Korea. The study applied Granger causality analysis and a vector error correction model. The empirical results confirmed that changes in housing market conditions cause a ripple effect in surrounding areas in the Seoul metropolitan area, and these changes are easily transmitted to the nearby Gyeonggi housing market. This study shows that intra-metropolitan residential migration may occur due to changes in housing market conditions. Additionally, the study proved that residential migration from Seoul to the nearby Gyeonggi province does not represent the pursuit of a stable residential environment, but is merely involuntary migration due to the financial burden of increased housing costs in Seoul. Finally, the study showed that there may be a ripple effect that intensifies instability in the jeonse market—a type of lease unique to South Korea—that emerged due to residential migration from Seoul. From this perspective, this study confirms that residential migration occurring in the Seoul metropolitan area is the result of an involuntary ripple effect and represents a housing refugee phenomenon. Full article

This paper aims at to identify the differences in the performance of the agricultural sectors in the selected European Union Member States. The research covers 21 countries in the period from 2007–2017. The paper uses data from the Farm Accountancy Data Network (FADN). Three types of sectors were considered: Crop farming (wheat and rapeseed), specialist milk, and specialist cattle. The sector’s performance was measured by calculating the aggregate scores using the VIKOR technique. The panel regression model was also used to estimate and assess the technical and economic determinants of the sector’s performance. The obtained results indicated that the new EU Member States showed higher levels of performance compared to the old Member States. This finding may be attributed to the fact that some of the production factors in the new EU Member States are still under-valued compared to those of the old EU Member States. Full article

Partial shading of PV systems generates many peaks in the P–V curve. These peaks have one global peak (GP), the remaining being local peaks (LPs). Metaheuristic techniques such as PSO have proven superiority in capturing the GP and avoiding entrapment in an LP in comparison to conventional techniques. In case of partial shading conditions (PSC), the GP may change its position and value in the P–V curve and the PSO is unable to capture the GP unless they reinitialize. Reinitialization of PSO particles spends a long time for convergence; and it may cause premature convergence. This paper proposes a novel strategy for scanning the new position of the GP in case of PSC changes without a need for reinitialization. The proposed strategy sends a particle to the anticipated places of peaks to search for any peak with power greater than the current GP and when it locates this new GP it will move the PSO particles directly to the new GP. This strategy reduced the reinitialization time by 650% as compared to the time required for the random reinitialization of the conventional PSO technique. Moreover; this proposed strategy completely avoids the premature convergence associated with conventional PSO techniques. Full article

In the present work, waste eggshells were used as a precursor for the synthesis of aragonite crystals through the wet carbonation method. Cadmium (Cd²⁺) and lead (Pb²⁺) were removed by the synthesized aragonite from synthetic wastewater. The influence of initial solution pH, contact time, Cd²⁺ and Pb²⁺ concentration, and sorbent dosage were evaluated. The major sorption was observed in the first 100 mins and 360 mins for Pb²⁺and Cd²⁺ respectively reaching sorption equilibrium at 720 mins (12 hr). The sorption capacity toward Pb²⁺ was much higher than toward Cd²⁺. Both heavy metals displayed high sorption capacities at initial pH 6. The pseudo-second-order kinetic model fits well with the experimental data with a higher correlation coefficient R². Two isotherm models were also evaluated for the best fit with the experimental data obtained. Langmuir isotherm best fits the sorption of the metals on aragonite synthesized from eggshells. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) results of sorbent after sorption showed that the mechanism of sorption was dominated by surface precipitation. Therefore, aragonite crystals synthesized from waste eggshells can be a potential substitute source for the removal of Cd²⁺ and Pb²⁺ from contaminated water. Full article

The intermodal transportation system plays a pivotal role in a global supply chain. Despite the benefits of intermodal transportation, it still has negative impacts, which are associated with congestion and emission. Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emission is highly associated with the transportation industry, and the share of the transportation sector is growing at a rapid pace. This paper discusses intermodal transportation and its effects on port efficiency. We proposed a new layout for the container terminal in the seaport in order to decrease cost as well as emission generated by the port operations. The proposed layout can improve the sustainability of port activities by decreasing the distance between the berth and interface points as well as avoiding double handling. We propose multi-objective optimization using the ε-constraint method to solve this problem. The model was tested through a case study of the Port of Montreal in Canada. The findings reveal that the proposed layout resulted in considerable emissions and costs reduction. Compared with the current layout of Port of Montreal, the proposed layout achieved a reduction of 46.5% in the total transportation cost of the containers to their final destination, as well as 21.6% in the emission. Full article

A comparative, diachronic analysis of urban population dynamics allows for the identification of specific demographic trajectories influencing metropolitan expansion worldwide. However, a wide-ranging characterization of long-term population trends in metropolitan areas identifying sequential urban cycles with distinctive demographic dynamics is still incomplete. By hypothesizing a trade-off between ‘fast’ and ‘slow’ population dynamics that reflect ‘high’ and ‘low’ fertility regimes in both advanced and emerging economies, the present work investigates the relationship between city size (considering absolute population) and population growth rate in 1857 metropolitan agglomerations (>300,000 inhabitants in 2014) of 154 countries across the globe. Analysis covers a relatively long time period (1950–2030) and uses descriptive statistics (average and coefficient of variation) of the spatial series of population growth rates derived from United Nations demographics by metropolitan agglomeration and time interval. The results of our study indicate that metropolitan growth was associated with highly variable rates of population growth, being highly positive before 2000 and declining progressively in the subsequent decades. Despite important differences at the regional scale, an inverse relationship between population growth and city size was observed up to the late 1990s, with a higher spatial heterogeneity reflecting a moderate slowdown in demographic dynamics during recent years. Rapid population expansion dependent on city size and a higher spatial heterogeneity in growth rates insensitive to city size, evidence distinct metropolitan cycles reflecting worldwide transition from high to low fertility, ageing, and more unpredictable migration patterns. Full article

Nitrate in groundwater is a major concern in agricultural sub-watersheds. This study assessed the impacts of future climate and agricultural land use changes on groundwater nitrate concentrations in an agricultural sub-watershed (Norfolk site) in southern Ontario, Canada. A fully integrated hydrologic model (HydroGeoSphere) was used in combination with the root zone water quality model (RZWQM2) (shallow zone) to develop water flow and nitrate transport models. Three climate change models and three crop rotations (corn-soybean rotation, continuous corn, corn-soybean-winter wheat-red clover rotation) were used to evaluate the potential impact on groundwater quality (nine predictive scenarios). The selected climate change scenarios yielded less water availability in the future period than in the reference period (past conditions). The simulated nitrate nitrogen (Nitrate-N) concentrations were lower during the future period than the reference period. The continuous corn land use scenario produced higher Nitrate-N concentrations compared to the base case (corn-soybean rotation). However, the best management practices (BMP) scenario (corn-soybean-winter wheat-red clover rotation) produced significantly lower groundwater nitrate concentrations. BMPs, such as the one examined herein, should be adopted to reduce potential negative impacts of future climate change on groundwater quality, especially in vulnerable settings. These findings are important for water and land managers, to mitigate future impacts of nutrient transport on groundwater quality under a changing climate. Full article

Grazing is inherently close to the nature of herbivores, but no longer applied everywhere in Europe. Therefore, the perception of grassland experts on the occurrence, importance, constraints, solutions and future of grazing of dairy cows was studied. The study builds on results from the European Grassland Federation Working Group Grazing in the period 2010–2019. Both surveys and focus group meetings were used. There is a clear trend of reduced grazing in Europe. Since grazing is valued by different stakeholders and provides many ecosystem services, solutions to the constraints to grazing must be found. Constraints can be divided into region specific constraints, farm specific constraints and farmer specific constraints. The solutions include developing new knowledge, bringing the knowledge already available to practice and rewarding farmers for grazing as a service to society. If grazing is not supported, it will further decline. However, a joined endeavour has the potential to make a significant difference in transforming grass-based production systems and stimulating grazing. Full article

Integrated pest management (IPM), a worldwide agricultural strategy, contains methods to control or manage agricultural pests and diseases in a more efficient way, and consequently, to obtain better quality raw materials for food production. The engagement and practice of farmers play a key role in the success of this strategy. Since January 1, 2014, Poland and other European Union countries have been obligated to apply the principles of IPM. This paper shows the results of surveys conducted in 280 randomly selected farms the year before and the year following mandatory IPM implementation. The aim of this study was to gather information about farmers’ knowledge of IPM and the most commonly used plant protection methods. Our results show that law regulations do not significantly change agricultural practice. Among the non-chemical methods farmers most often comply with are: implementing the agrochemical calendar, sowing healthy material, destroying volunteer plants, rotating crop, applying balanced fertilizer, plowing stubble and preventing excess nitrogen. Integrated plant protection is not possible without proper knowledge of diseases. This factor needs improvement in Poland. The average Polish farmer lacks the knowledge about basic cereal diseases such as powdery mildew or brown rust, though larger farm operators tend to be more knowledgeable. The results of this survey demonstrate the necessity to provide informative farmer training campaigns to promote on-farm application of IPM and to improve the knowledge of disease issues. Full article

Geo-hydrological risk reduction policies are becoming a critical challenge for environmental sustainability, both at the national and international levels. The reason is twofold: On the one hand, climate change has increase rainfall frequency and intensity, while on the other, reckless urban expansion has increased exposure to such hazards over time. Italy is a country that is very vulnerable to flood and landslide hazard; the city of Genoa, which, in recent decades, has been frequently hit by severe floods, has risen to symbolize Italian geo-hydrological risk. Recent studies on Genoa’s geo-hydrological hazard have focused on the analysis of hydro-geomorphological features of the Bisagno stream basin, yet their main focus was on hazard control. Very little research has been done to enhance the understanding of the source of risk in such catchments. This paper presents a study on the increased urban exposure and vulnerability to geo-hydrological hazard along the Bisagno stream catchment area over the last 200 years. Morphometric analyses were coupled with historical documents showing the evolution of the urban layout in this area. The results show that the “Bisagno Master Plan”, a territorial planning strategy aimed at reducing geo-hydrological hazard and risk, has not produced the expected benefits. In spite of the plan, critical changes in land use and the hydrographic network, along with uncontrolled anthropization of the Genoa metropolitan area, has continued over the last two decades. Full article

In the modern day sport marketplace, professional sport teams face tough competition to build and sustain a viable fan base. This study sought to address three research questions: (a) what are the factors that contribute to the socialization of sports fans in niche sport markets? (b) How do team-led and fan-led initiatives work to socialize fans? Finally, (c) to what extent do the socialization factors affect identify as a sports fan for a niche sport and overall fan consumption behavior? A questionnaire was administered to 535 NHL fans and data were analyzed through conducting an Exploratory Factor Analysis, Exploratory Factor Analysis and Structural Equation Modeling. The most notable findings revealed that influences from family or media exposure did not play a factor in the socialization of these fans, signaling the uniqueness of Sunbelt regional marketplace and a departure from traditional beliefs. Discussions are focused on interpreting theoretical and practical implications for socializing individuals into being hockey fans, growing professional hockey, projecting sustainable development, and providing a framework for other sport leagues. Full article

The increasing penetration of renewable energy brings great challenges to the planning and operation of power systems. To deal with the fluctuation of renewable energy, the main focus of current research is on incorporating the detailed operation constraints into generation expansion planning (GEP) models. In most studies, the traditional objective function of GEP is to minimize the total cost (including the investment and operation cost). However, in power systems with high penetration of renewable energy, more attention has been paid to increasing the utilization of renewable energy and reducing the renewable energy curtailment. Different from the traditional objective function, this paper proposes a new objective function to maximize the accommodation of renewable energy during the planning horizon, taking into account short-term operation constraints and uncertainties from load and renewable energy sources. A power grid of one province in China is modified as a case study to verify the rationality and effectiveness of the proposed model. Numerical results show that the proposed GEP model could install more renewable power plants and improve the accommodation of renewable energy compared to the traditional GEP model. Full article

This article has taken up an issue concerning the influence of the implementation of electromobility assumptions on reduction of air pollution in cities in terms of sustainable urban transport systems. The essential nature of the subject is confirmed by the following figures: transport is responsible for almost 25% of greenhouse gas emissions in Europe and is the main cause of air pollution in cities, almost 90% of city dwellers in the EU are exposed to levels of air pollutants deemed harmful by the WHO, and approximately 95% of vehicles on European roads still use fossil fuels. Therefore, the implemented transport policy, both in the international and domestic aspect of particular countries, is facing the need to significantly reduce the negative influence of transport on people and the environment. Electromobility has become one of the concepts that makes it possible to achieve this goal. Its main objective is to reduce emissions of harmful substances into the environment by deploying electric vehicles (EVs). Research conducted by the authors showed that public transport, apart from the obvious effect of decreased number of private vehicles and decreased congestion, can contribute to reduced air pollutant emissions and become a significant driver for the implementation of electromobility in cities. However, the achievement of this goal depends on taking appropriate actions not only in the transport branch but also in other sectors of economy. The following research methods were applied in the article: literature analysis, documentary method, case study, and mathematical methods. The research area was the city of Szczecin, Poland. Full article

Anthropogenic greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are the highest they have ever been and the climate change they have triggered is having consequences on both human and natural systems. The aim of the paper is to demonstrate that an integrated reading of urban and rural land uses in relation to GHG emissions is feasible and useful at the regional level in order to reach emissions reduction. The Po Valley in Italy is an emblematic case study because its features are unique in Europe for high population density, urban sprawl, intensive agriculture, livestock management and consequently high emission levels. The methodology examines the total GHG emissions in relation to urban and rural areas. Between 2000 and 2010, the trend of CO₂-equivalent emissions for the macro-regions of Italy shows a national decrease in contrast to the area of our case study which has seen a steady increase and growth trend over time. The paper analyzes some possible reasons linked to this anomaly, and it presents an estimation of the CO₂-equivalent emissions related to the use of agricultural land. The main output of the paper is a new overview for research that aims to propose integrated solutions and policies at the local level with a wider vision focused on GHG emission knowledge, supported by Strategic Environmental Assessment. Full article

The objective of this study was to illustrate the urban flood resilience and sustainability improvement potential by integration of decentralized water management systems in sustainable urban regeneration projects. This paper discusses sustainable and resilient urban regeneration potentials using the example of an industrial compound (ICs) conversion in Seoul, South Korea. Urban flood vulnerability has been a concern globally due to land use changes, limited capacity of existing stormwater management infrastructures and the effects of climate change. Due to their comparably low building density, ICs can effectively contribute to the separation and decentralized retention and infiltration of stormwater. However, no sustainable and resilient conversion examples of ICs have been realized in Seoul so far. After identification of a representative IC, its exemplary sustainable conversion with implementation of decentralized water management infrastructures were designed. The rainwater collection, retention and infiltration system was dimensioned in order to create a stormwater discharge-free property. The qualitative and quantitative analysis of the improvement potentials before and after the conversion unveiled that this conversion contributes also to the improvement of the neighborhoods’ sustainability, spatial quality and resilience to disasters. The research results are transferable to other urban ICs and are a good practice example for sustainable and resilient regeneration of existing urban districts. Full article

Soil and water conservation practices (SWCPs) are widely used to control soil and water loss. Quantifying the effect of SWCPs and climate change on soil and water erosion is important for regional environmental management. In this study, the Soil Conservation Service Curve Number (SCS-CN) and the Modified Universal Soil Loss Equation (MUSLE) were employed to investigate the patterns of surface runoff and soil erosion with different SWCPs in the hilly region on the Loess Plateau of China. The impact of climate change under RCP4.5 and RCP8.5 emission scenarios was considered from 2020 to 2050. Surface runoff grew with the increased rainfall and rainfall erosivity, while soil erosion presented large variations between years due to uneven distribution of rainfall and rainfall erosivity under two scenarios. Different SWCPs significantly reduced surface soil and water loss. Compared with bare slopes, the reduction rates were 15–40% for surface runoff and 35–67% for soil erosion under RCP4.5 and RCP8.5 emission scenarios, respectively. The combination of shrub and horizontal terracing was recommended due to its low water cost for sediment control among seven SWCPs. Full article

Smart cities that make broad use of digital technologies have been touted as possible solutions for the population pressures faced by many cities in developing countries and may help meet the rising demand for services and infrastructure. Nevertheless, the high financial cost involved in infrastructure maintenance, the substantial size of the informal economies, and various governance challenges are curtailing government idealism regarding smart cities. This review examines the state of smart city development in developing countries, which includes understanding the conceptualisations, motivations, and unique drivers behind (and barriers to) smarty city development. A total of 56 studies were identified from a systematic literature review from an initial pool of 3928 social sciences literature identified from two academic databases. Data were analysed using thematic synthesis and thematic analysis. The review found that technology-enabled smart cities in developing countries can only be realised when concurrent socioeconomic, human, legal, and regulatory reforms are instituted. Governments need to step up their efforts to fulfil the basic infrastructure needs of citizens, raise more revenue, construct clear regulatory frameworks to mitigate the technological risks involved, develop human capital, ensure digital inclusivity, and promote environmental sustainability. A supportive ecosystem that encourages citizen participation, nurtures start-ups, and promotes public–private partnerships needs to be created to realise their smart city vision. Full article

Lake basins can behave as accumulators of microplastics released in wastewaters as such or resulting from degradation of larger items before and/or during their journey toward the marine environment as a final sink. A novel multianalytical approach was adopted for the detection and quantification of microplastics with size < 2 mm in the sediments of the volcanic lake of Bracciano, Italy. Simple analytical techniques such as solvent extraction/fractionation (for polyolefins and polystyrene) or depolymerization (for polyethylene terephthalate, PET), along with chromatographic detection (SEC and HPLC), allowed quantitative and qualitative determination of the main synthetic polymer contaminants. In particular, PET microplastic concentrations of 0.8–36 ppm were found, with variability related to the sampling site (exposure to incoming winds and wave action). Proton Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (¹H-NMR) and Attenuated Total Reflectance Fourier Transformed InfraRed (ATR-FTIR spectroscopic investigations supported the identification and chemical characterization of plastic fragments and polymer extracts. The average molecular weight of solvent extractable polymers was evaluated from 2D ¹H-NMR diffusion ordered spectroscopy (DOSY) experiments. The proposed, easily accessible multianalytical approach can be considered as a useful tool for improving our knowledge on the nature and the concentration of microplastics in sediments, giving insights on the impact of human activities on the health status of aquatic ecosystems. Full article

An ageing population raises the question of providing adequate housing that enables older people to age in place without losing autonomy and independence. Except for the issue of accessibility, no framework exists that specifically outlines a standard to achieve and, as a result, interventions on existing or on new buildings may be inconsistent without leading to a desired rise in living standards. This research addresses this issue by presenting a framework for the assessment of the age-appropriateness of housing through a number of metrics that detect and identify physical and non-physical features of a home environment to enable ageing in place. The study combines data from a qualitative systematic literature review of 93 papers and qualitative data from structured interviews with four experts in the field. As a result, 71 metrics were identified, divided into eight main domains, to describe the framework. This paper provides an improved understanding of the housing features that enable ageing in place. The tool categorizes and rates qualitative and quantitative aspects that contribute to the age-friendliness of housing, resulting in an easy to adopt assessment framework. This is a valuable means for stakeholders engaged in improving the current housing stock or in constructing new buildings for older people. Full article

In the United States, extensive investments have been made to restore the ecological function and services of coastal marine habitats. Despite a growing body of science supporting coastal restoration, few studies have addressed the suite of societally enabling conditions that helped facilitate successful restoration and recovery efforts that occurred at meaningful ecological (i.e., ecosystem) scales, and where restoration efforts were sustained for longer (i.e., several years to decades) periods. Here, we examined three case studies involving large-scale and long-term restoration efforts including the seagrass restoration effort in Tampa Bay, Florida, the oyster restoration effort in the Chesapeake Bay in Maryland and Virginia, and the tidal marsh restoration effort in San Francisco Bay, California. The ecological systems and the specifics of the ecological restoration were not the focus of our study. Rather, we focused on the underlying social and political contexts of each case study and found common themes of the factors of restoration which appear to be important for maintaining support for large-scale restoration efforts. Four critical elements for sustaining public and/or political support for large-scale restoration include: (1) resources should be invested in building public support prior to significant investments into ecological restoration; (2) building political support provides a level of significance to the recovery planning efforts and creates motivation to set and achieve meaningful recovery goals; (3) recovery plans need to be science-based with clear, measurable goals that resonate with the public; and (4) the accountability of progress toward reaching goals needs to be communicated frequently and in a way that the general public comprehends. These conclusions may help other communities move away from repetitive, single, and seemingly unconnected restoration projects towards more large-scale, bigger impact, and coordinated restoration efforts. Full article

In recent years, researchers have begun to adopt a perspective evaluating “winners and losers” regarding the consumption and value of ecosystem services. “Winners” tend to benefit from the ecosystem service and “losers” absorb most associated costs. Our study focuses on water use in Oklahoma (USA) and a plan to divert water from the Kiamichi River in southeastern Oklahoma for consumption at residences in the Oklahoma City metropolitan area. Our study is, in part, a follow-up from an initial 2013 survey of Oklahoma City residents and residents of the Kiamichi. For this paper, a survey was distributed within the state of Oklahoma to evaluate changes to ecosystem service willingness to pay and valuation. This survey also included an experimental element assessing if exposure to additional information about ecosystem services influenced respondents on ecosystem service valuation, or willingness to pay. Our results generally aligned with those found in the 2013 survey. Oklahoma City residents are not aware of where their water is coming from and are not willing to pay to protect ecosystem services, despite an overall increase in activism. Our results indicate that a smaller number of significant factors determining willingness to pay for ecosystem service maintenance were identified than the study in 2013. Exposure to additional information had no effect on peoples’ preferences. We found that public opinion surrounding environmental support is context-specific, political conservatism may not always impede valuation of environmental protections. We conclude that cultural, moral, and political values interact in their influence on expressions of valuation and willingness to pay for ecosystem services. Full article

This study aims to analyze the sensitivity and robustness of two Artificial Intelligence (AI) techniques, namely Gaussian Process Regression (GPR) with five different kernels (Matern32, Matern52, Exponential, Squared Exponential, and Rational Quadratic) and an Artificial Neural Network (ANN) using a Monte Carlo simulation for prediction of High-Performance Concrete (HPC) compressive strength. To this purpose, 1030 samples were collected, including eight input parameters (contents of cement, blast furnace slag, fly ash, water, superplasticizer, coarse aggregates, fine aggregates, and concrete age) and an output parameter (the compressive strength) to generate the training and testing datasets. The proposed AI models were validated using several standard criteria, namely coefficient of determination (R²), Root Mean Squared Error (RMSE), and Mean Absolute Error (MAE). To analyze the sensitivity and robustness of the models, Monte Carlo simulations were performed with 500 runs. The results showed that the GPR using the Matern32 kernel function outperforms others. In addition, the sensitivity analysis showed that the content of cement and the testing age of the HPC were the most sensitive and important factors for the prediction of HPC compressive strength. In short, this study might help in selecting suitable AI models and appropriate input parameters for accurate and quick estimation of the HPC compressive strength. Full article

The olive tree and oil are iconic in the Mediterranean culture and religions, and producers incorporate those associations into the packaging of olive oil products they distribute regionally. This study examines the impact of religious and cultural information about olive oil on consumer behavior. A choice experiment was conducted to survey Japanese consumers’ willingness to pay for olive oil products. Results show that consumers respond with varying degrees of favor to the characteristic of “produced in pilgrimage destination,” but if cultural and religious information related to olive is provided, their willingness to pay increases 6.7 times. Measurements of cross-effects show that consumers that are more educated respond favorably to cultural and religious imagery, whereas older consumers and those with more children respond less favorably. Empirical results imply those regional religious and cultural allusions could be used to differentiate and promote olive oil products in a culturally distinct market. Full article

Today’s organizations are immersed in a global market, where any detail can provide a competitive advantage over rival companies and condition their sustainability. Corporate Social Responsibility and Human Resource Management have become very powerful tools within companies. However, the potential, development, and measurement of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and Human Resource Management (HRM) have not been sufficiently explored. The literature has developed multiple case studies on CSR and HRM and has studied the combination of both factors and their link to economic, environmental, and social sustainability, but has not yet found a solid basis from which to address the new functionality of CSR, HRM, and sustainable business management. This work aims to investigate trends in scientific production related to Corporate Social Responsibility and Human Resource Management. Bibliometric techniques and SciMAT software have been used for this purpose. A total of 314 articles from Web of Science (WOS) indexed journals were analyzed. The results obtained confirm that the interest in the study of these concepts has grown exponentially in the last decade. It should be noted that the definitions of CSR and HRM, and even the relationship between the two, continue to be subject to multiple interpretations. The contribution of this work lies in the fact that, through the longitudinal analysis carried out, light is shed on the groups of issues that emerge with special projection, such as green-management, stakeholders, commitment, competitive-advantage, satisfaction, performance, sustainability, or research-methods-analysis, and which must continue to be explored in order to respond to the demands that business organizations have in this respect, and to help the total integration of the different approaches related to CSR and HRM. Full article

The devastating impacts of drought are fast becoming a global concern. Zimbabwe is among the countries more severely affected, where drought impacts have led to water shortages, declining yields, and periods of food insecurity, accompanied by economic downturns. In particular, the country’s agricultural sector, mostly comprised of smallholder rainfed systems, is at great risk of drought. In this study, a multimethod approach is applied, including a remote sensing-based analysis of vegetation health data from 1989–2019 to assess the drought hazard, as well as a spatial analysis combined with expert consultations to determine drought vulnerability and exposure of agricultural systems. The results show that droughts frequently occur with changing patterns across Zimbabwe. Every district has been affected by drought during the past thirty years, with varying levels of severity and frequency. Severe drought episodes have been observed in 1991–1992, 1994–1995, 2002–2003, 2015–2016, and 2018–2019. Drought vulnerability and exposure vary substantially in the country, with the south-western provinces of Matabeleland North and South showing particularly high levels. Assessments of high-risk areas, combined with an analysis of the drivers of risk, set the path towards tailor-made adaptation strategies that consider drought frequency and severity, exposure, and vulnerability. Full article

To unlock the potential for corporations to play a more proactive role in sustainable development, it is critical to have a fundamental understanding of the pathways leading to a responsible and sustainable business. This study explores contributions of theories of the firm in explicating why and how integrating corporate social responsibility (CSR) and corporate sustainability (CS) into business strategic decisions and operation processes helps to improve the viability of corporations. The research objective is addressed through a narrative review of relevant literature by following the developmental and evolutionary sequences in business responsibility and sustainability while contemplating the connections between CSR and CS through the lens of the dominant theoretical perspectives underpinning the concepts. The study posits an integrative theoretical framework that offers supports for embedding CSR and CS into a corporate business strategy. It discusses that corporate choice of CSR and CS actions and policies is supported by dual internal and external mechanisms based on resource-based theory and institutional theory. This is to meet the interests and expectations of internal and external stakeholders, the basis upon which stakeholder theory is constructed. Findings from this review corroborate the proposition that the three theories of resource-based, institutional, and stakeholder could be used as the primary approach to explain corporate recognition of the need for CSR and CS, and further build a coherent platform to support corporate choice and adoption of CSR and CS in business strategy. Full article

The transport sector is often the center of political and scientific debate on sustainability due to negative externalities produced by the daily movement of goods and people which impact both on the environment and on quality of life. Great interest has therefore focused on impact estimation of transport infrastructures/services with respect to social, economic, and environmental sustainability. Among the consolidated assessment methods, the cost–benefit analysis (CBA) is one of the quantitative tools representing the final stage (decision) in decision-making processes, which compares design alternatives and verifies the sustainability of a transport project. Recently the Italian Government proposed the national “Guidelines for Assessment of Investment Projects” based on CBA. The aim of this research is twofold: a) from a research point of view, to propose a sustainable evaluating method for impact assessment of the new transportation infrastructure aimed in performing both rational and shared decisions with the territories; b) for a practical point of view, to propose a first application of the CBA Italian guideline useful for the professional practice in the field of public investment evaluation. A quantitative impacts assessment of social, economic and environmental sustainability was performed for a revamping project of a new “greenway” in the south of Italy. Furthermore, also the social equity impacts produced by the new road infrastructure was also quantified, estimating the GINI indexes variation as a measure of effectiveness. Full article

Pigeon-inspired optimization (PIO) is a new type of intelligent algorithm. It is proposed that the algorithm simulates the movement of pigeons going home. In this paper, a new pigeon herding algorithm called compact pigeon-inspired optimization (CPIO) is proposed. The challenging task for multiple algorithms is not only combining operations, but also constraining existing devices. The proposed algorithm aims to solve complex scientific and industrial problems with many data packets, including the use of classical optimization problems and the ability to find optimal solutions in many solution spaces with limited hardware resources. A real-valued prototype vector performs probability and statistical calculations, and then generates optimal candidate solutions for CPIO optimization algorithms. The CPIO algorithm was used to evaluate a variety of continuous multi-model functions and the largest model of hydropower short-term generation. The experimental results show that the proposed algorithm is a more effective way to produce competitive results in the case of limited memory devices. Full article

We propose addressing an organization’s adoption of an environmental certification as a multicriteria problem considering environmental sustainability as well as economic and strategic aspects. Our methodological approach uses the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP), which we use in an empirical application to analyze the adoption decision of several Costa Rican firms and institutions. Firstly, we select a set of economic, strategic, and environmental criteria that seem relevant for the organization’s direction. We select these criteria according to our literature review and a series of face-to-face interviews with scholars and companies’ managers. As an environmental certification, we focus on Carbon Neutral (CN), which is a domestic certification aimed at reducing or offsetting carbon emissions. For the sake of comparison, we also consider ISO 14001, which is a well-known international standard aimed at compliance with environmental norms. We conduct the AHP analysis using the answers given by 24 companies and institutions, which in aggregate terms, give CN a higher score than ISO 14001. This result is mainly due to the fact that CN ranks above ISO 14001 when attending to environmental sustainability, although ISO 14001 tends to be preferred in economic and strategic terms. Full article

Local tariffs in the form of household contributions are the primary financial mechanism to fund the maintenance of rural water supplies in Malawi. An investigation was conducted into the tariffs set by rural service providers to sustain drilled boreholes equipped with Afridev handpumps. A binary logistic regression analysis identified significant explanatory variables for the most common identified considerations when setting tariffs, ‘affordability’ and ‘operations and maintenance (O&M) costs’. The results demonstrate tariffs collected less frequently and usage above the design limit of the Afridev (300 users) had lower odds of considering affordability and higher odds of considering O&M costs, than those collected per month and within the design limit. The results further suggest a recognition by service providers of an increased maintenance challenge. High usage, acquiring spare parts, and the collection of tariffs when repairs are required indicate an increased likelihood of considering O&M costs, conversely to considering affordability. The balance of affordability and sustainable maintenance is a perpetual challenge under decentralised service delivery. Investment into ongoing support and supply chains is required for the financial and operational requirements of water supply, to ensure payments for services does not prevent access to clean water at the local level and to achieve the 2030 agenda. Full article

Climate change is a fact. Global warming of the planet is a result of the emission of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere and the cause of serious sustainability issues. The objective of this article is to highlight the potential of the Six Sigma methodology to reduce energy consumption in the productive sphere, with consequential reductions in pollutant emissions. We present a systematic literature review that highlights the increasing interest from academics and practitioners in using quality management philosophies for addressing sustainability issues. From the analysis carried out, it is clear that Lean is being used in this regard but the potential of Six Sigma is not being exploited. Taking advantage of the best of both approaches (Lean Six Sigma) can contribute to reducing energy consumption in industrial processes and contribute to mitigating the impacts of those processes on climate change. Moreover, through keyword analysis, we found that the three dimensions of sustainability are currently gaining importance in the literature, when previously only the economic pillar was relevant. Finally, we raise some questions for reflection for academics but also for practitioners, as the problem is a global problem that should be faced by all the community. Full article

Island ecosystems have very specific physical, economic and socio-cultural characteristics, which are shared by most of these ecosystems regardless of their geographical area. These characteristics include well defined geographical boundaries that lead to a greater degree of isolation, lack of economically exploitable resources, great external dependence for consumption, cultural and natural heritage with a high uniqueness level and a high concentration of endemic plant and animal species. All of them are responsible for the high development dependence level linked to the tourism activity of these ecosystems. Thus, island ecosystems are currently an important international tourism destination, where a great diversity of very attractive natural and cultural resources and of great heritage value are concentrated. This fact allows for the development of tourism activities of great heterogeneity among countries or regions of the world that host these island ecosystems. The aim of this research was to identify and analyze, through a bibliometric and bibliographic analysis, the scientific production indexed in the international Scopus database, which addresses the subject of use of cultural and natural resources by tourism in island ecosystems. This scientific mapping allows us to observe the evolution of scientific production in this field of study. The results show that this is a new subject (a large number of transient authors), predominantly affiliated with the United States and Spain. The most followed research lines to date are destination management followed very far by responsible environmental behavior and the impacts of sustainable development. However, the keywords with the highest co-occurrence show that the hot topics are tourism exploitation in the ecotourism field and sustainable tourism development. This research is considered the first bibliometric study carried out which is related to this thematic approach, providing a clear in-depth analysis for researchers and thereby facilitating the approach of future research work. Full article

This work presents a case study of a wastewater treatment plant (WWTP), located in Biscay (Spain), in which the removal of high-occurrence contaminants of emerging concern (CEC) was studied. The existing biological treatment in the WWTP was complemented with a continuous ultrafiltration (c-UF) pilot plant, as a tertiary treatment. Thus, the effect on CEC removal of both treatments could be analyzed globally and after each operation. A total of 39 CEC were monitored, including pharmaceutical products, industrial additives, food additives, herbicides and personal care products. For evaluation of the efficiencies, the removal rates of the biological and of the c-UF treatments, including their variability over a day and a week in relation to the ammonium content, were examined in the influent of the WWTP. In the biological treatment, a wide range of different removal rates was obtained due to the different CEC’s biodegradability and concentration. In UF, lower, but more constant removal rates, were achieved. In addition, the reduction of the general toxicity by the UF treatment in terms of the Microtox^® toxicity assay was also evaluated. After UF, all of the samples yielded values of TU₅₀ lower than 1, confirming this result the UF effectiveness for toxicity removal. Full article

This paper focuses on the presentation of an integrated framework based on two advanced strategies, aimed at mitigating the effect of traffic congestion in terms of performance and environmental impact. In particular, the paper investigates the “operational benefits” that can be derived from the combination of traffic control (TC) and route guidance (RG) strategies. The framework is based on two modules and integrates a within-day traffic control method and a day-to-day behavioral route choice model. The former module consists of an enhanced traffic control model that can be applied to design traffic signal decision variables, suitable for real-time optimization. The latter designs the information consistently with predictive user reactions to the information itself. The proposed framework is implemented to a highly congested sub-network in the city center of Naples (Italy) and different scenarios are tested and compared. The “do nothing” scenario (current; DN) and the “modeled compliance” (MC) scenario, in which travelers’ reaction to the information (i.e., compliance) is explicitly represented. In order to evaluate the effectiveness of the proposed strategy and the modeling framework, the following analyses are carried out: (i) Network performance analysis; (ii) system convergence and stability analysis, as well as the compliance evolution over time; (iii) and emissions and fuel consumption impact analysis. Full article

Traditional Iberian pig production is characterized by outdoor systems that produce animals fed with natural resources. The aim of this study was to assess the environmental impacts of such systems through Life Cycle Assessment. Environmental impacts were analysed per kilogram of live weight at farm gate. Iberian pig production in montanera had the lowest impacts for climate change (CC), acidification (AC), eutrophication (EU) and cumulative energy demand (CED), being 3.4 kg CO₂ eq, 0.091 molc H⁺ eq, 0.046 kg PO₄³⁻ eq, and 20.7 MJ, respectively, due to the strict use of natural resources (acorns and grass) during the fattening period. As Iberian farms had a greater dependence on compound feed in cebo campo, environmental impacts on CC, AC, EU and CED were 22, 17, 95 and 28% higher, respectively, than with montanera. For land occupation (LO), however, cebo campo had a lower impact (31.6 m²·year) than montanera (43.0 m²·year) system. Traditional Iberian pig production systems have environmental impacts higher than conventional systems studied in literature but are similar to other traditional systems. Based on the present assessment, it is necessary to account for the contribution of emissions resulting from the consumption of natural resources to avoid the underestimation of environmental impacts. Full article

This paper discusses issues affecting the transport and mobility needs of people with disabilities in middle- and low-income countries and how disability intersects with a range of other factors to impact on transport needs, use and engagement. The paper is intended to stimulate discussion and identify areas for further research, and identifies a number of key issues that are salient to discussions around equitable and inclusive transport provision, including patterns of transport use, behaviour and experiences, solutions and policy directions, measuring access and inclusion, policies and intersectionality. The paper also identifies gaps in knowledge and provision, barriers to addressing these gaps, and some possible solutions to overcoming these barriers. These include shifting the focus from access to inclusion, reconceptualising how ‘special’ transport might be provided, and most importantly listening to the voices and experiences of adults and children with disabilities. Despite lack of transport often being cited as a reason for lack of inclusion of people with disabilities, there is surprisingly little evidence which either quantifies this or translates what this lack of access means to people with disabilities in their daily lives in low- and middle-income countries. Full article

Generally, improvement in the soil health of pasturelands can result in amplified ecosystem services which can help improve the overall sustainability of the system. The extent to which specific best management practices have this effect has yet to be established. A farm-scale study was conducted in eight beef-pastures in the Southern Piedmont of Georgia, from 2015 to 2018, to assess the effect of strategic-grazing (STR) and continuous-grazing hay distribution (CHD) on soil health indicators and runoff nitrate losses. In 2016, four pastures were converted to the STR system and four were grazed using the CHD system. Post-treatment, in 2018, the STR system had significantly greater POXC (by 87.1, 63.4, and 55.6 mg ha⁻¹ at 0–5, 5–10, and 10–20 cm, respectively) as compared to CHD system. Soil respiration was also greater in the STR system (by 235 mg CO₂ m^-2 24 h⁻¹) and less nitrate was lost in the runoff (by 0.21 kg ha⁻¹) as compared to the CHD system. Cattle exclusion and overseeding vulnerable areas of pastures in STR pastures facilitated nitrogen mineralization and uptake. Our results showed that the STR grazing system could improve the sustainability of grazing systems by storing more labile carbon, efficiently mineralizing soil nitrogen, and lowering runoff nitrate losses. Full article

This paper proposes a testing method that allows the monitoring of the development of volume expansion of lithium-ion batteries. The overall goal is to demonstrate the impact of the volume expansion on battery ageing. The following findings are achieved: First, the characteristic curve shape of the diameter change depended on the state-of-charge and the load direction of the battery. The characteristic curve shape consisted of three areas. Second, the characteristic curve shape of the diameter change changed over ageing. Whereas the state-of-charge dependent geometric alterations were of a reversible nature. An irreversible effect over the lifetime of the cell was observed. Third, an s-shaped course of the diameter change indicated two different ageing effects that led to the diameter change variation. Both reversible and irreversible expansion increased with ageing. Fourth, a direct correlation between the diameter change and the capacity loss of this particular lithium-ion battery was observed. Fifth, computer tomography (CT) measurements showed deformation of the jelly roll and post-mortem analysis showed the formation of a covering layer and the increase in the thickness of the anode. Sixth, reproducibility and temperature stability of the strain gauges were shown. Overall, this paper provides the basis for a stable and reproducible method for volume expansion analysis applied and established by the investigation of a state-of-the-art lithium-ion battery cell. This enables the study of volume expansion and its impact on capacity and cell death. Full article

For decades, apparel companies have profited from moving their manufacturing to low-cost countries and several academic studies have focused on understanding whether low-cost locations could support optimal supply chain configurations. However, the exploitation of resources in foreign sourcing countries often resulted in many environmental and social issues and apparel companies became progressively more concerned about the negative exposure that they could face with a limited supply chain transparency. Therefore, this paper aims at investigating global sourcing strategies of fast fashion retailers in order to understand whether the decision criteria influencing sourcing locations have changed over time to also embrace sustainability considerations. Drawing on a literature review on sustainability in fashion supply chains, offshore outsourcing, and fast fashion global sourcing, a new theoretical framework concerning fast fashion retailers’ sourcing locations is proposed together with a content analysis of their reports. The findings show that fast fashion retailers identify sustainability as a key element to consider in selecting sourcing locations since sustainability issues at suppliers’ factories may represent relevant hidden costs. Moreover, actions aimed at checking and improving sustainable practices in global sourcing policies are proven to support the development of a strategic sourcing reputation for their fast fashion brands. Full article

Overtourism problems, anti-tourist movements and negative externalities of tourism are popular research approaches and are key concepts to better understand the sustainable development of tourism destinations. In many of the overtourism narratives, Venice is considered to be one of the most relevant cases of overtourism and therefore has become a laboratory for studying the different conflicts that emerge when tourism numbers continue to grow and the quality of the tourism flow continues to decline. This article is therefore focusing on Venice and on one of the possible solutions to mitigate the negative impacts of tourism represented by the concept of a tourist carrying capacity (TCC) in an urban destination. The aim of this paper is to discuss alternative methodologies regarding the calculation of the TCC, and to apply a fuzzy instead of a ‘crisp’ linear programming model to determine the scenarios of a sustainable number of tourists in the cultural destination of Venice, looking for the optimal compromise between, on the one hand, the wish of maximizing the monetary gain by the local tourism sectors and, on the other, the desire to control the undesirable effects that tourism exerts on a destination by the local population. To solve the problems related to tourism statistics and data availability, some uncertainty in the parameters has been included using fuzzy numbers. The fuzziness in the model was introduced on the basis of questionnaires distributed among both tourists and residents. By applying the fuzzy linear programming model to the emblematic case of Venice, it was shown that this approach can indeed help destinations to understand the challenges of sustainable tourism development better, to evaluate the impact of alternative policies of overtourism on the sustainability of tourism, and hence, to help design a strategy to manage tourist flows more adequately Full article

In recent years, social farming has developed into an opportunity for income diversification in the South Tyrolean agricultural sector. In the northern Italian province, predominantly women farmers implement the provision of social services on farms. Starting from rural gender studies and women empowerment-literature, we hypothesize that social farming promotes the empowerment of the involved women. Accordingly, our study investigates the recognized impacts of offering farm-based childcare services on three types of power: power to, power with, and power within. In order to test our hypothesis, we conducted semi-structured interviews with seven women farmers that provide childcare services and with four experts. The results show that the provision of childcare services has enhanced the autonomy of women farmers and has had positive impacts on their skills and competences. This activity has changed their social role in the community by revalorizing rural lifestyles and by enabling the reconciliation of work and personal life for working mothers. Nevertheless, women farmers have recognized some negative effects on their workload, and on their interfamilial as well as other social relations. Finally, the study discusses the relationship between the specific ethno-linguistic context in South Tyrol and the effects of the activity of childcare provision on women farmers’ empowerment. Full article

Port development potential refers to the potential but unrealized status and capacity of ports, which can become a reality when external conditions permit. A correct analysis of port development potential helps to better formulate investment response plans and national development strategies, and finally achieve the sustainable development of the ports. Based on the Automatic Identification System (AIS) data, basic port data, hinterland city data, traffic network data, and relevant economic and policy data, we constructed an evaluation index system of port development potential, and evaluated the development potential of eight representative ports in the Yangtze River Delta port group of China with the methods of FAHP-entropy (FAHP—Fuzzy Analytical Hierarchy Process). The results show that: (1) The development potential of the port group in the Yangtze River Delta is positioned in the upper middle level; its development prospects are considerable, and other countries or ports could give priority of cooperation with it to maximize its benefits. (2) Port economy and policy are the primary core indicators affecting the development potential of ports, while per capita GDP (gross domestic product), number of berths, and port network status are the secondary core indicators affecting the development potential of ports. (3) Ports with larger development potential usually have one or more outstanding indicators, while the potential of ports with balanced development among all indicators is relatively weak. Full article

Within agricultural innovation systems (AIS), various stakeholder groups inevitably interpret ‘innovation’ from their own vantage point of privilege and power. In rural developing areas where small-scale and subsistence farming systems support livelihoods, dominant policy actors often focus heavily on participatory modernization and commercialization initiatives to enhance productivity, access, and quality. However, existing social hierarchies may undermine the potential of such initiatives to promote inclusive and sustainable farmer-driven innovation. Focusing on the chronically food insecure smallholder agricultural systems operating in Yatta Sub-county, Eastern Kenya, this paper explores how power dynamics between stakeholders can influence, and can be influenced by, participatory agricultural innovation initiatives. Findings suggest that there are often significant disparities in access to, and control over, platform resources between smallholder farmers and other stakeholder groups, resulting in large asymmetries. We discuss how these power dynamics may increase the risk of agricultural intervention, further marginalizing already disempowered groups and reinforcing power hierarchies to the detriment of smallholders. This study highlights the need for a deeper understanding of the institutional contexts that facilitate and maintain relationships of power within agricultural innovation systems, as well as the complexities associated with promoting transformational agricultural innovation. Full article

The objective of this research study was to assess the sources of information on two improved agricultural and livestock technologies (barley variety and feed blocks) as well as the efficacy of numerous agricultural technology diffusion means introduced in the livestock–barley system in semi-arid Tunisia. The research used primary data collected from 671 smallholder farmers. A descriptive statistical analysis was conducted, and Kendall’s W-test and the chi-squared distribution test were deployed to categorize and evaluate the efficacy of the different methods of technology diffusion used by the Tunisian extension system. To address farmers’ perceived opinions and classify the changes from the use of the improved technologies, a qualitative approach based on the Stapel scale was used. Farmer training, demonstration, and farmer-to-farmer interactions were perceived as the most effective agricultural extension methods. The access to technology, know-how, adoption cost of that technology, and labor intensity for adoption influenced its adoption level. Farmers’ opinions about the changes resulting from the adoption of both technologies revealed that yield and resistance to drought were the most important impacts of the two technologies. The study recommends empowering the national extension system through both conventional and non-conventional technologies (ICT, video, mobile phones, etc.), given the cost-effectiveness and their impact on the farmers’ adoption decisions. Full article

The circular economy may help firms to maximize the value of their material resources and minimize the overall resource use, waste, pollution and emissions of their business activities. Implementing a circular economy program requires radical changes in product, business model and ecosystem innovation. Most research on circular oriented innovation takes a product or business model perspective. Few publications have explored how to innovate in ecosystems: how a group of loosely coupled organizations can change how they interact with each other to achieve a collective outcome. This study proposes the Circularity Deck: a card deck-based tool that can help firms to analyze, ideate and develop the circularity potential of their innovation ecosystems. The tool is based on a literature review of circular oriented innovation principles, and of practical examples that show how these principles have been applied. The principles are organized according to the intended circular strategy outcome that they pursue (i.e., narrow, slow, close, regenerate and inform material and energy flows), and the extent of the innovation perspective that is needed to operationalize a principle (i.e., product, business model, or ecosystem innovation). This review and categorization process first produced a novel analysis of the circular economy innovation landscape, using an ecosystem perspective. Second, these results served to develop the Circularity Deck, which was further developed and tested for ease of use and perceived usefulness in 12 workshops with 136 participants from 62 different organizations. The Circularity Deck provides an approach for future research and practice to integrate new principles and examples that can help firms to analyze, ideate and develop circular innovation ecosystems. Full article

The aim of this research is to explore the volatility contagion among different agricultural commodity markets. For this purpose, this research make use of the copula-GARCH (Generalized Autoregressive Conditional Heteroskedasticity) model for the daily spot prices of six major agriculture grain commodities including corn, wheat, soybeans, soya oil, cotton, and oat over the period from 2000 to 2019. Our results provide evidence that significant contagion effects and risk transmissions exist among different agricultural grain commodity markets, suggesting that potential speculation effects on one agricultural market could be contagious for another agricultural market and result an increase in volatility in agricultural product markets. Second, agricultural commodities appears to co-move symmetrically. We also find substantial extreme co-movements among agricultural commodity markets. This indicates that agricultural commodity markets tend to crash (boom) together during extreme events. Moreover, after the food crisis, contagion effects and risk transmissions among different agricultural commodity markets increased substantially. Fourth, we find that the strongest contagion effects and risk transmissions are between corn and soybeans, and the weakest contagion effects and risk transmissions are between soya oil cotton and between cotton and oat. Last, we document that the co-movement varies over time. Our findings hold important implications for modeling the co-movement by the copula-GARCH approach. Full article

Buildings portion in global energy consumption is 40%, and in the building envelope, the roof is a crucial point for improving indoor temperature, especially in the last and second last floors. Studies show that green roofs can be applied to moderate roof temperature and affect the indoor temperature in summer and winter. However, the performance of green roofs depends on several parameters such as climate, irrigation, layer materials, and thickness. In this context, the present research deals with a comprehensive experimental analysis of different thermal impacts of green roofs in summer and winter in a Mediterranean climate. Measurements carried out in one year in three different types of green roofs with different thicknesses, layers, and with and without the insulation layer. The analysis determined the possible period that indoor cooling or heating might be required with and without green roofs and demonstrated the positive impact of green roofs in moderating the roof temperature and temperature fluctuations, which in summer was remarkable. In conclusion, since in the Mediterranean climate, the thermal differences between green roofs and conventional roofs in summer are much higher than winter, it seems that the green roof without an insulation layer would show better performance. Full article

Today, there is strong pressure for firms, in Norway and abroad, to adopt green or sustainable strategies. Furthermore, many Norwegian firms, directly or indirectly dependent on the dominating but declining petroleum sector, face a further challenge as they have to enter new industries in search of market opportunities. We address these dual challenges and study how green and new industry strategies are a function of firm- and regional-level characteristics. Multilevel analyses of Norwegian survey data show that both green and new industry strategies are pursued by knowledge-intensive firms that are innovative and having interfirm innovation collaboration. Green strategies are pursued by large firms and firms localized in sparsely populated regions, but they are avoided by independent firms and firms having carried out layoffs. New industry strategies are pursued by small firms, firms with growth in employees, and firms having carried out mergers or acquisitions and cost reductions. Full article