Search Results (27,089)

Combining products of natural origin with different mechanisms of action on insect herbivores may provide an alternative among methods of plant protection against pests that are less risky for the environment. The aim of the study was to evaluate the effectiveness of mixtures of Thuja occidentalis L. essential oil and diatomite (EO + DE) compared to each substance separately in reducing economically important pests such as black bean aphid (BBA) Aphis fabae Scop., Colorado potato beetle (CPB) Leptinotarsa decemlineata Say., and pea leaf weevil (PLW) Sitona lineatus L. The effects on mortality (all pests) and foraging intensity (CPB and PLW) were tested. The improvement in effectiveness using a mixture of EO + DE versus single components against BBA was dose- and the developmental stage-dependent. The effect of enhancing CPB foraging inhibition through DE addition was obtained at a concentration of 0.2% EO (both females and males of CPB) and 0.5% EO (males) in no-choice experiments. In choice experiments, mixtures EO + DE with both 0.2% and 0.5% EO concentrations resulted in a significant reduction in CPB foraging. A significant strengthening effect of EO 0.5% through the addition of DE at a dose of 10% against PLW males was observed in the no-choice experiment, while, when the beetles had a choice, the synergistic effect of a mixture of EO 0.5% and DE 10% was also apparent in females. In conclusion, the use of DE mixtures with EO from T. occidentalis appears to be a promising strategy. The results support the idea of not using doses of EO higher than 0.5%. Full article

Improving carbon emission efficiency (CEE) is crucial for coordinating economic development and reducing carbon emissions. Drawing on panel data for 30 provinces in China from 2013 to 2022, this paper selects six key antecedent conditions guided by the Technology–Organization–Environment (TOE) framework. Then the dynamic qualitative comparative analysis (DQCA) is employed to explore CEE improvement pathways from a configurational perspective, and regression analysis is used to compare the driving effects of different pathways. The findings reveal that (1) single factors cannot independently achieve high CEE; instead, multiple factors must work synergistically to form various improvement pathways, including “technology–organization dual-driven”, “environment-dominated”, and “multi-equilibrium” pathways, with industrial structure upgrading as the core factor for improving CEE; (2) temporally, these improvement pathways demonstrate universality, while, spatially, they exhibit significant provincial heterogeneity; and (3) in terms of marginal effects, the “multi-equilibrium” pathway has the strongest driving effect on CEE. The findings provide valuable policy implications for developing targeted CEE enhancement strategies across provinces at different developmental stages. Full article

Decarbonization of the Greek economy requires significant investments in clean technologies. This will boost demand for goods and services and will create multiplier effects on output value added and employment, though reliance on imported technologies might increase the trade deficit. This study employs input–output analysis to estimate the direct, indirect, and multiplier effects of green transition investments on Greek output, value added, employment, and imports across five-year intervals from 2025 to 2050. Two scenarios are considered: the former is based on the National Energy and Climate Plan (NECP), driven by a large-scale exploitation of RES and technologies promoting electrification of final demand, while the latter (developed in the context of the CLEVER project) prioritizes energy sufficiency and efficiency interventions to reduce final energy demand. In the NECP scenario, GDP increases by 3–10% (relative to 2023), and employment increases by 4–11%. The CLEVER scenario yields smaller direct effects—owing to lower investment levels—but larger induced impacts, since energy savings boost household disposable income. The consideration of three sub-scenarios adopting different levels of import-substitution rates in key manufacturing sectors exhibits pronounced divergence, indicating that targeted industrial policies can significantly amplify the domestic economic benefits of the green transition. Full article

In the context of the global response to climate change and the active promotion of energy transformation, a number of low-carbon policies coupled with the development of synergies to help power system transformation is an important initiative. However, the insufficient articulation of the green power market, tradable green certificate (TGC) market, and carbon emission trading (CET) mechanism, and the ambiguous policy boundaries affect the trading decisions made by its market participants. Therefore, this paper systematically analyses the composition of the main players in the electricity-CET-TGC markets and their relationship with each other, and designs the synergistic mechanism of the electricity-CET-TGC markets, based on which, it constructs the optimal profit model of the thermal power plant operators, renewable energy manufacturers, power grid enterprises, power users and load aggregators under the electricity-CET-TGC markets synergy, and analyses the behavioural decision-making of the main players in the electricity-CET-TGC markets as well as the electric power system to optimise the trading strategy of each player. The results of the study show that: (1) The synergistic mechanism of electricity-CET-TGC markets can increase the proportion of green power grid-connected in the new type of power system. (2) In the selection of different environmental rights and benefits products, the direct participation of green power in the market-oriented trading is the main way, followed by applying for conversion of green power into China certified emission reduction (CCER). (3) The development of independent energy storage technology can produce greater economic and environmental benefits. This study provides policy support to promote the synergistic development of the electricity-CET-TGC markets and assist the low-carbon transformation of the power industry. Full article

To address the shortcomings of poor convergence and the ease of falling into local optima when using the traditional gold rush optimization (GRO) algorithm to solve the complex scheduling problem of a combined cooling, heating, and power (CCHP) microgrid system, an optimal scheduling model for a microgrid based on the improved gold rush optimization (IGRO) algorithm is proposed. First, the Halton sequence is introduced to initialize the population, ensuring a uniform and diverse distribution of prospectors, which enhances the algorithm’s global exploration capability. Then, a dynamically adaptive weighting factor is applied during the gold mining phase, enabling the algorithm to adjust its strategy across different search stages by balancing global exploration and local exploitation, thereby improving the convergence efficiency of the algorithm. In addition, a weighted global optimal solution update strategy is employed during the cooperation phase, enhancing the algorithm’s global search capability while reducing the risk of falling into local optima by adjusting the balance of influence between the global best solution and local agents. Finally, a t-distribution mutation strategy is introduced to improve the algorithm’s local search capability and convergence speed. The IGRO algorithm is then applied to solve the microgrid scheduling problem, with the objective function incorporating power purchase and sale cost, fuel cost, maintenance cost, and environmental cost. The example results show that, compared with the GRO algorithm, the IGRO algorithm reduces the average total operating cost of the microgrid by 3.29%, and it achieves varying degrees of cost reduction compared to four other algorithms, thereby enhancing the system’s economic benefits. Full article

Investigating the coevolution between ecosystem services (ES) and human well-being (HWB) holds significant implications for achieving the sustainable operation of human–environment systems. However, limited research has focused on ES-HWB interactions in ecotourism-dominated counties. To address this gap, this study takes Chun’an County in Zhejiang Province, China, as a case study, with the research objective of exploring the processes, patterns, and mechanisms of the coevolution between ecosystem services (ES) and human well-being (HWB) in ecotourism-dominated counties. By integrating multi-source heterogeneous data, including land use data, the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), and statistical records, and employing methods such as the dynamic equivalent factor method, the PLUS model, the coupling coordination degree model, and comprehensive evaluation, we analyzed the synergistic evolution of ES-HWB in Chun’an County from 2000 to 2020. The results indicate that (1) the ecosystem service value (ESV) fluctuated between 30.15 and 36.85 billion CNY, exhibiting a spatial aggregation pattern centered on the Qiandao Lake waterbody, with distance–decay characteristics. The PLUS model confirms ecological conservation policies optimize ES patterns. (2) The HWB index surged from 0.16 to 0.8, driven by tourism-led economic growth, infrastructure investment, and institutional innovation, facilitating a paradigm shift from low to high well-being at the county level. (3) The ES-HWB interaction evolved through three phases—disordered, antagonism, and coordination—revealing tourism as a key mediator driving coupled human–environment system sustainability via a pressure–adaptation–synergy transmission mechanism. This study not only advances the understanding of ES-HWB coevolution in ecotourism-dominated counties, but also provides a transferable methodological framework for sustainable development in similar regions. Full article

Understanding how energy use and economic activity shape carbon emissions is pivotal for achieving global climate targets. This study quantifies the dynamic nexus between disaggregated energy consumption, economic growth, and CO₂ emissions in India and China—two economies that together account for more than one-third of global emissions. Using annual data from 1990 to 2021, we implement Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) neural networks, which outperform traditional linear models in capturing nonlinearities and lagged effects. The dataset is split into training (1990–2013) and testing (2014–2021) intervals to ensure rigorous out-of-sample validation. Results reveal stark national differences. For India, coal, natural gas consumption, and economic growth are the strongest positive drivers of emissions, whereas renewable energy exerts a significant mitigating effect, and nuclear energy is negligible. In China, emissions are dominated by coal and petroleum use and by economic growth, while renewable and nuclear sources show weak, inconsistent impacts. We recommend retrofitting India’s coal- and gas-plants with carbon capture and storage, doubling clean-tech subsidies, and tripling annual solar-plus-storage auctions to displace fossil baseload. For China, priorities include ultra-supercritical upgrades with carbon capture, utilisation, and storage, green-bond-financed solar–wind buildouts, grid-scale storage deployments, and hydrogen-electric freight corridors. These data-driven pathways simultaneously cut flagship emitters, decouple GDP from carbon, provide replicable models for global net-zero research, and advance climate-resilient economic growth worldwide. Full article

This study explores the revival of cotton (Gossypium spp. L.) farming in Italy through sustainable practices, addressing economic and water-related challenges by integrating cultivar selection, arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) inoculation, and deficit irrigation under organic farming. Field trials evaluated two widely grown Mediterranean cultivars (Armonia and ST-318) under three irrigation levels (I-100: 100% crop water requirement; I-70: 70%; I-30: 30%) across two Sicilian soil types (sandy loam vs. clay-rich). Under I-100, lint yields reached 0.99 t ha⁻¹, while severe deficit (I-30) yielded only 0.40 t ha⁻¹. However, moderate deficit (I-70) maintained 75–79% of full yields, proving a viable strategy. AMF inoculation significantly enhanced plant height (68.52 cm vs. 65.85 cm), boll number (+22.1%), and seed yield (+12.5%) (p < 0.001). Cultivar responses differed: Armonia performed better under water stress, while ST-318 thrived with full irrigation. Site 1, with higher organic matter, required 31–38% less water and achieved superior irrigation water productivity (1.43 kg m⁻³). Water stress also shortened phenological stages, allowing earlier harvests—important for avoiding autumn rains. These results highlight the potential of combining adaptive irrigation, resilient cultivars, and AMF to restore sustainable cotton production in the Mediterranean, emphasizing the importance of soil-specific management. Full article

The modern livestock industry incorporates widely used antibiotic growth promoters into animal feed at sub-therapeutic levels to enhance growth performance and feed efficiency. However, this practice contributes to the emergence of antibiotic-resistant pathogens in livestock, which may be transmitted to humans through the food chain, thereby diminishing the efficacy of antibiotics in treating bacterial infections. Current research explores the potential of essential oils from derived medicinal plants as alternative phytobiotics. This review examines modern encapsulation strategies that incorporate essential oils into natural-origin matrices to improve their stability and control their release both in vitro and in vivo. We discuss a range of encapsulation approaches utilizing polysaccharides, gums, proteins, and lipid-based carriers. This review highlights the increasing demand for antibiotic alternatives in animal nutrition driven by regulatory restrictions, and the potential benefits of essential oils in enhancing feed palatability and stabilizing the intestinal microbiome in monogastric animals and ruminants. Additionally, we address the economic viability and encapsulation efficiency of different matrix formulations. Full article

For a long time, the explanation of the various determinants of oil price fluctuations and their impact on economic activity has been based on the supply and demand mechanism. However, with various volatile changes in the international situation in recent years, such as threats to public health and an increase in regional conflicts, special attention has been paid to the geopolitical context as an additional driver of oil price fluctuations. This study examines the relationship between oil price changes and GDP growth and other macroeconomic variables from the perspective of the vulnerability of oil-importing and oil-exporting countries to unexpected oil price shocks, driven by tense geopolitical events, in three European countries (Norway, Germany, and Poland). We apply the Structural Vector Autoregressive (SVAR) model and orthogonalized impulse response functions, based on quarterly data, in regard to two samples: the first spans 1995Q1–2019Q4 (pre-2020 sample), with relatively gradual changes in oil prices, and the second spans 1995Q1–2024Q2 (whole sample), with sudden fluctuations in oil prices due to geopolitical developments. A key finding of this research is that vulnerability to unpredictable oil price shocks related to geopolitical tensions is higher than in regard to expected gradual changes in oil prices, both in oil-importing and oil-exporting countries. Different causality patterns and stronger responses in regard to GDP growth during the period, including in regard to tense geopolitical events in comparison to the pre-2020 sample, lead to the belief that economies are not more resilient to oil price shocks as has been suggested by some studies, which referred to periods that were not driven by geopolitical events. Our research also suggests that countries implementing policies to reduce oil dependency and promote investment in alternative energy sources are better equipped to mitigate the adverse effects of oil price shocks. Full article

This study explores the role of solidarity finance in promoting local development and the empowerment of marginalized communities through financial inclusion and access to community credits. It focuses on how solidarity-based financial mechanisms provide accessible credit with fewer barriers, fostering productive activities and economic resilience. This study employed a quantitative and exploratory design, analyzing data from 51 community funds in Ecuador out of a total of 220 through a self-administered online survey, validated by auditing professionals and answered by community representatives. The 25-item questionnaire gathered data on organizational dynamics, financial practices, and perceptions of sustainability. Descriptive analysis was complemented with an analysis of variance to test hypotheses concerning associativity, self-management, and organizational performance. The results show that while associativity, self-management, and organizational management are perceived as institutional strengths, aspects such as autonomy and solidarity received lower evaluations, suggesting critical areas for strategic improvement. Notably, significant differences emerged between self-management–organization and solidarity–organization groups, emphasizing the importance of associativity (collaboration) in enhancing the sustainability of solidarity finance, which proves to be a vital mechanism for community empowerment and local development; however, its long-term sustainability depends on strengthening internal dimensions, particularly autonomy and solidarity, and reinforcing associativity as a core driver of organizational resilience. Full article

Achieving a win-win situation for both economy and ecology is crucial for promoting sustainable social development and shaping new advantages in high-quality developments. This article constructs an ecological economic resilience (EER) analysis framework by integrating both ecological and economic dimensions from a resilience perspective. Based on panel data from 290 cities in China, it explores the dynamic evolution characteristics, regional differences, and convergence trends of EER. The findings indicate that the EER has weakened nationwide and in the four major economic regions, overall tending towards stability. Significant disparities exist in EER, particularly pronounced in the northeast. There is $\sigma$ convergence in the nation as well as in the northeast and east regions. Additionally, both absolute and conditional $\beta$ convergence is evident nationwide and in all regions, with conditional convergence occurring at a faster pace. The research findings in this paper provide solid theoretical support for promoting regional coordinated development and constructing a new development paradigm. Full article

In recent years, growing concerns over environmental degradation and deepening awareness of the necessity of sustainable development have propelled green and low-carbon energy transition into a focal issue for both academia and policymakers. By decomposing energy transition into the transformation of energy structure and the upgrading of energy efficiency, this study investigates the impact and mechanisms of green finance on energy transition across 30 provinces (municipalities and autonomous regions) in China, with the exception of Tibet. In addition, the impact of climate change is incorporated into the analytical framework. Empirical results demonstrate that green finance development significantly accelerates energy transition, a conclusion robust to rigorous validation. Analysis of the mechanism shows that green finance promotes energy transition through the facilitation of technological innovation and the upgrade of industrial structures. Moreover, empirical evidence reveals that climate change undermines the promotional influence of sustainable finance on energy system transformation. The magnitude of this suppression varies nonlinearly across provincial jurisdictions with differing energy transition progress. Regional heterogeneity analyses further uncover marked discrepancies in climate–finance interactions, demonstrating amplified effects in coastal economic hubs, underdeveloped western provinces, and regions with mature eco-financial markets. According to these findings, actionable policy suggestions are put forward to strengthen green finance and accelerate energy transition. Full article

Under the rapid development of the digital economy, the interactive relationship between exports and the digital economy has become an important issue for promoting regional economic growth. Based on the panel data of 31 provinces and municipalities in China from 2012 to 2022, this paper systematically examines the impact of exports on economic growth and the moderating role of the digital economy, and it introduces research and development (R&D) investment to test its mediating mechanism. The research finds that exports significantly promote regional economic growth. The digital economy has a negative moderating effect on the export growth effect, and it is significant in the eastern region but not significant in the central and western regions, showing obvious regional heterogeneity. R&D investment has played a partial mediating role between exports and economic growth. This paper suggests that the government should focus on regional differences, promote the deep integration of the digital economy and exports, enhance technological innovation capabilities, formulate differentiated policies based on local conditions, strengthen the construction of digital infrastructure, optimize the export structure, support the development of R&D-driven enterprises, and build a digital export system that promotes regional coordination and high-quality growth, so as to achieve high-quality coordinated sustainable regional development. This paper also has certain reference value for other developing economies, in promoting the integration of the digital economy and trade. Full article

While existing studies document physical and economic impacts of new-build gentrification, the temporally protracted trauma of indirect displacement in communities adjacent to redeveloped areas remains understudied. Employing constructivist grounded theory, this study asks the following question: how do residents experience place attachment erosion during prolonged policy suspension in Shanghai’s new-build gentrification? Through iterative analysis of 25 interviews, we reveal a temporal vicious cycle of waiting triggered by uneven redevelopment and policy inertia. This cycle systematically dismantles belonging through several mechanisms: (1) chronic place-identity deterioration; (2) progressive social network fragmentation; (3) the collapse of imagined futures; and (4) the ambiguous loss of place attachment—where physical presence coexists with psychological disengagement. Crucially, we redefine indirect displacement as a temporal erosion of place identity and attachment, revealing a paradoxical state of physical presence coexisting with psychological disengagement. This paper provides a new perspective for better understanding the different dimensions of indirect displacement in new-build gentrification, which will help inform equitable development efforts that are more inclusive and just. Full article