Search Results (2,020)

This study contributes to scientific theory by analyzing the models proposed within the framework of circular agriculture to determine how the three dimensions of sustainability—environmental, economic, and social—are integrated into their implementation. A systematic review was conducted on articles published between 2016 and 2025, indexed in the Scopus and Web of Science databases, as well as the relevant grey literature. The methodology employed an extensive content analysis designed to minimize bias, applying filters related to specific knowledge areas to delimitate the search scope and enhance the precision of the research. The findings reveal that the research on circular agriculture models is predominantly grounded in the principles of the circular economy and its associated indicators. Moreover, these models tend to focus on environmental metrics, often neglecting a comprehensive exploration of the social and economic dimensions of sustainable development. It can be concluded that a significant gap persists in the literature regarding the circularity of agriculture and its socio-economic impacts and the role of regulatory frameworks, aspects that future research must address in order to achieve sustainability in circular agriculture. Full article

China has identified the high-quality development of its green manufacturing transition as the top priority for upgrading their industrial structure system which will lead to the sustainable development of an innovation ecosystem. To assess their progress in this area, this study selects the panel data of 31 provinces in China from 2011 to 2021 and constructs an evaluation index system for the green transformation of the manufacturing industry from four dimensions: environment, resources, economy, and industrial structure. This not only comprehensively and systematically reflects the dynamic changes in the green transformation of the manufacturing industry but also addresses the limitations of currently used indices. The entropy value method is used to calculate the comprehensive score of the green transformation of the manufacturing industry, while the key factors influencing the convergence of the green transformation of the manufacturing industry are further explored. The results show that first, the overall level of the green transformation of the manufacturing industry has significantly improved as evidenced by an approximate 32% increase. Second, regional differences are significant with the eastern region experiencing significantly higher levels of transformation compared to the central and western regions, along with a decreasing trend from the east to the central and western regions. From a policy perspective, the findings suggest that tailored production methods for each region should be adopted with a greater emphasis on knowledge exchanges to promote green transition in less developed regions. In addition, further regulations are required which, in part, focus on increasing the degree of openness to the outside world to promote the level of green manufacturing transition. Full article

The successful deployment of sustainable building construction (SBC) is connected to sound knowledge sharing. Concerning SBC, knowledge sharing has been identified to directly and indirectly increase innovation, environmental performance, cost saving, regulatory compliance awareness and so on. The necessity of enhancing SBC practice globally has been emphasised by earlier research. Consequently, this study aims to investigate knowledge-sharing elements to enhance SBC in South Africa (SA). Utilising a questionnaire survey, this study elicited data from 281 professionals in the built environment. Data analysis was performed with “descriptive statistics”, the “Kruskal–Wallis H-test”, and “principal component analysis” to determine the principal knowledge-sharing features (KSFs). This study found that “creating public awareness of sustainable practices”, the “content of SBC training, raising awareness of green building products”, “SBC integration in professional certifications”, an “information hub or repository for sustainable construction”, and “mentoring younger professionals in sustainable practices” are the most critical KSFs for SBC deployment. These formed a central cluster, the Green Education Initiative and Eco-Awareness Alliance. The results achieved a reliability test value of 0.956. It was concluded that to embrace the full adoption of SBC, corporate involvement is critical, and all stakeholders must embrace the sustainability paradigm. It is recommended that the principal knowledge-sharing features revealed in this study should be carefully considered to help construction stakeholders in fostering knowledge sharing for a sustainable built environment. Full article

The growing need to improve the management of end-of-life vehicle (ELV) waste and mitigate its environmental impact is a global concern. One promising approach to enhancing the recyclability of these vehicles is leveraging synergies between the automotive and construction industries as part of a circular economy strategy. In this context, ELV waste emerges as a valuable source of secondary raw materials, enabling the development of sustainable innovations that capitalize on its physical and mechanical properties. This paper aims to develop and evaluate construction industry composites incorporating waste from ELV carpets, with a focus on maintaining or enhancing performance compared to conventional materials. To achieve this, an experimental program was designed to assess cementitious composites, specifically subfloor mortars, incorporating automotive carpet waste (ACW). The results demonstrate that, beyond the physical and mechanical properties of the developed composites, the dynamic stiffness significantly improved across all tested waste incorporation levels. This finding highlights the potential of these composites as an alternative material for impact noise insulation in flooring systems. From an academic perspective, this research advances knowledge on the application of ACW in cement-based composites for construction. In terms of managerial contributions, two key market opportunities emerge: (1) the commercial exploitation of composites produced with ELV carpet waste and (2) the development of a network of environmental service providers to ensure a stable waste supply chain for innovative and sustainable products. Both strategies contribute to reducing landfill disposal and mitigating the environmental impact of ELV waste, reinforcing the principles of the circular economy. Full article

The construction industry is transitioning towards the circular economy, an approach that effectively reduces the industry’s environmental impact and promotes sustainability. However, realising the circular economy goal requires adequate information sharing among stakeholders and across the building lifecycle stages. This research examines the barriers that impede the information-sharing process in construction projects for the circular economy. This research adopts the framework of the information-sharing process, which suggests four essential components: context, content, people, and media. This study systematically searches and analyses the literature to identify and classify the information sharing barriers in the circular economy context, as well as their interaction. This study also conducts a case study to validate the information barrier framework and the findings. The findings suggest that information barriers are interlinked and require comprehensive solutions from the aspects of technology, organisation, and people, instead of single-aspect solutions. As this study provides insights into the systemic complexities of how information flows within the circular economy implementation system, it consequently contributes to the improvement of sustainable construction practices. Full article

This study examines how the newly established United States pursued economic development through diplomatic and commercial initiatives with the Ottoman Empire, navigating regional powers and the era’s political-economic conditions. It analyzes using American archival sources how America endeavored to establish commercial and diplomatic relations with the Ottoman Empire in the Mediterranean and Black Sea regions, which it viewed as critical markets in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, before signing any formal agreement. The research tracks how these early efforts laid foundations for what would become one of the world’s largest economies. The study analyzes America’s diplomatic efforts to secure an agreement with the Ottoman Empire prior to the 7 May 1830 trade agreement—which laid the foundation for bilateral relations—alongside the reactions of regional powers, the prevailing conditions of the period, and the Ottoman administration’s reluctance due to various factors, based on U.S. archival sources that, to the best of our knowledge, have not previously been utilized in existing studies. Full article

This paper presents a comprehensive review of dealuminated metakaolin (DK), a hazardous industrial by-product generated by the aluminium sulphate (alum) industry and evaluates its potential as a component in cementitious systems for the partial or full replacement of Portland cement (PC). Positioned within the context of waste valorisation in concrete, the review aims to establish a critical understanding of DK formation, properties, and reactivity, particularly its pozzolanic potential, to assess its suitability for use as a supplementary cementitious material (SCM), or as a precursor in alkali-activated cement (AAC) systems for concrete. A systematic methodology is used to extract and synthesise relevant data from existing literature concerning DK and its potential applications in cement and concrete. The collected information is organised into thematic sections exploring key aspects of DK, beginning with its formation from kaolinite ores, followed by studies on its pozzolanic reactivity. Applications of DK are then reviewed, focusing on its integration into SCMs and alkali-activated cement (AAC) systems. The review consolidates existing knowledge related to DK, identifying scientific gaps and practical challenges that limit its broader adoption for cement and concrete applications, and outlines future research directions to provide a solid foundation for future studies. Overall, this review highlights the potential of DK as a low-carbon, circular-economy material and promotes its integration into efforts to enhance the sustainability of construction practices. The findings aim to support researchers’ and industry stakeholders’ strategies to reduce cement clinker content and mitigate the environmental footprint of concrete in a circular-economy context. Full article

The growing number of senior experts leaving the workforce (especially in more developed economies, such as in Europe), combined with the ubiquitous access to artificial intelligence (AI), is triggering organizations to review their knowledge transfer programs, motivated by both financial and management perspectives. Our study aims to contribute to the field by analyzing options to integrate intergenerational tacit knowledge transfer (InterGenTacitKT) with AI-driven approaches, offering a novel perspective on sustainable Knowledge and Human Resource Management in organizations. We will do this by building on previous research and by extracting findings from 36 in-depth semi-structured interviews that provided success factors for junior/senior tandems (JuSeTs) as one notable format of tacit knowledge transfer. We also refer to the literature, in a grounded theory iterative process, analyzing current findings on the use of AI in tacit knowledge transfer and triangulating and critically synthesizing these sources of data. We suggest that adding AI into a tandem situation can facilitate collaboration and thus aid in knowledge transfer and trust-building. We posit that AI can offer strong complementary services for InterGenTacitKT by fostering the identified success factors for JuSeTs (clarity of roles, complementary skill sets, matching personalities, and trust), thus offering organizations a powerful means to enhance the effectiveness and sustainability of InterGenTacitKT that also strengthens employee productivity, satisfaction, and loyalty and overall organizational competitiveness. Full article

Background: Since the election of Hamas in 2006, Gaza has endured eight major military conflicts, culminating in the ongoing 2023–2025 war, now surpassing 520 days. This protracted violence, compounded by a 17-year blockade, has resulted in the near-total collapse of Gaza’s health system. Over 49,000 deaths, widespread displacement, and the destruction of more than 60% of health infrastructure have overwhelmed both local capacity and international humanitarian response. Objectives: This narrative review aims to examine and synthesize the current literature (October 2023–April 2025) on the health crisis in Gaza, with a specific focus on identifying key themes and knowledge gaps relevant to rebuilding a sustainable health system. The review also seeks to outline strategic pathways for recovery in the context of ongoing conflict and systemic deprivation. Methods: Given the urgency and limitations of empirical data from conflict zones, a narrative review approach was adopted. Fifty-two sources—including peer-reviewed articles, editorials, reports, and correspondence—were selected through targeted searches using Medline and Google Scholar. The analysis was framed within a public health and political economy perspective, also taking health system building blocks into consideration. Results: The reviewed literature emphasizes emergency needs: trauma care, infectious disease control, and supply chain restoration. Innovations such as mobile clinics and telemedicine offer interim solutions. Gaps include limited attention to mental health (including that of health workers), local governance, and sustainable planning frameworks. Conclusions: Sustainable reconstruction requires a durable ceasefire; international stewardship aligned with local ownership; and a phased, equity-driven strategy emphasizing primary care, mental health, trauma management, and community engagement. Full article

The mining of essential minerals is often made more difficult by subsurface geological structures such as dykes and contacts. The a priori knowledge of these features can greatly mitigate the problems that they would otherwise cause. For that reason, techniques such as geophysics and drilling are used to plan the mining in detail. This manuscript introduces a new technique which allows for the interpretation of aeromagnetic data without any knowledge of the source of the magnetic anomalies. In addition, the method is stable and does not rely on higher-order derivatives of the data, unlike many other approaches. Platinum mining is extremely important in South Africa, providing much-needed employment and bringing funds to the economy as a whole. The proposed method is demonstrated using data from the Eastern Bushveld complex, where platinum mining is widespread. Full article

Sustainability reporting has evolved into a multidimensional field encompassing Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) disclosure, integrated reporting (IR), and circular economy (CE) practices. This study aims to map the intellectual and thematic landscape of sustainability reporting research over the past decade, with a focus on sectoral differentiation. Drawing on bibliometric analysis of 1611 scientific articles indexed in Scopus, this research applies co-word analysis, thematic mapping, and bibliographic coupling to identify prevailing trends, conceptual clusters, and knowledge gaps. The results reveal a clear progression from fragmented debates toward a more integrated discourse combining ESG, IR, and CE frameworks. In the real economy, sustainability reporting demonstrates a mature operational focus, supported by standardized frameworks and extensive empirical evidence. In contrast, the banking sector exhibits emerging engagement with sustainability disclosure, while the public sector remains at an earlier stage of conceptual and practical development. Despite the increasing convergence of research streams, gaps persist in linking reporting practices to tangible sustainability outcomes, integrating digital innovations, and addressing social dimensions of circularity. This study concludes that further interdisciplinary and sector-specific research is essential to advance credible, comparable, and decision-useful reporting practices capable of supporting the transition toward sustainable and circular business models. Full article

The rapid advancement of technology has led to a substantial increase in Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE), which poses significant environmental threats and increases pressure on the planet’s limited natural resources. In response, Artificial Intelligence (AI) has emerged as a key enabler of the Circular Economy (CE), particularly in improving the speed and precision of waste sorting through machine learning and computer vision techniques. Despite this progress, to our knowledge, no comprehensive, systematic review has focused specifically on the role of AI in disassembling and recycling Waste-Printed Circuit Boards (WPCBs). This paper addresses this gap by systematically reviewing recent advancements in AI-driven disassembly and sorting approaches with a focus on machine learning and vision-based methodologies. The review is structured around three areas: (1) the availability and use of datasets for AI-based WPCB recycling; (2) state-of-the-art techniques for selective disassembly and component recognition to enable fast WPCB recycling; and (3) key challenges and possible solutions aimed at enhancing the recovery of critical raw materials (CRMs) from WPCBs. Full article

The rapid development of the digital economy and the pursuit of green transformation are reshaping the innovation landscape of Chinese firms. However, limited attention has been paid to how digital industry agglomeration (DIA) influences corporate green innovation (CGI) at the firm level. Drawing on panel data from China’s A-share listed firms between 2017 and 2021, this study examines the differential effects of specialized agglomeration and diversified agglomeration of digital industry on CGI. The results indicate that DIA can promote CGI, with a 1% increase in DIA associated with a 1.503% increase in green innovation output. Further analysis reveals that specialized agglomeration exerts a significant positive effect, while diversified agglomeration has no evident impact. Our mechanism analysis indicates that knowledge spillovers serve as the key channel through which DIA fosters CGI. Moreover, heterogeneous effects analysis indicates that DIA exerts a stronger influence on non-high-tech enterprises and in regions where environmental regulation is less stringent. Drawing on these insights, fostering specialized digital clusters and strengthening knowledge-sharing mechanisms can help alleviate existing constraints on innovation diffusion, accelerating green innovation and supporting long-term sustainability. Full article

Waste-to-energy (WtE) are clean technologies that support a circular economy by providing solutions to managing non-recyclable waste while generating alternative energy sources. Despite the promising benefits, technology adoption is challenged by financing constraints, technical maturity, environmental impacts, supporting policies, and public acceptance. A growing number of studies analyzed the acceptability of WtE and identified the factors affecting the adoption of WtE technologies. This study aims to analyze these research hotspots, technologies, and acceptability factors by combining bibliometric and systematic analyses. An initial search from the Web of Science and Scopus databases identified 817 unique documents, and the refinement resulted in 109 for data analysis. The results present a comprehensive overview of the state-of-the-art, providing researchers a basis for future research directions. Among the WtE technologies in the reviewed literature are incineration, anaerobic digestion, gasification, and pyrolysis, with limited studies about refuse-derived fuel and landfilling with gas recovery. The identified common factors include perceived risks, trust, attitudes, perceived benefits, “Not-In-My-BackYard” (NIMBY), awareness, and knowledge. Moreover, the findings present valuable insights for policymakers, practitioners, and WtE project planners to support WtE adoption while achieving sustainable, circular, and low-carbon economies. Full article

In order to fulfil SDG 13—taking urgent action to combat climate change and its impact—SDG 2—ending hunger and poverty—and the African Union CAADP Strategy and Action Plan: 2026–2035, which’s goal is ending hunger and intensifying sustainable food production, agro-industrialisation, and trade, the resilience of commercial livestock farmers to agricultural droughts needs to be enhanced. Agricultural drought has affected the economies of many sub-Saharan African countries, including South Africa, and still poses a challenge to commercial livestock farming. This study identifies and determines the factors affecting commercial livestock farmers’ level of resilience to agricultural drought. Primary data from 123 commercial livestock farmers was used in a principal component analysis to estimate the agricultural drought resilience index as an outcome variable, and the probit model was used to determine the factors influencing the resilience of commercial livestock farmers in the Northern Cape Province of South Africa. This study provides a valuable contribution towards resilience-building strategies that are critical for sustaining commercial livestock farming in arid regions by developing a formula for calculating the Agricultural Drought Resilience Index for commercial livestock farmers, significantly contributing to the pool of knowledge. The results showed that 67% of commercial livestock farming households were not resilient to agricultural drought, while 33% were resilient. Reliance on sustainable natural water resources, participation in social networks, education, relative support, increasing livestock numbers, and income stability influence the resilience of commercial livestock farmers. It underscores the importance of multidimensional policy interventions to enhance farmer drought resilience through education and livelihood diversification. Full article