Search Results (922)

Digital platforms are one of the main forms of media used by cultural and creative industries (CCIs) to communicate sustainability, yet the alignment between institutional strategies and online narratives remains insufficiently explored. This study investigates how ten Greek cultural institutions—including museums, performing arts organizations, and cultural centers—represent their sustainability efforts online. A mixed-methods approach combined organizational mapping, content analysis of 1761 Facebook posts (January–September 2025), and targeted semi-structured interviews with four communication professionals within the sample. Results show a pronounced emphasis on social sustainability, highlighting accessibility, education, and community engagement, while environmental sustainability is under-represented despite significant investments in energy efficiency, renewable energy, and waste management. Economic sustainability receives moderate attention, primarily framed through transparency. Interviews reveal that institutions face challenges in translating environmental initiatives into compelling digital narratives due to audience preferences, storytelling limitations, and resource constraints. Findings also indicate that strategic sophistication varies according to organizational scale, governance, and capacity. By linking institutional practices with their online representation, this research provides insights into the communication–practice gap and offers guidance for managers and policymakers to foster more balanced, authentic, and multidimensional sustainability storytelling in the cultural sector. Full article

The aim of this article is to present the social–ecological system (SES) as a unit of analysis for sustainable water management under conditions of anthropogenic pressure in Poland. In the face of accelerating climate change and growing human impacts, Polish water systems are exposed to increasing ecological stress and to material and immaterial losses affecting local communities. The SES approach provides an integrative analytical framework that links ecological and social components, enabling a holistic view of adaptive and governance processes at multiple spatial scales, from municipalities to areas that transcend administrative boundaries. Methodologically, this study triangulates three complementary approaches to strengthen explanatory inference. This conceptual SES review defines the analytical categories used in the paper, the bibliometric mapping (Scopus database with VOSviewer) identifies dominant research streams and underexplored themes, and the qualitative Polish case studies operationalize these categories to diagnose mechanisms, feedbacks, and governance vulnerabilities under anthropogenic pressure. The bibliometric analysis identifies the main research streams at the intersection of SES, water management and sustainable development, revealing thematic clusters related to climate change adaptation, environmental governance, ecosystem services and hydrological extremes. The case studies - the 2024 flood, the 2022 ecological disaster in the Odra River, and water deficits associated with lignite opencast mining in Eastern Wielkopolska - illustrate how anthropogenic pressure and climate-related hazards interact within local SES and expose governance gaps. Particular attention is paid to attitudes and social participation, understood as configurations of behaviors, knowledge and emotions that shape decision-making in local self-government, especially at the municipal level. This study argues that an SES-based perspective can contribute to building the resilience of water systems, improving the integration of ecological and social dimensions and supporting more sustainable water management in Poland. Full article

This study investigates the impact of city-level capital factor market integration on corporate ESG performance, using a sample of Chinese A-share listed companies from 2010 to 2024. We find that greater capital factor market integration significantly improves firms’ overall ESG performance. Mechanism analysis reveals that capital factor market integration operates through three channels: market competition, technological advancement, and attention reconstruction, enhancing both firms’ capabilities and incentives to engage in ESG activities. The positive effect is stronger for state-owned enterprises, firms in less polluting industries, and those in regions with high government environmental attention. Further analysis indicates that capital factor market integration suppresses corporate greenwashing behavior and reduces discrepancies across ESG rating agencies. Moreover, capital factor market integration exhibits asymmetric effects across ESG sub-dimensions, significantly improving environmental and governance performance while weakening social responsibility performance. This reflects firms’ preference, under competitive pressure, for environmental and governance domains characterized by shorter payback periods and more readily quantifiable outcomes, as well as their cautious stance toward the social responsibility domain where effects take considerably longer to materialize. This study contributes to understanding the micro-level mechanisms through which capital factor market integration influences corporate sustainable development, providing empirical evidence for China’s construction of a unified national market and the advancement of sustainable development strategies. Full article

We investigate how environmental, social, and governance (ESG) risk can spread between peers and its impact on long-term firm performance. Using data across six geographically diverse countries over a fourteen-year period, we find a significant spillover of ESG risks among multinational firms, which fails to yield a meaningful impact on the performance of affected firms. These findings place a spotlight on a critical gap in ESG risk management and echo an urgent signal for policy intervention, aligning with the United Nations’ faltering Sustainable Development Goals for 2030. This work is a clarion call for immediate academic and practical action in a world teetering on the brink of unsustainable practices. Our findings suggest that market-based mechanisms alone may be insufficient to discipline ESG risk, highlighting a potential role for regulatory oversight and policy attention. Full article

Biodiesel, which is a blend of fatty acid methyl esters (FAME), has garnered significant attention as a promising alternative to petroleum-based diesel fuel. Nevertheless, the commercial production of biodiesel faces challenges due to the high costs associated with feedstock and the non-recyclable homogeneous catalyst system. To address these issues, a solid catalyst derived from construction industry waste cement was synthesized and utilized for biodiesel production from waste cooking oil (WCO). The catalyst’s surface and physical characteristics were analyzed through various techniques, including Scanning Electron Microscopy-Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (SEM-EDS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR). The waste-cement catalyst demonstrated remarkable catalytic performance and reusability in the transesterification of WCO with methanol for biodiesel synthesis. A maximum biodiesel yield of 98.1% was obtained under the optimal reaction conditions of reaction temperature 65 °C; methanol/WCO molar ratio 16:1; calcined cement dosage 3 g; and reaction time 8 h. The apparent activation energy (Ea) from the reaction kinetic study is 35.78 KJ·mol⁻¹, suggesting that the transesterification reaction is governed by kinetic control rather than diffusion. The biodiesel produced exhibited high-quality properties and can be utilized in existing diesel engines without any modifications. This research presents a scalable, environmentally benign pathway for WCO transesterification, thereby contributing significantly to the economic viability and long-term sustainability of the global biodiesel industry. Full article

Green finance is increasingly expected to support decarbonization while enhancing productivity, yet evidence on whether green credit bonds raise green total factor productivity (GTFP) remains limited. Using panel data for 29 provincial-level regions in China from 2016 to 2023, we compute GTFP using a slacks-based measure Malmquist–Luenberger (SBM–ML) index and estimate two-way fixed-effects models. To address endogeneity, we employ a Bartik shift–share instrumental-variable strategy. We found that green credit bonds significantly increase GTFP, with gains driven mainly by technological change (TC) rather than efficiency change (EC). The effect is stronger in eastern and western regions, in provinces that are not low-carbon pilot areas, and in regions with stronger low-carbon governance orientation. Public environmental attention directly improves GTFP but dampens the marginal effect of green credit bonds. Mechanism analyses further indicate that the low-carbon transition of the energy mix (LCEM) is an important transmission channel. Overall, these findings suggest that scaling up and better targeting green credit bonds, alongside complementary governance and public scrutiny, can accelerate China’s transition toward higher green productivity. This provides sustainability-relevant evidence that market-based green finance can support decarbonization while sustaining productivity growth, contributing to long-term sustainable development. Full article

Ultra-short peptides (USPs; ≤7–8 amino acids) emerge as minimal self-assembling building blocks for hydrogel-based biomaterials. Their intrinsic biocompatibility, straightforward synthesis, and ease of tunability make them particularly attractive candidates for potential use in bioprinting. This review provides an overview of the properties of USPs along with their applications in three-dimensional (3D) bioprinting. We first discuss how peptide sequence, terminal and side-chain modifications, and environmental triggers govern USPs’ self-assembly into nanofibers and 3D networks and how these supramolecular features translate into key rheological properties such as shear-thinning, rapid gelation, and mechanical tunability. We then survey reported applications in tissue engineering, wound healing, and organotypic models, as well as emerging ultra-short peptide-based systems for drug delivery, biosensing, and imaging, highlighting examples where printed constructs support cell viability, differentiation, and matrix deposition. Attention is given to hybrid and multi-material formulations in which USPs provide bioactivity while complementary components contribute structural robustness or additional functionality. Finally, this review outlines the main challenges that currently limit widespread adoption, including achieving high print fidelity with cytocompatible crosslinking, controlling batch-to-batch variability, and addressing the scalability, cost, and sustainability of peptide manufacturing. We conclude by discussing future opportunities such as AI-assisted peptide design, adaptive and multi-material bioprinting workflows, and greener synthetic routes, which together may accelerate the translation of ultra-short peptide-based bioinks from proof-of-concept studies to clinically and industrially relevant platforms. Full article

The shipping industry serves as an integral component of the global and regional economy development; however, the anthropogenic acoustic emissions generated during its operations pose considerable threats to human health, marine biodiversity and ecosystems, ultimately undermining the foundations of sustainable development. With the expansion of global trade and the continued growth of maritime transport, strengthening the governance of shipping noise pollution has emerged as a critical issue of international concern. The effective governance of shipping noise is no longer a peripheral environmental issue but an imperative, cross-sectoral challenge. Addressing it is critical for ensuring the integrity of marine ecosystems, safeguarding biodiversity, and advancing the long-term sustainability of our blue economy. This study investigates the legal and policy framework for shipping noise governance in China and finds that China has established a foundation for addressing shipping noise pollution through a dual-track legislative system which is supplemented by systematically deployed policy measures aiming at advancing noise mitigation in shipping. However, the current institutional framework exhibits some limitations. This study summarizes existing experiences, identifies areas requiring further improvement and attention, and offers recommendations for enhancing domestic legal frameworks on shipping noise pollution as well as promoting international cooperation in shipping noise governance. Full article

Sustainable development represents a fundamental pathway for advancing high-quality economic and social transformation. Taking China’s Sustainable Development Agenda Pilot Zones Policy as a quasi-natural experiment and drawing on data from A-share listed firms from 2013 to 2022, this study constructs a difference-in-differences model to systematically assess the policy’s impact on corporate green development and the underlying mechanisms. The empirical results indicate that the policy significantly improves corporate green development and that entrepreneurial green attention exerts a significant positive moderating effect. The mechanism analysis shows that improvements in the digital–real integration, the strengthening of regional green innovation capability, and increases in media attention constitute the primary channels through which the policy takes effect. The heterogeneity analysis further reveals that the policy impact is more pronounced among non-state-owned enterprises, firms in non-heavily polluting industries, regions oriented toward modern urban development, and cities with higher levels of governmental environmental concern. Additional analyses suggest that, while fostering green development, the policy is also associated with a greater tendency toward inflation in green invention patents and a decline in the quality of environmental information disclosure. These findings deepen the understanding of the micro-level effects of differentiated environmental regulation and provide empirical evidence for improving the green governance system and promoting high-quality development in China. Full article

Environmental, social, and governance (ESG) initiatives have gained increasing attention in the hotel industry, yet the consumer-level psychological processes through which such activities relate to booking intentions remain incompletely understood. This study aims to examine how hotel ESG activities are associated with consumers’ booking intentions by focusing on the mediating roles of corporate image and consumer trust, as well as the moderating role of environmental awareness. Survey data were collected from consumers with recent hotel stay experiences in China and analyzed using a dual-method approach, combining partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) and fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA). The results show that social and governance activities are positively associated with corporate image, whereas environmental and social activities are positively associated with consumer trust. Corporate image and consumer trust are, in turn, associated with higher booking intentions, while environmental awareness strengthens only the relationship between environmental activities and corporate image. In addition, the fsQCA results reveal multiple configurational pathways through which different combinations of ESG activities and consumer psychological responses are associated with high booking intention. Overall, the findings suggest that hotel ESG initiatives relate to booking intentions through differentiated psychological mechanisms and multiple pathways. Full article

Identifying the environmental and social factors that influence crime is crucial for effective crime prevention and for building safer cities. Boundary areas are often neglected, despite being hotspots for criminal activity. However, previous studies have primarily focused on physical boundaries, with insufficient attention paid to social boundaries shaped by factors such as population composition and socioeconomic disparities. Additionally, existing research methods remain limited in scope, with models that struggle to capture the nonlinear and complex nature of these relationships. This study proposes a comprehensive approach by measuring both multidimensional physical and social boundaries within urban environments. Using machine learning models, we present three main findings: urban boundaries are strong predictors of crime; boundary variables show stronger correlations with crime than intra-area variables; and both social and physical boundaries warrant equal attention. These findings suggest that governments should enhance problem-oriented policing at boundary hotspots in urban boundary areas while also promoting social integration to address the root causes of crime. Full article

The growing demand for advanced health-monitoring technologies has intensified the need for early diagnosis of incurable diseases and timely detection of life-threatening conditions. Among various detection modalities, electrochemical sensing has emerged as a particularly promising approach due to its simplicity, cost-effectiveness, high sensitivity, rapid response, ease of miniaturization, and compatibility with portable, wearable, and implantable platforms. The performance of electrochemical sensors is strongly governed by the morphology and physicochemical properties of electrode materials. In this context, MXenes, 2D transition-metal carbides, nitrides, and carbonitrides have attracted increasing attention for sensing applications owing to their high electrical conductivity, large surface area, hydrophilicity, and rich surface chemistry. However, their practical implementation is hindered by oxidation and environmental instability, while surface modification strategies, although improving stability, may compromise intrinsic electrochemical activity and biocompatibility. Notably, MXene-based hybrids consistently demonstrate enhanced sensing performance, underscoring their potential for flexible and wearable electrochemical devices. Despite rapid progress in this field, a comprehensive review addressing the significance of MXene hybrids, their structure–property–performance relationships, and their role in electrochemical detection remains limited. Therefore, this review summarizes recent advances in MXene-based hybrid materials for electrochemical sensing and biosensing of biologically relevant analytes, with an emphasis on design strategies, functional enhancements, and their prospects for next-generation health-monitoring technologies. Full article

Biodegradable polymeric composites reinforced with natural fillers represent one of the most promising routes toward low-impact, circular, and resource-efficient materials. In recent years, a growing number of studies have focused on the valorization of plant- and animal-derived organic waste, ranging from agricultural residues and natural fibers to marine and livestock by-products. This review provides a comprehensive and comparative overview of these systems, analyzing the nature and origin of the waste-derived fillers, their pretreatments, processing strategies, and the resulting effects on mechanical, thermal, functional, and biodegradation properties. Particular attention is dedicated to the role of filler composition, morphology, and surface chemistry in governing interfacial adhesion and end-use performance across different polymeric matrices, including PLA, PCL, PBS, PHA, PHB, PBAT, and commercial blends such as Mater-Bi^®. The emerging applications of these biocomposites, such as packaging, additive manufacturing, agriculture, biomedical uses, and environmental remediation, are critically discussed. Overall, this work provides fundamental insights to support the development of the next generation of biodegradable materials, enabling the sustainable valorization of organic waste within a circular-economy perspective. Full article

The European Water Framework Directive (2000/60/EC) (WFD) aims to protect inland surface waters, transitional waters, coastal waters and groundwater. The overarching goal of the WFD is to reach a good aquatic ecosystem throughout all of Europe. With the aim of reaching this goal, article 4 of the WFD sets certain environmental objectives. According to article 4 of the WFD, all the surface water bodies falling under its scope should be of good chemical and ecological quality by the end of 2027, as most extension deadlines will expire. For artificial and heavily modified surface water bodies—which make up the vast majority in the Netherlands—the goal is not to achieve a good ecological status but instead a good ecological potential and a good chemical status. Point source discharges may have a major impact on water quality and in order to progress, a well-functioning permitting, supervision and enforcement (PSE) process is of considerable interest. So far little academic attention has been paid to the functioning and quality of the governance processes underlying the PSE process. This paper aims to reduce this knowledge gap by conducting a case study on Sitech, the wastewater company for the Chemelot industrial complex in Geleen in the province of Limburg, the Netherlands. We first elaborate on an assessment framework consisting of 18 good governance criteria. The framework is used to assess the permitting, supervision and enforcement process concerning the discharges of Chemelot industrial plant. Our assessment reveals that, despite significant improvements over the last decade, good governance in this case is only partially achieved. While in terms of accountability and resilience the process shows robust strengths, gaps are found in its inclusiveness, effectiveness and transparency. We conclude our paper with some reflections on the generalizability of our findings and some suggestions for further research and policymaking. Full article

The influence of the digital economy on green technological innovation is essential for the attainment of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Based on panel data from 30 Chinese provinces between 2011 and 2023, this study establishes a dual fixed-effects model to investigate how the digital economy affects green technological innovation, considering both quantity and quality. It innovatively explores the roles of high-tech industry agglomeration, high-tech talent agglomeration, and their synergistic agglomeration. This study reveals the following: (1) The digital economy has a significant promotional effect on both the quantity and quality of green technological innovation, and this finding has been consistently verified through an array of robustness tests. (2) Mechanism results show that high-tech industry agglomeration, high-tech talent agglomeration, and their synergistic agglomeration all have a “multiplier effect”, but the impact intensity of synergistic agglomeration is less than that of single agglomeration. (3) Further exploration of the threshold effect of synergistic agglomeration shows that, concerning the quantity of green technological innovation, a higher level of synergistic agglomeration corresponds to a stronger promotional effect. In terms of quality, the promotional effect reaches its peak after the degree of synergistic agglomeration crosses the first threshold and weakens after crossing the second threshold. (4) Heterogeneity analysis reveals that the positive impacts of the digital economy on green innovation are more pronounced in Eastern and Central China than in its western regions. Moreover, a lower environmental regulation intensity favors innovation quantity, while a higher intensity promotes quality. Additionally, the facilitative effect is the strongest in regions where greater attention is given by the government to green development. This study offers practical insights for sustainable global development, particularly in the context of developing nations. Full article