Search Results (1,189)

The University Botanic gardens Ljubljana has been planting vegetation on bus stop shelters in the capital city (Ljubljana) of Slovenia since 2020. The aim of the project is to create a green network across the city, contributing to the conservation of plant biodiversity and providing food resources for pollinators throughout the entire growing season. The plantings were designed exclusively with native plant species, naturally occurring in the territory of Slovenia, flowering from early spring to late autumn. The selected species are also horticulturally attractive, forming small extensive green roof gardens that mimic karst rock ledges, where plants are adapted to drought, shallow soils, and strong sunlight exposure. In 2024 and 2025, monitoring was carried out on eight selected shelters, focusing on plant presence, changes in vegetation cover, and the occurrence of spontaneously sown species and invasive species. The results show that, even after five years without additional maintenance, all plantings are thriving and remain horticulturally attractive. A variety of species flower from early spring to early summer. During drought periods, flowering intensity decreases somewhat but does not cease; in autumn, the shelters green up again with autumn-flowering species. The project has been very well received by the public and is now firmly established in the city. Every year, between 10 and 20 new shelters are planted. By the end of 2025, a total of 75 bus shelters had been greened in all main directions from the city center towards the outskirts. Full article

Licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra) is a perennial herb traditionally valued for its aromatic and therapeutic properties. In recent years, however, growing attention has shifted toward the technical and environmental potential of the plant’s industrial by-products, particularly the fibrous material left after extraction. This review integrates botanical knowledge with engineering and industrial perspectives, highlighting the role of licorice fiber in advancing sustainable innovation. The natural fiber obtained from licorice roots exhibits notable physical and mechanical qualities, including lightness, biodegradability, and compatibility with bio-based polymer matrices. These attributes make it a promising candidate for biocomposites used in green building and other sectors of the circular economy. Developing efficient recovery processes requires collaboration across disciplines, combining expertise in plant science, materials engineering, and industrial technology. The article also examines the economic and regulatory context driving the transition toward more circular and traceable production models. Increasing interest from companies, research institutions, and public bodies in valorizing licorice fiber and its derivatives is opening new market opportunities. Potential applications extend to agroindustry, eco-friendly cosmetics, bioeconomy, and sustainable construction. By linking botanical insights with innovative waste management strategies, licorice emerges as a resource capable of supporting integrated, competitive, and environmentally responsible industrial practices. Full article

Cnidium monnieri (L.) Cusson is a species of Umbelliferae plants, and it is one of China’s traditional medicinal herbs, widely distributed in China owing to its strong adaptability in fields. In this article, the research progress on the taxonomy, distribution, cultivation techniques, active components, analysis methods, antibacterial and insecticidal properties, and ecological applications of C. monnieri was reviewed. The main active components in C. monnieri are coumarins (mainly osthole) and volatile compounds, exhibiting multiple pharmacological effects, e.g., anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antioxidant, anti-tumor, and immune-regulating effects. Some modern analytical techniques (e.g., HPLC, GC-MS, and UPLC-QTOF-MS) have enabled more precise detection and quality control of these chemical components in C. monnieri. The specific active constituents in C. monnieri (e.g., coumarins and volatile components) exhibit significant inhibitory effects against various pathogenic fungi and insect pests. Simultaneously, the resources provided during its flowering stage (e.g., pollen and nectar) and the specific volatiles released can repel herbivorous insect pests while attracting natural enemies, such as ladybugs, lacewings, and hoverflies, thereby enhancing ecological control of insect pests in farmland through a “push–pull” strategy. Additionally, C. monnieri has the ability to accumulate heavy metals, e.g., Zn and Cu, indicating its potential value for ecological restoration in agroecosystems. Overall, C. monnieri has medicinal, ecological, and economic value. Future research should focus on regulating active-component synthesis, improving our understanding of ecological mechanisms, and developing standardized cultivation systems to enhance the applications of C. monnieri in modernized traditional Chinese medicine and green agriculture production. Full article

The natural gas sector, as a pivotal transition fuel, is fundamentally constrained by the “Energy Trilemma”—the intertwined and often competing goals of energy security, affordability, and sustainability. Current research predominantly focuses on the demand side, leaving a significant gap in understanding the synergistic dynamics within production regions, which are critical to resolving this trilemma at its source. To address this gap, this study constructs a “Safety–Economy–Green” (S-E-G) evaluation framework aligned with the trilemma’s dimensions. Utilizing panel data (2011–2021) from four major Chinese natural gas production regions (Sichuan, Chongqing, Shaanxi, and Shanxi). By integrating the Entropy Weight Method, a Coupling Coordination Model, and Kernel Density Estimation, it delineates the system’s synergistic dynamics from both temporal and regional perspectives. The key findings are as follows: (1) Significant disparities and polarization are observed in the S and G dimensions, while the E dimension shows a narrowing gap, with its peak height increasing by 177.8% and bandwidth shrinking by 64.2%. G has emerged as a constraint on overall system coupling coordination. The persistently high coupling degree—rising from 0.87 in 2011 to 0.97 in 2021 while consistently exceeding the coordination degree, which increased from 0.45 to 0.62—underscores the continued need for improvement in synergistic development. (2) The coupling coordination degree of the S-E-G system underwent a three-stage evolution: rapid improvement (2011–2013, from 0.36 to 0.58 at 7.3% annually), fluctuating adjustment (2014–2017, between 0.58 and 0.66), and finally high-level stability (2018–2021, stabilizing at 0.76–0.80). (3) Obvious regional differentiation exists: Sichuan achieved a moderate level of 0.76 by 2021, Shaanxi maintained primary coupling coordination (0.6–0.7), while Chongqing and Shanxi remained marginal, fluctuating between 0.4 and 0.6. Enhancing subsystem coordination and implementing differentiated pathways are therefore essential for these regions’ sustainable development. The study suggests promoting the sustainable development of natural gas production regions by enhancing subsystem coordination and exploring differentiated pathways, thereby providing practical guidance for the energy transition of resource-based regions. Full article

To improve traditional cement manufacturing, which generates a large amount of greenhouse gases, blending calcareous green algae and fly ash as cement replacement materials is expected to achieve nearly zero carbon emissions. As a calcareous green alga, Halimeda macroloba is a significant producer of biogenic calcium carbonate (CaCO₃), sequestering approximately 440 kg of carbon dioxide (CO₂) per 1000 kg of CaCO₃, with CaCO₃ production reported in relation to algal biomass. To assess the new low-carbon/low-waste cement production process, the proposed scenarios (2 and 3) are validated via Python-based modeling (Python 3.12) and Aspen Plus^® simulation (Aspen V14). The core technology is the pre-calcination of algae-derived CaCO₃ and fly ash from coal combustion, which are added to a rotary kiln to enhance the proportions of tricalcium silicate (C₃S) and dicalcium silicate (C₂S) for forming the desired silicate phases in clinker. Through the lifecycle assessment (LCA) of all scenarios using SimaPro^® (SimaPro 10.2.0.3), the proposed Scenario 2 achieves the GWP at approximately 0.906 kg CO₂-eq/kg clinker, lower than the conventional cement production process (Scenario 1) by 47%. If coal combustion is replaced by natural gas combustion, the fly ash additive is reduced by 74.5% in the cement replacement materials, but the proposed Scenario 3 achieves the GWP at approximately 0.753 kg CO₂-eq/kg clinker, lower than Scenario 2 by 16.9%. Moreover, the LCA indicators show that Scenario 3 has lower environmental impacts on human health, ecosystem, and resources than Scenario 1 by 24.5%, 60.0% and 68.6%, respectively. Full article

In the context of the ongoing climate crisis, the health and sustainability of forest ecosystems in peri-urban areas play a crucial role in alleviating the adverse impacts of climate change on urban populations, particularly in cities with limited green spaces. This study explores the biodiversity and ecological values of an old-growth forest in the peri-urban area, Thessaloniki, northern Greece, the Kouri Forest. These types of forest ecosystems, except for their high ecological values, provide a lot of benefits to the city residents and the surrounding areas, and to achieve that they should have appropriate composition, structure and function to be able to provide high-level ecosystem services. The research was based on collecting analytical field data, including field sampling plots, and a series of tree cores for tree age determination and tree growth analysis. Data analysis demonstrates the unique characteristics of this forest, which was found to be an old-growth forest dominated by deciduous oak species, aged over 180 years. The high biodiversity of the forest and the rich composition and the multistorey stand structure, in combination with the long age of the trees, suggests that the forest is an old-growth (ancient) forest, and set the forest as an important biogenetic reserve, despite its small area, proximity to the city of Thessaloniki, and the pressures subjected. Accordingly, special management measures are suggested to aim at the sustainable use of peri-urban natural resources. Full article

Measuring and simulating territorial space conflicts (TSCs) for the achievement of carbon neutrality is of critical significance for formulating regional sustainable utilization of territorial resources that are inherently green and low-carbon. This study develops a TSC evaluation framework: “conflict identification–scenario simulation–carbon effect assessment”. Focusing on Jiangsu Province, we clarify the evolutionary mechanism of TSCs under carbon neutrality goals, providing a scientific basis for high-quality regional development and low-carbon spatial governance. Results show that Jiangsu’s average TSC level was categorized as “strong conflict” (0.66) during 2005–2020. For 2030, four scenarios (natural development, economic priority, ecological protection, low-carbon development) project TSCs shifting from scattered to point-like distribution, concentrating in key core areas. Corresponding projected average carbon neutrality indices are 1.10, 1.11, 1.33, and 1.11, respectively. Under the low-carbon scenario, grid units with serious TSCs decreased by 4.53% compared to 2020—higher than natural development and economic priority scenarios, but lower than the ecological protection scenario (12.45%). Consequently, the low-carbon development scenario can optimally mitigate land use conflicts while maintaining carbon balance. This research provides robust data support for Jiangsu’s sustainable coordinated development and informs efficient land use and regional ecological security. Full article

Under the requirements of ecological civilization and rural revitalization strategies in China, studying and evaluating the development potential of rural recreational resources surrounding the urban areas of megacities is of great significance for promoting the integrated development of urban and rural areas. Based on the collection and processing of multi-source datasets, this paper proposes corresponding evaluation methods for the development potential of three types of rural recreational resources (nature-historical culture-village). It combines AHP-entropy weight combination weighting, GIS spatial analysis, and Graphab network connectivity analysis to explore and evaluate the potential of rural recreational resources within the Zhengzhou urban area, which is in Central China. It quantifies the contribution degree and development priority of potential points to the overall recreational network. The results show that the recreational resources in rural areas are abundant and have great development potential. High potential points of the natural category are concentrated in the western shallow mountainous and hilly areas, with convenient transportation and a high green coverage rate, suitable for developing as suburban forest parks. High-potential points of historical sites are close to the urban area, and should be integrated and connected with the urban leisure corridors, suitable for developing as suburban cultural parks. High-potential points of villages are suitable for creating composite stations (homestay, study, folk customs) and developing into key nodes of the recreational network. Potential points with high contribution to the overall recreational network should be prioritized for development. In the future, the optimization and development of rural recreational resources can be achieved through four paths of overall planning, key promotion, brand driving, and network collaboration. Full article

The accelerating global transition toward low-carbon production and sustainable value chains has intensified interest in practices that enhance environmental performance, particularly green supply chain management (GSCM) and green innovation (GI). Although these practices are widely promoted, empirical findings regarding how GSCM influences GI and carbon-neutral supply chain performance (CNSCP) remain dispersed and context-dependent. This study aims to synthesize and clarify these relationships by conducting a systematic meta-analysis grounded in the Resource-Based View (RBV) and Natural Resource-Based View (NRBV). Analyzing 24 studies published between 2017 and 2025, the research investigates the direct effects of GSCM on GI and CNSCP and examines the moderating roles of key sustainability metrics—CO₂ emissions, renewable energy use, carbon tax, Frontier Technologies Index (FTI), and Global Sustainable Competitiveness Index (GSCI)—across low- and high-income countries. The findings reveal that GSCM significantly enhances both GI and CNSCP. Furthermore, strong sustainability infrastructures and stringent regulatory environments in high-income countries amplify these relationships, whereas infrastructure deficiencies and weaker regulatory systems in low-income countries limit their strength. These results demonstrate that sustainability metrics meaningfully condition the effectiveness of GSCM practices. Overall, this study highlights the strategic importance of GSCM in fostering CNSCP and provides theoretical insights and practical recommendations for policymakers, managers, and governments seeking to achieve long-term carbon neutrality goals. Full article

Integrated urban–rural development is an inevitable requirement of regional development. Developing green industries based on rural ecological resources are important approaches to promoting urban–rural integration. The National Key Ecological Function Zones (NKEFZ) policy focuses on safeguarding national ecological security. However, whether the resulting ecological improvements can, through the realization of ecological value, provide momentum for urban–rural integration remains unclear in existing research. This study uses a sample of 284 prefecture-level cities in China from 2006 to 2023, treating the establishment of NKEFZ as a quasi-natural experiment. First, the study constructs a “Driving-constraining” bidirectional theoretical framework, and then uses the entropy weight method to measure the level of urban–rural integration, which is selected by 18 sub-indicators from the populational, spatial, and economic dimensions. Finally, a multi-period difference-in-differences (DID) model is constructed to test the impact of NKEFZ on urban–rural integration, and the transmission mechanisms and heterogeneity are explored. The results indicate the following: (1) Following the implementation of the NKEFZ policy, it shows an overall inhibitory trend on urban–rural integration, consequently slowing the progress of urban–rural integration. The inhibitory effects are particularly pronounced in spatial and economic integration dimensions, and these results are robust. (2) Constrained industrial upgrading and increased fiscal pressure on local governments are the main mechanisms behind the slowed urban–rural integration. (3) Due to differences in policy coverage and the heterogeneous characteristics of city locations, the negative effects of the policy are more pronounced in cities with a high proportion of key ecological function counties, as well as in prefecture-level cities in central and western regions. Based on these findings, it is suggested to promote high-quality urban–rural integration in eco-priority areas through pathways such as developing ecological industries, improving the ecological compensation system, and clarifying central–local collaborative governance. Full article

This study explores a multi-resource approach for extracting and characterizing l-rhamnose-rich polysaccharides from nine natural biomasses, including green macroalgae (Ulva spp.), sumac species (Rhus spp.), and agro-industrial by-products such as sea buckthorn and sesame cakes. Hot-water and alkaline extractions were performed by biomass type, and the resulting fractions were analyzed using biochemical assays, monosaccharide profiling (HPAEC/PAD and GC/MS-EI), FTIR, and antioxidant activity tests. Extraction yields ranged from <1% in sea buckthorn residues to 15.48% in Ulva spp., which showed the highest recovery. l-rhamnose enrichment varied across biomasses: the highest proportions were found in Ulva extracts and Rhus semialata galls (PRS), reaching up to 44% of total sugars by HPAEC/PAD and 58% by GC/MS-EI. Antioxidant activities also differed markedly. In DPPH assays, the most active extracts were those from sea buckthorn berry cake (PTBA), Rhus coriaria seeds (PRC), and commercial sea buckthorn powder (PPA), with IC₅₀ values of 32, 43, and 42 µg/mL, respectively. Hydroxyl-radical inhibition was also substantial, reaching 83.0% for PTBA, 79.4% for PRC, and 79.9% for Ulva lactuca at 1 g/L, compared with 97.5% for ascorbic acid. These results highlight specific biomasses as promising dual sources of l-rhamnose and natural antioxidants for valorization within a circular bioeconomy. Full article

Nature-Based Solutions (NBS) are recognized as urban strategies to face environmental degradation and climate change vulnerability to address social challenges. However, NBS are context-dependent and must be based on evidence. Thus, this document details the NBS implementation in a global south city such as Tijuana, a semiarid city at the Mexico–USA border, which has rapidly grown under poor urban planning, widespread irregular settlements, increase in air and water pollution, and limited green spaces. In response, six hectares of a severely eroded slope have been transformed by El Colef into Ecoparque, an Urban Resilience Laboratory. This academic initiative aims to enhance residents’ quality of life by analyzing environmental problems, raising awareness, and engaging the community, in addition to identifying opportunities for implementing NBS. This paper presents the 32 years’ experience of implementing NBS at Ecoparque, such as a constructed wetland as part of a wastewater treatment, reforestation with native plants grown in an in situ nursery, soil restoration using its own-produced compost, and urban ecosystem rehabilitation. Moreover, main challenges and upscaling opportunities are identified to adopt NBS in a Global South city. Results showed that the most relevant problems have been insufficient human and financial resources, as well as the lack of a proper legal framework. This study provides an analytical significance that could be useful to apply under similar contexts. Full article

Green credit policies serve as the driving force behind the green allocation of credit resources and constitute a key strategy for promoting capital structure optimization among highly polluting enterprises. Utilizing data from Chinese A-share listed companies between 2007 and 2023, this study employs the implementation of the 2012 Green Credit Guidelines (hereinafter referred to as the Guidelines) as a quasi-natural experiment. It empirically examines the impact of green credit policy implementation on the capital structures of China’s heavily polluting enterprises and its underlying mechanisms. Findings indicate: (1) Following the Guidelines’ promulgation, the financial leverage ratios of heavily polluting enterprises declined significantly, restraining capital structure expansion. The policy thus played a positive role in optimizing their capital structures. (2) Mechanism tests reveal that corporate ESG performance exerts a positive moderating effect within the relationship between green credit policies and corporate capital structure. The Guidelines heightened attention to ESG performance, which in turn constrained debt financing channels and strengthened equity financing, thereby reducing corporate financial leverage. (3) Heterogeneity analysis reveals asymmetric impacts of the green credit policy, with state-owned heavily polluting enterprises and those in eastern and central regions experiencing more pronounced reductions in financial leverage following policy changes. This study elucidates the mechanism through which the Guidelines’ implementation moderate’s capital structure, providing crucial empirical evidence for refining green credit policies and upgrading the capital structures of heavily polluting enterprises. Full article

Construction firms struggle to implement sustainable practices, delivering triple bottom line benefits despite growing environmental pressures. While research examines isolated sustainability drivers, the understanding of how organizational factors integrate to enable successful implementation remains fragmented. This systematic literature review synthesizes 249 articles (2010–2025) to develop an integrated framework explaining how internal capabilities drive sustainable innovation and performance in construction. This thematic synthesis reveals three critical insights. First, successful sustainability requires integrated configuration across green innovation capabilities, organizational learning, environmental governance responses, and performance measurement, not isolated initiatives. Second, construction’s project-based discontinuity, fragmented supply chains, and regulatory heterogeneity require capability configurations absent from manufacturing-focused sustainability theories. Third, cross-domain synergies create reinforcing feedback loops where capabilities enable compliance, measurement accelerates innovation, and governance catalyses development. This research provides practitioners an actionable framework identifying critical capability investments and interdependencies for sustainability implementation. Theoretically, we extend the Natural Resource-Based View and the Dynamic Capability View through three construction-specific mechanisms: temporal knowledge discontinuity paradox, distributed capability configuration, and regulatory complexity multipliers. These extensions advance sustainability theory beyond manufacturing, providing a foundation for understanding sustainable competitive advantage in project-based, fragmented industries. Full article

Europe’s hydrogen strategy has centred almost exclusively on green hydrogen produced through renewable electrolysis as the cornerstone of its decarbonisation agenda. However, recent discoveries of naturally occurring “white hydrogen” in France, Spain, and other parts of Europe raise the prospect of a new, abundant, and low-cost clean energy resource. White hydrogen, generated geologically and extractable directly from subsurface reservoirs, could complement or even disrupt the current power-to-X pathway by offering production costs estimated at €0.75–1 per kilogram, far below today’s €6–8 for green hydrogen. Early geological findings suggest potentially vast reserves, yet the scale, renewability, and environmental impacts remain uncertain. This policy note critically reassesses the European Union’s hydrogen strategy in light of these developments, examining the economic, environmental, and regulatory implications of integrating white hydrogen. It argues for a balanced, adaptive approach: continuing to scale green hydrogen to meet near-term decarbonisation targets while fostering exploration, regulation, and pilot projects for white hydrogen. Such an approach can safeguard Europe’s climate ambitions, mitigate energy security risks, and avoid stranded investments, while positioning the EU to benefit if natural hydrogen proves viable at scale. Full article