Search Results (94)

This study examines how the quality of corporate environmental information disclosure, jointly with governance structure characteristics, shapes the input–output efficiency of green innovation in Chinese A-share listed firms, and whether industry- and region-level conditions moderate that relationship. Drawing on a panel of 2847 firms spanning 2014–2024, we construct a multidimensional disclosure quality index through content analysis across completeness, verifiability, quantification depth, and forward-looking commitment, and measure green innovation efficiency through a super-efficiency slacks-based DEA model accommodating undesirable outputs. A three-level hierarchical linear model partitions variance across firm, industry, and provincial layers and permits the disclosure–efficiency slope to vary with industry regulation intensity and provincial marketization. The results indicate that higher disclosure quality is associated with greater green innovation efficiency, a link we attribute to financing-constraint relief, reputational accumulation, and intensified external monitoring, offered as interpretive channels rather than as separately tested mediators. Board independence, environmentally experienced executives, and institutional shareholding amplify the conversion, while ownership concentration dampens it. Cross-level evidence shows that industry regulation intensity and regional marketization further steepen the firm-level slope. Findings remain stable across alternative measurement, restricted sampling, propensity score matching, and instrumental variable identification. The analysis offers a multilevel reframing of disclosure–innovation research and informs the design of mandatory disclosure rules, governance reform, and green finance infrastructure in transitioning economies. Full article

The fashion and textile industry is undergoing profound transformation driven by regulatory, environmental and societal pressures to reduce its significant contributions to global waste, emissions and resource depletion. In the European Union (EU), this transition is being formalised through the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR), which introduces mandatory sustainability and circularity requirements for textile products, including the Digital Product Passport (DPP). The emerging DPP framework is expected to include product-specific, life-cycle-based environmental information requirements, creating new compliance obligations for garment manufacturers supplying the EU market, particularly those based outside the EU. This study examines the readiness of global garment manufacturers to meet these requirements, with a focus on data availability, supply chain traceability, and alignment with the methodological expectations of the Product Environmental Footprint (PEF) framework. A mixed-methods approach is employed, combining a survey of garment manufacturers in Pakistan, Bangladesh and Turkey with a case study of upcycled garments produced for the Estonian national team for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. The findings identify key barriers to generating DPP-compliant environmental data, including limited life cycle assessment (LCA) expertise, fragmented and inconsistent upstream datasets, insufficient digital data systems and the practical complexity of applying PEF Category Rules across diverse production contexts. The case study further demonstrates how data gaps constrain the assessment of innovative circular materials, revealing a mismatch between regulatory expectations and current industry capabilities. Overall, this study highlights the need for phased DPP implementation, simplified cradle-to-gate assessment approaches and clearer, more harmonised methodological guidance to support an achievable and equitable transition towards sustainable textile supply chains. Full article

This study investigates the psychological and contextual mechanisms through which consumers’ awareness of agriculture’s contribution to climate change translates into a willingness to pay (WTP) for low-carbon agricultural products. Drawing on data from Eurobarometer 93.2 (ZA7739; N = 24,193), the research applies a moderated mediation model (Hayes’ PROCESS Model 14) to examine the mediating role of support for mandatory environmental labelling and the moderating effect of residential context. The results indicate that climate change awareness is significantly and positively associated with WTP. Moreover, support for mandatory labelling partially mediates this relationship, suggesting that institutionalized transparency may serve as a key mechanism through which environmental concern becomes economically actionable. The findings further reveal that this indirect effect is moderated by the level of urbanization, being stronger in urban areas than in rural settings. This highlights the importance of socio-spatial context in shaping consumer responses to sustainability information. Overall, the study contributes to the literature on sustainable consumption by demonstrating that willingness to financially support low-carbon agriculture depends not only on environmental awareness but also on trust-enhancing policy instruments and contextual factors. The findings offer important implications for policymakers aiming to promote sustainable food systems through information-based regulation. Full article

The global regulatory landscape is shifting from voluntary corporate social responsibility (CSR) reporting to mandatory Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) disclosure, yet whether this transition drives substantive corporate environmental change or merely symbolic compliance remains empirically contested. This study investigates the causal impact of mandatory ESG disclosure on firm value and operational carbon intensity, drawing on an unbalanced panel of 9682 firm-year observations for 1626 listed firms from the European Union (EU-27) and Japan covering the period 2018 to 2024. The EU serves as the treatment group, where mandatory disclosure requirements escalated substantially from 2021 onward through the Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation and the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive proposal. Japan serves as the control group, representing a developed economy with sophisticated capital markets and high ESG awareness that maintained a voluntary disclosure environment throughout the study period. A Difference-in-Differences framework with firm- and year-fixed effects is employed, and causal identification is validated through a dynamic event study analysis. Three principal findings emerge. First, mandatory ESG disclosure is not associated with a statistically significant improvement in firm value in the EU–Japan comparative context, a result that is interpreted as descriptive rather than causal given evidence of pre-existing valuation divergence between the two groups. Second, mandatory disclosure is associated with a significant and progressive reduction in Scope 1 and 2 carbon intensity, indicating substantive operational decarbonization rather than symbolic compliance. Third, this emissions-reducing effect is significantly amplified among firms with dedicated CSR sustainability committees, while the board independence policy indicator yields no significant moderating effect, a finding attributed to data limitations. These results carry direct implications for policymakers designing climate-related disclosure frameworks and for scholars examining the boundary conditions under which mandatory transparency translates into genuine environmental performance. Full article

Biosafety laboratory construction projects are characterized by high technical complexity, strict safety requirements, and potential environmental risks, making the improvement of their green performance essential for both biosafety governance and sustainable construction. However, existing studies have paid insufficient attention to how different types of environmental regulation influence green performance in this specialized construction context. To address this gap, this study investigates the effects of command-and-control, market-incentive, and public-participation environmental regulation on three dimensions of green performance: green process innovation, green management innovation, and environmental performance. Three hypotheses were proposed to examine these relationships. Based on 372 valid questionnaire responses from professionals and enterprises involved in biosafety laboratory construction projects in China, this study used SPSS 27.0 and AMOS 26.0 to conduct reliability and validity tests, confirmatory factor analysis, structural equation modeling, and supplementary regression analysis. The results show that command-and-control environmental regulation significantly promotes green process innovation, green management innovation, and environmental performance, with standardized path coefficients of 0.316, 0.250, and 0.200, respectively. Public-participation environmental regulation has stronger positive effects on the three dimensions, with standardized path coefficients of 0.888, 0.874, and 0.808, respectively. In contrast, market-incentive environmental regulation does not significantly affect green process innovation, green management innovation, or environmental performance. These findings indicate that mandatory regulatory requirements and public-participation mechanisms are more effective than current market-based incentives in improving the green performance of biosafety laboratory construction projects. This study enriches research on environmental regulation and green performance in specialized infrastructure projects and provides practical implications for strengthening environmental governance, public participation, and incentive policy design in biosafety laboratory construction. Full article

The determination of principal dimensions in the early ship design stage requires iterative calculations based on the basis ship particulars and ship owner’s requirements, demanding considerable time and engineering effort. In modern shipbuilding practice, errors introduced at the early design stage carry a high risk of necessitating a complete redesign, particularly under the mandatory EEDI Phase 3 requirements. To address these challenges, this study presents an automated optimization system for the determination of principal dimensions, adopting $L_{BP}$ (Length Between Perpendiculars), B (Breadth), D (Depth), and $C_B$ (Block Coefficient) as design variables. The NSGA-II (Non-Dominated Sorting Genetic Algorithm) is employed to minimize total resistance ($R_T$), specific fuel oil consumption (SFOC), and lightweight (LWT) as objective functions, with EEDI Phase 3 compliance and minimum freeboard requirements imposed as design constraints. The developed program was applied to a 114K Aframax Tanker with VLSFO/LNG dual-fuel capability, yielding a reduction in total resistance of approximately 65 kN relative to the basis ship with improved propulsive efficiency and economic feasibility. The proposed methodology is expected to enhance the efficiency of the early ship design process and provide a systematic framework for meeting stringent environmental regulations. Full article

Mandatory Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) disclosure requirements—anchored in Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD), International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB), and Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD)—have placed unprecedented demands on supply chain data quality and auditability. Blockchain technology, combining immutability, decentralised governance, and smart contract automation, has emerged as a candidate infrastructure for addressing verification deficits across multi-tier supply chains. To our knowledge, no prior systematic review has simultaneously examined the blockchain specifically for formal ESG transparency and sustainability reporting across all three ESG dimensions within the post-CSRD mandatory reporting landscape. This study presents a systematic literature review (PRISMA 2020). Scopus and Web of Science searches identified 1166 records (2016–2026); after deduplication, 761 unique records were screened, and after blinded screening (κ = 0.84), 96 studies were included. Five blockchain application typologies are identified (T1–T5), spanning provenance tracing, smart contract compliance, carbon accounting, supplier data aggregation, and ESG disclosure systems. A structural asymmetry is identified: governance is addressed in 96% of studies (77.1% under the strictest G-CONFIRMED recoding; 95.8% under the moderate interpretation, including borderline cases), the environmental pillar in 49%, and the social dimension in 21%, explained through institutional theory, with significant implications for CSRD and Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD). Key barriers include scalability, interoperability, and the blockchain–GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) tension. Three principal contributions are made: (i) a systematic typology of blockchain for ESG transparency; (ii) institutional-theory explanation of ESG dimension asymmetry; and (iii) a research agenda centred on AI–blockchain convergence and post-CSRD empirical studies. The review is limited to English-language peer-reviewed literature. Full article

Refrigeration and air-conditioning systems are vital to the global economy but contribute significantly to greenhouse gas emissions by using high-global-warming potential synthetic refrigerants. As regulatory frameworks like the Montreal Protocol, the Kigali Amendment, and the EU’s F-gas Regulations tighten, the industry faces a mandatory transition toward environmentally benign alternatives. This perspective paper evaluates the technological and environmental implications of replacing synthetic fluids with natural refrigerants, specifically ammonia, carbon dioxide, and hydrocarbons. A comparative assessment reveals that natural refrigerants offer superior thermodynamic efficiency, zero ozone depletion potential, and ultra-low global warming potential. While technologies like transcritical CO₂ and low-charge ammonia systems may involve higher initial capital costs, they increasingly achieve life cycle cost parity through improved energy performance and regulatory stability. The analysis further explores advanced cycle configurations, such as ejectors and expanders, which mitigate efficiency losses. The transition to natural refrigerants is presented as a technologically feasible and environmentally friendly strategy to mitigate the risk that rising cooling demands further accelerate climate change. Ultimately, natural refrigerants are expected to become the default global standard within the shortest feasible timeframe, with policy, industry, and research aligned to support and accelerate this transition. Full article

Afghanistan is located within one of the world’s most seismically active regions, where recurrent earthquakes pose a persistent threat to human life and the built environment. The 7 October 2023 Herat earthquake exposed critical vulnerabilities in both the construction sector and institutional frameworks, manifested through the widespread presence of non-engineered buildings, poor construction quality, and the absence of mandatory and enforceable seismic design regulations. This study examines the structural, construction-related, and governance deficiencies that significantly contributed to extensive building damage and high casualty rates, while also assessing shortcomings in public preparedness and disaster risk governance. A comparative case-study approach is adopted to evaluate seismic resilience and disaster management practices in India, Pakistan and Iran. The findings indicate that the elevated vulnerability observed in Herat primarily resulted from deficient construction practices, the lack of codified seismic standards, weak regulatory enforcement, and limited technical capacity within the construction industry. In contrast, regions characterized by well-established seismic codes, engineered structural systems, and coordinated institutional mechanisms experienced substantially reduced levels of structural damage and human losses, although earthquake impacts are also influenced by factors such as hazard characteristics, site conditions, exposure levels, and population distribution. The study highlights that seismic safety and sustainable development are inherently interdependent objectives. Improving earthquake resilience in Afghanistan requires the integration of earthquake-resistant engineering with sustainable construction practices, enhancement of technical and professional capacity, rigorous enforcement of region-specific seismic regulations, and strengthened community-based awareness programs. The adoption of internationally recognized best practices and risk-informed planning strategies is essential for fostering safer, more resilient, and environmentally sustainable urban development capable of withstanding future seismic events. Full article

Education plays a crucial role in climate adaptation and mitigation, specifically in the current context of environmental challenges and disasters. This article analyzes initiatives to integrate content on sustainability, climate change, and disaster risk reduction into Spanish educational legislation and other specific regulations, such as civil protection. It reviews the alignment of Spanish legislation with international frameworks such as the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Sendai Framework, as well as the incorporation of environmental and climate education into regulations related to climate change and civil protection. The article highlights the importance of teacher training and the recent implementation of a mandatory disaster education plan following a devastating rainfall and flood disaster in 2024 (known in Spanish as the DANA disaster), which aims to strengthen the resilience and preparedness of the entire educational community. It concludes that significant progress has been made in integrating this content into the curriculum. However, the challenge of consolidating a culture of climate change awareness in Spanish society remains. Full article

Since 2021, the design and construction of nearly zero-energy buildings (nZEBs) have been mandatory for European Union Member States. Subsequent requirements for the building sector, characterized by high energy demand and significant environmental impact, include the minimization of carbon footprint and the introduction of climate-neutral building standards. The carbon footprint comprises both embodied emissions related to materials and construction processes and operational emissions resulting from building use. This paper analyzes both types of carbon footprint using a residential building that is part of an experimental housing estate consisting of 44 semi-detached buildings as a case study. Analyses of energy consumption optimization and carbon footprint reduction were conducted at both the individual building scale and the scale of the entire housing complex. The estate was developed in two stages. In the first stage (completion of construction in 2024), the primary criterion for technology selection was investment cost while maintaining compliance with applicable technical and building regulations. Prior to the implementation of the second stage, the investor conducted a social participation process in the form of a survey among future users. The survey addressed environmental aspects of the newly designed buildings and enabled the selection of materials, technologies, and energy sources aligned with user preferences. The results indicate that environmental aspects are important to future users; however, investment decisions are strongly balanced against economic factors. At the same time, the energy analyses demonstrate that a substantial reduction in the operational carbon footprint can be achieved, enabling a significant progression toward climate neutrality, both at the level of individual buildings and across the entire housing estate. Social participation, therefore, becomes an important element in the pursuit of climate neutrality in buildings. However, it must be taken into account already at the design stage. The results of the analyses carried out in the article showed that, taking into account public participation in the design process and user recommendations, the selected optimal variant (W5) allows for a reduction in the EP index by over 90% compared to the variant based on standard low-cost solutions (W0) (EP (W0) = 243.64 kWh/(m² year); EP (W5) = 18.42 kWh/(m² year). In terms of the embodied carbon footprint, the optimal option W5 allows for a reduction of over 30% in the embodied carbon footprint of the building structure (W0—51,585.32 [kgCO₂e]; W5—35,537.87 [kgCO₂e]). The optimal variant indicated by users (W5) allows for a reduction in the operational carbon footprint by approximately 80% compared to the basic variant (W0): W0—604,189.50 [kgCO₂e/kWh]; W5—247,402.0 [kgCO₂e/kWh]. The results obtained indicate that public participation is not only a complementary element of the design process, but it can also be a key component of the decarbonisation strategy in residential construction. Involving future users in the decision-making process increases the likelihood of achieving long-term greenhouse gas emission reductions and supports the implementation of long-term climate policy goals. Full article

This study investigates the predictability of Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) performance using financial fundamentals within the context of Taiwan, a prominent small open economy integrated into global value chains. As global markets transition toward mandatory sustainability reporting, identifying the financial ante-cedents of ESG outcomes is critical for risk management and regulatory oversight. Uti-lizing a decade of firm-level data (2014–2023) from the Taiwan Economic Journal (TEJ), we employ supervised machine learning (ML) architectures-including Decision Tree, Random Forest, and Extreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost)-to classify firms into ESG performance tiers based on indicators such as profitability, valuation, and scale. Our empirical results provide robust support for the Slack Resources Hypothesis, identifying Return on Assets (ROA) and Firm Size (SIZE) as the most consistent predictors of ESG excellence across the semiconductor, cement, and steel sectors. Conversely, mar-ket-based indicators (Tobin’s Q) dominate predictive models for the financial industry. Methodologically, XGBoost delivers superior predictive calibration for the financial sector, while Decision Trees offer highly interpretable threshold-based logic for risk screening. Our study contributes a transparent “early-warning” framework, enabling investors and regulators to identify sustainability risks through auditable financial benchmarks. The findings suggest that while financial latitude is a structural prerequisite for ESG engagement, it is not its sole determinant, pointing toward a “virtuous circle” of financial health and managerial quality. Full article

In recent years, the integration of Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) factors into corporate strategies has become crucial, particularly in the European financial sector. This study analyzes the impact of ESG practices on financial performance indicators, such as Return on Assets (ROA) and Tobin’s Q, using a sample of 192 European financial companies from 2017 to 2022. The results show that environmental scores have a significant positive effect on Tobin’s Q, indicating greater investor confidence, while the influence on ROA is not significant. In contrast, social and governance scores do not significantly affect either ROA or Tobin’s Q. This is likely due to the European financial sector’s stringent regulatory standards and mandatory compliance requirements, which minimize differences in these areas across firms. Additionally, high levels of financial leverage and larger company size are negatively associated with financial performance. This study contributes to understanding ESG dynamics in the financial sector, highlighting the role of environmental practices in creating market value and the need for regulations to prevent greenwashing. Full article

In response to the growing challenges of climate change and environmental degradation, the European Union announced the Green Deal on 11 December 2019, aiming for climate neutrality by 2050. To achieve this, a series of regulatory measures have been introduced to promote sustainability in the construction sector. This paper examines key EU regulations that, while not explicitly mandating wood, create conditions favorable to timber and wood-based products due to their low-carbon and renewable properties. The Carbon Removal Certification Framework (CRCF) encourages timber adoption through voluntary carbon removal incentives, whereas the new Construction Products Regulation (CPR) represents a mandatory intervention, embedding environmental and climate criteria directly into market standards. Additional regulations, including the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR), the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD), the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), the Nature Restoration Law (NRL), and the Regulation on Deforestation-Free Products (EUDR), further support wood by promoting resource efficiency, responsible sourcing, energy performance, and long-term carbon storage. Together, these measures form a multi-layered framework in which voluntary and binding instruments interact, indirectly supporting sustainable construction practices. Given its ability to store carbon over extended periods and achieve a net negative footprint in life cycle assessments, wood emerges as a strategic material for advancing the EU’s climate objectives. Full article