Search Results (126)

Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) are vital to economic growth, innovation, and job creation across Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Women entrepreneurs are key contributors to this sector, yet they face persistent barriers to accessing finance, which constrain their business growth and broader economic participation. This study investigates the role of financial institutions in closing the financing gap for women-owned SMEs and assesses the effectiveness of various financing mechanisms, including traditional banking, micro-finance, fintech innovations, and government-backed credit schemes. Adopting a quantitative approach, this study utilises structured surveys with women SME owners across multiple SSA countries. Supplementary secondary data from sources such as the World Bank and national financial statistics provide additional context. Econometric modelling and Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) are employed to identify key factors influencing loan accessibility, such as collateral requirements, interest rates, financial literacy, and the regulatory environment. Findings reveal that high collateral demands and interest rates remain major obstacles, particularly for smaller or informal women-led enterprises. Financial literacy emerges as a critical enabler of access to credit. While fintech solutions and digital lending platforms show promise in improving access, issues around infrastructure, regulation, and trust persist. Government-backed schemes also contribute positively but are hindered by implementation inefficiencies. This study offers practical recommendations, including the need for harmonised regional credit reporting systems, gender-responsive policy frameworks, and targeted financial education. Strengthening digital infrastructure and regulatory support across SSA is essential to build inclusive, sustainable financial ecosystems that empower women entrepreneurs and drive regional development. Full article

Based on a comprehensive review of the current research status of ecological compensation both domestically and internationally, combined with field survey data, this study delves into the issue of multi-stakeholder participation in the ecological compensation mechanisms of the Xin’an River Basin. This research reveals that the joint participation of multiple stakeholders is crucial to achieving the goals of ecological compensation in river basins. The government plays a significant role in macro-guidance, financial support, policy guarantees, supervision, and management. It promotes the comprehensive implementation of ecological environmental protection by formulating relevant laws and regulations, guiding the public to participate in ecological conservation, and supervising and punishing pollution behaviors. The public, serving as the main force, forms strong awareness and behavioral habits of ecological protection through active participation in environmental protection, monitoring, and feedback. As participants, enterprises contribute to industrial transformation and green development by improving resource utilization efficiency, reducing pollution emissions, promoting green industries, and participating in ecological restoration projects. Scientific research institutions, as technology enablers, have effectively enhanced governance efficiency through technological research and innovation, ecosystem value accounting to provide decision-making support, and public education. Social organizations, as facilitators, have injected vitality and innovation into watershed governance by extensively mobilizing social forces and building multi-party collaboration platforms. Communities, as supporters, have transformed ecological value into economic benefits by developing characteristic industries such as eco-agriculture and eco-tourism. Based on the above findings, further recommendations are proposed to mobilize the enthusiasm of upstream communities and encourage their participation in ecological compensation, promote the market-oriented operation of ecological compensation mechanisms, strengthen cross-regional cooperation to establish joint mechanisms, enhance supervision and evaluation, and establish a sound benefit-sharing mechanism. These recommendations provide theoretical support and practical references for ecological compensation worldwide. Full article

The sharing economy is considered to be a potentially efficacious approach for promoting sustainable production and consumption (SPC). This study utilizes dockless bike sharing (DBS) in Beijing as a case study to examine how sharing economy policies and business practices advance SPC. It also dynamically quantifies the environmental and economic performance of DBS practices from a life cycle perspective. The findings indicate that effective SPC practices can be achieved through the collaborative efforts of multiple stakeholders, including the government, operators, manufacturers, consumers, recycling agencies, and other business partners, supported by regulatory systems and advanced technologies. The SPC practices markedly improved the sustainability of DBS promotion in Beijing. This is evidenced by the increase in greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reduction benefits, which have risen from approximately 35.81 g CO₂-eq to 124.40 g CO₂-eq per kilometer of DBS travel. Considering changes in private bicycle ownership, this value could reach approximately 150.60 g CO₂-eq. Although the economic performance of DBS operators has also improved, it remains challenging to achieve profitability, even when considering the economic value of the emission reduction benefits. In certain scenarios, DBS can maximize profits by optimizing fleet size and efficiency, without compromising the benefits of emission reductions. The framework of stakeholder interaction proposed in this study and the results of empirical analysis not only assist regulators, businesses, and the public in better understanding and promoting sustainable production and consumption practices in the sharing economy but also provide valuable insights for achieving a win-win situation of platform profitability and environmental benefits in the SPC practice process. Full article

Under the dual-carbon goals, with the rapid increase in the proportion of fluctuating power sources such as wind and solar energy, the regulatory capacity of traditional thermal power generation can no longer meet the demand for intra-day fluctuations. There is an urgent need to tap into the potential of flexible load-side regulatory resources. To this end, this paper proposes a low-carbon economic optimal dispatching strategy for virtual power plants (VPPs), considering the aggregation of diverse flexible and adjustable resources with the integration of wind and solar power. Firstly, the method establishes mathematical models by analyzing the dynamic response characteristics and flexibility regulation boundaries of adjustable resources such as photovoltaic (PV) systems, wind power, energy storage, charging piles, interruptible loads, and air conditioners. Subsequently, considering the aforementioned diverse adjustable resources and aggregating them into a VPP, a low-carbon economic optimal dispatching model for the VPP is constructed with the objective of minimizing the total system operating costs and carbon costs. To address the issue of slow convergence rates in solving high-dimensional state variable optimization problems with the traditional plant growth simulation algorithm, this paper proposes an improved plant growth simulation algorithm through elite selection strategies for growth points and multi-base point parallel optimization strategies. The improved algorithm is then utilized to solve the proposed low-carbon economic optimal dispatching model for the VPP, aggregating diverse adjustable resources. Simulations conducted on an actual VPP platform demonstrate that the proposed method can effectively coordinate diverse load-side adjustable resources and achieve economically low-carbon dispatching, providing theoretical support for the optimal aggregation of diverse flexible resources in new power systems. Full article

The maritime industry faces growing pressure to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, reflected in the progressive adoption of stricter international energy regulations. Wind-Assisted Propulsion Systems (WAPS) offer a promising solution by significantly contributing to decarbonization. This paper presents a versatile simulation and optimization platform that supports the conceptual design of WAPS-equipped vessels and evaluates the viability of such investments. The platform uses a steady-state force equilibrium model to simulate vessel performance along predefined routes under realistic weather conditions, incorporating regulatory frameworks and economic assessments. A multi-objective optimization framework identifies optimal designs across user-defined criteria. To demonstrate its capabilities, the platform is applied to a bulk carrier operating between China and the USA, optimizing for capital expenditure, net present value (NPV), and CO₂ emissions. Results show the platform can effectively balance conflicting objectives, achieving substantial emissions reductions without compromising economic performance. The final optimized design achieved a 12% reduction in CO₂ emissions, a 7% decrease in capital expenditure, and a 6.6 million USD increase in net present value compared to the reference design with sails, demonstrating the platform’s capability to deliver balanced improvements across all objectives. The methodology is adaptable to various ship types, WAPS technologies, and operational profiles, offering a valuable decision-support tool for stakeholders navigating the transition to zero-carbon shipping. Full article

Against the backdrop of increasing extreme weather events associated with global climate change, regulating carbon dioxide emissions, a primary contributor to atmospheric warming, has emerged as a pressing global challenge. Focusing on China as a representative case study of major developing economies, this research examines industrial carbon emission patterns during 2001–2022. Methodologically, it introduces an innovative analytical framework that integrates the Generalized Divisia Index Method (GDIM) with the Low Emissions Analysis Platform (LEAP) to both decompose industrial emission drivers and project future trajectories through 2040. Key findings reveal that:the following: (1) Carbon intensity in China’s industrial sector has been substantially decreasing under green technological advancements and policy interventions. (2) Industrial restructuring demonstrates constraining effects on carbon output, while productivity gains show untapped potential for emission abatement. Notably, the dual mechanisms of enhanced energy efficiency and cleaner energy transitions emerge as pivotal mitigation levers. (3) Scenario analyses indicate that coordinated policies addressing energy mix optimization, efficiency gains, and economic restructuring could facilitate achieving industrial carbon peaking before 2030. These results offer substantive insights for designing phased decarbonization roadmaps, while contributing empirical evidence to international climate policy discourse. The integrated methodology also presents a transferable analytical paradigm for emission studies in other industrializing economies. Full article

Driven by the environmental benefits associated with reduced greenhouse gas emissions, oil companies have intensified research efforts into reassessing the strategies used to meet the electrical demands of offshore production platforms. Among the various alternatives available, the deployment of onshore–offshore interconnections via High-Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) transmission systems has emerged as a promising solution, offering both economic and operational advantages. In addition to reliably meeting the electrical demand of offshore facilities, this approach enables enhanced operational flexibility due to the advanced control and regulation capabilities inherent to HVDC converter stations. Based on the use of interconnection through an HVDC link, aiming to evaluate the operation of the electrical system as a whole, this study focuses on evaluating dynamic events using the PSCAD software version 5.0.2 to analyze the direct online starting of a large induction motor and the sudden loss of a local synchronous generating unit. The simulation results are then analyzed to assess the effectiveness of both Grid-Following (GFL) and Grid-Forming (GFM) control strategies for the converters, while the synchronous generators are evaluated under both voltage regulation and constant power factor control operation, with a particular focus on system stability and restoration of normal operating conditions in the sequence of events. Full article

This study examines the impact of inward foreign direct investment (FDI) on economic growth in South and Southeast Asia from 2006 to 2022, using a comprehensive panel dataset and multiple econometric techniques. The baseline estimation employs Feasible Generalized Least Squares (FGLS), with robustness checks using Fixed Effects with Driscoll–Kraay standard errors, the Common Correlated Effects Mean Group (CCEMG) estimator, and Two-Stage Least Squares (2SLS). The results consistently show that FDI and Gross Capital Formation (GCF) significantly promote growth, while the Human Capital Index (HCI), Trade Openness (TO), and Inflation (I) have limited or adverse effects. Government spending (GS) is negatively associated with growth, suggesting inefficiencies in public resource allocation. The findings underscore the importance of enhancing absorptive capacity through investments in education, institutional quality, and trade facilitation. Policy recommendations include adopting performance-based budgeting and independent audits, drawing on Malaysia’s anti-corruption and audit reforms. To address the weak impact of human capital, this study advocates for expanding public–private partnerships in technical and vocational education, modelled on Singapore’s SkillsFuture initiative. Additionally, digital investment platforms like Indonesia’s Online Single Submission (OSS) system and infrastructure upgrades are recommended to reduce trade costs and improve the investment climate. Finally, the study calls for deeper regional integration through harmonized investment regulations under the ASEAN Comprehensive Investment Agreement (ACIA) and the development of cross-border special economic zones (SEZs). These recommendations are grounded in empirical evidence and tailored to the region’s structural characteristics, offering actionable insights for policy-makers. Full article

The digital economy’s development has been significantly influenced by data, which have emerged as a new propelling force for the promotion of high-quality and environmentally friendly agricultural development. This paper employs panel data from 30 provinces in China, spanning from 2000 to 2022. We construct a multi-period difference-in-differences model to investigate the impact of data elements on agricultural green total factor productivity (AGTFP) by utilizing the launch of public data open platforms as a quasi-natural experiment. AGTFP is substantially improved by public data openness, as indicated by the findings. Cross-sectoral labor transfer and green technological innovation are critical pathways through which public data openness enhances AGTFP, according to the mechanism analysis. Furthermore, heterogeneity analysis indicates that the beneficial impact of public data openness on AGTFP is more pronounced in regions with high levels of environmental regulation and non-major grain-producing regions. The results of this study have significant policy implications for the evaluation of the economic impacts of data elements and the promotion of sustainable and environmentally friendly agricultural development. Full article

This paper examines the phenomenon of collaborative consumption among Generation Z in Ukraine, focusing on its significance for sustainable consumption and the factors driving its popularity. In the context of increasing digitalization and environmental challenges, the authors analyze the extent to which young Ukrainians engage in the sharing economy and the motivations behind their choices. Special attention is given to the unique characteristics of Generation Z in Ukraine, who, unlike their Western peers, are marked by a strong sense of patriotism, greater social responsibility, and a desire for economic stability—factors influenced by the country’s challenging geopolitical situation. The study was conducted using an online survey (CAWI) with a sample of 292 respondents in 2024. The results indicate that 54.8% of the respondents show a propensity for collaborative consumption (PCC), with key motivators being convenience (90%), the need for social connections (70%), and environmental awareness (68%). Individuals inclined toward resource sharing tend to exhibit greater openness, loyalty, and innovativeness. However, the lack of significant differences in their broader sustainable consumption behaviors suggests that collaborative consumption is perceived primarily as a practical solution rather than a consciously pro-environmental strategy. These findings have important practical implications—companies should focus on building trust in sharing platforms, offering flexible pricing models, and emphasizing both financial savings and environmental benefits. Meanwhile, policymakers can support the growth of the sharing economy through regulations that foster innovation and educational campaigns promoting sustainable consumer behavior. Full article

The authors examine the transformative impact of technological advancements on the customary traditions associated with camels in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). We conducted 21 semi-structured interviews with Emirati camel owners/breeders, focusing on the effects of innovations in breeding, racing, beauty contests, and heritage preservation. The findings reveal that genetic technologies have reshaped camel husbandry by enhancing desirable traits, while introducing commercialization. In camel racing, robotic jockeys, biometric monitoring, and GPS tracking have revolutionized training and competition, making the sport a highly regulated, technology-driven industry. Similarly, camel beauty contests have been influenced by genetic selection, aesthetic standards, and controversial cosmetic enhancements. While these advancements have increased the economic value of camels, they have also altered traditional perceptions, raising concerns about the commodification of Emirati heritage. Additionally, online platforms and digital tools have facilitated the global promotion of camels, fostering connections between owners/breeders and enthusiasts, while introducing new modes of engagement. The study demonstrates how technological progress both preserves and challenges the customary traditions associated with camels, offering insights into the intersection of modernization and cultural heritage in the UAE. Full article

This study examines access to rental housing in the metropolitan area of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, linking it to socio-economic inequalities and the increasing precarization. In recent years, housing affordability has worsened due to rising rents, stagnant wages, and speculative dynamics—particularly those linked to tourism and platform-based economies. Drawing on official data from the State Reference System for Rental Housing Prices (SERPAVI) and income statistics at the census tract level, this research quantifies housing affordability and spatial disparities through indicators such as economic effort rates. The analysis identifies patterns of exclusion and urban fragmentation, showing that large sectors of the population—especially those earning the minimum age—face severe barriers to accessing adequate housing. The findings highlight the insufficiency of current public policies and propose the expansion of social rental housing and stricter rental market regulation as necessary steps to ensure fairer urban conditions. Full article

With the increasing penetration of renewable energy in the power system, how to ensure the normal operation of urban microgrids is gradually receiving attention. It is necessary to evaluate the overall active support capability and provide optimal operation strategies for urban microgrids. The paper proposes an active–reactive power coordinated optimization method for urban microgrids with a high proportion of renewable energy. Firstly, a quantification model of the active support capability is established to evaluate the active support capacity and reactive support capacity of urban microgrids, respectively. Then, an active–reactive power collaborative optimization model, which considers multiple types of distributed resources, is established to provide optimal scheduling strategies for urban microgrids. Consequently, a platform integrating evaluation and regulation functions is constructed to enable the evaluation of the active support capability for distributed resources in urban microgrids and the scheduling of distributed resource operations. This paper aims to solve the key technical challenges of the safe operation of new urban microgrids. The simulation results demonstrate that the proposed optimal scheduling method can reduce the comprehensive operating costs of urban microgrids with high renewable energy penetration by up to 19.86% and decrease the voltage deviation rate by up to 7.25%, simultaneously improving both economic efficiency and operational security. Full article

Today, the digital economy has pursued the required social and economic development, and enterprises can achieve green transition and long-term sustainability by relying on the digital platform ecosystem. However, the development of the digital economy and the rapid growth of platform governance have also generated some problems. This study’s purpose was to explore the issue of green governance of the digital platform ecosystem and to find effective methods of such governance under different life cycle stages based on multiple parties. This study used the tripartite evolutionary game method and analyzed the changes and effects of platform green governance under different development stages from the perspectives of government, platforms, and enterprises. The results indicate that in the early stages, digital platforms primarily relied on the government’s obligation to regulate. With the digital platform ecosystem’s evolution, the platform organization green governance and settled enterprises’ green transition effects gradually appeared, establishing the three common constraints of governance mode. Finally, when the digital platform ecosystem is in its self-renewal period, the government effect is reduced, with the platform itself and settled enterprises taking primary roles. The goal of this study is to enrich the theoretical basis of platform green governance and enlighten the management of different governance subjects. Full article

The present study explores the emerging role of “public affairs live streamers” on the short video platform Kuaishou, examining how these individuals have evolved into new forms of rural elites, expanding opportunities for civic participation and rural governance in China. Through content analysis and case studies, the research identifies six key themes central to the streamers’ discourse: land and property issues, financial aid and subsidies, policy and governance, advocacy for the public, educational outreach, and customs. These themes underscore their role as rural knowledge elites who bridge the gap between the government and rural residents through digital platforms. The study further examines the mechanisms behind the emergence of “public affairs live streamers”. Empowered by the platform, these streamers effectively convert their cultural capital into online social capital, which may then be partially transformed into offline social influence and economic returns. However, their empowerment is constrained by the platform’s algorithm distribution mechanisms and opaque content regulation, making the conversion of capital unstable, traffic-dependent, and challenging to sustain. Linking to the broader socio-political landscape, the study delves into the empowering role of “public affairs live streamers” in society. These online rural elites blend knowledge with digital skills to facilitate public engagement and inspire civic awareness in rural areas through their activities. Nonetheless, their contribution to rural governance and civilization is often limited to informal mediation and emotional expression, with limited capacity to foster rational discourse or deeper improvements in rural governance. Overall, this study contextualizes the rise of rural elites within China’s rapid technological and rural development, offering a fresh perspective on how digital media can supplement governance strategies and enhance grassroots’ civic participation. Based on this analysis, the study proposes recommendations for improving platform governance and integrating public affairs streamers into broader participatory frameworks, thereby stabilizing their empowering effects and promoting sustainable rural governance. Full article