Search Results (1,565)

Selecting a sustainable healthcare waste treatment method is a complex multi-criteria problem influenced by environmental, economic, social and technological factors. This study addresses key gaps in the literature by proposing an intuitionistic fuzzy AHP–TOPSIS framework that explicitly models cognitive uncertainty and expert hesitation, while demonstrating its application through a real-world case study in Adana, Türkiye. In contrast to prior studies utilizing fewer criteria, our framework evaluates four treatment alternatives—incineration, steam sterilization, microwave, and landfill—across 17 comprehensive criteria that directly integrate circular economy principles such as resource recovery and energy efficiency. The results indicate that steam sterilization is the most sustainable option, demonstrating superior performance across environmental, economic, social, and technological dimensions. A 15-scenario sensitivity analysis ensures ranking resilience across varying decision contexts. Furthermore, a systematic comparative analysis highlights the methodological advantages of the proposed framework in terms of analytical granularity and robustness compared to existing models. The study also offers step-by-step operational guidance, creating a transparent and policy-responsive decision-support tool for healthcare waste management authorities to advance sustainable practices. Full article

Adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) is widely considered as a crucial step in decarbonizing urban mobility. While access to private ownership of EVs is socially and spatially still highly unequal, shared electric mobility has been suggested as a more accessible alternative. However, access to shared electric mobility is still inequitable; hence, there is a need for practical insights and recommendations for urban policymakers on how to improve this. This study addressed this need with a ‘practice consultation’, comprising 15 in-depth interviews with practice experts from Belgium, Denmark, Finland and the Netherlands, on the current state of shared electric mobility, the associated policies and realistic policy options to promote and ensure equitable access. The study revealed not only a diverse offer of shared electric mobility but also the persistence of earlier-identified barriers to equitable access. Current policies focus more on the orderly and safe integration of shared mobility services and improving access to shared mobility more generally. Yet, various recent plans, experiments and pilots with policy options for more equitable access were mentioned. Some options are novel and open up new ways to equitable access, while other already-suggested ones were confirmed as relevant and feasible by practice experts. Full article

This study is an economic evaluation of a composting facility in southeastern Spain (applying Life Cycle Costing), a key region in European horticulture with a significant availability of agricultural biomass. Composting helps reduce dependence on inorganic fertilizers, aligning with European policies that promote the transition toward organic fertilization practices. In addition, compost enhances soil health, increases soil organic carbon, and supports climate change mitigation. Despite its agronomic and environmental benefits, and the large availability of biomass in this region, there is a notable lack of literature addressing the economic costs of composting, which is the first step in assessing the sustainability of a production process. The proposed facility (production: 9000 tonnes of compost per year) utilizes pruning residues and manure to produce high-quality organic amendments. The analysis includes infrastructure, equipment, and every operational input. Likewise, the analysis also provides socio-economic indicators such as employment generation and contribution to the regional economy. Three scenarios were evaluated based on the pruning–shredding location: at the plant, at the farm with mobile equipment, and at the farm with conventional machinery. The most cost-effective option was shredding at the farm using mobile equipment, reducing the unit cost to EUR 65.19 per tonne due to the transport of a smaller volume of prunings and, therefore, lower fuel consumption. The plant also demonstrates high productivity per square metre and generates stable employment in rural areas. Overall, the findings highlight composting as a viable and competitive strategy within circular and low-carbon agricultural systems. Full article

Background/Objectives: Poor dietary habits are a major contributor to non-communicable diseases (NCDs), the leading cause of mortality worldwide. To promote healthier eating, governments and stakeholders have implemented various nutrition policies, including front-of-pack nutrition labeling (FOPNL). The Choices International Foundation (Choices), through its criteria, supports these efforts through its standardized nutrient profiling system (NPS). Originally developed to underpin a positive FOPNL logo, in 2021, the criteria were expanded into a globally oriented five-level profiling system covering 23 basic and 10 discretionary food groups, addressing key nutrients such as trans-fatty acids, saturated fat, sodium, sugar, fiber, and energy. To ensure continued scientific relevance, the Choices criteria are periodically reviewed by an independent International Scientific Committee (ISC). Methods: This paper presents the 2025 revision of the Choices criteria, focusing on priority areas identified through stakeholder consultation and recent scientific developments. Results: Key updates include the introduction of nutrient-based equivalence criteria for plant-based alternatives to meat and dairy, based on protein and selected micronutrient thresholds. Non-sugar sweeteners (NSSs) were newly included as a factor that lowers a product’s health classification and makes it ineligible for a positive FOPNL. Additionally, the industrially produced trans-fatty acid (iTFA) criteria were revised and aligned with the latest World Health Organization (WHO) recommendations, improving both technical feasibility and policy coherence. While options for incorporating whole-grain and micronutrient criteria were explored, these were not included in the current revision. Conclusions: The 2025 update system enhances the scientific rigor, policy alignment, and global applicability of the Choices system. By providing a harmonized and evidence-based tool, it aims to support national policies that foster healthier food environments and, ultimately, improve public health outcomes worldwide. Full article

Against the backdrop of rising global carbon emissions, promoting active transportation modes such as walking and cycling has become a key strategy for countries worldwide to meet carbon reduction targets and advance the goals of sustainable development. In China, the concept of low-carbon mobility has gained rapid traction, leading to a significant increase in public demand for non-motorized travel options like walking and cycling. From the perspective of inclusive urban development, gender imbalances in sample representation during design and evaluation processes have contributed to homogenization and a lack of diversity in urban slow-traffic environments. To address this issue, this study adopts a problem-oriented approach. First, we collect street scene images of slow-traffic environments through self-conducted field surveys. Concurrently, we gather satisfaction survey responses from 511 urban residents regarding existing slow-traffic streets, identifying three key environmental evaluation indicators: safety, liveliness, and beauty. Second, an experimental analysis is conducted to compare machine-generated assessments based on self-collected street view data with manual evaluations performed by 27 female participants. The findings reveal significant perceptual differences between genders in the assessment of slow-moving environments, particularly regarding attention to environmental elements, challenges in utilizing non-motorized lanes, and overall environmental satisfaction. Moreover, notable discrepancies are observed between machine scores and manual assessments performed by women. Based on these findings, this study investigates the underlying causes of such perceptual disparities and the mechanisms influencing them. Finally, it proposes female-inclusive strategies aimed at enhancing the quality of slow-traffic environments, thereby addressing the current absence of gender considerations in their design. This research seeks to provide a robust female perspective and empirical evidence to support improvements in the quality of slow-moving environments and to inform strategic advancements in their design. The findings of this study can provide a theoretical and empirical basis for the optimization of gender-inclusive non-motorized transportation environment design, policy formulation, and subsequent interdisciplinary research. Full article

The interplay between government economic policy uncertainty (EPU) and bank risk remains a key concern in the financial stability literature. This study advances the field by examining the dynamic, time-varying impact of EPU on bank risk, explicitly differentiating between short- and long-term effects. We posit a dual hypothesis: heightened EPU increases short-run bank risk by raising borrower default probabilities while decreasing long-run risk as banks adopt more conservative lending strategies, given the option value of waiting under high uncertainty. Analyzing bank-level data across 22 countries from 1998 to 2017, we find robust empirical support: EPU exerts an immediate positive effect on bank risk and a significant negative effect with a lag of two to four years. These findings are robust to endogeneity and multiple sensitivity checks. Our results explicitly demonstrate the dual role of policy uncertainty in shaping bank risk-taking and offer timely guidance for the design of regulatory and macroprudential frameworks. Full article

Reducing CO₂ emissions from global shipping remains a critical challenge in the pursuit of sustainable international trade. Though the technical and operational (T/O) measures and alternative fuel (AF) solutions have shown promise, the global maritime sector continues to face strategic and structural hurdles. This thematic narrative review revisits the fundamentals and explores the roles of T/O measures and Alternative fuel options in reducing CO₂ emissions in international shipping, with a focus on the maritime energy transition. The study reveals that maximizing the benefits of T/O measures, alongside establishing a balanced energy transition matrix encompassing clean energy sources, can foster an environment conducive to future sustainability performance and substantial CO₂ emission reductions. More specifically, combining operational efficiency improvements with scalable, future-focused, infrastructure-ready alternative fuels can yield significant emission reductions. The paper also introduces a conceptual model to guide the maritime energy transition, outlining a phased pathway that leverages innovation, policy, and system-level design. These insights contribute to shaping a resilient roadmap for decarbonizing international shipping by enhancing the sector’s sustainability performance. Full article

The incorporation of digital music into the reform of education has become one of the primary methods to improve educational outcomes, increase creativity, and innovate the practices in the classroom. This combination, together with the close industry–academia cooperation, presents the possibilities to integrate educational strategies in accordance with the technological and creative demands of the contemporary world. Nevertheless, uncertainty, reluctance, symmetry, and subjectivity in expert ratings are significant problems to cope with when considering multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM). To resolve them, this paper suggests a Picture Fuzzy Faire Un Choix Adequat (PF-FUCA) decision support model, where fifteen options will be rated by seven criteria, depending on the contribution of four professional decision-makers. These findings indicate that the PF-FUCA framework is effective and superior to the current PF-MCDM models, as illustrated by sensitivity and comparison analysis. The identified best strategies based on the framework are blockchain-based music copyright education and integrated music–STEM platforms that, when combined, offer a viable policy instrument to policymakers, educators, and industry stakeholders. Full article

This paper develops a dynamic real-options model of tariff deterrence in which the exporting country, though subject to the importing country’s market power, assumes the role of leader in a Stackelberg framework under uncertainty by acting preventively to dissuade the importer from imposing a tariff. The follower holds an option to impose a tariff subject to irreversible enforcement costs, while the leader can undertake costly deterrence, through signaling and capacity building, to delay or prevent action. The interaction generates a preventive equilibrium in which the importing country (the follower) optimally remains inactive, and the exporting country (the leader) sustains continuous deterrence expenditures, which nevertheless may be preferable to submit to tariffs. Uncertainty and irreversibility, which can both be manipulated, enlarge the inaction zone, and increase resilience and adaptability of both contenders. Both conditions tend to stabilize the system but transfer costs asymmetrically: the powerful waits costlessly, the weaker pays to maintain stability. In equilibrium, deterrence requires continuous spending by the leader to keep the follower indifferent between acting and waiting, implying that power operates through potentiality rather than action. The paper extends the Stackelberg framework to international trade, revealing that although the theoretical first-mover advantage rests with the larger, importing country, the smaller, exporting country becomes the de facto leader by acting preemptively to discourage the threat of tariff. Full article

The rapid growth of online food delivery in urban areas reflects changing consumer lifestyles, but it has also contributed to increasing plastic waste and challenges in waste management. This study investigated the composition of municipal solid waste (MSW) related to online food delivery, consumer ordering behavior, and single-use plastic (SUP) generation in households in the Bangkok Metropolitan Area. Data were collected from 385 food delivery customers via online questionnaires. The results show that the proportion of plastic waste in MSW has increased, with 76.6% of participants reporting higher online food delivery usage. SUPs from food delivery, including non-essential items such as plastic films, spoons, and cutlery, were prevalent, and participants rarely selected green options to opt out of receiving them. These findings highlight the need for targeted interventions, including closed-loop management involving producers, platforms, consumers, and government. Policy recommendations include implementing extended producer responsibility (EPR) for environmentally friendly packaging, providing incentives for merchants and consumers to reduce SUP, applying the polluter-pays principle (PPP) to users, and designing government policies to regulate SUP and improve plastic waste management. Full article

Mega-event-led urban waterfront regeneration has played a key role in shaping public open spaces, particularly in newly developed areas within the Chinese context. However, public perceptions and their influence on the use of newly built open spaces created through mega-event-led regeneration have not been examined in existing research. To address this gap, this study establishes an integrated assessment framework to evaluate the quality of urban waterfront open spaces. A mixed methods approach was adopted, including direct observations and 770 online questionnaires collected between July and October 2024 at the South Bank of the Qiantang River (SBQR) in Hangzhou, China. Spatial analysis and Importance–Performance Analysis (IPA) were employed to determine priority improvement areas that should inform future waterfront regeneration strategies. The results indicate that inclusiveness emerged as the most important factor for enhancing waterfront open space quality, while spatial aesthetics ranked the lowest. Among the sub-sub factors, elements related to improving water accessibility, enhancing natural surveillance, providing artificial shelters and diverse seating options, introducing distinctive water features, and shaping collective memory through digital technologies are the key priorities for improvement in the future urban waterfront regeneration policies. Finally, the study highlights that the intangible legacies of the Asian Games and the adaptive reuse of informal built heritage have the potential to reshape a distinctive new city image and collective memory, even in the absence of tangible and formally recognised heritage buildings. Full article

Background/Objectives: Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) among Enterobacterales poses a major threat to public health in Southern Africa and has led to limited treatment options and increased mortality. Despite Africa bearing the brunt, there is limited data on the epidemiology and molecular epidemiology of the genetic determinants of β-lactam and/or carbapenem resistance. This narrative literature review summarizes the epidemiology and molecular characteristics of extended-spectrum β-lactamase-producing Enterobacterales (ESBL-PE), carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales (CRE), and carbapenemase-producing Enterobacterales (CPE) in Southern Africa, while identifying data gaps and surveillance challenges. Methods: A comprehensive literature review was conducted using peer-reviewed articles from ten Southern African countries, including South Africa, Lesotho, Eswatini, Botswana, Namibia, Angola, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, and Malawi, reporting the epidemiology and/or molecular characterization of ESBL-PE, CRE, and CPE. Results: ESBL-PE, CRE, and CPE pose an increasing healthcare threat in Southern Africa, with prevalence varying widely by source. Klebsiella pneumoniae and E. coli are the predominant ESBL-PE, CRE, and CPE species. The most frequent resistance genes are bla_CTX-M among ESBLs and bla_NDM and bla_OXA among carbapenemases, reflecting global patterns. However, molecular characterization across the region remains limited, with countries such as Botswana, Lesotho, Eswatini, Zambia, and Zimbabwe lacking sufficient data on the prevalence and diversity of these resistance determinants. Conclusions: Despite the paucity of genomic and epidemiological data, Southern Africa faces an urgent AMR challenge. Strengthening laboratory infrastructure, genomic surveillance, and regional coordination is crucial to mitigate AMR and guide antibiotic stewardship policies. Full article

This study examines global econo-environmental capability for 118 countries over 1995 to 2024 using a five-lens framework covering productive capacity (PC), developmental momentum (DM), resource efficiency (RE), degradation and depletion ratio (DDR), and remaining development potential (RDP). Using pooled k-means, a stable four archetype typology is identified and shown to persist over time. The analysis assesses how archetypes characterize country–year outcomes (RQ1), whether cross-sectional fairness is changing and relates to frontier slowdown (RQ2), and how archetypes, distance, and regional context shape transition probabilities and club convergence (RQ3). Inequality in five-dimensional capability declines slightly over the period (Gini from 0.109 to 0.092 and Palma from 1.563 to 1.464), implying modest convergence rather than increasing polarization. Average capability also improves, with larger gains for initially distant countries and smaller gains near the frontier, which is consistent with mild club convergence. Regionally, high capability cases are concentrated in Western Europe and North America, while sustained upgrading is observed in parts of Eastern Europe, mixed stability is observed in East and Central Asia, and selective advances are observed in ASEAN. Policy implications should be based on a country’s archetype and its distance to the capability ideal. Lagging countries should prioritize diffusion of proven high efficiency options and basic capability building, while frontier countries should priorities innovation, structural change, and deeper decarbonization. Policy emphasis should be updated as countries move within the capability space over time. Full article

Climate change and increasing greenhouse gas emissions are driving the global transition to clean energy, with solar energy experiencing the fastest growth among renewable sources in 2024. Solar PV for energy generation in Kenya is gaining momentum as the country moves towards achieving 100% clean energy by 2030. As solar PV penetration in the grid grows, it is necessary to evaluate its impact on system costs to inform policy decisions on capacity expansion options in the Least-Cost Power Development Plan (LCPDP). This study investigates the effect of large-scale solar PV expansion on electricity costs using the Open-Source Energy Modelling System (OSeMOSYS), a modular, bottom-up capacity expansion model. Four scenarios were developed to assess different levels of solar PV penetration: business-as-usual (BAU), moderate-solar-PV expansion (MSPV), high-solar-PV expansion (HSPV), and very-high-solar-PV expansion (VHSPV). The results indicate that, while overall solar PV expansion significantly contributes to decarbonising Kenya’s electricity mix by displacing fossil-based generation, it also increases annual investment obligations and, consequently, total system costs. The system-levelised cost of electricity (LCOE) is shown to rise by 0.2%, 5.7%, and 14.0% under MSPV, HSPV, and VHSPV, respectively, compared to BAU. Analysing the various cost components against sustainability indicators reveals that the least-cost scenario is BAU while the most favourable scenario based on sustainability indicators is VHSPV, which performs best across technical, environmental, and institutional dimensions but less favourably on economic and social aspects, thereby highlighting a trade-off between sustainability and cost minimisation, at least in the short term. Full article

This study investigates the institutional transformations within Indonesia’s research ecosystem, focusing on the impacts of the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN) establishment and the subsequent Work From Office (WFO) policy on the Association of Indonesian Researchers (PPI). The research aims to evaluate these impacts and propose an adaptive institutional revitalization model. Employing a mixed-methods approach, a total of 150 online questionnaires were distributed across 21 regional branches of PPI between February and March 2025. Of these, 87 were completed and valid for analysis, representing a 58% response rate. Findings reveal that the WFO policy has led to a significant decline in member participation, coordination difficulties across regions, and weakened collaboration with local partners such as regional governments and universities. A SWOT analysis of three revitalization options—full agglomeration, bounded agglomeration, and non-BRIN integration—identified a hybrid model as the most adaptive and widely supported alternative (41.5%). This hybrid model combines selective structural efficiency with inclusive membership expansion, aiming to preserve regional identity, enhance collaboration, and strengthen organizational legitimacy. The study offers key insights for developing adaptive governance frameworks rooted in epistemic justice, digital accountability, and cross-sectoral collaboration, applicable to professional organizations navigating decentralization and institutional disruption. The proposed hybrid model serves as a strategic reference for achieving organizational resilience and fostering a more inclusive national innovation ecosystem. Full article