Search Results (453)

Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) subsidies have become an important policy instrument for improving energy affordability, reducing energy poverty, and supporting economic activities among vulnerable populations in Indonesia. However, the long-term sustainability of LPG subsidy policies remains a subject of debate due to concerns regarding fiscal burdens, governance challenges, and environmental impacts. This study aims to assess the sustainability of LPG subsidy policies through a case study in Cirebon City, West Java, Indonesia, using the Triple Bottom Line framework that integrates social, economic, and environmental dimensions. A qualitative case study approach was employed, utilizing semi-structured interviews, Focus Group Discussions (FGDs), field observations, and document analysis involving key stakeholders, including government agencies, Pertamina, LPG distributors, micro-enterprises, and household beneficiaries. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis. The findings indicate that LPG subsidies contribute positively to social sustainability by improving energy access, reducing household energy expenditures, and enhancing social welfare. The policy also supports economic sustainability through increased purchasing power, improved productivity of micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs), and local economic resilience. From an environmental perspective, LPG subsidies help reduce dependence on traditional fuels such as firewood and kerosene, thereby contributing to cleaner household energy use and indirectly supporting forest conservation. The study identifies significant challenges related to mistargeting, distribution leakages, fiscal pressures, and continued dependence on fossil fuels, which may hinder long-term sustainability and energy transition efforts. The findings suggest that LPG should be positioned as a transition fuel rather than a permanent energy solution. Strengthening subsidy-targeting mechanisms, improving digital governance systems, enhancing fiscal efficiency, and gradually promoting renewable energy adoption are essential to support sustainable energy governance and the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This study contributes to the literature by providing an integrated sustainability assessment of LPG subsidy policies within the context of developing countries. Full article

Chemical green growth removers designed to control algae, which are classified as biocidal products, are used in open-air environments and, in some cases, over large areas such as roofs, façades, fences, or pavements, and can have adverse environmental effects. To minimise the use of green growth removers, users must have access to information on appropriate non-chemical alternatives against the target organisms. In this study, the authors developed an efficacy test for non-chemical green growth removal methods using a high-pressure cleaner with cold and hot water. After determining a dose-response curve concerning the efficacy of high water temperature on green growth control, naturally infested surfaces of a wooden fence and sandstone were treated with different water pressures and temperatures: 15 and 70 °C for both surfaces, 60, 70, 90, and 100 bar for the wooden fence, and 120 and 170 bar for sandstone. The results after six months showed that all treatments on the wooden fence remained highly effective (>96%). The efficacy of the treatments on the sandstone was lower, with the highest efficacy of 90% achieved with cold (15 °C) water and a water pressure of 170 bar. In summary, the methods used demonstrated high efficacy, constituting a sustainable alternative for algaecides. The regreening after six months remained low if thorough removal of the green growth was ensured. Full article

In this study, an efficient and eco-friendly chitosan/Fe₃O₄/bentonite (Ch-Fe₃O₄-Bent) ternary hybrid adsorbent scaffold is developed for the efficient removal and recovery of Th(IV) from contaminated water, facilitating sustainable environmental remediation. The developed scaffold promotes circular economy principles through the recovery of valuable actinide resources while reducing secondary waste generation and mitigating the environmental impacts associated with radioactive wastewater. The crucial radioactive thorium has drawn a lot of attention, and many substances used in numerous industrial operations are thorium isotopes. This paper describes the synthesis of a chitosan hybrid scaffold for thorium adsorption purposes. Many characterization methods were performed on the fabricated scaffold. Removal of thorium (IV) from aqueous media using a Ch-Fe₃O₄-Bent ternary scaffold was comprehensively investigated through batch experiments under different operational parameters. Thorium adsorption was evaluated as a function of contact time, solution pH, initial thorium concentration, and temperature. The adsorption data were fitted to nonlinear Langmuir, Freundlich, and Temkin isotherm models to evaluate the material’s thorium removal capacity. Among the isotherm models tested, the Langmuir model provided the best fit for thorium adsorption (R² = 0.88039), while the kinetic data followed the pseudo-second-order model (R² = 0.99322, q_e = 199.61407 mg/g). Based on the nonlinear Langmuir isotherm, the chitosan scaffold composite exhibited a maximum removal capacity (q_max) of 204.80984 mg/g. The thermodynamic feasibility of the adsorption process was evaluated, and the results confirm that the chitosan scaffold serves as a highly effective sorbent for the recovery and adsorption of Th(IV) ions from aquatic environments. Furthermore, this chitosan scaffold can be used to remove radioactive Th(IV) from surface water, seawater, and wastewater generated by nuclear fuel production technologies, mining operations, and laboratories handling radioactive materials. Temperature-dependent studies showed that Th(IV) adsorption occurs spontaneously at room temperature and becomes more favorable at elevated temperatures, indicating an endothermic process. Additionally, the fast adsorption kinetics of Th(IV) onto the chitosan scaffold render it highly attractive for the scale-up of thorium extraction. Overall, the findings highlight the potential of the developed chitosan scaffold as an environmentally sustainable and cost-efficient adsorbent for radioactive wastewater treatment, contributing to cleaner production, efficient resource utilization, environmental conservation, and the advancement of sustainable nuclear technologies. Full article

China’s transition from rapid growth to high-quality development requires pharmaceutical manufacturing to pursue productivity gains that are both innovation-driven and sustainable. New quality productive forces (NQPF)—characterized by technological innovation, optimized factor allocation, and industrial upgrading—offer a pathway toward this goal by linking efficiency improvement with resource efficiency and cleaner production. Using panel data from A-share-listed pharmaceutical manufacturing firms during 2017–2024, this study constructs a multidimensional firm-level NQPF index and employs a two-way fixed-effects model to examine its impact on total factor productivity (TFP), together with the mediating role of innovation quality and the moderating effect of R&D intensity. The results show that NQPF significantly improves enterprise TFP, with stronger effects among large-scale firms and those in eastern and western China. Innovation quality serves as an important transmission mechanism, while R&D intensity positively moderates the NQPF–TFP relationship; these findings are confirmed by a series of robustness checks. The study contributes to the literature by identifying firm-level transmission mechanisms and boundary conditions in the pharmaceutical industry, rather than treating NQPF as a macro-level concept or a direct productivity driver. From a sustainable-development perspective, these findings suggest that NQPF-driven productivity gains are consistent with, and may lay the foundation for, the sustainable transformation of pharmaceutical firms: higher TFP implies more efficient use of knowledge and material resources, and the innovation-quality mechanism indicates that NQPF encourage firms to move toward original and technologically advanced innovation—an essential condition for cleaner production and green technological upgrading. In this sense, high-quality innovation and R&D investment are not merely efficiency-enhancing factors but also potential enablers of sustainable industrial development. Because TFP is used as the outcome variable, however, the environmental and social dimensions of sustainable development are not directly estimated and remain an avenue for future research. The findings offer differentiated policy implications for pharmaceutical firms of different sizes and regions, emphasizing that strengthening NQPF and promoting high-quality innovation are critical for balancing efficiency gains with long-term sustainability in the pharmaceutical sector. Full article

Polymer aerogels have attracted increasing attention as lightweight porous materials for thermal insulation, separation, adsorption, remediation, and other environmental applications. Their low density and tunable surface chemistry also make them suitable for converting renewable, recycled, and waste-derived feedstocks into value-added materials. However, their overall sustainability remains difficult to assess because most studies focus on material properties, whereas solvent use, drying energy, processing yield, durability, regeneration, and end-of-life pathways are reported less consistently. This review examines sustainable polymer aerogels from the perspectives of cleaner production and waste valorization and focuses on two main features. First, a unified multiscale framework of structure, formation, and performance links network formation mechanisms, pore architecture, and macroscopic behavior across biomass-derived, thermoset, dynamic covalent, hybrid, and recycled polymer aerogels, which are compared in terms of feedstock origin, processing intensity, functional performance, durability, and circularity. Second, structure–property mapping is combined with sustainability-constrained, AI-guided design, with environmental descriptors treated as optimization objectives from the outset rather than as post hoc justifications. Particular attention is given to waste and secondary resources, including agricultural residues, textile waste, paper waste, recycled poly(ethylene terephthalate), and end-of-life tire fibers. The review also discusses how life-cycle assessment, service-based functional units, and minimum reporting standards can help assess whether sustainability claims are supported by measurable environmental benefits. Several recurring limitations emerge from the literature: sustainability is often discussed only qualitatively, processing data are insufficient to support robust life-cycle assessments, solvent exchange and drying remain major environmental hotspots, and circularity claims frequently conflate bio-based content, biodegradability, recyclability, and reusability. Finally, the review discusses how data-driven tools, including literature mining, machine learning, and multi-objective optimization, can support polymer-aerogel design when environmental descriptors are included from the beginning of materials development. The review also proposes a reporting and design roadmap for future work toward polymer aerogels that combine useful performance with lower resource intensity and credible end-of-life value retention. Full article

The increasing demand for cleaner and more efficient energy systems has intensified interest in evaluating the thermodynamic performance of alternative gaseous fuels. This study investigates the exergy distribution of methane, ethane, propane, and two shale gas compositions in a steady-flow adiabatic combustion chamber to assess their thermodynamic and environmental performance. A first- and second-law thermodynamic analysis was conducted under steady-state and adiabatic conditions. Chemical and physical exergy balances were established for each fuel, and exergy destruction, exergy efficiency, and ecological efficiency were determined based on combustion products and operating conditions. The results indicate that fuel composition significantly influences exergy distribution and system performance. Among the fuels considered, shale gas mixtures exhibited competitive thermodynamic characteristics, while variations in hydrocarbon composition affected exergy destruction and combustion efficiency. The ecological efficiency analysis further demonstrated differences in the environmental performance of the investigated fuels, highlighting the potential advantages of specific shale gas compositions under identical operating conditions. These findings provide a comprehensive comparison of conventional gaseous fuels and shale gas mixtures from an exergy perspective and contribute to a better understanding of fuel selection for sustainable combustion systems. The presented approach may also serve as a useful framework for future studies on the thermodynamic optimization of combustion processes. Full article

This work investigates the potential benefits of using bio-briquettes made from organic waste as an alternative source of fuel in sub-Saharan Africa. Over 80 million tons of organic waste are generated annually in the region. Our pilot case study in Zimbabwe processed mixed feedstocks sawdust, rice husks, groundnut shells, and bagasse using optimized parameters: drying at 105 °C to <8% moisture, particle size reduction to <5 mm, slow pyrolysis at 400 °C, 10% molasses binder, and 200 MPa compaction pressure. This process demonstrated an 85% mass conversion efficiency from raw feedstock to final bio-briquettes. The produced bio-briquettes exhibited calorific values of 20–25 MJ/kg, moisture content of <8%, an ash content of 2–4%, a bulk density of 600–800 kg/m³, and a sulfur content of <0.1%, as determined through standard proximate and ultimate analyses (ASTM standards). Techno-economic analysis revealed a production cost of US $45 per ton. Compared to traditional coal and charcoal, these bio-briquettes reduce sulfur emissions by over 60%, and ash waste by up to 80% and mitigate 2.5 tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (tCO₂e) per ton of fuel displaced, while maintaining a near carbon-neutral lifecycle. This study confirms that valorizing organic waste into bio-briquettes provides a cleaner, economically viable alternative to fossil fuels, contributing to climate change mitigation, improved waste management, and sustainable development across the region. Full article

The integration of artificial intelligence (AI), the Internet of Things (IoT), and blockchain may provide a viable approach to tackle persistent operational and informational challenges in cleaner production. This conceptual review synthesizes existing literature and presents an integrated AI-IoT-blockchain framework mapped across the four sequential stages of cleaner production: source reduction, process control, end-of-pipe treatment and recycling, and full-chain traceability. The literature indicates that IoT enables real-time sensing, AI drives predictive and prescriptive analytics, and blockchain ensures tamper-proof record-keeping and stakeholder trust. Together, these technologies may help address long-standing barriers including fragmented data, delayed responses, and a lack of verifiability. Despite challenges such as high costs, technical fragmentation, and organizational resistance, several emerging strategies have been proposed in the literature to address these challenges. These include modular deployment, federated learning, permissioned blockchains, and regulatory sandboxes. The framework’s underlying architecture appears transferable across sectors, subject to industry-specific adaptation, supporting sustainable manufacturing, the circular economy, and low-carbon development. Full article

The sustainability of livestock production currently faces a challenge due to the need to meet a growing demand for animal protein while simultaneously addressing the urgent need to reduce its environmental footprint. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of Musa spp. waste fodder on ruminal fermentation and mitigation of gas, CH₄ and CO₂ production in vitro. Waste forage (leaves) was collected immediately after harvesting the fruit of Musa acuminata, Musa balbisiana, and Musa paradisiaca (six production farms were selected for each Musa spp.; 20 kg of fresh forage was collected from each farm). A completely randomized design was used, with three treatments (M. acuminata, M. balbisiana, and M. paradisiaca) and six repetitions (production farms). The digestibility of dry matter (DM) and organic matter (OM) was higher (p = 0.0001) in the waste forage of M. balbisiana (399.3 and 438.6 g/kg, respectively) compared to the other forages evaluated. In the volatile fatty acids, no differences were observed (p > 0.05). Gas production was lower (p < 0.0001) in M. acuminata and M. balbisiana. However, CH₄ production was lower (p < 0.0001) only in M. acuminata. Regarding CO₂ production, it was lower (p < 0.0001) in M. acuminata and M. balbisiana. In conclusion, Musa spp. fodder can be used for ruminant feed due to its high protein content, which in tropical and subtropical regions can be higher than that of many grasses. However, its recommendation and strategic utility for the mitigation of greenhouse gases must be distinguished according to the mitigation objective, since M. balbisiana optimizes the reduction in total gas and CO₂, while M. acuminata does so with CH₄, seeking to maximize the sustainability of livestock production systems, promoting the development of cleaner and more resilient agriculture. Full article

The biosynthesis of copper and copper oxide nanoparticles (Cu/CuO-NPs) has attracted considerable interest due to its non-toxic, eco-friendly nature and wide-ranging applications, especially in nanomedicine and biomedical fields. Traditional nanoparticle production methods often involve toxic chemicals and generate harmful byproducts. In contrast, biological synthesis provides a cleaner, safer, more cost-effective, and sustainable alternative. Various biological sources, including plants, bacteria, fungi, and yeast, have been employed for the efficient and non-toxic production of Cu/CuO-NPs. These organisms contain diverse biomolecules such as enzymes, proteins, amino acids, vitamins, flavonoids, and alkaloids that function as reducing, capping, and stabilizing agents during nanoparticle formation. The biologically synthesized Cu/CuO-NPs are characterized using UV-VIS spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, TEM, SEM, EDX, XRD, TGA, XPS, FTIR, DLS, zeta potential analyzer, etc. Cu/CuO-NPs hold promise for applications in nanomedicine, primarily because of their strong antimicrobial and anticancer activities and potential use as disinfectants against infectious diseases. Various reports have suggested that the biologically synthesized Cu/CuO-NPs have exhibited significant antimicrobial and anticancer efficacies against pathogenic bacteria, fungi and viruses and various cancer cells. Due to their nanoscale dimensions and extensive surface area, Cu/CuO nanoparticles can readily infiltrate cell walls, disrupt membrane integrity, generate reactive oxygen species, and hinder both DNA replication and protein production, leading to cell death. The present review comprehensively describes the biological synthesis of Cu/CuO-NPs, their characterization techniques, and potential antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral, and anticancer applications. The modes of action for antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral, and anticancer properties have also been explored critically. Full article

Digital financial inclusion (DFI) serves as a key catalyst for corporate green transition, primarily by easing financing barriers to low-carbon investment and supporting emission abatement efforts. Leveraging a panel dataset of Chinese A-share firms from 2013 to 2023, this paper investigates how DFI influences CO₂ emissions and identifies the underlying channels. We find a significant negative correlation between access to DFI and CO₂ emissions, with the effect exhibiting pronounced regional heterogeneity, being significant primarily among firms located in eastern China, as well as large-scale enterprises and those in the public services and manufacturing sectors. Mediation tests indicate that this reduction operates through three interrelated pathways: accelerated green technological upgrading, strengthened environmental responsibility, and relaxed credit constraints for sustainability-oriented projects. Further analysis confirms that DFI fosters green transformation by encouraging cleaner production methods and promoting innovation in eco-friendly technologies. Accordingly, we recommend targeted policy interventions, differentiated by firm size and industry, to scale up DFI for corporate decarbonization, complemented by institutional reforms to ensure effective implementation. Full article

The transition towards the circular economy and improved environmental management is a major challenge for manufacturing SMEs under growing pressures for resource efficiency, waste reduction and industrial sustainability. Although circular economy, environmental management, digitalization and artificial intelligence are widely discussed, they are often treated separately and rarely integrated into maturity-assessment frameworks. This article proposes CEEMMI—Circular Economy and Environmental Management Maturity Index—a digital- and AI-oriented diagnostic framework with a multi-criteria structure for manufacturing SMEs. CEEMMI integrates eight dimensions covering circular strategy, eco-design, resource efficiency, life cycle management, circular supply chains, digitalization and AI, organizational capabilities and sustainable performance. In its current version, the model is operationalized as an equal-weighted additive index for preliminary self-assessment, pending future content-validity testing and expert-derived weighting. The framework supports five-level maturity classification, profile-based interpretation, compensability safeguards and illustrative sensitivity analysis, offering a reproducible basis for diagnosis, decision support and future empirical validation. Full article

Anthropogenic air pollution represents a significant threat to both environmental and human health, with nitrogen oxides (NO_x) playing a substantial role in the formation of photochemical smog, acid rain, eutrophication, and respiratory diseases. In Bangladesh, NO_x emissions primarily originate from combustion sources such as road transportation, power generation, and industrial activities, while natural sources include lightning, wildfires, and soil emissions. Furthermore, ammonia emissions from fertilizers and livestock exacerbate air quality issues in both urban and rural settings. Despite the acknowledgment of vehicular and industrial contributions, comprehensive and systematic assessments of NO₂ trends across the nation remain scarce. This study presents a complementary, side-by-side assessment of ground-based NO₂ measurements from the Department of Environment (DoE) with atmospheric NO₂ retrieved from the Sentinel-5P TROPOMI Level-3 product via Google Earth Engine (GEE). Spatial distribution patterns of both ground-level and atmospheric NO₂ were analyzed using ArcGIS Pro, along with seasonal and interannual trend assessments from 2018 to 2024. Results indicated pronounced spatial and temporal variability in NO₂ concentrations. The highest levels were consistently recorded over Dhaka and surrounding industrial zones, with moderate accumulation in Chattogram. Winter months (December–February) exhibited hazardous concentrations, with a national maximum of 205.21 µg/m³, while monsoon periods recorded the lowest levels overall, as reflected in its seasonal mean (see below). Seasonal averages indicated the highest concentrations in winter (35.03 µg/m³), followed by pre-monsoon (29.16 µg/m³), with monsoon recording the lowest seasonal mean (19.94 µg/m³). Long-term analysis showed the highest national annual mean NO₂ con-centration in 2018 (44.32 µg/m³), decreasing to 14.81 µg/m³ by 2024, with non-monotonic year-to-year fluctuation in the intervening period (2020–2021 data were unavailable). These findings underscore the necessity for stricter emission regulations and targeted mitigation measures. As a policy recommendation, this may include the implementation of NO_x-selective catalytic reduction (SCR) using NH₃ over metal oxide and zeolite catalysts. This study provides evidence-based insights to support cleaner air initiatives and sustainable environmental management strategies in Bangladesh. Full article

This study investigates the relationship between economic growth, trade openness, energy intensity, and carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions in South Africa within the Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) framework over the period 1970–2022. Using quarterly time series data and the Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) modelling approach, the study examines both the short-term and long-term dynamics between economic activity and environmental degradation. Descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, unit root tests, ARDL bounds testing, error-correction modelling, Granger causality analysis, and diagnostic tests were employed to ensure robust empirical results. The Augmented Dickey–Fuller (ADF) and Phillips–Perron (PP) tests indicate that all variables are integrated of order one, I(1), thereby satisfying the conditions for ARDL estimation. The ARDL bounds test confirms the existence of a long-term cointegrating relationship among carbon emissions, economic growth, trade openness, and energy intensity. The long-term results reveal a statistically significant negative coefficient for economic growth and a positive coefficient for the squared income term, indicating a U-shaped relationship between income and carbon emissions. Consequently, the conventional Environmental Kuznets Curve hypothesis is not supported for South Africa. The findings suggest that economic growth initially reduces environmental degradation; however, beyond a certain income threshold, further economic expansion increases carbon emissions. Trade openness and energy intensity exert positive and statistically significant effects on carbon emissions in the long run, implying that increased integration into global markets and continued dependence on energy-intensive production contribute to environmental degradation. The Error-Correction Model (ECM) reveals a negative and highly significant adjustment coefficient (−0.928), indicating that approximately 92.8% of short-term disequilibrium is corrected within one period. Granger causality results further show a unidirectional causal relationship running from trade openness to carbon emissions, while no significant causal relationship is found between economic growth and carbon emissions. The study concludes that economic growth alone is insufficient to achieve environmental sustainability in South Africa. Policy efforts should therefore focus on promoting renewable energy adoption, improving energy efficiency, strengthening environmental regulations, encouraging cleaner production technologies, and integrating environmental considerations into trade and industrial policies. These measures are essential for achieving sustainable economic development while meeting national climate-change-mitigation objectives. Full article

The escalating demand for sustainable metallurgical practices necessitates innovative approaches to manganese production. The smelting–aluminothermic reduction of hydrogen pre-reduced manganese ores in a direct current (DC) arc furnace offers a resilient and sustainable trajectory for optimizing manganese recovery efficiencies while minimizing waste generation under low-carbon operating conditions. This study presents a comparison of smelting–aluminothermic reduction of two Mn ores pre-reduced with hydrogen using two distinct approaches, namely, a packed-bed vertical retort and a plasma rotary furnace. A 200 kW DC arc furnace was used for smelting. The scope of this assessment integrates technical, environmental, and operational metrics of smelting–aluminothermic reduction. For partial process energy estimation, the considered metrics are power stability metrics, specific energy requirement, and load factor/power-on time. The metrics considered for material are reductant efficiency, elemental accountability, elemental recovery, elemental deportment, and slag-to-metal ratio. For process sustainability, refractory and electrode consumption were considered. The environmental indicators considered include CO₂-equivalent emissions per ton of product, dust and particulate emissions, NO_x/SO_x emissions. This research provides critical insights into the viability and environmental advantages of hydrogen pre-reduction coupled with smelting–aluminothermic reduction for cleaner manganese production. Full article