Search Results (83)

This study aims to evaluate eco-innovative solutions in the fertilizer industry that allow for waste valorization in the context of a resource-efficient circular economy. A comprehensive reuse strategy was developed for low-rank peat and post-cultivation horticultural mineral wool, involving the extraction of valuable humic substances from peat and residual nutrients from used mineral wool, followed by the use of both post-extraction residues to produce organic–mineral substrates. The resulting products/semifinished products were characterized in terms of their composition and properties, which met the requirements necessary to obtain the admission of this type of product to the market in accordance with the Regulation of the Minister for Agriculture and Rural Development of 18 June 2008 on the implementation of certain provisions of the Act on fertilizers and fertilization (Journal of Laws No 119, item 765). Elemental analysis, FTIR spectroscopy, and solid-state CP-MAS ¹³C NMR spectroscopy suggest that post-extraction peat has a relatively condensed structure with a high C content (47.4%) and a reduced O/C atomic ratio and is rich in alkyl-like matter (63.2%) but devoid of some functional groups in favor of extracted fulvic acids. Therefore, it remains a valuable organic biowaste, which, in combination with post-extraction waste mineral wool in a ratio of 60:40 and possibly the addition of mineral nutrients, allows us to obtain a completely new substrate with a bulk density of 264 g/m³, a salinity of 7.8 g/dm³ and a pH of 5.3, with an appropriate content of heavy metals and with no impurities, meeting the requirements of this type of product. A liquid fertilizer based on an extract containing previously recovered nutrients also meets the criteria in terms of quality and content of impurities and can potentially be used as a fertilizing product suitable for agricultural crops. This study demonstrates a feasible pathway for transforming specific waste streams into valuable agricultural inputs, contributing to environmental protection and sustainable production. The production of a new liquid fertilizer using nutrients recovered from post-cultivation mineral wool and the preparation of an organic–mineral substrate using post-extraction solid residue is a rational strategy for recycling hard-to-biodegrade end-of-life products. Full article

Against the backdrop of the accelerated transition to sustainable development in global emerging markets, the synergistic mechanism between environmental governance innovation and corporate green transformation has become a key issue in realizing high-quality development. As the world’s largest emerging economy, China’s new Environmental Protection Law (EPL), implemented in 2015, has promoted green technology innovation and performance improvement of heavily polluting enterprises by strengthening environmental regulation. This paper takes Chinese A-share listed companies as samples from 2012–2023, treats the EPL as a quasi-natural experiment, and applies the DID method to explore the path of its impact on the performance of heavily polluting firms, with a focus on analyzing the mediating effect of green technological innovation and the moderating role of firm size and regional differences. The study revealed the following findings: the implementation of the EPL significantly improves the performance of heavily polluting enterprises, which verifies the applicability of “Porter’s hypothesis” in emerging markets; green technological innovation plays a partly intermediary role in the process of policy affecting enterprise performance, indicating that environmental regulation achieves win–win economic and environmental benefits by driving the innovation compensation mechanism; and there is significant heterogeneity in policy effects, with large-scale firms and firms in the eastern region experiencing more pronounced performance improvements, reflecting differences in resource endowments and institutional implementation strength within emerging markets. This study provides empirical evidence for emerging market countries to optimize their environmental governance policies and construct a “regulation–innovation–performance” synergistic mechanism, which will help green economic transformation and ecological civilization construction. Full article

The Arctic region is rich in oil and gas resources and has great potential for development. It has become a new hot spot for international development. However, the harsh climatic and geological conditions and fragile ecosystems in the Arctic region put forward stringent technical requirements for oil and gas development. Polar permafrost has an impact on the growth of plant roots and the absorption of water. When drilling activities are carried out, the permafrost layer may be broken, resulting in the erosion of polar soil and disorder of the water balance, thus affecting local vegetation and ecosystems. Moreover, the legal system of polar environmental protection is lacking, and it is necessary to form a perfect risk assessment method to improve the relevant laws and regulations. Therefore, it is very important to study the environmental risk identification technology for polar drilling. For polar drilling, it is necessary to establish a risk source classification and identification method for environmental pollution events. However, at present, it mainly faces the following challenges: poor polar environment, lack of monitoring data, and lack of a legal system for polar environmental protection. By systematically discussing risk identification technology, the application and applicable models of different types of risk evaluation methods are categorized and summarized, the advantages and disadvantages of different types of risk evaluation methods and their application effects are analyzed based on the unique environment of the polar regions, and then the development direction of the future environmental risk identification technology for polar drilling is proposed. In order to accelerate the development of polar drilling environmental risk identification technology, research should be focused on the following three aspects: ① Promoting the multi-dimensional integration of polar drilling environmental pollution index data, to make up for the short board of less relevant data in the polar region. ② Combining the machine modeling algorithm with risk evaluation of polar drilling environmental pollution to improve the scientificity and accuracy of the evaluation results. ③ Establishing a scientific and accurate polar drilling environmental pollution risk identification system to reduce pollution risk. Full article

The transfer of development rights (TDR) is a legal instrument, introduced in 1961, that allows transferring of development rights from a land parcel where restrictions are imposed (sending parcel) to another land parcel (receiving parcel). TDRs aim to ensure environmental and cultural heritage protection with respect to the rights of individual land parcel owners, thus constituting a high impact tool in sustainability and urban planning. Although extensive research has been applied in defining development rights’ transfer zones (RTZ), mainly in the proximity of the sending parcels, limited is the research on defining this “proximity”. This research examines the process of identifying the areas that can host RTZs, using as a case study the implementation of TDR in Greece. Greek TDR legislation was challenged by the Hellenic Council of the State as non-conformant to the principles of rational urban and spatial development, thus requiring the identification of the areas that can host rights’ transfer zones. In order to align with the Council’s decisions, the Ministry of Environment and Energy introduced Law 4759/2020 along with Technical Requirements for the delineation of development rights’ transfer zones. Given that restrictions on the transfer of development rights do not exist in all municipalities in Greece, multi-criteria analysis was used to propose municipal units where studies on development rights’ transfer zones (RTZs) could be conducted, based on the number of sending parcels, geographic and urban planning requirements, and funding limitations. The analysis resulted in 83 municipal units, covering about 75% of the country’s need for development rights’ transfer. The deployment of RTZ studies in the selected areas would benefit the owners of the restricted land parcels (where existing TDR titles are currently inactive or where new ones cannot be issued) and assist urban space management. Full article

The Boronia Ridge palusmont, Walpole, in southern Western Australia, is situated in the most humid part of the State. It was a unique hilltop wetland complex and the only one of its type in the State. On its margins, the area also supports the ancient sedge Reedia spathacea, a Gondwanan relict endemic to humid southern Western Australia and the Walpole region and a plant that was ultimately recognised as being of national significance and protected under Australia’s strongest conservation law, the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Act (1999). However, prior to the geoheritage and biodiversity values of the area being known, in the late 1980s, a pristine scenic area west of Walpole, adjacent to the Walpole River and Walpole Inlet, classified as a Class A national park, was earmarked for urban development, in spite of there being “very little demonstrated requirement for land in Walpole”. This appeared to be as a result of poor land-use planning, since the urbanisation proposed was to be located on the Walpole River delta and wetlands. Urban infrastructures would also impact on adjoining wetlands and the Walpole Inlet System. With new information available in relation to the soils, wetlands, and environmental values of the area, in 1993, community groups and scientists combined, at a public Local Government meeting, to demonstrate that the proposed urban development, referred to as Lot 650, and later Boronia Ridge, with its above-land surface wastewater treatment, was inappropriate, both from an engineering perspective and due to the high conservation values of the area. With the support of the local government of the day and expert scientists who confirmed local concerns, the community engaged in a 7-year conflict with the development proponent, government agencies involved in decision making, and politicians of the day. Ultimately, the use of state-of-the-art science and traditional geomorphic, stratigraphic, hydrological, and geoheritage principles failed to prevent the urbanisation of the area in favour of preserving the whole area as a wetland complex. The following three reasons for this failure are identified: 1. political, rather than science-based decision making, 2. government agencies staffed without the necessary training in biological or earth sciences to make informed decisions, and 3. little attention to environmental concerns due to a bias towards development. Walpole, with its population of 400, moved from a low priority on the wastewater treatment priority list in Western Australia to a high priority on the deep sewerage priority list to accommodate a proposed residential development. Full article

Environmental accounting information disclosure is crucial for heavily polluting enterprises to strengthen environmental governance and realize sustainable development. However, some enterprises still suffer from weak disclosure awareness and low disclosure quality. Therefore, improving the quality of environmental accounting information disclosure in the digital era has become an urgent task to achieve China’s goal of a green and low-carbon economy. Using data from Shanghai and Shenzhen A-share listed companies in China’s polluting industries from 2013 to 2022, this study explores the impact and channels of influence of digital transformation and environmental accounting information disclosure. It has been found that digital transformation significantly impacts the quality of environmental accounting information disclosure. Further, based on the dual perspectives of internal empowerment and external monitoring, digital transformation improves environmental accounting information disclosure by promoting executive compensation incentives and enhancing analyst attention. Furthermore, the positive impact of digital transformation on environmental accounting information disclosure is more pronounced with the implementation of new environmental protection laws, high-quality audits and a high level of digital transformation, and non-state-owned enterprises. The findings provide theoretical support for the government to improve the environmental accounting information disclosure system and provide valuable policy insights to promote digitalization and green, low-carbon transformation paths for heavily polluting enterprises. Full article

This paper critically examines Brazil’s legislative framework for pesticide waste management, highlighting recent advancements and persistent challenges. The introduction of Law 14785/2023 marks a pivotal shift in pesticide regulation, streamlining registration processes and enhancing safety measures. This law consolidates various aspects of pesticide management, from research to disposal, aiming for more efficient oversight. Complementary to this, foundational laws such as the Federal Constitution (1988), Law 6938/1981 (National Environmental Policy), Law 12651/2012 (New Forest Code), and Law 13123/2015 (Biodiversity Law) establish broad guidelines for environmental protection and the sustainable use of resources. Specific regulations, including the Environmental Crimes Act (Law 9605/1998) and CONAMA Resolutions No. 465/2014 and No. 420/2009, address critical aspects of pesticide waste, focusing on proper disposal and soil quality management. Despite these advancements, challenges persist in the effective implementation of these laws. Inadequate monitoring systems and limited stakeholder awareness hinder regulatory enforcement. Strategic recommendations to address these issues include enhancing monitoring technologies, strengthening educational initiatives, fostering stakeholder collaboration, and adapting legislation to keep pace with technological advancements. A robust pesticide waste management system is essential for ensuring long-term sustainability in agricultural production. Inefficient disposal practices can contaminate soil and water, posing risks to biodiversity and public health. By reinforcing regulatory enforcement and integrating sustainable waste management strategies, Brazil can mitigate the environmental impact of pesticide use while promoting safer agricultural practices. The ongoing evolution of legislation reflects a commitment to sustainability; however, continuous efforts are necessary to fully realize these goals and align agricultural development with environmental conservation. Full article

This paper examines the influence of green innovation on the sustainable development performance of Chinese companies listed on the Shanghai and Shenzhen A-shares market between 2010 and 2021. Utilizing manually collected green innovation patent data from the National Intellectual Property Administration, this paper finds that green innovation can enhance corporate sustainable development performance by improving the corporation’s reputation and increasing resource utilization efficiency within metropolitan areas. Heterogeneity analyses show that the impact of green innovation on sustainable development performance is more pronounced when the urban commercial credit environment is better, following the enactment of the new Environmental Protection Law, and during the implementation of digital transformation processes in cities. This paper enriches the research related to the economic consequences of green innovation and the influencing factors of sustainable development performance, offering theoretical support for policy refinement by regulatory authorities and the optimization of investment decisions by investors. Full article

This study aims to explore the practice of Christian ocean stewardship on Taiwan’s marine wind farm policy, with a particular focus on the critically endangered Taiwanese humpback dolphins (Sousa chinensis taiwanensis). Marine wind farms, while integral to the shift toward renewable energy, present complex ethical challenges due to their adverse environmental impacts—particularly noise pollution, which poses a serious threat to vulnerable marine species. International laws have underscored the importance of preventing marine noise pollution. Although Taiwan has relevant laws and policies, their implementation and supervision in preventing marine noise pollution are inadequate. This study critically examines the anthropocentric frameworks that currently dominate Taiwan’s marine development policies, arguing that they inadequately address the moral obligations humans have toward the broader ecosystem. Through a theological reflection grounded in Christian stewardship ethics, this research advocates for a shift away from human-centered environmental policies towards a more holistic ethic that acknowledges the intrinsic value of all creation. It emphasizes that ethical stewardship requires not merely reducing harm but actively participating in the restoration and protection of ecosystems, thus extending beyond utilitarian considerations of human benefit. The plight of the Taiwanese humpback dolphin serves as a case study for exploring these ethical tensions, highlighting how the energy transition can inadvertently contribute to biodiversity loss if not approached with caution and moral responsibility. Building on this, this study proposed four key principles to guide future marine development. These principles advocate for respecting nature, responsible management, continuous innovation, and social participation and transparency. This approach not only helps guide Taiwan’s marine policies but also provides new perspectives and practical approaches for applying Christian ethics in the field of marine environmental protection. Full article

This study investigated the impact of China’s new environmental protection law on the greenwashing of A-share listed companies. By employing the difference-in-differences (DID) method, this study reveals that the EPL exerts a significant inhibitory effect on corporate greenwashing behavior. To ensure the robustness of the results, several tests are conducted, including parallel trend tests, placebo tests, and propensity score matching DID (PSM-DID), all of which confirm the reliability of the findings. This paper explores the influence mechanism of the EPL through constructing the institutional deterrence mechanism, cost effect mechanism, and financing constraint mechanism. It is found that the EPL has a more significant inhibitory effect on economically developed regions, non-high-tech industries, and non-state-owned enterprises. Finally, specific policy recommendations are put forward from macro and micro perspectives. Full article

ESG has gradually become a key indicator to measure the corporate sustainable development performance in various countries. More and more business managements are integrating sustainable development goals into corporate strategies. The board of directors is the strategy and decision maker of the enterprise and has the primary responsibility for ESG governance. The green governance of the board of directors is an important guaranteed mechanism to promote ESG performance. We use text analysis to identify environmental background directors (EBDs) and analyze the impact and mechanisms of EBDs on ESG performance, drawing on data from Chinese-listed companies between 2010 and 2022. The results indicate that EBDs significantly enhance overall corporate ESG performance at the 1% level. Specifically, EBDs significantly improve social (S) performance at the 1% level and environmental (E) and governance (G) performance at the 5% level. Mechanism analysis finds that EBDs enhance ESG performance by fostering management’s green awareness and promoting the enterprise’s green innovation. Heterogeneity analysis shows that EBDs have a greater impact on green governance in regions with weak environmental regulation, cleaning industries, and after the implementation of the New Environmental Protection Law. Our findings contribute to the literature on factors influencing ESG performance and green governance. They also provide novel empirical evidence supporting the selection and cultivation of directors with environmental backgrounds, enhancing board diversity and fostering corporate sustainable development. Full article

Light pollution has become an increasingly knotty environmental management problem, but little has been done to review and compare light pollution controls across the world. To address this research gap, a comparative review study has been undertaken. Among the light pollution laws of the most light-polluted regions, those pertaining to Shanghai, New York, Hong Kong, Seoul, London and Valletta were examined. We systematically evaluate the impact of legal systems, regulatory approaches and control parameters on light pollution regulation. The findings reveal that civil law jurisdictions, such as Shanghai and Seoul, typically adopt dedicated legislation while common law jurisdictions, like New York and London, often rely on bolt-on regulations to broader environmental laws. The study also finds that jurisdictions employing dedicated legislation and a metrics-based system offer a more comprehensive and preemptive solution to light pollution challenges. However, certain exceptions are noted, and the balance between regulatory certainty and flexibility is highlighted. The nuanced relationship between environmental protection and legal instruments is discussed, and the potential for unintended consequences of stringent regulation is acknowledged. The paper closes with a call for ongoing research and iterative regulatory reviews, emphasizing the need to incorporate scientific advancements and stakeholder interests into regulatory updates. Full article

A wind erosion instrument is a core instrument for collecting sand particles in wind and sand flows and studying the laws of wind and sand movement. To study the influence of the internal structure of the wind erosion instrument on its sand collection efficiency, a built-in louver separation device was designed. Based on CFD and Fluent 2022 software, numerical analysis was conducted using an RNG k-ε model, and the discrete phase model (DPM) method was used to calculate the sand collection efficiency. The flow field analysis of the new wind–sand separator was carried out. The influence of blade inclination angle, blade thickness, and blade number on sand collection efficiency was studied using single-factor and response surface analysis methods. The optimal parameter combination was obtained as blade inclination angle of 30°, blade thickness of 1.25 mm, and blade number of 10. A simulation model was established based on the optimal combination parameters, and the performance of the wind erosion instrument before and after the addition of the louver separation device was compared. The simulation results show that adding a louver separation device can increase static pressure, alleviate short-circuit flow and back-mixing phenomena, and stabilize the flow field; increasing tangential velocity leads to an increase in particle centrifugal force; reduce axial velocity, prolong particle stagnation time, and minimize particle escape. The particle trajectory pattern is mostly a continuous spiral path, which is conducive to capturing particles and improving sand collection efficiency. Compared with the original structure, for particles with diameters ranging from 0.001–0.05 mm, 0.005–0.01 mm, 0.01–0.05 mm, 0.05–0.1 mm, and 0.1–0.5 mm, the addition of a louver separation device increased the sand collection efficiency by 32.74%, 22.55%, 33.17%, 11.45%, and 0.13%, respectively. When the wind speed is 13.8 m/s and the diameter range is 0.001–0.5 mm, the average sand collection efficiency obtained from simulation tests and wind tunnel tests is 86.18% and 84.32%, respectively, with an error of 2.2%. The simulation results are reliable. The research results show that adding a louver separation device can improve the sand collection efficiency of the wind erosion instrument, and has better overall performance compared to the original wind–sand separator. This study provides a basis for further research on the structure of wind erosion gauges and the environmental protection of farmland. Strengthening land management can effectively protect soil resources, reduce wind erosion, ensure the stability of the ecosystem, and lay the foundation for promoting the sustainable use of land. Full article

According to conclusions agreed to in the 1995 Report of the World Summit for Social Development and the 2015 Sustainable Development Summit, seventeen sustainable development goals (SDGs) have been ratified and published as the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. In 2022, the 8th Environment Action Programme was legally agreed upon, following the six European Green Deal priorities. These SDGs serve as a constant reminder of the importance of globally coordinated actions in compliance with the theory of sustainable development. However, more than a constant reminder, this international agreement should become the foundation for necessary change. On 22 July 2024, the daily global average temperature reached a new record high. The EU treaties signed between 1951 and 2007 laid the foundation for the creation of EU environmental policy. However, those EU treaties, along with environmental policy, form merely a non-binding and minimum set of priorities without any sanctions imposed for illegal practices. In 2021, EU member countries adopted the European Climate Law as the first legally binding document seeking to achieve goals set by the Paris Agreement and the European Green Deal. Any further EU sustainable development policies are dependent on global cooperation as a key element of survival. With the EU’s dependent on the rest of the world for its energy, the forcing of any obligatory change will be hard to achieve. This proves the importance of the 17th SDG, agreed in 2015. Only global partnership for sustainable development can prevent further damage to our ecosystem and achieve priorities set by the EU and UN agendas. The review aims to present the connection between sustainable development (SD) goals defined by the European Commission, for which the most important aspects are the need to meet the environmental requirements to protect future needs in the long run, and to confront the shortcomings of European law-making practices, in which most crucial reforms are presented as non-binding legal acts. Finally, in 2024 members of the European Parliament established an extended list of environmental crimes to be regarded as punishable offences and replaced the Environmental Crime Directive, making criminal activities and offences potentially legally punishable; however, it is yet to be seen how this initiative will be incorporated within the national legislations of each EU member country and to what extent. Full article

Under traffic load, earthquake load, and wave load, saturated sand foundation is prone to liquefaction, and foundation reinforcement is the key measure to improve its stability and liquefaction resistance. Traditional foundation treatment methods have many problems, such as high cost, long construction period, and environmental pollution. As a new solidification method, enzyme-induced calcium carbonate precipitation (EICP) technology has the advantages of economy, environmental protection, and durability. Through a triaxial consolidated undrained shear test under cyclic loading, the impacts of confining pressure (σ₃), cementation number (P_c), cyclic stress ratio (CSR), initial dry density (ρ_d), and vibration frequency (f) on the development law of pore water pressure of EICP-solidified sand are analyzed and then a pore water pressure model suitable for EICP-solidified sand is established. The result shows that as σ₃ and CSR increase, the rise rate of pore water pressure of solidified sand gradually accelerates, and with a lower vibration number required for liquefaction, the anti-liquefaction ability of solidified sand gradually weakens. However, as P_c, ρ_d, and f rise, the increase rate of pore water pressure of solidified sand gradually lowers, the vibration number required for liquefaction increases correspondingly, and its liquefaction resistance gradually increases. The test results are highly consistent with the predictive results, which show that the three-parameter unified pore water pressure model is suitable for describing the development law of A-type and B-type pore water pressure of EICP-solidified sand at the same time. The study results provide essential reference value and scientific significance in guidance for preventing sand foundations from liquefying. Full article