Change Issues Research Articles

Economic complexity, greenfield investments, and energy innovation: policy implications for sustainable development goals in newly industrialised economies.

The crucial role of environmental assessment quality has been recognised by environmental and sustainable development goals in addressing climate change challenges. By focusing on the key identifier of environmental assessment, progress can be made towards overcoming climate change issues effectively. The current study considers environmental commitments under COP28 to study the role of economic complexity, greenfield investments, and energy innovation in environmental degradation in newly industrialised economies from 1995 to 2021. We employ novel panel estimations from CS-ARDL, CS-DL, AMG, and CCEMG to confirm that economic growth and greenfield investments degrade environmental quality. On the other hand, energy innovation and urbanisation improve environmental sustainability. Lastly, we confirm the EKC hypothesis for economic complexity as well. Given the reported empirical findings, the study suggests policymakers must focus on economic complexity to transform industrial sectors' economic potential. Furthermore, foreign investment projects must be linked with environmental goals to increase renewable energy capacity.

Between a Burden and Green Technology: Rishi Sunak’s Framing of Climate Change Discourse on Facebook and X (Twitter)

The issue of climate change has been one of the critical foci of political discourse worldwide (Wagner, 2023). Given that political debates and political discourse are quite often communicated on Social Networking Sites (SNSs), for instance Facebook and X (Araújo & Prior, 2021), it appears highly relevant to tap into political actors’ discourse on SNSs that addresses the issue of climate change. Guided by the importance of SNSs in political discourse on climate change, the present article introduces and discusses a study on how Rishi Sunak, the current prime minister of the United Kingdom (the UK), frames the issue of climate change on his official Facebook and X accounts. Specifically, the aim of the study was to identify the types of frames used in Sunak’s climate change discourse in a corpus of his posts on Facebook and X. The corpus was collected and analysed in accordance with the methodology proposed and developed by Entman (2007). The results of the analysis revealed that Sunak’s framing of climate change involved a pragmatic economy-oriented aspect, which was presented discursively by imparting it a personalised dimension that involved multimodality. In particular, it was discovered that Sunak frequently framed the issue of climate change via the frames Burden and Green Technology. The findings were discussed in conjunction with the prior research on framing in climate change discourse.

Navigating change: an exploration of socio-epistemic process of extending Wikidata ontology with new properties

PurposeThe paper addresses the issue of change in Wikidata ontology by exposing the role of the socio-epistemic processes that take place inside the infrastructure. The subject of the study was the process of extending the Wikidata ontology with a new property as an example of the interplay between the social and technical components of the Wikidata infrastructure.Design/methodology/approachIn this study, an interpretative approach to the evolution of the Wikidata ontology was used. The interpretation framework was a process-centric approach to changes in the Wikidata ontology. The extension of the Wikidata ontology with a new property was considered a socio-epistemic process where multiple agents interact for epistemic purposes. The decomposition of this process into three stages (initiation, knowledge work and closure) allowed us to reveal the role of the institutional structure of Wikidata in the evolution of its ontology.FindingsThis study has shown that the modification of the Wikidata ontology is an institutionalized process where community-accepted regulations and practices must be applied. These regulations come from the institutional structure of the Wikidata community, which sets the normative patterns for both the process and social roles and responsibilities of the involved agents.Originality/valueThe results of this study enhance our understanding of the evolution of the collaboratively developed Wikidata ontology by exposing the role of socio-epistemic processes, division of labor and normative patterns.

Assessing the Additional Benefits of Thailand’s Approaches to Reduce Motor Vehicle Emissions

Air pollutants and greenhouse gases (GHGs) represent major challenges in our era, contributing to climate change and global health issues. These problems arise from a variety of well-known sources, including motor vehicles. Almost all nations, Thailand included, have formulated and implemented policies to curb greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in line with the requirements and commitments of the Paris Agreement. The evaluation of specific air pollutants and GHG emissions originating from road vehicles utilises the Thailand database, referencing the year 2019. Data intersections from 2019 to 2022 are grounded in actual data collected from relevant departments in Thailand, while projections for 2023–2030 are forecasted based on the baseline year. The secondary database used in the International Vehicle Emission model is adjusted according to real-world driving data to accurately reflect country-specific emission factors. Dynamic emission factors for specific air pollutants and GHGs are evaluated and integrated with the average Vehicle Kilometres Travelled (VKT) for each vehicle category. The Business-As-Usual (BAU) scenario is then examined, based on existing policies aimed at reducing air pollutants and GHG emissions in Thailand’s transport sector. These policies include strategies for the adoption of electric vehicles and the promotion of public transport to reduce VKT. Under the BAU scenario, the overall number of road vehicles in Thailand, including passenger cars, motorcycles, pickups, vans, trucks, and buses, is expected to increase by approximately 6.58% by 2030, leading to a rise in specific air pollutants and GHG emissions compared to the 2019 baseline. However, by adhering to Thailand’s strategies and transitioning to new electric passenger cars and buses, greenhouse gas emissions and specific air pollutants from the road transport sector will be significantly reduced.

Effect of Climate Change on Nigerian Economic Sustainability

Climate change is seen as a statistical variation that persists for an extended period, frequently for as long as a decade or more. Moreover, the issue of climate change which has gained global attention poses a serious threat to developing economy like Nigeria, which is characterized by widespread poverty as a result of economic instability. It is against this backdrop that this research is aimed at investigating the effect of climate change on Nigerian economic sustainability. The research made use of Autoregressive Distributive Lag (ARDL)/bond test approach and OLS estimation technique, while data for the period of 1990-2020 was collected. Changes in average temperature and carbon emission were used to capture climate change, while variation in exchange rate and agricultural production were used as control variables. The result of the analysis showed that the goodness-of-fit (R-Square) is 0.998. This means that 99.8% of the changes in the dependent variable (GDP) can be explained by the changes in the independent variables (CEM, AGRIC, EXR, TEMP). The annual speed of adjustment from short run to long run relationship is 34%. At F-statistic = 195.8052 and P value = 0.000, the model is statistically significant at 1% level. The results of the analysis further demonstrated that both in long-run and short-run, carbon emissions adversely affect Nigerian economic sustainability. Additionally, average atmospheric temperature was significantly related to sustainability of Nigerian economy in the short run. It was concluded that environmental stakeholders as well as Nigerian government should develop and enforce policies to reduce carbon emissions and forest depletion. Also, efforts should be made by government towards ensuring that policies that are environmentally friendly are made that can encourage agricultural production in order to reduce import of agricultural produce, thereby boosting economic growth.

Participatory Arts-based Game Design: Mela, a Serious Game to Address SGBV in Ethiopia

<p>The emerging body of work on participatory game design (PGD) highlights the significance of working with end-users’ voices as the starting point. This is particularly critical in serious games that seek to impact social change in areas such as sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV). This article, which is based on fieldwork with 16 college instructors in four agricultural colleges in rural Ethiopia, draws together concepts of participatory visual methods (particularly cellphilming), PGD and a game universe perspective to offer an engaging and interactive approach to the design of serious games. We refer to this as ‘Participatory Arts-based Game Design’ (PAGD), an approach that was used to create Mela, a serious game to address SGBV in Ethiopian agriculture colleges. Exploring Mela game’s participatory and engaging design process, this article offers a framework for serious game development to address critical social change issues that go beyond the game itself. It has the potential to not only place the end-users at the centre but to recognize the critical role of engagement and immersivity in a field oriented towards impact and sustainability.</p>

The Optimal Infrastructure Design for Grid-to-Vehicle (G2V) Service: A Case Study Based on the Monash Microgrid

The electrification of the transport sector has emerged as a game changer in addressing the issues of climate change caused by global warming. However, the unregulated expansion and simplistic approach to electric vehicle (EV) charging pose substantial risks to grid stability and efficiency. Intelligent charging techniques using Information and Communication Technology, known as smart charging, enable the transformation of the EV fleets from passive consumers to active participants within the grid ecosystem. This concept facilitates the EV fleet’s contribution to various grid services, enhancing grid functionality and resilience. This paper investigates the optimal infrastructure design for a smart charging system within the Monash microgrid (Clayton campus). We introduce a centralized Grid-to-Vehicle (G2V) algorithm and formulate three optimization problems utilizing linear and least-squares programming methods. These problems address tariff structures between the main grid and microgrid, aiming to maximize aggregator profits or minimize load fluctuations while meeting EV users’ charging needs. Additionally, our framework incorporates network-aware coordination via the Newton–Raphson method, leveraging EVs’ charging flexibility to mitigate congestion and node voltage issues. We evaluate the G2V algorithm’s performance under increasing EV user demand through simulation and analyze the net present value (NPV) over 15 years. The results highlight the effectiveness of our proposed framework in optimizing grid operation management. Moreover, our case study offers valuable insights into an efficient investment strategy for deploying the G2V system on campus.

Exploring Carbon Disclosure Research for Future Research Agenda: A Bibliometric Analysis

Globally, people are becoming more interested in the issue of climate change, particularly as it relates to carbon emissions. Stakeholders are putting pressure on firms to disclose more details about their ecological footprints and greenhouse gas emissions. Finding authors, publications, journals, and discoveries in the literature on emission carbon disclosure is the aim of this endeavor. To do this, we employ a review methodology that makes use of the bibliometric study technique to pinpoint a few pertinent elements found in the literature. Utilizing tools such as VOSviewer and biblioshiny from RStudio, we examine output by year, authors, articles, and publications that have received more citations. We outline the key developments in the field of carbon disclosure together with the most widely applied ideas. Furthermore, we formulate the notion of carbon disclosure as suggested by Borghei (2021), concentrating on six domains and primary patterns within the field: Provide answers to the following questions: strategic climate, carbon disclosure determinants, carbon disclosure guarantee, quality of carbon disclosure, and carbon disclosure consequences. The incorporation of sustainability dimensions into the reporting system has replaced the evaluation techniques of the disclosures as the research issue. It is discovered that a number of factors influence the corporation's choice to release its environmental accounting information. Based on its findings and analysis of current research trends and themes, this study offers suggestions for further investigation.

The Practice of Enterprise Risk Management and Sustainable Performance in Jordan

The primary objective of any organization is to minimize risks and losses while optimizing values, revenues and returns. Therefore, risk management, which is often referred to as risk identification, likelihood of occurrence, and impact on the business, is essential. Recent corporate catastrophes have brought to light how inadequately corporations handle risks. In reaction to these challenges, organizations have shifted from separate and personalized procedures to a more comprehensive and integrated enterprise risk management (ERM) perspective in their risk management strategies. To address these new global sustainable challenges which include hunger, poverty, high unemployment, climate change, and related issues, businesses should place a strong priority on environmental preservation and social responsibility. Jordan is one of the countries dealing with several issues related to sustainability. The sustainable performance of Jordanian firms deserves further attention. Managers in Jordanian industrial businesses must keep a close eye on how the company's environmental environment is being improved to reduce air pollution, the usage of hazardous materials, and other difficulties. Therefore, companies in Jordan must adopt strategies that will allow them to face this issue to improve their social, environmental, and economic performance. Jordan's manufacturing and service industries should be at the forefront of a comprehensive approach to risk management and board monitoring, given the growing concerns regarding the environment, society, and economy. Since ERM is a relatively new concept, its implementation in Jordanian industrial and service companies is still in its early stages. Moreover, there is a lack of comprehensive research regarding the ERM in Jordan.

Another look at energy consumption and environmental sustainability target through the lens of the load capacity factor: Accessing evidence from MINT economies

AbstractThe relationship between energy utilization and the environment is crucial in an era of environmental concerns by global economies and rising energy consumption. Emerging economies such as Mexico, Indonesia, Nigeria, and Turkey (hereafter, MINT) face complex trade‐offs between economic growth and environmental sustainability. Strengthening this study are the UN Sustainable Development Goals prepositions on access to clean and alternative energy, decent economic growth, responsible production and consumption and climate action (UN‐SDGs‐7, 8, 12, and 13). The present study examines the environmental Kuznets curve (EKC) hypothesis for MINT economies within the framework of the load capacity factor (LCF). The article leverages panel econometrics to operationalize the relationship between study variables. Empirical findings show that the present study fails to confirm the presence of EKC. Thus, it implies that the MINT economies are at their first stage of accelerated economic growth which might result in an augmented ecological footprint and exert pressure on natural resources, as indicated by the observed negative outcome. Furthermore, there is a positive and significant relationship between renewable energy consumption (RENENG) and LCF. It implies that a 1% increase in RENENG leads to an increase in LCF of 0.70%. These outcomes indicate that the level of RENENG in MINT economies is not sufficient to mitigate climate change issues. Thus, from a policy perspective, there is a need for change in the MINT nations' energy portfolio mix, such as the need to switch from conventional energy sources (fossil fuels) to renewable energy sources, including solar, wind, photovoltaic and hydropower, which usually have a smaller negative impact on the environment. Furthermore, there is a need for investment in new and green energy technologies in the countries investigated to arrive at a clean and better ecosystem as desired. More insight is outlined in the concluding section.

Exploring blue-green roof for a sustainable built environment in South Africa

PurposeThe current adverse changes in climatic conditions have necessitated innovative nature-based solutions like blue-green roofs to ensure sustainable built environments. The use of blue-green roofs in combating climate change issues has continued to grow, and its benefits are showcased in many countries' studies. However, there is an absence of reports on the use of this approach in South Africa. Therefore, in ensuring a sustainable built environment through nature-based solutions, this study explored the built environment professional’s knowledge of blue-green roofs, the hindrances to their use and motivations for much wider use of blue-green roofs in the country.Design/methodology/approachBased on the nature of the study, a quantitative design was adopted and data were obtained from professionals within the built environment through a questionnaire. Data analyses were conducted using the Cronbach alpha test, Kruskal–Wallis H-Test, exploratory factor analysis and fuzzy synthetic evaluation.FindingsThe findings revealed a growing knowledge of blue-green roofs, albeit its slow adoption in the country. Also, five critical clusters of hindrances affecting the use of blue-green roofs were identified. These are understanding the blue-green roof concepts, technical, economic, regulation and client hindrances. Furthermore, the ability to manage stormwater properly, provide climate change adaptation and deliver sustainable buildings were the key motivating factors that could drive the use of this innovative solution.Practical implicationsThis study offers actionable insights for built environment professionals and stakeholders to address the hindrances to using blue-green roofs in South Africa. Strategies such as improved education, financial incentives and policy development can help overcome some notable hindrances and promote the widespread adoption of blue-green roofs.Originality/valueThe slow adoption of blue-green roofs and the scant nature of research within the built environment required adequate attention to which this current research contributes. Theoretically, being one of the foremost studies in South Africa to explore blue-green roofs, the findings offer a foundation for future studies seeking to explore this roofing system in the country further.

On the issue of functional changes in the thyroid gland in patients with breast cancer

On the issue of functional changes in the thyroid gland in patients with breast cancer

A Review of the Coronavirus Epidemic in Nigeria

Nigeria has experienced serious difficulties as a result of the COVID-19 epidemic, which has affected the entire world. With a focus on public health response, socioeconomic effects, and epidemiology, this thorough review aims to offer an in-depth review of the COVID-19 pandemic in Nigeria. The epidemiological overview examines the COVID-19 pandemic's spread in Nigeria. This research aims to provide an in-depth review of Nigeria's techniques and efforts in fighting COVID-19, focusing on what contributes to Nigeria's low COVID-19 mortality toll compared to other nations. In summary, the review concludes with recommendations for future approaches to managing the COVID-19 pandemic in Nigeria, highlighting the significance of ongoing public health initiatives, fair vaccination programs, and international cooperation. It emphasizes how adaptive techniques are necessary to deal with changing issues and guarantee that the nation is ready for future health emergencies. This comprehensive review, in its entirety, provides insightful information about the COVID-19 pandemic in Nigeria, laying the groundwork for well-informed policy development, research projects, and decision-making targeted at halting the pandemic and preserving public health in the country.

Highly dispersed active sites and strong metal-support interaction for boosting CO2 hydrogenation to methanol

As global energy demand continues to increase and global climate change issues caused by greenhouse gas emissions gradually heat up, the effective conversion of carbon dioxide into high value-added methanol has become a key challenge in the energy and environmental fields. However, due to the chemical inertness of CO2 molecules, it is difficult to activate CO2 at low temperatures, resulting in extremely low conversion rates. Although increasing the reaction temperature is beneficial for the conversion of CO2, there is also competition in the reverse water gas reaction, resulting in lower methanol selectivity. Therefore, developing efficient catalysts is the key to improving CO2 conversion rate and methanol selectivity. In this work, we used zirconium-based UIO-66 metal-organic framework as a precursor, replaced the original terephthalic acid ligand with thermally unstable aminoterephthalic acid, and supported Cu on the MOF precursor by equal volume impregnation method. After heat treatment, the Cu/ZrO2-DM catalyst was prepared. The catalyst was compared with Cu/ZrO2 catalyst prepared by co-precipitation method, hydrothermal method and unmodified Cu/ZrO2-D catalyst. The Cu/ZrO2-DM catalyst exhibited the highest CO2 conversion and methanol selectivity in the hydrogenation reaction, reaching 13.95% and 90.78%, respectively. The main reason is attributed to the large specific surface area of the copper-based catalyst derived from MOF materials, the good dispersion of the active center and the strong interaction between Cu and the precursor. This work may provide a new perspective for the design and synthesis of related catalytic materials for efficient CO2 hydrogenation to methanol.

Rural Women’s Response to Climate Change: An Exploratory Study of Women’s Grassroot Network in Odisha

The emergence of Feminist Political Ecological (FPE) position allows to rethink about social institutions like Self Help Groups (SHGs) as foundations for building green movements through everyday practice. The collective voice that has helped them emerge economically self-sufficient is reflected in their decision making, when the larger cause of climate change or environmental decision-making are involved. It is time that their actions permeating the ecology and environment gains credence and such coalitions provide ground as movements for achieving the larger collective agenda.   Idea of SHGs as social capital helped the marginalized women create different ‘gendered subjectivities’ and endowed them with a collective voice, be it conservation of their own ecological settings or confronting the social system. The case of Climate Credit Pilot Project and/or conservation of indigenous seed varieties in remote villages of Odisha bear testimony to women’s consciousness regarding climate mitigation initiatives and the meaningful actions associated with environmental justice. Such interventions show that the embedment of economic, social and cultural values of SHG groups align with their instinct for attaining a larger goal of environment protection through household and community level actions.   The gendered subjectivities including increased social consciousness among women, better access to new information, up-skilling has made them better and enlightened decision makers. The practice of joint or consensual action by SHG collectives enable them to address multi-scalar issues like climate change. However, the broader agenda of social and economic empowerment has to align with their decision making power relating to their immediate ecology and environment. In this context, the proposed study will probe emerging social consciousness of women on climate change issues, while examining their larger environmental responsibility in local situation, wherein the women remain at the receiving end. This is a field-based exploratory study of women from subsistence and indigenous communities of three districts in Odisha which interrogates the role of SHGs in creating a social space for women to engage with the question of environmental decision making. The study intends to analyse the field data in relation to environmental rights, responsibilities and knowledge of rural and Adivasi women within the institution of SHGs. It aims to formulate the concept, i.e., can SHGs be seen as co-linear spaces which needs to be strengthened as bearers of green movements at the local level as a response to the climate crisis.

Gut Microbiota and Pulmonary Tuberculosis (Literature Review)

The review analyzes 69 publications, of which 45 are devoted to studying gut microbiota in tuberculosis patients. The review presents data on the effect of gut microbiota disorders on the development of tuberculosis, severity and relapse rate. It covers the issues of changes in gut microbiota composition during anti-tuberculosis therapy and the effect of their management with probiotics on the tolerability of anti-tuberculosis therapy and effectiveness of treatment, including children.

Resilient city plans as important aspect of future development plans of Indian cities

While in developed countries urbanisation has mainly taken place in the second half of the 19th century, developing countries are in the middle of their urban growth now. The other major issue of Climate change is now a current reality. Three major movements are coming together:  urbanization, decentralization, and the rise of domestic capital markets. The rapid process of urbanisation and the growing number of the megacities, cause a lot of different ecological, economical and social problems and risks. This impacts cause challenges for urban policies and urban planning strategies to manage the development in a sustainable way, when the population in some cities doubles every 10 to 15 years. As the numerous national and international conferences on urbanisation and megacities show, there is an obvious need for more and better urban development strategies, long term land policy and forceful urban management.

Advancing Sustainable Finance and Investment

The topic of advancing sustainable finance and investment encompasses a multidimensional approach towards achieving financial goals while concurrently addressing environmental, social, and governance (ESG) concerns. In recent years, there has been a notable surge in global awareness regarding the impact of financial activities on sustainability factors, driven by growing concerns over climate change, social inequality, and corporate governance issues. This master's thesis aims to delve into the intricate landscape of sustainable finance and investment, examining both its theoretical underpinnings and practical applications. It seeks to explore the following key aspects:

A novel intervention effect-based quadratic time-varying nonlinear discrete grey model for forecasting carbon emissions intensity

In the context of severe global warming, accurately exploring the trend of carbon emissions intensity (CEI) changes is of great significance for mitigating climate change issues. The implementation of China's Carbon Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) in 2013 is a policy intervention aimed at influencing CEI. The impact of intervention events makes forecasting a complex problem, which poses significant challenges to the construction of forecasting models. We first develop a quadratic time-varying nonlinear discrete grey model (QDNDGM(1,1)) to assess the intervention effect of the ETS policy. Then, a novel intervention effect-based quadratic time-varying nonlinear discrete grey model (IE-QDNDGM(1,1)) is developed to conduct the prediction under intervention effect, including an intervention term. The Whale Optimization Algorithm (WOA) is used to calculate a nonlinear parameter. We assess the intervention effect of the ETS policy in China and find that it can indeed reduce CEI. We verify the IE-QDNDGM(1,1) model’s superiority by comparing its predictive performance with that of three grey models, one statistical technique, and one artificial intelligence model. The comparative study shows the proposed model’s excellent fitting and prediction performance. An ablation experiment is conducted to validate the design of the IE-QDNDGM(1,1). Policy implications of the ETS intervention effect are discussed.

Implications of climate change for strategic management theory

PurposeThe purpose is to stimulate scholarship in the strategic management field that accounts for conditions implied by projected impacts of climate change.Design/methodology/approachFollowing conceptual logic, the article analyses how changes in the strategic environment brought about by climate change may challenge current strategic management theory. It develops avenues for theory development based on expanding the field’s scope and extending its limits of applicability.FindingsThe article highlights the extent to which the strategy field has evolved in a stable empirical context, despite its attention to dynamism and hence is less well aligned with potentially pervasive new pressures and impacts. It sets out a rationale for moving beyond symbolic environmentalism, possibilities to harness cognitive and behavioural insights, dilemmas in strategic innovation and the empirical potential of non-mainstream contexts.Practical implicationsFirms and organisations can expect widespread systemic effects from climate change that challenge established ways of operating. The article explores how strategic management could better support strategists in navigating these shifts such that firms can continue to thrive.Originality/valueThe article approaches the issue of climate change specifically from the perspective of strategic management of firms rather than as policy or social advocacy. It focuses on pressures and characteristics that distinguish climate change from other environmental and social impacts on firms.