Ecological Investment Research Articles

Optimal Defense Theory in an ant–plant mutualism: Extrafloral nectar as an induced defence is maximized in the most valuable plant structures

Abstract Plants allocate defences in order to decrease costs and maximize benefits against herbivores. The Optimal Defense Theory (ODT) predicts that continuously expressed (i.e. constitutive) defences are expected in structures of high value, whereas defences that are expressed or that increase their expression only after damage or upon risk of damage (i.e. induced defences) are expected in structures of low value. Although there are several studies evaluating ODT predictions, few studies have successfully tested them as a way of measuring ecological investment in extrafloral nectary (EFN)‐mediated ant–plant interactions. Here we compared extrafloral nectar production and ant attractiveness to EFNs located on vegetative versus reproductive plant structures on Qualea multiflora plants subjected to different levels of simulated herbivory. We then addressed the following predictions emerging from the ODT: (a) extrafloral nectar produced in inflorescence EFNs will have higher volumes and calories and will attract more ants than extrafloral nectar produced in leaf EFNs; (b) extrafloral nectar production (volume and calories) and ant attendance will increase after simulated herbivory in leaf EFNs but not in inflorescence EFNs; (c) higher simulated leaf herbivory will induce higher extrafloral nectar production in EFNs on leaves and (d) more attractive extrafloral nectar (higher volume and calories) will attract more ants. Extrafloral nectar volume and calorie content, as well as ant abundance, were higher in EFNs of inflorescences compared to EFNs of leaves both before and after simulated herbivory, consistent with one of our predictions. However, EFNs on both leaves and inflorescences, not on leaves only, were induced by simulated herbivory, a pattern opposite to our prediction. Plants subjected to higher levels of leaf damage produced more and higher calorie extrafloral nectar, but showed similar ant abundance. Finally, more attractive extrafloral nectar attracted more ants. Synthesis. Our results show that extrafloral nectar production before and after simulated herbivory, as well as ant recruitment, varies according to the plant structure on which EFNs are located. Our study is the first to show that ant recruitment via extrafloral nectar follows predictions from Optimal Defense Theory, and that the ant foraging patterns may be shaped by the plant part attacked and the level of damage it receives.

Substantiation of Ecological Safety Criteria in Construction Industry, and Housing and Communal Services

In the article the authors attempt to determine the construction industry’s ecological safety criteria. The authors provide an integrated methodological substantiation for ensuring ecological safety in construction. They consider the ecological monitoring system, the criteria and conditions for implementing this system, and the principles of ecological monitoring laid down in ecologically-oriented standards. An analysis of the ecological monitoring system at all stages of the construction product life cycle shows that the confusion prevailing in the regulatory departments impedes the development of ecological investments in construction projects. Therefore, it is necessary to establish an independent structure focused on environmental protection. By transferring maximum power to this new structure it will be possible to quickly solve problems related to ecological monitoring as part of the movement towards the country’s balanced development.

Intuitionistic Fuzzy Three-Way Decision Model Based on the Three-Way Granular Computing Method

Three-way decisions, as a general model for uncertain information processing and decisions, mainly utilize the threshold generated by the decision cost matrix to determine the decision category of the object. However, the determination of the threshold is usually accompanied by varying degrees of subjectivity. In addition, the potential symmetrical relationship between the advantages and disadvantages of the decision cost is also a problem worthy of attention. In this study, we propose a novel intuitionistic fuzzy three-way decision (IFTWD) model based on a three-way granular computing method. First, we present the calculation methods for the possibility of membership state and non-membership state, as well as prove the related properties. Furthermore, we investigate the object information granules, i.e., the fine-grained, medium-grained, and coarse-grained objects, by combining the state probability distribution and probability distribution. Then, for decision and evaluation issues, we define the superiority-compatibility relation and inferiority-compatibility relation for IFTWD model construction. In addition, we use the superiority degree and inferiority degree instead of the original thresholds and design a new method for evaluating decision cost. Finally, we focus on the algorithm research of the proposed model and present an empirical study of agricultural ecological investment in Hubei Province to demonstrate the effectiveness of our model.

Corporate Social Responsibility towards the Environment in Lublin Region, Poland: A Comparative Study of 2009 and 2019

Today’s businesses have a huge impact on the environment. Enterprises overuse available natural resources, and emit hazardous pollutants; thus, they contribute to the advancing degradation of existing ecosystems, causing serious threats to the biological diversity of our planet. Hence, there is an urgent need to undertake diverse actions to reduce the adverse impact of businesses, households, and whole societies on the environment, and stop its degradation. The goal of this paper is to present research findings from the study carried out in 2019 and compare these findings with the study carried out in 2009, in order to identify and analyze the most frequent environmental activities undertaken by enterprises operating in the Lublin region. The ranking method was used in the study. The research findings show that over the last 10 years respondents’ opinions on the most effective economic instruments used in pursuing ecological policies remained unchanged. Moreover, respondents point to numerous tangible benefits resulting from ecological activity. In 2019, like in 2009, most pro-ecological investments were financed with enterprises’ own funds. Over the 10-year period between 2009 and 2019, the most frequent pro-environmental activities, as well as the returns on ecological investment periods, have changed. The study showed that enterprises responsibly consider environmental impacts of their activities and undertake actions aimed at preserving the environment and its resources.

Who Saves Our World? The Impact of Executives’ Gender on Corporate Social and Ecological Investments

Archival research suggests that female executives have an impact on corporate decision-making and generally finds positive associations between female board representation and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) performance. However, archival research does not reveal why female executives decide differently in the context of CSR. As this is our starting point, we conduct an experiment and examine executives’ decision-making in terms of CSR investment. While female executives seem to be more oriented towards social and ecological practices, we find strong evidence that participants’ real-world incentive program mainly drives their CSR decision-making. We also examine if selected gender-specific character traits cause gender differences in executives’ CSR decision-making. Our study contributes to the literature on executives’ decision-making and to the CSR literature.

Ecological investment funds in German-speaking Europe

Ecological investment funds in German-speaking Europe

An Improved Shapley Value Method for a Green Supply Chain Income Distribution Mechanism

Low-carbon development and environmental remediation are key factors for green resource-based supply chains in China. With this aim in mind, by applying game theory under uncertain market demand, this paper incorporates low-carbon development and environmental remediation into a resource-based supply chain coordination model for decentralized and centralized markets. The results show that a centralized market can lead to improvement in total profit. Furthermore, based on an improved Shapley value method, a theoretical model for the centralized market income distribution mechanism is developed that incorporates three corrective risk factors, ecological investment, and technological level. Finally, a numerical analysis is conducted using a MATLAB simulation to obtain intuitive results, which, in turn, show the validity of incentive income distribution mechanisms for green supply chain development in China.

Feedback enhances greening during disaster recovery: A model of social and ecological processes in neighborhood scale investment

In disaster recovery situations, including the post-Katrina recovery in New Orleans, greening behavior (i.e., the planting of trees, flowers and other plants) is thought to play an important role in social, ecological and economic recovery. In this paper, we use agent-based modeling to investigate and understand the roles of green attachment (which encompasses place attachment and biophilia), engagement in local ecological investment (i.e., greening), and social feedback (where individuals who observe greening become more likely to engage in it). We model this social-ecological feedback process, basing our parameters and assumptions on real-world data and grounding our model in the Tremé neighborhood of New Orleans. We find that social-ecological feedback enhances greening overall and leads to larger spatially continuous regions with high rates of greening. We also find that social-ecological feedback leads to tipping points in neighborhood greening, with approximately 30% of households needing to engage in greening for it to reach asymptotically high levels. In addition, when green attachment is high, this leads to more widespread greening behavior. We conclude that social-ecological feedback processes such as those modeled here may play important roles in neighborhood recovery after disasters such as Hurricane Katrina.

Economic instability as a factor of influence on the level of the country economic development

Relevance of the research topic. The current stage of economic development, accompanied by the growth of production and environmental impact, significantly updates the search for the latest mechanisms for environmental conservation and reducing the burden on it. In view of the significant updating of the issues of environmental investment and the reduction of the burden on the environment, the "green economy" as a science aimed at global changes in the organization of production and innovation, at the present stage of economic development, acquires large-scale measurements both in the frameworks of a particular country and the world in as a whole. Formulation of the problem. In the context of limited budget resources, a significant reduction in direct investment (7% over the past 5 years) and the simultaneous sharpening of the environmental situation, "green investment" is one of the most effective sources of financing environmental protection measures. They contribute to the growth of the economic and environmental potential of business entities, expand potential sales markets, increase production, and so on. Analysis of recent research and publications. The problems of the development of the market of green innovations are devoted to the scientific works of I. Sotnik, M. Chumakova, O. Prokopenko, A. Amosha, I. Buleev, V. Dubnitsky. B. Burkinsky contributed to the theory and practice of environmentalizing economic development, substantiated the need to introduce the principles of the "green" economy in Ukraine. The peculiarities of the influence of ecological innovations on the indices of the country's green growth are highlighted in the works of S. Franceschini, M. Borup. Selection of unexplored parts of the general problem. Despite a significant number of publications on these issues, a significant range of problems remain unresolved, including the issue of the relationship between economic instability and the development of environmental investment. Setting the task, the purpose of the study. The objective of the study is to analyze the main tendencies of ecological development of Ukraine and other countries of the world; the level of investment activity of Ukraine in the field of "green investment", to determine. The purpose of the study is to identify the most relevant factors of economic instability, which have an impact on the development of "environmental investments" in the country. Method or methodology for conducting research. The article uses a set of methods of scientific research: the system approach, statistical analysis, structuring, analysis and synthesis. Presentation of the main material (results of work). The influence of indicators of economic instability on the level of development of ecological investment in the country is determined, tendencies of changes in indicators of ecological development are analyzed, state and problems of the green investment portfolio are investigated. The field of application of results. The results of this study can be applied in the process of forming and implementing the environmental and investment policy. Conclusions according to the article. One of the most effective and topical instruments for today is the development of environmental investment. However, an analysis of the tendencies of financing and development of "green investments" has shown the low level of investment activity of Ukraine in comparison with other countries of the world. The hypothesis about the existence of the influence of instability factors on the above-mentioned situation was put forward in the work, it has made it possible to determine the most relevant, in our opinion, indicators of the impact on the country's environmental development, reliable estimation and forecasting of variability which will contribute to timely development of preventive measures aimed at preserving and increasing the level of environmental investment in the country.

Financing pro-ecological investments in the Częstochowa municipal enterprise

The paper presents the opportunities for funding ecological investments with the example of the Czestochowa Municipal Enterprise. Modernizations of facilities and technologies are usually very capitalintensive investments. High costs of operation and changes introduced to programs of waste management have stimulated creation of various forms of support for the enterprises, including companies involved in municipal waste management. Both Poland and the European Union provide financial support to enterprises for ecological and innovative purposes. For nearly 15 years, both national and international programs have offered their support for changes in the system of waste management. The Czestochowa Municipal Enterprise has been successful in meeting legal requirements. Subsidies from the EU operational programs (nearly a third of investments in 2004-2014) allowed for the achievement of a high level of investments. One should emphasize performance of such tasks as municipal waste sorting plant, composting facility, station of bulky waste disassembly, station of construction debris fragmentation or municipal point of dangerous waste collection. 200 points of selective waste collection have been created in the community and educational campaigns were performed concerning waste sorting. Each of these units represents a necessary component of modern and ecological waste management. Nowadays, waste landfills represent modern enterprises with huge economic potential, whereas investments and subsidies allow for the development and building infrastructure of the municipal industry which is essential in development of cities and villages.

Взаимосвязь персональных характеристик генерального директора и объема инвестиций в экологические проекты КСО

Nowadays, humanity faces a serious issue of creating conditions for sustainable development. Businesses as a integral part of society in which they exist and operate, may potentially play a crucial role in achieving this goal. Their contribution to sustainable development can be made through support and empowerment of ecosystems. As CEO is an intermedium between a company and the society, his characteristics may significantly influence company’s strategic decisions and therefore, its level of involvement in ensuring sustainability. In this paper, we analyze the presence of interdependence between CEO personal characteristics and amounts of investments in ecological CSR projects. We consider the level of company’s ecological investments as a measure for the level of its ecological responsibility. We run a multiple regression on a sample of 44 Russian companies, who publish information on ecological projects implementation in non-financial reports. Despite a number of substantial limitations, we managed to reveal the connection with some of professional activity and education characteristics of CEOs. We also controlled for company size and industry parameters. The most notable result is a reverse interrelation between CEO tenure (in years) and the level of investments in ecological CSR projects. This may be due to the fact that less experienced directors seek to reinforce their business reputation and accumulate social capital.

ECOLOGY SAFETY – SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT AND ECONOMICAL ASPECT

The aim of the research is to approximate ecological safety issues, sustainable development and investment outlays for environmental protection and water management. The article is a theoretical and empirical review. It has been prepared using sources from GUS (polish Central Statistical Office). Analysis concern selected years from 2000 -2015. Investment outlays for environmental protection used by provinces and investor groups concern 2015. The following research tools were used: review of literature, descriptive and comparative analysis. Investment outlays in environment protection and water management increased, but their part in investment outlays in the national economy is not too high. The most of outlays for environmental protection in 2015 was incurred in following provinces: Mazowieckie, Wielkopolska and Śląskie, while the least in Warmińsko-Mazurskie and Podlaskie. The structure of investor groups for environmental protection has not changed for several years. The main investors are the companies (whose part in expenditures in this year was 67%), the next commune (27%), then the budget units (6%).

Social Impact Investment Behavior in the Nonprofit Sector: First Insights from an Online Survey Experiment

This study investigates the social impact investment behavior of private investors in a nonprofit setting. In particular, the influences of three effects—financial return, social impact, and age—on social impact investment behavior are tested in an online survey experiment. The study sample includes bank clients (N = 145) from Germany’s first and largest bank exclusively focused on social and ecological investments. The results with regard to the financial return effects are in line with for-profit research that social impact investors are willing to accept 1% lower financial returns. In addition, younger philanthropists are more likely to contribute part of their money to social impact investments. Further findings reveal that the perceived innovativeness of the project has a consistently positive effect on social impact investment behavior. People with certain profile characteristics (e.g., entrepreneurial spirits) also are more likely to participate in social impact investments.

The energy policy outlets for community acceptance of ecological investment in China

Policy implication about satisfactions of energy use and housing are much sensitive to social discount rate changes, which can increase the dissatisfaction of residential happiness because of an increasing price mechanism when ‘per capita’ resource faces to decline. We thus estimate the private expected rates of return on ecological investment to improve urban and peri-urban environmental infrastructures are about to 7.54% and 18.37% respectively. The endogeneities of income and saving rise can increase the uncertain part of private discount rate up to a higher estimated subjective social discount rate about 14.46% for urban or 8.86% for peri-urban environmental infrastructures improvement. The estimated time preference rate can be raised from 1‰ to 1.72‰. The prediction of these estimated private discount rate can ease at least 20% of the dissatisfaction to energy use and 10% of the dissatisfaction to housing conditions. Therefore, we suggest opening the landscape rights to individual willingness-to-invest, and providing options to let people pay a part of their pensions for temporal permits to living in some well-served villages where are close to the places with advanced environmental amenities and being supported by central planning policy via the crowdfunding operation for improving environmental quality.

Status-Seeking Effects on Willingness to Pay for Environmental Infrastructure Improvement in Eco-Urbanization

We study the cause-effects of status-seeking options to earning environmental income if the landscape rights can be well clarified at community level. Empirical estimates report at least 60-70 percent of the price rise for environmental amenities that means to earn environmental income if people want to follow others in a proportional increase to pay an extra amount of money for environmental infrastructures improvement (EII) to improve environmental quality (EQI), “EII for EQI” (abbr. EI-Q). It indicates that ‘ecological investment’ for bidding landscape rights can be driven by status-seeking income effects which ultimately determines the quality of environmental conservation. Survey statistics reflect that respondents prefer to WTP for urban rather than peri-urban EI-Q in Beijing. Although it disobeys the theory of “Parzen window”, estimations show that status-seeking effects significantly reallocate social benefits to peri-urban EI-Q with environmental income rise. Policy implication is that status-seeking promotes public options to democratic willingness to pay for non-local EI-Q if residents can earn environmental income from the price rise of their well-clarified landscape rights when environmental quality is improved, and the endowment effects can be compensated via crowdfunding project for integrated monitoring of environmental quality improvement.

ECOLOGICAL RESPONSIBILITY OF AGRIBUSINESS COMPANIES IN THE CONTEXT OF THEIR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

The aim of this study is to show the issue of ecological responsibility of agribusiness companies with reference to their sustainable development. Environmental protection has become an integral part of management within them. Research has been conducted using the method of the diagnostic survey, using a survey questionnaire, in August 2015 among 250 owners, managers or other persons dealing with the issues of environmental protection in the agribusiness companies of Pomorskie Province of Poland.
 The research has shown that the activity of agribusiness companies includes different aspects, such as: expenses for environmental protection, ecological investments (recreating, modernizing and new) as well as increasing costs of its use. This forces the companies to apply different instruments, such as: assuming a strategy of sustainable development, working out systems of environmental management, or environmental audit. An important thing is also the legislative approach including, among others, prescriptive-control systems, economic incentives for the agribusiness companies, etc.

ECOLOGICAL INVESTMENTS AS AN ELEMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT: CASE STUDY OF AGRIBUSINESS COMPANIES

The aim of this study is an attempt to obtain an answer to the question: how important element of environmental management is the introduction of ecological investments in agribusiness companies? Research was carried out using a diagnostic survey among agribusiness companies from the Pomorskie voivodeship of Poland, which introduced some ecological investments between 2004 and 2014. The research showed that the ecological investments now constitute a fundamental form of the execution by the agribusinesses of environmental tasks that arise from the concept of sustainable development. The investments contribute to the prevention of the progressing degradation of the environment and any actions recognized as environmentally harmful.

The effects of ecological investments in the power industry and their financial structure: a case study for Poland

Almost 90 per cent of total electric energy produced in Poland derived from burning coal. Minimizing negative environmental impact is especially important when using lignite energy production. The paper presents ecological benefits of modern energy production methods. The evaluation of environmental benefits has been conducted in consistency with norms ISO 14040 and ISO 14044, with the assistance of assessments methods included in the SimaPro 7 software. The calculations were based on the assessment procedure of Ecoindicator 99. The method allows for estimating the environmental impact of each stage of the energy production process, especially when it comes to the impact category of fossil fuels. This aspect is particularly important for the study of the environmental impact of electricity production in Polish coal-fired power plants. The LCA (Life Cycle Assessment) has been carried out to examine the impact of electric energy production of one of the biggest power plants in Poland. The results show that modernization of energy blocks as well as the greenhouse gas reducing installations would significantly reduce the negative impact of the electric energy production.

A Strategy Change for Europe: Old Myths Versus New Roads

Despite the substantial economic and political problems currently, it is important to recall that European integration has by and large been a success. However, restarting economic growth now should not follow the old trajectory, nor should it be built on old myths. It should start from a new vision with a much stronger emphasis on social and ecological investment.

The right to choose: political decisions and environmental investments

Incorporating real option modelling into the valuation of ecological investments and decisions has become widely accepted in recent years. This welcome broadening suffers from one limitation as all papers assume that the decision-maker knows which option he or she has at his or her disposal: an investment option or an abandonment option. Environmental related investment decisions depend very often on political decisions which will be made on a specific date in the future and may change the general direction of environmental policy. From the investor's viewpoint, it is not clear how this decision will affect his investment, as it is possible that he must invest or disinvest after the political decision. Therefore, the aim of this paper is twofold: first, the structure of such investment decisions will be discussed, and second, a chooser option model will be presented and analysed for the first time.