Ecological Standards Research Articles

The potential water quality impacts of hard-rock lithium mining: Insights from a legacy pegmatite mine in North Carolina, USA

The global green energy transition has spurred increased lithium exploration and extraction, yet the water quality impacts from lithium mining are understudied. This study investigates the potential water quality impacts from a legacy hard-rock lithium mine through comprehensive geochemical analyses of groundwater, surface waters, ore grade rocks, tailings, and waste rocks from a mine site in North Carolina, USA. The concentrations of regulated contaminants (e.g. As, Pb) in both groundwater and surface water emerging from the mine site were low, below drinking water and ecological standards. Yet Li (up to 46.8 mg/L), Rb (up to 169 μg/L), and Cs (up to 21 μg/L) were elevated relative to local background waters. Leaching experiments of the pegmatite ores, waste rocks, and tailing consistently demonstrate low mobilization of regulated contaminants and high leachability of Li, Rb, and Cs. Leaching experiments also reveal that water-rock interactions of the rocks and solid wastes from the mine site generate alkaline conditions, and that both phosphate and spodumene minerals are primary sources of Li and play a major role in formation of alkaline conditions during early stages of water-rock interactions. Over longer time scales, their direct impact on water quality is decreased. Given the global interest in hard-rock lithium mines, our findings highlight the potential occurrence of Li, Rb, and Cs in water resources adjacent to hard-rock lithium mines.

Ecological Capacity and Bioenergy Potential of Agrocenoses as a Way of Sustainable Agriculture

Background: Calculation of bioenergy potential and ecological capacity are promising methods for assessing the state of an agro-landscape, allowing us to promptly respond to changes in its sustainability. The article presents the results of soil research and calculation of bioenergy potential of the farm territory in the zone of dry steppe on chestnut soils. Methods: Assessment of anthropogenic load on agricultural landscape is based on ecological standards and point system of relative fertility. The determination of the ecological capacity by BEPT of an agrocenosis occupied by winter wheat and sunflower was carried out according to the method of V.M. Volodin, R.F. Eremina, N.F. Mikhailova. Determination of erosion and geomorphological characteristics of the research object was carried out using geoinformation technologies. The basis for creation of digital elevation model (DEM) is the data of radar survey of the Earth surface (SRTM4). Result: Soils of the research object have low and average humus content. Nitrogen level in the soil varies from very low to good; nitrogen availability in the fields is average. Provision with mobile phosphorus is average. Soil potassium content is mostly high. As a result of calculations, it was found that in the conditions of the dry steppe zone, the bioenergy potential of the agrolandscape area occupied by winter wheat is 2735.72 GJ/ha, sunflower-2647.4 GJ/ha. At the same time, the ecological capacity of the field occupied by winter wheat is 2764.6 GJ/ha and sunflower-2676.8 GJ/h.

Harnessing Natural Pozzolan for Sustainable Heating and Cooling: Thermal Performance and Building Efficiency in Moroccan Climates

The need to construct environmentally friendly buildings to meet current environmental and ecological standards is urgent. This study introduces a new multi-layer construction material with two outer layers of ordinary mortar and an inner layer of a pozzolane-limes composite to meet this need. The thermal efficiency of this material in building construction is investigated using TRNSYS18 simulations for two distinct climatic zones in Morocco, with a particular focus on its impact on heating dynamics. The primary objective is to evaluate the thermal performance of multi-layered pozzolanic materials, for which mortar samples are meticulously prepared as a reference in the two different climatic zones (Azilal and Errachidia). Using the asymmetric hot plate method under both stable and transient conditions, the authors conduct thermal characterization experiments. The results underscore the improvement in thermal performance made possible by the incorporation of pozzolan as an aggregate in the multi-layer material compared to ordinary mortar. Specifically, thermal conductivity improves significantly, from 0.735 W m−1 K−1 for ordinary mortar to 0.4 W m−1 K−1 for multi-layered pozzolanic materials, representing a 46% mass gain. Additionally, effusivity decreases from 730 to 604 J m−2 K−1 s−1/2, while diffusivity decreases from 3.78 to 2.23 × 10−7 m2 s−1, further attesting to the material’s thermal efficacy. TRNSYS18 simulations corroborate the viability of using multi-layered materials as building envelopes, revealing potential annual heating gains of 25% in Azilal and 5% in Errachidia. These findings underscore the promising prospects of integrating these materials into sustainable construction practices.

The Impact of Village Head Leadership and Village Fund Allocation on the Environmental Quality of Village Settlements

This study aims to analyze the impact of village head leadership and the allocation of village funds on the quality of the village settlement environment. Ecological standards are needed by living creatures for the sustainability of their lives. This can be a good ecosystem and requires an ecological label to balance economic interests and ecological preservation. With regional autonomy, it is hoped that it can improve the economy through development activities in various sectors, several environmental problems emerged during the regional autonomy era, including: a) air pollution caused by energy consumption; b) increasing amount of waste due to increasing population; and c) exploitation of natural resources such as logging and burning of forests, fishing with explosives, and uncontrolled exploitation of natural mineral resources. This study was conducted in Padang Pariaman Regency, which is in West Sumatra Province, involving 103 villages in Padang Pariaman Regency. The Smart PLS application is used to process and analyze data. The results of the study show that village head leadership has a significant influence on the quality of the village settlement environment and the allocation of village funds has a significant impact on the quality of the village settlement environment.

Qualitative Study of Stakeholder Influence on Environmental Practices: Evidence from the Malaysian Aviation Industry

In this study, we seek to explore the influence of stakeholders on environmental management practices in Malaysia's aviation industry. The data from this study was derived from interviewing 25 respondents in nine organisations within the aviation sector and was analysed using thematic analysis. We show that internal and external stakeholders significantly influence changes towards better environmental management practices. While internal stakeholders have contributed to better environmental management practices by changing their day-to-day practices within their functional role in the organisation, the external stakeholders have been the key actors that have significantly pushed the organisation to implement a proper environmental management system (EMS), particularly the role played by the regulatory authorities in ensuring compliance with environmental standards. We also highlight that the tension between economic and ecological elements may limit the extent of environmental practices carried out by the aviation sector; nonetheless, continuous engagement and pressure from the community and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) may push the aviation sector to revisit their commitment to environmental practices beyond compliance activities to ecological standards.

HYDROGEOLOGICAL CHARACTERIZATION AND GENESIS OF MINERAL WATER "TESANJSKI KISELJAK"

Ensuring the exploitation and use of mineral water "Tešanjski kiseljak" implies the analysis and performance of complex geological, hydrogeological, hydrological, quantitative, qualitative and genetic research, as well as the definition and establishment of high ecological standards in the researched area of the "Tešanjski kiseljak" source, along with exemplary field and laboratory and cabinet analyzes and data processing. The basic criteria for defining the genesis and regime, hydrogeological relations and protection of mineral waters are geological and geomorphological characteristics of the terrain, climatic and hydrographic conditions, structural- tectonic and hydrogeological characteristics of the terrain, quantitative and qualitative characteristics of the source, existing and potential pollutants of the source, analysis of genetic and hydrodynamic aquifer parameters from which protection zones and source protection measures arise Depending on the hydrogeological characteristics of the terrain, the relationship between permeable and impermeable rocks, the position of the aquifer in relation to atmospheric and surface waters, recharge conditions, permeability and hydrogeological parameters, the existence of the water body of mineral waters, the renewal of its reserves and the quality of mineral waters depends. Key words: mineral waters, hydrogeological categorization, structural-tectonic relations, water genesis

Assessment of Ecological Flow in Hulan River Basin Utilizing SWAT Model and Diverse Hydrological Approaches

Human activities have significantly altered the hydrological processes of rivers. In recent years, the increased focus on global water resource exploitation and land use changes has heightened the significance of related ecological and environmental issues. To investigate the land use changes in Hulan River Basin between 1980 and 2020, and the corresponding flow under various ecological standards, a quantitative assessment of land use changes in Hulan River Basin was conducted by analyzing the Land Use Dynamic Degree (LUD) index and the land use change matrix. Two types of models, namely natural runoff models and status quo runoff models, were developed to evaluate alterations in basin runoff. Various hydrological techniques were utilized to calculate the ecological water deficit in Hulan River Basin. The results suggest the following: (1) human consumption comprises approximately 40% of surface water resources, with Hulan River Basin exhibiting a moderate consumption level; (2) when determining the minimum ecological flow, the Distribution Flow Method (DFM) method yielded slightly higher outcomes compared to alternative methodologies; both the variable Q90 method and DFM (Q2) method satisfy 10% of the natural river flow, however, in terms of capturing the hydrological pattern, DFM exhibits a slightly lower fitting degree compared to the variable Q90 (monthly average flow with 90% guarantee rate) method; (3) DFM is identified as scientifically reasonable for determining the most suitable ecological flow in comparison to other hydrological methods; (4) despite the widespread water scarcity in Hulan River Basin, the variance between most periods and the ideal ecological flow remains minimal, indicating that severe water shortages are uncommon.

An institutional perspective on the shifts in banking and capitalist ideology: sustainability, social and environmental insights

PurposeThis paper investigates the development of moralised business ideologies (MBIs) amongst sustainable banks as they navigate social and environmental business prospects.Design/methodology/approachEmpirical evidence is drawn from top-management-level interviews with 16 UK-based small and medium-sized banks that specialise in financing social and environmental projects.FindingsMBIs have emerged in the literature review and empirical data analysis as a new concept taken on by sustainable banks with roots closer to sustainability such as ethical practices, moralised values, sustainable business models and ecological standards. The results confirm that MBIs help banking institutions create a more sustained positive impact in terms of social and environmental business opportunities.Originality/valueThis paper offers novel evidence on the intersection between banking and MBIs, with a focus on social, sustainability and environmental considerations.

State of the Art Review of Attributes and Mechanical Properties of Hempcrete

The global surge in environmental pollution, largely attributed to industrialization, has fueled a pressing need for sustainable solutions. In response, the construction sector is increasingly focusing on bio-based materials such as hemp, recognized for its low environmental footprint and prominent carbon-negative quality. As designers, housebuilders, and an environmentally conscious society pivot towards ecological alternatives to standard building materials, hempcrete emerges as a promising candidate. As a composite material mainly made from hemp hurd/shiv, water, and lime, hempcrete offers the ability to sequester carbon long after its incorporation into structures. As a result, the hemp cultivation process—which can be completed within less than four months—ensures that more carbon is absorbed during production and deployment than emitted, e.g., per one study, sequestration on the order of 300 kg of CO2 per m3 of hempcrete. In comparison to concrete, hempcrete offers a more sustainable footprint, given its recyclability post life cycle. This state-of-the-art review paper delves deep into different aspects of hempcrete, summarizing its multifaceted attributes, particularly its compressive strength. Based on the study conducted, the paper also suggests strategies to augment this strength, thereby transitioning hempcrete from a non-load-bearing material to one capable of shouldering significant weight. As architects and designers consistently strive to align their projects with high ecological standards, focusing not just on aesthetic appeal but also environmental compatibility, hempcrete becomes an increasingly fitting solution for the future of construction.

Plant-Polyphenol-Mediated Synthesis of Magnetic Biocompatible Iron Oxide Nanoparticles for Diagnostic Imaging and Management of Neurodegenerative Diseases

<img src=” https://s3.amazonaws.com/production.scholastica/article/92424/large/prnano_992023ga.jpg?1705765455”> Neurodegenerative diseases (NDDs), including Alzheimer’s disease (AD), Parkinson’s disease (PD), and glioblastoma tumors (GB), represent a spectrum of disorders characterized by progressive neuronal degeneration. This gradual deterioration presents significant challenges in early diagnosis and treatment. As a solution, iron oxide nanoparticles (IONPs) have emerged as promising materials due to their diminutive size and inherent biocompatibility, which facilitates bypassing the blood-brain barrier (BBB), thereby serving as effective targeted nanocarriers for neuroprotective therapeutics, offering efficient delivery to the brain. Furthermore, IONPs demonstrate efficacy as T1/T2 contrast agents (CAs), offering a novel diagnostic tool for various NDDs, emphasizing GB. Despite the expanding potential of IONPs in the management of NDDs, a clear gap exists in developing environmentally sustainable synthesis methods. Such methods must adhere to ecological standards and enable the production of nanoparticles capable of efficiently crossing the BBB. This is essential for precisely delivering and monitoring therapeutic interventions in diseases such as AD, PD, and GB. This review systematically explores the potential of green-synthesized IONPs in the context of NDD treatment. In this review, we emphasize different functionalization techniques for IONPs, tackling how these functionalized IONPs can be effective therapeutic approaches for NDDs. Moreover, we discuss biosafety and biocompatibility by covering a range of in vitro biocompatibility studies to analyze the safety of green-synthesized IONPs for the human body. Furthermore, our thorough analysis discussed the current state of green-synthesized IONPs using plant extracts polyphenols, which also act as neuroprotective agents, as proved by studies mentioned in the review.

Photovoltaics in agricultural landscapes: “Industrial land use” or a “real compromise” between renewable energy and biodiversity? Perspectives of German nature conservation associations

BackgroundOne common renewable energy source for substituting fossil sources is photovoltaic (PV) systems. However, installing PV systems in agricultural areas can lead to competition with other land uses. These projects, therefore, often encounter problems with social acceptance in affected communities. Especially from the perspective of nature conservation targets, conflicts can arise. These potential differences are still under-researched but represent important knowledge for the societally broadly accepted design of such facilities and their contribution to energy transformation. In this paper, we investigate the perspectives of nature conservationists on PV in the region of Brandenburg, Germany. We comparatively analyse attitudes towards ground-mounted photovoltaics (GM-PV) and agrophotovoltaics (APV). APV combines energy supply and agricultural production on the same land and could thus be a possible solution for mitigating land-use conflicts.ResultsWe investigated the degree of local acceptability and positive and negative influencing factors through a qualitative text analysis of ten interviews with local representatives and position papers by Nature Conservation Associations. Our findings show a growing consensus around basic assumptions of the need for renewable energies, the prioritised support for PV systems on rooftops over the installation on agricultural land (GM-PV and APV), and the necessity for PV systems to be compatible with nature conservation objectives. Regarding specific site decisions on agricultural land, we find diverging attitudes when comparing the content of position papers and the responses of interviewees. The interviewees advocate taking into account local interests and specific regional conditions, the effects of PV systems on the local environment, and the need for distributional justice. Large-scale plants are locally less accepted than smaller ones and there is a more open attitude towards the expansion of APV than of GM-PV on agricultural land. However, a range of concerns regarding consequences for landscape and biodiversity persists, and further research and clarification is required to address these issues.ConclusionsWe conclude that basic ecological standards and the demands of local stakeholders and interest groups should be taken into account when planning, implementing and reviewing PV projects in the future.

Issues of solid household waste disposal in the context of state environmental policy in Sevastopol

The peculiarities of the current situation with the environmental crisis require careful study of the waste recycling of previously accumulated and newly generated solid municipal waste. The use of technological developments and solutions for environmental conservation meets the most stringent ecological standards. These demands are due to the special natural and climatic status of Sevastopol. The purpose of the study is to substantiate the use of effective and simple method of sorting solid waste –hydraulic separation of solid household waste as one of the types of industrial waste separation. The article presents its advantages and possible application in Sevastopol. This advanced technology is stated to be effective in waste recycling as it provides separating unsorted waste and utilizing almost 80 percent of the volume. A feature of this method is the use of equipment manufactured for the paper industry for sorting and processing solid waste. In conclusion it is noted that the particularbenefit of the hydraulic separation is in its relative simplicity, as well as economic and environmental profits.

THE PECULIARITIES OF THE RECONSTRUCTION OF UKRAINIAN TERRITORIAL COMMUNITIES IN THE CONTEXT OF THE EUROPEAN GREEN DEAL

The article focuses on delineating the nuances of post-war community recovery within the context of the European Green Deal. The research aims to identify the features and challenges of community recovery in the post-war period, considering the principles outlined in the European Green Deal. An analysis of the losses incurred by territorial communities in Ukraine due to the conflict with russia is conducted, along with quantifying the percentage of territories that were occupied and require restoration. Key difficulties on the path to implementing green community recovery in the current stage are identified, and the principles of green recovery for Ukrainian communities are elucidated and characterized. The article underscores that the recovery of Ukrainian communities should be a systemic process, ensuring a long-term outcome in the form of modernization changes and sustainable development for Ukraine. It asserts that post-war recovery should not merely involve the reconstruction of what was destroyed but should be oriented towards contemporary ecological standards and the vector of European integration. This includes the extensive use of modern energy resources, innovative energy-saving technologies, decarbonization, and more. The article contends that the Green Course has the potential to play a pivotal role not only in the immediate restoration of damaged ecosystems but also in addressing long-term threats related to climate change. The article supports the idea that Ukraine's adherence to the European Green Deal and its continued implementation can be an effective instrument on the path to Ukraine's green recovery. Overall, it provides insights into the comprehensive approach required for post-war recovery, emphasizing alignment with contemporary ecological standards and the European integration trajectory. The article concludes that Ukraine's alignment with the European Green Deal can be a potent tool in steering the country towards a sustainable and green recovery.

Quantitative assessment of water quality in the Vidsichne reservoir (Zhytomyr, Ukraine)

The modern approach to the implementation of water management activities is based on a quantitative assessment of the quality of water resources, which includes a certain set of indicators to reflect the needs of users in the composition and properties of water, to assess their condition, etc. Ecological assessment is a preliminary stage and a condition for ecological standardization of surface water quality. To analyze the compliance of water quality with ecological standards, the obtained results are compared with the values of ecological standards for the corresponding water body. The study carried out a quantitative assessment of water quality in the Vidsichne reservoir, near Zhytomyr (Ukraine). This assessment is based on the introduction of risk weighting factors from certain types of pollutants to the calculation formula of the integral indicator. Monitoring studies on hydrochemical indicators in the reservoir showed an increase in manganese content to 0.40 mg/dm3. To calculate the integral indicator of water quality, manganese and the related level of oxygen dissolved in water, biological oxygen consumption (BOC) were selected. It was established that the water in the reservoir belongs to the fourth quality class, that is, it is polluted. A model map of manganese concentration was built and the ecological coefficient of water quality was calculated, which indicates a 5-fold excess of ecological standards. The use of a graphic method of comprehensive assessment of the state of water in any reservoir is substantiated. The increase in manganese content is due to the seasonal increase in air temperature. The constructed mathematical model of the dependence of manganese content on temperature makes it possible to predict the state of the water body depending on climatic conditions and indicates an increase in the value of this indicator from 12°C and above. Quantitative assessment of water quality in the reservoir based on the sum of ecological indicators reflects the needs of users in the composition and properties of water and makes it possible to assess their condition.

Smart governance as a new strategy on Jambi city policy innovations

The goal of the smart governance concept is modern urban management using state-of-the-art technologies, considering the applicable ecological standards while saving resources and achieving the expected results. In line with this, the government needs to build integrated ICTs services. Therefore, the government of Indonesia has legalized a regulation relating to smart city policy. In 2017, Indonesia introduce The Movement Towards 100 Smart Cities. The program aims to guide local government to further maximize the use of technology, both in improving public services and transformation of existing resources in local government to become more digital-based.This article uses a qualitative descriptive approach through out in-depth interviews, documentation and secondary data exploration to present the extent of the development of smart governance in Jambi City, Indonesia which explained driving factors (and challenges) to policy implementation in local government, although the process of digitization has been in right direction so far, improvement is needed in terms of enhancing digital resources, adjusting to the organizational culture, and implementing a more diverse collaboration strategy.

The Implementation of a Highly Efficient Hydrogen Generation System Producing High Purity Hydrogen in a Solid Oxide Electrolyser.

Solid Oxide Electrolyzer Cells (SOECs) stand out as one of the most efficient energy conversion technologies (i.e. enabling production of hydrogen fuel from surplus electrical energy), which is particularly well-suited for application in the distributed systems. While definitely very promising, until now SOEC technology is still not widespread, with the key technical limiting issues being i.a. high costs and deterioration of the operation parameters during prolonged operation. However, recently another major problem has become very urgent. Although most of the developed oxygen electrode materials are Co-based, there are strong reasons to mitigate the dependence on cobalt: deposits of Co ore are limited, and known commercial-level sources are localized in regions with volatile economic and unstable political situation; cobalt is classified as carcinogenic, and this fact leads to severe problems with public health especially at the mining sites; there are many examples of violations of the ecological standards in cobalt processing. In this work we propose modification of the bulk properties of the typical perovskite-type oxygen electrode material, La0.6Sr0.4Co0.2Fe0.8O3-δ, via chemical doping with Ni and Cu in order to limit usage of Co, while at the same time enhance properties of the materials to obtain excellent electrocatalytic activity.

Graphene Functionalization of Polyrotaxane‐Encapsulated PEG‐Based PCMs: Fabrication and Applications

AbstractPhase change materials (PCMs) have received much attention regarding the thermal regulation of electronic devices. However, the main limitations of using organic PCMs are the low thermal conductivity and leakage during the phase change process. This work aims to improve these limitations to increase the thermal conductivity of the leakage‐proof PCM formed by a polyrotaxane that serves as a support material to encapsulate PEG. For this purpose, different contents of graphene nanoplatelets (GNP) are blended. To facilitate its postindustrial production and to meet ecological standards, the synthesis of this PCM is simple and only using water as a solvent. The PCMs can be thermally processed conveniently by a hot press. Furthermore, the PCMs achieve high enthalpy values (132.9–142.9 J g−1) due to the action of GNPs as thermally conductive fillers. The PCMs exhibited an increase of 60–257% in thermal conductivity values with higher GNP content, and show great shape stability and no leakage during phase change. These improvements solve the main problems of organic PCMs, thus making PLR‐PEG‐GNP‐based materials a good candidate for use as thermal energy storage materials in industrial applications as thermoregulators of solid‐state disks or realizing the “shaving peaks and filling valleys” effect for thermoelectric generators.

WATER USE AS A FACTOR IN THE FORMATION OF ECOLOGICAL SAFETY OF THE NICHLAVA RIVER BASIN

The purpose of the article is to determine the level of pollution of the Nichlava River and the structure of water use in its basin from the point of view of forming the ecological security of the region. The following methods were used in the course of the study: evaluation, geoecological analysis, statistical, geoinformation, geochemical and cartographic. Ensuring the ecological safety of a small river basin directly depends on the hydroecological parameters of the river itself. Therefore, studying the pollution of the Nichlava River and the quality of its waters is an important and urgent scientific-practical task.
 Based on the analysis of statistical data from the State Agency of Water Resources of Ukraine, we found that in 2021, 450 thousand m3 of water was withdrawn from natural water bodies in the Nichlava River basin, including 280 thousand m3 from underground water intakes. The used 600 thousand m3 of fresh water, including 260 thousand m3 for drinking and sanitary needs and 340 thousand m3 for production needs. The total water discharge in the Nichlava River basin in 2021 amounted to 660 thousand m3 of water. A total of 650 thousand m3 of wastewater was discharged into the basin's surface water bodies over the year. Including 80 thousand m3 of polluted wastewater and 180 thousand m3 of normatively clean wastewater without wastewater treatment. In 2021, 390 thousand m3 of wastewater was treated at the wastewater treatment plants in the study area. In 2016-2021, 668 thousand m3 of contaminated or insufficiently treated wastewater was discharged into the Nichlava River. Together with the polluted wastewater, 1147 tons of pollutants entered the river. The calculated polluting wastewater discharge coefficient for the Nichlava River basin is 0,12, which indicates not a high concentration of pollutants in the wastewater. However, despite the significant amounts of pollutants discharged into the surface water bodies of the Nichlava River basin, all indicators of the chemical-biological composition of water in the control section of the river meet ecological standards. Therefore, the level of ecological safety in the Nichlava River basin can be considered satisfactory. Promising measures to improve the ecological condition of the river and its basin include optimizing the structure of land use, restoring and preserving coastal protection strips, reconstructing inoperable sewage treatment plants in settlements, and eliminating unauthorized discharges into surface water bodies.
 Therefore, the introduction of effective mechanisms of rational water use in the Nichlava River basin should be a priority area of environmental policy at the regional level of new administrative districts and the local level of territorial communities. The river basin management plan, which must be developed, should include measures to restore the centralized drainage system in small and large settlements, reconstruction of treatment facilities and elimination of unauthorized discharges into surface water bodies.
 Key words: Nichlava River, polluted runoff, water use, water quality.

СРАВНИТЕЛЬНЫЙ АНАЛИЗ МЕЖДУНАРОДНЫХ ЭКОЛОГИЧЕСКИХ СТАНДАРТОВ, РЕГУЛИРУЮЩИХ ПРОЦЕССЫ «ЗЕЛЕНОГО» СТРОИТЕЛЬСТВА

In the 20th century, a new direction of green construction appeared in architecture and construction industry. Green building implies the process of constructing and operating buildings that are environmentally friendly and sustainable, energy efficient, technologically advanced and comfortable for human habitation. Nowadays, many countries have a successful experience in developing and implementing systems to control and encourage green building. The most widespread ecological standards are BREEAM, LEED and DGNB. These main international standards for green certification of buildings are reviewed in the research. The main groups of criteria described in the green standards are identified. A comparative analysis of the requirements to the construction processes of international green standards is performed. Common features, advantages and disadvantages of international green building standards are revealed. The systemic approaches implemented in BREEAM, LEED and DGNB allow a building project to be assessed as reliably as possible and take into account its functional purpose. Green building standards have a strong engineering focus. BREEAM, LEED and DGNB principles have become the basis for local green building standards around the world.

Energy transition narratives in the European Union

Today, there is a broad international consensus on the need to ensure carbon neutrality and, more broadly, to address global environmental issues. By promoting increasingly stringent ecological standards and climate regulations in the energy sector and consistently forcing others to emulate its example, the European Union seeks to present itself as a normative power in this area. At the same time, the EU leaders face the need to mobilize public support for the idea of the sustainable climate-oriented transition in order to mitigate its negative economic and social effects. This, in turn, requires the construction and promotion of the compelling and unambiguous energy transition narrative designed to legitimize the EU’s environmental and energy policy. This paper identifies and examines the key elements of such a narrative propagated within the European Union, as well as assesses its perception by various groups of the European countries’ population. The author also outlines a few alternative ‘greentransition’ narratives, which have arisen as a reaction to both the deficiencies of the EU’s energy policy and the challenges posed by the Ukrainian crisis. The author concludes that the EU leaders and the non-governmental and non-profit actors backing them have managed to build a broad and solid public consensus around the official narrative of the energy transition. Under these conditions, one of the central objectives facing the EU leaders is to maintain and strengthen the attained level of public support for its policies, given new transition-related challenges to the territorial integrity and political cohesion of the union. The latter include high inflation rates and the general rise in the cost of living, negative tendencies in the labor market due to its structural transformation, as well as the growing economic heterogeneity of the member states.