Environmental Performance Research Articles

The Impact of SC Ambidexterity on the Environmental, Economic and Social Performance: Mediating Role of SC Sustainability in the Retail Market in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

The Impact of SC Ambidexterity on the Environmental, Economic and Social Performance: Mediating Role of SC Sustainability in the Retail Market in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

The Impact of External Financial Factors on the Effect of Ecological Innovation on Small and Medium-Sized Businesses Performance, Capacity for the Sustainability Economy

Eco-innovation has been viewed as a tool for protecting the environment since the 1990s. The impact of external financial factors on eco-innovation is expected to reduce waste, air pollution, and the use of materials and resources. However, the effect of eco-innovation on economic and environmental performance has received little attention. More specifically, since the 1990s, eco-innovation has begun to be viewed as a tool to protect the environment. Eco-innovations are expected to reduce waste, air pollution, and the use of materials and resources. However, the impact of eco-innovation on financial and environmental performance has received little attention. Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) can function better, thanks in large part to the social fabric of the organization. In addition, there is a positive correlation between eco-innovation and GSCM, and these concepts significantly affect the development of CE capabilities. Our last conjecture shows a critical link between GSCM and CE skills. Our findings suggest that relationships between ideas for overarching design are more difficult to establish through more direct or indirect management of multiple tiers of suppliers and that major companies are expanding in ways that are likely to promote sustainability while bringing in sizeable New research questions.

Implications of Large Language Models for Quality and Efficiency of Neurologic Care: Emerging Issues in Neurology.

Large language models (LLMs) are advanced artificial intelligence (AI) systems that excel in recognizing and generating human-like language, possibly serving as valuable tools for neurology-related information tasks. Although LLMs have shown remarkable potential in various areas, their performance in the dynamic environment of daily clinical practice remains uncertain. This article outlines multiple limitations and challenges of using LLMs in clinical settings that need to be addressed, including limited clinical reasoning, variable reliability and accuracy, reproducibility bias, self-serving bias, sponsorship bias, and potential for exacerbating health care disparities. These challenges are further compounded by practical business considerations and infrastructure requirements, including associated costs. To overcome these hurdles and harness the potential of LLMs effectively, this article includes considerations for health care organizations, researchers, and neurologists contemplating the use of LLMs in clinical practice. It is essential for health care organizations to cultivate a culture that welcomes AI solutions and aligns them seamlessly with health care operations. Clear objectives and business plans should guide the selection of AI solutions, ensuring they meet organizational needs and budget considerations. Engaging both clinical and nonclinical stakeholders can help secure necessary resources, foster trust, and ensure the long-term sustainability of AI implementations. Testing, validation, training, and ongoing monitoring are pivotal for successful integration. For neurologists, safeguarding patient data privacy is paramount. Seeking guidance from institutional information technology resources for informed, compliant decisions, and remaining vigilant against biases in LLM outputs are essential practices in responsible and unbiased utilization of AI tools. In research, obtaining institutional review board approval is crucial when dealing with patient data, even if deidentified, to ensure ethical use. Compliance with established guidelines like SPIRIT-AI, MI-CLAIM, and CONSORT-AI is necessary to maintain consistency and mitigate biases in AI research. In summary, the integration of LLMs into clinical neurology offers immense promise while presenting formidable challenges. Awareness of these considerations is vital for harnessing the potential of AI in neurologic care effectively and enhancing patient care quality and safety. The article serves as a guide for health care organizations, researchers, and neurologists navigating this transformative landscape.

Waste pickers’ cooperatives: social and environmental impacts in the recycling value chain in Cordoba, Argentina

ABSTRACT In Argentina, waste pickers play an important role in the recovery of recyclable Municipal Solid Waste (MSW). Most of them organise themselves in cooperatives to gain more visibility and overcome their situation of vulnerability. Their activity involves numerous social and environmental impacts that should be considered when assessing the recycling value chain’s performance. With this aim and resorting to the concept of upgrading, this article analyses the impact of waste pickers’ cooperatives in Cordoba and the opportunities for a better social and environmental performance of the chain. We found that waste pickers’ cooperatives have positive and negative social and environmental impacts. Our work makes an empirical contribution to the literature on waste pickers from a Global South perspective, highlighting the need for a more integrative and inclusive framework for MSW management oriented towards the circular economy which formally integrates waste pickers as key actors in urban hygiene.

Challenges for the development of sustainable SMEs in the cement industry: a SWARA–WASPAS approach

Purpose This study aims to examine the obstacles and approaches to achieving sustainable development in India’s cement solid and hollow brick production business, with a specific emphasis on incorporating the triple bottom line (TBL) concept into strategies for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Design/methodology/approach Using the step-wise weight assessment ratio analysis (SWARA)–weighted aggregated sum product assessment (WASPAS) approach, the study prioritized 11 economic, 9 environmental and 14 social sustainability indicators based on information collected from literature and expert opinions. Findings The study provides valuable insights into the difficulties encountered by SMEs while implementing strategies that focus on the TBL. By putting emphasis on the sustainability criteria, the key areas that require attention to promote sustainability get identified and addressed. Research limitations/implications The study’s focus on SMEs in this industry limits its generalizability. To have a more complete picture, future studies may include many areas. Practical implications The identified and prioritised sustainability characteristics help small and medium-sized firms (SMEs) design strategies to address sustainable development concerns. The research findings could also inform policymakers and regulatory bodies about the challenges faced by SMEs in the cement and brick production sector regarding sustainability. It could highlight the need for supportive policies and regulations to promote sustainable practices and incentivize SMEs to adopt the TBL approach. The paper can offer practical insights for SME owners and managers on integrating sustainability principles into their business strategies. Actionable recommendations and best practices for enhancing environmental performance, social impact and economic viability within the context of cement and brick production are outlined. Social implications TBL policies improve the sustainability and profitability of small and medium-sized firms (SMEs) and promote environmentally and socially responsible practices that benefit the industry and society. The research paper may facilitate greater engagement and collaboration among various stakeholders involved in the cement and brick production industry, including SMEs, larger corporations, government agencies, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and local communities. This cooperative approach can encourage open communication, the establishment of trust and coordinated actions to tackle sustainability challenges, ultimately improving social cohesion and collaboration. Originality/value This study provides new and valuable insights by investigating the development of TBL strategies in SMEs in the cement solid and hollow brick manufacturing sector in India. The utilization of the SWARA–WASPAS technique brings novelty to research on sustainable development in this field.

Research on Environmental Performance Measurement and Influencing Factors of Key Cities in China Based on Super-Efficiency SBM-Tobit Model

In recent years, China has experienced significant economic growth and some degree of environmental pollution control. However, achieving a perfect balance between the environment and economic development remains a challenge. In order to seek solutions to this issue and promote the sustainable development of cities, this paper starts from the urban level, which is relatively lacking in existing research. Based on the panel data of urban indicators from 2013 to 2021, it quantifies the environmental performance of key cities using the slack-based measure (SBM) model of super-efficiency based on a non-expected output. Furthermore, it utilizes the Tobit panel regression model suitable for limited dependent variables to analyze the impact of driving factors on the environmental performance of key cities, and it further explores the reasons for the loss of urban environmental performance from the dual perspectives of inputs and outputs. The research findings indicate the following. (1) The average environmental performance of 30 key cities has shown an increasing trend but has not yet reached a valid state. The cities’ environmental performance rises in the range of [0.444, 0.821], indicating that there is room for improvement in urban environmental management. (2) Cities in the northeastern region of China have lagged behind the eastern, central, and western regions in terms of environmental performance over this nine-year period, and the redundancy of undesirable outputs is partly responsible for this decline. (3) The large proportion of the secondary industry, the number of vehicles on the road, and the population density have a significantly negative impact on urban environmental performance, while the per capita regional GDP and urban maintenance and construction funds make a positive difference. These research findings provide a scientific basis and valuable insights into urban environment performance enhancement and can serve as a reference for areas in need of balanced development between the urban environment and economic growth.

The Role of Sensing Capability, Learning Capability and Coordinating Capability on Market Performance: Perspective of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs)

Aims: The aim of this study is to investigate the impact of sensing capability, learning capability, and coordinating capability on the market performance of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs). By examining these three critical capabilities, this research seeks to provide a comprehensive understanding of how SMEs can leverage their internal resources and competencies to achieve superior market outcomes as a market performance in today's dynamic and competitive business environment. Study Design: This study employs a quantitative research approach using a cross-sectional survey design to gather data on SMEs' sensing, learning, and coordinating capabilities, as well as their market performance. Place and Duration of Study: The study was conducted in Pontianak, West Kalimantan, Indonesia. Data were collected from 97 SME owners or managers who were selected based on the criteria of having been established for at least 3 years. Methodology: Data collection was done using a structured questionnaire administered through an online survey platform. The collected data were analyzed using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) with the Partial Least Squares (PLS) approach. The analysis was conducted using SmartPLS 4.0 software and involved two stages: (1) measurement model assessment and (2) structural model assessment. Results: The analysis results confirm the convergent validity, internal consistency, composite reliability, and discriminant validity of the constructs: Sensing Capability (SC), Learning Capability (LC), Coordinating Capability (CC), and Market Performance (MP). Using SEM with SmartPLS V.4, the study found that sensing capability (β = 0.383, p < 0.05) and learning capability (β = 0.430, p < 0.05) significantly impact market performance, supporting hypotheses H1 and H2. However, H3 was not supported, as coordinating capability (β = 0.088, p > 0.05) did not show a significant relationship with market performance. Conclusion: This study emphasizes the importance of sensing and learning capabilities for SMEs in Pontianak to enhance market performance. Coordinating capability may have an indirect effect. SME owners and managers should invest in these capabilities to adapt to market changes and maintain a competitive advantage. The findings contribute to the understanding of dynamic capabilities and provide practical insights for SMEs in West Kalimantan, Indonesia.

Shared Capitalism and Corporate Sustainability: Broad-Based Employee Share Ownership, CEO Ownership, and Corporate Environmental Performance

This research proposes that broad-based employee share ownership (ESO) affects corporate environmental performance (CEP). Drawing upon corporate governance literature, social exchange theory, and stakeholder utility theory, we propose that employees as owners adopt more favorable attitudes toward beneficial outcomes for CEP, and that the broad-based impact of ESO overwhelms the impact of CEO ownership. Also, we propose that these relationships are contingent upon trade union presence as a form of worker voice that amplifies the ESO influence on CEP. The empirical results from U.S. publicly traded companies from 2009 to 2016 indicate that broad-based ESO is linked to positive CEP by companies, and provides some support for all proposed hypotheses. This study provides scholarly and practical implications for the effects of shared capitalist modes of ownership and employee engagement on corporate sustainability.

Sustainability Practices in Eco-Friendly Resorts

Purpose: The general objective of this study was to explore sustainability practices in eco-friendly resorts. Methodology: The study adopted a desktop research methodology. Desk research refers to secondary data or that which can be collected without fieldwork. Desk research is basically involved in collecting data from existing resources hence it is often considered a low cost technique as compared to field research, as the main cost is involved in executive’s time, telephone charges and directories. Thus, the study relied on already published studies, reports and statistics. This secondary data was easily accessed through the online journals and library. Findings: The findings reveal that there exists a contextual and methodological gap relating to sustainability practices in eco-friendly resorts. Preliminary empirical review revealed that integrating green technologies and comprehensive sustainability measures significantly improved environmental performance, operational efficiency, and guest satisfaction. Despite progress, gaps remained in understanding the long-term economic impacts and challenges faced by smaller resorts, especially in developing regions. The findings suggested that policymakers and resort operators could enhance sustainability by investing in green technologies and engaging with local communities. Future research was recommended to address these gaps and develop scalable solutions. Overall, the study reinforced that sustainability is essential for environmental conservation and viable business strategy. Unique Contribution to Theory, Practice and Policy: The Triple Bottom Line theory, Stakeholder theory and Resource-Based View (RBV) may be used to anchor future studies on sustainability practices in eco-friendly resorts. The study provided several recommendations, emphasizing contributions to theory, practice, and policy. Theoretically, it highlighted the relevance of the Triple Bottom Line, Stakeholder, and Resource-Based View theories, suggesting future research to explore their intersections. Practically, it advised resort operators to adopt advanced green technologies, engage in continuous environmental training, and integrate sustainability into their core business strategies. Policy recommendations included developing supportive regulations and incentives, establishing certification programs, and promoting community engagement and CSR initiatives. The study also underscored the importance of prioritizing biodiversity and conservation efforts, and encouraged a collaborative framework among stakeholders to share best practices and innovative solutions. Keywords: Sustainability Practices, Eco-Friendly Resorts, Triple Bottom Line (TBL) Theory, Stakeholder Theory, Resource-Based View (RBV), Green Technologies

Boosting Firm Environmental Performance: The Roles of Top Management Team Functional Diversity, Environmental Disclosures, and Government Subsidy

Contemporary organizations are actively striving to achieve a higher level of environmental performance (the extent to which the organization reduces and minimizes its negative impact on the natural environment). This pursuit is not only driven by the need to comply with governmental climate change regulations but also by the desire to gain a competitive advantage. While a limited number of studies have acknowledged the importance of top executives’ strategy-making on firms’ environmental performance, questions still persist regarding how the role structure of the top management team (TMT) promotes the disclosure of environmental policies, and subsequently enhances firm environmental performance. Based on the attention-based view and resource-dependency perspective, this study aims to examine how TMT functional diversity is beneficial for formulating better environmental disclosures, which in turn, is expected to increase environmental performance. Additionally, we explore the extent to which external resources (i.e., government subsidies) can strengthen this relationship. We employed an archival dataset from 406 Chinese manufacturing firms over a ten-year period (2010–2019) and tested a moderated mediation model. Our findings suggest that greater functional diversity within TMTs positively influences firm environmental performance through the improved environmental disclosures, and this indirect effect is amplified when firms receive higher levels of government subsidies. Our study contributes to the existing literature on environmental governance by demonstrating that (1) functional diversity within the TMT can predict more favorable environmental performance metrics; and (2) government financial support can particularly be a booster for the relationship between TMT environmental disclosures and firm environmental performance.

Greening Emerging Economies: Enhancing Environmental, Social, and Governance Performance through Environmental Management Accounting and Green Financing

Given the rising interest in sustainability globally, this paper investigates whether the environmental management accounting (EMA) and green financing of a firm are associated with superior environmental, social, and governance (ESG) performance, considering manufacturing firms from emerging economies like Bangladesh to address a gap in relevant research. Drawing on the perspective of contingency theory, this study is one of the first to analyze how EMA and green financing enable sustainable production to enhance ESG performance, as well as the mediation that sustainable production exerts on this relationship. This study entails an analysis of ESG performance in sensitive industries, i.e., those that are more likely to cause social and environmental damage. To test our hypotheses, we applied partial least squares path modeling to analyze data from 467 responses. Further, we used fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) to check the robustness. The results suggest that sensitive industries present superior ESG performance through integrating EMA and green financing. Further, empirical evidence demonstrates that sustainable production fully mediates the relationship between EMA and ESG performance. Meanwhile, sustainable production does not moderate green financing and ESG performance. For managers, this study demonstrates how embedding green financing and EMA into the organizational process for transitioning to a sustainable production model can present superior ESG performance. Our study contributes to research on both the impact of EMA and green financing on ESG performance, mediation effects of sustainable production, and integrated analysis using PLS-SEM and fsQCA, and the practice of sustainability management in firms in developing countries.

Performance Analysis and Optimization of Solar-Coupled Mine Water-Source Heat Pump Combined Heating and Cooling System

To address the energy consumption issue in mining area buildings, this paper proposed a solar-coupled mine water-source heat pump combined heating and cooling (SMWHP-CHC) system, taking the employee dormitory building group of a coal mining enterprise in Tongchuan City, China, as a case study. The system utilizes renewable solar energy and waste heat recovered from mine water as composite heat sources, and utilizes the cold energy in mine water as a cooling source to meet the demands for space heating, space cooling, and annual domestic hot water of the building in a sustainable manner. The simulation model of the system was established by TRNSYS to analyze the system’s annual operational performance. The results indicated that the system exhibited a positive energy efficiency and environmental performance under different operating conditions. The heating coefficients of the performance of the system (COPsys) during the space heating season and transition season were 3.54 and 18.6, and the cooling energy efficiency ratio of the system (EERsys) was 3.79. In addition, aiming to minimize the annual cost of the system, multiple crucial device parameters were synchronously optimized employing the PSO-HJ hybrid optimization algorithm through the GenOpt 2 software. The annual cost of the optimized system was reduced by 8.82%, and the investment cost was significantly reduced, while the performance was also improved. This study can provide theoretical support for the sustainable engineering application of the SMWHP-CHC system in mining area buildings.

Neighbourhood North: maximum gain, minimum pain – transformational office redevelopment

This article explores the project aims, challenges, solutions and lessons learned in redeveloping an existing 1980s quayside office block in southwest England. A full-height side extension introduced a double-height atrium entrance and unlocked the full potential of the office floorplates. New, larger windows were added in the existing facades, which improved the building's environmental performance, including more daylight and reduced heat loss. The client has a strong sustainability ethic and cross-laminated timber floor slabs were included in the design, which aspires to achieve BREEAM Outstanding accreditation. The project achieved an overall SCORS rating of A+, bordering on A++, at 53kg/CO2e/m2, despite the extension itself having a SCORS rating of F.

What Should be Considered While Designing Hole-Transporting Material for Perovskite Solar Cells? A Special Attention to Thiophene-Based Hole-Transporting Materials.

The molecular design and conformations of hole-transporting materials (HTM) have unravelled a strategy to enhance the performance of environmentally sustainable perovskite solar cells (PSC). Several attempts have been made and several are underway for improving the efficiency of PSCs by designing an efficient HTM, which is crucial to preventing corrosion, facilitating effective hole transportation, and preventing charge recombination. There is a need for a potential alternative to the current market-dominating HTM due to its high cost of production, dopant requirements, moisture sensitivity, and low stability. Among several proposed HTMs, molecules derived from thiophene exhibit unique behaviour, such as the interaction with under-coordinated Pb2+, thereby facilitating the passivation of surface defects in the perovskite layer. In addition, coupling a suitable side chain imparts a hydrophobic character, eventually leading to the development of a moisture-sensitive and highly stable PSC. Furthermore, thiophene-backboned polymers with ionic pendants have been employed as an interfacial layer between PSC layers, with the backbone facilitating efficient charge transfer. This perspective article comprehensively presents the design strategy, characterization, and function of HTMs associated with thiophene-derived molecules. Hence, it is observed that thiophene-formulated HTMs have an enhanced passivation effect, good performance in an open-circuit environment, longevity, humidity resistance, thermostability, good hole extraction, and mobility in a dopant-free condition. For a better understanding, the article provides a comparative description of the activity and function of thiophene-based small molecules and polymers and their effect on device performance.

CCW-YOLOv5: A forward-looking sonar target method based on coordinate convolution and modified boundary frame loss.

Multi beam forward looking sonar plays an important role in underwater detection. However, due to the complex underwater environment, unclear features, and susceptibility to noise interference, most forward looking sonar systems have poor recognition performance. The research on MFLS for underwater target detection faces some challenges. Therefore, this study proposes innovative improvements to the YOLOv5 algorithm to address the above issues. On the basis of maintaining the original YOLOv5 architecture, this improved model introduces transfer learning technology to overcome the limitation of scarce sonar image data. At the same time, by incorporating the concept of coordinate convolution, the improved model can extract features with rich positional information, significantly enhancing the model's detection ability for small underwater targets. Furthermore, in order to solve the problem of feature extraction in forward looking sonar images, this study integrates attention mechanisms. This mechanism expands the receptive field of the model and optimizes the feature learning process by highlighting key details while suppressing irrelevant information. These improvements not only enhance the recognition accuracy of the model for sonar images, but also enhance its applicability and generalization performance in different underwater environments. In response to the common problem of uneven training sample quality in forward looking sonar imaging technology, this study made a key improvement to the classic YOLOv5 algorithm. By adjusting the bounding box loss function of YOLOv5, the model's over sensitivity to low-quality samples was reduced, thereby reducing the punishment on these samples. After a series of comparative experiments, the newly proposed CCW-YOLOv5 algorithm has achieved detection accuracy in object detection mAP@0.5 Reached 85.3%, and the fastest inference speed tested on the local machine was 54 FPS, showing significant improvement and performance improvement compared to existing advanced algorithms.

The influence of ESG score on financial performance: Evidence from the European health care industry

AbstractCompany managers are increasingly recognizing that sustainable practices are not just ethical imperatives but potential drivers of long‐term value. To determine the degree to which this is grounded in business reality, a growing body of empirical studies have examined whether higher environmental, social, and governance (ESG) performance predicts better financial performance. However, conflicting findings have emerged, with reviews highlighting the role that methodological choices, normative setting, and industry can play in moderating that relationship. Unlike other industries, health care has been the focus of only a handful of heterogeneous quantitative studies. To contribute to this evidence base for the European context, the present study comprehensively examined whether and how ESG score can influence both accounting‐ and market‐based measures of financial performance. Company data from the top health care companies listed in the STOXX 600 Index over the last decade (2012–2022) were gathered and analyzed. The analysis results confirmed that a marked heterogeneity of effects across the different ESG scores and measures of financial performance exists, which is not merely due to differences in empirical strategy, with modest positive effects being estimated in most cases. Of the three pillars, the governance score consistently predicted more positive financial performance among the sample of listed European companies. The environmental pillar score only influenced accounting‐based measures, though inconsistently, whereas the social pillar did not seem to have any predicting role for accounting‐based measures. Future research should consider replicating the proposed analytical framework in other data settings and normative contexts to strengthen the current evidence base and therefore deepen our understanding of the mechanisms underlying the investigated relationships in the health care industry.

Environmental life cycle assessment of UV-C LEDs vs. mercury lamps and oxidant selection for diclofenac degradation

This study is the first environmental comparison between a UV-C LED lamp (emitting at 265 nm) and mercury lamps employed in a lab-scale photoreactor for water treatment purification purposes, using the removal of diclofenac as a case study. Ex-ante life cycle assessment (LCA) methodology was used as a robust method to identify hotspots and recommendations at the early stage of the UV-C LEDs technology. The functional unit was defined as “the treatment of 1 L of polluted water with 20 mg L−1 of diclofenac to achieve a 90% removal of the contaminant”, while the system boundaries include the production and the operation of the photoreactors, following a cradle-to-gate approach. Several scenarios were explored, and overall, the UV-C LED lamp shows a promising environmental performance, with less or similar potential impacts than the mercury lamps in the 16 categories selected from the Environmental Footprint (EF) method. In particular, it reveals less impact in “human toxicity non-cancer” and “resource use minerals and metals” and presents electricity as the main source of impact. Given the higher efficacy of the UV-driven advanced oxidation processes compared to the UV irradiation alone, and since no studies have previously been conducted on the sustainability of free chlorine (FC) as an oxidant in water treatment, a comparison between UV-C, UV-C/H2O2, and UV-C/FC while employing the 265 nm UV-C LED lamp was also assessed. UV-C/H2O2 was more sustainable than UV-C/FC for the same treatment time, but both led to an overall impact reduction of 35% and 30%, respectively. To increase sustainability, employing cleaner energy sources such as photovoltaic or wind energy also resulted in an 80% and 93% reduction in the “climate change” category. Overall, this study demonstrates that using UV-C LEDs and the selected oxidants for water purification is beneficial and encourages the scale-up of the system.

Do responsible practices lead to higher firm productivity? Evidence from Europe

AbstractThis study examines the impact of corporate social responsibility (CSR) in its environmental, social and governance (ESG) dimensions on firm productivity. We analyze a data set comprising 448 non‐financial firms operating in 15 European countries during the period 2002–2018 and find compelling evidence indicating that both the overall ESG scores and their individual sub‐pillars, are positively associated with total factor productivity (TFP). To ensure the robustness of our findings, we employ multiple analytical approaches to address potential endogeneity and selection biases. Our evidence demonstrates that the link between ESG and TFP link becomes more pronounced during economic slowdowns, particularly in the aftermath of the financial crisis. Furthermore, our investigation reveals that firms' environmental performance plays a pivotal role in driving this relationship. To validate this outcome, we employ a quasi‐natural experiment, focused on the adoption of the international climate change treaty, the 2015 ‘Paris Agreement’. Overall, our results offer valuable insights for policymakers and regulators and confirm that involvement in sustainability practices within the non‐financial sector not only yields societal benefits but also bolsters firm‐level productivity.

Future perspectives of Brazilian beef production: what is the role of Silvopastoral systems?

AbstractAgainst the backdrop of changing production conditions and market requirements, it seems time has come to rethink Brazil’s beef production systems. We analyse the economic and environmental performance of three beef production systems: classic beef production system (CB), and two types of silvopastoral systems: the integrated crop-livestock-forestry system (ICLFS) and the natural regeneration system (NR) in a comparative case study analysis. We find that, though costs of production are the lowest for CB, only the ICLFS and NR case studies are generating long-term profits. While greenhouse gas emissions per kg live weight added are lowest in ICLFS, followed by NR and CB, per hectare (ha) emissions are highest in NR, followed by ICLFS and CB. Considering the system’s carbon removal, NR and potentially ICLFS are sequestering more than releasing. Additionally, the land required to produce beef is lowest in NR, followed by ICLFS and CB. Considering the additional outputs produced by ICLFS and NR, they showcase the potential of multifunctional production systems for future scenarios, where land scarcity puts land-demanding production systems, such as beef, under pressure. The three production systems perform differently depending on the indicators analysed. How they will reply to future challenges depends on the location and the specific environment. Yet, from the analysed systems, CB is the least sustainable, economically and environmentally.

Global selection appraisal study for heat pump system of electric vehicle based on energetic, economic, and environmental analysis

The development of electric vehicles (EVs) exhibits rapid and remarkable progress nowadays, serving as a crucial route to accomplish the target of mitigating greenhouse gas emissions. As an integral part of the thermal management system oriented toward electric vehicles, the heat pump air conditioning system for electric vehicles is the result of a comprehensive choice that trades off the cooling and heating performance, environmental performance and economic cost. Particularly, different regions around the world suffer varying cooling and heating challenges due to the complicated climatic characteristics. Thus the most suitable refrigerant and system cycle structure may differ. This paper focuses on evaluating both the refrigerants and cycle structures to screen the most suitable choice. According to the climate conditions of different cities, the annual energy consumption, life cycle climate performance, and economic cost of the basic system (Base), two-stage compression system (TSC,IC), and vapor injection (VI) system with CO2, R134a, and R1234yf refrigerants respectively, are quantitatively analyzed and evaluated. Subsequently, through comparative analysis, a comprehensive selection map for heat pump systems in electric vehicles worldwide is developed and the most suitable heat pump air conditioning system for each cites is determined. The results can provide a selection reference and decision-making for the air conditioning system of electric vehicles from regional considerations. It was found that the CO2 HPACVI was recommended for cold regions to meet both environmental and economic requirements. In warm region, the R1234yf HPACBase system was recommended to be used. For regions transitioning from cold to warm climates, the R1234yf HPACVI system was suggested. In hot region, the R1234yf AC system was recommended.