Environmental Matters Research Articles

Shaping pro-environmental behaviors through eco-diaries and research-based projects: an experimental study of business students at Yangzhou University

Purpose This paper aims to identify the effects of two types of teaching approaches, namely, project-based learning and place-based learning, on the development of pro-environmental behaviors among university students. Design/methodology/approach This study used a pre-test–post-test experimental design to evaluate the efficacy of project- and placed-based learning in promoting pro-environmental behaviors among university students. Participants were randomly allocated to either the project-based learning cohort (consisting of 50 participants) or the place-based learning cohort (also consisting of 50 participants). The pre-test assessments evaluated the initial pro-environmental behaviors of the participants. Then, interventions were conducted with the help of instructors. The project-based learning intervention necessitated participants to collectively take part in real-life problem-solving endeavors about environmental matters. On the other hand, the place-based learning intervention prompted participants to record and contemplate their interactions with the surrounding environment. Both interventions sought to augment participants’ understanding, beliefs and actions related to the environment. After the interventions, post-test assessments were carried out to assess any alterations in participants’ pro-environmental behaviors. Mean analysis and paired sample t-test were performed to examine the differences among the pre-test and post-test for both project- and place-based learning. Findings The findings of this study indicate that the participants have exhibited improved pro-environmental behaviors, including environmental activism, non-activist behaviors and private sphere green behaviors. Originality/value This research is original in its analysis of project- and place-based learning approaches for fostering pro-environmental behaviors. By using a pre-test–post-test experimental design, this study provides empirical evidence on the effectiveness of these active learning strategies in shaping environmental attitudes and actions.

CSR committees and the voluntary disclosures of climate change information in France

This study examines the effect of CSR committees on voluntary climate change disclosures. Using a sample of SBF 120 listed companies from 2018 to 2022, we find that the presence of CSR committees increases the disclosure of opportunities and forward-looking information on climate change. Additionally, we find that these results are mostly driven by the size of CSR committees. Our results suggest that CSR committees encourage voluntary climate change disclosures due to the informational and economic gains of having an expert sub-board committee responsible for overseeing environmental matters.

Health risks of environmentally persistent free radicals in atmospheric particulate matter during the spring festival travel season in Tainan, Taiwan.

Environmentally persistent free radicals (EPFRs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are persistent pollutants in atmospheric particulate matter that are detrimental to human health. This study collected atmospheric particulate matter during and after the spring festival travel season in Tainan, Taiwan, from various locations and analyzed the carbon composition and PAH isomeric ratios to identify the sources. In this study, EPFR concentrations were measured using electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy, with the highest concentration found to be 3.04 × 10(12) spins/m3. EPFRs contained predominantly oxygen-centered radicals in PM2.5, which are mainly existed in PM1. The results show that EPFR concentrations on PM, measured per unit volume (spins/m3) or mass (spins/g), were highest during the spring festival travel season. The daily inhalation exposure to the sum of EPFRs and PAHs in PM2.5 was estimated to be equivalent to inhaling 0.11-0.15 cigarette tar EPFRs per day. This report is the first to document EPFRs in environmental atmospheric particulate matters in Taiwan, which has significantly contributed to local air pollution control and reduced exposure risks to public health in Tainan.

What environmental and social factors are most relevant to the efficiency and performance of companies? The case of a small bank-oriented country

PurposeThis work aims to analyze the factors that influence the performance and efficiency of Portuguese companies, namely the influence of social and environmental features.Design/methodology/approachTo achieve our aim, we have used the Portuguese benchmark index, the Portuguese stock index – PSI, during the period from 2016 to 2020. To test the hypothesis panel data methodology was used, specifically, the GMM system originally proposed by Arellano and Bond (1991) and the Value-Based DEA developed by Gouveia et al. (2008).FindingsThe results of the GMM model show that social performance has a negative relationship with the company’s performance, from the perspective of different stakeholders, reinforcing that the cost-benefit trade-off of social spending is not yet understood as advantageous for the company’s performance. On the other hand, environmental performance, for external stakeholders, positively influences the company’s performance, perhaps due to pressure from society and the tradition of disclosing environmental matters. The value-based DEA results reinforce that from the perspective of the external stakeholder, non-efficient companies must increase their environmental performance to become efficient, highlighting the role of environmental performance in explaining efficiency. It is unanimous that social performance is still not seen as a lever of efficiency.Originality/valueThis is the first work to use a hybrid methodology to understand the performance determinants of a small banking-oriented country, emphasizing environmental and social aspects.

Social factors that promote resilience in adolescents with depression: a systematic review

Abstract Background A socially protective environment matters. Social factors can protect against the development of depression among adolescents in community samples. There is however scant knowledge about their buffering role on the impact of depressive symptoms in adolescents in a clinical setting. Understanding these factors can help explaining why some children function well despite of their depression symptoms. In this review, we aimed to identify which social protective factors mitigate impairment from depression in adolescents. Methods We included peer-reviewed, cross-sectional and longitudinal studies using the following search strategy: Social protective factors AND depression or depression symptoms AND adolescents AND daily impairment, yielding 1737 hits. Included studies focused on social protective factors in relation to a depression diagnosis or depression symptoms severity, in adolescents age 11-24. Preliminary results We found 6 studies that examined the relationship between social protective factors and impairment or severity of depression symptoms in adolescents with a clinical depression or elevated symptoms. In these studies, higher rates of parental attachment, parental monitoring and school belonging moderated the relation between depression symptoms and daily impairment. Higher rates of family support and peer belonging were associated with the low depressed mood group. The rest of the studies tested the association of social protective factors on the development of depression symptoms in non-clinical populations. Conclusions There are limited studies on the buffering role of social protective factors in adolescents with clinical depression. Next, we will focus on non-clinical, longitudinal studies to explore which social protective factors moderate the development of depression over time. We aim to identify social factors that can mitigate the development of depression in community samples and are potentially important for clinical settings. Key messages • There is a scarcity of studies that explored the relation between social protective factors in adolescents with elevated depression symptoms or depression diagnosis. • The role of social protective factors that moderate the development of adolescent depression symptoms over time should be prioritized in the development of intervention programs.

Why a medical student's learning environment matters: the enabling effect of supportive social climates.

Why a medical student's learning environment matters: the enabling effect of supportive social climates.

Inclusive Teaching and Learning Practices That Promote and Protect Reading and Science Literacy for Palestinian Children

Despite adversities arising from the Palestinian experience, studies have shown that Palestinian students can demonstrate educational resilience. However, a gap in knowledge exists about inclusive teaching and learning strategies that contribute to Palestinian students’ educational resilience. This research uses mixed-effects regression modelling to examine reading and science literacy outcomes of 1279 Palestinian students in UNRWA schools in Jordan. The findings revealed two promotive factors (student online reading and teacher–student relations) and two protective factors (student enjoyment of reading and student control strategies) for reading, and two protective factors (student awareness of environmental matters and student epistemological beliefs about science) for science. Knowledge about the promotive and protective factors has important implications for reading and science educators working with Palestinian children.

Do Energy Efficiency and Technology Boost Sustainable Environment: Evidence from GCC Countries

Sustainable Environment practices significantly reduce carbon emissions by ensuring the continuous use of materials and energy resources, thus making them intrinsically aligned with the underlying objectives of the decarbonization agenda. Technological advancement has the potential to contribute significantly to this shift by streamlining resource flows, enhancing waste management procedures, and allowing more efficient energy consumption. Although Gulf Cooperation Council countries have experienced robust economic growth over the decades, rising pollution emissions and low renewable energy consumption have raised concerns among policymakers about the long-term stability of this growth. In recent years, Gulf countries have paid significant concern to environmental matters and achieved carbon-free development. This study seeks to investigate the relationship between energy efficiency, technology, and sustainability, particularly emphasizing the green economy perspective. Carbon dioxide emission taken as the dependent variable. Frontier Technology Readiness Index reflects the utilization of technology within economies. Energy efficiency is also considered, symbolizing the transition from fossil fuels to green energy due to technological progression in the energy sector. The findings suggest that factors such as the Frontier Technology Readiness Index, the energy intensity level of primary energy, and medium and high-tech manufacturing significantly harm the environment, while scientific and technical journal articles and agriculture significantly improve the environment over time. To improve Gulf Cooperation Council countries' environmental quality, policymakers must understand the factors causing climate change. This study gives policymakers useful information about how to make the Gulf Cooperation Council community more sustainable by looking at energy efficiency, technology, and digital adaptation.

Amazon vs the Amazon: Green Capitalist Imaginaries and the Death of Biodiversity

ABSTRACT Capitalist forces shape public consciousness and, by extension, how everyday people imagine environmental matters of concern. This article investigates the historical cycling of the three most influential green imaginaries of Western neoliberalism: biodiversity, ecosystem services, and climate change. Using the Amazon rainforest and Amazon.com as icons of the clash between capitalism and nature, we investigate how shifting neoliberal fashions create opportunities for capital to evacuate place consciousness from U.S. environmental politics. The destruction of place consciousness enables corporations to damage the biosphere while minimizing political interruption. We show how place-erasure works through historical cases linked to each phase: the sustainable tropical forest sourcing of The Body Shop and Ben & Jerry’s (1990s), compensatory wetland mitigation in the Midwest (2000s), and Amazon.com’s carbon offset program (2010s–present). In our discussion of these imaginaries or “waves,” we contend that the current mainstream neoliberal climate paradigm is the most pernicious as it diverts the public's attention to the sky and away from accelerating ecological violence on the ground.

THE BRAZILIAN LEGAL SYSTEM AND THE INTERNATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL PRINCIPLES

This article aims to analyze the environmental principles established in the international order and recognized by the Brazilian legal system, in particular the 1988 constitutional text, with the aim of evaluating the effects of international legislation with regard to environmental matters, based on verification of a staggered and more accentuated regulatory development in the environmental field. The aim was to define the parameters of the new world economic order and the importance attributed to the outstanding principles of precaution, sustainable development and prevention, with a view to consolidating a relevant tool for promoting environmental protection. In this sense, by synthesizing a study on the adoption and adequacy of the principle elements of the international environmental order, an investigative aspect is created to promote awareness of the primacy of an environment that receives collective care both at a global and national level. The strengthening of international environmental law was also a concern of this article, even though it was a brief analysis, so that it shows the exact notion that the issue must involve all social actors, from individuals and even the most complex state structure, with the goal of defining and applying a normative framework on environmental issues, in the international sphere and its applicability in national territory, through the due process of internalization of treaties and, in particular, the economic order in the 1988 Constitution, facing the challenges arising from growth world population and the urgent need to confront the catastrophic effects of the process of industrialization and large-scale consumption, considering environmental sustainability.

Do effective and sustainable corporate governance mechanisms affect the relevance of non‐financial information?

AbstractThe aim of this paper is to investigate the value relevance of non‐financial information (NFI) under the EU Directive 2014/95/EU, since its increasing importance over recent years. Adopting a panel data set with all listed firms in Germany, Spain, France and Italy, we obtain a final sample of 10,025 firms‐year‐observations in the period from 2017 to 2021. Through the lens of institutional theory, it emerges that firms adopt coercive, mimetic and normative pressure to be recognised by investors in their NFI practices. Furthermore, the presence of effective and sustainable corporate governance mechanisms improve accounting information (namely, Earnings Per Shares and Book Value of Equity Per Shares) and NFI. The contribution of this study is twofold. First of all, it enriches the literature about value relevance of NFI; second, it is beneficial for practitioners, such as investors, policy makers and regulators on the strategic levels of effective corporate governance mechanisms. NFI has a positive effect on capital market and improve investors' decision‐making by providing information on diversity, environmental matters, social and employees matters, human rights and anti‐corruption and bribery matters, which will favour the firms' implementation of more sustainable actions. Indeed, if investors recognise the importance of a certain firm's NFI, the market value of that firm will increase with consequent reputational and economic‐financial benefits. To the best of authors' knowledge, this is the first study that investigates the role of effective and sustainable corporate governance mechanisms on the value relevance of NFI.

Environmental ratification moves

For over 60 years, International Environmental Law has produced hundreds of texts aimed at protecting the environment at global to regional scales. Most of these texts do not gather the support of all the states concerned. The reasons for this are analysed here. This retrospective look provides a striking panorama of the current situation. The international and domestic motivations that lead a state to the sovereign decision to ratify or not a treaty, are first recalled and put into perspective in their interdependencies. The analysis of thousands of ratifications of 51 major treaties draws lines of divergence between leading states, follower states, and states reluctant to enter into environmental commitments. On a global scale the latter form a large majority, including most African and Asian states. The states of Northern and Western Europe are among the first to ratify these treaties, followed by other European states. G7 member states occupy vey contrasting normative positions. Overall, three major moves emerge from this global panorama. First, historical and persistent inequalities in the development of countries have cast an indelible shadow on environmental international multilateral treaties which do not bring the expected fruits of development. Second, in environmental matters, over the past 15 years the trend consists in establishing agreements of more restricted range (regional, bilateral), with commitments from states on fairly flexible objectives, adaptable to their social and economic context. Third, these agreements are set within the broadly negotiated and thematically inclusive principles of sustainable development.

Exploring the role and mechanisms of environmental serious games in promoting pro-environmental decision-making: a focused literature review and future research agenda.

Environmental serious games aim to heighten players' awareness and comprehension of environmental issues, thus fostering pro-environmental decision-making. Research to date has affirmed these games' effectiveness in enhancing environmental knowledge and abilities, elevating consciousness regarding environmental matters, and promoting pro-environmental behavioral intentions and actions. Nonetheless, a detailed exploration into the precise mechanisms facilitating these impacts remains scarce. Leveraging theories of motivation, cognition, affect, and behavior, this paper outlines four hypothesized mechanisms of influence and introduces an Embodied-Enactive Cognition Model as a novel perspective. It suggests that future research should expand its inquiry into the multifaceted factors that influence pro-environmental decision-making, deepen the comprehension of the intrinsic mechanisms at play, pioneer novel research methodologies, and diversify the array of categories and contextual applications of environmental serious games.

Att förhålla sig till ovisshet i litteraturundervisningen

Managing Uncertainty in the Literature Classroom: Linda Bondestam’s Climate Change Picturebook Mitt bottenliv in Literary Education Children’s literature on environmental matters puts great responsibility on its readers to solve future environmental problems. Similarly, in an educational context, there are underlying premises that the students should be fostered into environmental awareness, at the risk of climate fiction solely becoming “teaching aids”, providing clear-cut solutions to the climate crisis. In this article, I seek to address these premises by analysing Linda Bondestam’s climate picturebook Mitt bottenliv: Av en ensam axolotl (My Life at the Bottom: The Story of a Lonesome Axolotl, 2020) in relation to literary education. In Bondestam’s picturebook, human consumerism causes an apocalypse but an endangered axolotl survives and thrives. The aim of the article is to discuss the complexity of Mitt bottenliv in relation to literary education. In the analysis, the key concepts are “didactic gaps” (Beauvais) and “staying with the trouble” (Haraway). The article explores what it can entail to stay with the trouble in relation to uncertainty in literary education. Mitt bottenliv can hardly be said to provide clear-cut solutions for the climate crisis. Rather, the complexity of the picturebook creates an ambiguity in the didactic gaps, and an uncertainty to be managed within the context of literary education. This ambiguity enables the reader to stay with the trouble in relation to the picturebook as well as the environmental troubles we are facing, without placing the responsibility of the future upon the reader. Consequently, the article draws attention to the potential of complex picturebooks in literary education, as well as to literary education as a means of managing uncertainty.

Gobernanza ambiental, agua, saneamiento y residuos sólidos: ¿qué piensa al respecto la población costarricense?

[Objective] The objective of this study was to collect the perception of Costa Ricans on environmental issues in order to generate information to influence decision-makers. [Methodology] A descriptive-quantitative research was conducted from June 13th to 17th and June 20th, 22nd, and 23rd, 2022 through a telephone poll of 702 people, using a sampling of active cellphone banks in the country. [Results] Opinion polls provide elements of the population's sentiments and help measure actions developed in different areas; therefore, this study is relevant to show what the population thinks about environmental matters. For example, six out of ten people consider that the country's international prestige on environmental matters is an accurate representation of reality, but it is evident that 67.8% of the people polled think the government is not clear on environmental policies. However, the government must address 11 environmental issues as a priority. Furthermore, interviewees agree with the statements in the Escazú Agreement, as an instrument of international regulations regarding the right to citizen participation and information on environmental issues. On another issue, seven out of ten people indicate that the country's wastewater is dumped into the rivers, thus contaminating water sources. Regarding solid waste management, little progress is perceived regarding solutions to this problem. [Conclusions] Finally, there is evidence of knowledge about environmental issues and an expectation for the government to solve the problems identified as priorities.

Bucking the Trend: Civil Society and the Strengthening of Environmental Rights in Latin America and the Caribbean

Abstract In 2021, environmental procedural rights were strengthened in Latin America and the Caribbean when the legally binding Escazu Agreement came into force. This new treaty seeks to implement Principle 10 of the 1992 Rio Declaration, which promotes access to information, participation, and justice in environmental matters. The treaty is empirically and theoretically surprising: it bucks the growing trend of informalization in regional and international cooperation and is more highly legalized than institutional design theory would predict. Applying an interpretivist logic of inquiry and drawing on interviews with twenty-three participants in the negotiations, I argue that this outcome can be explained by an alignment of structural conditions that facilitated an alliance between ambitious state and nonstate actors and enabled their influence throughout negotiations. Applying theories of political opportunities and mobilization structures, I show how a network created by the World Resources Institute influenced the agreement’s design and helped secure a high degree of obligation and precision in Latin America’s first environmental treaty.

Effects of CEO Tenure and Education on Corporate Social and Environmental Performance: Evidence from Listed Firms on Namibia Stock Exchange

Given the increasing focus on sustainability and corporate responsibility, it is essential to comprehend the influence of CEO characteristics on the accomplishment of a company. The main objective of this research is to investigate the correlation between the length of time a CEO serves in their position, their level of education, company corporate social performance, and environmental performance. The study utilized a descriptive research design, employing a quantitative method by conducting a cross-sectional survey. The study sample comprised Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) from 52 publicly traded businesses, and the analysis was based on 39 collected responses. With the help of SPSS, a multiple regression analysis was performed to evaluate the influence of CEO term of office and education on business social performance and environmental performance. The results indicate that CEO tenure has a favorable and substantial influence on environmental performance, whereas CEO education substantially influences corporate social performance. The results offer useful insights into the complex correlation between CEO characteristics and sustainability success. We propose policymakers to implement restrictions or recommendations for the length of time a CEO can hold their position and their educational qualifications. This will help ensure the efficient management of social and environmental responsibilities. Moreover, providing incentives for CEOs and high-level executives to participate in continuous education and training programs could boost their comprehension of social and environmental matters, ultimately leading to the implementation of enhanced sustainability practices within organizations.

LOCUS STANDI BEFORE ADMINISTRATIVE COURTS IN ENVIRONMENTAL MATTERS – A EUROPEAN PERSPECTIVE

The main goal of this article is to examine to what extent citizens and their associations as a party in court proceedings can protect the environment in EU countries and Serbia, and also to identify main trends and limitations for access to justice in European legal systems. After analysing the three prevailing approaches to the regulation of locus standi in European countries, the aim of this article is also to determine the extent to which Serbian legislation fits into European legal systems. A normative-dogmatic method and a comparative legal method have been used in this article in order to analyse the legislation and practise in European countries in relation to the right of the public to protect the environment in administrative judicial proceedings. The article focuses on analysing the relevant international and national legislations and their implementation. The way in which locus standi is formulated is the key issue in exercising the right of the (concerned) public to initiate an administrative dispute for the protection of the environment and the protection of participation rights in environmental decision-making. Access to administrative courts in environmental matters usually implies that legal standing to initiate administrative disputes is granted to environmental civil society organisations (the public concerned), although citizens (the public) may also have standing in some cases.

Virtuous Legislation: The Royal Decree for the Sustainable Management of the Woods of Serra San Bruno, Stilo, Mongiana, and Ferdinandea

The Saving Forests Decree of 1773, issued by Ferdinand IV of Bourbon, marked a fundamental step in the sustainable management of the forests of the Serre Calabresi. Metal mining and processing in the region dates back to ancient times, with Greek colonies exploiting local resources for tools and coins. With the arrival of the Normans, the mines became strategic and were granted to the Carthusian monks, and the Norman smelting furnace improved military production. Under Ferdinand II, the Ferdinandea foundry reached its peak, producing high-quality weapons. The Salvaboschi decree demonstrated a growing awareness of the need to balance industrial needs with environmental protection. This study analyzes the decree, examining how its provisions are in line with modern environmental protection laws. The analysis of this study focuses on the provisions of the Salvaboschi decree and their compliance with current environmental protection laws. The main objective of the decree was to implement sustainable forestry practices through regulated logging cycles to prevent deforestation and promote natural regeneration. Analysis of the law reveals its progressive nature and its conformity with modern principles of environmental conservation. This historic legislation testifies to the early recognition of the importance of sustainable resource management and the foresight of the Bourbon administration in implementing practices that would benefit both the environment and industrial development. Through the study and analysis of the rules present in the document, it was possible to make significant comparisons with the laws in force. The decree demonstrates considerable foresight in the protection of natural and forest heritage. This document represents an important step towards environmental protection, highlighting a concrete and proactive commitment to the protection of natural resources. The ability to compare existing regulations with new provisions offers a clear and in-depth perspective on legislative evolution in environmental matters, confirming the importance of regulatory updates to address contemporary ecological challenges.

Green Marketing and Purchase Intention for Fore Coffee Products

Green marketing for coffee products is explored for its role on purchase intention. As concern on environmental matters is raising, green marketing becomes an important part to drive customers purchase intention, more over it is in the trending business in Indonesia like coffee product. This is an explanatory research with quantitative approach that used dichotomous data and logistic regression to measure and analyze Guttman’s scale. The data used in this study are primary data obtained through questionnaires distributed directly to coffee drink consumers in Malang Raya, involving 216 respondents. The results show that green marketing simultaneously affects the purchase intention of Fore coffee drinks by 24.5%. All three variables are significant in encouraging purchase intention including green product, green promotion, and green place. Yet, green price as assumed to be more expensive is required to remain affordable. The implications of these findings are expected to deliver theoretical contribution on green marketing as price remains sensitive for customers; in addition, it also provides practical contribution on how a green company should address this issue.