Environmental Performance Evaluation Research Articles

Digital twin supporting environmental performance evaluation according to ISO certification: an application case in the tire industry

ABSTRACT The link between digital evolution and environmental sustainability is reshaping how companies enhance their processes, contributing to address circular manufacturing (CM). The extant literature does not explain how to improve the tire production process to limit environmental negative impacts, which are its most critical phases, which Industry 4.0 technologies could be exploited and how they could intervene in the process to facilitate effective data management. This research proposes a framework indicating how digital technologies could support tire producers in reducing the ecological footprint of their operations. The proposed framework addresses ISO 14,046 and 14,067 International Organization for Standardization (ISO) certifications. Digital twin (DT) was chosen as the most suitable technology. The related framework was further detailed according to data-driven CM principles, providing the set of sensors to be embedded on the production process and defining the data and information to be gathered through them to address the requested ISO certifications.

유아교사의 유아교육기관 ESG 인식 및 중요도에 따른 교육 요구도 분석

Objectives The purpose of this study is to explore the educational needs of early childhood educators based on the analysis of their current awareness levels and perceived importance of ESG, utilizing the Borich needs assessment and The Locus for Focus model. Methods For this purpose, a study was conducted with 202 kindergarten teachers in the metropolitan area(Seoul, Gyeonggi Province, Incheon) using SPSS 23.0 and Excel programs. Through IPA analysis, we identified areasin need ofimprovement and areasofexcess. We conducted a t-test to examine the difference between the current level and importance of ESG. Additionally, we determined the top priority for educational support by comparing the Borich needs assessment and The Locus for Focus Model. Results The main results are as follows, First, within the IPA framework, HH was categorized into four areas, all of which fall under the “S” domain. HL comprised a total of three areas, with two falling under the “E” domain and one falling under the “G” domain. LL also had a total of three areas, with one falling under each of the “E”, “S”, and “G” domains. LH consisted of four areas, with two categorized under the “E” and “G” domains. Second, The analysis of the difference between the current perception levels and importance of ESG items revealed statistically significant differences in the “E” domain. Specifically, there were significant differences inthe items related to ‘waste recycling in early childhood education institutions,’ ‘implementation of environmental management policies in early childhood education institutions,’ and ‘establishment of environmental performance evaluation systems in early childhood education institutions.’ In the “S” domain, there were statistically significant differences observed for the items related to the establishmentand implementation of policies for employee stability within early childhood education institutions, as well as the establishmentand implementation of fair trade, anti-corruption, and ethical management policies for cooperation with suppliers within early childhood education institutions. Similarly, in the “G” domain, statistically significant differences were found for the items related to ‘public disclosure of management activities’ onthe website of early childhood education institutions and ‘prevention of inappropriate succession methods in early childhood education institutions.’ These differencesindicatethat these items are perceived as more important than the current level of awareness. According to the Borich Needs Assessment, the priority areas were ranked as follows:‘wasterecycling in early childhood education institutions,’ ‘prevention of inappropriate succession methods in early childhood education institutions,’ ‘implementation of environmental management policies in early childhood education institutions,’ ‘public disclosure of the management activities on the early childhood education institution’ swebsite, ‘and’ establishmentand implementation of fair trade, anti-corruption, and ethical management policies for cooperation with suppliers within early childhood education institutions.' Third, According to the analysis of The Locus for Focus model, the HH domain consists of 5 items, including ‘waste recycling in early childhood education institutions,’ ‘implementation of environmental management policies in early childhood education institutions,’ ‘establishment and implementation of policies for employee stability within early childhood education institutions,’ and ‘establishment and implementation of fair trade, anti-corruption, and ethical management policies for cooperation with suppliers within early childhood education institutions,’ as well as ‘prevention of inappropriate succession methods in early childhood education institutions.’ Fourth, The results indicate a common priority for the followingitems

Considering product life cycle characteristics and industry background in environmental impact analysis and application: a case study of a television.

Life cycle assessment (LCA) is widely used to evaluate product's life cycle environmental impact and identify the environmental weaknesses. However, it is difficult for existing LCA software to perform flexible LCA analysis based on the product life cycle characteristics and industry background. Meanwhile, under the existing LCA research model, product designers and manufacturers are usually not LCA evaluators, resulting in a certain time gap between the evaluation results and product improvement. Designers with less experience in green design often find it difficult to identify high environmental impact links in products at different life cycle stages and product levels, and updated products are challenging to meet various environmental restrictions. This paper establishes a multi-module product life cycle analysis model that combines product industry background that includes basic information, assessment information, structural information, and restriction information to achieve the multi-scenario of product LCA in different dimensions in a typical domain. The calculated mechanism of the dynamic power emission factor is built according to the service time and space dimensions. The proposed method forms an integrated environmental performance evaluation of household appliance (EPEHA) system. A software assessment and an optimization method are proposed to improve the EPEHA system. The results of this study show that these proposed methods can improve the timeliness and diversity of results analysis of product LCA in the field of household appliances in China. The universal data exchange format and simple operation interface of the EPEHA system enable people related to the product to quickly understand the environmental impact of the product in different scenarios, even if they lack green design knowledge and professional software training.

Environmental and social governance performance and enterprise total factor productivity

AbstractWith the popularity of both green development and sustainable investment concepts, evaluation of environmental performance, social responsibility and corporate governance (ESG) is the way for enterprises to protect the environment and, at the same time, interact with stakeholders. This paper first analyses how ESG influences corporate total factor productivity (TFP), then, using A‐share listed company data from 2009 to 2021, conducts an empirical test proving that ESG greatly boosts TFP. Examination of the intermediate mechanism reveals that ESG can improve TFP by raising R&D investment, enhancing the attention of stakeholders, and increasing internal control capabilities. The heterogeneity study shows that, for state‐owned firms, non‐polluting industries, and small‐scale and low‐market degree enterprises, ESG enhances TFP more. Further analysis indicates that ESG uncertainty and ESG catering behaviour will weaken the fostering impact, but environmental regulation has a beneficial regulatory role.

Environmental Performance Evaluation Using Green Construction Site Index (GCSI) for Residential and Non-Residential Building Construction

The realization of sustainable development is the responsibility of every construction element to carry out the prevention of development activities that have the potential to damage and cause environmental problems. Alignment of the ongoing construction project with the maintenance of environmental balance can be carried out through environmental management and monitoring in construction site. One of them, through an assessment and evaluation related to the implementation of sustainable construction, is one of the efforts that can be made to prevent environmental damage due to construction activities. The guideline or measuring tool is the Green Construction Site Index (GCSI) to evaluate six building construction which are grouped into two categories (residential and non-residential buildings). A quantitative measuring instrument to measure five elements consisting of waste minimization, sustainable green construction, resource management, understanding of construction waste and environmental performance on construction as parameters in the implementation of construction activities. The average values obtained from the two categories of buildings based on five elements respectively are 4.11, 3.94, 4.27, 3.85, and 4.20.

Climate Change Denial and Corporate Environmental Responsibility

AbstractThis paper examines whether corporate environmental responsibility is influenced by regional differences in climate change denial. While there is an overwhelming consensus among scientists that climate change is happening, recent surveys still indicate widespread climate change denial across societies. Given that corporate activity causing climate change is fundamentally rooted in individual beliefs and societal institutions, we examine whether local perceptions about climate change matter for firms’ engagement in environmental responsibility. We use climate change perception surveys conducted in the U.S. to compute a novel measure of climate change denial for each U.S. county. We find that firms located in counties with higher levels of climate change denial have weaker environmental performance ratings, are more likely to commit environmental violations, and impose greater environmental costs on society. Regional differences in religiosity, social capital, political leaning, or county-level demographic characteristics cannot explain these results. Furthermore, we document that strong corporate governance mechanisms and corporate culture moderate the negative relationship between climate change denial and corporate environmental responsibility. Overall, our findings offer new insights into how local beliefs and perceptions about climate change may influence firm-level sustainability practices.

The Role of Green Innovation Performance in Mediating the Influence of Green Organizational Culture on Green Competitive Advantage

Purpose - A society that cares about environmentally friendly products demands companies have a green competitive advantage through the application of the principles of Reuse, Reduce, and Recycle. The purpose of this research is to examine and analyze the influence of green organizational culture (GOC) on green innovation performance (GIP) and green competitive advantage (GCA).
 Design/Methodology/Approach - The study collected data from 314 manufacturing companies that are members of Proper (Environmental Performance Rating Program) on Java Island. Data collection was conducted through online and offline surveys using questionnaires that measured each research variable. Structural equation modelling with SEM PLS software were applied to analyze the data.
 Findings - The findings of this paper indicate that green organizational culture has a positive influence on green innovation performance. GOC also positively influences GCA, and GIP fully mediates the relationship between GOC and GCA.
 Research Implications - This research contributes to existing literature on GOC, GIP, and GCA, taking into account environmental issues, which have been empirically understudied, especially in manufacturing companies that are members of Proper. Furthermore, this research also explores green innovation performance as a mediator, which has been relatively unexplored in previous studies. However, this research has several limitations, including the dominance of blue-rated Proper participant companies in the sample, as most questionnaires were distributed during the blue certificate awarding moments. Additionally, the sample size per province was uneven, with the majority of participant companies located in the province of West Java.

Research on waste gas treatment technology and comprehensive environmental performance evaluation for collaborative management of pollution and carbon in China's pharmaceutical industry based on life cycle assessment (LCA)

China is the largest industrial and pharmaceutical country in the world. The pharmaceutical industry, being a highly polluting sector, is the primary target of environmental regulation in the industry. The rapid development of pharmaceutical industry has posed a severe challenge to the environmental protection strategy of “carbon reduction and carbon neutrality” and the goal of “synergizing the reduction of pollution and carbon emissions” in China's “14th Five-Year Plan”. Therefore, this paper starts from the whole industry, takes the life cycle of the whole production process of the pharmaceutical industry as the guidance, and selects a pharmaceutical company in Tianjin as the research object. Then using Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) to Characterization, Standardization, and Weighting the environmental impact of the waste gas treatment process before and after improvement based on waste gas emission characteristics from the pharmaceutical factory. LCA results show that GWP and AP are the most important environmental impact types, which account for >85 % of the total characterization value. I and II - Chemical Pharmaceutical Stage is the critical life cycle stage, accounting for over 80 % of the total characteristic values. This research proposes emission reduction countermeasures based on LCA results and simulates Emission reduction scenarios and economic evolution. If effectively implementing emission reduction countermeasures, reducing the environmental characterization value by 80 to 90 %, and generating economic benefit of 2.66 × 108 RMB/year. This research could guide improvement plans and emission reduction countermeasures of waste gas treatment in the pharmaceutical industry, which realizes collaborative management about efficient reduction of pollution and carbon and generates significant environmental, technological, economic, and social benefits.

Spatio-temporal pattern assessment of China's environmental performance and its spatial drivers: evidence from city-level data over 2003-2019.

A comprehensive assessment of China's environmental performance (EP) and an investigation into its driving factors are essential prerequisites for advancing environmental protection efforts. However, existing studies have often exhibited a one-sided EP evaluation approach and lacked a systematic perspective. Consequently, this study has adopted a holistic approach by integrating environmental protection and pollution within the same theoretical framework. We have employed the "P-S-R" model to comprehensively assess the EP of 272 cities from 2003 to 2019. Concurrently, we have applied the spatial Durbin model to analyze EP drivers utilizing three spatial matrices. The findings of this study reveal several vital insights. Firstly, the mean EP value for China is 0.1138, indicating a low level, but it demonstrates a consistent upward trend over the years. When comparing cities with high EP, they are predominantly situated in northern China, northeastern China, and certain areas along the southeastern coast. Secondly, from a spatial perspective, the directionality of EP exhibits a trend from "northeast to the southwest," with the center of gravity located in and around Zhumadian, Henan Province, gradually shifting towards the northeast. The majority of cities fall within the H-H and L-L clusters, displaying significant positive spatial autocorrelation effects. Thirdly, EP drivers encompass a wide range of factors, including economic development, urbanization, resource dependence, industrial structure, infrastructure construction, environmental regulation, government regulatory capacity, scientific and technological innovation, and foreign direct investment. These drivers also exhibit significant spillover effects. Finally, the characteristics of EP development vary between resource-based cities (RBCs) and non-resource-based cities (non-RBCs), as well as among the eastern, central, and western regions. Moreover, there are disparities in the driving factors' direct, indirect, and overall effects. Consequently, we must propose tailored strategies and recommendations to enhance EP, considering the heterogeneous effects of influencing factors across different city types, regions, and collaboration approaches.

ANALYSIS OF COMPETITIVENESS OF INDUSTRIAL ENTERPRISES IN UKRAINE: CHALLENGES AND PROSPECTS

The article examines the analysis of the competitiveness of industrial enterprises of Ukraine, which is a complex process and requires a comprehensive approach and consideration of many factors that can affect the economic situation in Ukraine and its enterprises. The impact on the environment and the improvement of the image of industrial enterprises are determined. It was analyzed that reducing the impact on the environment contributes not only to the improvement of the image of the enterprise, but also of the owner. A system of internal and external control of environmental monitoring and performance evaluation is defined, which allows for active feedback from stakeholders and ensures the effectiveness of environmental practices. Developed recommendations for improving the image of an industrial enterprise based on the concept of innovative socio-economic and environmental marketing, which include a creative approach to strategic changes and improve the perception of the enterprise by society, which ensures more active participation in the development of society. Innovative approaches in marketing strategy have been developed. The internal control and improvement of the image, which allows to contribute not only to the stable functioning of the enterprise, but also to its competitiveness on the market of metallurgical products in order to realize the strategic goals of the state, has been analyzed.

Environmental performance evaluation of electric enterprises during a power crisis: Evidence from DEA methods and AI prediction algorithms

With the continuous occurrence of power crisis events worldwide, meeting society's demand for electricity has kept coal-fired power generation high, which leads to a large amount of carbon dioxide emissions and environmental pollution problems. Therefore, improving the environmental performance of thermal power plants under the background of a power crisis has become particularly important. This research provides a new path for production optimization and environmental performance improvement of electric power enterprises from the perspective of combining prediction algorithms and DEA methods. We apply the modified non-radial directional distance function (MNDDF) method to a set of panel data containing 16 different cogeneration units and 27 different periods in eastern China and construct the grey prediction model to predict the future environmental performance of these units. Empirical analysis shows that our model has high prediction accuracy and offers a reasonable basis for future production decision-making adjustments for electric power enterprises. Based on the results herein, we present valuable suggestions for thermal power plants to improve their environmental performance during a power market crisis, including optimizing resource utilization, improving management level and operating conditions, strengthening technological innovation, and enhancing production factor allocation.

Understanding university students’ perceptions of classroom environment: A synergistic approach integrating grounded theory (GT) and analytic hierarchy process (AHP)

University classrooms play a crucial role in students' educational experience, as they spend a significant amount of time in these spaces. Understanding students' perceptions of the classroom environment is essential for improving classroom design and management. Adopting a user-centric approach, a novel research design combining both qualitative and quantitative research methods is employed to develop and validate an evaluation framework for classroom environment evaluation. Specifically, this study utilises grounded theory (GT) methodology to identify and prioritises the indoor environment parameters that students consider important. A classroom environment performance evaluation framework for the classrooms within a Hong Kong university was then developed based on the qualitative findings using the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) method. The framework was then used to examine students' perceived importance of the university classroom performance among different sub-groups. The findings reveal that “facilities and services” emerged as the most critical parameter, emphasizing the importance of effective post-occupancy management. Intriguingly, there are minor differences in importance rankings between genders and education levels, with males emphasizing “indoor air quality” and females prioritizing “thermal comfort”. Moreover, distinct priorities are observed between various classroom types; students in lecture theatres focus on “seating plans” and “temperature”, while those in general classrooms prioritise “seating layout” and “fire safety”. These findings emphasise the need for effective post-occupancy management, while also highlight nuanced preferences based on gender, education levels, and classroom types, thereby offer crucial insights for designers to tailor indoor environments that better align with diverse student needs and preferences. Furthermore, a human-built environment interaction model is developed to summarise the research findings and provide insights for future research directions. This comprehensive approach enhances understanding of students’ preferences and experiences in university classrooms.

Evaluation of environmental performance and selection of the most suitable system for MFCs with different electron acceptors by life cycle assessment and PROMETHEE approach

The aim of this study is to evaluate the environmental performance of MFCs with different electron acceptors with life cycle assessment (LCA) and to select the most suitable MFC with the PROMETHEE approach.

Carbon emission disclosure in the agriculture industry in Indonesia: The determinant factors

The agriculture industry in Indonesia, despite its huge contribution to the country’s economy, is responsible for a substantial amount of carbon emissions. Hence, according to the country’s stock exchange regulation, agriculturally listed companies shall annually report their carbon emissions and carbon emission mitigation. The main objective of our research is to analyze the factors that influence the reporting of greenhouse gas emissions by agriculture corporations. The examined factors are environmental performance, which is assessed through environmental performance ratings and environmental management certification, the released sustainability report, ownership structure, and financial characteristics. Using 91 publicly traded agriculture companies from 2019 to 2022 as a sample, the ordinally least squares regression analysis shows that publications of a company’s carbon emissions tend to rise in accordance with both the rating of its environmental performance and the issuance of its sustainability report. Institutional ownership and financial characteristics of a company do not have any relationship with the extent of carbon emission disclosures. This study delivers an understanding to the Financial Service Authority Agency that the environmental performance rating assessment by the KLH and the yearly sustainability report encourage companies to do activities related to environmental sustainability.

Ecodesign Strategies for Packaging: a Simplified Approach to Evaluate Environmental Benefits

The improvement of environmental product performance is an important driver for product development. It is also related to the optimization of product packaging solutions. This paper addresses the question related to packaging eco-design strategies. A simplified approach, based on the Life Cycle Assessment methodology and Material Flow Analysis, is proposed to quickly compare alternative design solutions in terms of environmental impacts. Quantifying impacts and identifying the most significant design parameters for these products can assist industrial companies in avoiding potential impact transfer issues and finding the best solutions for their products. Multiple environmental impact categories and indicators are included to comprehensively consider impacts on the environment, resources, and human health. The proposed approach is applied to the environmental performance evaluation of several alternative design solutions for the packaging of a professional coffee machine. Alternative designs, starting from the selection of appropriate materials to the identification of solutions suitable for the reverse supply chain, will be compared and deeply analysed in environmental terms.

Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Performance Evaluation to Reduce Potential Greenwashing Based on Sustainable Fitch Index

Increasing company awareness of environment, social, and governance (ESG) issues is getting more important in relation to financial performances. Investors and other stakeholders require ESG-related information to help them making decisions, in particular investment decisions. This study employed the Sustainable Fitch index to assess the ESG performance, by examining Company G as a case study as this company is considered the first company in Indonesia which went through Sustainable Fitch index evaluation. Sustainable Fitch index was chosen as this index is considered the most related ESG index for companies who would like to publish sustainability bonds and it has a unique methodology.  The findings suggest that any companies conducting a Sustainable Fitch ESG assessment should calculate scope 3 emissions and clarify the emission reduction target timeline, including target verification with respect to the United Nations' Science-Based Target (SBT) or net zero targets. These measurements are considered as part of environmental accounting, an emerging accounting issues, related to sustainability. Besides, social performances are also crucial, and one of them is improving the number of women in management positions at all levels.

Thermodynamic, economic, and environmental performance evaluation of boil-off gas condensate recovery by liquid nitrogen with power generation as byproduct

As stricter national standards for volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emissions are implemented, the emission of VOCs is a growing concern. There is an urgent necessary to optimize the existing condensate recovery system structure to meet national emission standards for boil-off gas. In existing VOCs recovery methods, the drawbacks include the frequent regeneration of adsorbent materials, limitations in the condensation recovery of isomers, and the lack of self-sufficiency in power generation. Therefore, a novel boil-off gas condensate recovery system by liquid nitrogen (LN) was proposed in this study. Based on the first and second laws of thermodynamics, a numerical optimization model of the system was established and the system performance of thermodynamic, economic and environmental was analyzed. The results show that the system achieves condensation and recovery of boil-off gas. The LN pump has an optimal outlet pressure. When the pressure is 1.95 MPa, the system achieves maximum net power output, and when the pressure is 0.85 MPa, the system achieves maximum LN savings. Additionally, the higher the ambient temperature, the greater the net power output. At lower ambient temperatures, the system supplies a greater cooling capacity. The system demonstrates good economic and environmental performance under higher ambient temperatures and outlet pressure of LN pump. When the pressure is 1.95 MPa, the system achieves the maximum net present value, standard coal savings and carbon dioxide emission reduction. The system has a maximum payback period of only 0.35 years. The system could be used in engineering applications to improve the overall performance of the liquefied natural gas plant.

Synthesis and mechanism study of an environmentally friendly filtrate reducing agent from humic acid and organic silicon

AbstractIn this study, organic silicon was introduced to humic acid for the first time, and set the novel polymer NaHm/AMPS/AM/TSP‐L12 (HASSi) as an environmentally friendly filtrate reducing agent, which was developed by using silica modified material (TSP‐L12), sodium humic acid (NaHm), 2‐acrylamido‐2‐methylpropanesulfonic acid sodium (AMPS), and acrylamide (AM) as raw materials. The molecular structure, chemical composition of HASSi has been investigated and results show that HASSi shows the chemical structure was conformed to the molecular design. Differential scanning calorimetry–thermogravimetric analysis results illustrate that thermal decomposition temperature of HASSi under nitrogen was 250°C. Though temperature resistance evaluations, HASSi could withstand temperature up to 230°C. Salt and calcium resistance evaluations confirmed its resistance of NaCl could reach up to 5% and CaCl2 to 0.5%. The filtrate reduce mechanism of HASSi was investigated through various methods, including scanning electron microscope analysis of HASSi aqueous solution, microstructure of filter cake, measurements of zeta potential, and particle size distribution, results showed that HASSi participation in the formation of mud cakes and illustrated an excellent filtration reduction effect. In addition, HASSi was identified as an environmentally friendly filter loss reducing agent through environmental performance evaluation, which shows a great application prospect in oilfield.

Product category rules development as a reference for PROPER life cycle assessment reporting: recommendations

The Ministry of Environment and Forestry (MOEF) issued regulations regarding monitoring of company environmental performance (PROPER), which required companies to conduct LCA studies for their products to obtain a green or gold rating. The LCA report submitted in the PROPER program should refer to the specified guiding standards, namely Product Category Rules, which contain the necessary elements of product environmental footprint (PEF) for assessing environmental management performance evaluations to meet international standards and ensure acceptance by the international community. This study aims to evaluate and analyze industries that have received green and gold ratings in the 2022 PROPER program and whether their LCA arrangement refers to certain PCRs contained in the international program operators. MOEF and MOI (Ministry of Industry) will use the evaluation and analysis results as a suggestion to build PCR for priority industries. Seven industrial sectors already have PCR as the basis of the LCA study. Additionally, three product categories require establishing PCR as a criterion for LCA.

Green Accounting in Enhancing Sustainability Report Disclosure

Green accounting serves as a key driver in enhancing corporate value and provides a solution to address challenges encountered by companies involved in environmentally impactful activities. The objective is to instill greater investor confidence in the company's performance. The study targets all companies within the manufacturing sector that were honored with PROPER awards from the Ministry of Environment for the years 2016-2019. Employing a quantitative research method, the study relies on secondary data sources. These include audited and published financial reports for publicly traded companies, data from the archives of the Indonesia Stock Exchange (IDX) focusing on companies' annual reports from 2016-2019, and information on the environmental performance evaluation of companies by the Ministry of Environment during the same period. Data analysis utilizes the Partial Least Square (PLS) method with SmartPLS 3.0 software. The research seeks to demonstrate that the adoption of green accounting is a strategic initiative by companies to transparently communicate information to the public, contributing to their overall objectives. Keywords: Green Accounting, Sustainability Reports, Legitimacy Theory, Stakeholder Management, Manufacturing Sector.