Environmental Performance Research Articles

Promoting corporate financing efficiency through digital finance and sustainable practices

ABSTRACT This paper explores the impact of digital finance (DFI) and environmental performance (EP) on corporate financing efficiency (FE) in China's property sector. The research addresses two main questions: How do digital finance and environmental performance influence corporate financing efficiency? What are the policy implications of these influences for enhancing green transformation in the sector? Employing robust techniques, including fixed-effect regression and a difference-in-differences (DID) approach. The study reveals that DFI and EP have a significant positive effect on FE. The analysis demonstrates that higher levels of DFI and improved EP lead to more effective allocation and utilization of financial resources. The DID results further indicate that an increase in DFI contributes to a significant enhancement in FE with a one-year lag, without violating the parallel trends assumption. The study shows that integrating digital finance and environmental sustainability improves financial efficiency. It urges policymakers to promote investments in digital financial technologies.

Comparative life cycle assessment of three types of crumb rubber modified asphalt under different system boundaries

This study employs a life cycle assessment (LCA) to quantify the environmental impacts of three crumb rubber recycling technologies in asphalt rubber (AR) mixtures: wet, dry, and terminal blend. The analysis identifies key factors affecting their environmental performance across the life cycle. Results were characterized into climate change, stratospheric ozone depletion, fine particulate matter, terrestrial acidification, marine eutrophication, freshwater ecotoxicity, human toxicity, and Land use. Dynamic rankings of the three AR technologies along their life cycle stages in each impact category would enable identification of the influencing factors and provide reference for the further improvement. This study reveals that dry technology is likely to have the most significant environmental impacts across all categories (51.85 %-100 %), whereas terminal blended technology generally presents the lowest impact (51.85 %-88.89 %), with the exception of freshwater ecotoxicity (33.33 %) and human toxicity (22.22 %), where wet technology shows the least impact. The analysis underscores the importance of asphalt mixture designs, with appropriate binder content, potential reduction in surface course thickness, and reduced maintenance frequency, as strategies to enhance the environmental performance of AR technologies. The study concludes that the environmental performance of AR pavement is highly dependent on their in-service durability, with scenario-based analysis indicating that adequate durability ensures environmental effectiveness.

Robust anti-icing double-layer superamphiphobic composite coatings for heat exchangers

The formation and accumulation of ice on the heat exchangers of air conditioners significantly reduce the performance issues, as well as the stability and heating efficiency. Superhydrophobic anti-icing coatings passively achieve multifunctional anti-icing properties by minimizing water droplet contact and promoting Cassie ice formation. However, long-term performance in frigid environments remains challenge for these coatings due to limitations in anti-icing durability and mechanical properties. Herein, a double-layer polymer-SiC/F-SiO2 superamphiphobic composite coating is developed. The bottom layer comprises a polymer PAI and SiC composite, and the top layer consists of F-SiO2. The composite coating demonstrates superior performance in simultaneous frost prevention, low ice adhesion, easy frost removal, exceptional mechanical strength, and long-lasting anti-icing durability. Our developed double-layer coating exhibits low ice adhesion strength down to 9.2 kPa, remarkable mechanical resilience against scratching and flushing, and delayed frost properties. These superior anti-icing properties, manifested by both lower adhesion strength and improved frost repellency, lead to a doubling of frosting time and the easier removal of ice on coated heat exchangers compared to traditional units. The development of this novel superamphiphobic composite coating provides a practical approach to creating durable anti-icing materials, leading to significant improvements in air conditioner performance.

A modified model based on CFD simulation and experiments of chalcopyrite flotation

The increasing attention to enhancing flotation performance in strong turbulent environment has become a focal point in research and practical applications. To predict turbulent flotation process, Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations and flotation experiments were investigated on pure chalcopyrite in both smooth and vortex generator (VG) mineralized tubes. These investigations aimed to analyze flotation kinetics and flotation rate constant under conditions of 0.4–0.7 m3/h slurry flow rate and 0–45 μm, 45–75 μm, 75–125 μm, 125–180 μm particle classes. In the simulation, the user-defined functions (UDFs) and user-defined scalar (UDS) transport equations were used to model the collision, attachment and detachment of bubble-particle, thereby predicting the flotation rate constant. The results showed that the existing flotation kinetic model exhibited unsatisfactory prediction at various particle class and slurry flow rate. It was attributed to the insufficient consideration of turbulence in attachment model. Finally, a modified attachment model adopting a back-calculated method was proposed. This model predicted the flotation rate constant and its trends with changes in slurry flow rate, and the average prediction error is within 26 %. External validation of the model using pure mineral cassiterite demonstrated a prediction error of only 12 %.

Defending against fluorine corrosion: Insights from FeCoNiCrMo high-entropy alloy behavior in hydrofluoric acid solutions

The surging demand for advanced fluorine corrosion-resistant materials underscores their significance in ensuring operational safety and reliability across various industries. This study investigates the corrosion behavior of the FeCoNiCrMo high-entropy alloy (HEA) via a series of 28-day immersion tests in hydrofluoric acid (HF) solutions. The results demonstrate the FeCoNiCrMo HEA's superior corrosion-resistant performance in HF environments, exhibiting remarkably low corrosion rates of 0.179 mm/y, 0.276 mm/y, and 0.352 mm/y in 20 vol%, 30 vol%, and 40 vol% HF solutions, respectively. Comprehensive phase and microstructural characterizations were conducted on samples exposed to the 40 vol% HF solution to elucidate the corrosion mechanisms. The study revealed that localized pitting corrosion preferentially initiates within the interdendritic regions of the HEA matrix upon HF exposure. During the intermediate stage, micro-galvanic corrosion occurs between the dendritic arms and interdendritic regions, leading to the formation of a uniform and compact corrosion product film on the alloy surface. This film, enriched with Mo, Cr, and O, provides temporary protection. However, as corrosion progresses, the partial detachment of particulate corrosion products compromises the integrity of the film, resulting in increased dissolution within the interdendritic regions and the formation of irregular corrosion grooves in the later stage. These insights significantly enhance the understanding of the corrosion mechanisms of FeCoNiCrMo HEA in HF environments and provide valuable guidance for developing innovative protective materials designed for fluorine-rich engineering applications.

Quantitative sustainability assessment for in-situ electrical resistance heating coupled with steam enhanced extraction: An effective approach for the development of green remediation technologies

There is a lack of quantitative methodology for the sustainability assessment based on field data in the process of innovative technology development for groundwater remediation. This study developed a quantitative assessment framework, a model based on the life cycle assessment integrated with best management practices (LCA-BMPs), to evaluate the environmental, economic, and social sustainability of in-situ electrical resistance heating coupled with steam enhanced extraction (ERH-SEE), an innovative technology being demonstrated in the field. The results indicated that ERH-SEE offered better environmental sustainability performance compared to ERH only, with a reduction in carbon emissions by 52.6 %. ERH-SEE also significantly reduces human toxicity, resource consumption, and ecosystem impacts under the same remediation scenarios. The further assessment indicated that if taking the renewable energy share in energy structure in different countries into consideration, higher shares of renewable energy used in energy supplies can substantially reduce the environmental footprint of the studied scenarios. The economic sustainability assessment results showed that ERH-SEE was more sustainable than ERH only, as it reduces direct economic costs by 35.7 % and provides higher levels of worker employment. Regarding the social sustainability, ERH-SEE involved more complex operational procedures and presented more health risk exposure scenarios compared to ERH only, resulting in slightly more pronounced worker safety issues. Based on the final normalized results, the overall sustainability results of ERH-SEE and ERH only were 78.4 and 61.5, respectively, demonstrating that the sustainability performance of ERH-SEE was better than ERH only. It can be concluded that the application of ERH-SEE in groundwater remediation where significant heterogeneities occur in subsurface can increase the sustainability in developing countries, due to the lower percentage in renewable electricity in the energy supply. This study provided new insights into the technology development for the remediation of soil and groundwater contamination.

Preparation of red mud derived eggshell coupling adsorbent and study on carbon dioxide capture performance based on experiment and density functional theory simulation

Preparing advanced CO2 capture materials is crucial for mitigating carbon emissions and alleviating global warming. Calcium-based adsorbents have attracted much attention due to their excellent environmental performance and high theoretical CO2 adsorption capacity. However, its poor cycling stability limits its widespread application. In this study, a red mud derived eggshell coupled CO2 adsorbent (RM/CaO) was prepared using solid waste RM and eggshell. The structure, CO2 capture performance, and micro-mechanism of the adsorbent were evaluated through macro micro-experiments combined with quantum mechanics simulations, to improve the adsorption performance of calcium-based adsorbents and achieve waste resource utilisation—an active, open area of research. The 1-1RM/CaO adsorbent had a specific surface area of 10.62 m2/g and a spatial structure with fused cross-linking layers. Its CO2 saturation adsorption capacity was 0.481 g/g; 171.43 % that of pure CaO. High level cycling stability can still be maintained after 15 cycles of CO2 adsorption desorption. Quantum mechanics simulations revealed that the CO2 adsorption energy on the RM/CaO (200) crystal plane can be enhanced to −8.25 eV. This indicates that the interaction between RM/CaO atoms is stronger, which is enhances the CO2 adsorption. This study optimized environmental and economic benefits by utilizing waste resources, deepened understanding of the interaction mechanism between CO2 adsorbents, and provided theoretical guidance for designing as well as optimizing future adsorbents.

Towards integrative multi‐stakeholder responsibility for net zero in e‐waste: A systematic literature review

AbstractDespite extensive research on e‐waste management, the integrative responsibilities of multi‐stakeholders and the dependency on technology remain underexplored. This study aims to develop an integrative multi‐stakeholder responsibility model to advance the net‐zero goal in e‐waste management. Following the PRISMA protocol, we conducted a systematic review of 99 articles. The review revealed three themes of stakeholder responsibility, four performance measure categories, three e‐waste solutions, and four roles of smart technologies. These insights informed the development of a conceptual model to enhance environmental performance in e‐waste. The proposed model emphasises critical attributes of multi‐stakeholder relationships, including partnership, shared responsibility, inclusiveness, and transparency; it offers practical guidance for multi‐stakeholders in prioritising efficient and mature technologies to be adopted and diffused, enabling effective e‐waste management. Our study extends stakeholder theory from an organisation‐centric to a problem‐based perspective, highlighting its practical implications for effective e‐waste management and suggesting future research directions for sustainability.

Life cycle assessment based optimization of scenarios of reusable glass bottles using context-specific key parameters

Reusable glass bottles are experiencing a resurgence, driven notably by societal concerns and regulations. While single-use glass bottles generally have higher environmental footprint compared to plastic bottles, reusable systems could reduce both impacts related to single-use (e.g., climate change, energy consumption) and plastics (e.g., microplastic pollution). The environmental benefits of reusable bottles can vary across systems and this can be overlooked by stakeholders who rely on generic results for communication and a limited number of parameters to design their systems. This study addresses this gap by developing a systematic analysis of the variability of life cycle assessment results, within the specific case study of a new beverage. As a result, a list of key parameters to consider for the specific case study is set, enabling to propose targeted mitigation strategies. The commonly used generic key parameters are complemented with context-specific key parameters, empowering stakeholders to develop efficient systems and communicate their environmental performance accurately. Different configurations are likely to be influenced by other key parameters, and require specific mitigation strategies. In this perspective, stakeholders need assistance in: (1) designing context-specific strategies, and (2) translating – complex and plural – life cycle assessment results into actionable decisions.

The automated sustainability auditor: Does artificial intelligence curtail greenwashing behavior in Chinese firms?

AbstractCorporate stakeholders are intrigued by the potential collaboration between AI and environmental reporting to maintain competitiveness in the digital and sustainable economy. This exploration is crucial given the persistent pressures driving companies to engage in greenwashing practices for legitimacy. Aiming to shed light on the function of AI in reducing the prevalence of greenwashing by Chinese businesses, the findings, derived from panel data estimation of Chinese A‐share firms, suggest that the implementation of AI has a positive impact on the fight against greenwashing. The investigation presents compelling evidence that greenwashing mechanism control can be accelerated by AI technologies. Organizations that invest strategically in artificial intelligence exhibit a diminished propensity to obfuscate environmental performance by means of AI‐enabled automation and enhanced data‐driven decision‐making. Intriguingly, the study demonstrates that the substantial disparate greenwashing impact of AI depends on ownership structure. In comparison to non‐SOEs, state‐owned enterprises (SOEs) demonstrate diminished AI control over greenwashing. Significantly, the research utilizes a variety of validation methods, such as instrumental variable approach, propensity score matching, and two‐stage least squares, to ensure the validity of the primary findings.

Sustainable materials selection in industrial construction: A life-cycle based approach to compare the economic and structural performances of glass fibre reinforced polymer (GFRP) and steel

In recent years, Glass Fibre-Reinforced Polymers (GFRPs) have shown positive characteristics in terms of both environmental and structural performance, thus proving to be promising materials that can be used in construction to replace traditional materials, such as steel. Regarding environmental performance, the use of GFRP instead of steel can lead to a significant reduction in energy consumption and CO2 emissions, thus containing the environmental impact during their life cycle and contributing to the energy transition. From a structural point of view, the high corrosion resistance and durability of GFRP structures minimise maintenance requirements and greatly extend their lifespan, which can even be considered unlimited, even in terms of reusability.This paper jointly evaluates for the first time the structural performance and economic viability of industrial constructions made from GFRP pultruded profiles. These performances are then compared with that of equivalent steel constructions. This is done through a standardised and exportable model based on life cycle cost (LCC) which is developed in four phases: (1) technical-mechanical properties and structural analysis of the buildings; (2) modelling and cost estimation; (3) evaluation of the LCC indicator; (4) performance comparison of design alternatives.The elaborations show that industrial GFRP structures, while having a higher investment cost than equivalent steel constructions, can guarantee lower maintenance costs in the long run. Interesting quantitative results are: (i) the construction cost of the GFRP structure exceeds that of the steel structure by about 15%; (ii) maintenance costs are much higher in the steel structure than in the GFRP structure, due to the greater susceptibility to corrosion of structural steel; (iii) in relation to its very high durability, the residual value of GFRP structures coincides with the construction cost, while the residual value of steel structures decreases significantly; (iv) the composite structure has a Global Cost less than 26% of that of the steel structure, being the most economically advantageous alternative considering the costs related to the whole life cycle, also confirming itself as a fairer and more accessible alternative.The proposed Life Cycle Cost-based model can find multiple applications in the field of civil engineering as a valid support for the selection between alternative structural materials, useful for the transition to a more circular, just, and sustainable construction industry.

Life cycle assessment of decommissioned silicon photovoltaic module recycling using different technological configurations in China

The intricate encapsulation structure and material composition of photovoltaic modules necessitate full materials recycling involving multiple stages and different technological configurations, thereby increasing environmental burden of recycling process. Consequently, environmental impact assessments are imperative. However, previous studies primarily focused on a single technology or compared different technologies within a specific recycling stage, overlooking various technological configurations and thus engendering incomprehensive assessment. Hence, we employ a comparative life-cycle assessment to evaluate the environmental performance of six recycling alternatives with different technological configurations for silicon photovoltaic waste in China, which encompasses five recycling stages and glass/silicon remanufacturing processes. Results shows thermal delamination reduces the normalized environmental impact by 8.73% and 4.62% compared with mechanical and chemical delamination, respectively; electrolysis for metals extraction carries 35.72%–36.35% higher environmental benefits than precipitation. Additionally, introducing silicon/glass remanufacturing provides an additional 6.27%–11.55% environmental benefits. Therefore, integrating disassembly, thermal delamination, leaching & etching, electrolysis, and remanufacturing exhibits the best environmental performance, with −4796 kg CO2-eq/tonne carbon emission and −46400 MJ/tonne energy demand. Environmental hotspots analysis identifies key contributors to environmental impact and benefits. Further sensitivity analysis highlights the importance of enhancing silver and copper recovery efficiency. Finally, targeted strategies are proposed for green recycling routes of photovoltaic waste.

Nonlinear hydrodynamic assessment of a floating solar double-hull substructure using viscous numerical wave tank

This paper assesses a viscous numerical solver for hydrodynamic simulations of floating double-hull substructures supporting solar panels, critical for advancing floating solar technologies. Using the OpenFOAM repository, the study develops a model based on the Finite Volume method and Volume of Fluid approach, focusing on a range of wave frequencies, from weakly to strongly nonlinear, at intermediate depths. A free decay test calibrated the mesh morphology of the control volume, enabling comparative analysis of single and double-cylinder structures exposed to Stokes second-order nonlinear waves, alongside nonlinear potential models and experimental data. Spectral analysis of these solutions quantifies the nonlinearities' influence on structural responses and high-order dynamic prediction accuracy. The key findings demonstrate that the viscous model accurately predicted heave and surge responses, outperforming the potential model under steep waves. The gap distance between the cylinder in the double-cylinder platforms significantly affects fluid flow and stability, especially under shorter waves. Accurate wave-body simulations require appropriate mesh resolution and tailored wavemaker functions for nonlinear waves. These findings highlight the need to incorporate viscous effects in floating solar platform design to enhance stability and performance in real-world environments.

Does Environmental, Social, and Governance Performance Affect Corporate Green Innovation? Evidence from China

Does Environmental, Social, and Governance Performance Affect Corporate Green Innovation? Evidence from China

ChatGPT for Sustainability Reporting Research: A Bibliometric Analysis of Scholarly Output

Sustainability reporting refers to the study of disclosing information about an organisation's social, environmental and economic performance to meet stakeholder expectations regarding sustainability. This article aims to discover (1) how research on sustainability reporting grows yearly. (2) What are the trends and gaps in the study of sustainability reporting? and (3) Who are the most influential writers in the study of sustainability reporting, and how do they collaborate? ChatGPT was used to answer the objectives of this research. The ChatGPT AI chatbot can significantly assist in assessing and reviewing research on sustainability reporting. The method used is a combination of Chatbot AI ChatGPT and bibliometric analysis. While data analysis uses VOSviewer, Publish or Perish, and biblioMagika® software. The results of the study show that there is a significant increase in studies regarding sustainability reporting. Researchers collaborate through various academic activities, such as joint research, writing joint articles, and conferences. In principle, these results should be applicable across research domains. From these findings, the theoretical implication is adding to the sustainability reporting literature, with a bibliometric analysis approach using chatGPT. There are advantages to idea generation and data identification. However, technologically the synthesis of literature is still weak. The researcher's expertise in communicating with AI ChatGPT is a key factor in determining the quality of the output. This new technology needs to consider its implications, especially its ethical implications.

Thermodynamic, economical and environmental performance evaluation of a 330 MW solar-aided coal-fired power plant located in Niger

The integration of solar thermal energy into a coal-fired power plant is one of the best ways to reduce the environmental impact of the latter linked to the release of carbon dioxide (CO2) into the atmosphere. In this paper, solar energy is used before the boiler, just after the first high-pressure feed water heater via a solar preheater (Water/Heat Transfer Fluid exchanger). It should be noted that in this study, there is no feed water heater displacement, and so the plant will operate in pure fuel-saving mode. To carry out an analysis of the integration of solar thermal energy in a coal-fired power plant, a 330 MW Solar Aided Coal Power Plant (SACPP) in northern Niger was studied. The results bring out that the annual solar energy production is 208 GWh, and solar energy can contribute up to approximately 15 % in the production of electricity. The considered SACPP significantly reduces the environmental impact of coal-fired power plants, leading to a reduction in CO2 emissions of around 381358 tons/year. In addition, the annual energy production cost from solar energy in the hybrid system is obtained as 0.0357 $/kWh and the investment payback period is around 12 months.

Implementation of industrial symbiosis under environmental tax policy

Industrial symbiosis is an important practice to achieve economic and environmental advantage. This paper explores the implementation of industrial symbiosis under environmental tax policy. Specifically, we use a game-theoretic approach to analyze the interaction between the government and the manufacturers involved in industrial symbiosis in two supply chain structures: integrated structure and decentralized structure. We find that environmental tax is an effective tool to reduce the mismatch between waste supply and demand in the symbiotic supply chain. The government is inclined to set a more stringent environmental tax in the integrated supply chain, while the tax rate that triggers the full conversion of waste in decentralized scenario is larger than that in integrated scenario. The integration of the symbiotic supply chain may promote the utilization of waste and bring a higher social welfare and better environmental performance. The profit of supply chain in the integrated structure is not always higher than that in the decentralized structure. When the market potential of by-product is not large enough and the damage of waste is moderate, it is more profitable to implement industrial symbiosis in a decentralized supply chain.

Linking manufacturing firms with environment: role of green manufacturing and environmental management on firm’s environmental performance with moderating effect of external environmental regulations

Linking manufacturing firms with environment: role of green manufacturing and environmental management on firm’s environmental performance with moderating effect of external environmental regulations

Fusion of Multiple Attention Mechanisms and Background Feature Adaptive Update Strategies in Siamese Networks for Single-Object Tracking

Single-object tracking algorithms based on Siamese full convolutional networks have attracted much attention from researchers owing to their improvement in precision and speed. Since this tracking model only learns a similarity model offline, it is not able to obtain more useful feature discrimination information to adapt to the various variations of targets in complex scenes. To improve the performance of this tracking model, we propose a Siamese network tracking algorithm that incorporates multiple attention mechanisms and an adaptive updating strategy for background features. First, a backbone feature extraction network is proposed that utilizes a small convolutional kernel to fuse jump-layer connectivity features, thereby improving the feature representation capability of the network. Second, an adaptive update strategy for background features is proposed to improve the model’s ability to discriminate between the object and background features. Third, the fusion of multiple attention mechanisms is proposed so that the model learns to focus on the channel, spatial, and coordinate features. Fourth, the response fusion operation is proposed after the inter-correlation operation to enrich the output response of the model. Finally, our algorithm is trained using the GOT-10K dataset and evaluated by testing on the object tracking benchmark datasets OTB100 and VOT2018. The test results show that compared with other algorithms, our algorithm can effectively cope with the problem of degradation of the tracking performance in complex environments, and it can further improve the tracking precision and precision under the premise of ensuring the tracking speed.

Unlocking potential for a circular bioeconomy transition through digital innovation, lean manufacturing and green practices: a review

PurposeToday’s businesses are looking for a circular bioeconomy (CBE) to develop a sustainable manufacturing process as industrial operations result in significant amounts of waste materials and the depletion of natural sources. The industry commonly applies techniques such as lean manufacturing (LM), digital innovations (DI) and green practices (GP) for operational and quality improvement. However, publications explaining how these technologies enable the CBE transition are scarce. This study examines CBE components, common practices of each technology facilitating the CBE transition, problems of solitary technology deployment as well as coupling technologies for the CBE transition.Design/methodology/approachA scoping review was conducted to analyse previous studies in this new field. The data collection is in a quantitative manner, but the data synthesis process follows a similar method of synthesising data in the grounded theory method, which includes familiarisation with the data, open-coding and finalisation of the themes.FindingsCritical components of CBE were identified as biobased goods, industry symbiosis, material resource efficiency, renewable energy, product lifecycle and sharing economy. GP is the most prominent in moderating the CBE transition. We identify each technology has coupled relationships (Lean-4.0, Green-Lean and Green-4.0) technologies facilitated by the circularity concept, which form the core pillars of enablers and advance the CBE paradigm.Research limitations/implicationsThis study demonstrates that combining lean principles with green technology and digital technologies can effectively decrease waste and resource usage in biobased manufacturing processes, therefore endorsing the concept of resource efficiency in circular bioeconomy models.Practical implicationsThe results allow entrepreneurs to strategically incorporate different existing technologies to meet CBE fundamental objectives by initiating it with dual technologies and facilitate industry professionals and regulators to support the improvement of environmental sustainability performance in the manufacturing industry. The management will be able to focus on the common practices across the technologies, which have a dual benefit for both operational and environmental performance.Originality/valueThe paper makes the first attempt to present the synergic impact of the three quality management technologies on a new concept of sustainability, CBE.