Environmental Sustainable Development Research Articles

Repurposing Industrial By-Products for Environmental Beneficial Applications : An Approach for Renewable Energy Production

Environmental pollution stemming from fossil fuel usage and industrial waste production poses significant challenges to global sustainability efforts. This research paper introduces a pioneering platform designed to facilitate collaboration between two key stakeholders: polluters generating waste and innovators seeking sustainable solutions. The platform aims to streamline the process of repurposing industrial by-products for environmentally beneficial applications, particularly in the realm of waste treatment and renewable energy production. Beginning with an overview of the pressing environmental issues caused by traditional energy production and waste generation processes, this paper underscores the urgent need for innovative approaches to mitigate pollution and promote sustainability. Through a comprehensive review of relevant literature, the research identifies opportunities to bridge the gap between polluters and innovators, laying the groundwork for the development of the sustainable resource management platform. Methodologically, the paper outlines the conceptualization and implementation of the platform, detailing its key features and functionalities. Central to its operation is the integration of user-friendly interfaces and robust data analytics capabilities, enabling efficient matchmaking between waste producers and potential users of by-products. Results from the platform's pilot implementation demonstrate its efficacy in fostering collaborative partnerships and promoting resource circularity. By connecting polluters with innovators capable of transforming waste into valuable resources such as biofuels and renewable energy, the platform facilitates a paradigm shift towards sustainable resource management practices. Discussion of the results addresses the broader implications of the platform for environmental conservation and sustainable development. Emphasizing its potential to drive positive environmental outcomes while fostering economic opportunities, the paper concludes by highlighting avenues for further research and expansion of the platform's functionalities. In summary, this research paper presents a novel approach to addressing environmental pollution and promoting resource efficiency through collaborative innovation, underscoring the importance of collective action in building a more sustainable future. Key Words: Enviroment pollution mitigation, climate safety, climate alert.

Efficient recovery and recycling/upcycling of precious metals using hydrazide-functionalized star-shaped polymers

There is a growing demand for adsorption technologies for recovering and recycling precious metals (PMs) in various industries. Unfortunately, amine-functionalized polymers widely used as metal adsorbents are ineffective at recovering PMs owing to their unsatisfactory PM adsorption performance. Herein, a star-shaped, hydrazide-functionalized polymer (S-PAcH) is proposed as a readily recoverable standalone adsorbent with high PM adsorption performance. The compact chain structure of S-PAcH containing numerous hydrazide groups with strong reducibility promotes PM adsorption by enhancing PM reduction while forming large, collectable precipitates. Compared with previously reported PM adsorbents, commercial amine polymers, and reducing agents, S-PAcH exhibited significantly higher adsorption capacity, selectivity, and kinetics toward three PMs (gold, palladium, and platinum) with model, simulated, and real-world feed solutions. The superior PM recovery performance of S-PAcH was attributed to its strong reduction capability combined with its chemisorption mechanism. Moreover, PM-adsorbed S-PAcH could be refined into high-purity PMs via calcination, directly utilized (upcycled) as catalysts for dye reduction, or regenerated for reuse, demonstrating its high practical feasibility. Our proposed PM adsorbents would have a tremendous impact on various industrial sectors from the perspectives of environmental protection and sustainable development.

Exploring the innovative practice of green organic agricultureTaking Malipo county as an example

Exploring the innovative practice of green organic agricultureTaking Malipo county as an example

Land Use Impact on Water Quality and Phytoplankton Community Structure in Danjiangkou Reservoir

The composition and intensity of land use significantly influence the aquatic ecological environment, further affecting the physicochemical attributes of the water body, and indirectly modulating the phytoplankton community structure. This study centers around the Danjiangkou Reservoir, investigating the correlation between land use, water environment, and phytoplankton alongside varying intensities of anthropogenic activities, based on the review of land use, phytoplankton, and water quality data of 2021. Firstly, an analysis was conducted over five circular buffer zones generated around sampling points with radii set at 500 m, 1000 m, 1500 m, 2000 m, and 2500 m, wherein the intensity of human activity was categorized into low, medium, and high, in accordance with the human activity intensity level score (HAILS). This study proceeded to explore the correlation between land use and the water environment across different scales, compared phytoplankton density and community structure differences across varied levels of human activity, and analyzed the association between phytoplankton communities in the Danjiangkou Reservoir and environmental variables under various intensities. The findings showed: The land use within the 500 m circular buffer zone has the greatest impact on the water quality of the Danjiangkou Reservoir, especially with the increase in human activities leading to elevated nutrient levels in the water, thereby promoting the growth and reproduction of algae, and increasing the risk of algal blooms. This research scrutinizes the relationship between land use, water environment, and plankton under varying human activity intensities, serving as a foundation for environmental management sectors to make informed decisions and promote the sustainable development of the catchment water environment.

Ecofriendly and high-performance flexible pressure sensor derived from natural plant materials for intelligent audible and silent speech recognition

Flexible pressure sensors (FPSs) are widely used in human–computer interaction (HCI) and medical diagnoses, but their further development faces several challenges. Integrating artificial intelligence (AI) with FPSs is indispensable for advancing the cognitive capabilities of HCI systems, but the FPS must also be ecofriendly, cost-effective, and high-performance to meet the demands of environmental protection and sustainable development. Here, a biodegradable capacitive FPS is presented that is fabricated from natural plant materials (i.e., cornstarch and lignocellulose) while exhibiting remarkable attributes such as high sensitivity (2.427 kPa−1 at 0–2 kPa), rapid response/recovery time (20/24 ms), extremely low detection limit (∼10 Pa), outstanding stability (> 6000 fatigue tests), excellent biocompatibility (survival rate exceeding 99 % in cell viability assays), and prominent biodegradability (complete degradation within 24 h). Prepared sensors were integrated with optimized AI algorithms, embedded systems, and wireless transmission technologies to develop a dual-functional (i.e., audible and silent) speech recognition system that achieved recognition rates exceeding 95 %. The developed sensor is expected to play a crucial role in future HCI and medical assistance applications.

Technologies and policies for sustainable environment development and carbon footprint reduction

Technologies and policies for sustainable environment development and carbon footprint reduction

Exploring forest fire susceptibility and management strategies in Western Himalaya: Integrating ensemble machine learning and explainable AI for accurate prediction and comprehensive analysis

Forest fires pose a significant threat to ecosystems and socio-economic activities, necessitating the development of accurate predictive models for effective management and mitigation. In this study, we present a novel machine learning approach combined with Explainable Artificial Intelligence (XAI) techniques to predict forest fire susceptibility in Nainital district. Our innovative methodology integrates several robust models — AdaBoost, Gradient Boosting Machine (GBM), XGBoost and Random Forest — with a Deep Neural Network (DNN) as a meta-model in a stacking framework. This approach not only utilises the individual strengths of these models, but also improves the overall prediction performance and reliability. By using XAI techniques, in particular SHAP (SHapley Additive exPlanations) and LIME (Local Interpretable Model-agnostic Explanations), we improve the interpretability of the models and provide insights into the decision-making processes. Our results show the effectiveness of the ensemble model in categorising forest fire susceptibility into different zones: very low, low, moderate, high and very high. In particular, the stacking ensemble and XGBoost models identified extensive areas of high and very high susceptibility, with precision, recall and F1 values underpinning their effectiveness. These models achieved ROC AUC values above 0.90, with XGBoost performing exceptionally well with an AUC of 0.94. The precision, recall and F1 values for these models are remarkably high. The inclusion of confidence intervals for the most important metrics in all models emphasises their robustness and reliability and supports their practical use in forest fire management. Through SHAP summary plots, we analyze the global variable importance, revealing annual rainfall and Evapotranspiration (ET) as key factors influencing susceptibility. Local analysis using LIME consistently highlights the importance of annual rainfall, ET, and distance from roads across all models. This study fills an important research gap by providing a comprehensive and interpretable modelling approach that improves our ability to predict and effectively manage forest fire risk and is consistent with environmental protection and sustainable development goals.

Enterprise service-oriented transformation and sustainable development driven by digital technology

The deep integration of digital technology and the real economy not only affects the production and operation mode of enterprises, but also becomes the promoter of service-oriented transformation and the driving force of sustainable development. Based on the text analysis method, this paper uses the data of Chinese listed manufacturing enterprises from 2011 to 2020 to study the impact of digital technology application on the service-oriented transformation and sustainable development of enterprises. It is found that digital technology application significantly improves the environmental performance and economic performance of enterprises by driving their service-oriented transformation and technological innovation, and then enhances their sustainable development. The improvement effect of digital technology application on the sustainable development of resource-based enterprises and capital-intensive enterprises is more significant. The conclusion in this paper provides micro-evidence for understanding the role of digital technology in addressing environmental issues and sustainable development.

Effectiveness of policies for electric commercial vehicle adoption and emission reduction in the logistics industry

Electric commercial vehicles (ECVs) offer a promising solution to reduce carbon emissions, but barriers like high purchase costs, limited range, long charging times, and battery degradation hinder their adoption. This research develops a mathematical model to explore the impact of government policies, specifically carbon tax policy and the cap-and-trade mechanism, with or without purchase subsidy, on the mixed fleet configuration of electric and internal combustion commercial vehicles. Through a comparative analysis based on a real case in Shenzhen, this research provides insights into the impact of policies on ECV adoption and emission reduction. The findings indicate that higher tax rates and carbon prices effectively promote ECV adoption, while the carbon emission quota does not. When choosing policies, the government should consider its situation and objectives. Combining cap-and-trade mechanisms with purchase subsidies is the most effective for ECV adoption and emission reduction, assuming financially feasible. Alternatively, implementing a carbon tax policy without purchase subsidy is more practical. The cap-and-trade mechanism in the long term supports the phase-out of purchase subsidies and contributes to sustainable economic and environmental development. What's more, the findings provide guides for the government to determine an appropriate industry regulator factor when allocating quotas for the logistics industry.

Preparation and characterization of cellulose fluorescent material: Experiment and simulation

The extensive use of fossil based materials has caused serious pollution problems, the full utilization of biomass resources to prepare high value-added new materials is of great significance for the environmental protection and sustainable social development. For this purpose, this study explored the preparation process and molecular dynamics simulation of cellulose fluorescent materials. Firstly, bacterial cellulose was dissolved in a solution of NaOH and urea at low temperature, followed by a solution blending and hot pressing with hyperbranched polyamide. It was found that the addition of hyperbranched polyamide could effectively filled in the internal pores of cellulose hydrogel, thereby enhancing the fluorescence effects and tensile properties, especially the elongation at break of cellulose materials. The optimal amount of hyperbranched polyamide added was 5 wt%. Molecular dynamics simulation showed that the hydrogen bonds and interaction with cellulose increased as the concentration of hyperbranched polyamide increased.

Board skill diversity and corporate environmental responsibility: the moderating effects of formal and informal pressures

Purpose This study aims to investigate the impact of board skill diversity (BSD) on corporate environmental responsibility (CER). In addition, this study explores the moderating effects of formal regulatory pressure and informal media pressure. Design/methodology/approach This study uses Chinese high polluting companies as the sample and uses regression analysis. Robustness checks, including instrumental variable regression, Heckman two-stage model and propensity score matching method, are performed to test the robustness of the results. Findings The findings suggest that BSD significantly improves CER performance. Both formal regulatory pressure and informal media pressure strengthen the positive impact of BSD on CER. Further channel analyses reveal that BSD improves CER performance by promoting corporate proenvironmental behaviors rather than by restricting environmental violations; skill diversity of executive directors has a more significant effect on CER than that of independent directors. Finally, the moderating effect of regulatory pressure is only significant after the implementation of the Environmental Protection Law, and the moderating effect of media pressure mainly concentrates on negative media coverage. Practical implications The involvement of directors with more diverse skills is essential to improve corporate proenvironmental behaviors. Companies should select qualified directors with different skills to further improve their performance on environmental protection and sustainable development. Social implications Regulators and standard-setters should develop efficient guidelines on corporate board governance to enhance the positive role of companies in environmental and sustainable development. Originality/value This study broadens the research on the determinants of CER by examining the influence of BSD on CER and the moderating roles of various stakeholder pressures, thereby providing a deeper understanding of corporate environmental performance and sustainable development.

The Role of Digital Social Entrepreneurship in Driving Green Economy and SDGs

<p class="Default"><em><span lang="EN-US">Environmental conservation and sustainable development are gaining increasing attention globally. Environmental problems such as climate change, environmental degradation, and resource crises are the focus of the attention of various parties, including the community, government, and private sector. This research aims to explore the role of the digital ecosystem and social entrepreneurship practices among the youth of Lintang Nuswantara Cirebon in supporting the Green Economy and Sustainable Development Goals. A qualitative approach with a case study was used to understand the role of this ecosystem. The results of this study show that excellent programs such as Youth Social Care Camp (YSCC), Lintang Muda Mengabdi (LMM), and the mangrove planting program with NGO Grow Up Institute (GUI) have contributed positively to advancing the Green Economy and achieving Sustainable Development Goals. This community has successfully created a sense of mutual aid and empowered the community through innovative digital initiatives</span></em></p>

Evaluating the long-term effects of best management practices on pollution reduction and soil quality improvement in sloping farmland of the Three Gorges Reservoir area

Reducing nonpoint-source pollution and improving soil quality by applying best management practices (BMPs) on sloping farmland are essential for ensuring water environmental safety and sustainable agricultural development. However, little is known about the accumulative effect of the long-term application of BMPs on reducing pollution and improving soil quality in major land use types of sloping farmland in watersheds. We conducted a nine-year field experiment for citrus orchard and cropland of sloping farmland in the Three Gorges Reservoir area of China. The treatment settings for the citrus experimental plots were as follows: (1) citrus intercropped with white clover (WC), (2) citrus orchard soil mulched with straw (SM), (3) citrus intercropped with Hemerocallis flava contour hedgerows (HF) and (4) conventional citrus planting pattern (C-CK). The treatment settings for the crop experimental plots were as follows: (1) wheat-peanut rotation intercropped with Toona sinensis contour hedgerows (TS), (2) wheat-peanut rotation intercropped with alfalfa contour hedgerows (AF), (3) ryegrass-sesame rotation (RS) and (4) conventional wheat-peanut rotation (W-CK). We found that compared with C-CK and W-CK, (1) runoff, sediment, total nitrogen and total phosphorus losses were reduced by 18.0 %, 66.1 %, 35.6 % and 40.2 %, respectively, in WC; by 22.4 %, 61.2 %, 43.9 % and 52.4 %, respectively, in SM; by 25.4%, 69.5 %, 52.0 % and 58.1 %, respectively, in HF; by 45.1 %, 73.7 %, 64.6 % and 66.0 %, respectively, in TS; by 41.8 %, 67.4 %, 59.3 % and 60.8 %, respectively, in AF; and by 24.1 %, 42.9 %, 39.3 % and 40.3 %, respectively, in RS; (2) the soil quality index values of the BMP treatments increased; and (3) the application of these BMPs did not significantly affect yield or product value. We suggest the application of these BMPs on sloping farmland to (1) efficiently reduce total runoff, total sediment, and soil total nitrogen and total phosphorus losses; (2) improve soil quality; and (3) have no significant effect on output, of which the BMP HF applied to citrus orchard and the BMP TS applied to cropland are the most effective.

Spatiotemporal Evolution of Ecological Environment Quality and Driving Factors in Jiaodong Peninsula, China

To monitor the Ecological Environment Quality (EEQ) of the Jiaodong Peninsula and provide a scientific basis for ecological environment governance and sustainable development in the region, this study evaluates the EEQ of Jiaodong using the Remote Sensing-based Ecological Index (RSEI) model and analyzes its spatiotemporal evolution patterns, building upon single-factor correlation analysis using the Random Sample Consensus (RANSAC) algorithm, using GeoDetector to analyze the driving mechanisms of human activities and natural factors in EEQ. The results indicate the following: (1) The average RSEI values for 2000, 2010, and 2020 are 0.60, 0.57, and 0.66, with Good or Excellent areas accounting for 56.48%, 51.02%, and 67.17%. From 2000 to 2020, RSEI strong improvement areas were predominantly distributed in the eastern hilly areas of the Jiaodong Peninsula. The RSEI of the Jiaodong Peninsula showed significant spatial autocorrelation. (2) The RANSAC algorithm effectively reduces noise interference in remote sensing data, thereby improving the accuracy of single-factor correlation analysis. (3) In 2000, the importance of natural factors exceeds that of human activity factors. The Standardized Precipitation Evapotranspiration Index (SPEI) is the most important driving factor; while in 2010 and 2020, human activity factors surpass natural factors in importance, with the Land Use Composite Index (LUCI) being the most significant driving factor. The driving factors exhibited double-factor and nonlinear enhancement. The most significant interaction factors affecting the EEQ of the Jiaodong Peninsula in 2000, 2010, and 2020 are SPEI∩GDP, LUCI∩SPEI, and LUCI∩GDP.

Стратегическое развитие «зеленого» финансирования в Китае

The growing severity of global climate change increases public environmental awareness. As a result, green financing has become a prospective area of financial services that attracts attention of investors, policymakers, and other stakeholders. Green financing means using financial tools and mechanisms to provide financial support for a green and low-carbon economy, as well as to promote environmental protection, sustainable development, and resource efficiency. Green finance not only introduces social capital into the green industry and the green economy, but also optimizes the allocation of social resources and creates new points of economic growth. This article reviews the current state of green financing in China. The authors analyzed the related development processes, defined the key challenges, and proposed some policy ecommendations.

Research on the Evolution of the Spatial Association Network Structure and Driving Factors of China’s Agricultural Green Development

Against the backdrop of global environmental challenges and sustainable development goals, this paper pioneers the application of social network analysis to the study of spatial associations in China’s agricultural green development. It not only enhances the understanding of the spatial interconnectivity and network structural characteristics of agricultural green developments, but also captures the complex dependencies and interactions among provinces through a network lens, offering a fresh perspective on regional agricultural cooperation and competition. The study reveals: (1) The spatial network of China’s agricultural green development displays strong overall connectivity and enhanced stability, with regional green development trends becoming increasingly interlinked and interdependent. (2) The network exhibits a clear hierarchical and core-periphery structure which, over time, shows signs of diminishing, indicating a narrowing of developmental disparities among regions. (3) Significant shifts in the roles and positions of provinces within the network occur due to the relocation of industrial focal points and adjustments in development strategies, highlighting the complexity of dynamic changes among regions. (4) The spatial association network can be divided into four main clusters: Net spillover block, Bidirectional spillover block, Net beneficial block, and Broker block, with significant gradient characteristics in the relationships between these clusters, suggesting directional and differential flows and exchanges of resources and information among regions. (5) Geographic proximity, economic development level, informatization, and agricultural technological advancement significantly influenced the development and structural evolution of the network.

Integrating ESG into Corporate Strategy: Unveiling the Moderating Effect of Digital Transformation on Green Innovation through Employee Insights

With climate warming, the human living environment faces significant challenges, and global environmental protection and sustainable development are accelerating. As a result, ESG has become an essential area of research. This study explores the impact of employees’ perceptions of corporate ESG performance on green innovation, focusing on the moderating role of digital transformation. A survey was conducted among 316 employees from the wholesale, retail, IT, and computer services industries to validate this study. Research results show that employees’ cognitions of corporate ESG performance have a positive impact on green innovation. In addition, digital transformation plays a positive moderating role in the impact of the environmental (E) and social (S) dimensions of ESG performance on green innovation. These findings not only highlight the critical role of personal awareness and ESG management concepts in future corporate strategies but also indicate the importance of the extent of digital transformation in companies to improve innovation performance.

Green Logistics Development of Express Companies in the Context of “Dual Carbon” Strategy Research

In the context of "dual carbon", green logistics as an emerging concept type, not only plays an important role in environmental protection and sustainable economic development, but also can bring great economic benefits to express delivery companies. However, the current development of green logistics technology in China is not mature enough, resulting in the transformation of the courier company is facing the situation of opportunities and challenges. In this paper, we sort out the "dual carbon" background of the development of green logistics courier company status quo, analyze the courier company in the process of transition to green logistics problems and targeted to put forward the corresponding measures to solve them, and hope to be able to other courier company's green logistics development to provide reference and reference.

A highly efficient, low-carbon CCHP system and its comprehensive optimization for an integrated medical and nursing complex

As the global population ages, the demands imposed by medical treatment and care for the elderly are becoming increasingly pressing. To reduce energy consumption and systemic defects in the process of integrating medical treatment and care for the elderly, the authors of this study designed a highly efficient, flexible and low-carbon combined cooling, heating, and power (CCHP) system for the integration of medical and nursing complexes by using a multi-level model of optimization. The complex was modeled in DeST software to obtain the cooling and heating loads, and the general algebraic modeling system software and mixed-integer linear programming (MILP) were used for the collaborative optimization of the choice of equipment, capacity allocation, and operational strategy. The results showed that the proposed system could reduce the total consumption of electric power by 40.95 % when a semiconductor wall was installed on floors 8–12 of the complex for elderly care. The energy management strategy of the system was also optimized by using the vehicle-to-building subsystem in a novel wind–solar–storage and heat pump-based combined cooling, heating, and power system. The rates of reduction in emissions of CO2 and NOx, and the rate of reduction in primary energy consumption of the Wind–Solar–Storage and Heat Pump (WSSH)–CCHP system were 96.5 %, 99.1 %, and 95.6 %, respectively. Finally, the heat pump-assisted liquid-gap membrane distillation (HP-LGMD) subsystem were optimized in MATLAB. The resulting gained output ratio, flux, thermal efficiency of the system, and energy consumed for water production were 0.0269, 4.22 kg/m2, 17.07 %, and 46.88 %, respectively. The proposed system is highly energy efficient, is capable of economical scheduling, and can use energy cascading, which provides guidance on sustainable development of environment and energy.

Green Marketing as New Marketing Trend in India

The emergence of "Green Marketing" as a prominent trend in India reflects a growing societal and environmental consciousness, aligning business strategies with sustainable practices. This article delves into the dynamic landscape where companies are increasingly incorporating eco-friendly initiatives into their marketing strategies. The concept of Green Marketing goes beyond mere product promotion, emphasizing environmental responsibility and sustainable development. In India, a country grappling with environmental challenges, the shift towards Green Marketing is particularly significant. With consumers becoming more environmentally conscious, businesses are compelled to adopt eco-friendly practices to meet market demands. The article explores how companies are leveraging this trend to create a positive brand image, gain consumer trust, and tap into a growing market segment that prioritizes sustainability. Furthermore, the article examines the role of regulatory frameworks and government initiatives in promoting Green Marketing. The Indian government's push for environmental sustainability and clean energy has incentivized businesses to embrace eco-friendly practices. The article also sheds light on the challenges companies face in implementing Green Marketing strategies, such as increased production costs and the need for innovation in sustainable product development. The article underscores the transformative impact of Green Marketing on the Indian business landscape. It provides insights into how companies are navigating the shift towards sustainability, aligning their marketing efforts with environmental responsibility. As Green Marketing continues to gain momentum, it not only shapes consumer behavior but also contributes to a more sustainable and ecologically conscious business environment in India.