Field Of Environmental Management Research Articles

The New Paths of Environmental Management In Brazil: Reflections on Participatory Governance in the Environmental Permit Process

Objective: The objective of this study is to investigate environmental management in Brazil, with the aim of recovering the trajectory of the legal landmarks that anchor it and highlight the regulatory proposals for licensing currently under discussion in the National Congress, which point in the direction of a greater flexibility of the process and greater rigor in the observance of deadlines, alongside the weakening of the role of public hearings.   Theoretical Reference: In this topic, the main concepts and theories that underpin the research are presented. Above all, the discussion on environmental governance is highlighted, which provides a solid basis for understanding the context of research.   Method: The methodology adopted for this research comprises a literature review on participatory governance and analysis of primary and secondary data. The data collection was carried out by means of documentary analysis.   Results and Discussion: The results obtained revealed the setback that is insinuated with the deconstruction of legal conquests that were supposed to be consolidated, which denotes a clear trend of reformulation of Brazilian environmental policy informed by the primacy of economic interests over the sustainable, and democratic, management of the environment. In the discussion section, these results are contextualized in the light of the theoretical benchmark, highlighting the implications and relationships identified. Possible discrepancies and limitations of the study are also considered in this section.   Research Implications: The practical and theoretical implications of this research are discussed, providing insights into how the results can be applied or influence practices in the field of environmental management in the country. These implications can cover the areas of sustainability, participatory management, socio-environmental justice, among others.   Originality/Value: This study contributes to the literature by critically addressing proposals for restructuring environmental licensing in the country. The relevance and value of this research is evidenced by helping to understand the trajectory of environmental legal milestones and the impacts that the proposed changes suggest.

Machine Learning-Accelerated High-Throughput Computational Screening: Unveiling Bimetallic Nanoparticles with Peroxidase-Like Activity.

Bimetallic nanoparticles (NPs) with peroxidase-like (POD-like) activity play a crucial role in biosensing, disease treatment, environmental management, and other fields. However, their development is impeded by a vast range of tunable properties in components and structures, making the establishment of structure-effect relationships and the discovery of active materials challenging. Addressing this, we established robust scaling relationships by meticulously analyzing the catalytic reaction networks of pure metal NPs, which laid the volcano-shaped correlation between the activity and O* adsorption energy. Utilizing these relationships, we introduced an innovative and versatile descriptor of the NPs, which was then integrated into a machine learning-accelerated high-throughput computational workflow, significantly boosting the predictive accuracy for the POD-like activity of bimetallic NPs. Our methodological approach enabled the successful prediction of activities for 1260 bimetallic NPs, leading to the identification of several highly effective catalysts. Furthermore, we distilled several strategies for designing efficient bimetallic NPs based on our screening results.

Integrating CEDGAN and FCNN for Enhanced Evaluation and Prediction of Plant Growth Environments in Urban Green Spaces

Conducting precise evaluations and predictions of the environmental conditions for plant growth in green spaces is crucial for ensuring their health and sustainability. Yet, assessing the health of urban greenery and the plant growth environment represents a significant and complex challenge within the fields of urban planning and environmental management. This complexity arises from two main challenges: the limitations in acquiring high-density, high-precision data, and the difficulties traditional methods face in capturing and modeling the complex nonlinear relationships between environmental factors and plant growth. In light of the superior spatial interpolation capabilities of CEDGAN (conditional encoder–decoder generative adversarial neural network), notwithstanding its comparative lack of robustness across different subjects, and the excellent ability of FCNN (fully connected neural network) to fit multiple nonlinear equation models, we have developed two models based on these network structures. One model performs high-precision spatial attribute interpolation for urban green spaces, and the other predicts and evaluates the environmental conditions for plant growth within these areas. Our research has demonstrated that, following training with various samples, the CEDGAN network exhibits satisfactory performance in interpolating soil pH values, with an average pixel error below 0.03. This accuracy in predicting both spatial distribution and feature aspects improves with the increase in sample size and the number of controlled sampling points, offering an advanced method for high-precision spatial attribute interpolation in the planning and routine management of urban green spaces. Similarly, FCNN has shown commendable performance in predicting and evaluating plant growth environments, with prediction errors generally less than 0.1. Comparing different network structures, models with fewer hidden layers and nodes yielded superior training outcomes.

DEVELOPMENT OF METHODOLOGY FOR MONITORING AND ASSESSING THE NATIONAL GREENING PROGRAM USING OPTICAL AND SAR DATA

Abstract. Launched primarily to address the growing concern of environmental sustainability and to combat climate change, the National Greening Program (NGP) is the most ambitious reforestation program undertaken in the Philippines. Given the enormous number of resources invested in the program, it is crucial to monitor and assess the effectiveness of this initiative. To do this, the success of the selected NGP site in Zambales Province was evaluated using land cover maps, Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) from Sentinel-2 and MODIS, and Radar Vegetation Index (RVI) and Radar Forestation Degradation Index (RFDI) from Sentinel-1 Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) images. The index time series were processed in Google Earth Engine cloud computing platform. The findings indicate that the rise in vegetation density shown by the generally increasing trend in the NDVI and RVI was consistent with the increase in vegetation cover indicated by the land cover maps. This work contributes towards the field of environmental monitoring and resource management, with potential applications that extend beyond monitoring and assessment of the NGP and towards dealing with global issues regarding land use and environmental protection.

Can the Circular Economy Demonstration Policy Enhance the Green Innovation Level? A Quasi-Natural Experiment from China

Although both circular economy and green innovation (GI) have received increasing research attention, little is known about their relationship. Based on quasi-natural experimental analysis, this study explored the impact and mechanism of the National Circular Economy Demonstration City (NCEDC) policy on GI in China and adopted a difference-in-difference (DID) model using the data of 265 cities in China from 2004 to 2018. The results show that the NCEDC policy has significantly improved the cities’ GI level, which can be achieved through industrial structure upgrading and innovation R&D investment effect, and has a stronger performance in eastern cities and lower administrative level cities. Our findings not only present novel evidence on the relationship between the circular economy and GI, but also offer valuable insights for advancing policy pilot initiatives in the field of environmental management.

Harnessing Ash for Sustainable CO2 Absorption: Current Strategies and Future Prospects.

This review explores the potential of using different types of ash, namely fly ash, biomass ash, and coal ash etc., as mediums for CO2 capture and sequestration. The diverse origins of these ash types-municipal waste, organic biomass, and coal combustion-impart unique physicochemical properties that influence their suitability and efficiency in CO2 absorption. This review first discusses the environmental and economic implications of using ash wastes, emphasizing the reduction in landfill usage and the transformation of waste into value-added products. Then the chemical/physical treatments of ash wastes and their inherent capabilities in binding or reacting with CO2 are introduced, along with current methodologies utilize these ashes for CO2 sequestration, including mineral carbonation and direct air capture techniques. The application of using ash wastes for CO2 capture are highlighted, followed by the discussion regarding challenges associated with ash-based CO2 absorption approach. Finally, the article projects into the future, proposing innovative approaches and technological advancements needed to enhance the efficacy of ash in combating the increasing CO2 levels. By providing a comprehensive analysis of current strategies and envisioning future prospects, this review aims to contribute to the field of sustainable CO2 absorption and environmental management.

Performance Indicators for Assessing Environmental Management Plan Implementation in Water Projects

This research aims to examine the performance indicators that are crucial for assessing the implementation of environmental management plans (EMPs) in water projects. To achieve this aim, a questionnaire survey, integrating a systematic literature review (SLR), was used to identify the initial performance indicators. Subsequently, ten interviews with environmental professionals were carried out to uncover additional indicators not identified by the SLR. Following the survey design and pilot study of the survey, the data collection resulted in 112 valid responses from environmental professionals engaged in water projects in Saudi Arabia. The data analysis encompassed reliability tests, mean ranking, normalized mean analysis, exploratory factor analysis (EFA), and partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). The normalized mean analysis highlighted 13 critical parameters among 39 for further investigation. The EFA disclosed three underlying constructs: environmental impact indicators, operational and safety indicators, waste management, and public safety indicators. PLS-SEM was used to validate the relationship between these indicators and the successful implementation of EMPs. The results indicate that all three underlying constructs positively influence the effective execution of such plans. This is the first study to model the relationships of the performance indicators in water projects. The study’s findings underscore the importance of developing precise performance indicators tailored to diverse construction projects that are mainly focused on water facility construction. The identified performance indicators offer significant insights for policymakers, practitioners, and researchers and provide a solid foundation for the advancement of knowledge in the field of environmental management.

ADOPTION OF GREEN HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT PRACTICES AND ORGANISATIONAL WELLBEING IN THE GHANAIAN SERVICE SECTOR

Global environmental imbalances have compelled businesses to adopt strategic initiatives towards the preservation and sustainability of the natural environment. This study examined the effect of green human resource management adoption on organisational wellbeing, in terms of employee innovation and creativity, environmental performance, organisational efficiency, and reputation, as well as talent attraction. The study was cross-sectional in nature and utilized a survey instrument for data collection. The study purposively selected 350 respondents from selected firms in the Ghanaian service sector, of which 213 responded to the items. The Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling analytical method was used for data analysis. The findings of the study revealed that the adoption of green human resource management practices has a positive effect on all the variables studied, with organisational reputation having the highest effect. The study has both theoretical and practical implications in the field of human resource management and environmental management in emerging economies.<p> </p><p><strong> Article visualizations:</strong></p><p><img src="/-counters-/lit/0158/a.php" alt="Hit counter" /></p>

Evaluation of Environmental Management System for Small and Medium Enterprises in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania

A system that manages environmental issues of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) from the time of acquisition of raw materials up to disposal of the product is not well clear, especially in Tanzania. Most of the studies have been conducted in the field of environment management but few of them address the evaluation of the management of SMEs activities with respect to the environment. Although the nature of activities of SMEs has little noticeable environmental implications at the individual level but the impact is large due to diversification and labour intensity of these SMEs. SMEs employ about 20% of the total labour force in Tanzania. Thus, the consequences on the environment are therefore very high. In this study both quantitative and qualitative research methods have been used to evaluate the awareness on Environmental Management Systems (EMS), the extent of implementation of EMS, tools used in EMS and Factors that hinder effective EMS. Descriptive and Factor analysis have been used as techniques for analyzing data. The study found a low level of awareness, whereby about 59% of respondents were slightly aware, on EMS, tools used for EMS were found to be more reactive tools than proactive tools. Whereas about 60% of SMEs are inappropriately and inadequately implementing elements of EMS according to ISO 14001. The study found critical factors with high influence on hindering the implementation of EMS including inadequate environmental consciousness of top leaders. It is recommended that more efforts should be invested in creating awareness, impacting the knowledge and skills of implementing the EMS as per ISO 14001 requirements at all levels of SMEs.

Features of taxation of rational environmental management as a factor of sustainable growth in Russia

The article is devoted to the study of the problems of fiscal regulation of the rational use of natural resources to achieve the goals of sustainable economic growth and improve the quality of life of the population. According to official statistics, it should be noted that it is difficult to identify individual problems on the impact of direct taxation of the use of natural resources on the effectiveness of environmental management in Russia. Great practical importance in theoretical and applied economics is attached to strengthening the environmental component in taxation. The purpose of the study was to analyze the prospects for the development of the implemented directions of the tax policy of rational environmental management to ensure the environmental safety of Russia. In modern tax systems, a separate aspect highlights the directions of tax regulation of the use of natural resources, providing a fiscally significant effect on budget revenues at all levels and increasing the environmental potential of rational environmental management. Various general scientific methods were used in the research process, including: abstract-logical, comparative analysis, generalization, as well as tabular and graphical methods. When studying the practical experience of tax regulation of effective environmental management, SWOT analysis methods, as well as variable and trend analysis are used. The authors provide a systematic analysis of the practice of ensuring budget revenues of the subjects of the Russian Federation and their compliance with the policy of rational environmental management, as well as determining the causal relationship of the considered features of taxation of the use of natural resources in Russia. The procedure for taxation of environmental management is important for the formation of fiscal sustainability and ensuring high efficiency of tax policy in the field of rational environmental management. The state policy of taxation of environmental management should be based on the principle of preserving the interest of investors in investments in environmental protection measures, providing tax incentives and preferences for the introduction of new waste-free production technologies. The prospects for further development of tax regulation of effective environmental management should be aimed at activating public-private partnerships by stimulating private investment in the creation of new and modernization of existing assets of the "green" economy, as well as optimizing environmental monitoring.

Evaluating Agriculture Robots: Case Study and Analysis

The technical revolution paved the way for the development of robots that can now operate in a variety of areas. The smart farming technique called robotic agrifarming has the potential to alleviate the worldwide labor shortage while increasing agricultural productivity and food safety. From planting to harvesting, agribots perform field operations that enhance soil quality and ensure long-term growth. That's why it's essential to create a decision-support system that helps choose the best robot for an agricultural task. The goal of this study is to create an integrated decision system for assessing agriculture robots using the method based on removal effects of criteria (MEREC). Founded on a lot of alternatives like project viability, ecosystem aptness, community conditions, governmental embracing, and profit, the performance of seven field robots is evaluated. The advantage of the developed ranking technique is that it follows the additive ratio assessment (ARAS) method, which is indeed a specific technique used for multi-attribute decision-making (MADM), particularly in the field of environmental management and evaluation. It's commonly employed when there are multiple factors or criteria to consider in decision-making processes and prioritizing the alternatives.

Analysis of modern problems of cooperation between the Russian Federation and the Republic of Kazakhstan in the field of environmental management and environmental safety

   Aim. The problems of cooperation between the Russian Federation and the Republic of Kazakhstan in the field of nature management and environmental safety are considered. Possible directions for the development of cooperation both at the interstate and interregional levels of border territories are presented. Purpose is to analyse the current state of cooperation between the Russian Federation and the Republic of Kazakhstan in the field of environmental management and environmental safety.   Material and Methods. The main results were obtained using a systematic approach through field geographical research, comparative historical and comparative typological analysis, etc. Materials regarding water resources, reservoirs and statistical indicators of the dynamics and structure of water use were used.   Results. The main problems in the field of nature management and environmental safety of the two countries were identified. The prospects of interstate cooperation between Russia and Kazakhstan at the interstate and regional levels on transboundary environmental problems and sustainable use of land and water resources, protection of wildlife are identified and substantiated. Based on a retrospective analysis of the experience of interaction between the two countries and possible prospects for cooperation, concepts and directions for the development of strategic partnership in field of cross‐border nature management and environmental safety of transboundary water bodies, and the conservation of migratory species of wildlife are proposed.   Conclusions. The modern post–virgin space is confidently transforming into an agro‐export one – an analogue of the virgin one at a new technological and climatic stage with an export orientation in the face of new challenges. The further development of this space should be based on the optimisation of agriculture and water use, taking into account the preservation of natural diversity.

Peculiarities of the objective side of the failure of the declarant to submit a declaration of a person authorized to perform the functions of the state or local self-government

Problem setting. The European integration vector of Ukraine’s development amidst the overall globalization and social transformation determines the priority of environmental protection, rational and responsible use of natural resources, and the implementation of energy-, resource-saving and other innovative technologies into production. This is particularly important during Russia’s armed aggression against Ukraine resulting in grave devastating consequences for our country’s economy and natural resource potential. These circumstances require Ukraine to increase the adaptive capabilities of the national economy and social development to climate change, to respond effectively to current food and resource consumption challenges, and, thus, to improve the management of natural resources used in the economic activity. According to the state program documents, the improvement and development of the state system of environmental protection and management is to be carried out, in particular, by providing scientific, information and innovative support for the management decision-making process, by establishing corresponding environmental information resources, systems, databases and their cyber defense, by using electronic information and media communications in the environmental field. Under the current conditions of social development, the environmental field is becoming one of the platforms for the implementation of innovative Industry 4.0 technologies – digitalization and automation of many technological and organizational processes, the usage of artificial intelligence, the Internet of things etc. accompanying the regulation of environmental and adjacent economic relations. These recent development tendencies require scientific substantiation and an adequate political, organizational, economic and legal response. Аnalysis of recent researches and publications. The issues of the implementation of Industry 4.0 technologies in the field of environmental management and protection are quite recent and still poorly researched within the national legal science. Nevertheless, some of them have already been explored in the scientific works among the economic fields, environmental, economic, land and agrarian law. In particular, the digitalization of regulation of these social relations has become the scientific focus of such scholars as N. Malysheva, O. Vinnyk, I. Maksymova, V. Kurylyak, K. Yefremova, M. Khaustova, K. Markevych, S. Romanko, V. Sydor, O. Lozo, O. Onishchenko and others. Thus, the scholars have studied the legal issues of digitalization in the environmental field in correlation with the corresponding economic processes, in the environmental and legal policy of Ukraine and other states regarding climate change, have analyzed the role of artificial intelligence and other digital technologies in addressing climate change, have determined ways of implementing the European digital policy etc. At the same time, the legal regulation of implementing digitalization in the field of environmental management and protection in the course of economic activity remains relevant. Purpose of research is to study the legal issues and features of legal support for the implementation of Industry 4.0 technologies, in particular, digitalization, automation, artificial intelligence etc. in the field of natural resource management and environmental protection; for this purpose, it also includes analyzing the main program and strategic documents and other legislative acts regulating these issues as well as drawing scientific, theoretical and practical conclusions and formulating potential ways of improving the corresponding legislation. Аrticle’s main body. The article deals with the scientific, theoretical and practical analysis of the implementation and application of Industry 4.0 technologies in the field of legal regulation of natural resource management and environmental protection. Author has analyzed the main legislative acts of general strategic, program and industry levels in this field. The article singles out the main directions of implementing digitalization and other Industry 4.0 technologies, in particular, formulating the environmental and climate state policy, carrying out the economic activity using natural resources, their management and environmental protection. The article examines the features of legal regulation of implementing the digital technologies into various fields of natural resource management and environmental protection, in particular, subsoil and forest use, environmental impact assessment, environmental monitoring and natural resources record. The goals and the role of digital transformation of the environmental management system, such as de-bureaucratization of the economic activity, simplification of the permit system and direct access to state registers, fight against corruption in the field of natural resources distribution and prevention of corresponding risks, achievement of transparency in providing natural resources for use in economic activity, simplification of recording procedures for arising or termination of the natural resource management right have been determined and analyzed. Conclusions and prospects for the development. The implementation of digitalization in the environmental management and protection is a highly dynamic and comprehensive process that is developing and covering more and more fields of economy, economic, law and public life. Nowadays, Ukraine is successfully implementing digitalization and other Industry 4.0 technologies considering its European integration commitment, prospects of strengthening economic and environmental partnership with the EU, and the need to find ways of post-war restoration and climate-neutral green transformation of the state economy. The implementation of digitalization as an innovative tool for the natural resource management optimization at the current stage is undoubtedly a step forward towards the adoption of European values and standards, including transparency and simplification of economic activity using natural resources, and fight against corruption in this field. However, there are still fields that require scientific and legislative attention from the perspective of sustainable development and have significant opportunities and reserves for the use of digital technologies and tools, such as environmental and ecological resources security, emergency response and civil protection, waste management, adaption to climate change and climate policy establishment, agriculture and other areas. Many benefits of digital technologies in various production sectors, economic activity, and regulation of environmental relations have been proved. These include, in particular, efficiency, time saving, modernization, convenience, transparency (access of the public, entities and management bodies to certain types of necessary information), acceleration and simplification of legal and organizational procedures (de-bureaucratization of permit and contractual systems). At the same time, the implementation of digital technologies into any field, including environmental, should be controlled, balanced, cost-effective, environmentally and energetically efficient, and safe for society.

Legal support of the use of Industry 4.0 technologies in the field of natural resource management and environmental protection

Problem setting. The European integration vector of Ukraine’s development amidst the overall globalization and social transformation determines the priority of environmental protection, rational and responsible use of natural resources, and the implementation of energy-, resource-saving and other innovative technologies into production. This is particularly important during Russia’s armed aggression against Ukraine resulting in grave devastating consequences for our country’s economy and natural resource potential. These circumstances require Ukraine to increase the adaptive capabilities of the national economy and social development to climate change, to respond effectively to current food and resource consumption challenges, and, thus, to improve the management of natural resources used in the economic activity. According to the state program documents, the improvement and development of the state system of environmental protection and management is to be carried out, in particular, by providing scientific, information and innovative support for the management decision-making process, by establishing corresponding environmental information resources, systems, databases and their cyber defense, by using electronic information and media communications in the environmental field. Under the current conditions of social development, the environmental field is becoming one of the platforms for the implementation of innovative Industry 4.0 technologies – digitalization and automation of many technological and organizational processes, the usage of artificial intelligence, the Internet of things etc. accompanying the regulation of environmental and adjacent economic relations. These recent development tendencies require scientific substantiation and an adequate political, organizational, economic and legal response. Аnalysis of recent researches and publications. The issues of the implementation of Industry 4.0 technologies in the field of environmental management and protection are quite recent and still poorly researched within the national legal science. Nevertheless, some of them have already been explored in the scientific works among the economic fields, environmental, economic, land and agrarian law. In particular, the digitalization of regulation of these social relations has become the scientific focus of such scholars as N. Malysheva, O. Vinnyk, I. Maksymova, V. Kurylyak, K. Yefremova, M. Khaustova, K. Markevych, S. Romanko, V. Sydor, O. Lozo, O. Onishchenko and others. Thus, the scholars have studied the legal issues of digitalization in the environmental field in correlation with the corresponding economic processes, in the environmental and legal policy of Ukraine and other states regarding climate change, have analyzed the role of artificial intelligence and other digital technologies in addressing climate change, have determined ways of implementing the European digital policy etc. At the same time, the legal regulation of implementing digitalization in the field of environmental management and protection in the course of economic activity remains relevant. Purpose of research is to study the legal issues and features of legal support for the implementation of Industry 4.0 technologies, in particular, digitalization, automation, artificial intelligence etc. in the field of natural resource management and environmental protection; for this purpose, it also includes analyzing the main program and strategic documents and other legislative acts regulating these issues as well as drawing scientific, theoretical and practical conclusions and formulating potential ways of improving the corresponding legislation. Аrticle’s main body. The article deals with the scientific, theoretical and practical analysis of the implementation and application of Industry 4.0 technologies in the field of legal regulation of natural resource management and environmental protection. Author has analyzed the main legislative acts of general strategic, program and industry levels in this field. The article singles out the main directions of implementing digitalization and other Industry 4.0 technologies, in particular, formulating the environmental and climate state policy, carrying out the economic activity using natural resources, their management and environmental protection. The article examines the features of legal regulation of implementing the digital technologies into various fields of natural resource management and environmental protection, in particular, subsoil and forest use, environmental impact assessment, environmental monitoring and natural resources record. The goals and the role of digital transformation of the environmental management system, such as de-bureaucratization of the economic activity, simplification of the permit system and direct access to state registers, fight against corruption in the field of natural resources distribution and prevention of corresponding risks, achievement of transparency in providing natural resources for use in economic activity, simplification of recording procedures for arising or termination of the natural resource management right have been determined and analyzed. Conclusions and prospects for the development. The implementation of digitalization in the environmental management and protection is a highly dynamic and comprehensive process that is developing and covering more and more fields of economy, economic, law and public life. Nowadays, Ukraine is successfully implementing digitalization and other Industry 4.0 technologies considering its European integration commitment, prospects of strengthening economic and environmental partnership with the EU, and the need to find ways of post-war restoration and climate-neutral green transformation of the state economy. The implementation of digitalization as an innovative tool for the natural resource management optimization at the current stage is undoubtedly a step forward towards the adoption of European values and standards, including transparency and simplification of economic activity using natural resources, and fight against corruption in this field. However, there are still fields that require scientific and legislative attention from the perspective of sustainable development and have significant opportunities and reserves for the use of digital technologies and tools, such as environmental and ecological resources security, emergency response and civil protection, waste management, adaption to climate change and climate policy establishment, agriculture and other areas. Many benefits of digital technologies in various production sectors, economic activity, and regulation of environmental relations have been proved. These include, in particular, efficiency, time saving, modernization, convenience, transparency (access of the public, entities and management bodies to certain types of necessary information), acceleration and simplification of legal and organizational procedures (de-bureaucratization of permit and contractual systems). At the same time, the implementation of digital technologies into any field, including environmental, should be controlled, balanced, cost-effective, environmentally and energetically efficient, and safe for society.

Do institutional contingencies matter for green investment?—An institution based view of Chinese listed companies

Current research in the field of environmental management has placed significant emphasis on understanding the reasons behind varying organizational responses to environmental responsibilities. Governance scholars emphasize the central role of institutional factors in shaping environmental responsibilities, primarily due to the substantial influence exerted by regulatory institutions. Drawing on institutional theory, we investigate how sub-national institutional factors impact a firm's green investment intensity and explore their moderating influence on the relationship between green investment and a firm's financial performance. Using a database of Chinese listed companies from 2012 to 2019, this study employs fixed effect model as a baseline regression. Our analysis demonstrates that sub-national institutions, such as state-owned enterprises (SOEs), regional development, and cross-listing, have significant and positive impact on corporate green investment. Our study further provide an evidence that green investment significantly improve firms' financial performance. Moreover, the positive effect of green investment on financial performance is stronger in SOEs and in firms of developed regions as compared to their counterparts, and weaker in cross listed firms than those of non-cross listed peers. Our study suggest that subnational institutions play an imperative role in improving environmental quality and financial performance by promoting corporate green investment. To make sure that our findings remain robust to endogeneity, we applied generalized method of moments (GMM) and propensity score matching (PSM) method. Our findings further provide implications for emerging economies with similar shareholding patterns and unbalanced regional development.

The Condition of Climate Change Adaptation in Polish Municipalities Before and After the Pandemic on the Basis of Cso Environmental Indicators - Management Implications

The pandemic undoubtedly had a significant impact on local development management processes in municipalities in economic, social, environmental and institutional-political dimensions. The article presents and evaluates various activities of municipal governments in the field of environmental management for climate protection and formulates recommendations for municipalities in this regard. The main purpose of this article is to assess the condition of climate change adaptation in municipalities before and after the pandemic, particularly in Polish municipalities, based on the environmental specific indicators of the Central Statistical Office. The purpose of the paper was realized on the basis of a review of the latest literature on the subject, domestic and foreign, as well as quantitative and qualitative comparative analysis. The study was carried out in thirty Polish urban-rural municipalities, , at the same time district cities (cities of the seat of county government, cities, "micro capitals" of counties), with varying own incomes. In Polish municipalities, climate change adaptation priorities have changed in very positive terms after the pandemic, in particular, this applies to municipal spending on ambient air protection (including renewable energy sources, thermal modernization, etc.), which has increased two or even three times compared to the time before the pandemic, which has not yet been recognized and studied in the conducted review of the recent literature on the subject. At the same time, the pandemic period slowed down the remaining investment and management of environmental activities, and generally did not improve waste management in municipalities.

Leveraging the power of internet memes for emotional contagion as effective strategy for environmental communication

The article aims to address the research gap in the field of environmental communication by integrating the advances in emotional influence sciences to understand the mechanisms and pathways via social media by which emotions impact pro-environmental behavior. This research investigates how environmental communication can integrate research's results to design a more effective communication strategy that leads to environmental actions. Hence, the methodology of the article is an exploratory review of previous research on emotion in crisis and environmental communication, particularly on the role of social media and internet memes in promoting pro-environmental behavior through emotions and emotional influence. The findings are organized into three themes. First, we present the theory of emotional influence as a lens that can shed light on the underlying mechanisms in social media that awaken users' sentiments to modify or rectify their environmental behavior as well as entice their engagement in environmental preservation. Next, the main factors affecting emotional contagion in environmental communication are analyzed. Finally, we examine the empirical evidence of pro-environmental communication strategies that were successful under emotional contagion mechanisms. The article concludes that emotional influence by internet memes is a proper strategy, particularly for new generations, in crisis and environmental communication. This research contributes to science by highlighting the significant role of emotional influence and internet memes in environmental communication, emphasizing their potential to influence public attitudes and behaviors towards environmental issues, and providing a comprehensive understanding of how these factors can be leveraged to design effective communication strategies that lead to environmental actions, offering valuable insights for researchers and practitioners in the field of environmental communication and crisis management.

Spatial distribution prediction of soil heavy metals based on sparse sampling and multi-source environmental data

Predicting the precise spatial distribution of heavy metals in soil is crucial, especially in the fields of environmental management and remediation. However, achieving accurate spatial predictions of soil heavy metals becomes quite challenging when the number of soil sampling points is relatively limited. To address this challenge, this study proposes a hybrid approach, namely, Light Gradient Boosting Machine plus Ordinary Kriging (LGBK), for predicting the spatial distribution of soil heavy metals. A total of 137 soil samples were collected from the Shengli Coal-mine Base in Inner Mongolia, China, and their heavy metal concentrations were measured. Leveraging environmental covariates and soil heavy metal data, we constructed the predictive model. Experimental results demonstrate that, in comparison to traditional models, LGBK exhibits superior predictive performance. For copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), chromium (Cr), and arsenic (As), the coefficients of determination (R²) from the cross-validation results are 0.65, 0.52, 0.57, and 0.63, respectively. Moreover, the LGBK model excels in capturing intricate spatial features in heavy metal distribution. It accurately forecasts trends in heavy metal distribution that closely align with actual measurements. Environmental ImplicationThis study introduces a novel method, LGBK, for predicting the spatial distribution of soil heavy metals. This method yields higher-precision predictions even with a limited number of sampling points. Furthermore, the study analyzes the spatial distribution characteristics of Cu, Zn, Cr, and As in the grassland coal-mine base, along with the key environmental factors influencing their spatial distribution. This research holds significant importance for the environmental regulation and remediation of heavy metal pollution.

Nanosheet g-C3N4 enhanced by Bi2MoO6 for highly efficient photocatalysts toward photodegradation of Rhodamine-B dye

The investigation of a proficient photocatalytic system for the degradation of organic pollutants holds significant importance in the field of environmental management. This study presents a binary type II heterojunction photocatalyst, Bi2MoO6/g-C3N4 which is synthesized using an eco-friendly ultrasonic-assisted method. Various characterization methods (XRD, FTIR, XPS, BET, TEM, UV–vis, and PL) are used to investigate the crystalline structures, composition, surface analysis, morphology, and optical properties of the photocatalyst. All the Bi2MoO6/g-C3N4 nanocomposites show better photocatalytic activity for Rhodamine B dye (Rh–B) degradation under Ultraviolet light irradiation than the pure g-C3N4. The photocatalytic activity of the 10 % Bi2MoO6/g-C3N4 nanocomposite is found to be the greatest among the tested samples. the 10 % Bi2MoO6/g-C3N4 nanocomposite demonstrates the ability to degrade 94.6 % of Rh–B (1 × 10−5 M) within 3 h, with a rate constant of 0.015 min–1. Notably, this rate constant is 7 times greater than that observed for pure g-C3N4, which has a rate constant of 0.00218 min–1. The effect of several reaction factors on the Rhodamine B (Rh–B) removal is studied. The enhanced photocatalytic activity of 10 % Bi2MoO6/g-C3N4 nanocomposite is mainly due to the formation of 2D/2D type II structures, increasing the active sites and the separation rate of photogenerated carriers. A possible photocatalytic reaction mechanism of Rhodamine B (Rh–B) degradation over Bi2MoO6/g-C3N4 is suggested based on active species trapping experiment. Moreover, the high stability and recyclability exhibited by the 10 % Bi2MoO6/g-C3N4 nanocomposite provide strong evidence supporting its suitability as a viable photocatalyst for wastewater treatment purposes.

ОППОРТУНИСТИЧЕСКОЕ ПОВЕДЕНИЕ В СФЕРЕ ПРИРОДОПОЛЬЗОВАНИЯ

The study of economic and behavioral factors of rational environmental management and environmental conservation is of fundamental importance for achieving national development goals and the eff ective response of Russian society to the great challenges facing it. The article presents the results of systematization of modern research, which can become the basis for studying the phenomenon of behavioral opportunism in the fi eld of environmental management. Various approaches to determining the essence and forms of opportunism are considered, attention is paid to the problem of its measurement, including the original approach of one of the authors. A review of the theory of opportunism as a socio-psychological phenomenon is given. The connection between opportunism in the fi eld of environmental management and the theory of sustainable development is shown. Particular attention is paid to the relationship between behavioral opportunism in the fi eld of environmental management and corruption. The conducted research lays the foundation for an interdisciplinary (economic-ecological-psychological) project to study the factors of opportunistic behavior in the fi eld of environmental management.