Global Environmental Issues Research Articles

Do people who experience more nature act more to protect it? A meta-analysis

Addressing the global environmental problems facing our planet requires a significant shift in human behaviour. Personal experiences with nature are suggested to be a key driver of pro-environmental behaviour. However, the validity of this idea is uncertain. Using a systematic literature review and meta-analysis, we show that direct experiences of nature are positively associated with a wide range of positive actions towards the natural environment, including recycling, energy conservation, green purchasing, and participating in conservation volunteering. Nature experiences were more strongly linked to ‘pro-biodiversity’ behaviours (actions that specifically focussed on wildlife and habitat conservation) than other general pro-environmental behaviours, although the difference was statistically marginal. There was no difference in the strength of the association with pro-environmental behaviour between nature experiences during childhood and those during other times in life. Adjustment for publication bias did not produce significantly different results. While highlighting a need for experimental or longitudinal study designs in this area, our results suggest that enhancing people's engagement with nature can be a valuable strategy for promoting behaviour change that helps address global environmental issues.

Effects of microplastics on litter decomposition in wetland soil

Microplastics (MPs) may interfere with the primary ecological processes of soil, which has become a growing global environmental issue. In terrestrial ecosystems, litter decomposition is the main process of nutrient cycling, particularly for carbon (C) and nitrogen (N). However, how microplastic pollution could alter wetland litter decomposition has barely been investigated. Therefore, a 100-day lab-scale litter decomposition experiment was conducted using Shengjin Lake wetland soil, which was treated with two types of MPs (polyethylene, PE and polyvinyl chloride, PVC) at three concentrations (0.1%, 0.5%, and 2.5%, w/w), to explore if and how MPs accumulation could affect wetland litter decomposition processes. According to our research, the PE and PVC greatly slowed the decomposition rate of wetland litter. Compared with control treatments, the addition of MPs decreased litter quality (high C:N), reduced litter decomposition-related soil enzyme activity, decreased the diversity of bacteria, and altered microbial community structure and potential functional gene abundance linked to litter decomposition. These findings revealed that MPs could affect the main process of C and N cycling in wetland ecosystems, providing important cues for further research on the wetland ecosystem function.

Variety-driven rhizosphere microbiome bestows differential salt tolerance to alfalfa for coping with salinity stress.

Soil salinization is a global environmental issue and a significant abiotic stress that threatens crop production. Root-associated rhizosphere microbiota play a pivotal role in enhancing plant tolerance to abiotic stresses. However, limited information is available concerning the specific variations in rhizosphere microbiota driven by different plant genotypes (varieties) in response to varying levels of salinity stress. In this study, we compared the growth performance of three alfalfa varieties with varying salt tolerance levels in soils with different degrees of salinization. High-throughput 16S rRNA and ITS sequencing were employed to analyze the rhizosphere microbial communities. Undoubtedly, the increasing salinity significantly inhibited alfalfa growth and reduced rhizosphere microbial diversity. However, intriguingly, salt-tolerant varieties exhibited relatively lower susceptibility to salinity, maintaining more stable rhizosphere bacterial community structure, whereas the reverse was observed for salt-sensitive varieties. Bacillus emerged as the dominant species in alfalfa's adaptation to salinity stress, constituting 21.20% of the shared bacterial genera among the three varieties. The higher abundance of Bacillus, Ensifer, and Pseudomonas in the rhizosphere of salt-tolerant alfalfa varieties is crucial in determining their elevated salt tolerance. As salinity levels increased, salt-sensitive varieties gradually accumulated a substantial population of pathogenic fungi, such as Fusarium and Rhizoctonia. Furthermore, rhizosphere bacteria of salt-tolerant varieties exhibited increased activity in various metabolic pathways, including biosynthesis of secondary metabolites, carbon metabolism, and biosynthesis of amino acids. It is suggested that salt-tolerant alfalfa varieties can provide more carbon sources to the rhizosphere, enriching more effective plant growth-promoting bacteria (PGPB) such as Pseudomonas to mitigate salinity stress. In conclusion, our results highlight the variety-mediated enrichment of rhizosphere microbiota in response to salinity stress, confirming that the high-abundance enrichment of specific dominant rhizosphere microbes and their vital roles play a significant role in conferring high salt adaptability to these varieties.

Myco‐remediation of selenium contaminated environment and future prospects: An overview

AbstractSelenium is a trace element which is an essential micronutrient for all organisms. Though it is essential, if taken in excess leads to toxicity. Hence have a detrimental effect on the health. Selenium exists in various oxidation states out of which selenite and selenate are toxic and forms the major part of the pollutant in the ecosystem. Therefore, there is an urgent need to address this issue in an eco‐friendly, efficient, and substantial way to protect the environment from further deterioration. In this regard, fungi have developed unique metabolic pathways to nullify the toxic effects of these pollutants and the process is known as mycoremediation. Mycoremediation is a cost‐effective, environmentally friendly, and efficient approach of environmental remediation that addresses organic, inorganic, and developing toxins (such as antibiotics and pharmaceuticals) by using fungus or their components. An alternative, environmentally friendly method for cleaning up contaminants in environmental matrices is provided by mycoremediation. This is due to the fact that most organic toxins are broken down rather than removed, which lowers the possibility of pollutants entering the food chain through bioaccumulation. Fungi possess robust morphology and various catabolic enzymes capable of using pollutant as a growth substrate. They transform the toxic selenium species via a series of biochemical reaction such as oxidation, reduction, methylation, and demethylation into nontoxic elemental selenium and selenium nanoparticles. Mycoremediation is a process subset that employs to fungi to degrade and restore contaminated Eco‐System. For this reason, a potential framework of “mycoremediation” was proposed to make it easier for this promising to report global environmental issues.

Adsorption of methylene blue dye on feather keratin/silk fibroin porous aerogels

BackgroundContaminated water resources and recycled wastes are serious global environmental issues. To conserve pure water resources, the elimination of harmful organic/inorganic pollutants from water is essential. Furthermore, massive amounts of discarded feathers not only increase environmental pollution but also lead to a waste of keratin resources. Therefore, the recycling of keratin is also of particular importance. As a natural polymer, keratin contains numerous active sites that can be applied as a biosorbent. MethodsIn this study, deep eutectic solvent-extracted feather keratin (FK) was mixed into silk fibroin (SF) solution, and cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) was added to prepare structurally homogeneous bio-based porous aerogels. Significant findingsThe morphological structure, molecular conformation, mechanical properties of FK/SF aerogels were studied. It indicated that the EtOH treatment changed the molecular conformation from random coil to β-sheet and enhanced the overall compression strength of the aerogel. Using cationic dyes as simulated pollutants, the adsorption performance and kinetics of aerogels were investigated at various pH values, initial concentrations and temperatures. The results revealed that under the conditions of pH 7 and 45 °C, FK/SF aerogels treated with ethanol showed strong adsorption capacity with a maximum adsorption capacity of 163.84 mg/g at an initial concentration of 400 mg/L of MB dye.

Universities Collaboration Policies in Technology Development to Achieve Sustainable Environmental Management at the International Level

This research examines the role of university cooperation policies in advancing technology development to achieve sustainable environmental management on an international scale. In an era characterized by increasing environmental challenges, such as climate change and resource depletion, universities have an important role to play in driving innovation and driving solutions. This article explores the importance of collaboration between universities across borders to address global environmental issues effectively, analyzing the various policies and initiatives that facilitate such collaboration. By uniting various expertise, resources, and perspectives, university collaborations can lead to cutting-edge technologies to develop sustainable solutions. Furthermore, this article emphasizes the importance of technology transfer and commercialization strategies to ensure the practical application of research results. Ultimately, this article underscores the transformative potential of university collaboration policies in promoting environmental sustainability and calls for increased efforts to enhance global collaboration among academic institutions, coordination, and monitoring of cooperation.

Development Status and Management Experience of Corporate Carbon Management in the Dual Carbon Background: A Case Study of Huayin Power

In order to address global environmental issues such as climate change, countries around the world have introduced climate change policies, such as the Kyoto Protocol and the Paris Agreement, to limit global carbon emissions. China has actively responded to climate change and other political and economic issues and proposed the "Dual Carbon" strategy in 2020, vigorously developing clean energy and promoting the green and low-carbon transformation of industries. This paper analyzes the impact of "carbon trading" on the "carbon management" of Hua Yin Electric Power from the perspective of ESG analysis, focusing on the environmental, social, and corporate governance aspects. The study aims to summarize the management experience of Hua Yin Electric Power in "carbon management" and provide reference for further optimizing and improving the "carbon management" in the power industry. Hua Yin Electric Power, as a leading company in the power industry, is representative and has reference significance for the optimization and improvement of "carbon management" in the power industry.

Identification of the Pollution Mechanisms and Remediation Strategies for Abandoned Wells in the Karst Areas of Northern China

Abandoned well pollution is a critical component of global environmental issues and a historical legacy issue of national development. Despite this, the specific mechanisms by which abandoned wells pollute groundwater remain unclear, particularly in the karst regions of Northern China, where no scientifically effective remediation methods exist. To address this gap, this study focuses on Yangquan City in Shanxi Province and employs field investigations, the analytic hierarchy process, high-definition deep-well logging technology, and qualitative analysis to assess the pollution risk of all abandoned wells in the study area, identifying those with high pollution risk. Through the analysis of extensive image and video data for these high-risk wells, we propose a conceptual model of cross-strata channels in abandoned wells and elucidate the mechanisms by which they pollute groundwater. The results show that, from a single-well perspective, the pollution mechanism is cross-strata pollution. From a regional perspective, the pollution mechanisms are hydraulic connectivity and solute migration and transformation. Based on these findings, we present a scientifically effective remediation strategy tailored to the typical characteristics of abandoned wells in the study area, offering a viable solution to the abandoned well pollution problem in Yangquan City. This research not only augments the theoretical framework in the domain of groundwater pollution but also advances sustainable groundwater security and management strategies. Moreover, the study furnishes theoretical foundations and pragmatic solutions for the remediation of abandoned wells in Yangquan City, which are crucial for the sustainability of the groundwater ecosystem.

Biodiesel production via transesterification reaction

Global warming, climate change, local air pollution, ozone depletion, acid rain and depletion of fossil fuel are the major global environmental issues. Presently, non-renewable fossil fuels meet up to 80% of the world’s energy demand. Rapid consumption of fossil fuels as well as rising environmental pollution caused by extreme CO2 emissions, sulphur dioxide, and aromatic hydrocarbons has become crucial in searching for a clean and renewable energy source such as biodiesel. With continuous growth in the world’s population, rapid industrialization, urbanization, and economic growth, fossil fuel consumption is escalating to meet the global energy demand. Biodiesel is renewable, non-toxic, environment-friendly and an economically feasible options to tackle the depleting fossil fuels and its negative environmental impact. Biodiesel is an alternative fuel made by transesterification reaction of oil and alcohol under the influence of catalyst. Biodiesel is an alcoholic ester of various fatty acids, also known as FAME (Fatty Acid Methyl Esters). In the process of transesterification, the performance of the catalyst is the key factor of the biodiesel yield. Catalysts used in biodiesel production are classified as homogeneous, heterogeneous, and enzymatic catalysts. The incorporation of a catalysis-based transesterification reaction generally increases the rate of reaction and enhances the yield of the end product. In case of homogeneous catalysts, there are problems of catalyst poisoning and contamination. Heterogeneous acid catalysis has a lesser toxic effect and gives rise to fewer environmental problems compared to the homogeneous mode. The cost of each specific catalyst depends on various factors, including the source, synthesis method, and its reusability. Generally, using waste or biomass as sources of catalysts may reduce the price of commercially available solid catalysts.

Reusable and Transparent Impaction‐Based Filter with Micro Apertured Multiscale Polymeric Stencil for Particulate Matter Capture

AbstractAir pollution by particulate matter (PM) in the air including PM1.0, PM2.5, and PM10, which are categorized by particle size, is a critical global environmental issue, harming the climate, ecosystems, and human health. Especially, ultrafine dust including PM1.0 and PM2.5 poses significant human health risks. Commercial fabric‐based filters effectively trap PMs but cause high‐pressure drop and limited filter capacity and reusability. Electrospun nanofiber filters address some issues but have low mechanical strength, toxic exposure risks, long fabrication times, and restrained reusability. Herein, a reusable and transparent impaction‐based PM filter using a UV‐curable polymeric stencil with micro apertures is proposed. The polymeric stencil filters achieve high filter efficiency (68–94%), superior filter capacity, and low‐pressure drop (<64 Pa). The polymeric stencil filters can be easily cleaned with water or ethanol and remain stable under extreme temperatures (−196 to 450 °C) with slight shrinkage (0–7%). The polymeric stencil filters can be broadly utilized for not only industrial, indoor, and vehicle filters but also transparent and flexible facial health masks.

A neural network-based measurement of corporate environmental attention and its impact on green open innovation: Evidence from heavily polluting listed companies in China

Increasingly prominent global climate and environmental issues have raised concerns about the living environment and the scrutiny of production and innovation in heavily polluting industries. Environmental concerns can evolve into environmental regulation in the legal sense, as well as environmental attention in informal rules. Although there has been a lot of research on environmental regulation and green open innovation (proportion of collaborative filings in green patents), there is still a lack of identification of the impact of the role of environmental attention, especially in heavily polluting industries that are critical to the economy. Based on this background, this paper uses the relevant data of listed companies in China's heavily polluting industries as a research sample. We use neural networks (Word2Vec) to extract indicators of environmental attention from the text of listed companies' annual reports and measure their impact on green open innovation using multidimensional fixed effects regression. Our research shows that the environmental attention of listed companies in highly polluting industries will significantly reduce their ability to engage in green open innovation. Ultimately, our study will help managers in heavily polluting industries rebalance the economic benefits and environmental transformation of their companies.

Severe Global Environmental Issues Caused by Canada’s Record-Breaking Wildfires in 2023

Severe Global Environmental Issues Caused by Canada’s Record-Breaking Wildfires in 2023

Environmental information disclosure and corporate performance: Evidence from Chinese listed companies

Corporate energy consumption and emissions are major contributors to pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. Therefore, corporate energy conservation and emission reduction are essential for sustainable development and low-carbon transformation in China. With pressing global environmental issues and the mounting pressure for carbon neutrality, it is increasingly important for firms to disclose environmental information. However, research on the relationship and mechanisms between corporate environmental information disclosure (EID) and corporate performance is insufficient. This study examines the effect of EID on corporate environmental performance (EP) and financial performance (FP) using a two-way fixed-effect model. For this purpose, this study considers the panel data of 1125 Chinese A-share listed companies from 2009 to 2021. Additionally, we explore the underlying mechanisms using mediation models. The results reveal that EID can significantly improve corporate performance through green innovation (GI). Moreover, EID can enhance corporate GI, which improves the financial performance of high-polluting firms and the environmental performance of non-high-polluting firms. According to these results, it is imperative to continuously improve corporate EID systems and encourage GI in enterprises. Thus, firms should take the initiative to disclose environmental information. There is a pressing need to enhance the effectiveness of the capital market, therefore, firms with higher levels of EID and better environmental performance can gain greater benefits.

Synthesis and application of lanthanum-doped magnetic biochar composite adsorbent for removal of fluoride from water.

Fluoride levels greater than 1.5mg/L in drinking water are a global environmental issue that can seriously harm the health of humans. One of the most effective techniques for defluoridating water is adsorption. The main drawbacks of many adsorbent materials include their poor adsorption capabilities, prolonged contact times, excessively low or high pH levels, and high dosages. The biochar-based magnetic nanocomposite adsorbent was synthesized in the current study and used as an adsorbent for water defluoridation. Through slow pyrolysis, coffee husk waste was converted to biochar. The composite was created by chemically co-precipitating iron and lanthanum oxide nanoparticles onto the surface of biochar. By using X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectrometry (FTIR), Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET), and pHPZC values, researchers were able to describe the magnetic biochar nanocomposite material. The Central Composite Design (CCD), which uses four input variables including dosage (2-5g/L), solution pH (4-8), contact time (30-70min), and initial concentration (10-20mg/L), was used to design the experiments. The quadratic model indicated that the ideal conditions for removing 98.994% of the fluoride from water (adsorbent dosage of 5g L-1, pH 5.74, contact period of 60min, and initial concentration of 12.245mg/L) would be attained. The average triplicate value in ideal circumstances produced a removal effectiveness of 98.51%, demonstrating the proposed response surface's capacity for prediction. The findings of this investigation showed that the magnetic biochar nanocomposite that was created is an effective fluoride adsorbent.

Analysis of Decision-Making in a Green Supply Chain under Different Carbon Tax Policies

With the growing severity of global environmental issues, the international community has reached a consensus on the importance of reducing and controlling carbon emissions. As a result, an increasing number of consumers are opting to purchase green products in order to reduce the emission of greenhouse gases. This trend has prompted supply-chain enterprises to invest in green innovation. Simultaneously, carbon tax policies have gained significant attention from governments worldwide due to their dual role as environmental laws and fiscal-policy tools. Considering consumers’ preference for green products and the risk of R&D failure associated with them, this study focuses on the effects on emissions reductions and profits associated with different carbon tax policies for a green supply chain consisting of a manufacturer and a retailer. The results reveal that (1) increases in the carbon tax per unit of product motivate the manufacturer to increase R&D efforts; (2) wholesale and retail prices follow a pattern of initial increase and subsequent decrease as the carbon tax per unit of product rises; (3) higher carbon taxes per unit of product generally lead to lower manufacturer profits, while both carbon emissions and retailer profits can increase with a per-unit carbon tax under certain circumstances; and (4) the increase in the proportion of the population with green preferences can yield long-term benefits for both the retailer and the manufacturer, yielding an inverted U-shaped relationship with carbon emissions.

Spatial-temporal variation, source apportionment and risk assessment of lead in surface river sediments over ∼20 years of rapid industrialisation in the Pearl River Basin, China

Lead (Pb) is a highly toxic element and is not essential to the human body. Lead pollution caused by human activities and a high geological background is considered a global environmental issue. According to the China Geochemical Baseline (CGB) project, the Pearl River Basin had the highest Pb content in alluvial sediments of 30 first-level basins in China. For this reason, it is of great significance to determine the temporal and spatial variations in Pb and their influencing factors in the Pearl River Basin. In this study, 956 stream sediment samples collected in the 1980 s (early stage) and 129 river sediment samples collected from 2008 to 2010 (late stage) were used to study the background value and spatial-temporal variation characteristics of Pb in river sediments in the Pearl River Basin. The Pb source apportionment and an ecological risk assessment were also carried out. The background value of Pb (36.2 mg·kg–1) in the river sediments of the Pearl River Basin was significantly higher than that in China (22.1 mg·kg–1). The parent rocks determine the Pb background in sediments and the high Pb background areas mainly comprised carbonate rocks and acid volcanic rocks. Over 20 years of rapid industrialisation, the average Pb increased from 43.3 to 68.3 mg·kg–1 in the Pearl River Basin. The BCR analysis revealed that Pb mainly existed in the reducible phase (48 % on average) and residue phase (42 % on average). The enrichment factor and geo-accumulation index indicated that the late-stage sediments experienced more Pb pollution than the early-stage sediments. However, the risk assessment code (RAC) showed that there was a low ecological risk of Pb in the late-stage sediments. The factor analysis results for the two rounds of data were significantly different. The Pb content in early-stage sediments was closely related to Al2O3 and Zr, while Pb in the late-stage sediments was mainly related to Zn, As, Sb, Au and Hg, indicating that the increase in Pb in the later samples was mainly influenced by human activities. The Pb isotope composition of the late-stage sediments confirmed that low Pb content was mainly controlled by natural sources, while high Pb content was significantly affected by anthropogenic sources. Combining the results of spatial-temporal variation, chemical speciation and source apportionment indicated that the rapid rise of Pb in late-stage sediments in certain areas could be attributed to mining and smelting activities during the process of industrialisation over 20 years. The anthropogenic exogenous Pb could be immobilised by Fe-Mn (hydro)oxides when it entered the soil, so although there was a high background the ecological risk of Pb in river sediments was low. In the future, Pb pollution control and remediation needs to be strengthened in the Pearl River Basin to avoid the outbreak of potential ecological risks linked to Pb.

Rapid preparation of PET-PVDF Janus fiber felt for emulsion separation

Frequent oil spills and an increase in industrial wastewater are global environmental issues, causing a waste of oil resources and even threatening the safety of marine creatures and humans. However, the manufacturing process of most Janus materials is very complex. Herein, we develop a simple, fast, and efficient emulsion separation material, and a Janus fiber felt (J-PPF4) with switching emulsion separation was successfully fabricated by facile blending PVDF powder with PET, heat treatment, and single side modification method. The entire preparation process takes approximately 60 min, while the hydrophilic modification time is only 10 s. The obtained J-PPF4 with asymmetric wettability exhibited excellent separation efficiency (99.4 % for water-in-oil emulsion, 96.3 % for oil-in-water emulsion) as well as admirable flux (1749.17 L m-2h−1 for water-in-oil and 622.39 L m-2h−1 for oil-in-water). Furthermore, the J-PPF4 still possessed superior stability in harsh environments, and the separation efficiency had no dramatic fluctuation after 10 separation cycles, indicating the fabulous separation recyclability of the J-PPF4. The simple and rapid preparation process and exceptional separation performance of the J-PPF4 will provide more enlightenment for the design and preparation of Janus separation materials for potential industrial applications.

Monitoring planktonic cyanobacteria in Lake Maninjau, West Sumatra, Indonesia

Harmful Cyanobacterial blooms are global environmental issue. Some efforts have been made to prevent and minimize their occurrence in waters. This study aims to monitor the planktonic Cyanobacteria community and environmental factors that influence their dominance in Lake Maninjau. Samples of Phytoplankton and water quality data were collected in 2001, 2005, 2009, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2018, and 2019. Twenty-four species of planktonic Cyanobacteria which belonged to orders Chroococcales, Oscillatoriales, and Nostococales. Percentage of Cyanobacteria abundance ranged from 2.9% to 95.32%. High percentage of Aphanocapsa (76.21%), Anabaena (33.25%), Chroococcus (86.4%), Microcystis aeruginosa (94.37%), Oscillatoria (50.94%), and Aphanizomenon gracile (72.43%) was recorded in different periods. Cylindrosprmopsis raciborskii was often found in the lake with percentage of abundance not more than 20.75%. Cyanobacteria abundance ranged from 734.2 to 4,180,867 individualL-1. The lowest Cyanobacteria abundance was characterized by low total phosphorus and conductivity. High Cyanobacteria abundance was related to the high levels of TP, concentration, conductivity and low TN/TP ratio. Nutrient, conductivity, and temperature were also the factors that influenced the dominance of Cyanobacterial species in Lake.

Green hydrogen production and utilization in a novel SOFC/GT-based zero-carbon cogeneration system: A thermodynamic evaluation

Owing to the rise in global energy demand and environmental issues caused by energy supply and distribution, the attempt to design and develop novel eco-friendly and efficient cogeneration energy systems is one of the current research focuses. In this regard, this study presents a novel zero-carbon cogeneration energy system based on a pressurized solid oxide fuel cell-gas turbine (SOFC/GT) with a carbon capture and storage (CCS) process. The designed system accomplishes the joint production of energy (electricity, cooling, and heating) and matter (hydrogen, oxygen, condensate water recovery, and carbon dioxide). The proposed system also includes an advanced alkaline electrolyzer (AAE) system, an organic Rankine cycle, a LiBr-H2O absorption refrigeration cycle, and an LNG regasification cycle. A combination of a solar concentrated photovoltaic/thermal (CPV/T) system and wind turbines feed the AAE system, resulting in green hydrogen production. According to the simulation results, the suggested system under the design conditions generates power, cooling, and domestic hot water with 315 kW, 137.5 kW, and 1.012 kg/s, respectively. Also, this system can capture and store carbon dioxide, recover condensate water, and supply natural gas to the pipeline with values of 74.88 kg/h, 137.9 kg/h, and 624.24 kg/h, respectively. The results from thermodynamic analysis indicate that the CPV/T system has the highest contribution to the exergy destruction rate, and the presented cogeneration system operates with energy and exergy efficiency of 58.09% and 38.58%, respectively. Furthermore, a comprehensive parametric study has been conducted on the developed system in which the impact of important parameters, such as SOFC operating temperature, current density, solar radiation, air velocity, etc., on the output parameters of the system has been examined.

A comparative and conceptual intellectual study of environmental topic in economic and finance

We aim to provide a comprehensive overview of the past, present, and future development of environmental related topics in Economics and Finance. In this regard, Environmental Finance (EF)- and Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG)-related literature is collected and analysed. The paper draws chronical pictures of the topic development in these two recently developed fields by applying bibliometric methods. Then, we provide a novel systemic comparison on their main differences. Reviewing the top journal publications, we identify literature gaps for a future research agenda. In particular, on the one hand, for EF, we suggest exploring various financial innovations to generate environmental benefits research, and thus building up efficient regulatory framework for addressing major regional and/or global environmental issues. On the other hand, for ESG, we respectively provide potential research directions to conduct the cost-benefit study on the real impact of ESG disclosure and to evaluate how ESG investment strategy efficiently deliver sustainable development.