Long-term Sustainable Development Research Articles

Building a Smarter, Safer City: Leveraging AI for Enhanced Security Systems

Cities worldwide face growing public safety concerns. The rapid development of smart cities, fueled by information technology advancements, unlocks social and economic potential but also presents significant security challenges. However, smart cities offer a unique opportunity to improve quality of life through intelligent networks connecting objects and mobile devices. As outlined in the Slovak Republic’s National Strategy for Long-Term Sustainable Development, such advancements should prioritize sustainability, ensuring the well-being of current and future generations. Security and safety are fundamental for a high quality of life. Natural disasters, crime, violence, and public health threats are just a few emergencies that threaten cities and sustainable urban development. Artificial intelligence (AI) can empower smart systems to capture critical safety data and respond swiftly and efficiently to incidents. These interconnected systems can monitor, predict, and prevent suspicious activities, both ongoing and potential. This research proposes an AI-powered mobile application that integrates the natural environment and technology. This app aims to: Enhance public safety and security processes by leveraging a network of intelligent systems. Foster a healthier living environment for citizens. Provide easy access to emergency services to ensure preparedness and rapid response. Facilitate swift recovery and rehabilitation efforts. Establish a platform for community volunteer networks. Offer online public safety awareness programs for citizens.

The Impact of Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) on Corporate Value Enhancement

Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) refers to the aspects of environmental protection, social responsibility and good governance that enterprises should consider in the course of their operations. These factors have an important impact on the long-term sustainable development and value enhancement of enterprises, especially in recent years, when enterprises pay more attention to the ecological environment in the process of development and take all kinds of measures to repair it, enterprises will incorporate ESG into their investment decisions, which is an extension and enrichment of the concept of responsible investment. Staying committed to ESG principles, enterprises can realize long-term sustainable development, improve their brand value, market position and competitiveness, and attract more investors and resource support. This paper analyzes the impact of environmental, social and governance factors on enterprise value enhancement respectively, hoping to provide suggestions for enterprise development and realize win-win of social value and market value.

An Innovative Inclusive Approach to Enhancing Agricultural Sustainable Development in Albania: The Case of Nucleus Albania

Agriculture has been essential for humanity's survival, progress, and well-being throughout history, and yet it remains an essential and challenging sector of the global economy. While under a continuous transformational process, advancement towards inclusive and sustainable development of agricultural practice remains a challenge for the sector. In Albania, the agricultural sector is vital to the economy (particularly in the rural areas), accounting for a large share of gross value added, employment, and exporting activity in the country. Rooted in the early 90s land reform law and decollectivisation policy, multiple structural and non-structural challenges hinder the agricultural sector's full potential exploitation. This paper aims to assess the impact of Nucleus Albania's (NA) innovative nuclei approach in strengthening the MSME market position and, in turn, the agricultural sector and sustainable development in Albania. The impact assessment was conducted using a mixed methods approach, including secondary and primary data analysis (collected through a structured questionnaire and direct interviews). Combined findings suggest a positive impact of the NA-tailored support package on MSME business activity, including improved product quality and diversification, expansion of production capacities and customer base, increased employment and annual turnover, and investments in technology. In addition, the collaborative platform established through NA plays an important role in promoting innovation in agriculture and facilitating knowledge exchange among participants, making a substantial contribution to the overall development of the agricultural sector in Albania. Our findings support the NA approach's effectiveness and its role in modernizing and transforming the agricultural sector, contributing to long-term sustainable development in Albania and beyond.

Research on Business Environment Optimization Paths in Dali County of Weinan City

At present, competition in the local economy is becoming increasingly fierce, and the quality of the business environment directly affects a region's investment attractiveness, economic growth rate, and long-term sustainable development. As an important city in Shaanxi Province, Weinan City has been committed to economic transformation and upgrading. Among them, Dali County has gradually emerged due to its unique geographical, cultural, and resource advantages. In recent years, Dali County has achieved certain results in attracting foreign investment, supporting small and medium-sized enterprises, and innovation-driven development. However, to further enhance its competitive position domestically and internationally, it is imperative to continue to optimize its business environment. The article explores the business environment optimization path in Dali County, Weinan City.

Reproduction of fixed assets in the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia): an analysis of the state and direction of development

Fixed capital is an important component of any business. It provides long-term benefits that positively impact financial performance. One of the significant benefits of investing in fixed assets is that it helps improve the efficiency and productivity of a business entity. For example, investing in modern equipment or machines allows you to increase production speed, reduce losses, reduce maintenance costs, and create the prerequisites for the long-term sustainable development of any company. The provision of fixed assets, their general condition, and technological level determine the competitiveness of the national economy. This article, in addition to some theoretical aspects that form the basis for the study, presents an assessment of the state of fixed assets in the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) in comparison with all-Russian indicators. In general, with regard to the state and development of fixed capital, the situation in the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) is quite favorable; however, if we consider the emerging trends from an industry perspective, significant disproportions become obvious both in the structure of investments and in the rate of reproduction of fixed assets. Such industries as construction, information and communications, and manufacturing are characterized by a high degree of depreciation of fixed assets in the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia). However, the areas of greatest interest to investors are subsoil use, as well as cargo transportation and storage. The purpose of investment in most cases is not technological development, which leads to qualitative changes and is the basis for the sustainable development of enterprises, but simple reproduction.

Does paradoxical leadership influence employees' proactive work behavior? A study based on employees in Chinese state-owned enterprises.

Paradoxical leadership has emerged as an increasingly important research topic in the context of Chinese state-owned enterprises, which are currently facing contradictions between maintaining stability and implementing changes, short-term profits and long-term sustainable development, and public nature and marketization. Based on social cognitive theory and social exchange theory, this study employed a questionnaire survey to explore the influence of paradoxical leadership on employees' proactive work behavior and the mediating role of superior-subordinate guanxi and self-efficacy. The study involved 540 employees working in Chinese state-owned enterprises. We conducted confirmatory factor analyses to test the validity of the measurement model and regression to evaluate the direct effects. Subsequently, we used bootstrapping to confirm mediation and serial mediation effects. The study found that (1) Paradoxical leadership can effectively enhance employees' proactive work behavior; (2) The superior-subordinate guanxi plays a mediating role between paradoxical leadership and employees' proactive work behavior, that is, paradoxical leadership enhances employees' proactive work behavior by improving the superior-subordinate guanxi; (3) Self-efficacy plays a mediating role between paradoxical leadership and employees' proactive work behaviors, that is, paradoxical leadership promotes employees' proactive work behavior by enhancing their self-efficacy; (4) The superior-subordinate guanxi and self-efficacy play a chain mediating effect between paradoxical leadership and employees' proactive work behavior, forming a chain of "Paradoxical leadership-Superior-subordinate Guanxi-Self-efficacy-Employees' proactive work behaviors." This study enriches the theoretical research on paradoxical leadership and provides suggestions for state-owned enterprises to enhance employees' proactive work behavior.

Can network attention effectively stimulate corporate ESG practices?—Evidence from China

Environmental, social, and governance (ESG) has emerged as a widespread concern for all societal segments. This study aims to explore the influence of network attention on corporate ESG practices from an investor perspective. We find that rising network attention significantly increases corporate ESG practices. Specifically, network attention plays the role of external monitoring, image promotion incentives, and mitigation of financing constraints to make companies willing to challenge ESG practices. Additionally, the promoting effect of network attention on firms’ ESG practices was more significant in higher marketization processes, severely competitive industries, and non-state enterprises. In the internet era, companies must pay attention to the flow effect caused by network attention, meet stakeholder demands, and pursue long-term sustainable development.

The Influence of Marketing Strategy and Port Performance on Enhancing The Competitiveness of Maritime Economy at The Patimban International Port (PIP)

This research presents successful community empowerment programs focusing on sustainable tourism development and waste management in Prabumulih, Indonesia. The Desa Wisata Burai Program, initiated in 2016 by Pertamina EP (PEP) Prabumulih, aimed to enhance the tourist experience by providing recreational facilities, such as saung, galleries, and kiosks, while supporting local artisans. Alongside this, the SARAH (Sampah Jadi Berkah) Program, started in 2020, focused on integrated waste management, transforming waste materials into compost and innovative upcycled products. Collaborations with local institutions resulted in the creation of herbal soaps and probiotic beverages. Both initiatives demonstrated positive social, economic, and environmental outcomes, including increased income generation, environmental preservation, and strengthened community bonds. The programs' successes underscore the importance of community-based approaches in sustainable development, providing replicable models for similar regions. The Desa Wisata Burai and SARAH Programs exemplify how targeted interventions can foster community empowerment, environmental conservation, and socio-economic growth, highlighting the significance of collaboration between various stakeholders to achieve long-term sustainable development goals.

New Trends in Sustainable Development for Industry 5.0: Digital Green Innovation Economy

In the context of increasing anti-globalization trends, sustainable economic development has become an inevitable and feasible solution to address the growing contradictions between social, environmental, and economic factors. It aims to achieve a balance between the needs of the economy, society, and the environment, paving the way for long-term sustainable development. This article is rooted in the backdrop of severe global conflicts between the environment and economy, as well as society. By synthesizing and analyzing a wide range of literature, the article explores the pivotal role of digitalization, green practices, and innovation in driving sustainable economic development. The article emphasizes the interconnectedness and collaborative nature of digital empowerment, green leadership, and innovation-driven approaches in promoting harmonious coexistence between humanity and nature, as well as facilitating high-quality economic growth. Drawing insights from the "Taipao e-Agricultural Insurance" case study, the article demonstrates the benefits derived from the integration of digital, green, and innovation strategies, thereby providing valuable guidance for enterprises and industries seeking transformation and development. Furthermore, the article proposes viable strategies for achieving the integration of digital empowerment, green practices, and innovation-driven development. It offers a comprehensive analysis that expands the existing research on these topics and lays the foundation for future in-depth exploration. The findings of this article carry both theoretical and practical significance, offering valuable insights and practical approaches for achieving sustainable development in various sectors.

A Satellite Imagery Dataset for Long-Term Sustainable Development in United States Cities

Cities play an important role in achieving sustainable development goals (SDGs) to promote economic growth and meet social needs. Especially satellite imagery is a potential data source for studying sustainable urban development. However, a comprehensive dataset in the United States (U.S.) covering multiple cities, multiple years, multiple scales, and multiple indicators for SDG monitoring is lacking. To support the research on SDGs in U.S. cities, we develop a satellite imagery dataset using deep learning models for five SDGs containing 25 sustainable development indicators. The proposed dataset covers the 100 most populated U.S. cities and corresponding Census Block Groups from 2014 to 2023. Specifically, we collect satellite imagery and identify objects with state-of-the-art object detection and semantic segmentation models to observe cities’ bird’s-eye view. We further gather population, nighttime light, survey, and built environment data to depict SDGs regarding poverty, health, education, inequality, and living environment. We anticipate the dataset to help urban policymakers and researchers to advance SDGs-related studies, especially applying satellite imagery to monitor long-term and multi-scale SDGs in cities.

‘Thousand Years of Charm’: Exploring the Aesthetic Characteristics of the Mount Tai Landscape from the Cross-Textual Perspective

With accelerating urbanization, Mount Tai is increasingly at risk of homogenization with other scenic spots, losing its landscape aesthetic characteristics as ‘the Most Revered of the Five Sacred Mountains’, which poses a growing threat to the long-term sustainable development of Mount Tai. Accordingly, this study takes texts written by different social groups as the research material and analyses the aesthetic themes and spatial distribution of the elements in the texts to determine the aesthetic characteristics of the Mount Tai landscape from multiple perspectives and long time series. This study complements the research on the Mount Tai landscape, which focuses on specific research material and time. The results of the study can help to raise awareness of the complexity and multiple values of Mount Tai landscapes and have implications for research and practice of other heritage landscapes.

Is CSR still optional for Luxury Brands, or can they afford to ignore it?

Can we learn survival and success in isolation? Can Luxury Companies afford to think of Corporate social responsibility (CSR) as an optional aspect? This paper discusses pioneering steps towards CSR in the context of the rapidly expanding luxury market. This further impels these brands to tradeoff between Profit-Planet, revisiting the initiatives and impediments pragmatically. The scholars have advocated the inspirational forces behind CSR contributions varying from the environment's need to strengthen goodwill to serve sustainability/existential crisis to institutional expectations. The stakeholders have augmented expectations from luxury brands towards society with each passing year in proportion to the revenue. This shift not only bags goodwill and promotes positive word-of-mouth in the industry but also enhances the brand's reputation. Luxury brands, often seen as symbols of opulence and exclusivity, are inherently expected to demonstrate social and environmental responsibility. Additionally, there is a growing awareness among consumers who seek brands that align with their values, making CSR a strategic imperative for luxury companies to maintain their brand reputation and customer loyalty. CSR is crucial for luxury companies, especially from a long-term sustainability and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) perspective. These market giants are at par with the SDG goals: SDG 1(No Poverty), SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being), SDG 4 (Quality Education), SDG 8 (Decent work and economic growth), SDG 10 (Reducing inequalities), SDG 12(Responsible Consumption and Production), etc. In essence, CSR is not just a moral imperative for luxury companies, it is a strategic necessity that aligns their business objectives with the global agenda for sustainable development, ensuring long-term viability and relevance in a rapidly evolving world.

Application of Smart Farming Technologies in Sustainable Agriculture Development: A Comprehensive Review on Present Status and Future Advancements

The pressure on agricultural food production to produce high-quality and sustainable food has increased dramatically as a result of global urbanization, population growth and climate change. Food shortage and population expansion are two of the world's major challenges to long-term sustainable development. So, in recent years technological development such as smart farming has resulted substantial changes in the agricultural production allowing for 3rd green revolution and progression in farming methods. Smart farming (SF) is a method of agricultural production that integrates information and communication technologies to maximise resource efficiency. Smart farming technologies such as automated tractors, artificial agricultural intelligence (AAI), automated irrigation and weather forecasting, Internet of Things (IoT), kisan drones and remote sensing (GIS and GPS) can provide realistic solutions to the world's challenges. The accurate application of this technology in conjunction with the Internet of Things (IoT) is expected to be a beneficial for the farmers to improve their living standards through increased production and profit which is a good indicator for sustainable food security. However, due to lack of internet access, high costs and lack of application knowledge there are still barriers to the adaptation and conversion of smart farming. As a result, more research is needed in this area.

Deleveraging and decapacity: A comparative analysis of corporate capital allocation based on asset reversibility

China’s stimulus policies have caused overleveraging and overcapacity for the sustainable development of most industries (particularly high-pollution and energy-intensive industries). Thus, deleveraging and decapacity have become the two best options for the above industries to achieve long-term sustainable development. Based on China’s A-share listed companies from 2009 to 2019, this study investigated the effect of deleveraging and decapacity on corporate capital allocation using fixed effects, propensity score matching (PSM) and difference-in-differences (DID). A homogeneity analysis of geographical and firm characteristics was also conducted. The results show that: (1) Deleveraging and decapacity can significantly increase financial capital allocation by 3.67%, and decapacity can increase investment-related capital allocation by 0.63%. This indicates asset allocation optimization for sustainable development. (2) High asset reversibility can weaken the effect of deleveraging on financial capital allocation while strengthening the effect of decapacity on capital investment. (3) The impact of deleveraging and decapacity may vary among companies due to heterogeneous asset reversibility resulting from geographical locations and technological intensities. Given the current global energy crisis, optimizing capital allocation has become essential in addressing resource shortages and achieving long-term sustainable development. This study may provide a reference for alleviating corporate capital misallocation.

Natural Hazard Vulnerability and Risk Assessment: The Case of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor

The coverage area of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) in Pakistan, including its critical functional zones within which major projects are located, is prone to different types of natural hazards and disasters. Since 2015, efforts have been made to operationalize CPEC without institutionalizing and establishing a comprehensive natural hazard risk assessment mechanism within the China-Pakistan collaborative framework. It goes against the grain of robust, resilient, and sustainable long-term development of CPEC. This study critically argues for the need to set up a multi-hazard risk assessment and disaster response mechanism as part of the institutional framework of CPEC, responsible for identifying, preparing, and planning against primary, secondary, and tertiary risks in accordance with the varied hazard vulnerability prevalence in varying geospatial and functional zones within the coverage area of CPEC. Overall, the study identifies and discusses the risk-prone nature of the current development of CPEC and proposes a real-time, technologically enabled, natural hazard risk assessment of CPEC projects spread over varying geospatial and functional zones in an institutional framework characterized by the uninterrupted collaboration and concentration of experts and resources from China and Pakistan.

Business and Regional Innovation Culture: An Overview of the Conceptualization of Innovation Culture

The primary aim of this paper is to identify key similarities and differences in the conceptualization of culture across the major theories of regional socioeconomic science, including economic, business, administrative, social, cultural and political dimensions acting at the regional and local scales. The second goal is to present an overview of the knowledge base and third to cohesively examine and partially recreate the topic using the semi-systematic review method. The final objective of examining the aforementioned issues is to clarify the dynamic correlation in the structuring of business and innovation culture, as well as to identify the characteristics that contribute to the sustainable culture of business and regional innovation systems, including long-term sustainable development. The research shows that the coexistence and combination of innovative culture at the business and regional levels should be perceived as a dynamic and co-evolutionary process involving a variety of factors. Local organizations and institutes that foster entrepreneurship are among the elements that enhance the innovation culture; however, having all of the resources in isolation is insufficient for an efficient ecosystem. This study proposes the establishment of a framework that will enhance the growth of innovation, cultural evolution and regional ecosystem performance. The Institutes of Local Development and Innovation (ILDI) are a policy idea that might give effective micro–meso-level solutions for the region. These policy proposals will diagnose the regional business culture under the prism of strategy, technology, and management levels. The specific investigation attempted in this paper demonstrates that several converging fruitful paths have already been created in the relative international literature. These paths could be combined and deepened further by studying the close evolutionary interconnection between business and regional innovation culture as it emerges at a global scale in the present.

Comparative assessment of the effective population size and linkage disequilibrium of Karan Fries cattle revealed viable population dynamics.

Karan Fries (KF), a high-producing composite cattle was developed through crossing indicine Tharparkar cows with taurine bulls (Holstein Friesian, Brown Swiss, and Jersey), to increase the milk yield across India. This composite cattle population must maintain sufficient genetic diversity for long-term development and breed improvement in the coming years. The level of linkage disequilibrium (LD) measures the influence of population genetic forces on the genomic structure and provides insights into the evolutionary history of populations, while the decay of LD is important in understanding the limits of genome-wide association studies for a population. Effective population size (Ne) which is genomically based on LD accumulated over the course of previous generations, is a valuable tool for e valuation of the genetic diversity and level of inbreeding. The present study was undertaken to understand KF population dynamics through the estimation of Ne and LD for the longterm sustainability of these breeds. The present study included 96 KF samples genotyped using Illumina HDBovine array to estimate the effective population and examine the LD pattern. The genotype data were also obtained for other crossbreds (Santa Gertrudis, Brangus, and Beefmaster) and Holstein Friesian cattle for comparison purposes. The average LD between single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) was r2 = 0.13 in the present study. LD decay (r2 = 0.2) was observed at 40 kb inter-marker distance, indicating a panel with 62,765 SNPs was sufficient for genomic breeding value estimation in KF cattle. The pedigree-based Ne of KF was determined to be 78, while the Ne estimates obtained using LD-based methods were 52 (SNeP) and 219 (genetic optimization for Ne estimation), respectively. KF cattle have an Ne exceeding the FAO's minimum recommended level of 50, which was desirable. The study also revealed significant population dynamics of KF cattle and increased our understanding of devising suitable breeding strategies for longterm sustainable development.

Nomographs for Polymeric Material Selection for Environmental Conscious Design of Industrial Products

Environmentally-conscious product design using Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) deserves the utmost attention to save and sustain our planet’s lives, flora and fauna. The choice of materials during the design stage needs to address environmental concerns from their sourcing to production and ultimately going up to the disposal stage. A good majority of industrial products are still not designed, focusing the environmental concerns. The inclusion and practice of the LCA approach during product designing are in a nascent stage not only in India but even over the rest of the world. Nowadays, polymers share a major chunk of the volume of goods produced worldwide and thus have a significant effect on the environment. The available design books or nomographs guide the selection of materials considering several criteria but not considering the related environmental issues. This paper attempts to bridge this gap only for the selection of polymeric materials by providing some easily interpretable and visually ready reckoners in the form of 3-D nomographs. These 3-D nomographs, graphical representations developed using the Solidworks software, echo the material’s Environmental Impact (EI) potential on an axis with some two material properties (e.g., tensile strength and density) on the other two axes. 3-D nomographs are suitably transformed into 2-D nomographs without the loss of any information. EIs on these nomographs were computed using SimaPro software. The potential EI of any product and the overall environmental burden due to them can be significantly reduced, and more so when they are mass-produced, by selecting the right materials using these nomographs. Such an approach will help in fulfilling long-term sustainable development goals of society and the globe.

Bullying Experiences of Workers in Small-Sized Workplaces: A Phenomenological Study

While the study of workplace bullying has been ongoing for 30 years, there remains a lack of research focused on small business workers, despite their vulnerability to workplace bullying due to personal, environmental, and social factors. Therefore, this study applied a phenomenological qualitative research method to identify the phenomenon of workplace bullying, which negatively influences the sustainable development of small-sized workplaces. Methods: This research employed Colaizzi’s phenomenological research approach to explore the meaning and core structure of workplace bullying experiences among individuals working in small businesses. The research included a sample of 10 participants, and data collection took place from May to July in 2023. This involved conducting individual interviews with each participant, varying in frequency from one to three times, and each lasting between one to three hours. Results: This study revealed several significant themes, including individuals feeling stigmatized as incompetent, experiencing gaslighting, having nowhere to run for escape, and often confronting dilemma situations. Moreover, these themes coalesced into two theme clusters: the sense of one’s identity being gradually eroded and a prevailing feeling of having nowhere to turn for help. Ultimately, the core theme that emerged from this research—“the dimly lit maze of life”—encapsulated the complex nature of these experiences. Conclusions: Eliminating workplace bullying for the long-term success and sustainable development of small-sized workplaces will require a united front, involving employers, employees, policymakers, and society at large. Therefore, as a methodology for practically addressing the problem of workplace bullying in small businesses, I propose a problem-solving-oriented participatory action research method based on an ecological model in which participants make a plan, implement the plan, observe the process, and reflect on the outcome of the implemented plan.

The Impact of Corporate Environmental Information Disclosure on Investor Attitudes in A Carbon Neutral Context

With the rapid development in the field of technology and production, the adverse consequences of energy-intensive industries have become impossible to ignore. The frequent occurrence of extreme weather, loss of biodiversity, and degradation of ecosystems across the globe has made the process of global environmental governance particularly urgent. In order to meet the needs of sustainable development strategies, many countries have begun to emphasize the fulfillment of corporate environmental responsibility and have put forward a series of requirements for environmental information disclosure. At the same time, the general public has also actively responded to the state's call to monitor corporate emissions behavior. This study focuses on individual investors in China's capital market, using a survey method of designing a scale, distributing a questionnaire, and analyzing it with SPSS to explore their attitudes toward environmental information disclosure of heavily polluting enterprises. The study finds that investors are more favorable to enterprises with higher levels of environmental information disclosure, especially in today's environmentally conscious world. Such disclosure not only increases public trust in the enterprise and enhances its image, but also helps investors to more accurately assess the long-term value and sustainable development prospects of the enterprise. This study aims to provide more targeted and effective disclosure strategies for enterprises to promote the realization of both economic and social benefits. This study provides important insights and guidance for Chinese heavy polluters in addressing environmental challenges and sustainable development.