Measures Of Environmental Sustainability Research Articles

Assessing the impact of green finance on sustainable tourism development in China

The escalating urgency to address environmental degradation and promote sustainable development globally has emphasized the critical role of Green Finance (GF) in fostering responsible practices across industries. The tourism sector has drawn significant attention due to its substantial environmental impact, necessitating the implementation of robust financial mechanisms to mitigate its ecological footprint. China, recognized as a key player in the global tourism arena, the convergence of rapid economic expansion and the imperative for environmental conservation presents a distinctive set of challenges and opportunities. The study employed the Fuzzy Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) and Fuzzy Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) methodologies to systematically evaluate the impact of GF. The findings of fuzzy AHP indicate the critical role of environmental sustainability measures (GF2) as the topmost impacting factor. This refers to the practice of utilizing financial mechanisms and instruments to support initiatives that promote environmental conservation, minimize ecological footprints, and foster sustainable development. While financial allocation and effectiveness (GF1) and policy and regulatory framework impact (GF4) also hold significant importance in shaping sustainable tourism development. Moreover, the results of fuzzy TOPSIS identified top strategies such as green bond innovation for ecosystem regeneration (S1) and circular economy integration (S4), which can play a significant role in promoting sustainable tourism practices by facilitating initiatives aimed at ecosystem regeneration and integrating circular economy principles into the tourism industry.

Supply chain in transition navigating economic growth and environmental sustainability through education.

The growing interest in the Management of Eco-Friendly Supply Chains warrants this study. Green supply chain management (GSCM) is an approach to supply chain management (SCM) that takes into account environmental factors. Therefore, GSCM is vital in shaping the cumulative environmental effect of businesses engaged in supply chain operations. In addition, GSCM may help improve the effectiveness of sustainability initiatives. Manufacturing companies, particularly in developing nations like India, are trying to adjust essential procedures and supply chains because of the rising need to be ecologically sustainable. However, such efforts must be deployed strategically to be ecologically sustainable and economically successful. As a result, this study focuses on the relationship between green supply chain management and education that affect environmental sustainability and economic performance. As a further step toward more sustainable development, the mediating function of education is sustainable economic growth and environmental health. The data was collected by distributing a well-crafted questionnaire to manufacturing facilities in India. We employed PLS-SEM to analyze and interpret the data test hypotheses based on data from 415 replies. The findings point to cost and profit as the primary metrics of corporate success. Disposal of trash, usage of resources, and release of greenhouse gases are alternative measures of environmental sustainability. Distributed online links and in-person interviews with employees at companies throughout India who use GSCM procedures provided the basis for the study's primary data set. The data was gathered with the use of an organized survey form. The findings of tests conducted on the hypotheses were considered. According to this research, cost, profit, waste, resource, and GHG emission impacts vary depending on which GSCM techniques are implemented. Green supply chain management strategies significantly affect price, trash disposal, resource utilization, and GHG emissions. There was no discernible trend between GSCM methods and financial success. In addition to discussing the unique elements of sustainable supply chains and the limits of current research, this article also discusses how a company's bottom line will benefit monetarily from establishing a sustainable supply chain. This should inspire more study in this area. Our investigation revealed patterns and voids, and we used that information to outline a thorough plan for future GSCM studies. The research helps manufacturing company management improve their sustainable policies while providing policymakers with pointers.

Diversifying natural resources for green recovery in China: Strategies and solutions

This study examines the importance of natural resource diversification for China’s green economic revival using the data from 1990 to 2021. The study makes use of a massive dataset spanning more than three decades, sheds light on the environmental sustainability and economic resilience measures taken by China’s resource business. As China’s economy grew at an unprecedented rate, environmental damage increased. Studies show increasing rates of carbon emissions, water use, and land deterioration. Information also indicates that people are becoming more conscious of the need for change and are open to adopting novel approaches and cutting-edge tools. The results of our study, which covers the years 1990 through 2021, on China’s efforts to diversify its natural resources for a green recovery highlight the importance of sustainable resource sector practices. China’s environmental problems, such as carbon emissions, water usage, and soil erosion, have worsened as the country’s economy has expanded rapidly. It’s not all bad, however. In an effort to reduce human use of natural resources, there has been a growth in the adoption of eco-friendly technologies and regulations. China is aware that it must find a middle ground between environmental conservation and economic growth. China needs to take advantage of these trends over time. The extraction of resources, the reduction of emissions, and the usage of land all need to be governed by clear and consistent standards. It’s crucial to put money into green technology like renewable energy and eco-efficient production. By taking the lead in ethical resource management, China can ensure a greener recovery for the world.

A Pilot Study on Industry Stakeholders’ Views towards Revalorization of Surplus Material from the Fruit and Vegetable Sector as a Way to Reduce Food Waste

Food waste is a global issue, with the fruit and vegetable sector accounting for higher losses compared with other sectors. The aim of this study was to gain an understanding into how industry stakeholders in Ireland manage surplus fruit and vegetable material remaining after their main processing. An explanatory sequential mixed methods approach was employed to collect data in the form of online surveys (n = 55) and one-to-one interviews (n = 7). The findings outlined several barriers to revalorization. Most respondents were measuring food waste and actively trying to minimize it, although this was for economic rather than environmental sustainability reasons. Environmental sustainability measures were an important factor for larger companies, although all respondents agreed it was important to manage this material from an environmental perspective. This material was mostly classified as “food waste” and usually composted or used for animal feed. Many stakeholders had identified opportunities for revalorization; however, for smaller businesses, this cannot become a reality without considerable investment. Joined-up thinking is required among all stakeholders, including consumers and policy makers, to create positive sustainable changes. Education and greater awareness about the extent of the food waste crisis may assist in achieving reduction targets and encourage revalorization in the industry.

Equitable and sustainable well-being in Italian municipalities: Do women in politics make the difference?

This paper investigates whether the gender of elected politicians affects the performance of Italian local governments in providing equitable and sustainable well-being to citizens. In fact, Italy was the first country in the European Union to include citizens’ well-being objectives in economic planning. We use data on more than 6000 Italian municipalities for two years to investigate the relationship between gender representation at three bodies of local government with measures of socio-economic and environmental sustainability and find that larger representation of women in municipal leadership, executive and council bodies is significantly associated with improved municipal well-being. These results are also confirmed by accounting for endogenous issues, by adopting an extended definition of well-being and other robustness checks. Differences among northern and southern regions emerge with regard to the effects of incumbent female politicians. Other heterogeneous impacts are unclear or less marked.

Evaluating sustainable development practices in a zero‑carbon university campus: A pre and post-COVID-19 pandemic recovery study

This paper aims to understand the critical areas for sustainable behavioural change on a university campus in order to achieve the net zero‑carbon ambition pre- and post-COVID-19 pandemic recovery. For this purpose, the current empirical study is the first attempt to statistically examine the whole campus as a system, considering staff and student views (campus users), by developing an index measuring propensity for sustainable behavioural change to achieve a net zero‑carbon campus. The novelty of this study is based on the following: (i) The impact of environmental sustainability measures due to COVID-19 is examined on three themes: physical activity routines on a daily basis, research, and teaching and learning, and (ii) the index that is compatible with quantifying the behavioural change. A multi-indicator questionnaire is used to collect empirical data for each of the three themes. Based on 630 responses, descriptive statistical analysis, normality tests, significance tests, and t-tests are performed using statistical and graphical software, and conducting uncertainty and sensitivity analyses on this quantitative data. The study found that 95 % of campus users agreed to use reusable materials on campus, and 74 % were willing to pay more for sustainable products. In addition, 88 % agreed to seek alternative and sustainable transportation for short research trips, while 71 % prioritised online conferences and project meetings for sustainable hybrid working. Moreover, the COVID-19 pandemic had a negative impact on the frequency of reusable material usage among campus users, as indicated by the index analysis, which showed a significant decrease from 0.8536 to 0.3921. The statistical findings show that campus users are more likely to initiate and endorse environmental sustainability measures in research and daily life than in teaching and learning, and there is no difference in their propensity for change. This research provides net zero‑carbon sustainability researchers and leaders with a crucial baseline for scientific advances in the sustainability field. It also offers practical guidelines for implementing a net zero‑carbon campus, engaging users from various disciplines, which has important implications and contributions.

Environmental sustainability in Swiss sports federations – A case study on agenda setting, policy formulation and decision making processes

Environmental sustainability in Swiss sports federations – A case study on agenda setting, policy formulation and decision making processes

Sustainable supply chain management practices, dynamic capabilities and competitive advantage: Evidence from Bangladesh ready‐made garments industry

AbstractThe ready‐made garments (RMG) production industry in Bangladesh has achieved a major presence in the global fashion apparel supply chain particularly due to the competitive advantage (CA) primarily attributed to its' large pool of low cost labor. However, the competitiveness of this industry is under threat from other emerging economies that are rapidly becoming lower cost production sources. As a result the Bangladesh RMG sector is under pressure to find alternate sources of CA by introducing sustainable supply chain management (SSCM) practices along with improving the dynamic capabilities (DC) of the RMG manufacturers. However, the extant literature indicates that there is a dearth of sufficient empirical evidence on whether SSCM practices in combination with improvements in management and technological capabilities of such enterprises leads to gains in CA. In order to address the aforesaid gap, this study draws on the integration of the SSCM practices view and the DC view, to propose a set of relationships that posit that environmental, social, and economic sustainability measures of SSCM practices along with management and technological capabilities will have a significant influence on CA. The hypotheses are tested by applying structural equation modeling on a sample of 345 export‐oriented RMG manufacturers in Bangladesh. The findings indicate that influence of social sustainability, along with management and technological capabilities, on CA is positive and significant. While the relationship between environmental and economic sustainability and CA were not significant.

Back from parcel planning to future heritage of urban courtyard: The 5th generation of Egyptian cities as a sustainable design manifesto for neo-arid neighbourhoods

As housing represents about 60% of cities land use and cities are responsible for 39% of global carbon emissions, this work investigates the emergence of a new generation of Egyptian cities having urban identity and architectural character revealed through climate responsive urban neighbourhood planning adjunct to its housing design in arid regions, while promoting heritage resembled qualities and eco materials. The methodology of planning and designing such cities’ neighbourhoods, by connecting Urban-Building-Materials-Renewables (UBMR), has been manifested so that it can be disseminated for arid regions. A comparison between conventionally designed back to back parcel division planning that formulate dot patterns, with the courtyarded clustered free planning and energy plus designed neighborhood in Cairo, Egypt took place. A multi objective workflow assessment method was applied using ENVI-met V4.0 for urban microcimate simulations, Radiance for annual cumulative radiation and Energy-plus for urban energy use intensity to quantify different environmental sustainability measures and persuade decision-makers of the suggested design paradigm shift. Further, life cycle cost (LCC) analysis took place to correlate and quantify assessment measures of applied environmental and socio-economic sustainability systems, such as the Building Integrated Photovoltaic (BIPV), low-cost Stabilized Compressed Earth Blocks (SCEB) construction that support envelope passive design, affordability, and housing diversity. Combined UBMR solutions showed improved comfortable outdoor areas by 47.8% during extreme summer afternoon, increased annual solar energy generation potential by 13.87% and the energy-efficient envelope reduced cooling energy consumption by 28.9% while reducing cost of construction by 95.5%. As of socio-economic sustainability, all measures showed an evidence of preferability for the court-yarded clustered urban form attributed to the low-cost construction that offered more affordability over 50 and 100 years with green industrial and construction mechanism that empowered job opportunities, more housing designs’ diversity that can be generated per each cluster, and more walkable streets according to pedestrian comfort maps. Modeling the 3D recipe of environment consciousness while retrieving the socio-economic flavor values of ancestors' free planning renewed the architectural character and urban identity picture, as if getting back to heritage free planning that generates courtyarded urban clusters could evolve a future class climate responsive Neo-Arid city.

Under pressure: Finding organizational legitimacy through the supply chain

This study analyzes whether firms face a tradeoff in responding to pressures of shareholders versus stakeholders in their quest for supply chain management excellence. Are firms that are recognized and rewarded for their supply chain management practices less likely than other firms to have a strong record in community relations, product qualities, employee relations, environmental sustainability and diversity measures? To answer this question, the study utilizes event study, OLS regression and panel data analyses of firms receiving a Gartner Supply Chain Top 25 ranking and a comparative sample of these same firms in non-ranked years. The findings indicate that shareholders react positively to a Gartner ranking, suggesting that ranked firms receive significant incentives to pursue recognition. Additionally, positive stakeholder practices are significantly stronger for firms ranked versus those not ranked. These findings suggest that firms can successfully navigate the pressures congruent with both shareholder and stakeholder priorities through supply chain excellence.

A Glimpse into Environmental Sustainability Measures Worldwide

Environmental sustainability is one of the biggest issues affecting the modern world. Globally, energy‐related carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions rose by 6 percent in 2021 to 36.3 billion tons from 2020, which is the highest level these emissions have ever been. Over the last decade, interest in environmental sustainability has increased, both on a micro‐ and a macroeconomic level. On a microeconomic level, stakeholders are increasingly concerned about the environmental performance of their businesses and are evaluating and exploring avenues for improvement within their operations. On a macroeconomic level, countries are setting robust goals and drafting policies that will help reduce their CO2 emissions and improve their environmental performance.

An environmental impact study of inter-dental cleaning aids.

The aim of this study was to compare the environmental footprint of eight inter-dental cleaning aids. A comparative life cycle analysis was conducted based on an individual person using inter-dental cleaning aids every day for 5 years. The primary outcome was a life cycle impact assessment. This comprised of 16 discrete measures of environmental sustainability (known as impact categories), for example, greenhouse gas emissions (measured in kilograms of carbon dioxide equivalent, or kgCO2 e), ozone layer depletion (measured in kilograms of chloroflurocarbon equivalent, or kgCFCe), and water use (measured in cubic metres). Secondary outcomes included normalized data, disability-adjusted life years, and contribution analysis. Inter-dental cleaning using floss picks had the largest environmental footprint in 13 of 16 impact categories. Depending on the environmental impact category measured, the smallest environmental footprint came from daily inter-dental cleaning with either bamboo inter-dental brushes (five impact categories, including carbon footprint), replaceable head inter-dental brushes (four impact categories), regular floss (three impact categories), sponge floss (three impact categories), and bamboo floss (one impact category). Daily cleaning with inter-dental cleaning aids has an environmental footprint that varies depending on the product used. Clinicians should consider environmental impact alongside clinical need and cost when recommending inter-dental cleaning aids to patients.

Mediating effect of productivity between sustainable supply chain management practices and competitive advantage: evidence from apparel manufacturing in Bangladesh

PurposeDrawing on the combined theoretical perspectives offered by the sustainable supply chain management (SSCM) practices view and the resource-based view (RBV), this study aims to examine whether pursuit of environmental, social and economic sustainability measures of SSCM practices drive competitive advantage (CA) among fashion-apparel manufacturing organizations in an emerging economy. Furthermore, the study investigates whether the above relationships are mediated by productivity.Design/methodology/approachBased on a theoretically supported conceptual framework, a set of hypotheses are tested by applying partial least squares structural equation modeling on a sample of 345 export-oriented fashion-apparel manufacturing companies in Bangladesh. SmartPLS (v.3.2) is applied to analyze the path model through bootstrapping procedure.FindingsThe findings suggest that the direct relationship between social sustainability dimension of SSCM practices along and CA is positive and significant. While the direct relationships between environmental sustainability and CA, and economic sustainability and CA, were found to be non-significant. However, when productivity was applied as a mediator, all the paths were significant.Research limitations/implicationsThe study contributes to the strategic management literature by presenting a combined theoretical perspective proposing the idea that sustainable supply chain practices can influence both productivity and CA, where productivity is a pertinent mediator.Practical implicationsThe study presents evidence for ready-made garments manufacturers in emerging economies on how compliance with environmental, social and economic sustainability measures in the supply chain of apparel manufacturers leads to gains in CA for the firms. Additionally, the study shows that such measures must also have a net positive impact on productivity to be able to influence CA significantly.Originality/valueThis paper appears to be among the first study that presents a framework based on a combined view of SSCM practices and RBV to empirically investigate the role of productivity as a mediator in the relationships between the sustainability dimensions of SSCM practices and CA in apparel manufacturing.

The environmental impact of community caries prevention - part 3: water fluoridation.

Introduction Community-level interventions for the prevention of dental caries in children include fluoride varnish in schools, supervised toothbrushing in schools, the provision of toothbrushes and toothpaste and water fluoridation. The environmental impact of these interventions is an important factor to consider when commissioning these services.Materials and methods A comparative life cycle assessment (LCA) was conducted to quantify the environmental impact of fluoridation of the public water supply for a five-year-old child over a one-year period. These results were compared to LCA data for fluoride varnish in schools, supervised toothbrushing and the provision of toothbrushes and toothpaste.Results When comparing community-level caries prevention programmes, water fluoridation had the lowest environmental impact in all 16 categories and had the lowest disability-adjusted life years impact.Discussion All community-level caries prevention programmes have an associated environmental cost. Water fluoridation performed well in this LCA study in all measures of environmental sustainability. The results of this study could be used, along with cost and clinical effectiveness data, to inform public healthcare policy.

Does institutional quality matter for environmental sustainability?

The prime objective of the study is to examine the asymmetric effect of institutional quality and other control variables on environmental sustainability in G7 economies. The study examined data from 1986 to 2020 using a nonlinear ARDL (NARDL) technique. The outcomes of the study show heterogeneous results for the sampled economies. The findings confirm the asymmetric relationship between institutional quality, foreign direct investment, trade openness, and economic growth, and environmental sustainability in G7 countries. Furthermore, the study finds that neglecting the series’ inherent nonlinearities may lead to misleading inferences. The findings suggest that policies should be based on individual country characteristics and that no single policy can be a good fit for devising environmental sustainability measures.

The Non-Linear Impact of Financial Development on Environmental Quality and Sustainability: Evidence from G7 Countries.

This paper analyses the impact of financial development on the environmental quality and sustainability for the group of G7 countries over the period 1990–2019 based on static panel data-fixed effect models. The objective is to explore if there exists a non-linear relationship between the whole financial system development and a wide array of measures of environmental sustainability and degradation, namely adjusted net savings, greenhouse gas, CO2, methane, nitrous oxide emissions and ecological footprint. We define a new Financial Environmental Kuznets Curve (FEKC) by introducing the square term of financial development on the environment-finance relationship. Empirical results prove the existence of non-linear relationships between the composite index of financial development and environmental degradation for the group of advanced economies. In the case of methane, we validate the presence of an inverted-U shape association in line with the FEKC hypothesis, while for greenhouse gas and CO2 the link follows a U-shaped pattern. The impact of financial development on environmental sustainability is monotonically positive and statistically significant while the ecological footprint is not statistically linked with the level of financial development within G7 countries. Economic growth, human capital, population density and primary energy consumption appear as significant drivers of environmental quality and sustainability.

Economics without ecology: How the SDGs fail to align socioeconomic development with environmental sustainability

Science is increasingly warning that the Earth, as a result of human activity, is currently on a trajectory towards environmental collapse. The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) were adopted by UN member states in 2015 as a means to reconcile human activity with planetary boundaries, allowing humanity to thrive while safeguarding Earth's life support. The purpose of this paper is to assess whether the SDGs so far have lived up to their promise. Using Eurostat's SDG indicator set, the study calculates temporal progress measures of socioeconomic development and environmental sustainability for the European Union (EU) member states. To validate the findings, the two progress measures are compared with changes in the human development index (HDI) and the ecological footprint (EF). The study's results show that over the past five years of available data, most EU member states have seen socioeconomic progress combined with environmental degradation. The trends in the HDI and the EF corroborate this finding, suggesting that the trade-off between socioeconomic activity and environmental preservation continues to exist. SDG implementation should consequently put a stronger focus on the environmental dimension, to ensure that the pursuit of the 2030 Agenda's socioeconomic objectives does not undermine the ecosystem services humanity depends on.

The Role of Human Capital in Natural Sustainability and Economic Growth in Indonesia A Dynamic ARDL Approach

This study aim to investigate the impact of economic activities on environmental sustainability in Indonesia. In this study, we use the variables of infrastructure, economic growth, and human capital to understand economic activity and the role of human capital in the economy and environmental sustainability. As a measure of environmental sustainability, we use indicators of carbon dioxide (CO2) and ecological footprint (EF) in Indonesia.This study uses annual time series data with a time period of 1985 to 2020. The data consists of various sources. The data is secondary data collected from the Global Footprint Network, Penn World, and World Bank. This research utilized the following two time-series models for the period from 1985 to 2020 for the following variables.The dependent variable in this study is the ecological footprint and CO2 as an indicator of environmental damage. The independent variables in this study are the human capital index (HC), economic growth (EG), infrastructure (Gx), and natural resource depletion (NR) as indicators of economic activity and environmental changes as a result of economic activity.This study adopted the Dynamic ARDL model from Khan et al. (2020). The adoption of the ARDL model in this study aims to examine, simulate and predict the graph of shocks that occur in the independent variables. The results of the analysis using the ARDL approach show that in the long term human capital and natural resources have a negative relationship with CO2, while Economic Growth and infrastructure development have a positive relationship with CO2. Based on the ARDL results, it can be concluded that the role of human capital is very important in preserving nature and infrastructure development needs to be carried out while preserving nature or trying to minimize environmental damage.

Urbanization and Environmental Unsustainability: An Ecological Footprint Analysis for Nigeria

The earth’s limited natural resources and assimilation capacity, coupled with increased production and consumption activities of a rapidly growing population, has made the global environment unsustainable. This study therefore analyses the empirical relationship between urbanization and environmental unsustainability in Nigeria by employing the ecological deficit obtained from the ecological footprint as a measure of environmental unsustainability. The study contributes to empirical literature on the subject matter by employing the STIRPAT model as against the Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) model employed by most studies for Nigeria. Secondly, the study differs from others that used carbon dioxide emissions (CO2) as a measure of sustainability (unsustainability) of the environment by employing the difference between biocapacity per capita and ecological footprint per capita, otherwise regarded as ecological surplus (deficit), as a measure of environmental sustainability (unsustainability). Time series data spanning from 1981 to 2019 was used and the STIRPAT framework was adopted. Autoregressive Distributed Lag Technique of estimation was employed for the long- and short-run estimates, while the results were validated with the Dynamic Ordinary Least Square Technique (DOLS) as well as the Fully Modified Ordinary Least Square Technique (FMOLS). Short- and long-run results revealed that urbanization significantly has negative effects on environmental unsustainability. However, the working population has a positive effect on environmental unsustainability in the long run. In the short run, per capita income and the working population have positive effects on environmental unsustainability. The study therefore recommends responsible consumption and production activities that will improve environmental quality.

Financial Development, Trade Openness, and Foreign Direct Investment: A Battle Between the Measures of Environmental Sustainability

Deterioration in the environmental quality is a major threat to the sustainable development of an economy as it results in serious economic problems and the researchers are conscious about the environment sustainability. They have identified several factors including financial development, inflow of foreign aid, and openness of trade to promote environmental sustainability. Unfortunately, their findings remain inconclusive as they have imperfectly measured environmental sustainability. This study, thus, aims to contribute to the ongoing debate of environmental sustainability by testing the role of financial development, trade openness, and foreign direct investment (FDI) in promoting environmental sustainability by using adjusted net savings as a measure of environmental sustainability. To do this, the study collects data from 1996 to 2019. The study uses financial development, trade openness, and FDI as predictors and environmental sustainability as an outcome variable. The study applies Auto Regressive Distributive Lag (ARDL) methodology to analyze the impact. The findings show positive contributions of financial development, trade openness, and foreign direct investment in promoting environment sustainability. We suggest encouraging trade through lower-taxation programs and increasing competition in the financial markets through privatization and domestic and international liberalization to stimulate environmental sustainability. We also recommend imposing high taxes and penalties on such activities that damage the quality of the environment.