Consumption Of Natural Resources Research Articles

Highlighting the importance of biodiversity conservation through the Holy Qur'an.

Religious environmentalism relies upon religious texts and leadership to promote effective and long-lasting change for environmental problems, such as responsible use and conservation of natural resources and biodiversity. World religions note the importance of biodiversity and humanity's responsibility in stewarding biodiversity as a member of ecological communities. We reviewed Quranic verses that relate to biodiversity and align with United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The Holy Quran was reviewed in electronic and hard copy formats, and verses related to biodiversity were translated to English and tabulated by Qur'anic chapter, verse, and narrative citation. Twenty-one Qur'anic verses were identified that addressed biodiversity. Scriptures were divided into 5 groups that addressed provision of resources, governance or stewardship of resources, nature as a teacher, and human life in nature's communities or described creation of biodiversity. Qur'anic verses were aligned with 4 SDGs (goals 12-15), which address sustainable consumption of natural resources, global climate change, life in marine environments, and life in terrestrial environments, including freshwater ecosystems. This alignment demonstrates the interconnectedness of life, that conservation of biodiversity is referenced in the Quran, and how positive management of natural recourses can be beneficial to Muslim communities on local, national, and global scales. Positive movement toward ecofriendly practices, sound environmental resource use and management, biodiversity conservation, and governmental policies on conservation can be promoted through scriptures from the Holy Qur'an.

Comparative Life Cycle Assessment of Electric and Internal Combustion Engine Vehicles

This article is devoted to the ecological comparison of electric and internal combustion engine vehicles throughout their entire life cycle, from mining to recycling. A scientifically based approach to a comprehensive environmental assessment of the impact of vehicles on the environment has been developed. To analyze the impact on the environmental situation, aspects such as the consumption of natural resources, waste generation, electricity consumption, emission of harmful substances into the atmosphere, water consumption, and greenhouse gas emissions are taken into consideration. As a result of comparing the environmental impacts of vehicles, it was found that natural resources consumption and production of industrial waste from electric vehicles (EV) is 6 times higher than from internal combustion engine vehicles (ICEV). Harmful substance emissions and greenhouse gas emissions from EV production are 1.65 and 1.5 times higher, respectively. The EV total electricity consumption is 1.4 times higher than that of ICEVs. At the same time, it was revealed that during operation, EVs have higher energy consumption and emit more harmful substances into the atmosphere, but EVs produce less greenhouse gas emissions. It means that at different life cycle stages, EVs have a much higher negative impact on the environment compared to gasoline engine vehicles.

MATHEMATICAL MODELING OF THE AUTONOMOUS HEAT SUPPLY SYSTEM WITH TUBULAR GAS HEATERS IN BUILDING STRUCTURES WHEN OPERATING IN THE CONDENSATION MODE

Problem statement. The application of modern autonomous heat supply systems is one of the directions of reducing the consumption of natural energy resources. There are many different autonomous systems of heat supply of objects. One of the variants of such systems is the system with tubе gas heaters. A tube gas heater consists of a gas burner, a radiating tube and a fan. One of the technical solutions for such heat supply systems is a tubular heater located inside the building structure. Increase of the efficiency of gas equipment can be achieved by operating this equipment in the condensation mode. Therefore, the operation of tubular gas heaters in building structures in the condensation mode is quite interesting in terms of increasing the efficiency of utilisation of the thermal potential of gaseous fuel and ensuring its saving. For research and practical design of autonomous heat supply systems with gas tube heaters in building structures with regard to the condensation mode of operation it is essential to develop a mathematical model for calculating the thermal and hydraulic modes of the system. The purpose of the article is to develop a mathematical model of an autonomous heat supply system with tubular gas heaters in building structures when operating in the condensation mode. Conclusion. The mathematical model of hydraulic and thermal modes of autonomous heat supply system with tubular gas heaters in building structures when operating in the condensation mode was developed. It is presented in the form of differential equations. The model is based on the equations of conservation of mass, motion and energy for the gas-air mixture inside the canal in two-phase flow, the equation of heat transfer inside the building structure, the equation of heat transfer from the external surface of the heater to the environment. The mathematical model of hydraulic and thermal modes of autonomous heat supply system with tubular gas heaters in building structures when operating in the condensation mode will be used to calculate and design such systems.

Regional-scale energy-water nexus framework to assess the GHG emissions under climate change and development scenarios via system dynamics approach

Nowadays, the consumption of natural resources is increasing due to population growth, climate change, and development. Considering the crucial impacts of the regional characteristics, this study develops an energy-water-emissions (EWE) nexus model using a system dynamics (SD) framework to assess the pattern of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The model simulates regional GHG emissions (including indirect emissions of the electricity sector) under climate change and development scenarios from 2011 to 2031. The results indicate that total emissions are projected to increase in the future, while water-related emissions are expected to decrease. The study highlights the limitations of global assumptions at the regional scale, emphasizing the need for planning based on specific regional scale conditions. Through evaluating different development scenarios, the energy-saving scenario had the greatest impact on reducing emissions and resource consumption. Additionally, the results showed that development scenarios had varying effects in each region, highlighting the importance of defining region-specific development scenarios separately. This study offers policymakers valuable insights to enhance their understanding of the climate change effects to evaluate a range of development scenarios more effectively.

Development of Green Alkali-Activated Mortar Based on Biomass Wood Ash

Portland cement (PC) is the most commonly used binder material for producing concrete. Nonetheless, increasing concerns have been attached to its manufacture which is highly energy-intensive and generates a large quantity of greenhouse gases. Developing cement-free alkali-activated materials as eco-binders is a sustainable replacement for PC, especially the possibility to utilize industrial by-products as precursors significantly reduces the environmental burden due to waste disposal. Many investigations have been reported successfully using coal fly ash, slag, and metakaolin as precursors. However, owing to the low reactivity, studies regarding biomass wood ashes (BWA) in the field of alkali-activated materials are still limited. To produce a green cementless alkali-activated mortar material, in this study, biomass fuel by-products -biomass wood bottom ash (BWBA) at 0, 25, 50, 75, and 100% as well as biomass wood fly ash (BWFA) at 100, 75, 50, 25 and 0%- were binarily used as precursors. Sodium hydroxide (NaOH) at 10 mol/L and calcium hydroxide (Ca(OH)2)at 0 and 20% by binder mass were applied together as alkali activators. Recycled sand, substituting natural sand, was adopted as fine aggregate at an aggregate/binder ratio of 2 to reduce the consumption of non-renewable natural resources. The objective is to investigate the influence of various mix ratios of BWFA and BWBA on the produced alkali-activated mortar, and identify the effects of Ca(OH)2. Compressive and flexural strength were tested to evaluate the evolution of mechanical performance. A cradle-to-gate lifecycle assessment was conducted to analyze the environmental impacts. The results reveal that the alkali-activated mortar has less environmental impact compared to the traditional PC mortar. NaOH solution is the primary source of environmental influence and BWA only contributes to very limited impacts. When 50% BWFA and 50% BWBA are binarily used, the greatest mechanical properties are achieved. The usage of Ca(OH)2 effectively improves the mechanical strength by a maximal 350% (flexural strength) and 320% (compressive strength), but meanwhile increases environmental burdens.

Challenges of Ensuring Reverse Logistics in a Military Organization Using Outsourced Services

A circular economy is defined as a socially responsible, policy-driven model of business or enterprise operations that contributes to more sustainable society for both current and future generations. Although the implementation of circularity principles in the economy is a long process, the impact it creates on sustainability is long-term, and its benefits will be felt by all future generations. Therefore, the development of circularity in the European Union’s economy must progress, and more and more organizations should implement it as a good practice. The object of the article is the cooperation of civil sector outsourced services and the country’s military forces in the field of reverse logistics. Using a qualitative research methodology, the article demonstrates the potential for the country’s military forces to support the European Union’s circular economy initiative in the context of sustainability. This includes reducing the consumption of natural resources by increasing the value of the closed-loop supply chain and keeping products suitable for consumption as long as possible. Considering the fact that there is limited information dissemination within the military sector, this research presents one of the few opportunities to examine the integration of civilian and military sector efforts for sustainable development from a practical and scientific perspective. The conducted research demonstrates that the closed-loop supply chain and the military’s reverse logistics processes take place but are not fully integrated into one whole. They lack a unified whole directed towards a common goal when reverse logistics activities are correlated to closed-loop supply chain and national circular economy goals, as well as ensuring sustainability. Outsourced services are available and used in the military, in many cases even for reverse logistics activities (repair, storage, transportation, modernization, etc.). This research made it possible to prepare a conceptual model for the organization of the military’s reverse logistics using outsourced services, thereby ensuring the creation of a sustainable supply chain.

Natural resources, trade and fintech in the era of digitalization: A study of economies involved in Belt and Road Initiative

The present study aims to elucidate the impact of digitalization, fintech, trade, and industrial growth on natural resource consumption in emerging economies within the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) countries. Employing the Cross-sectional Augmented Autoregressive Distributed Lag (CS-ARDL) method to mitigate Cross-sectional Dependence (CD) and heterogeneity in slope parameters across panels, this study investigates the previously mentioned relationship. Meticulously selecting panel data from twenty-four emerging countries spanning from 1995 to 2021 in the BRI region, the study offers a robust analysis. The findings of this study reveal the positive impact of digitalization on natural resources, as the proliferation of digital devices, data centers, and internet connectivity contributes to higher energy demands, surging the use of natural resources like fossil fuels and electricity. However, the negative impact of fintech on natural resource consumption shows the adoption of energy-efficient technologies, implementation of e-waste management policies, and advocacy for renewable energy addition in energy system. The result shows trade can reduce pressure on natural resources and endorses that BRI can improve trade activities in the member countries, however, actions such as emphasizing green technology adoption, allocating funds for conservation, promoting sustainable resource management, and investing in resource-efficient production, may contribute positively to preserving natural resources in the member nations. Thus comprehensive approach encompassing trade, industrial growth, and the promotion of financial technologies, collectively could strengthen sustainable resource management efforts in the BRI economies.

Ecological boundaries and their regional exceedance in China

Planetary boundaries have received considerable attention since they were first proposed, but applying various downscaling methods to the regional scale has certain limitations due to regional heterogeneity. The concept of ecological boundaries (EB) extends and complements planetary boundaries at a regional scale. However, previous studies have not considered the EB of multiple regions and the impact of interregional ecosystem service value (ESV) flows on EB. In this study, we optimized the EB accounting method and quantified the EB of 30 provinces in China from 2002 to 2017, then assessed the ecosystem unsustainability, and determined the impact of demand for goods and services on the consumption of local natural resources by each province in China using an ESV-extended multiregional input-output model. We found that EB increased in all provinces of China. The ecological unsustainability index of all 30 provinces was larger than 1, indicating a serious environmental unsustainability, but the magnitude of the index tends to decrease. Furthermore, the regions that have the greatest impact on exceeding EB in each province were concentrated in Guangdong and Henan. Guangdong had the highest total net imports in 2012 and 2015 (665.08 and 641.70 billion yuan, respectively), while Henan had the highest total net imports in 2017 (611.58 billion yuan). For the role of net exports, the rankings of the provinces differed in terms of the direct ESV and the boundary-exceeding ESV indicators. Our results reveal EB across provinces in China, underscoring the importance of considering the flow of ESV between regions in assessing the impact of exceeding EB. This study can assist policymakers in better allocating ecological resources within EB, which is critical for alleviating ecological pressures.

Environmental benefits of microwave-assisted self-healing technology for pavements - A Life Cycle Assessment comparative study

The maintenance and rehabilitation of roads is becoming a key challenge in the pavement industry to decrease the consumption of natural resources. Microwave-assisted self-healing technology extends the life-service of asphalt pavements for roads reducing the need for fossil fuels over its lifespan and saving the use of natural resources. This technique takes advantage of the thermoplastic and dielectric properties of asphalt mixtures that allows cracks to be closed, hence, heal and restore the asphalt mixtures mechanical behaviour without implementing more invasive traditional maintenance operations like milling and replacing the pavement. A Life-Cycle Assessment was carried out to determine the potential environmental benefits of using this technology quantifying its potential environmental impacts. Different scenarios in which the heating energy and the addition of slag varies has been evaluated and compared with a conventional road. Results shows that this technology could decrease a significant number of environmental impacts over the lifecycle.

Decision tree-based approach to extrapolate life cycle inventory data of manufacturing processes

Life cycle assessment (LCA) plays a crucial role in green manufacturing to uncover the critical aspects for alleviating the environmental burdens due to manufacturing processes. However, the scarcity of life cycle inventory (LCI) data for the manufacturing processes is a considerable challenge. This paper proposes a novel approach to extrapolate LCI data of manufacturing processes. Taking advantage of LCI data in the Ecoinvent datasets, decision tree-based supervised machine learning models, namely decision tree, random forest, gradient boosting, and adaptive boosting, have been developed to extrapolate the data of GHG emissions, i.e., carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide, methane, and water vapor. Initially, a correlation analysis was conducted to derive the most influential factors on GHG quantities resulting from manufacturing activities. First, the collected data have been preprocessed and split into train and test sets (70% and 30%, respectively). Second, a five-fold cross-validation method was applied to tune the hyperparameters of the models. Then, the models were re-trained using the best hyperparameters and evaluated using the test set. The results reveal that the Gradient Boosting model has a superior predictive performance for extrapolating the GHG emission data, with average coefficients of determination (R2) on the test set <0.95. Moreover, the model predictions involve relatively low values of the average root mean squared error and an average mean percentage of error on the test set. The correlation and feature importance analyses emphasized that the workpiece material and manufacturing technology have a considerable effect on natural resource consumption, i.e., energy, material, and water inflows into the process. Meanwhile, energy consumption, water usage, and raw aluminum depletion were the most influential factors in GHG emissions. Eventually, a case study to extrapolate the inflows and the outflows for new manufacturing activities has been conducted using the validated models. The proposed GraBoost model provides a computational supplementary approach to estimate and extrapolate the GHG emissions for different manufacturing processes when LCI data are incomplete or don't exist within LCI databases.

Performance of foam concrete developed from construction and demolition waste

Unconscious industrialization, urbanization and consumption of natural resources pose a serious threat to the environment. The threat can be reduced by upcycling construction and demolition waste (CDW) in the production of foam concrete, which is a special type of concrete used especially for thermal insulation purposes. This study aims to use of CDW as a source of fine aggregate (0–4 mm) in the production of foam concrete mixtures. A series of mixtures with target density values between 500 and 900 kg/m3 were designed with various recycled aggregate and foam contents to investigate the physical, mechanical and thermal properties of the mixtures. Findings of the study reveal that mixtures with an elevated foam content possess a greater number of larger pores, which, as observed through microscopy, form interconnected structures that are porous. On the other hand, adding more fine recycled material (FRM) makes the matrix denser, which reduces the overall porosity and increases the packing density. In contrast to increased content of FRM, correlation coefficient of (−0.77) reveal a more powerful inverse relationship between risen level of foam content (−0.67) and the reduction ratio of fresh-to-dry density and the increase in compressive strength from 7 to 28 days. It is also known that mixes with more foam have better thermal insulation because they trap more air, while mixes with more FRM show an increase in thermal conductivity. The sensitivity analysis showed that changes in thermal conductivity are almost three times as sensitive for FRM content, which means they have a bigger effect than changes in foam content. Employing the Taguchi method, (R_0.714) emerges as the most efficient tested combination indicative of superior overall performance. Notably, the Taguchi method predicts the untested combination (0.100-F/C ratio + 0.714-R/C ratio) as potentially more efficient, suggesting avenues for further exploration and optimization. This study furnishes valuable insights into sustainable construction practices by reutilizing CDW in foam concrete production, thereby contributing to both environmental conservation and enhanced structural outcomes.

The response of energy aid and natural resources consumption in load capacity factor of the Asia Pacific emerging countries

Researchers have frequently raised questions about the capacity of CO2 emissions to depict the state of environmental quality comprehensively. The study responds to this gap by recommending a novel instrument, Load Capacity Factor (LCF), to precisely evaluate the ecological implications of energy aid (EA) and natural resources extraction for environmental quality in 34 Asia Pacific countries (APAC) between 2002 and 2021. Applying the instrumental variable GMM, the present estimations respond that environmental quality (LCF) suffered significantly due to energy aid (0.0259%) and natural resources (0.0557%) in the candidate countries. These outcomes are further corroborated by the heterogeneity analysis based on income and region. The addition of moderators, including the rule of law and political stability, steered the relationship between EA and LCF in a positive direction. The findings imply that policy alignment is crucial to operationalising energy aid and natural resources to achieve sustainable economic development in the sampled group.

Optimizing tourist flows through operative carrying capacity assessment: The case of Bakkhali coastal tourism, W.B., India

&lt;p&gt;Carrying capacity assessment of nature-based tourist destinations is important for keeping the consumption of natural resources and anthropogenic pollution levels within environmentally safe and sustainable limits. With the mostly rural character of such destinations, the local community's well-being also needs to be prioritized. Exposure to natural hazards and climate crises have further exacerbated concerns about the long-term sustainability of these locations. The interrelationship between tourism intensity and its impacts clearly reflects in Butler’s Tourism Area Life Cycle model of 1980. The ‘elements of capacity’ and their ‘critical range’ mark a significant threshold in the model that leads us to the concept of Carrying Capacity. The capacity may be physical, spatial, ecological, environmental, social, economic, management, and governance, among others. This is also linked with the quality of touristic experience and satisfaction. In this context, aiming to understand the optimum level of tourist traffic flow in Bakkhali, one of the popular beach destinations of the deltaic island system of the Indian Sundarbans, this study assesses its visitor carrying capacity at three levels—physical, real, and effective. It also briefly introduces the idea of ‘operative’ carrying capacity at the fourth level. The study is based on tourist data till 2019 and adopts the well-established methodological framework of carrying capacity assessment applied widely in several settings. The result suggests that tourism operations at Bakkhali may optimally handle 2040 visitors per day, which may be stretched to a maximum of 2267 visitors per day. This may be used as baseline information for sustainable coastal tourism policy framing in long term while planning for tourism management and infrastructure development in the Sundarban region in immediate terms.&lt;/p&gt;

PEMANFAATAN TELEGRAM UNTUK PENDETEKSI KEBOCORAN GAS BERBASIS NODEMCU

A significant increase in consumption of natural resources in the household sector is the use of LPG (Liquefied Petroleum Gas) gas, this can increase the risk of fire due to leaks from gas cylinders. These gas leaks are often unknown to users because not all LPG cylinder manufacturers provide a security system for the LPG cylinders they sell, so not all homes have gas leak sensors on LPG cylinders, therefore a tool is needed to detect LPG gas leaks. In view of these problems, in this research a device was created that can detect gas in a room with an MQ-2 sensor and apply a notification system using Telegram as an SMS notification sender and a buzzer as an alarm. The design of this detection tool as a whole is controlled by the NodeMCU ESP8226. During system testing, when a gas leak is detected at a distance of 1cm – 100cm with the MQ-2 sensor, the system will provide a notification via Telegram and activate the alarm (the buzzer will beep). The process of sending this message takes around 4-6 seconds. The tool was also tested on two different cellphones and obtained the expected results and good performance.

The Effect of Renewable Phosphorus Biofertilizers on Selected Wheat Grain Quality Parameters

Recycling and reusing phosphorus in agriculture can reduce the consumption of natural phosphorus resources, which are continuing to shrink. Phosphorus fertilizers made from renewable raw materials (sewage sludge ash, animal bones, dried animal blood) and activated with phosphorus solubilizing microorganisms (Bacillus megaterium, Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans) offer an alternative to conventional fertilizers. These products should meet consumer and environmental safety standards. In this paper, based on field experiments conducted in northeast Poland, the effects of waste-derived biofertilizers on selected parameters of wheat yield quality are discussed. The study focuses on the technological properties of the grain (hectoliter weight, hardness index, Zeleny index, starch, wet gluten, and protein content), the content of proteogenic amino acids, macro- and micronutrients, and selected toxic elements in the grain. The quality parameters of wheat grain were not affected by the tested biofertilizers applied in P doses up to 35.2 kg ha−1, nor by conventional fertilizers.

Does environmental policy stringency alter the natural resources-emissions nexus? Evidence from G-7 countries

Natural resource management is indispensable keeping in view their positive economic impacts as well as their detrimental environmental consequences. To achieve certain SDGs, it is inevitable to manage natural resources through effective policies that help to inhibit adverse environmental impacts. Based on this approach, the current empirical analysis aims to probe whether environmental policy stringency intensifies, meagres, and/or halts the abysmal environmental impact of natural resources in G-7 countries (United Kingdom, United States, Canada, Italy, France, Japan, and Germany) for the period from 1990 to 2020. To that end, we rely on the second-generation panel data approaches and panel quantile regression. The outcomes reveal that natural resources increase carbon dioxide emission whereas the synergy of natural resources and environmental policy stringency plunges emissions across the quantiles. These findings suggest adoption of a strict environmental policy for attaining the targets of SGD-08 (economic growth), SDG-09 (innovations), SDG-11 (sustainable cities), SDG-12 (responsible consumption of natural resources), and SDG-13 (climate action).

Balancing the trade-off between data center development and its environmental impacts: A comparative analysis of Data Center Policymaking in Singapore, Netherlands, Ireland, Germany, USA, and the UK

Data centers' deployment rate has raised concerns about high natural resource consumption. The scholarship has examined the scale of negative environmental impacts but focused to a lesser degree on policy responses enacted to improve data center sustainability. We analyze these policy responses in terms of (i) the degree of policy change undertaken, (ii) the duration of policy changes, and (iii) the effects on data center deployment rates. This work investigates six data center hubs - Singapore, Netherlands(Amsterdam), Ireland, Germany(Frankfurt), USA(Virginia), and the UK(London) – identifying three policy responses: moratorium, adjustment, and continuation. All six locations changed their data center deployment strategies. In three cases, data center policy adjustments were preceded by significant short-term disruptions of digital infrastructure growth (e.g., halts to new permits), demonstrating the challenges in managing high-growth sectors under environmental and infrastructural constraints. Among the three cases, only two have introduced long-term measures, i.e., adjustments through stricter environmental standards, showing that moratoriums better work as a temporary measure to stabilize natural resource consumption while buying time for long-term adjustments. Conversely, in the two cases opting for a continuation of data center deployment (e.g., redirecting new permits to less resource-constrained areas), the strategy lowered implementation costs but has been subject to a lingering opposition process. Beyond response specificities, the six cases also present general policymaking patterns. First, stricter energy accuracy standards may facilitate planning sustainable data center growth. Second, policy responses may yield better results when paired with multi-regional infrastructural strategies matching IT infrastructure needs with available energy capacity.

Rheological Properties of Silica-Fume-Modified Bioasphalt and Road Performance of Mixtures.

The objective of this research is to enhance the high-temperature antirutting and antiaging characteristics of bioasphalt. In this study, silica fume (SF) was selected to modify bioasphalt. The dosage of bio-oil in bioasphalt was 5%, and the dosage of SF was 2%, 4%, 6%, 8%, and 10% of bioasphalt. The high- and low-temperature characteristics, aging resistance, and temperature sensitivity of Bio + SF were evaluated by temperature sweep (TS), the multiple stress creep recovery (MSCR) test, the bending beam rheology (BBR) test, and the viscosity test. Meanwhile, the road behavior of the Bio + SF mixture was evaluated using the rutting test, low-temperature bending beam test, freeze-thaw splitting test, and fatigue test. The experimental results showed that the dosage of SF could enhance the high-temperature rutting resistance, aging resistance, and temperature stability of bioasphalt. The higher the dosage of SF, the more significant the enhancement effect. However, incorporating SF weakened bioasphalt's low-temperature cracking resistance properties. When the SF dosage was less than 8%, the low-temperature cracking resistance of Bio + SF was still superior to that of matrix asphalt. Compared with matrix asphalt mixtures, the dynamic stability, destructive strain, freeze-thaw splitting strength ratio, and fatigue life of 5%Bio + 8%SF mixtures increased by 38.4%, 49.1%, 5.9%, and 68.9%, respectively. This study demonstrates that the development of SF-modified bioasphalt could meet the technical requirements of highway engineering. Using SF and bio-oil could decrease the consumption of natural resources and positively reduce environmental pollution.

Material flow cost accounting in Vietnam: a multi-level exploration

PurposeOf critical concern to the world is the need to reduce consumption and waste of natural resources. This study provides a multi-level exploration of the ways situational and transformational links between levels and challenges are related to the adoption and utilization of material flow cost accounting in Vietnam, to encourage green productivity.Design/methodology/approachBased on triangulation of public documents at different institutional levels and a set of semi-structured interviews, situational and transformational links and challenges for material flow cost accounting in Vietnam are examined using purposive and snowball sampling of key actors.FindingsUsing a multi-level framework the research identifies six situational and transformational barriers to implementation of material flow cost accounting and suggests opportunities to overcome these. The weakest links identified involve macro-to meso-situational and micro-to macro-transformational links. The paper highlights the dominance of meso-level institutions and lack of focus on micro transformation to cut waste and enable improvements in green productivity.Practical implicationsThe paper identifies ways for companies in Vietnam to reduce unsustainability and enable transformation towards sustainable management and waste reduction.Originality/valueThe paper is the first to develop and use a multi-level/multi-time period framework to examine the take-up of material flow cost accounting to encourage transformation towards green productivity. Consideration of the Vietnamese case builds understanding of the challenges for achieving United Nations Sustainable Development Goal number 12, to help enable sustainable production and consumption patterns.

An exploration of linkage between green logistics and natural rents: Evidence from the global database

This article represents the inaugural effort to establish a connection between green logistics and natural rents within the European region. In order to gauge natural rents accurately, we employ five distinct metrics, encompassing mineral rents, coal rents, forest rents, gas rents, and overall natural rents. Our research furnishes evidence indicating that the adoption of green logistics (GL) is poised to curtail the consumption of most natural resources, with the exception of coal. While GL does not exhibit statistical significance in the short term, it has a negative influence in the long term, reducing reliance on natural rents. To illuminate the relationship between institutional quality and natural rents, we incorporate six different indicators of institutions: accountability and voice, absence of violence/terrorism, political stability, government effectiveness, rule of law, regulatory quality, and control of corruption. Our findings underscore that integrating green logistics with institutions serves to diminish activities associated with natural rents. Additionally, with time, it is anticipated that the tangible effects of green logistics will become more apparent. These results hold up well when endogeneity, fixed effects, and heterogeneity are taken into account.