Stringent Environmental Regulations Research Articles

A sustainability assessment of the foundry production process in Italy

Sustainability has become an essential goal for companies to preserve their competitiveness; the metal cast industry is facing several challenges due stringent environmental regulations, resulting in sustainability performance issues. The evaluation of the cast iron environmental footprint has become a key point to drive the sector towards a more sustainable future.This study investigates the environmental performance of the cast iron manufactured by ten Italian foundries (named from A to J) by quantifying their product environmental footprint through the Life cycle assessment methodology. The scores of the surveyed foundries were compared with a benchmark value, that is representative of the average product manufactured by the Italian plants.The product environmental footprint of the casts of seven out of the ten surveyed plants is lower than the benchmark one. Raw materials acquisition is the most impacting in all sites; its contribution to the total product environmental footprint ranges from 59 % (foundry J) to 94 % (foundry D). Raw materials acquisition is followed by melting. The raw materials contributing more to the cast iron environmental footprint are pig iron and ferroalloys, together with electricity. The three elements on average accounts for the 60 % of the score of the casts of the surveyed plants.In all the considered plants climate change, particulate matter, resource, fossil fuels use and ecotoxicity are the most critical impact categories accounting for at least 70 % of the environmental footprint.The reduction of the cast iron environmental footprint is challenging because it requires to intervene on a well consolidated production process without altering the product quality. However, the substitution of pig iron and ferroalloys with recycled inputs, although not easy to achieve could be effective to enhance the sector sustainability since it would reduce the scores associated with the climate change, resource use and ecotoxicity impact categories.

Combined advanced oxidation dye-wastewater treatment plant: design and development with data-driven predictive performance modeling

The recalcitrant nature of the industrial dyes poses a significant challenge to existing treatment technologies due to the stringent environmental regulations. This combined with the inefficiency of a single treatment method has led to the implementation of the combination of primary, secondary, and tertiary treatment processes, which fails during complex secondary aeration processes due to variable pH loads of industrial effluent wastewater. This article presents a modified design methodology of a pilot-scale micro-pre-treatment unit using a solar-triggered advanced oxidation process reactor that both effectively controls the influent variability at the source and mitigates textile effluents for making the discharge reusable for different industrial purposes. The proposed modified combination technique of controlled serial processes inclusive of primary, secondary, and tertiary treatment steps with ZnO/ZnO-GO NanoMat-based advanced oxidation process demonstrates complete remediation of industrial grade effluent with effective reuse of the discharge. Further, a reliable prediction model for estimating water quality parameter using machine learning models are proposed. Multi-linear regression and Artificial Neural network modeling provide simple, accurate, and robust prediction capabilities, which are evaluated for the efficiency of the processes. The generated prediction models capture the output parameters within an acceptable level of accuracy (Radj2>0.90)\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$({{\\boldsymbol{R}}}_{{adj}}^{{\\bf{2}}}\\, >\\, 0.90)$$\\end{document} and allow compliance with the discharge Inland Water Discharge Standards (IWDS).

Environmental regulation and land resource allocation in China: Empirical evidence from micro-level land transaction data

Land resource allocation is closely related to economic activities, which can be affected by environmental regulation. Exploiting the variation in regulation intensity coming from the new Environmental Protection Law (EPL) across time, regions, and industries, we construct a difference-in-difference-in-differences (DDD) model to investigate the impact of environmental regulation on land resource allocation in China. We find that when faced with stringent environmental regulation, local governments are inclined to reduce land supply for polluting industries, which is robust using alternative specifications. Besides, local governments raise the price and the average size of land parcels sold to polluting firms, along with remote land locations and low land quality. Further evidence indicates that local officials, with fewer promotion incentives, tend to reduce land supply for polluting industries substantially, whereas they are more likely to increase land supply for polluting industries under increased economic growth (fiscal) pressure. This study reveals that environmental regulation can direct local land resource allocation towards a green path. Local governments can employ land supply tools to implement environmental governance.

Does stringent environmental regulation improve labor force employment? Evidence from China

Does stringent environmental regulation improve labor force employment? Evidence from China

A noval salt effect coupled vacuum distillation process for high efficient ultra-azeotropic reuse of spent HCl

The escalating challenge of recycling and treating spent hydrochloric acid (HCl) in various industries, driven by stringent environmental regulations, necessitates urgent solutions for the reuse of spent HCl in industrial processes. However, the concentration and reuse of spent HCl have been impeded by azeotropism. In this study, an innovative salt effect coupled vacuum distillation process was introduced to enable the rapid and convenient recovery of HCl. Salts and vacuum environment both can be found to break the azeotropism effectively, augment the disparity in the dissociation abilities of HCl and H2O in clusters, and enhance the evaporation rate. Specifically, MgCl2 and CaCl2 salt systems were selected, achieving recovered HCl concentrations of 9.66 and 9.85 mol/L, with corresponding recovery rates of 86.45 % and 80.65 %, respectively. For the reuse of spent HCl from chlorinated distillation for extracting germanium (Ge), the presence of As(V) poses a risk to Ge recovery and potential contamination of the Ge product. Excellent resistance to As(Ⅴ) mobilization (<2%) was obtained in the CaCl2 system. To comprehensively understand the salt’s role in breaking azeotropism, molecular simulations were employed. The Mg2+/Ca2+ ions were observed to bind with H2O molecules in the solution, weakening the force between H2O and HCl, decreasing the dissociation energy of HCl molecules by 35 times (from 102.82 to 2.94 kJ/mol), and increasing the dissociation energy of H2O molecules from 52.5 to 61.5 kJ/mol. The proposed process integrates high HCl recovery with an ultra-azeotropic concentrating effect, offering a novel approach for reusing spent HCl in industrial applications.

Environmental protection taxes and green productivity: Evidence from listed companies in China

Enforcing an environmental protection tax is a pivotal institutional measure for addressing environmental and climate change challenges and marking a substantial advancement in ecological development. This study aims to explore the influence of environmental protection taxes on the "green" productivity of the manufacturing industry through an analysis of Chinese listed companies. Initially, the Dynamic Slacks-Based Measure (DSBM) method is employed to estimate the "green" production efficiency levels of 175 listed companies in China from 2016 to 2020. Subsequently, by aligning pollution tax standards issued by local governments and relevant environmental protection departments with microlevel data from the CSMAR database, wind database, listed company annual reports, and social responsibility reports, the sample was refined to 833 data points. Using the implementation of the environmental protection tax policy in 2018 as a natural experiment, a Difference-in-Differences (DID) model is applied for empirical testing. The empirical results reveal a counterintuitive negative correlation between the environmental protection tax and the "green" productivity of companies, contradicting the predictions of the Porter hypothesis. This suggests that stringent environmental regulations hinder the development of green technologies. The adverse impact of environmental protection taxes on "green" productivity is attributed to heightened environmental legitimacy pressures and increasing environmental uncertainty risks companies face. Further exploratory analysis indicated that the digital economy and green finance have a positive moderating effect, significantly mitigating the negative impact of environmental protection taxes on companies' overall "green" productivity. Consequently, dynamically optimizing environmental tax policies is imperative to alleviate companies' environmental legitimacy pressures and uncertainty risks. Additionally, capitalizing on the opportunities the digital economy presents and leveraging green finance policies have emerged as effective strategies for realizing the Porter effect of environmental protection taxes.

Sulfured NiMo catalysts on TiO2-Nb2O5 nanocomposites for efficient hydrodesulfurization performance

The implementation of increasingly stringent environmental regulations has increased the demand for more active catalysts in hydrotreating. This study proposes the synthesis, characterization, and evaluation of bimetallic NiMo catalysts supported on TiO2-Nb2O5 nanocomposites for dibenzothiophene hydrodesulfurization. Samples containing 3, 5, and 10 wt% Nb2O5 were synthesized to examine the influence of Nb content on their catalytic activity and selectivity. Supports and oxidized catalysts were characterized using various techniques, including SEM-EDS, N2 physisorption, powder XRD, UV–vis DRS, Raman spectroscopy, and H2-TPR, while sulfured catalysts were further characterized by XPS and HRTEM. NiMo/TiNb3 and NiMo/TiNb5 catalysts displayed propene and diisopropyl ether as the main products in the 2-propanol dehydration reaction. A correlation was observed between hydrogenating capabilities in the HDS and dehydration tests with the Nb loading, suggesting that an optimal combination of Lewis/Brønsted acid sites enhances the BP/CHB ratio. All Nb-containing samples exhibited superior activity compared to their Nb-free counterparts, as indicated by the higher values of the pseudo-first-order rate constants (kHDS), which were higher for the NiMo/TiNb3 catalyst. These results were also associated with the respective textural characteristics, metal dispersion, and species distribution.

Asymmetric role of environmental policy stringency, fiscal, and monetary policy on environmental sustainability: Evidence from BRICS‐T countries

AbstractClimate change is often discussed and serves as an essential topic among policymakers and researchers. This study aims to examine the impact of macroeconomic policy and “environmental policy stringency” (EPS) on “ecological footprint” (EF) and “load capacity factor” (LCF) for the BRICS‐T (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, and Turkey) countries using annual data from 1990 to 2022. It also explores other environmental sustainability factors, such as economic growth and disintegrated energy. This investigation utilizes second‐generation approaches such as Westerlund cointegration, “method of moments quantile regression” (MMQR), and panel causality test. Furthermore, a robustness check is done using long‐run estimators, such as dynamic ordinary least square (DOLS), fully modified ordinary least square (FMOLS), and fixed effect ordinary least square (FE‐OLS). Overall, findings from the method of moments quantile regression (MMQR) test concerning EF suggest that economic growth and fiscal policy contribute to environmental quality. Meanwhile, monetary policy, renewable energy consumption, and environmental policy stringency mitigate the pollution level in all quantiles. Moreover, results from the LCF model indicate that monetary policy, environmental policy stringency, and renewable energy consumption improve the environmental condition. However, fiscal policy has damaged environmental pollution in each quantile. In addition, the study findings confirm the validity of the inverted U‐shaped Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) hypothesis and U‐shaped LCC hypothesis. The long‐run estimators support the outcomes from the MMQR method. The empirical findings of the DH panel heterogeneous causality test confirm the presence of bidirectional and unidirectional causality between the model parameters, underscoring that policy interventions such as government expenditure, money supply, and EPS significantly impact environmental quality and vice versa. Thus, the study recommends allocating more funds for eco‐friendly technology, initiating a green lending program, and enforcing stringent environmental laws and regulations to attain Sustainable Development Goals.

Synthesis of full bio‐based, fast degradable, and high strength copolyesters: Poly(butylene succinate‐sebacicate‐salicylicate‐malicate)

AbstractThe presence of petroleum‐based monomers in the backbone of poly(butylene succinate‐co‐adipate) (PBSA) restricts its application in light of increasingly stringent environmental regulations. In this study, a novel full bio‐based biodegradable random copolymer poly(butylene succinate‐sebacicate‐salicylicate‐malicate) (PBSSeSa‐c‐M) was designed and synthesized. The comprehensive study encompassed the structural alterations, properties, and degradation resulting from the inclusion of salicylicate sebacicate and malicate units. The incorporation of salicylic acid effectively enhanced the tensile modulus of the copolymer, due to the effect of rigid benzene ring. Meanwhile, the addition of sebacic acid regulated the degradation rate. The introduction of malic acid significantly improved the rheological properties, endowing the copolymer with exceptional processability. The obtained high molecular weight PBSSeSa‐c‐M exhibited outstanding film‐blowing processability with an intrinsic viscosity of 1.58 dL/g and melt flow rate of 7.34 g/10 min. The tensile modulus reaches 235.43 MPa that is comparable to commercial PBSA. Besides, the degradation of PBSSeSa‐c‐M reaches 18.92% over 4 weeks, far higher than that of PBSA. In conclusion, this work provides a design and synthesis for a new kind of biodegradable copolyester that satisfies the requirement of rapid degradation in single‐use plastics.

Does digital economy development affect urban environment quality: Evidence from 285 cities in China.

The impact of the digital economy (DE) on urban environmental quality (EQ) is a critical aspect of China's economic development. This study investigates the impact of DI on urban EQ using the data from prefecture-level cities spanning the period from 2011 to 2021 and updates some disparate conclusions of related studies. It is discovered that a non-linear correlation exists between DE and urban EQ. Currently, DE can effectively improve local city EQ. This conclusion remains valid even after robustness tests and endogeneity treatment. The impact of DE on improving EQ can be classified as the impact of technological innovation, industrial upgrading, resource allocation, infrastructure construction, environmental governance, and changes in public lifestyle. Heterogeneity analysis reveals that the influence of DE is particularly pronounced in cities located in central and eastern regions of China, those with higher levels of administrative management, resource-based urban areas, and those with more stringent environmental regulations.

Evaluation of Ship Recycling Industry in View of Present Global Circumstances and Way Forward

Ship recycling, commonly referred to as ship dismantling, is an inherently sustainable practice with global implications. It involves the reverse engineering process of disassembling obsolete ships to recover reusable materials in a safe and environmentally friendly manner. Over the past two decades, ships have predominantly been beached in South Asian countries such as Bangladesh, India, China, and Pakistan, allowing local yards to dismantle vessels with moderate preventive measures and substantial manual labor. Ship recycling stands as a significant and environmentally conscious industry, witnessing the annual recycling of approximately 1000 obsolete ships globally. Currently, this industry is predominantly led by three South Asian countries—India, Bangladesh, and Pakistan. In Bangladesh, the industry commenced with the dismantling of stranded ships, evolving into a large and profitable sector that generates substantial employment opportunities for thousands of semi-skilled workers in poverty-prone areas. While the ship recycling industry presents opportunities, it also poses challenges for coastal zone management, encompassing environmental, law enforcement, and worker safety concerns. The surge in demand for ship recycling has prompted increased regulatory scrutiny at both national and international levels. This pressure culminated in the development of the Hong Kong International Convention (HKC) by the IMO in 2009, mandating safety and environmental protection standards at recycling yards. Achieving a perfectly green ship recycling process in line with European standards is inherently costly. However, a viable and almost green ship recycling approach, integrating the current common practice of beaching methods in Asian countries, is entirely feasible. Despite limitations and challenges, the industry significantly contributes to Bangladesh&amp;apos;s GDP and the overall socio-economic landscape. Currently, there has been a visible reduction in Bangladesh&amp;apos;s market share due to stringent environmental regulations, while competitors have experienced increases. This study represents an analytical effort to evaluate the current global ship recycling scenario, exploring its potential, challenges, and the future trajectory of both local and global ship recycling industries.

CLIMATE RISK ASSESSMENT IN PETROLEUM OPERATIONS: A REVIEW OF CSR PRACTICES FOR SUSTAINABLE RESILIENCE IN THE UNITED STATES AND AFRICA

Climate risk assessment has emerged as a critical component in the sustainability efforts of petroleum operations, given the increasing frequency and severity of climate-related events. This paper provides a comprehensive review of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) practices employed in the United States and Africa to enhance sustainable resilience in the face of climate risks within the petroleum industry. In the United States, where stringent environmental regulations and public scrutiny prevail, petroleum companies have adopted a range of CSR practices to assess and mitigate climate risks. These practices encompass comprehensive environmental impact assessments, carbon footprint reduction initiatives, and the integration of renewable energy sources into their operations. The paper explores how these CSR practices contribute to the overall resilience of petroleum operations in the United States. In contrast, Africa presents a diverse landscape with varying levels of regulatory frameworks and industrial practices. The paper delves into the unique challenges and opportunities faced by petroleum operations on the African continent in managing climate risks. It highlights the role of CSR practices in promoting sustainable development, community engagement, and ecosystem conservation as integral components of climate risk resilience. The review emphasizes the importance of a holistic approach to climate risk assessment, considering both the environmental and social dimensions of petroleum operations. It sheds light on the need for collaboration between industry stakeholders, governments, and local communities to develop effective CSR strategies that enhance resilience while fostering sustainable practices. By synthesizing insights from both the United States and Africa, this paper contributes to the global discourse on climate risk management in the petroleum industry. It underscores the significance of CSR practices as instrumental tools for achieving sustainable resilience and fostering a harmonious coexistence between petroleum operations and the environment in diverse geopolitical contexts.&#x0D; Keywords: Climate Risk, Risk Assessment, Petroleum, CSR, USA, Africa, Review.

Sweeping it under the rug: Positioning and managing pollution‐intensive activities in organizational hierarchies

AbstractResearch SummaryMany corporate groups have multiple layers with parent companies owning subsidiaries, which own other subsidiaries, and so forth, in a pyramid‐like ownership structure. We argue that corporate groups perform their pollution‐intensive activities at the lower levels of the corporate hierarchy to buffer the parent from pollution‐related regulatory risks. Our analysis of 7400 US‐based business establishments owned by the 67 largest US‐headquartered chemical manufacturing corporate groups supported this argument. We also found that they were even more likely to do so in states with greater environmental stringency, whether it be in the home state of the parent or the host state of the subsidiary. Our research calls into question the effectiveness of environmental regulations if companies have the opportunity to shift polluting activities lower in their corporate hierarchy.Managerial SummaryMany commentators assert that firms offshore or outsource pollution‐intensive activities to avoid environmental regulations. In this research, we suggest a third approach in avoiding environmental regulations: locating pollution lower in the hierarchy of multilayered corporate groups, which are companies that own subsidiaries that own other subsidiaries and so on. By analyzing data on the 67 largest US‐headquartered chemical manufacturing corporate groups, we found support for this assertion. We also found that pollution is more likely to be located lower in multilayered corporate groups when they are subject to stringent environmental regulations. The multilayered corporate form allows parent companies to insulate themselves from the regulatory risks of pollution‐intensive activities of their subsidiaries through their limited liability status.

Examining the environmental tax and the fishing grounds footprint nexus: Case of the African fishing industry

AbstractThe implementation of environmental stringent policies faces a trade‐off between ensuring livelihood sustainability and reducing global fishing footprints. This study investigates the impact of environmental tax on fishing footprints in 23 African countries from 2000 to 2018, using the smoothed instrumental‐variables quantile regression approach. The need to establish a sustainable fishing business in Africa, considering the growing fishing footprint, and investigate if environmental levies could help achieve this goal are the driving forces behind this study. The findings reveal that environmental tax reduces footprints in African fishing grounds up to the 0.75th quantile, beyond which its impact remains insignificant in its conditional distribution. More importantly, environmental tax stringency‐reducing impacts are only apparent in the coastal and middle‐income groups up to the 0.90th and 0.50th quantiles, respectively. Environmental tax appeared to only contribute to reducing fishing footprints beyond the 0.75th quantile with higher levels of pollution tax across its conditional distribution in landlocked countries, but remaining insignificant in the low‐income group. The insignificant impact on the low‐income group is due to relatively relaxed environmental regulations that are unable to address the ecological deficit. The findings further indicate that digital infrastructures and financial development can contribute to enhancing fishing grounds biocapacity, in promoting environmental awareness and ecofriendly strategies. These findings are significant because they show that, regardless of whether environmental standards are governed by common law or civil law legal systems, environmental taxes can be utilized to stop deleterious ecoenvironmental practices within the African fishing industry. The study recommends that policy makers adopt more stringent environmental regulations, particularly for the landlocked countries, whose limited fishery grounds biocapacity has dropped in recent years.

Reviewing the advancements in offshore drilling technologies in the USA and their global impact

This study provides an overview of the significant advancements in offshore drilling technologies within the United States and their consequential global impact. As the world's leading innovator in the energy sector, the USA has played a pivotal role in shaping the future of offshore drilling, pushing the boundaries of technological capabilities and fostering sustainable practices. The review begins by highlighting the evolution of offshore drilling technologies in the USA over the past decade. Innovations such as advanced drilling rigs, smart sensors, and real-time data analytics have revolutionized the industry, enhancing operational efficiency, safety, and environmental sustainability. These technological breakthroughs have not only increased the depth and reach of offshore drilling but have also significantly reduced exploration risks and minimized the environmental footprint. The global impact of these advancements is explored, emphasizing the ripple effect on international energy markets, geopolitical dynamics, and environmental stewardship. The USA's expertise in developing cutting-edge technologies has been instrumental in influencing global industry standards and best practices. International collaborations, knowledge exchange, and technology transfer have facilitated the adoption of these advancements in offshore drilling practices across the globe. Furthermore, the study addresses the role of regulatory frameworks and industry collaborations in shaping the trajectory of offshore drilling technologies. The USA's commitment to stringent safety and environmental regulations has set a benchmark for responsible offshore exploration, influencing other nations to implement similar standards. The study concludes by highlighting the future prospects and challenges in offshore drilling technologies. As the energy landscape continues to evolve, the USA remains at the forefront of research and development, driving innovation towards cleaner, more efficient, and sustainable offshore drilling solutions. The ongoing collaboration between industry stakeholders, government bodies, and research institutions is crucial for addressing emerging challenges and ensuring the continued positive global impact of USA's advancements in offshore drilling technologies.

Environmental pressure and board gender diversity: Evidence from the European Union Emission Trading System

AbstractWe examine how environmental pressure influences board gender diversity. Drawing from resource dependence, strategic adaptation, and gender socialization theories, we develop and test the prediction that firms with worse environmental performance have a higher likelihood of increasing their board gender diversity following a rise in environmental pressure. Focusing on the third phase (2013–2019) of the European Union Emission Trading System (EU ETS), we exploit the unexpected increase in emission prices after the European Council's (EC) intervention in 2017 as a quasi‐natural experiment bringing heightened environmental pressure to firms. Our baseline sample consists of 182 polluting firms in 20 different EU ETS‐covered countries. In line with our main hypothesis, we find that board gender diversity increases with firms' industry‐adjusted levels of pollution in the post‐EC intervention period, with the effect being particularly pronounced for firms with a higher exposure to emission prices and lower diversity levels. Inconsistent with a window dressing explanation, highly polluting firms replace incumbent male board members with highly qualified women. Our findings, which survive several robustness tests, suggest that more stringent environmental regulation drives social and governance changes at top corporate levels.

Variable pressure foaming on functionality and structural properties correlation in flexible polyurethane foam

The production cost of flexible polyurethane foam is significantly dependent on the cost of polyol, which constitutes the largest percentage of materials used in foam production with the characteristics to induce superior mechanical properties. Suitable fillers that are relatively cheap can be introduced in the foam as replacement for polyol. Certain compositions of filler have deleterious effect on some relevant mechanical properties of the foam. This paper investigates the Effects of Variable Pressure Foaming on functionality and structure property correlation in polyurethane foam using different percentage of inorganic fillers at different pressure in flexible polyurethane foam for the dual purposes of achieving sustained mechanical properties of polyurethane foam and reduction in the production cost by using the VPF Technique. Government restricts the use of certain auxiliary blowing agents like chlorofluorocarbon, trichloroethane, carbon dioxide, methylene chloride, acetone, pentane and water. VPF machine, in which we can make different densities of foam without adding auxiliary blowing agents which are banned in the Europe and other countries. These blowing agents are highly carcinogenic and ozone depletors, which are also harmful for human beings’ health and greenhouse effect. Water is a natural blowing agent, producers have tried to raise the water level substantially as an ABA agent, With the high exotherm associated with high water level formulations, there is so much urea formation that it is difficult to make flexible PU foams and inferior foam quality and durability, scorching in the foam and pose a fire hazard during foam manufacturing. For the rapid cooling process, it required excess Toluene Diisocyanate usage and allowed excess TDI vapour to be released into the atmosphere. In VPF, enclosed chamber and the exhaust is vented through carbon beds, it filters the TDI fumes which are very harmful for human beings’ health and for the environment. Foams can be achieved by foaming under vacuum, thus substantially reducing the water level and TDI usage. VPF technique offers a unique combination of environmental friendliness, superior product consistency and unique foam properties. It provides us with a platform for new product technology and a reliable process to meet the increasingly stringent environmental regulations.

Do environmental regulations drive MNEs’ equity ownership? Considering the impact of exogenous shocks on MNEs’ cross-border acquisitions

Extant studies of how firms respond to environmental regulations in devising foreign expansion strategies often fail to consider how multinational enterprises’ (MNEs) equity ownership decision-making might depend on the host country's environmental regulations. To advance a conceptual framework based on institutional theory, the current study tests whether the stringency of host country environmental regulations influences MNEs' decisions about equity ownership. Novel, recent data pertaining to 3,679 cross-border acquisition (CBA) deals by 1,135 MNEs from 30 countries also provide insights into whether environmental capabilities and environmental regulation distance affect the relationships of MNEs' equity ownership decision-making and the stringency of host countries' environmental regulations. Because exogenous shocks, such as COVID-19, create notable disruptions, this study also considers how exogenous shocks have influenced MNEs' strategic decisions in international markets. The results reveal that MNEs choose higher equity ownership in host countries with more stringent environmental regulations; environmental capabilities and environmental regulation distance positively moderate the relationship between the degree of environmental regulation stringency and the level of equity ownership. Finally, the links between environment regulation stringency and equity ownership grow stronger when MNEs experience an exogenous shock such as COVID-19.

Unleashing the spillover potential: Exploring the role of technology-seeking investment in driving green innovation of host countries

The integration of green development and innovation has become a critical strategy for transforming China's energy-intensive economic growth model. This study investigates the heterogeneous impact of technology-seeking outward foreign direct investment (TSOFDI) for promoting green innovation development (GID) by examining Chinese provinces as the empirical units. Our study extends the measurement models of GID by considering both productivity and output, proposing a novel method for selecting TSOFDI projects. The empirical findings indicate significant regional disparities in the GID, with the eastern region leading in both green productivity and green output. Significantly, our study establishes a non-linear correlation between TSOFDI and GID, suggesting that the green spillover effect is contingent on the level of fiscal autonomy and environmental regulation. In conclusion, it is necessary to increase TSOFDI projects and improve investment quality. The government should guide the innovative achievements and high-quality talents from the eastern regions to flow into the central and western regions. Additionally, governments at all levels should dynamically adjust revenue and expenditure, maintaining a reasonable fiscal autonomy and a stringent environmental regulation to fully unleash the promoting role of outward investment in green innovation.

Determinants of efficient water use and conservation in the Colombian manufacturing industry using machine learning

Water is a fundamental aspect of achieving sustainable industries, and it is essential for firms to make efficient use of it. However, not all companies have sustainable water management practices in place. In this study, we aim to answer the research question: What factors influenced the efficient use and saving of water in the Colombian manufacturing industry in 2020? We used data from the Annual Manufacturing Survey and the Industrial Environmental Survey conducted by DANE to investigate this question. Our study grouped the variables into four categories: Environmental commitment, Risk mitigation, Innovation, and Location. We used two supervised learning machine-learning algorithms—decision tree and logit regression with LASSO regularization—to analyze the data. The results underscore those investments in wastewater treatment, total water consumption, and commitments to air and climate protection emerge as pivotal drivers for embracing sustainable practices. Moreover, the geographical location of companies significantly influences the likelihood of implementing water conservation initiatives. To enhance efficient water use and conservation in the Colombian manufacturing sector, several targeted public policies are recommended. These include offering fiscal and financial incentives to encourage investments in advanced wastewater treatment and reuse technologies. Additionally, advocating for specialized training and environmental education programs tailored for corporate personnel is crucial. Moreover, establishing initiatives for environmental certification and eco-labeling within the corporate sector can significantly promote sustainable water practices. Lastly, enforcing more stringent environmental regulations and standards, especially for industries like Textile, Metallurgy, and Manufacturing of rubber and plastic products, is essential to ensure responsible water management across the sector.