Sustainability Constraints Research Articles

Prevalence of bean scab caused by Elsinoë phaseoli and challenges associated with bean cultivation in Kenya.

This study investigated the prevalence of scab caused by Elsinoë phaseoli causing yield losses on beans in Kenya. The research focused on common practices and challenges faced by subsistence farmers with the aim of providing insights into scab prevalence, impact, and potential management challenges. A structured questionnaire was employed in a survey conducted in 2022 and 2023, covering major bean-growing regions using a three-stage sampling design. Data from 128 bean farmers included information on farm size, seed sources, cropping systems, awareness of challenges, and pest/disease management practices. Scab prevalence was determined by scouting for symptoms, with a total of 84 farms surveyed in 2021. The incidence of bean scab was confirmed in all surveyed clusters, indicating its widespread occurrence across various agro-ecological zones. Farmers exhibited common practices such as preference for uniform bean seeds (61%), use of uncertified seeds (83%), intercropping (80%), and limited crop rotation. Challenges included disease and pest infestations, with limited diversity in management options. Confirmation of the presence of bean scab in diverse agro-ecological zones emphasizes its importance and the need for further research on its impact and epidemiology. Challenges with crop rotation were evident due to small farm sizes and subsistence-focused farming. The study recommends further research for a comprehensive understanding of the link between increased scab importance and current bean farming practices such as short rotation periods and the use of susceptible varieties. Training programs are also vital to improve farmers' knowledge on safe agro-chemical use, ensuring sustainable constraint management in common bean cultivation in Kenya.

Sustainability Constraints on Rural Road Infrastructure

Research on the sustainability of rural roads is of great significance to the integrated promotion of rural habitat improvement, the maintenance of regional ecological patterns, and the implementation of the rural revitalization strategy. This paper examines the constraints to ensuring the sustainability of road infrastructure in rural Shaanxi, China. Rural road infrastructure plays an important role in poverty alleviation. Rural Shaanxi Province is situated among a variety of terrains and spans a large area. Therefore, using the current situation of rural roads in the province as a starting point, the constraints and their rankings that impede the sustainability of road infrastructure are identified through the fuzzy Delphi method (FDM) and structural equation modeling (SEM), which in turn suggests governance measures that can be taken. The data in this paper come from 498 valid questionnaires obtained from 50 townships and 101 sample villages in Shaanxi Province. Due to the huge number of questionnaires, the questionnaires were tested with the help of SPSS 26.0 software, which showed that the questionnaires had high reliability and validity, and then the structural equation model was validated and modified according to the recommendations of goodness-of-fit statistics measurement and the modification index. Finally, the key factors affecting the sustainable development of rural road infrastructure were finally identified.

Sustainability accounting reporting: issues for the automobile industry

PurposeThe purpose of this research is to highlight the imperative need for an internationally accepted standard for sustainability accounting reporting, not exclusive to the analyzed sector but across all industries.Design/methodology/approachThis paper uses an enhanced analysis of existing empirical literature on accounting reporting for sustainability efforts in corporate practices. The study uses two statistical techniques: multiple linear regression analysis and structural equations modeling, focusing on a sample drawn from the Newsweek Green Rankings within the automobile industry. Specifically, the analysis is conducted on data spanning from 2014 to 2016, covering three years and comprises 25 corporations from the Global Fortune 500 list.FindingsThe empirical analysis reveals a significant gap in sustainable reporting practices, highlighting the challenges of nonstandardized managerial accounting across the globe. This research portrays key benefits including enhanced data accessibility and the adoption of sustainable practices across industries. Furthermore, assisting in academic research.Research limitations/implicationsThe study addresses challenges in researching sustainability constraints across various dimensions. The obtained empirical data could inform stakeholders, including accounting setters and managers in the automobile industry, about the pressing need to set uniform sustainability constraints comprehensively and to implement global reporting standards to foster transparency and accountability.Practical implicationsThe sustainability accounting setters, such as Sustainability Accounting Standards Board and International Financial Reporting Standards Foundation, face the challenge of adopting globally accepted accounting standards for sustainability reporting. The statistical evidence correlates sustainable variables with three profitability margins (earnings before interest and taxes, earnings before interest taxes, depreciation and amortization and pretax), providing empirical proof of the degree of correlation among them.Social implicationsThis paper aims to collaborate with the Meditari Accountancy Research Journal in bridging the gap in international standards for sustainability accounting reporting. It emphasizes the global significance of achieving a standardized approach to reporting for sustainability and its potential positive impact on corporations, governments, academic research teams and society.Originality/valueDiverse societal stakeholders have advocated for the implementation of a more sustainable world. Currently, there is no international agreement on how to report for sustainability efforts. This paper evidences this gap, which if persistent would not allow for an accurate evaluation of progress and fulfillment of goals, causing a subpar performance without standard measures.

Feasibility of satisfying projected biopower demands in support of decarbonization interventions: A spatially-explicit cost optimization model applied to woody biomass in the eastern US

Power generation from biomass (biopower) has experienced substantial growth in the United States. Although renewable and sustainably sourced biopower can reduce the carbon footprint of the electricity sector, there is a scarcity of analyses that simultaneously consider the financial feasibility and sustainability criteria of procured biomass. We developed a spatially-explicit optimization model to minimize the cost of meeting projected biopower demand while ensuring carbon neutrality and biomass sustainability constraints. The optimization model was applied to projected biopower demand scenarios in the eastern US, considering various public policy decarbonization interventions. Modeling woody biomass procured from local forests as the source of biopower was chosen due to its dominant role as a renewable energy source, regional availability, and lower risk of violating carbon neutrality objectives. Initially, we projected the net growth of woody biomass in trees and their carbon pools by 2035, as a function of biopower generation, utilizing data from 2009–2017. Subsequently, forecasted woody biomass and projected biopower demand through 2035 were employed to determine optimal levels of biopower generation and estimate the corresponding resource impacts within procurement forests. The results suggest the potential for substantial increases in sustainable biopower generation in the eastern US. However, the feasibility of this expansion depends on the continued economic viability of biopower generation in the future. It is worth noting that the largest increases, surpassing threefold, in biopower generation over the 2020–2030 decade could potentially compromise the carbon neutrality of locally procured woody biomass.

A Game-Theoretical Integrated Approach for Sustainable Portfolio Selection: An Application on BIST Participation Sustainability Index Stocks

Sustainable investment is a hot topic of portfolio selection. This study aims to examine sustainable portfolio selection for conservative investors using the ESG criteria. Thus, we propose a two-stage integrated approach based on two-player zero-sum games. In the first stage, we use a fuzzy multi-criteria decision making (MCDM) approach to calculate the sustainability scores of the stocks based on expert knowledge. In the second stage, we form and solve a linear optimization problem by only adding a sustainability constraint to Young’s minimax portfolio selection model. We illustrate the integrated approach using the weekly simple returns of eight stocks. We also compare our results with the results of Young’s minimax portfolio selection model. We find that sustainable investment does not necessarily lead to performance loss. Furthermore, it may increase performance in some cases. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first paper on sustainable portfolio selection that depends only on two-player zero-sum games, including the stage of finding sustainability scores.

3D Investing: Jointly Optimizing Return, Risk, and Sustainability

Traditional mean-variance portfolio optimization is based on the premise that investors only care about risk and return. However, some investors also have non-financial objectives such as sustainability goals. We show how the traditional approach can readily be extended to mean-variance-sustainability optimization and explain why this 3D investing approach is ex-ante Pareto-optimal. We illustrate its efficacy empirically in several studies, including carbon footprint and sustainable development goal objectives. Importantly, we highlight conditions under which a 3D optimization approach is superior to a naïve 2D approach augmented with sustainability constraints.

Potential thermal constraints for sustainable industrial city: refined simulation and prediction of extreme urban heat island effect

Extreme urban heat islands (E-UHIs) have caused radical changes in urban climates. The lack of refined extreme thermal environment simulation models (ETESM) hinders research on the spatial evolution of E-UHI, which increases the uncertainty for managers to make sustainable decisions. Here, considering both the heating of industrial land and the heat transfer of surrounding facilities, a refined ETESM is constructed. Assuming four scenarios: maintain current trend (MtS), economically oriented scenario (EcS), environmentally oriented scenario (EnS), green transformation scenario (GtS), the future potential constraints of the E-UHI are simulated and predicted, thus determining the sustainable development decision in industrial city. The results indicate that there is significant spatial consistency between simulated temperature and actual temperature at both city scale (Pearson'r = 0.924, P<0.001) and industrial land scale (Pearson'r = 0.948, P<0.001). The average temperature under four scenarios shows: EcS>MtS>GtS>EnS. The average SST of EnS and GtS was 1.36℃ and 1.06℃ lower than that of MtS, respectively. Considering the dual constraints of environmental livability and economic sustainability, GtS is the best decision to achieve the sustainable development in industrial city. This simulation-driven study provides support for E-UHI mitigation and sustainable development of industrial city.

Diversitas Ekonomi Desa Mayangan Menggunakan Break Even Point sebagai Dasar Perencanaan Laba dalam Membangun Ekonomi Masyarakat

The development of tourism in coastal areas has the potential to have a positive impact on the local community's economy. This study aims to analyze the role of the break even point as a basis for profit planning for economic diversity at Pondok Wisata Bali Beach in Subang Regency. The research method uses a qualitative approach with case studies to gain an in-depth understanding of economic dynamics and their impacts. The research findings reveal that Pondok Wisata Bali Beach has created various economic sectors around it, including hotels, restaurants, handicrafts, as well as local agriculture. This economic diversity has provided new opportunities in terms of income and employment, as well as empowering local communities through training and entrepreneurial opportunities. However, environmental sustainability constraints are also an issue that needs attention. The results of the calculation of the Break Even Point on Pondok Bali Subang tourism show that the income is above the break even point so that this Pondok Bali Subang tour earns profits and is safe from losses. This research provides valuable insights for decision makers and practitioners in developing sustainable tourism in the region.&#x0D; Keywords: Economic Diversity. Profit, Break Even Point

Enhancing Sustainability in Power Electronics through Regulations and Standards: A Literature Review

Considering sustainability in Power Electronics (PE) is a relatively recent topic of interest. However, the existing regulatory and normative frameworks supposed to guide designers and industries in this direction have not been combined in an exhaustive way. This article aims to bridge the gap by conducting a literature review of the regulative and normative constraints for sustainability in PE. This study primarily addresses the framework at the European level, with a focus on French regulations and standards. In this study, a total of 63 relevant documents are collected and analyzed. A framework representing the overview of existing legislation and facultative guidelines for PE ecodesign is established. A collaborative online tool is developed to enable access to the inventory by PE stakeholders. The analysis of the framework outlines the limitations and challenges needing to be addressed, including the absence of constraints on environmental performance, the inadequacy of material efficiency standards for PE products, and the unclear methodology for ecodesign implementation. This work, undertaken at the European level with a detailed examination of the French context, is intended to serve as an inspiring analysis for other countries and for PE designers who are considering the regulatory framework of a European representative country.

Time-consistent pension policy with minimum guarantee and sustainability constraint

Time-consistent pension policy with minimum guarantee and sustainability constraint

Carbon Sequestration Through Forestry: A Differential Equation Approach

Carbon sequestration through forestry represents a promising approach to partially counteract anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions driving climate change. Tree growth naturally removes carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, storing it as biomass. Sustainably managed forests can effectively function as carbon sinks. However, determining optimal forestry policies involves balancing complex ecological dynamics with economic constraints. This study develops differential equation models quantitatively capturing forest growth, timber harvesting, and carbon sequestration dynamics. Logistic models are first adapted to simulate biomass accumulation of representative tree species. Lifecycle growth patterns spanning juvenile to mature phases are incorporated, along with climate effects. Biomass levels are proportionally related to carbon dioxide removal rates from the atmosphere. Deforestation impacts are analyzed by incorporating harvesting-induced biomass reductions. Sustainability constraints are implemented to ensure minimum viable tree densities across harvest rotations. Optimization techniques then identify management guidelines maximizing economic returns given ecological stability considerations. The goal is providing quantitative insights into rotation lengths, planting densities, and allowable cuts upholding both climate change mitigation and commercial demands. Findings can inform science-based forestry policies to leverage forests as sustainable natural carbon sinks.

Ambiguities in implementing regulations for sustainable groundwater resources development in Vietnam with a case study of Tra Vinh province in Mekong Delta

Study regionThe study region is the coastal Tra Vinh province located in Mekong Delta, Vietnam Study focusThe study aims to clarify the ambiguities in implementing Vietnam's regulation on restrictions of groundwater abstraction in Mekong Delta. Three ambiguities were identified, namely, how should half of the saturated thickness of the unconfined aquifer be computed; is the water level depth of 30 m for the confined aquifer sufficient to prevent seawater intrusion and land subsidence; and why is the interference of water use rights of neighbouring provinces not considered. Numerical groundwater flow, saltwater transport and land subsidence were constructed for Tra Vinh province to assess water level requirements from Vietnam regulation and important constraints for groundwater sustainability. The model results show that although all scenarios satisfy groundwater level requirements from the Vietnam regulation, only the mitigation scenario combined with reducing abstraction and increasing recharge can lead to sustainable development. New hydrological insights for the regionThe current groundwater abstraction in Tra Vinh province has caused groundwater storage depletion and induced seawater intrusion, land subsidence, and captured groundwater inflow from neighbouring provinces. When the business as usual continues, seawater may intrude 4–5 km inland and cumulative land subsidence may reach 1.5 m by 2100. Reduction of current abstraction by 50% supplemented with the increase of recharge by 1.5 times in the dunes can lead to sustainable development.

Socially responsible portfolios,environmental, social, corporate governance (ESG)efficient frontiers, and psychic dividends

AbstractThe aim of this article is to evaluate the performance of investment portfolios built under environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG) criteria or socially responsible portfolios, based on companies listed on three representative stock exchanges in Latin America (Chile, Colombia, and Peru) for the period 2011–2019. The performance of portfolios comprising high‐ESG stocks was compared with that of low‐ESG performance portfolios and with portfolios of companies that did not report such information, as well as against the main index of each market. A novel utility function was defined that allows evaluating different degrees of propensity to responsible investment, based on which restricted optimization processes were conducted to build efficient frontiers that combine traditional mean–variance aspects with ESG elements. Based on these frontiers, a measure of the psychic dividend or ESG utility premium generated by investing in high‐ESG portfolios is proposed. Results obtained in risk and return rates and Jensen, Treynor, alpha, VaR, tracking error, information coefficient, efficient frontiers, and utility premium show the value of following responsible investment criteria and the clear disadvantages in investing in companies that do not report ESG information. This research contributes to the debate on the importance of socially responsible investment guided by ESG criteria, filling a gap in the literature regarding Latin America and confirming the better performance by calculating a wide range of portfolio evaluation indicators. We proposed a novel approach to optimization with sustainability constraints, incorporating the utility premium derived from investing in stocks with better ESG performance.

Diversitas Ekonomi Desa Mayangan Menggunakan Break Even Point sebagai Dasar Perencanaan Laba dalam Membangun Ekonomi Masyarakat: Studi Kasus Pantai Wisata Pondok Bali Kabupaten Subang

The development of tourism in coastal areas has the potential to have a positive impact on the local community's economy. This study aims to analyze the role of the break even point as a basis for profit planning for economic diversity at Pondok Wisata Bali Beach in Subang Regency. The research method uses a qualitative approach with case studies to gain an in-depth understanding of economic dynamics and their impacts.The research findings reveal that Pondok Wisata Bali Beach has created various economic sectors around it, including hotels, restaurants, handicrafts, as well as local agriculture. This economic diversity has provided new opportunities in terms of income and employment, as well as empowering local communities through training and entrepreneurial opportunities. However, environmental sustainability constraints are also an issue that needs attention. The results of the calculation of the Break Even Point on Pondok Bali Subang tourism show that the income is above the break even point so that this Pondok Bali Subang tour earns profits and is safe from losses. This research provides valuable insights for decision makers and practitioners in developing sustainable tourism in the region.

Deconstructing the constraints of justice-based environmental sustainability in higher education

ABSTRACT The omission of epistemologies from the Global South inhibits holistic pedagogical approaches for effective sustainability teaching and learning. Employing the theoretical lens of ecology of knowledges, the structures and dynamics that frame and constrain sustainability education in higher education were critiqued. Six constraints of environmental sustainability pedagogies were also deconstructed: epistemic inequity, globalisation, neoliberalism, pedagogical incompatibility, anthropocentrism, and social inequity. Consequently, ideas for justice-based environmental sustainability were proffered, especially for eco-justice and epistemic justice. The need for sustainability education to be relevant, relatable, critical, holistic, inclusive, and transformational was also argued. Keycontributions of this paper are a compilation of constraints on sustainability pedagogies, demonstration of the relationship between the usually isolated constraints around teaching and learning about sustainability in higher education, and the application of the theory of the ecology of knowledges to the deconstruction of these constraints. These contributions have implications for achieving justice-based sustainability in higher education.

High-throughput soil health assessment to predict corn agronomic performance

Developing high-throughput methods to quantify soil health can support decision making to minimize soil constraints for crop growth and increase sustainability in agroecosystems. This study evaluated the ability of soil health assessment conducted at the beginning of the crop growing season to predict corn agronomic performance in nutrient fertilization trials. We compared different methods to assess soil health, from the most traditional approach of measuring individual soil biochemical indicators to more novel approaches using diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy (mid-DRIFTS). Soil health was quantified using: I) traditional and emerging biochemical soil health indicators (up to 20 soil indicators), II) mineral and organic functional groups abundances estimated as peak areas in mid-DRIFTS, and III) mid-DRIFTS with partitioned spectra and partial least squares regression. Corn response to fertilizer was evaluated in a) phosphorus, potassium, and sulfur omission trials (2016–2018; 41 sites across 17 Ohio counties) as well as in b) N rates trials (2016–2017; 25 fields across 14 Ohio counties). Modeling using either biochemical soil health indicators or mid-DRIFTS accurately predicted corn yield across nutrient treatments in omission trials (R2V=0.61–0.84 in validation sets) and unfertilized controls in N rates trials (R2V=0.68–0.81) as well as corn N-driven yield gap (i.e., delta yield defined as grain yield at agronomic optimum N rate minus grain yield of the control, R2V=0.64–0.76) in N rates trials. Mid-DRIFTS approaches equaled or outperformed the predictive ability of measured biochemical soil health indicators in estimating crop performance (up to 38 % improvement in R2V), unveiling a promising method to more efficiently assess soil health. Early season soil health assessment via mid-DRIFTS has potential to directly estimate corn agronomic performance.

Examining the Potential of Marine Renewable Energy: A Net Energy Perspective

It is often claimed that marine renewable energy alone could meet the electricity demand of current and future human societies. However, such claims are based on highly uncertain estimations of the global potentials of marine renewable energy sources (including tidal, ocean currents, wave, offshore wind and salinity and thermal gradients), and do not take into account the embedded energy of current technologies. To better understand the effective potential of marine energy, we conducted a literature review of its gross, technical, economic and sustainable potentials, as well as the energy return on investment (EROI), and estimated the net energy potential. We found that all marine technologies could provide a maximum energy surplus of 57,000 TWh/yr. This figure goes down to ∼5000TWh/yr when excluding offshore wind. The previous figures do not include the contribution from ocean currents, for which no reliable estimates of global potentials and EROIs could be obtained. Due to its high upfront costs and environmental impacts and low social acceptance, no additional tidal range capacity expansion is envisioned. Similarly, the combination of a low sustainable potential and the low EROI makes the large-scale exploitation of salinity gradients unlikely with current technologies. Including all technologies, the average EROI of marine energy is ∼20, but excluding offshore wind reduces the average EROI to ∼8. While we did consider sustainability constraints for some marine energy sources, our estimation of marine net energy potential primarily relied on technical factors and did not account for economic and legal constraints. Therefore, the results presented here should be interpreted as an upper bound for the actual net energy contribution of marine energy sources to the global energy mix.

How much wood can we expect from European forests in the near future?

Abstract The demand for wood in Europe is expected to increase in the coming decades. However, any theoretical maximum supply will be affected by sustainability constraints, the motivations of forest owners and regional factors, such as incentives, species and assortments. However, the influence of these factors on supply is changeable. In this study, we quantify what might be realistically available as additional wood supply from currently existing European forests, based on a combination of results of the forest resource model EFISCEN-Space and a literature review of national supply projections. Wood mobilization scenarios for 10 representative Model Regions in Europe that assume forest owners and managers in the simulated regions will adapt their behaviour to alternative behaviour as recorded from other regions were projected with the EFISCEN-Space model. The realistic additional potential based on the literature review is 90 million m3 yr−1. This potential should be attainable within 10–20 years. However, the simulations in the Model Regions found potentials to be lower in 7 out of 10 cases as compared with the country they are located in. On average, the model regions reached less than half of the potential as compared with the literature review. This suggests that the realistic additional potential at the European scale may well be lower if all mobilization barriers are taken into account in more detail, but also highlights the uncertainty surrounding these estimates. We conclude from the analyses that although there are large differences in potential between regions and the analysis method employed, there are no ‘hotspots’ where a large pool of accessible wood can be quickly mobilized using existing infrastructure for nearby industries. An increase in harvest would therefore only be possible with a large effort that spans the whole chain, from forest owners’ behaviour to capacity building, financial incentives and matching resources to harvesting capacity. The additionally available wood can most likely only be mobilized against higher marginal costs and will thus only become available in times of higher stumpage prices. The largest potential lies in privately owned forests which often have a fragmented ownership but will most likely be able to supply more wood, though mostly from deciduous species. In the long term (more than 20 years), additional wood, compared with the amounts we found for short term, can only be made available through investments in afforestation, forest restoration, improved forest management and more efficient use of raw material and recycled material.

Bioprospecting microbes and enzymes for the production of pterocarpans and coumestans.

The isoflavonoid derivatives, pterocarpans and coumestans, are explored for multiple clinical applications as osteo-regenerative, neuroprotective and anti-cancer agents. The use of plant-based systems to produce isoflavonoid derivatives is limited due to cost, scalability, and sustainability constraints. Microbial cell factories overcome these limitations in which model organisms such as Saccharomyces cerevisiae offer an efficient platform to produce isoflavonoids. Bioprospecting microbes and enzymes can provide an array of tools to enhance the production of these molecules. Other microbes that naturally produce isoflavonoids present a novel alternative as production chassis and as a source of novel enzymes. Enzyme bioprospecting allows the complete identification of the pterocarpans and coumestans biosynthetic pathway, and the selection of the best enzymes based on activity and docking parameters. These enzymes consolidate an improved biosynthetic pathway for microbial-based production systems. In this review, we report the state-of-the-art for the production of key pterocarpans and coumestans, describing the enzymes already identified and the current gaps. We report available databases and tools for microbial bioprospecting to select the best production chassis. We propose the use of a holistic and multidisciplinary bioprospecting approach as the first step to identify the biosynthetic gaps, select the best microbial chassis, and increase productivity. We propose the use of microalgal species as microbial cell factories to produce pterocarpans and coumestans. The application of bioprospecting tools provides an exciting field to produce plant compounds such as isoflavonoid derivatives, efficiently and sustainably.

Multi-objective economic and environmental assessment for the preliminary design of CO2 transport pipelines

A methodology based on the multi-objective optimisation of economic and environmental aspects is presented to support the preliminary design of CO2 transport pipelines employed as part of Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) systems. Pareto optimal design solutions are determined for a realistic point-to-point CO2 pipeline using Level Diagrams and choosing the Nominal Pipe Size (NPS) as a decision variable. A quantitative procedure entailing the definition of economic and environmental key performance indicators is defined to allow the identification of an optimum pipeline design. The outcome is compared against the minimisation of single-objective indicators based on the CO2 avoided and carbon pricing concepts. The results of a case-study concerning a 70 km long pipeline transporting 10 Mt yr−1 of supercritical CO2 show that the multi-objective method yields an optimum NPS equal to 30, higher than the NPS 28 deriving from the alternative indexing methods. The proposed multicriteria approach effectively considers case-specific environmental sustainability constraints, which result in determining 46% of the overall performance measure of the identified optimum solution. The results show that conventional single-objective methods underestimate the contribution of environmental factors up to 2.6% of the overall performance index value. A Monte Carlo probabilistic analysis is performed to verify the robustness of the results with respect to the possible uncertainties.