Sustainable Development Issues Research Articles

The integrated environmental sustainability strategy of BSB City, Semarang

The integrated environmental sustainability strategy of BSB City, Semarang

A Study on the Impact of ESG Ratings on the Innovation Capability of Chinese-Listed Companies

According to the report "Global Innovation Index 2023" released by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), China's global innovation index(GII)ranks 12th, indicating that the government must speed up the construction of the technological innovation system. Enterprises also need to increase investment in innovation. At the same time, enterprises inevitably face the issue of sustainable development. ESG rating is an indicator to measure the ability of sustainable development and the potential of enterprises. In recent years, the Chinese government has advocated a new concept of high-quality development, which is positively aligned with the ESG concept. However, some companies also believe that the ESG concept is a policy requirement and rule limitation and cannot improve the competitiveness of the enterprise. At the same time, domestic scholars lack research on ESG, mainly on the relationship between ESG and financial indicators. This article selects listed companies from 2013 to 2022 as research samples to study the relationship between ESG ratings and patent applications, conduct regression analysis, and clarify the positive effect of ESG indicators on the innovation ability of enterprises. At the same time, heterogeneity testing is conducted for different market sizes, and this promoting effect is more significant for large-scale enterprises. The conclusion provides direction for further promoting the implementation of ESG concepts in enterprises. The government, society, and enterprises should all play their roles to jointly promote the high-quality development of enterprises.

Energy optimization of the smart residential electrical grid considering demand management approaches

-Many researchers have investigated the optimal energy scheduling to meet the demand regarding sustainable development issues and the economic and technical indices. This study presents the day-ahead operation of a smart residential distribution electrical grid as a bi-stage-multiple-criteria decision-making modeling. The proposed energy optimization is implemented based on optimal demand management in upper-stage and multiple-criteria decision-making in lower-stage. The multiple-criteria problem is modeled from the viewpoint of the grid's operator to optimize energy consumption costs, power losses and demand side comfort. The optimal demand management in upper-stage is coordinated considering price traffic in the upstream grid. The load shifting approach and load interruption approach are presented as optimal demand management for residential consumers. The operation of demand management by using load shifting and load interruption approaches is done via deferrable loads and clippable loads in smart residential homes, respectively. The proposed energy optimization in both stages by improved sunflower optimization (IFSO) is handled, and the TOPSIS method is proposed for the best trade-off of the multiple-criteria decision-making. The day-ahead energy operation is applied on the 33-bus distribution network to investigate the effectiveness of the residential distribution electrical grid considering obtained results from mathematical modeling and demand management approaches.

Evaluation and influencing factors of green transformation in three major urban agglomerations in China

Since the 21st century, the world has increasingly focused on the issue of sustainable development, and the green transformation issues have become a new hot topic worldwide. Green and low-carbon transformation has become an international consensus. Urban agglomerations are important connections between urban development and regional coordination, as well as important spatial carriers for economic activities. They are not only the main source of carbon emissions, but also the main battlefield for energy conservation and emission reduction. As an important field for carbon reduction, the green transformation of cities is crucial for achieving the “dual carbon” goals. This article focuses on 48 cities in the three most mature and influential urban agglomerations in China from 2011 to 2019, namely, the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei urban agglomeration, the Yangtze River Delta urban agglomeration, and the Pearl River Delta urban agglomeration. The three-stage DEA model and Malmquist index model are used to measure the green transformation efficiency of the three urban agglomerations from both dynamic and static perspectives, and a Tobit regression model is constructed to explore the influencing factors of green transformation efficiency in urban agglomerations. Research has found that: 1) From a static perspective, the overall efficiency of green transformation in the three major urban agglomerations is at a high level, but from a temporal perspective, it shows a downward trend. The Pearl River Delta urban agglomeration is known for its green development, with the highest average efficiency of green transformation, followed by the Yangtze River Delta urban agglomeration. The Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei urban agglomeration has the lowest level of green transformation; 2) From a dynamic perspective, technological progress is the main driving factor for improving the efficiency of green transformation in the three major urban agglomerations. Therefore, the government should pay special attention to the progressiveness of technology when formulating relevant policies to promote urban green transformation; 3) From the perspective of spatiotemporal differences, there are significant differences in the spatiotemporal characteristics of green transformation among the three major urban agglomerations, and there are significant differences in green transformation strategies among different urban agglomerations. Eliminating environmental factors and random interference is necessary for accurately measuring the efficiency of green transformation in urban agglomerations; 4) From the perspective of influencing factors, factors such as industrial structure upgrading, green innovation level, and environmental regulation intensity jointly affect the efficiency of green transformation in urban agglomerations. Based on this, we should pay attention to the differences between urban agglomerations and implement policies tailored to local conditions; Strengthen the network system of urban agglomerations and avoid conflicts between cities; Encourage green technology innovation, accelerate industrial structure upgrading, and so on. This article focuses on the issue of green transformation in urban agglomerations, and conducts research from three perspectives: efficiency measurement, influencing factors, and implementation mechanisms. A relatively systematic theoretical framework for green transformation in urban agglomerations is formed, and an evaluation index system for green transformation efficiency in urban agglomerations is constructed and optimized. The composition mechanism of the five dimensional evaluation system for transformation efficiency is analyzed, and the bottleneck and breakthrough direction of the three major urban agglomerations in China in the development process are grasped. It has a good demonstration effect on the green transformation of other urban agglomerations.

Investigating factors that influence the purchase behaviour of green cosmetic products

The escalating global concerns regarding sustainable development issues have transformed the landscape of consumer behaviour, urging businesses to incorporate green practices and raise awareness among consumers. There is an ongoing debate concerning attitude-intention and product category gap. The study aims to bridge this gap by investigating the green cosmetic purchase behaviour of female consumers in South Africa by exploring factors such as awareness, product information, product availability, environmental concern, perceived barriers, perceived price, and attitude. The study employs the alphabet theory, previously utilised in qualitative research, to quantitatively examine the relationship between various factors and green cosmetic purchase intention. By applying this theory, the study contributes to its expansion and offers a unique framework for understanding consumer behaviour in the green cosmetic industry.This study collected data by conducting an online and face-to-face survey with 295 South African consumers. The results revealed that perceived price and attitude significantly influence the purchase intention of green cosmetic products amongst females in South Africa. While awareness, product information, product availability, environmental concern and perceived barriers needed a mediating variable (attitude) to influence the purchasing intention of green cosmetic products of female consumers in South Africa. The study highlights the practical implications for marketers by providing insights into designing effective green marketing strategies. The study's findings can aid marketers in tailoring their communication and developing a targeted green marketing mix that resonates with female consumers in South Africa.

More-energetic vapors of in situ plasmon-activated water as an environmentally friendly etchant

These days, environmental science and sustainable development issues are highly valued. Also, water is the most abundant and most easily recyclable substance on earth, and it is also the most environmentally friendly solvent and reactant in the fields of chemistry and physics. In this work, in situ vapor of plasmon-activated water (PAW) was first utilized to modify surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS)-active Ag substrates by simple environmentally friendly etching. Compared to etching with conventional deionized water (DIW) vapor, higher SERS signals and lower relative standard deviations (RSDs) of the model compound, rhodamine 6G (R6G), were observed on PAW vapor-etched SERS-active Ag substrates. These developed SERS technologies were also effective for alternative detection methodologies of the pesticides tricyclazole (TC) and sulfoxaflor (SF) and for serum from patients with nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). Encouragingly, the limit of detection (LOD) of TC was determined to be extremely low at 5 ppb based on PAW vapor etching. The environmentally friendly etching strategies we developed provide innovative ideas for green science that avoid using harmful reagents.

RESEARCH ON THE LEVEL OF AWARENESS OF PUPILS REGARDING SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT ISSUES

The paper studies the level of awareness of pupils regarding sustainable development issues in Tbilisi schools. The research uses a quantitative approach, descriptive statistics and regression analysis. 205 students of Tbilisi schools were interviewed, both from private and public schools. The research was carried out jointly by GrigolRobakidze University and Tbilisi City Hall. The study identified factors that influence students awareness of sustainability.

Conceptual-Methodological Issues of Sustainable Development in the Aspect of Agrotourism

Conceptual-Methodological Issues of Sustainable Development in the Aspect of Agrotourism

Does energy transition policy enhance urban green innovation capabilities?–a quasi-natural experiment based on China’s new energy demonstration city policy

As the importance of global climate change and sustainable development issues increases, the enhancement of urban green innovation capabilities is particularly crucial since cities are the main source of energy consumption and carbon emissions. This study focuses on China’s New Energy Demonstration City policy to explore how it influences urban green innovation capabilities. By employing a quasi-natural experimental method, combined with data from 282 Chinese cities from 2007 to 2021, this paper provides an in-depth analysis of the impact of the New Energy Demonstration City policy on urban green innovation capabilities. It was found that the policy significantly improves the cities’ green innovation capabilities, and this conclusion remains valid after robustness checks. The study also reveals that technological investment and public environmental awareness are two critical mechanisms through which the New Energy Demonstration City policy affects urban green innovation capabilities. Furthermore, this policy has been found to significantly enhance the green innovation capabilities of neighboring cities through spatial spillover effects. The study also examines the interaction between the national-level Big Data Comprehensive Experimental Zone policy and the New Energy Demonstration City policy, discovering that the pilot policy of the national-level Big Data Comprehensive Experimental Zone has to some extent promoted the effectiveness of the New Energy Demonstration City policy in driving urban green transformation. This research provides a new perspective for understanding the dynamics of urban green innovation and points the way for future research and policymaking.

Corporate Governance and the Sustainable Development

Nowadays the issues of sustainable development are everywhere around us. Everybody talks about sustainability in all aspects of our life. It is becoming also part of the agenda of the business world not only for the small and medium size companies, but also for the big corporations. Gradually environmental and social issues begin to pose new topics in the agenda for board meetings of the big corporations. The corporate governance begins to pay more and more attention not only to the return rate of the investments but also to the footprint that the company has on the society. In this framework we decided to examine the relationship and interconnectivity between corporate governance and sustainable development. The research that backed this paper encompasses literature survey and analysis, on one hand and empirical research on another. This paper present some of the results from our survey showing the changes that occur in the corporate governance and the position of the managing boards of directors due to the sustainable development policy applied worldwide.

Systematic Review and Prospects on Social Risks of Artificial Intelligence— Visual Analysis Based on CiteSpace Knowledge Graph

As artificial intelligence becomes more and more embedded in human society, it also creates social risks. With the help of CiteSpace software, 200 documents related to social risks of artificial intelligence searched from SSCI and SCI journals from 2000 to 2024 were sorted out to sort out the research progress and hot spots. Research shows that there are currently some highly influential scholars and institutions in the field of artificial intelligence social risks, and the number of relevant studies is increasing year by year. Risk resolution and sustainable development issues of artificial intelligence have become important research directions for the continuous development of artificial intelligence.

Economic Justice Through Al-Hisbah: Reviewing The Role And Performance Of Market Supervisory Institutions

This research looks at the role and performance of market supervisory institutions in realizing economic justice through the concept of al-Hisbah. In its background, economic justice is stated as a central issue in sustainable social and economic development, with justice not only an ideal, but also a religious imperative in Islam. The aim of the study is to explore how market supervisory institutions based on al-Hisbah principles play a crucial role in ensuring that economic practices not only benefit a small part, but also support the welfare of society at large. The research method uses a qualitative approach with descriptive analysis, involving literature studies and interviews with economists and practitioners of Islamic law. The results showed that market supervisory institutions that apply the principles of al-Hisbah have a vital role in maintaining a balance between individual and general interests in economic activity. By ensuring that economic practices conform to Islamic principles that emphasize fairness, transparency, and sustainability, such institutions can be effective custodians in achieving the goals of economic justice. This research provides a deeper understanding of how the concept of al-Hisbah can form a solid foundation for creating a more inclusive, just, and sustainable economic system in accordance with Islamic values

ISSUES OF "GREEN" ENERGY TRANSITION: LEGAL ASPECT

In modern socio-economic conditions, the issues of sustainable development, sustainable economy, resource efficiency and reduction of greenhouse gas emissions have become relevant, and in this regard, the issues of «green» economy, energy transition are being discussed. However, there are no established legal definitions of the terms "green" economy and «energy transition». In the conditions of energy transition, the issues of the «green economy» are relevant for the states that are members of the Eurasian Economic Union (hereinafter referred to as the EAEU) and the Union State (Russia – Belarus). In the conditions of energy transition, new objects of property rights appear (for example, carbon units), new contractual structures are applied, energy efficiency requirements are established when organizing purchases for state and municipal needs, etc. In this regard, it seems relevant to conduct an analysis of the regulatory legal framework of the «green» energy transition in order to substantiate proposals for the development of legislative support for entrepreneurial (economic) activities in the conditions of energy transition. The purpose of the study is to reveal the legal aspect of the «green» energy transition based on the analysis of regulatory legal acts, program documents, scientific statements about the «green» economy and energy transition. Materials and methods. Regulatory legal acts, program documents in the field of regulation of relations related to energy transition, and special literature have been collected for the analysis. The study was conducted using the methods of generalization and analysis, including comparative one. The results of the study. The legal aspect of ensuring energy efficiency, the formation of a low-carbon economy and the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, a closed-cycle economy in Russia, in the states of the Eurasian Economic Union and in the Union State is considered. Examples of regulation in the regions of Russia of relations on the formation of a circular economy are given. Based on the conducted comparative analysis, it was revealed that the category of «green» economy is used in program and strategic documents, subordinate regulatory legal acts. At the same time, different terms «green economy», «green investments», «green financial instruments», «closed-cycle economy», «circular economy», «green energy», etc. are used. Conclusions. It seems appropriate to improve legislation in the field of regulation of relations connected with energy transition. It is advisable to adopt sectoral and regional plans for adaptation to climate change and energy transition. It is expedient to substantiate and develop proposals for the formation of a concept of legal regulation in the field of energy transition, including common approaches, principles of regulation of the «green» economy in terms of energy transition within the general policy of the EAEU member states and within the Union State.

Open innovation big data analytics and its influence on sustainable tourism development: A multi-dimensional assessment of economic, policy, and behavioral factors

This study investigates the increasingly important issue of sustainable tourism development through the lens of Big Data analytics, economic considerations, and policy frameworks. Guided by the Theory of Planned Behavior, we formulated seven hypotheses to explore how these variables impact attitudes, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control, intentions, and actual engagement in sustainable tourism. Using a questionnaire-based survey we collected data from N=398 respondents and employing Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) for data analysis, we found substantial evidence supporting our hypotheses. Findings revealed that Big Data analytics significantly influence attitudes towards sustainable tourism. Economic factors shape societal norms and expectations regarding sustainable tourism, whereas policy frameworks impact individuals' perceived control over sustainable tourism activities. The study also confirmed that positive attitudes towards sustainable tourism led to higher intentions to engage in such practices, which in turn are predictive of actual engagement. Furthermore, societal norms and perceived behavioural control were found to be significant predictors of both the intention to engage in and the actual engagement with sustainable tourism practices. Overall, the results indicate that Big Data analytics play a significant role in shaping attitudes and behaviors towards sustainable tourism. Moreover, economic and policy considerations were also found to be key determinants. This research not only fills a scholarly gap but also provides actionable insights for policymakers and business stakeholders in the tourism sector.

Synergizing economic growth and carbon emission reduction in China: A path to coupling the MFLP and PLUS models for optimizing the territorial spatial functional pattern

Carbon emissions caused by economic growth are the main cause of global warming, but controlling economic growth to reduce carbon emissions does not meet China's conditions. Therefore, how to synergize economic growth and carbon emission reduction is not only a sustainable development issue for China, but also significant for mitigating global warming. The territorial spatial functional pattern (TSFP) is the spatial carrier for coordinating economic development and carbon emissions, but how to establish the TSFP of synergizing economic growth and carbon emission reduction remains unresolved. We propose a decision framework for optimizing TSFP coupled with the multi-objective fuzzy linear programming and the patch-generating land use simulation model, to provide a new path to synergize economic growth and carbon emission reduction in China. To confirm the reliability, we took Qionglai City as the demonstration. The results found a significant spatiotemporal coupling between TSFP and the synergistic states between economic growth and carbon emission reduction (q ≥ 0.8220), which resolves the theoretical uncertainty about synergizing economic growth and carbon emission reduction through the path of TSFP optimization. The urban space of Qionglai City in 2025 and 2030 obtained by the decision framework was 6497.57 hm2 and 6628.72 hm2 respectively, distributed in the central and eastern regions; the rural space was 60,132.92 hm2 and 56,084.97 hm2, concentrated in the east, with a few located in the west; and the ecological space was 71,072.52 hm2 and 74,998.31 hm2, mainly located in the western and southeastern areas. Compared with the TSFP in 2020, the carbon emission intensity of the TSFP obtained by the decision framework was reduced by 0.7 and 4.7 tons/million yuan, respectively, and realized the synergy between economic growth and carbon emission reduction (decoupling index was 0.25 and 0.21). Further confirming that TSFP optimization is an effective way to synergize economic growth and carbon emission reduction, which can provide policy implications for coordinating economic growth and carbon emissions for China and even similar developing countries.

Replacement of Fine Aggregates in Fine-Grained Concrete by Waste Material from Cetris Boards Production

Given the increasing amount of waste in the world, it is essential not only to reduce waste generation but also to explore potential uses for the waste produced. This includes waste generated in the production of building materials. The construction industry is a significant contributor to global waste and carbon dioxide emissions, making it crucial to address these issues for sustainable development. During the production of CETRIS boards, approximately 7 600 tons of waste are generated annually. One of the waste materials obtained during the board processing is a fine powder. This waste material can potentially be reused in two ways: it can be incorporated back into the process of producing CETRIS boards or utilized in the production of building materials. This research project focuses on examining the possibility of using this waste material as a substitute for fine aggregate in fine-grained concrete. To investigate its viability, the waste material underwent testing for dry density and absorbency. Subsequently, a reference mixture and concretes with different replacement rates (50%, and 100%) of natural fine aggregate were produced to create self-healing concrete mixtures. The study examined the density, and compressive strength of these concrete samples 28 days after concreting. The findings indicated that as the amount of waste material in the concrete increased, the measured properties decreased. However, despite the decrease, the compressive strengths of the concrete remained very high, leading to the classification as high-strength concrete. Further exploration and optimization of the replacement rates could lead to the development of environmentally friendly and sustainable building materials.

Resource base of the building materials industry as the basis for sustainable development of the economy

The study of the resource base impact on the development of building materials industry economy is presented. The proposed analysis showed the need to synchronise intersectoral interactions aimed at the progressive development of the construction industry. The suggested approach to the formation of a mechanism for sustainable development predetermines the business model within the framework of sustainable development concept and the opportunities, the emergence of which is due to digitalisation of industrial relations. In the study, the author defines the contexts that form the approach to sustainability of development. It is offered to consider the given phenomenon in the economic context through the reproduction component. The offer made it possible to formulate an approach to the creation of a mechanism for this occurrence based on the resource potential formation, the use of which should lead to increasing returns when changing a business model of a set of enterprises. The mentioned model of interaction between enterprises is oriented towards sustainable industrial development, contributes to application of new approaches to reproduction of basic funds, distribution of resources and resource base formation. The usage of the ecosystem approach while considering the issue of sustainable economic development of building materials industry stipulated interaction of related sectors as the main priority. This is done to increase competitiveness and provide the strategy of building materials industry development.

Visual analysis of contaminated site studies in recent 30 years based on bibliometrics and knowledge graph

AbstractThe problem of contaminated sites is a hot and difficult issue in global environmental sustainable development. Because the contaminated site carries a large number of harmful substances (heavy metal ions, organic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, toxic gases, etc.), it brings great security risks to the environmental ecological security and people's health. Effective identification of the characteristics of contaminated sites and understanding of the research status and development trend of contaminated sites are of great significance to environmental sustainable development and environmental governance and restoration. Based on Web of Science database, this study systematically, quantitatively and visually analyzes the research status of contaminated sites by bibliometrics and knowledge graph technology. The results show that bibliometrics and knowledge graph are effective in information retrieval and visualization. It can display the information of different scales and different times in the study of contaminated sites, and find the distribution characteristics of popular keywords. The cluster cases of this study show that the problems of contaminated site research mainly focus on suspended particulate matter pollution, water pollution, heavy metal pollution, organic pollution, pollution reduction and bioremediation technology research. In the future, the hot issues of contaminated site remediation and environmental sustainable development will focus on strengthening the research of microbial remediation technology, nanomaterial technology, composite material adsorption technology and so on.

Malta's low carbon transition towards sustainability

AbstractThe transition to low‐carbon energy and energy independence of a country play an important role in the sustainable development of its energy sector. Another important issue of sustainable energy development is the cost competitiveness in the generation process; with new renewable energy technologies, a sustainable energy transition to carbon‐neutral society is possible. In this article, we present a view of sustainable energy transformation based on a case study of Malta. We have created a simulation of a Maltese electricity system with projected growth and dominance of photovoltaic energy in the electricity market. The study results suggest that a system with a high penetration of photovoltaics has significant advantage over a conventional system using fossil fuels. In particular, in the simulated Maltese system, the total annual cost of energy was reduced threefold, the CO2 emissions were reduced by 40%, and the energy independence of Malta increased by 60%. In the end, the article gives a recommendation for further research into the Maltese energy system.

Navigating Sustainability: Exploring Multidisciplinary Insights and Innovations in the Asia-Pacific Region

We are pleased to introduce the Special Issue on Sustainability in Asia-Pacific: Multidisciplinary Insights and Innovations, a collaboration between Diversitas Journal, the Asia-Pacific Consortium of Research and Educators, Inc. (APCORE), and Alagoas State University. In the face of increasing environmental challenges, this special issue explores the nuanced complexities of sustainability in the Asia-Pacific region. It offers a comprehensive exploration of insights and innovative solutions in education, science and technology, humanities, and social sciences. Sustainability, a fundamental concept in contemporary discourse, extends beyond conventional boundaries to encompass various interconnected aspects: environmental, economic, social, and cultural. Amid rapid urbanization, population growth, and climate change, the Asia-Pacific region is a focal point for examining the intricate dynamics between development and sustainability. Under the guidance of Diversitas Journal's Editor-in-Chief, Prof. Dr. José Crisólogo, this special issue presents a diverse collection of scholarship covering a wide range of thematic areas. The research themes covered in this special issue include alternative approaches to education in the new normal, organizational culture in higher education institutions, the COVID-19 pandemic, gender and development, and sustainable practices. These studies provide valuable insights into contemporary issues in education, healthcare, technology, ethics, and sustainable development. They contribute to a comprehensive understanding of the multidisciplinary challenges and opportunities in the Asia-Pacific region. As we embark on this intellectual journey, we extend our heartfelt gratitude to Dr. Odilon Máximo, Rector of Alagoas State University, Prof. Dr. Crisólogo, and all those who have shown unwavering dedication and commitment to fostering knowledge exchange and driving positive change through this special issue.