Sustainability

Centuries of cultivation in the Highland Aynoka of Puno, Peru, have endowed indigenous crops such as potato and quinoa with rich cultural and nutritional value deeply ingrained in local traditions. This study meticulously evaluates their economic viability, environmental implications, and cultural importance by employing a mixed-methods research approach involving surveys, interviews, and observations. The outcome reveals that while the Economic Sustainability Index (EKI) moderately supports potato and quinoa production sustainability, with a value of 2.98, it falls short of significant impact. Conversely, the Environmental Sustainability Index (ESI) and the Social Sustainability Index (SSI) exhibit moderate levels of sustainability, recording values of 4.04 and 3.38 for ESI and SSI, respectively. These crops demonstrate acceptable economic feasibility, marked by consistent sales, income generation, and manageable production expenses. The findings underscore the urgency of endorsing sustainable farming methods to safeguard cultural heritage, boost market prospects, and fortify regional ecological robustness. Rooted in ancestral sustainability, potato and quinoa cultivation is a cornerstone in local food systems. Recognizing the cultural, economic, and environmental significance inherent to these crops, efforts can be channeled towards nurturing sustainable agricultural systems that uphold community well-being, conserve biodiversity, and facilitate cultural resilience in Puno’s Highland Aynoka. Full article

Within the scientific debate on urban regeneration, this paper intends to question possible planning techniques to address the implementation of widespread regeneration interventions in obsolete residential areas within medium-sized European cities, with particular attention to constructing a cognitive framework to locate redevelopment interventions. The widespread urban regeneration approach has yet to be sufficiently explored in the scientific literature, which focuses much more on replacing large derelict areas, though it seems particularly relevant for research and urban practice. This paper aims to illustrate a methodological framework for defining obsolete and degraded areas (at the block scale) suitable for redevelopment. Various criteria are considered, e.g., land use, buildings’ dating, state of preservation, population density, public spaces, and facility provision, and degree of accessibility. The methodological framework is then tested in the medium-sized Italian city of Parma. Data set parameters and threshold values to quantify the previously introduced criteria and perform GIS-based statistical and spatial analysis. The results show 96 areas potentially in need of regeneration, providing an opportunity to reflect on the criteria of suitability and priority for transformation and the framework of past and future planning scenarios. Full article

This review provides a comprehensive analysis of the effectiveness of surfactants in enhancing the remediation of contaminated soils. The study examines recent and older research on the use of effluent treatment techniques combined with synthetic surface-active agents, bio-surfactants, and various categories of surfactants for soil reclamation purposes. The main purpose of this review is to evaluate the effectiveness of surfactants in enhancing the remediation of contaminated soils. The research question is to explore the mechanisms through which surfactants enhance soil remediation and to assess the potential benefits and limitations of surfactant-based remediation methods. This review was conducted through an extensive literature search of relevant articles published in scientific databases. The articles were selected based on their relevance to the topic and their methodological rigor. Types of possible soil pollutants and the requirements of specific surfactants were discussed. Structural relationships between pollutant and surfactants were described thoroughly. Extensive study revealed that surfactants have shown great potential in enhancing the remediation of contaminated soils. Surfactants can improve the solubility and mobility of hydrophobic contaminants and facilitate their removal from soil. However, the effectiveness of surfactant-based remediation methods depends on several factors, including the type of contaminant, the soil properties, and the surfactant concentration and type. Surfactant-enhanced soil remediation can be an effective and sustainable method for addressing soil contamination. However, the optimal conditions for using surfactants depend on the specific site characteristics and contaminant properties, and further research is needed to optimize the use of surfactants in soil remediation. Full article

The current regeneration mode of public space in the old city of Guangzhou is ineffective, thus necessitating supplementation with a more systematic methodology. The “plug-in design” targets sustainable regeneration while preserving the overall urban texture and context, i.e., it has little impact on the spatial qualities of the old city. The ultimate goal is to activate the public space of the old city of Guangzhou point to area through the insertion of various plug-ins. In this study, the methodology is applied to Xudi Gaodi Street, the core area of the old city of Guangzhou, to explore its effects on sustainability. The internal public space is isolated and supplied with rigid and flexible plug-ins from multiple dimensions, which not only improves the spatial environment but also injects new urban formats. This work provides a specific solution for regeneration in Guangzhou’s old city while enhancing empirical knowledge of the plug-in design to support urban regeneration theory and further practical development. Full article

This study utilizes four environmental indicators derived from six-phase Landsat images (TM, OLI, and TIRS) to construct a remote sensing ecological index (RSEI) and to quantitatively and comprehensively assess the spatiotemporal changes in the eco-environmental quality (EEQ) of Suzhou City, China. The environmental indicators consist of the wetness index (WI), greenness index (GI), dryness index (DI), and heat index (HI). The obtained results showed: (1) positive effects of the WI and GI, as well as negative effects of the DI and HI, on the EEQ of Suzhou City in the 2002–2022 period. The GI was observed to have the greatest impact on the RSEI of Suzhou City. (2) The average RSEI values of Suzhou City exhibit a “W” shape pattern in the 2002–2022 period. The lowest and highest average RSEI values were 0.632 and 0.746, respectively, while the average annual RSEI value was 0.702. The EEQ of Suzhou City was observed to be at a relatively good level. (3) The EEQ of Suzhou City exhibits sharp declines in the periods of 2006–2010 and 2014–2018, for which the degraded RSEI area covers 440.60 and 404.16 km², while the area ratios are 56.13% and 51.48%, respectively. The EEQ of Suzhou City has substantially increased during the periods of 2010–2014, 2018–2022, and 2002–2022, showing improved RSEI areas of 583.7, 390.13, and 347.02 km² and area ratios of 74.36%, 49.70%, and 44.21%, respectively. The results of this study provide a scientific basis for the protection, utilization, and development of the ecological environment (EE) of Suzhou City. They also provide valuable references and data support for the sustainable development, the high-quality development of the EE, and the construction of the ecological civilization of Suzhou City. The policymakers of environmental protection departments in Suzhou City can use this study’s inferences to devise local environmental protection policies. Full article

Climate change mainly affects the production and consumption systems associated with food, livelihoods, production (e.g., reduced milk production), water, and land use. The role of local knowledge is recognized as important for decision-making under changing circumstances. This study was conducted in the northern part of the Ecuadorian Andes using a sample of 170 dairy-cattle-farming households. The objectives were to: (i) characterize the rural livelihoods of dairy cattle farmers; (ii) evaluate access to climate information and perceptions of climate change; and (iii) determine the relationship between livelihoods and perceptions of climate change. Significant differences were identified between the groups evaluated in relation to the dairy farmers’ livelihoods. In addition, 85.29% of the respondents indicated that climate information is important, but 67.83% did not trust the sources of information. It was found that there is a significant relationship between the level of education and age with the variables of climate change perceptions. This combined knowledge will allow people to promote agri-environmental and educational policies to achieve climate literacy at a rural level. Full article

Government requests and societal expectations have pressured high-polluting companies to focus on corporate social responsibility strategies. Using the upper echelons theory as a theoretical framework, we investigated how top management team (TMT) faultlines influence corporate social performance (CSP) based on data from 212 high-polluting companies. The results showed that CSP can be improved by reducing corporate social irresponsibility (CSiR), knowledge-based faultlines have a U-shaped effect on CSiR, and there is a knowledge-based faultline critical point. This implies that knowledge-based faultlines can improve CSiR before reaching this critical point. Additionally, medium-strength knowledge-based faultlines are more conducive to improving irresponsible behavior. CEO power plays a significant moderating role in the relationship between TMT faultlines and CSiR and slows the U-shaped effect of knowledge-based faultlines on CSiR. These findings could help enterprises optimize team structures, adjust corporate social responsibility strategies, and maintain sustainable development in high-polluting sectors. Full article

The Yellow River alluvial silt has unique engineering properties and is unstable when encountering moisture. The mechanical properties of silt subgrade can be impaired by the increase in moisture content due to rainwater infiltration, which has a negative effect on traffic safety. To further reveal the influence of moisture content on the deformation characteristics of silt, a series of monotonic and cyclic triaxial tests were conducted on the alluvial silt with different moisture contents. The development law of cyclic accumulative permanent strain and the effects of moisture content, cyclic deviator stress and confining pressure on the axial permanent strain of silt were explored. The study shows that the static strength of silt decreases with the increase in moisture content, and the attenuation of static strength is mainly caused by the decrease in cohesion due to the reduction in matric suction. The permanent strain rises linearly with the increase in moisture content and cyclic deviator stress, and decreases with the increase in confining pressure. An empirical model for predicting the permanent strain of silt under long-term cyclic loading considering the effect of moisture content was established. Compared with the test data and other existing models, the established model has easier obtained parameters, higher prediction accuracy and better applicability. Full article

One of the most important causes of a reduction in power generation in PV panels is the non-uniform aging of photovoltaic (PV) modules. The increase in the current–voltage (I–V) mismatch among the array modules is the primary cause of this kind of degradation. There have been several array configurations investigated over the years to reduce mismatch power loss (MPL) caused by shadowing, but there have not been any experimental studies that have specifically examined the impact of various hybrid array topologies taking PV module aging into consideration. This research examines the influence of the non-uniform aging scenario on the performance of solar PV modules with various interconnection strategies. Experiments have been carried out on a 4 × 10, 400 W array with 12 possible configurations, including three proposed configurations (LD-TCT, SP-LD, and LD-SP), to detect the electrical characteristics of a PV system. Finally, the performances of different module configurations are analyzed where the newly proposed configurations (SP-LD and LD-SP) show 15.80% and 15.94% higher recoverable energy (RE), respectively, than the most-adopted configuration (SP). Moreover, among the twelve configurations, the SP configuration shows the highest percentage of MPL, which is about 17.96%, whereas LD-SP shows the lowest MPL at about 4.88%. Full article

Eco-innovation denotes developing green practices using environmentally friendly innovative approaches or technologies. Although eco-innovation has been broadly applied in different industries, such as low-carbon production and manufacturing, how to implement such innovation in education for sustainable development (ESD) has rarely been studied. Therefore, this research considered a reflective and cooperative learning approach to science, technology, engineering, arts, and math (STEAM) education. A case study examined Wanluan Township of Pingtung County in southern Taiwan. Four departments’ students and lecturers at Meiho University were involved in situated learning. Hospitality management students played farm owners who engaged in organic agriculture to produce food and beverages. These agricultural products were farm-to-table, cooked, and served to customers in a natural dining setting through the students’ teamwork. Tourism, sports and leisure management, and food science and nutrition students played tourists in a self-guided travel context, who engaged in acts such as visiting buildings to understand heritage while observing that the houses were still in use as dwellings. This encouraged reflection on the importance of cultural preservation. The results showed that eco-innovation can represent a sustainable marketing strategy for improving the local community economy and can be implemented in a practical situation in STEAM. The ESD goal for 2030—societal transformation—is to foster students’ responsible behavior and attitudes in a personally authentic manner, thereby fostering sustainable learning and understanding. Full article

This paper proposes a maturity model (MM) to become a smart organization considering Lean as a key enabler to drive I4.0 adoption. A systematic literature review on I4.0 and Lean concepts plus I4.0 adoption models was conducted through the PRISMA method based on articles from Scopus and Web of Science databases, and records from official websites (e.g., consulting firms) published between 2011 and 2022. Identifying the Lean and I4.0 relationship and comparing the models’ relevant characteristics allowed the development of the MM proposal. Although previous research refers to Lean and I4.0 collaboration, the opportunity to design a reference model for adopting both approaches was identified since their interaction enhances value creation. The comprehensive model supports structuring the types of Lean principles/methods/tools and I4.0 technologies and their action to link them and define which of them need to be implemented according to the maturity level chronologically. Additionally, the proposed MM provides an adoption roadmap that starts eliminating non-added activities in the initial stages for process improvement to integrate I4.0 enabling technologies later. The model makes it possible for practitioners to generate implementation and development processes oriented toward I4.0 adoption based on maturity levels in which Lean has the starting point at the first ones. Hence, it defines the enabling technologies to be incorporated and linked throughout the value chain, enhancing a Lean culture. This model will help organizations to become “smart” by allowing them to transition toward the best technology investment and continuously add value to their processes, people, and products. Moreover, the results will motivate researchers to study further the application of models for I4.0 adoption in which Lean is integrated to fill the gap with the I4.0 embrace caused by quickly changing industrial environments and the uncertainty and unknowledge of guidelines associated with incorporating new technologies. Full article

Governance and Corporate Management Systems have become key tools for the comprehensive management of organizations, which, when implemented, guarantee corporate success, which can materialize in obtaining corporate goals, strategic objectives, KPIs, and KRP. This paper is the product of research exercises where a Governance and Corporate Management System is exposed, supported by three main pillars: Technology Management, Innovation Management, and Digital Transformation, which we will call GCMS+ from now on. The work developed is based on a quasi-experimental longitudinal research methodology, in which three key phases are addressed; the first phase corresponds to the systematic review of the literature, which allows the identification of the key components of the proposed GCMS+ system. The second phase of the methodology focused on the modelling of the GCMS+ system, which visually and descriptively describes the structural components, flows, and control mechanisms. The third phase of the methodology focuses on the validation of the GCMS+ system proposed from the discussed literature and contrasting the position of the authors, which is identified through a conceptual discussion. In this case, it seeks to validate the structural elements of GCMS+, the constraints, adoption of good practices, integration of standards, adoption of principles, integration of drivers, strategic taxonomy, organizational structures, governance and management approach, as well as methodologies, roles, initiatives, metrics, and indicators. Full article

The objective of this study was to assess the digital literacy of smallholder farmers in their agricultural production activities. Based on six proposed factors, the researchers developed questions to guide studying and measuring digital literacy (DL) of smallholder farmers. On a 5-point Likert scale, 23 questions measured the ability of smallholders to access, manage, interpret, evaluate, create and communicate agriculture information online. Moreover, 257 smallholder farmers were involved in the study. To measure DL level, descriptive statistics and mean scores for the responses were calculated. A comparison of low and high levels of DL with demographic variables was conducted. The item-wise distribution of responses show that smallholders have high DL in accessing and communicating information, while they had low DL in managing, integrating, evaluating and creating information. The item’s mean score reveals that most of the responses were average. The overall mean score for the questionnaire was 75.17 + 5.79, and based on demographic characteristics, 58.0% of the smallholders reported high DL. Overall, smallholder farmers have an average level of DL. The study findings of this study may help governments and responsible institutions to develop strategies to ensure smallholders are digitally literate and use digital technologies in agricultural activities. Full article

This study aims to clarify the sectoral level of environmental pollution “rights, responsibilities and benefits” and to identify the sectoral pollution “background” to lay the foundation to achieving sustainable economic development. We use input output table data to account for and decompose the sectoral energy footprint. Firstly, based on the principles of producer responsibility and consumer responsibility, the consumption-based energy footprint (CBEF) and the responsible-based energy footprint (RBEF) are accounted for. Secondly, the sectoral energy footprint is decomposed based on energy consumption and responsibility and direct and indirect perspectives. The results show that (1) the distribution of the sectoral CBEF is characterized by a high sector concentration and large inter-sector differences. (2) The distribution of the sectoral RBEF is more balanced, and the difference is smaller. (3) There are also asymmetries and heterogeneity in trends between the sectoral CBEF and the sectoral RBEF. (4) The energy footprint generated by the production of intermediate-use products is an important source of the sectoral energy footprint (EF). The Chinese government should develop differentiated energy saving and emission reduction measures and optimize the sectoral structure to enhance sectoral cleanliness. Policy references for energy saving and emission reduction at the sectoral level and early achievement of carbon-peak and carbon-neutral targets are proposed. Full article

The valorisation of municipal and household biowaste as a relevant component of the EU’s Circular Economy Strategy is currently under discussion. However, there are several legal, technical and economic challenges associated with biowaste valorisation. This paper aims to pinpoint factors affecting biowaste supply chains using the PESTEL+I method and stakeholder workshops. Our analysis focuses on the macro-environment of an integrated biowaste conversion and valorisation concept in the region of Wallonia, Belgium. One key influencing factor is the EU’s legal framework on waste, which describes the end-of-waste status and defines criteria for biowaste reuse. While the analysis shows that EU regulations support biowaste valorisation, its transposition into national and regional law is lagging behind. The technological development of biowaste concepts might be hampered and many questions related to the marketisation of bio-based products remain unanswered. We therefore suggest that legal procedures for biowaste management have to be facilitated at the regional level. The region of Wallonia should establish a category for biowaste that would include standardized procedures for biowaste valorisation and products. It is essential that such regional barriers be overcome to establish the necessary cooperation with local stakeholders and to transfer biowaste supply chains to the market. Full article

Sustainability can achieve a balance among economic prosperity, social equity, and environmental protection to ensure the sustainable development and happiness of current and future generations; photovoltaic (PV) power, as a clean, renewable energy, is closely related to sustainability providing a reliable energy supply for sustainable development. To solve the problem with the difficulty of PV power forecasting due to its strong intermittency and volatility, which is influenced by complex and ever-changing natural environmental factors, this paper proposes a PV power forecasting method based on eXtreme gradient boosting (XGBoost)–sequential forward selection (SFS) and a double nested stacking (DNS) ensemble model to improve the stability and accuracy of forecasts. First, this paper analyzes a variety of relevant features affecting PV power forecasting and the correlation between these features and then constructs two features: global horizontal irradiance (GHI) and similar day power. Next, a total of 16 types of PV feature data, such as temperature, azimuth, ground pressure, and PV power data, are preprocessed and the optimal combination of features is selected by establishing an XGBoost–SFS to build a multidimensional climate feature dataset. Then, this paper proposes a DNS ensemble model to improve the stacking forecasting model. Based on the gradient boosting decision tree (GBDT), XGBoost, and support vector regression (SVR), a base stacking ensemble model is set, and a new stacking ensemble model is constructed again with the metamodel of the already constructed stacking ensemble model in order to make the model more robust and reliable. Finally, PV power station data from 2019 are used as an example for validation, and the results show that the forecasting method proposed in this paper can effectively integrate multiple environmental factors affecting PV power forecasting and better model the nonlinear relationships between PV power forecasting and relevant features. This is more applicable in the case of complex and variable environmental climates that have higher forecasting accuracy requirements. Full article

With the in-depth promotion of the “double carbon” strategy, the effectiveness of the green and low-carbon transition is not only fundamental to breaking the environmental shackles of domestic economic development, but is also an inevitable choice for Chinese enterprises to participate in international economic cooperation in the context of global climate change. However, the relationship between green low-carbon transition effects and outward foreign direct investment (OFDI) has not been adequately studied, and the transmission mechanism is not yet clear. Based on the above research gaps, this study made an empirical analysis on how carbon emissions efficiency affects companies’ OFDI using the OFDI data of China’s A-share-listed companies and matching carbon emissions efficiency data with the cities where listed companies are located, from 2007 to 2019. This study found that carbon emissions efficiency increases the possibility of OFDI, and carbon emissions efficiency significantly expanded the scale of OFDI through reducing financing costs and improving technological innovation, and the regression results are all significantly positive at the 1% level. We used ventilation coefficients as the instrumental variable, and the 2SLS results showed that this correlation is still robust. The heterogeneity analysis found that the role of carbon efficiency in promoting OFDI is more prominent for SOEs, large companies, clean companies and companies in competitive markets. In addition, financial development can positively moderate the influence of carbon emissions efficiency on OFDI, and carbon emissions efficiency deepens the embeddedness of the investment market compared to the degree of diversification of the corporate OFDI market. This research deepens the theoretical study on the factors of China’s OFDI, and provides insights for the government to coordinate carbon emissions efficiency and OFDI growth to achieve sustainable development. This study proposes continuing to promote clean production enterprises to shape their own sustainable development advantages, continuing to optimise the market environment and talent development environment, grasping the financing policy and technical support of the two important means, and accelerating the internationalisation of self-owned brands. These are the urgent priorities in driving Chinese enterprises to ‘go global’. Full article

Soil health indicators can guide soil management-related decisions for sustainable agriculture. Principle component (PC) analysis and the fuzzy k-means technique, also known as continuous classification, are useful for designing site-specific management strategies for varying soil properties within a contiguous area. The objective of this study was to identify appropriate soil health indicators as well as to create contiguous areas for precision management of a large diverse farm from measured soil properties. From the farm, which is sited on Armijo–Harkey soil, 286 loose and intact samples were obtained, representing a depth of 15 cm from the soil surface. Statistical analysis showed that several data were log-normally distributed. PCA analysis showed that the first three PCs explained 73% of the variation with PC1, consisting of factors related to the soil’s physical condition; PC2, containing factors related to chemical properties; and PC3, including factors related to macro- and micro-porosities. Minimizing the fuzziness performance index (FPI) and modified partition entropy (MPE) delineated four management classes. The membership class maps showed that the contrasting management strategies could be developed for the four management zones to achieve yield goals while conserving scarce surface water for irrigation, increasing water use efficiency, and decreasing nitrate leaching in arid and semi-arid irrigated farmlands. Full article

Climate change caused by CO₂ emissions is posing a huge challenge to human survival, and it is crucial to precisely understand the spatial and temporal patterns and driving forces of CO₂ emissions in real time. However, the available CO₂ emission data are usually converted from fossil fuel combustion, which cannot capture spatial differences. Nighttime light (NTL) data can reveal human activities in detail and constitute the shortage of statistical data. Although NTL can be used as an indirect representation of CO₂ emissions, NTL data have limited utility. Therefore, it is necessary to develop a model that can capture spatiotemporal variations in CO₂ emissions at a fine scale. In this paper, we used the nighttime light and the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), and proposed a normalized urban index based on combination variables (NUI-CV) to improve estimated CO₂ emissions. Based on this index, we used the Theil–Sen and Mann–Kendall trend analysis, standard deviational ellipse, and a spatial economics model to explore the spatial and temporal dynamics and influencing factors of CO₂ emissions over the period of 2000–2020. The experimental results indicate the following: (1) NUI-CV is more suitable than NTL for estimating the CO₂ emissions with a 6% increase in average . (2) The center of China’s CO₂ emissions lies in the eastern regions and is gradually moving west. (3) Changes in industrial structure can strongly influence changes in CO₂ emissions, the tertiary sector playing an important role in carbon reduction. Full article